What do GMOs Have to do With World Hunger?

The objective of this part of the 21 day World Hunger series has been to shed light on the dangers or potential health risks of genetically modified foods in our food supply.  Under the guise of mass production to feed the world's hungry, Big Agra has artificially and genetically altered staple crops like corn and soybeans.  And while this seems to be a noble cause, the introduction of genetically modified organisms or GMOs into our food supply may have far-reaching negative consequences.  Given the mounting research indicating that more testing and studying needs to be done before we unleash these foods into the global food chain, we need to start asking some very important questions.


1) Is it really fair to subject starving or undernourished people to possibly more health risks by feeding them GMOs?
2) Big Agra GMO crops decimate the soil and environment through the use of pesticides and should Big Agra companies like Monsanto be allowed to rape and pillage both the earth and its people?
3) Should Big Agra be given the green light to continue to corner the market on GM seeds?

How to Avoid the GMO Bad Nasties

Today is my third day of exploring GMO and world hunger, as part of Conducive Chronicle’s 21 days for Hunger.   GMO food has been used as a solution for world hunger, but I will discuss some of the problems of this approach.
With such a high percentage of foods containing GMOs in some way, shape or form, you may be asking yourself how you can possibly avoid what I'll call the GMO Bad Nasties.   And with over 70% of the food in grocery stores today containing some sort of GMO, admittedly this is a tough one.  Luckily, there is a way.  One of the best ways to avoid GMOs is to go organic.

The Generational Consequences of GMOs

Today is my second day of exploring GMO and world hunger, as part of Conducive Chronicle’s 21 days for Hunger.   GMO food has been used as a solution for world hunger, but I will discuss some of the problems of this approach.

When the DNA of a plant or organism has been changed, it has become genetically modified organism, or a GMO.  Small or even tiny changes in a plant's genetic structure can have a significant impact on its properties.  That may not seem like a big deal for plants, or even animals, but when it comes to humans, the stakes get a little higher.  Just the slightest change in our DNA can have can have disastrous effects and chromosomal anomalies like Down Syndrome or Fragile X Syndrome.

The most common foods GMO foods consumed in North America are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil. So what does it mean to us if we eat genetically modified food?  What does the altered DNA of a plant or animal do to our own DNA?  What are the long-term effects?

From GMO Chemistry Set to Table?

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First and foremost, I am very honored and humbled to be taking part in this worthy project of raising awareness and generating solutions to end world hunger.  For 21 Days 5 Conducive Chronicle writers will be eating a diet similar to the almost 1 million of the world's hungry and presenting research on the topic.  And a very special thanks goes out to Kenda Swartz Pepper, whose idea this was, and to the talented and motivated writers with whom I am collaborating.

I was inspired to join this project because the more I read and learn about the world's food supply, food politics and how food is produced and distributed, the more I am convinced that everyone should know where our food comes from and what's in it.  It is a very complex system and should not be taken at face value from what we see and buy at our supermarket or grocery store shelves.  As we go about our daily lives, many (if not most) of us are unaware of the choices made by large corporations that affect what and how we eat.  And essentially many of us are sleepwalking as we fill up our grocery carts.

World Hunger Project

As promised, I will be re-posting portions of the "21 Days for World Hunger" series from Conducive Chronicle.  I strongly encourage you to read, share and absorb all that it will has to offer.

Written on October 11, 2010 at 1:29 PM by Kenda Swartz Pepper

925 million people.  21 days.  5 writers.  Joining forces and uniting voices to help those living with hunger.  Together we embark on a journey to learn, share, explore, write and make whatever effort we can to help reduce the global catastrophic crisis of world hunger.
Welcome to day one of twenty-one days for world hunger.  We hope that you too, in your own way, will join us on this journey.
When I was a kid, my parents harped on me to eat everything on my plate, because children in Ethiopia were starving.  I must confess that even though I felt for all those kids, I didn’t really make the connection.  While I rarely had a problem finishing my plate, on liver and lima beans night I didn’t have much compassion for those starving kids.  That dinner was invariably and surreptitiously fed to the dog.  While I may have gone to bed with the slightest tinge of hunger on those particular nights, I always knew there would be a meal the next morning.  Now in 2010 I am a different person and the world is a different place.  Now it is well known there are children all over the world – even in our communities – who are living with hunger. Now the notion of wasting food feels nearly criminal to me.  Now I see how the food choices I make impact not only my own health and well-being but also the health and well-being of hungry children.

