tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69122665554588951382024-02-07T13:02:28.660-08:00Cool Earth TopicsFood is Life and Life is Food---and, without food, we wouldn't be here!!
But have we taken our food supply too far? Too far across the planet and back, too far with genetic engineering and seed patenting, too far in unnecessary packaging and preservatives! What happened to the good, old-fashioned way of doing things?
This blog is about all of this and more--plus the many ways you can help to keep the EARTH COOL.Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-90626978123136116572010-03-13T20:32:00.000-08:002010-03-13T21:02:46.143-08:00Put Your Money Where Your Health Is....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDsbyhZqg7JbGvg4KADFWdtKw-deXJOVyQcEYITORyr8oH3LFo2wsXqrqkbTZZSGDEsHvGztixBc2ivtTGHeu50f16n6ntEW1yyVDAxQY7e8iAuVMZ2FWOoaHLF0NuEzt27QEnC70LAUw/s1600-h/grocery-shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDsbyhZqg7JbGvg4KADFWdtKw-deXJOVyQcEYITORyr8oH3LFo2wsXqrqkbTZZSGDEsHvGztixBc2ivtTGHeu50f16n6ntEW1yyVDAxQY7e8iAuVMZ2FWOoaHLF0NuEzt27QEnC70LAUw/s320/grocery-shopping.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Every time you and I spend money on food, we are literally speaking with our dollars. We are deciding what kinds of foods we want to put into our bodies, we are making choices which move the food industry, and we are letting distributors know what types of food products we want more of. And although we might not truly perceive how our personal choices affect change, every time we spend money on food items, we are making a statement. <br />
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According to The New Yorker, the average American spends $5,267 per capita on health care and an average of $6,133 on food costs annually. Yet, there is much scientific research and evidence proving that the more nutritionally sound our food choices are, the more we contribute to our health and well being while reducing medical expenses. Unfortunately, our current eating trends are the source of many medical maladies.<br />
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When evaluating the Standard American Diet (SAD), evidence shows that it is high in animal fats and high in unhealthy fats--both saturated, hydrogenated. It is also low in fiber, low in complex carbohydrates, and low in plant-based foods. In other words, most Americans exist on a diet full of carbohydrates (processed grains, cereals, pasta, breads, cookies, cakes), processed meat products, and consume relatively few fresh fruits and vegetables. Ironically, this type of diet is the exact opposite of what doctors and food nutritionists recommend for a healthy, active lifestyle. <br />
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Research also shows that the Standard American Diet is a major cause of many diseases which include Obesity, Heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and certain cancers. SAD can also cause a wide range of other symptoms such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Depression, etc. In my opinion, it is rather contradictory for a country whose population has access to the healthiest and disease preventing foodstuffs, to advertise and sell even more foods that are profit driven and not health promoting. <br />
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Although the United States has spent more money on cancer research than any other country in the world, the Standard American Diet contributes to the very diseases that money is being spent to prevent. Yet, the time has finally arrived when more and more people are waking up and realizing just how unhealthy their diets and lifestyles truly are. Consumers are changing their spending habits and are incorporating more healthy foods into their diets.<br />
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Yet, unfortunately our food system is set up for consumers to easily spend their money on highly processed, unhealthy convenience foods. A trip to the grocery store shows that 9 out of 10 items available are less than par when it comes to being healthy. This is evidenced by the plethora of packaged foodstuffs on many aisles and a much smaller fresh fruits and vegetables section. Yet, as more citizens are demanding healthier choices, positive changes are being made. <br />
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The Daily Collegian Online reports, "Nationally, farmers markets have increased in popularity during the economic downturn. At a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern, farmers markets have been able to prosper as a source for "healthy, fresh, locally grown food." The number of farmers markets has increased to over 5,000 nationwide in 2009 and this trend continues to grow.<br />
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This is a positive sign that consumers are learning to speak with their dollars. They are demanding fresh, organic, and locally grown foods, which are proven to be more nutritionally sound than conventionally grown products. They understand the importance of making a connection with the farmers who grow their food and they are able to see and taste the difference between produce that was harvested close to purchase time.<br />
