Green up your Red, White and Blue Barbecues.
Firing up the barbecue this Independence Day? If so, you’re not alone. The Sierra Club reports that nearly 225,000 tons of carbon will be emitted this July 4th - from grilling alone. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help lessen the impact. To green up to your red, white and blue barbecues, the most important consideration is your choice in cookers. It’s best to choose an electric or propane powered grill over one that burns through charcoal. If you can’t replace your current coal-fired cooker just yet, (or won’t because you’re a grilling purist) there are couple of things you can do that are at least more eco-friendly.
Obv
iously, you’ll want to choose some of the more environmentally responsible products now available for Green Grilling, such as eco-briquettes or lump charcoal made from 
sustainably managed forests. When you do locate an alternative product, make sure to check for a certification from the Forest Stewardship Council or a stamp from the Rainforest Alliance Smartwood. But keep in mind, none of them are 100% eco-friendly - it's the process of burning that pollutes the air.
To get the briquettes or lump charcoal hot, use a chimney starter. They're easy to use - you just crumple newspaper in the base, then add the lump charcoal to the top, and light the paper. NEVER use lighter fluid. Lighter fluid not only taints the flavor of your foods, but it gives off unsafe VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) when burning and emits an obnoxious odor. VOC's contribute to the formation of ground level ozone - certainly it's not the way to green up your red, white and blue barbecues.
Green Grilling is something that is relatively easy to do, and something to consider, not only on the 4th of July, but year round. Choosing to live our lives with more environmental responsibility just makes good sense. Let's celebrate our country's independence and freedom with regard for the future of our planet. It just takes a little extra thought to green up your red, white and blue barbecues.
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