June Sustainable Earth Eating Digest
Posted on June 14, 2023
Hospitals In California Adopt ‘Inclusive’ Vegan Meal Program In US First
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is offering fully plant-based allergen-free Universal Meals
According to Plant-Based News, a public hospital system in California has become the first in the US to introduce a plant-based food program named Universal Meals.
Welcome to SEE’s new board member, Dr. Ann Schnare
I’ve joined the Board because I want to learn more about the relationship between diet and climate change, and the role that financial institutions can play in supporting environmental sustainability efforts through their ESG investments.
Planet Bethesda
FARM , Sustainable Earth Eating and Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine c-sponsored the second DC-area plant-based festival on June 4th in a Wash DC suburb, attracting more than 4,00 people. The event offered plant- based foods, a Mad Science Show, all day music, and educational talks. SEE had Board Member, Nick Rudd instructing Tai Chi classes. FARM Exec Director and SEE Advisory Board member, Eric Lindstrom and Special Projects Director, SEE Board member Lisa DeCrescente led the successful endeavor helping show plant-based eating is delicious and good for humans and the planet.
Jane DeMarines, SEE CEO, and Planet Bethesda co-sponsor, called on consumers to understand that meat consumption is massively damaging our planet. She said, “80% of world’s agricultural land goes to livestock production or growing their food, yet only produces 20% of needed calories globally. The Brazilian rainforest deforestation photographs show cattle replacing trees. Much of that meat is going to U.S. consumers,” she told event attendees. She also quizzed the audience with the “What is Your Meat IQ?” which engaged the audience in a fun and educational way.
Congrats to our cookbook winners!
SEE held multiple activities at its Planet Bethesda booth on June 4th, it provided Tai Chi demos, and offered attendees a chance to win 1 of five cookbooks by answering one its 2 quizzes correctly. One was climate change oriented, and the other was “Testing Your Meat IQ.” The 5 winners included Lisa Sibblies, (Washington, DC) (pictured above with her cookbook), Jolene Lewis (Wash DC), Mercedes Estavez (Silver Spring), Lizz Fassih, Washington, DC, and Marc Gruber (Bethesda)
Sibblies stated, “I was really happy to attend the Planet Bethesda event in Bethesda, Maryland last week. Sustainable Earth Eating’s booth provided fun and educational quizzes on climate change, the environment, and the negative impact of meat production. I appreciate Jane DeMarines and her teams dedication to educating the public. These quizzes were a great way to start a conversation and spark interest in some of the most important issues of our day. I enjoyed discussing the topics raised with Jane and her team after I took the quizzes. It was nice to be around so many who have a passion for the same issues I do and I look forward to attending Planet Bethesda next year.
“I strive to live an ethical, healthy, environmentally friendly, and sustainable lifestyle. This has led me to adopt a more plant-based diet and to exercise more mindful purchasing habits. I’m happy with any action, no matter how small, someone takes to address environmental issues, promote more humane treatment of animals, and to improve their health. Youth More Plant-based focused, Sibblies saysI’m encouraged by the youth in the United States who appear to be more aware and conscious of such issues than previous generations. It is my hope that they, along with other like minded individuals, will continue to elevate these issues into action that will create more change on a legal and policy level.”
In response, SEE’s CEO Jane DeMarines noted that Sustainable Earth Eating has a mutual goal of trying to create change through education. Our 2 quizzes, one focused on meat IQ and the other on climate change/environmental impact, forced people to see if they knew the answers, but also brought front and center our biggest climate change impacts. Especially the impact of meat eating. SEE distributes hundreds of newsletters, press releases, social media posts, website articles each year. SEE also has a plant based cooking show and weekly recipes on its website.
The quizzes are a fun and clever way to get people to both learn and confront the realities of climate change and their causes as well, DeMarines said.