Read on here:   21 Days for World Hunger

Eco-Steps to End World Hunger

September has been a busy month.  The kids are back in school, Fall is in the air (in most places) and many people are getting into what I call "squirrel mode" of gathering food and prepping for the winter months ahead.  But what if you didn't have enough food?  Many people don't.  In fact, just shy of 1 billion people around the world do not have enough to eat.  The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme estimate that 925 million people go hungry every day.

925 million people is more than three times the population of the United States.  You might be thinking "That's a lotta people!  What could I possibly do to help?" 

Well, there are a lot of things you can do.  But perhaps the first and most important thing is to be aware that this problem exists. 

Next, you could pick one small thing, or take one eco-step up to and including the obvious choice of donating money to a charitable organization that fights hunger.  But it doesn't have to be money.  One person action adds up to one family, one group, one community, one city.  Many people doing many small things can add up to have a tremendous impact.


For example, earlier this year, Kenda Swartz Pepper and Natasha Burge conducted their own personal experiments and wrote about what is like to go hungry.  I strongly encourage you to check these stories out.  They are informative, compelling and give us a closer look into what it would really be like to go hungry and still try to have productive, "normal" daily lives.  Luckily, we will be hearing from Kenda and Natasha again, along with others, beginning in early October.  I will be joining these talented writers from Conducive Chronicle for a 21-day journey to look at the problem of world hunger from many different perspectives.  I will be keeping you up-to-date on the series and will be re-posting them or linking them here on Eco-Steps.


You can check out more at Conducive Chronicle's World Hunger -- Be the Solution.  Or you can become a fan on Facebook to learn more about what you can do to help fight it.

For additional reading: 
12 Myths About Hunger
Waste Not, Want Not
The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Go Hungry

A Month Without Monsanto: What Does it Take to Avoid the GMO Giant?

April Dávila wondered what it would take to cut the GMO giant out of her family’s life. She found that it was far more entrenched than she’d ever realized.

by April Dávila

posted Aug 24, 2010

Photo by Roger Smith

In January of this year, while procrastinating on Facebook, I followed a link to an article reporting on evidence that there may be health effects associated with consuming Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) corn. Clicking on that link was one of those moments on which I look back and laugh. I had no idea how my life was about to change.

Monsanto’s Reach

The article I stumbled onto concerned a study done in 2009 by a group of French scientists investigating the safety of genetically modified food. Their results, as published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, pointed toward kidney and liver damage in rats fed GM corn.
I began to research where exactly Monsanto corn appeared in my family’s diet. With a little online sleuthing, I learned that in addition to producing the genetically modified corn, Monsanto produces several other genetically modified crops such as soy, sugar beets, and cotton. Many of these crops form the foundation of our diets: 70 to 80 percent of American processed foods contain genetically engineered ingredients, according to the Grocery Manufacturers of America. A large percentage of the cotton in our clothes and homes begins in Monsanto's labs.

By day two of my attempt to remove Monsanto from my life, I realized I was in way over my head.

Probing a little deeper, I was surprised to learn that a company specializing in genetically modified plant crops also had an enormous influence on America’s meat industry. Sixty percent of genetically modified corn goes to feed America’s beef cattle. Additionally, Monsanto’s recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is used to increase milk production in many dairy cows.

Tracing Foods Back to their Source

I decided to see if I could go the entire month of March without consuming any Monsanto products. I committed to an all organic, vegan diet, and reluctantly invested in a small organic cotton wardrobe. It was an experiment born of curiosity: I wanted to know just how deeply my life was influenced by Monsanto, a company I knew little about before that click of my mouse in January.

The City That Ended Hunger 

Belo Horizonte, Brazil did—and it wasn't that hard.

 

By day two of my attempt to remove Monsanto from my life, I realized I was in way over my head. For the past 10 years Monsanto has bought up seed companies around the globe. They now own a majority of the seed lines in America, including a large percentage of organic seeds. For everyday purposes, a Monsanto seed that is grown organically is still organic, but in my attempt to avoid Monsanto, I was left without any easy way of knowing what foods fit my experiment. I retreated to subsisting on wild-caught fish while I dug deep to try to figure out where exactly my foods came from.
With the help of sustainable food advocate Cassie Gruenstein, I got in touch with dozens of health food stores and manufacturers to ask where they sourced their products. I spent hours at the farmers’ market asking farmers what seed companies they bought from, googling on my iPhone before making purchases. It took several weeks, but I slowly built a somewhat normal Monsanto-free existence.

