Just a day or two of cool weather, and my Maxi belle bush bean plants have significantly slowed their prodigious output - or did they stop producing as a protest to the screaming Blue Angel jets?
Everyone has an opinion on this Seafair tradition - the blogs are full, the voices angry or petulant. Each year I swear I will not write about it, yet the four-day weekend and the soul-defying noise arrives and consumes four midday hours each day. Hard to ignore. Even harder to watch the distress shown in frightened pet faces. And then to calculate the now-famous carbon footprint for the weekend of flyovers?
The lovers of the tradition are passionate about their devotion and the positive symbolism of strength and country. For those who do not see it that way, it is suggested that they can just leave the area for a long weekend. The noise, the precision and the excitement generated, not just by the planes but also the powerful boats, is a grand cause for a great big noisy summer celebration.
At the opposite end of the spectrum were the folks at the Sunday Ballard Farmers Market who were promoting the 100 Mile Diet. This diet challenges you to eat only what is grown within a 100-mile radius of your home. And the Sustainable Ballard organization has a Web site with recipes and other supports: www.100milediet. sustainableballard.org
The people working on these sustainability issues are passionate about calculating the carbon footprint of our foodstuffs. They have figures that show the average distance between you and your food is 1,500 miles. In addition to becoming aware of "food miles," their programs encourage and promote the benefits derived from building local connections and communities. This whole movement has spawned so many local groups that a new umbrella group has been formed: SCALLOPS - Sustainable Communities ALL Over Puget Sound - www.scallops.sustainableballard.org
I have witnessed the stark conversations between the true believers and nonbelievers, whether they are about the Seafair traditions or eating locally. Heels are dug firmly into the ground, and the ability to listen diminishes with each sentence. Perhaps a bit less passion is needed, but then without the passion would we have had our awareness raised regarding our food sources?
It is the classic "There is no right answer!" On the Op-Ed page of the Aug. 6 edition of The New York Times there was a long article about research in New Zealand suggesting that "imported produce may be better for the earth than local." Fascinating article that just muddies the water even further. But I like that, for it makes us stay aware, rather than complacent, and takes the holier-than-thou edge off the sustainable issues.
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