More Hip Than Hippie #257 - Farmed Salmon Exposed!

Salmon farming imperils the environment, the fish and the health of the consumer.

Crowded feedlots filled with feces? Overuse of antibiotics and pesticides? Greedy corporate disregard for regulations? No, we're not talking about the US ag industry. Salmon farms in Norway, Canada and Chile (and the US) employ these spurious means to feed America's appetite. The Hipsters dive into the murky waters with both eyes open. Also, Dori contemplates chicken ownership while Val coins a new More Hip slogan!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: This noble gent is the Hop Czar from Bridgeport Brewing Co. We're normally fans of the Imperial IPA, but Dori found herself making "hop face".

Chocolate: The chocolate pairing may be to blame. Q.Bel All Natural Chocolate Covered Wafers are light and flaky like non-toxic Kit Kats, but that subtle hint of mint doesn't work well with beer.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Id-vertising. Val recommends the BBC series Century of the Self, a documentary examining the use of Freudian psychology by advertisers and marketers. Bring your own cigar.
• Farm to fork. Students at the University of New Hampshire can study both food and sustainability in the new EcoGastronomy program. Eat Free or Die!

Hip News

• iPoison. Those shiny touch-screens on your Apple gadgets may cost more than you think. Chinese factory workers exposed to n-hexane are suffering nerve damage, paralysis or worse.
• Sticker shock. Need a little help choosing a home? The Energy Performance Score (EPS) is a new labeling system that lets you compare houses based on energy consumption, similar to miles per gallon for vehicles.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Stay sharp! Tired of dealing with dull shaving razors? For disposables, James in PA suggests drying the blade after each use to extend its life, or employing a pair of jeans. Glenn in Texas sends his straight razor to a 'honemeister' and recommends the Straight Razor Place for tips and info (for women too)!

 

Farmed Salmon Exposed!

Two-thirds of the salmon consumed by Americans is farm-raised. A farmed salmon's life is very different from that of their wild counterparts. Learn how these fish farms impact their environment and your health.

• The lifecycle of a wild salmon is fascinating!
• Salmon farms crowd thousands of fish into open net-cages in coves along the coast.
• Multiple antibiotics are fed to the fish, along with treatments for sea lice.
• Until recently, Chile was the biggest supplier of farmed salmon in the US. Disease killed their industry.
• Buyer beware: there's no such thing as organic salmon. Not even from Loch Duart.
• Make good choices with the help of Seafood Watch. Find businesses who don't sell net-cage farmed salmon at Salmon Supporters.

Listener E-mails

• Veggie Liz in NYC is bummed to hear that bamboo fabric and agave nectar aren't as green as we thought. Raw agave? Um, not so much. Sorry!
• Tina in Texas found a plant-based Easter Egg Coloring Kit from Eco-Kids.
• Adele in Ontario (eh!) wants to get the skunk smell off her dogs. Most home remedies have hydrogen peroxide, so your pooch may go blonde!
• Rob in Kentucky will try his hand at growing stevia, but wants to avoid the licorice taste. Any Hipster tips?
• Leanne in Vancouver, BC (eh!) fervently hopes she can feel good about buying the delicous tenderloin at Costco. We give it a thumbs up!
• Elan in New York loves Klean Kanteen but misses his CamelBak spout. Keep your eyes peeled for cool new spouts from KK this year.
• Chrissy in Charlotte, NC shares a couple of gems--applique with used dryer sheets and a Chocolate Guinness Cake from Nigella Lawson. WE KNOW!

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More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.