There is no easy way to avoid Monsanto. It requires talking with the person who grew your food—every ingredient of every bite.

Unfortunately, with the exception of a few national brands (check out Annie’s, Inc. Massa Organics, and Lundberg Farms for a good start), there is no easy way to avoid Monsanto. It requires talking with the person who grew your food—every ingredient of every bite.

Good First Steps

While it’s extremely difficult to entirely avoid Monsanto, there are some basic guidelines that anyone can use to minimize the genetically modified organisms in their lives.

1. Avoid processed foods. In particular, eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from your diet and be sure to read labels. HFCS appears in everything from sodas to wheat bread.
2. Consider going vegetarian, limiting your meat consumption, or buying grass-fed varieties. Over 60 percent of genetically modified corn goes to feed cattle on polluting concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in America.  
3. Buy organic dairy products to make sure animals weren't given Monsanto’s recombinant bovine growth hormone.
4. Buy organic cotton when you can. Monsanto is a major player in the cotton industry. Even though cotton makes up only 2.5 percent of the world’s crops, it is doused with 16 percent of the world’s pesticides. Cotton pesticides, most of which are listed as “extremely hazardous” by the World Health Organization, turn up regularly in water sources around the globe.

What most amazed me during my month without Monsanto was the influence that one corporation had in my daily life—without me knowing anything about it. Once I started looking, Monsanto was everywhere. Once I started making the effort to avoid it, I found something else that surprised me: the confidence that comes from really knowing what I’m eating.

Find out more:  A Month Without Monsanto: What Does it Take to Avoid the GMO Giant?

Oh Say Can You See?

Okay, so maybe the title is a bit cheesy, but recently I've been turned onto something that maybe many of you already know about:  Getting your glasses on line-- on the cheap!  As many of us know, eye wear can be expensive, and can really add up if you have kids who have or need glasses.

If you've had a recent eye exam and have a prescription in hand, you can save yourself boatloads of money by getting your spectacles on line and avoid the 500% markup on something that has no business costing so much.

Stubble Free Sustainability

Legs, armpits, beards, "other" places... Most adults in modern Western society shave something on our bodies to remove unwanted hair.  And according to Wikipedia, we've been shaving in some way, shape, or form for a long time-- since the Bronze Age.
In 1895, the concept of the safety razor was conceived by King C. Gillette and the arduous (or artful) task of shaving was revolutionized.  Then came along Schick, Bic, and then the electric shavers all to add to the list of modern conveniences.  And, well, you know the rest.  Or do you?  What about all of those single-use plastic disposable razors that we use once or twice, then pitch into the garbage and landfills to remain in perpetuity?

Behold the Power of Borax!

Being the eco-stepper that I am, I am always looking for all natural, non-toxic and inexpensive ways to clean my house, do laundry, freshen the air and all that goes with housework.  Since I have tried Borax in my homemade laundry soap and dishwasher powder, I am learning that it's actually quite the handy product to have on hand.  Wikipedia explains the many uses of Borax, far beyond those most would consider for every day household chores.  To pare it down a bit, here are some interesting uses for Borax:

Voluntary Simplicity: Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich

 (Title Borrowed From:  Voluntary Simplicity: Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich) 

Mother Earth News

Lately, it seems that there are several recurring themes in the quest to live a fuller, more purpose-driven life AND be kind to Mother Earth at the same time by being less materialistic and less "stuff-focused."  One of these themes is Voluntary Simplicity.  It can be described many ways-- frugal, authentic, minimalist, and a whole host of other adjectives that fall under the umbrella of taking "eco-steps" to living better, being happier and helping the environment.  And while many may think that choosing to live a simpler, less complicated life means "giving up" or "going without," there is plenty of evidence out there to support the exact opposite.  

Small Actions, Big Results

In the spirit of eco-steps, there are many seemingly small, easy things we can all do that can add up to have a collectively large impact on our health, our lives and our environment.  But maybe there aren't enough of us doing them.  And maybe we could all do a little bit more.  I think both statements are true.  With June of 2010 being the hottest on record, and terrible things like the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, flooding in Pakistan, and drought and wild fires in Russia, I think it's time that everyone start paying a little closer attention.

