Send all your eco-inquiries to Jennifer Grayson at eco.etiquette@gmail.com. Questions may be edited for length and clarity.
Are cut flowers really bad for the environment? My wife loves them, and I know she's probably expecting a bunch this Valentine's Day.
-Mike
Selfishly, I don't want to write this article, because I fear if I veto one more of my husband's romantic gestures for not being "eco" enough, he'll give up on me forever.
First, I banned the trails of cards we used to leave each other on anniversaries. (Why should we kill trees to say I love you?) Then went the chocolates, nestled in layers of crinkly plastic and boxed up with a polyester bow. (Only fair trade and in recyclable packaging, please!) Even wine that was bottled with a plastic stopper had to go by the wayside. (Can you try to find bottles with a natural cork, babe?)
I seriously want to punch myself in the face just reading this. The man is a saint.
So when he surprised me last week with a bunch of magnificent calla lilies, I of course didn't have the heart to tell him what I'm about to tell you: Conventional cut flowers are just about the least natural thing you can get your sweetie this Valentine's Day.
I know, it's hard to believe: Flowers are so beautiful, so organic looking -- in the truest sense of that word. How could they possibly be bad for the planet?
To answer that question, let's take a look at the lifecycle of your run-of-the mill supermarket red roses, which most likely began their journey in a production greenhouse in South America. Seventy-eight percent of cut flowers in the US are imported from countries like Ecuador and Colombia, where warm weather makes for ideal year-round growing conditions.
The rest of the growing conditions, however, are less than optimal, at least where the environment and workers' rights are concerned. Output is key, since US demand is so high (particularly on holidays like Valentine's Day, which will see the sale of 200 million stems of roses alone), so flowers are doused with a toxic cocktail of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides to keep disease and vermin at bay.
Twenty percent of those chemicals are so dangerous they're actually restricted in the US or Europe, according to a 2007 study by the now named International Labor Rights Forum. That's especially unfortunate for the unprotected workers (mostly women, sometimes children) who are suffering everything from respiratory distress to higher rates of miscarriage to neurological impairment as a result of exposure.
Might want to rethink that rose petal bath, huh?
Once the roses are harvested, they're stored in an energy-eating chilled warehouse, transported to the airport in a gas-guzzling refrigerated truck, flown via cargo plane to the US (sorry, no refrigerated airplanes, but I think the carbon emissions from flying are pollution enough), and then shipped yet again via refrigerated truck to their destination -- in this case, the supermarket.
There, they wait in -- you guessed it! -- a refrigerated display case, until someone snaps up a dozen to take home and surprise his honey. But the journey doesn't end there: Once the flowers fade in a week or so, they're tossed in the trash (unless you compost) and sent to the landfill, where they decay and emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Factor in the not-easily-recyclable cellophane floral wrap, those little plastic water tubes that get capped on the flower stems, plus an add-on polyester Teddy bear and mylar balloon filled with helium (a precious gas that the world is running out of, by the way), and you've got yourself a veritable Valentine's Day eco-disaster. (Am I the V-Day grinch, or what?!)
If you still have your heart set on fresh flowers, you don't have to forgo them entirely, though. Seeking out blooms that are certified either USDA organic or sustainably grown by the third-party Veriflora program will go a long way toward reducing your pesticide petalprint. Buying in-season flowers from a local grower (you can find one on LocalHarvest) is another eco option that can help support native bee populations threatened by colony collapse disorder.
But if you want to impress your Valentine with your romantic as well as environmental prowess, I say ditch the cheap carnations and try this sustainably suave suggestion: Give her a package of rare heirloom flower seeds along with a beautiful vintage flowerpot. Then tell her you want to plant them with her this Valentine's Day and watch the flowers grow along with your love.
Happy V-Day!
