Up and Away Winter Soup

Former conservative Republican senator Phil Graham opined that America is a “country of whiners”.  As much as I hate to, I agree with him.

While one can perhaps understand why it’s difficult to give up driving even though we know it’s bad for the environment,  it is incomprehensible that people baulk at giving up plastic bags and complain bitterly about being charged for them.

Yesterday’s  New York Times discussed how   “green” cities like Seattle are finding it difficult to implement  programs designed to reduce the number of plastic bags entering the environment by charging for them.

A city official  is quoted as saying “You have to be really tone-deaf to what’s going on to think that the economic climate is not going to affect people.”

You also have to be blind not to see what plastic bags do to our environment and dumb if you don’t think there are  more than enough reusable  alternatives that will have less impact on the environment.

I ask you: how difficult is it to give up plastic bags in your life? As difficult as dieting? As difficult as not spending money? I doubt it.

Whole Foods Market went cold turkey with plastic bags: one day it offered them, the next, albeit with 3 months warning, it did not. But instead of punishing customers by charging them for plastic bags, they were instead rewarded with a  refund for each recycled bag they used to carry home their groceries.

What is more motivating, a reward or a penalty?  ADI,  a company that coaches managers in how to bring out the best in people,  believes that positive reinforcement is the most efficient form of feedback when it comes to changing behavior.

But people are funny animals. We are, above all, creatures of habit and not a little lazy. We cling to bad behavior like leaving lights on in empty rooms or running water while  brushing our teeth. We are addicted to wasteful behaviors and whine when we are held accountable for them by having to pay higher utility bills.

The reward or penalty for the right behavior, to above all change behavior,  has to be pretty stiff to get us to change our ways. Charging  for a plastic bag, as planned by Seattle,  isn’t stiff enough to get people to bring their own bags, the way Whole Foods Market’s refund isn’t enough to remind shoppers to bring the dozens of bags stashed in the trunks of their cars.

This is why Whole Foods Market went a step further: through its One Dime at a Time program, it offers customers the option of taking the refund or donating it to a local charity. When  cashiers ask their preference, more than half give to charity.  These customers  can choose to give away their money, whereas  Seattle shoppers are being asked to give it up. Only a preposition stands in the way of changing behavior and improving the environment.

Let’s remember the difference between a necessity and a luxury: plastic bags are neither necessary to shop nor to live nor to maintain our quality of life. They are nothing more than a convenience and a costly one at that. So let’s stop giving former conservative congressmen reasons to be right and do the right thing instead.

Buy an inexpensive net bag and keep it stuffed in your coat pocket when you go shopping for this filling, environmentally-friendly winter soup.

Up and Away Winter Soup

Serves 4

1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets

1 red pepper, cut into strips and seeded

1 onion, peeled, cut into quarters, root end removed

1 peeled potato cut into rough cubes

1 grated carrot, cut into 1″ slices

3 tomatoes, sliced horizontally, and seeds removed

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp smoked paprika

2-3 tsp any Indian curry paste, according to your taste

4-5 cups chicken stock

salt to taste

plain yogurt, mango chutney and coriander for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan and drizzle with oil.   Sprinkle with paprika. Toss to coat.
3. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
4. Remove from oven and place vegetables in large kettle.
   
5. Add chicken stock and curry paste.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Puree in a food processor for about 5 minutes or until smooth. Thin with additional chicken stock if necessary.
8. Drizzle with yogurt, a dollop of chutney, and sprinkle freshly chopped coriander on top.
   

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