Creative Uses for Yogurt Cups and Lids

http://plasticrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/09/plastics-de-coded.html

As I finished my yogurt this morning, I cringed as I put it in the garbage can.  I have always been somewhat annoyed that the plastic used for most yogurt cups and containers is not readily recyclable.  I guess there probably is a good reason for it, but most containers I have seen have either #5 or a #7 symbol on the bottom and most recyclers, at least in my area, accept only #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) for recycling.  So what can we do with these things to extend their life and usage before they eventually and unfortunately find their way to the landfill? 

Learning From Our Neighbors: Part I

This past weekend I had the opportunity and pleasure of traveling to visit family in Ontario, Canada.  It was a beautiful day, eh?  There were good times, excellent food and it was great to reconnect with cousins and meet brand new ones.  Throughout the course of the afternoon, many discussions were had about the differences between Canada and the U.S. when it comes to health care, recycling, and regulations surrounding food supply. And you know what?  Canadians do a lot of things right when it comes to all of those things. 

Water, Water...Nowhere? Part II

  As a follow on to my March post entitled Water, Water...Nowhere?, I wanted to share the Yes! Magazine's Summer 2010 Issue that highlights water solutions.  You can check out the latest here:  Water Solutions.  Very thought provoking information!

The Ugly Truth: The Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics with Annie Leonard

Whatever you may think, have heard, or otherwise believe about Annie Leonard, she makes some very important points about the safety or lack thereof of mainstream cosmetics that we use every day. Her basic premise is "Toxics in, Toxics out."  In the U.S., in particular, there are all sorts of bad nasties in the cosmetics and personal care products that most of us use every day.  Back in February, I wrote about the benefits of using natural products vs. the overly preservative and chemical-laden products in About Face! Lookin' Good the Natural Way.  And it seems that thanks to Ms. Leonard's work along with the tireless efforts of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and many others, consumers are waking up to the hidden dangers in everyday products we buy and use.  

This is important.  Why?  Because our bodies absorb what we put in them, as well as what we put on them!  Not only do we harm the environment through the production and disposal of these products, but we harm ourselves.  

Consider this:  A woman who wears makeup every day can absorb up to 4 pounds, 6 ounces of cosmetics through her skin over the course of one year!  And that doesn't even count the chemicals, preservatives and compounds that exist in shampoos, conditioners, fragrances, deodorants, powders, etc.  Do we really need plasticizers in our shampoo or lead in our lipstick?  Scary stuff.

As always, in the spirit of eco-steps (taking small steps to help ourselves and our environment), I encourage you to read up on the ingredients in your makeup and personal care products.  Check the Safe Cosmetics Database for what's in your stuff and seek out natural, less harmful alternatives. 

Additionally, tell people.  Spread the word.  Take action and ask Congress to support the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.  It is through raising awareness and taking actions, however small, that we can influence companies to make safer products-- for us, for our environment, and for future generations to come.

Wanna Have More? Use Less!

In the spirit of eco-steps-- taking small steps toward conservation, being healthier, saving money and all that, I've been on somewhat of a minimalist kick of late.   I've been contemplating the notion that by using less of everything, that we can actually have more!  And if we apply that principle to just about every aspect of our lives, there will be more of everything to go around.  Here's where I am coming from:

Telecommuting Saves $10K Per Employee Yearly | Business | GreenBiz.com

Telecommuting Saves $10K Per Employee Yearly | Business | GreenBiz.com

SAN DIEGO, CA — Businesses that let 100 employees work half of their time from home can save more than $1 million a year according to Telework Research Network's (TRN) latest study of telework programs and their benefits.
TRN looked at more than 250 case studies, research papers and other documents on telework (also called telecommuting and workshifting), and combined that with interviews with companies, researchers and more to figure out how telecommuting benefits employers, employees, the environment and communities.

Jamie Oliver Speaks Out

Whatever your views, this is definitely food for thought (pun intended).  Borrowed from TED, Ideas Worth Spreading, which is an extremely interesting website full of very neat stuff.  I highly recommend checking it out!

What it Means to be a Modern Man (or Woman) by George Carlin

Lightening it up a bit for today.  Enjoy.

