OK, so you’re eating green and proud of it – you buy organic veggies, hormone-free milk, grass-fed beef, antibiotic-free chickens, and free-range eggs. Don’t negate what’s on your plate by sautéing your tofu in a Teflon pan – it may not stick, but there’s a good chance it could make you sick.
Some scientists claim PFOA – the chemical used to make Teflon – can increase your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer. Although the potential health risks remain controversial, its hazardous environmental effects are better known. Tefflon is one of the most persistent synthetic chemicals, with a half-life of one thousand years.
Here’s a summary of Planet Green’s “Top Green Kitchen Tips”:
Make It Last
Choose cookware and utensils that stand the test of time and won’t have to be thrown away with your leftover casserole. Teflon may have a long half-life, but it has a considerably shorter shelf life. Go for stainless steel or cast iron instead. Though a bit of an investment, a good cast iron skillet will last for generations.
Energy Smackdown: Gas vs. Electric
If you’re a gas devotee that’s shopping for a new stove, know that the lower the BTU output, the more energy-efficient your stove will be.
With electricity, the most efficient stoves are those that use induction elements, which transfer electromagnetic energy directly to the pan, leaving the cook-top relatively cool, and using less than half the energy of standard coil elements.
Standard electric coils – those spiral types we’re all used to seeing – are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to energy efficiency. If you have an electric stove, opt for the most efficiency-efficient model possible, then purchase green power to support electricity from clean, renewable sources.
Green your Appliances
Energy-efficiency upgrades are coming fast and furious to many new appliances. More often than not, an efficient dishwasher uses a lot less water than washing dishes by hand. Check out How to Green Your Dishwasher, and Planet Green’s series on when to repair (and when to recycle) old appliances.
When it does comes time to replace your old-faithfuls look for the Energy Star rating on each of your new appliances.
Energy Efficient Cooking
Preheating is almost prehistoric – newer ovens fire up pretty quickly. If you’re roasting or baking something that’s a little flexible when it comes to cooking time – not souffle - you can put it in right away, then turn the oven off five or ten minutes early.
Green Kitchens Can Be Clean Kitchens
There are plenty of natural cleaning companies that produce non-toxic, biodegradable, plant-based detergents (see How to Green Your Cleaning). You can always create your own cleaning products using everyday ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda, which combine to make a great all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner.
Click here to read the full article from Planet Green, compiled by Team Treehugger.
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Cool read. It’s not every day I read a fun wine article. Thanks for the info, really. Though it begs the question why.