Environmental Issues – They Concern Chefs as Well!

July 18, 2010 | By In environment | Comments(0)

It has not probably escaped your notice that environmental issues have captured people’s interest. You can probably say that this is not surprising considering the fact that people are finally experiencing the effects of decades of environmental abuse. Mother Nature is indeed lashing back. Environmental debates are fairly common these days. Being a chef does not excuse you, however, from getting involved. You create your own ecological footprints and you are accountable for them.

Environmental issues generally fall under three categories – bizarre global climate changes, excessive use of resources, improper waste management.

Bizarre Global Climate Changes

There are numerous environmental issues but the one thing that you have likely heard people talking about is the bizarre climate that the whole world is experiencing. The effects of these weird climate changes have caused devastating damages, taking lives and properties. Unfortunately, there are many factors that contribute to climate change. Many of these factors are largely created by man.

Excessive and Abusive Use of Environmental Resources

There are many environmental issues that fall under this category. You have deforestation, land degradation and land being stripped off of fossil fuels. These three are just some of the many problems that arise from abusive use of environmental resources.

Improper Waste Management

Many environmental issues have resulted from people’s inability to manage their waste or trash properly. This category basically embraces all kinds of pollutions caused by humans which include air, water and land pollution.

Resolving Environmental Issues Your Way

It’s certainly a good thing that many people are getting involved in correcting environmental issues. As a chef, you can do a lot of things in order to reverse the damage that has been done to the environment. You can make positive contributions. Being environmentally friendly does not end with disposing potato peelings properly. As a leader, you can influence people to be more environmentally conscious.

Adopt an Environmental Cause

If you own your restaurant, you can get your staff or employees to volunteer for environmental causes. Since you are working in the food industry, perhaps you can get your employees to volunteer for a food feeding program.

You can also adopt environmental programs and support them. For instance, you can adopt a program which aims to provide clear water to many places in Africa or you can support one project that is designed to protect the rainforest in the Amazons. Support any environmental conservation schemes. Try to raise funds if you can in order to support a conservation program.

Recycle!

Another way of helping the environment is to adopt a recycling program in your workplace. You should also make sure that you get recyclable supplies. If you are going to purchase disposable dishware, you should get recyclable or biodegradable ones. Encourage your staff or employees to do the same.

Cut Back on Gas Consumption

There are also various ways of cutting back on gas consumption. You can also get your employees involved in your save-your-gas scheme. You can offer incentives to employees who choose to leave their cars at home. In fact, this method is proving effective among hospitality entrepreneurs. Aside from encouraging your staff to take the bus, you can also get them to set up a carpool system.

Another way of saving gas and cutting back on delivery expenses is to impose minimum order requirement. This will discourage small deliveries and unnecessary use of gas.

Prefer Local Producers

The food service industry has finally recognized that they have a social responsibility to support local producers within their community. If you choose to purchase products from local farmers, not only will you be able to help the local economy, you will also help in minimizing environmental wastages.

Spread the Word

You need to spread environmental consciousness. You can start with the people around you – your employees perhaps. Challenge people to care. Over time, you will eventually get people involved. Employ people who are environmentally conscious – people who purchase organic products and who boast of eco-friendly practices.

You can also train your staff and teach them how to be more eco-friendly. After all, you will reap the benefits as well. You will likely notice a considerable decrease in energy consumption once your staff learns how to conserve energy.

You can also spread the word and influence your guests, customers and clients. You can offer rewards or incentives to guests who adopt eco-friendly measures in order to address environmental issues. You don’t have to stop with your employees. Ideally, the more people you educate, the better it will be for the environment.

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The Right Environment to Meditate

June 9, 2010 | By In environment | Comments(0)

Mention the word meditation, and the image that comes to mind is that of a person sitting in a lotus position on top of a mountain. The environment around him is very serene and quiet, surrounded by nature. Many believe that if the environmental conditions are not right, it would not be possible to meditate. However, most are not aware that meditation can be performed in almost any kind of environment.

Although the ideal setting to perform meditation would be a quiet and undisturbed place, this option may not always be available. Those of us living in the city or in suburban areas may not always enjoy the peace and quiet that the ideal meditation environment should have. Making a trip to some far away place to meditate would also be unnecessary and time consuming.

In reality, if you intend to practice meditation, any kind of environment will do. With practice, you can meditate in your room, sitting on your bed (a very popular choice), at your office desk, while commuting to work in the bus or train, even in the restroom. You can perform meditation in just about any place you can think of.

It would be best if you can get some time away from people when you’re about to start meditation. Getting some distance away from others will help you to relax and prepare for your meditative session in a more quiet setting. The only time when it is appropriate to meditate with other people around you is when they are also involved in the meditation session as well. Group meditations can sometimes be very motivating. It is easier to be still for longer periods, because everyone else is sitting silent around you.

Many people performing meditation prefer to use some form of music during the session. Generally, any kind of music can be played, but you must take care to ensure that the music you choose isn’t going to distract and move you away from your main focus. The best kind of music is the soft and gentle kind. These kinds of music promote a sense of calm and relaxation, and are ideal for meditation. Sometimes, you can use nature sounds as a backdrop. Sounds of chirping birds, a distant thunderstorm, or a waterfall all bring you a step closer to nature. You don’t have to go into the outdoors to experience these sounds. Many of them are available on CD.

So, with this newfound knowledge, go forth and meditate. Stop giving yourself excuses even if the environment you’re in may seem less than perfect. With constant practice, you’ll soon find that you’ll be adept at meditating just about anywhere.

Happy meditating!

Experience the benefits of meditation for yourself. Visit www.FreeMeditationGuide.com and download a free guided meditation session mp3.
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