Let It All Hang Out: Why Line Drying is Better

In my part of the world, it is now officially summer.  And summer usually means sun-filled, warm days.  Those days are p-e-r-f-e-c-t for line drying your clothes.   Instead of firing up the dryer, why not harness the power of the sun and fresh air to dry your clothes?   While it may sound like a major inconvenience, I can attest that it really isn't.  Whenever possible, I hang our family's (clean) laundry out to dry.  Sure, I have a dryer like most modern households, and I use it (as little as possible), so I won't pretend like I don't.  It's kind of a philosophical thing with me, but I won't bore you with that.  Back to hanging up the clothes... It doesn't really take that long to hang them up, and if you do it right, there is no need for ironing (score!!) when you take them down and / or fold them!  So here are some reasons why line drying is better:

How Many Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs Does It Take to Close 705 Coal Plants?

www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/book_bytes/2010/pb4ch04_ss2 By Lester R. Brown
The lighting sector is on the edge of a spectacular revolution, a shift from the century-old, inefficient incandescent light bulb to far more efficient technologies. Perhaps the quickest, most profitable way to reduce electricity use worldwide—thus cutting carbon emissions—is simply to change light bulbs. The first advance in this field came with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Replacing old-fashioned inefficient incandescent bulbs that are still widely used today with new CFLs can reduce the electricity used for lighting by three fourths. Over its lifetime, each standard (13 watt) CFL will reduce electricity bills by roughly $30. And though a CFL may cost twice as much as an incandescent, it lasts 10 times as long. Each one reduces energy use compared with an incandescent by the equivalent of 200 pounds of coal over its lifetime. For perspective, the energy saved by replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with an equivalent CFL over its lifetime is sufficient to drive a Toyota Prius hybrid car from New York to San Francisco.

The Reality of Health Care Reform

This video was passed on by my cousin, Gen, of Fight Club fame.  I've watched several of this guy's videos and I think he is on to something good here.  Just a regular guy, talkin' common sense.  Take a  look!




You can check out more of Sean Croxton's stuff at http://undergroundwellness.com/.  It just may be good for you!

Something Fishy Is Going On

If you eat fish or seafood, you definitely need to see this three-minute video.  It's an eye-opener for sure and definitely raises some questions as to where the FDA is (or is not) on regulations of seafood imports and points to our overall societal ignorance on where our food comes from.  Should we really be ignoring our nation's health and safety to save a buck?



It's yet another reminder that where our food comes from matters.  Please share this with your friends and family.

Food Matters. Perhaps the Most Important Eco-Step of All

Those of you who have been following my blog know that I am quite passionate about a few things--especially when it comes to our health, well-being and taking steps to do better, feel better, be healthier, etc.   I recently came across this video and I think that most of the latest books about food and how we eat are really making the point that "Food Matters."  What we eat matters.  It matters to animals, to the air we breathe, to the soil our food is grown in, and ultimately to our own health and the survival of our species.  Throw in a bunch of cliches or sayings like "You are what you eat," or "Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," and you get the point.  Take 3 minutes and check out this trailer.  I hope it gets you thinking.



There needs to be a great turning in our society-- a turning away from drugs and "magic pills" that artificially "fix" our health woes.  We need to be turning toward the root cause-- how we got to this point of sickness and disease in the first place, and start taking steps to reverse it.   We need to stop just accepting the poisons and toxins that come in brightly colored boxes on our supermarket shelves and start taking action to get better! 

For more information, you can find many resources here.

On that note, I will be exploring this topic further--perhaps in a new blog (still deciding on that).  And to reiterate one of my most favorite sayings:

“Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”-- Margaret Mead

From Zen Habits: Simple Productivity-- Cutting the Cord To Materialism

Borrowed from Zen Habits with full credit to Leo Babauta.

How do you want to spend your life?

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from David Damron of The Minimalist Path.

Let’s start with an exercise …
1. Grab a small sheet of paper and a pen or pencil.
2. After you read the following question, please take 5 deep breaths before answering.
3. Write your response to the up-coming question on your piece of paper in one sentence.
Here is your question to answer:
If you had the opportunity to do one activity for one week without any worry about finances, cost, or other outside commitments, what would you love to do for this week?
I hope you answered that question on the piece of paper. If not, please finish following the original instructions and then continue reading.

Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card | Friends of the Earth

Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card | Friends of the Earth

Posted using ShareThis

Millions of Americans take cruise vacations every year. Yet, most travelers don’t realize that taking a cruise is more harmful to the environment and human health than many other forms of travel. The 2010 Cruise Ship Report Card lets vacationers decide which cruise to take based on a cruise ship or cruise line’s environmental and human health impacts.

