Too hot at 4:00 a.m., Every.org, a no-defrost local steak, and a journey to the stars
August 3, 3023
What’s Going On?
The other day, my friend and Wakefield MA resident Jeff Kehoe shared on Facebook a letter to the editor written to the Wakefield Daily Item by John Breithaupt, another Wakefield resident, on July 31, 2019.
It is a bit difficult to read in the picture, above, but in the letter, he describes not only how hot it was at 4:00 a.m. on his own porch earlier that week and statistics about climate change, but he also shares this poignant bit:
“The nineteenth century traveler Charles M. Doughty, author of the classic “Travels in Arabian Deserts,” wrote about the restful “mountain freshness” of the air in the desert after the sun went down. On Wednesday [this would be Wednesday, July 29, 2019] the temperature in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at 4:00 a.m. was 91 degrees.”
Climate change is indeed not a hoax.
What to Do?
If you have the time and want to learn about ways to help address climate change, read the following article by Sigal Samuel published by Vox in 2019 and completely updated on November 29, 2022:
A major point of the article is that there are a number of small (comparatively) organizations that are doing crucial work aimed at STOPPING the causes of climate change versus the also worthwhile work being done to help people who are being disenfranchised by climate change.
The author also recommends donating to funds that, based on research and the educated opinion of experts in the field, give grants to smaller organizations designed to help them reach an important goal or get through to an important milestone, etc., right when they need financial assistance.
This strategy makes sense to me. One such fund is the Founders Pledge Climate Change Fund. You can make a donation via Every.org, which I will need to highlight in a future newsletter. Cool beans organization!
Here is the link to donate: https://www.every.org/climate.change.fund
I appreciate that the author includes non-monetary ways to help mitigate climate change:
Aside from donating, there are many other ways you can help.
There are plenty of ways to use your skills to tackle the climate emergency. And many don’t cost a cent. If you’re a writer or artist, you can use your talents to convey a message that will resonate with people. If you’re a religious leader, you can give a sermon about climate and run a collection drive to support one of the groups above. If you’re a teacher, you can discuss this issue with your students, who may influence their parents. If you’re a good talker, you can go out canvassing for a politician you believe will make the right choices on climate.
If you’re, well, any human being, you can consume less. You can reduce your energy use, how much stuff you buy (did you know plastic packaging releases greenhouse gases when exposed to the elements?), and how much [factory-farmed] meat you consume.
What to Read?
I think I will simply repeat my suggestion from above. The article is really quite good.
What's Cooking?
Not so much a recipe, but a cooking technique. If you don’t eat steak, you can share the following link with a friend who does. 😊
If you purchase meat from a local farmer, chances are that you purchase it frozen. And, if you are in the mood to throw a lovely steak that you just purchased right on the grill, you can’t. At least you thought you had to wait for it to defrost. but do you? Read my blog post:
Frozen Steak? Just Grill or Pan Sauté It. Really! No Need to Defrost.
This really works. Of course, only do it with a more tender type of steak such as T-bone, porterhouse, or strip steak. Otherwise, defrost and then salt it and let it sit as long as overnight before cooking.
Click HERE for an article about pre-salting. It works great for chicken, too!
And, please excuse the condition of my cooking blog website. I recently started to recreate it from a previous version, and it is slow going!
Note: while it currently is STILL not secure, (another call to my web host is due) it won’t cause any issues since you won’t be inputting any personal data.
What Else?
Like last week, I am taking some time off from presenting longer editions, so this is another short one. Think of it as my summer vacation. 😉But I have another cool link for you: 100,000 Stars It is a fascinating website!
Enjoy!
And, be kind,
Wendy