Follow Jennifer Grayson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennigrayson
:-)
As much as I love and respect labels, one of the most dishonest is the Fair Trade label. I visited several Fair-Trade certified cacao farms in Ecuador, and what guess what I found? Child Labor. And not just a smattering, but almost universally. Every farm I went to the parents had their children working instead of studying in school. Why? Because Fair Trade only buys from family farms, so the parents are obligated to use their children to produce more cacao fruit and provide a couple more dollars per day for their family. They cannot hire anyone, unless they want to forgo the Fair Trade certification. Go figure, huh?! Sadly, its not a FAIR world we live in...
Like most industries in the world today, it takes an incredible amount of energy and work to produce and export a product. Flowers aren't an exception. I agree that cut flowers, like most other industries, could use some more green practices and enviro-consciousness, but smearing an entire industry, endemic to this holiday, as a V-Day disaster is rather unfair.
And strangely enough (altho may be not as green-there is an area just west of Phoenix AZ that grows roses in the vicinity of Luke AFB. As for chocolate if you are worried about budget google Hawaiian chocolate.
I’m mindful that Blogging & Tweeting is dependent on computers & mobile devices (made in China) containing lithium batteries…
You suggest we forego Cards, Chocolate and now Flowers… are you suggesting that we disconnect emotionally from one another…completely?!
These Studies support the emotional benefits of Flowers…
Rutgers: People that receive Flowers when Sick get better faster… those that receive Yellow Flowers get better faster still!
Harvard: Seniors are less depressed, have more cognitive memory when in the presence of Flowers…
Rutgers: Homes with Flowers have less disagreements than homes without Flowers.
A Boston Women’s Shelter sends home a bunche of Flowers with women in danger… they are 86% less likely to be harmed when flowers are present.
Should we be conscientious about harmful chemicals in use on any product we purchase, wear or consume? Absolutely… Is there a negligible danger in having flowers in your home? Take my advice… it’s far more dangerous…( both emotionally and physically) to be FLOWER FREE!
Anyone that has lost a friend, spouse or relative… treasures the memories and emotional connection created by Cards, Chocolate or Flowers they received! (Valentine’s Day or otherwise… )
The Power of Flowers reaches far beyond the vase… Flowers touch our souls…creating memories that last forever!
We also stock locally grown products. Items that are grown within an hour of the store. Look for the CA Grown blue seal. The local growers near our store are all Veriflora certified. Actually, (I don't know the exact percentage) but most growers in CA are sustainable. And sustainable is a step further than organic.
The link Casey provides is a great one.
So, yes, you can give roses with a clear conscience this year if you purchase from the right source.
Lazy Acres Market like many other supermarkets/grocery stores actually have fresher product than conventional florists. Our roses are picked up directly from the shipper at the airport, conditioned and placed on the sales floor, removing the 3-6 days of holding and refrigeration that florists get from the wholesalers. Our process takes a week or more out of the process which means your flowers wil last longer. While I am not saying our roses will last 2 weeks, I have seen certain cultivars last nearly that long.
http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/blog/entry.php?id=182
http://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/rioba.pdf
I also understand and appreciate the effort to grab the attention of consumers during a major floral holiday like Valentine's Day, but stories like these need to consider better the facts and avoid such faulty generalizations as the examples you've provided.
There is a flower farming community in California that is working hard to compete against the imports you describe, they employ good people, sustainably grow beautiful flowers (like Calla lilies) and currently bring $10.3 billion dollars to the economic table.
I don't think your a Vday Grinch, just misinformed and not providing your readers with the reality of their options. Ask for California Grown Flowers, look for the label when you shop, make sure you are getting America's best source for high quality flowers for your special someone this Valentine's Day.
...so enjoy those Callas, they could have been grown from the heart...in California!
To learn more about America's Flower Farmers visit www.ccfc.org and become a fan of their flowers at www.facebook.com/californiagrownflowers
I would like to continue this discussion, in hopes that we could revisit the concerns that have raised here in context of the real life examples of the farmers, their employees and the flowers that still grow here in California.
I also would also like to disclaim that I am employed by the California Cut Flower Commission and serve as the CEO/Ambassador for the flower farmers of California. What is the CCFC? You can learn more about the Commission through this video here: http://ccfc.org/about-ccfc
I left the floral industry after 20 years because I just couldn't make a living any longer at it.