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"I think people are more aware that their food isn't checked like it used to be, so if people want fresh and healthy, they buy locally." Once consumers realize the improvement in both taste and in nutritional value of their food, they begin moving away from shopping in grocery stores and want to buy as fresh as possible. It is truly a good sign that more and more people are beginning to understand how what we eat is truly the foundation of our health and wellbeing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH_7ebE7PZi1_ShIm12fMjGP6-8iDH4BgFYePz2WeUcbrJ-nf1Qvy9L4uLn7JU8Lg5ygsdSQ7zElnnR_kW0SbFdslQxA9ED0_VCCbIPH3-B5Ziva5doFgKCERV3DvF0Vn5USqvw2RkXXv/s1600-h/FarmersMarket2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH_7ebE7PZi1_ShIm12fMjGP6-8iDH4BgFYePz2WeUcbrJ-nf1Qvy9L4uLn7JU8Lg5ygsdSQ7zElnnR_kW0SbFdslQxA9ED0_VCCbIPH3-B5Ziva5doFgKCERV3DvF0Vn5USqvw2RkXXv/s320/FarmersMarket2.jpg" /></a></div>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-27908100296333483902010-02-25T20:49:00.000-08:002011-03-15T14:55:46.337-07:00Acknowledge Your Food<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc6AP0rp8ubC63O44Q0ECC-CiG5eVMAVKiBGBlxzoIsouIdA9gEHvCw2vgqWqAsn0Cdmbxw0pJ904zN3e_k3xn1Sk0E8M3bUPm2LNc5NA72BGxBUvhrafChS8_CPZZ_bT7tNrLFLBj010/s1600-h/orthorexia_fruit.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442412678465104578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc6AP0rp8ubC63O44Q0ECC-CiG5eVMAVKiBGBlxzoIsouIdA9gEHvCw2vgqWqAsn0Cdmbxw0pJ904zN3e_k3xn1Sk0E8M3bUPm2LNc5NA72BGxBUvhrafChS8_CPZZ_bT7tNrLFLBj010/s320/orthorexia_fruit.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br />
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Food, as our life source, is truly amazing. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it provides us with vitamins, nutrients, and other elements essential to our growth and well being. Food also supplies us with energy; it brings us pleasure, and is absolutely necessary for our survival. <br />
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Through the ages, man has enjoyed countless feasts in the company of others. Not only are meals shared between members of a family, but food is frequently consumed at important gatherings, social functions and community events. Yet, even when one dines alone, the serving of food has been “touched” by countless people along the way. From Farmhands and Artisans, to Professional Chefs and Home Cooks--all are operating with the goal of providing mouth watering foodstuffs for consumption. <br />
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While industrialization has provided us with inventions to make our lives easier, food manufacturers have also followed suit. Meals that once took hours or even days to prepare and enjoy are now being served in fractions of the time. And although it is rather convenient to dine on a meal which takes minimal effort and preparation, by making “speed cooking” a regular occurrence, not only do we decrease nutritional value, but we cease to make the indispensable connection between our food and our health. <br />
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Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon to see people eating while they are watching tv, driving, and even standing up. And as is evidenced by the food establishments on nearly every street corner, our society is definitely consuming lots of fast, convenient, highly-processed foods. Plus, with our ability to prepare meals more rapidly, we have also sped up our eating pace at home. Today, many meals can both be cooked and consumed in under 30 minutes, so there no longer appears to be any reason to contemplate or appreciate the real importance of the food on our plate. <br />
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On a deeper level, what we have actually done over time is to replace deliberation and special occasion with effortless convenience and speedy delivery. It seems as though we have virtually lost the capacity to sit and experience meals in a slow, enjoyable nature and to truly understand the importance of eating nutritionally sound foods in community with others. <br />
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Yet, the more we learn about the healing properties of foods, the more it is evident that our fast-paced society needs to take a closer look at the foodstuffs we put into our bodies and how they affect us to our very core. Not only that, but we also really need to understand how eating a wide variety of food serves its own unique purpose and that there are so many tasty choices which are truly healing in nature. <br />
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In my opinion, dining shouldn’t just be about filling our gut with the most convenient item we can get our hands on, it should be about thoroughly nourishing our body, mind, and our soul. We should make it a point to choose fresh, healthy ingredients and become educated about what we are putting into our bodies. It is imperative that we learn to value our own health and well-being and choose foods that support us.<br />
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Prior to eating, we should also take the time to pause and acknowledge our food so that we can make a connection with honoring the gift that lays before us. Therefore, even if one is currently stuck eating food in the “fast lane,” simply slowing down and giving attention to each meal before it is eaten, as well as while it converts into energy and sustains our life, we may come to understand how eating food is something that should not be taken for granted.Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-59166730298470161012009-09-07T12:02:00.001-07:002009-09-19T03:34:57.359-07:00If You Were Given the Choice, Would You Rather Take Medication or Eat Healthy, Wholesome Foods?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B8hHzAgu73NufVW0NK0ank134zajKsYga2GiExq3uJ8aoWbL4lAbI41M1lemrm2M4zYckGVx-Jueupo8g9W3DdgLrUSnQSVxBgZas8VdohEKxW01eMVOz7EgrZl3z5zA45cbtcoA8al5/s1600-h/healthy-foods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B8hHzAgu73NufVW0NK0ank134zajKsYga2GiExq3uJ8aoWbL4lAbI41M1lemrm2M4zYckGVx-Jueupo8g9W3DdgLrUSnQSVxBgZas8VdohEKxW01eMVOz7EgrZl3z5zA45cbtcoA8al5/s320/healthy-foods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378803126589749218" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;" >I often subscribe to the fact that my own good health is simply the result of "high-quality genes," but the more I learn about diet, exercise, and attitude affecting our wellbeing, the more I understand the real differences in longevity between my family’s ancestries.