Phosphate Levels in Soda Speed Up the Aging Process

Phosphate Levels in Soda Speed Up the Aging Process

4/27/2010 2:51:34 PM

by Susan Melgren, Editorial Assistant

Tags: natural health, soda, phosphates, high fructose corn syrup, drinks

Despite my efforts to eat healthier in the past year, I have been loath to give up soda (or, as I call it, the “nectar of the gods”). I know that sweet, caffeinated goodness is laced with mercury-tainted high fructose corn syrup and acid that erodes my teeth, but I can’t quite bring myself to quit drinking it completely—and soda’s prevalence in our society isn’t helping me out any.

Why Does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac?

That's a good question, and the answer is simple: Subsidies.  But before I get into that, I must confess that I dined out at restaurants twice this past weekend.  It was Mother's Day weekend, and I guess I felt a little "entitled" to a couple of meals out.  A little beside the point of the title of this post, but still important because at least a portion of the conversation over both meals was about what's wrong with our nation's approach to food and why so many of us are literally addicted to fast food. 

Annual Mail Carrier Food Drive Saturday, May 8th

Annual mail carrier food drive Saturday

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Last Update: 3:45 pm

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U.S. Postal Service carrier Ron Comly carries parcel packages to a home while delivering mail along his postal route December 17, 2003 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Thomas Cain, Getty Images) 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The annual Stamp Out Hunger drive by the nation's mail carriers will be held Saturday.

Letter carriers collect nonperishable food donations from the public as they walk their routes, and the items are donated to local food banks.

Last year the collection totaled a record 73.4 million pounds of food, according to the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service.

The collections started 18 years ago and have brought in more than 980 million pounds of food in that time.
People who want to donate are asked to leave items such as canned goods and packaged pasta near their mailboxes on Saturday.

Another Good Reason to Step On Outta Those Hose!

Be nice to the planet and ditch those panty hose. Nylons are made out of petroleum.  Yep.   Even if you've ditched your gas-guzzling SUV and are now driving a hybrid or biking to work... you can still do just a little more to help the planet.  Here are some other things that are made out of petroleum.  You may be surprised...

Chewing gum:  It lasts as long as it does for a reason—just about all brands on store shelves today use petroleum-based polymers. According to my friends at Planet Green, Goodyear, the tire and rubber company, supplies Wrigley's with much of its gum base. Yummy!   

More from Planet Green: 

• Hair dye: As if the toxic chemicals in hair dye weren't enough reason to avoid coloring your hair. Try finding more natural alternatives, or just go au naturale.

• Asphalt : Also known as bitumen, the material used to resurface roads (as well as in roofing materials) is an oil-based hydrocarbon. Meaning—if you noticed that road construction slowed down in your area at all in the last year, rising oil costs may well have been the reason. 

   Crayons: The main ingredient is paraffin wax, a petroleum product also used in most candles.

  Ink: Ever wonder why so many companies with an eco-conscience tout their use of soy-based ink?

  Pantyhose: ...and all other nylon products. All petroleum-based.
  

  And there's more...

  Heart Valves. Pillows. Aspirin. Ammonia. Toothpaste. Toothbrushes. Guitar strings. Shoe polish. Tape. Rubbing Alcohol. Vitamin capsules. Solvents. Caulking. Insecticides. Deodorant. Glue.
  The wax layer of the packaging your frozen food comes in. (And, of course, the fertilizers that farmers used to grow much of that food.)
  
  Given the ubiquity of oil, it's not an easy thing to get away from, no matter how much bike-riding and food-growing we do for ourselves. (Though both of things are a great start—keep 'em up!) But, like other addictions, we got ourselves hooked, and with serious effort and dedication, we can get ourselves unhooked.

OBESITY CONSPIRACY: The U.S. Government Scandal that's Really Making You Fat

Had to post this...

Posted by Dr. Mercola | May 04 2010 | 44,101 views

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A decade ago, an American woman's waist, on average, was close to two inches smaller than. Eighteen year olds are 15 pounds heavier than they were in the 1970s.
One reason is federal subsidies for food production. Take a look at these numbers:

• Meat/Dairy -- 73.8 percent
• Grains -- 13.2 percent
• Sugar/Oil/Starch/Alcohol -- 10.7 percent
• Nuts/Legumes -- 1.9 percent
• Vegetables/Fruits -- 0.4 percent

That’s right – just 1.9 percent for nuts and legumes and 0.4 percent for fruits and vegetables. As a result, a salad often costs you more than a Big Mac.

