Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I have been a little under the weather. A couple of exciting things. Last weekend before going to the American Idols concert, my friends and I ate at The Flying Burrito in downtown Little Rock. The Flying Burrito is a member of the Arkansas Green Restaurant Alliance. It was great to see a recycling center instead of just a trash can when we were done eating. Also, it looked like their to-go containers were made out of paper, not Styrofoam. For all of this to even matter and make an impact, the food has to be good. If no one likes a restaurant committed to sustainability, then people won't see the ease of recycling, eliminating plastic, and many more things. Don't worry about this place - the food was great! Today I am going down to the new Heifer Village for lunch at the Cafe @ Heifer. I have been there before and this is also an eco-friendly place to eat. If I remember correctly the "plastic" cups are made out of corn. I have read some information about corn plastic and there seems to be mixed feelings. Corn plastic, or PLA (polylactic acid) plastic, is biodegradable and made from a renewable resource. Some people are against the use of PLA plastic because it is difficulty to break down in some compost bins and is not recyclable. I think that for right now, it is better than just using petroleum-based plastic. Some places are not going to recycle and at least you can throw away a Corn plastic cup knowing that it should biodegrade.

Not only is the Cafe @ Heifer a great green option, but the architecture of the Heifer buildings are great models for sustainable building. The landscape appears to be all drought resistant and there is a very cool rain water collection system built into the building. Water landing on the roof of the Heifer Village is used to water the flowers all around the building. Rain water collection systems are great ways to conserve water and use what is given to you - not what you have to pay for.

Just a quick note about what I think I am going to write on next. Back to school in an eco-friendly way. I was in Target recently browsing the school supplies, and a few things came to my attention about how we could be more eco-friendly.