How did you become aware of sustainable practices?

So, as I was reading the news today, I came across an article that reminded me of how I first became aware of sustainable practices.  The article was about Gordon Ramsey, my favorite caustic chef.  I love watching cooking shows because I love to see what people are cooking.  I particularly like Hell's Kitchen because the chefs are everyday people who would probably have to work for years to gain the opportunity they can win in a matter of weeks.  The fact that Gordon cannot seem to control his mouth just makes it funny to me.

The article was about an incident where Gordon Ramsey and the other chefs with him were held at gunpoint and doused with gasoline during the shooting of his new show (http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/gordon-ramsay-held-at-gunpoint?gt1=47001).  Ultimately, this occurred at the hands of fishermen who wanted to prevent inclusion footage that revealed their illegal practices (shark fin trade).  Gordon and other UK chefs have created this show: The Big Fish Fight, to make people aware of the practices in the fishing industry which threaten the sustainability of the food supply. 

This reminded me of my first awareness of sustainable practices: Seafood WATCH (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx).  Ultimately, I believe I was made aware of this list because of a diet program I was involved in, but it is a list that everyone should be aware of.  The list rates fish by sustainability and tells you whether it is okay to eat or if eating it defeats sustainable practices.  I remember that my first shock when reading the list was that monkfish, which had become extremely popular, was one fish that should NOT be eaten. The reasons given were overfishing and  concerns over the type of gear used to catch them.  This was over a decade ago and if you check the list now, you will see that it is still a fish rated "avoid".  This list has become the benchmark for seafood restaurants who want people to know they support sustainable practices.  These restaurants will provide pocket copies of the WATCH to their clientelle.  But even better than that, there's "an app for that".  If you are an iPhone user, you can get the Seafood WATCH app from the iTunes store (for free!).  You can also order pocket lists from the above website and they have recipes for sustainable seafood on the site as well.

If you are not currently aware of the state of the fishing industry, I suggest you take a look.  You just might be surprised what you find.  BTW, anyone who is a sushi-lover, I just recently found out that yellowtail also has a rating of "avoid" for farmed fish.  So, if you like yellowtail sushi, make sure it is U.S. Wild-caught not Japanese or Australian farmed.