Go Organic and Eat Fewer Pesticides

As mentioned in a previous post The Dirty Dozen, it is important to seek out pesticide-free fruits and veggies whenever possible.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has come up with a Shopper's Guide to Pesticides and Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned medical expert on natural health and wellness, tells us why and how he uses the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.

 For more information, go to: http://www.foodnews.org/.

Happy Eco-Stepping to cleaner food and better health!

Saving Civilization is not a Spectator Sport - Lester R. Brown

SAVING CIVILIZATION IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/book_bytes/2010/pb4ch10_ss8 By Lester R. Brown	Earth Policy Release    Book Byte    April 22, 2010
Given the enormous environmental and social challenges faced by our early twenty-first century global civilization, one of the questions I hear most frequently is, What can I do? People often expect me to talk about lifestyle changes, recycling newspapers, or changing light bulbs. These are essential, but they are not nearly enough. We now need to restructure the global economy, and quickly. It means becoming politically active, working for the needed changes. Saving civilization is not a spectator sport. Inform yourself, read about the issues. If you want to know what happened to earlier civilizations that found themselves in environmental trouble, read Collapse by Jared Diamond or A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright or The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter. My latest book, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, can be downloaded free of charge from Earth Policy Institute's (EPI's) Web site, earthpolicy.org, along with complementary data sets and a slide show summary. If you find these materials useful in helping you think about what to do, share them with others.

Happy Birthday, Earth Day!

Since this blog is dedicated to all of the little things or eco-steps we can take to make this world a better and healthier place for us, I would be remiss if I did not at least acknowledge that today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, along with the 91,100,000 other sites that Google returned when I typed in "Earth Day."  I feel somewhat of a kindred spirit with Earth Day since I am also turning 40 this year (gasp!).  40 seems like a good age to look back and reflect upon one's life and experiences, and then to look forward to the good that is yet to come.  It is somewhat of a milestone.  In the last 40 years, we have learned a lot about the environment and our impact on it. 

Eco-Steps Toward a Better Tomorrow

The Conscious Shift in Consumer Behaviors

Sunday, April 11, 2010 by Ted Ning

The global economic downturn has not only affected many people’s wallets it has also caused a dramatic shift in the way people look at the choices they are making in their lives. In the U.S. there is a strong desire to be self reliant and to conserve resources as people prioritize their spending and behaviors towards more purposeful decisions. Choices as small as bringing meals to work rather than eating out, taking public transport instead of spending on gasoline and garden grown foods rather than store bought foods are some examples of trends that are picking up. These are changing the way companies approach green business strategy.

Today not only LOHAS consumers but ALL consumers are demanding a greater value from products and services. This value is derived from a strong desire to make the most of everything that a person has. Considerations including investment, functionality and cost are being assessed and are creating new dimensions of ROI that are increasingly a part of the emotional and social values a brand typically provides.

Breaking the Curse of Bigness

An Eco-Steps non sequitur... 

Breaking the Curse of Bigness

Resilience depends on diversity, but banks and businesses just keep getting bigger. How can we break the cycle?

by Stacy Mitchell

posted Apr 07, 2010

photo by D'Arcy Norman

If we were to boil the financial crisis down to its root cause, we could sum it up with former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis’ phrase, the "curse of bigness.” The crisis was caused by massive industry consolidation, which leads to destructive corporate behavior because the decision-makers at these vast institutions are so far removed from the impacts of their decisions.
Perhaps the best way to understand the problems inherent in an economy that separates actions from consequences is to look at its opposite.

Healthy Home Tips: Checklist | Environmental Working Group

Earth Day is coming!!  

Healthy Home Tips: Checklist | Environmental Working Group

EWG Action Fund's Healthy Home Checklist

Ready to create an eco-healthy home?
We created this Healthy Home Checklist for you to use as you walk through your home -- and open your bathroom cabinet, look under your sink, and check those laundry supplies. It's an easy, hands-on way to create a less toxic environment for your family. When you're done, you'll breathe easier (literally!) knowing that you've tackled the toxics that matter most in your home.
Before you get started, get the basics from EWG's Vice President for Research, Jane Houlihan, who helped a Maryland family identify the toxic chemicals in their home on this televised home visit.

Check your house for common toxic chemicals and choose safer alternatives with this simple checklist for less toxic living.
When you finish your checklist, click here to send us an email letting us know how you did. Got lots to change or is your home already eco-healthy?


