It’s the end of the semester. Certain things go by the wayside in the frenzy of grading papers, writing recommendations, and handing out tissues to failing students whose most creative work all semester is a sob story worthy of a Lifetime Movie. I haven’t had time to shave my legs in almost a week. On the bright side, I no longer need to wear long johns to walk to work. I’ve also found that the stubble keeps my socks from falling, thus preventing those nasty blisters you get when the heel of your sock bunches at the back of your shoe and rubs, rubs, rubs all day. I would say that not shaving this week has been a win, but my cat, Not a Dingo, has found another use for my gorilla like leg locks — scratching posts. Sometimes the Dingo household can take the whole recycle/repurpose mantra too darn far! But I digress. What I want to talk about is food.

Grocery shopping and cooking elaborate meals will have to wait until the last FAIL is entered into the grading system. Granted, an elaborate meal usually means giving Mr. Dingo a choice between skim milk and 2% for his coffee, but really, who has time to milk the cow? Anyway, Mr. Dingo and I are now on a first name basis with the local pizza delivery guys. And sandwiches? I’d forgotten how much I love sandwiches; particularly, Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter and Jelly. OMG. If I were on death row, well, I’d be very bitter that all of you didn’t raise enough money to launch an effective appeal of what was obviously a set up (I’d blog about it, too. You would not come out looking very good), but I’d also request Trader Joe’s PB & J as my last meal.

Last night, as we were eating PB&J, Mr. Dingo informed me that we were also saving the environment. Say what?! How can that be? I immediately checked his claim with the arbiter of all knowledge — Mr. Google. And you know what? He was right! According to the PB&J Campaign, substituting PB& J (or any plant-based meal) for an animal-based meal reduces your carbon footprint by up to 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. I love multi-tasking! And I love the PB&J Campaign.

The PB&J Campaign’s environmental goals and practical suggestions are Dingo friendly. Saving the environment doesn’t have to be about grand gestures. It’s incorporating every day, practical changes into your life. Chaining yourself to a tree is sooooo 1980s, and let’s face it, not everyone can get the time off work. Do-at-your-desk environmental activism, like simply changing what you have for lunch or dinner just a few times a month, is cost effective and easy. Want to save 24 square feet of land from deforestation? Conserve 133 gallons of water? Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions? Have some PB& J.

The PB&J Campaign doesn’t try to strong-arm you into vegetarianism. Their web site contains interesting, accessible information about how small changes in the way we eat effect our environment. However, if you want to know more about animal welfare, green eating and the environmental impact of food, or if you’re searching for vegetarian recipes, the site has links to get you started.

I love the idea of environmental activism that can be squeezed between installing solar panels on my electric guitar and separating two-ply toilet paper. The PB&J Campaign gets an A+ from me. Now, if there was just some way to shave my legs while I sleep. . .