KITCHEN

• Do you cook with non-stick cookware? Replace with cast-iron, stainless steel, or glass when possible. Stuck with it? Take care not to overheat it, which releases toxic fumes. Learn more.
• Do you use plastic food containers? We recommend glass over plastic. Never microwave food in plastic containers. For baby, use glass or BPA-free plastic bottles. Learn more.
• Do you filter your tap water? Check EWG's online tap water quality database for local contaminants and a filter that removes them, if needed. Look up your water.
• Do you drink bottled water? Kick the habit. For water on-the-go, get a reusable water bottle, like stainless steel (not plastic or aluminum lined with plastic). Learn more.
• Any canned food in the pantry? Cook with fresh or frozen whenever possible; most food cans (including liquid infant formula) are lined with bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical that leaches into the food. Learn more.
• Do you eat conventionally grown produce? Check EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to be sure you buy organic when pesticide residues are highest.
• Do you use iodized salt? You should. Iodine is necessary to maintain healthy thyroid function. Learn more in our video.
• Do you eat high-mercury fish? Ask before eating and head for the lower-mercury types (especially for pregnant women and young children). Get the safe fish list.

BATHROOM

• Do you use air fresheners? Don't! Most contain a number of toxic chemicals that contaminate the air you breathe.
• Is there fragrance in your personal care products? We don't know what's in "fragrance," so it's safer to choose all fragrance-free personal care products. Always check ingredient lists to be sure. Learn more.
• What kind of toothpaste do you use? Choose fluoride-free for kids younger than 2 and teach older kids to rinse and spit; fluoride is toxic if swallowed. Also, pick a paste without triclosan -- you'll see it on the ingredient list. Learn more about fluoride and triclosan.
• Do you use liquid hand soap? If so, avoid anti-bacterials -- the American Medical Association recommends against using them at home. Learn more.
• What material is your shower curtain? Avoid vinyl shower curtains. If you get a new curtain (whatever the material), leave it outside for several days before using.
• Do you have extra products? Less is more. Skipping cosmetics like hair spray and detangler, body sprays and powder is less toxic -- and cheaper!

LAUNDRY AND CLEANING CLOSET

• Are your cleaners green? It's hard to know without a full ingredient list, which most products don't have. Find out the ingredients by calling the manufacturer, avoid the toxic ones and choose green-certified products whenever possible. Learn more.
• Do your product labels list all ingredients? Most don't, but they should. Support companies that disclose all ingredients by buying their products -- you have a right to know. Learn more about labeling.
• Do you need all those products? Most homes can be safely cleaned with a few non-toxic ingredients: vinegar (it's anti-bacterial), baking soda, water, a HEPA vacuum, microfiber mops and cloths -- and some elbow grease! Skip laundry products you don't need, like dryer sheets, fabric softener, and chlorine bleach. Learn more.

ALL AROUND THE HOUSE

• Was your home built before 1978? If so, it probably contains lead paint. When repainting, use a wet sanding technique to reduce dust, choose low VOC paints and always paint with the windows open for good ventilation. Keep kids away from rehab dust and loose chips. Learn more.
• Got foam furniture? Foam products (like stuffed furniture and mattresses) are often treated with toxic fire retardants, so keep them well-covered. Ask whether a product is treated before you buy and choose naturally fire-resistant materials, like cotton and wool, when possible. Don't "protect" your fabrics and carpets with sprayed-on chemical coatings -- simply clean spills quickly. Learn more.
• Do you use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? They contain mercury and should be handled and disposed of with care. Use them where there's no danger of breaking near children; clean up broken bulbs quickly and safely. Learn more.
• Do you use pesticides or insecticides? Try non-toxic alternatives first; pesticides are a last resort. If you choose to use them, store them out of reach of children. Organic gardening is healthier for kids and pets, since they live closer to the ground.
• Do you have a wood deck, picnic table or playground set? Those made before 2005 likely contain arsenic. Test to confirm and either replace with safer wood or reduce your exposure by sealing it, replacing high-use areas and washing hands after touching, especially before eating. Learn more.
• What materials are your kids' toys made from? Top contaminants to avoid are: lead paint, play make-up, cadmium and lead in play jewelry, and phthalates in soft plastics (like teethers and rubber duckies). Choosing non-toxic toys for young kids is especially important because so many end up in their mouths.

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