<span style=""> </span><br /><br />My mother’s side of the family has always held the viewpoint to steer clear of all medical doctors unless it is of the utmost emergency--using prevention over prescription as their central belief system. Whereas, my father’s side always smoked, drank, ate unhealthily, and spent countless hours in the doctor’s office trying to rectify a history of “bad living.”<br /><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;">Thankfully, both of my parents learned to embrace the healthier of the two lifestyles and I was taught to think positively about my own health and well being.<span style=""> </span>In my recollection, it was very rare to see my parents with an illness other than the common cold--and even that was atypical. Moreover, my parents always involved my brother and I in physical activities such as swimming and sports, and our family, as a whole, continues to be quite active.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">However, in today's society where millions of dollars are spent on medical bills, and prescription medication use is at an all time high, it appears that taking a pill to remedy health issues has become the norm. Yet, if more people realized that it is possible to make positive changes without the ongoing advice of a physician, they could become empowered to take charge of their own health and well-being.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Research shows it is becoming more and more evident that dietary habits are one of the most important influences regarding our health. Studies examining the health of populations routinely prove that diets based on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and beans live longer.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">According to <a href="http://www.goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp">Goveg.com</a>, "<i>Healthy vegetarian diets support a lifetime of good health and provide protection against numerous diseases, including our country’s three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer, and strokes." </i>What's more is that the consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products has also been strongly linked to<i> "osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, asthma, and male impotence." </i><span style="">Scientists have also found that<i> “vegetarians have stronger immune systems than their meat-eating friends; this means that they are less susceptible to everyday illnesses like the flu</i></span>."<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Therefore, a higher intake of fruits and vegetables directly correlates to a lower risk of illness due to increased amounts of antioxidants, fibers, and essential fatty acids that directly contribute to good health.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"><b style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">What are Antioxidants?</b><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;">Because oxidation<i> </i>occurs when cells interact with oxygen, this produces some type of change. The cells may either die, as seen in rotting fruit or they may be replaced over time by fresh, new ones, as when we cut ourselves. <i>"This birth and death of cells in the body goes on continuously, 24 hours a day. It is a process that is necessary to keep the body healthy," </i>reports researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at <st1:placename st="on">Tufts</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;">However, while our body processes oxygen very efficiently, it is possible for 1 or 2 percent of cells to become damaged and turn into free radicals, which can then become problematic. <i>"Antioxidants work to stop this damaging, disease-causing chain reaction that free radicals have started. Each type of antioxidant works either to prevent the chain reaction or stop it after it's started, </i>Blumberg explains. <o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">It is a proven fact that <span style="">oxidation happens to all cells in nature-- including the ones in our bodies.<i> “To help your body protect itself from the rigors of oxidation, Mother Nature provides thousands of different antioxidants in various amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes” </i><a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/">Medicinenet.com</a><i>. <span style=""> </span></i>Therefore</span>, when your body needs to put up its best defense, antioxidants are vital to your health.<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"><b>Why is Fiber Important?</b></p><p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Eating fiber can have lots of healthy benefits. It is known that there are two different types of fiber - soluble and insoluble which serve your body in different ways. </p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><i>Soluble fiber</i></strong> can be digested by your body, and may help to reduce the amount of <span class="glossary"><i>cholesterol</i></span> in your <span class="glossary"><i>blood</i></span>. <span class="glossary"><i>Cholesterol</i></span> is a naturally occurring fatty substance that can clog up your arteries if you eat a diet that is too high in fat. Beans, oats and lentils are good sources of soluble fiber.</p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><i>Insoluble fiber</i></strong><i> </i>can't be digested. It passes through your gut without being broken down, and helps other foods to move through your digestive system more easily. Insoluble fiber keeps your <span class="glossary">bowels</span> healthy and helps prevent <span class="glossary">constipation</span> and other digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Wholemeal bread, wholegrain rice, wholegrain breakfast cereals, and fruit and vegetables, are all good sources of insoluble fiber, reports <a href="http://www.stanfordwellshpere.com/">Stanford Wellsphere.com.</a></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal">What most people don't realize is that fiber is only found in foods that come from plants and is not found in any other types of food such as meat, fish or dairy products. This may explain why most people do not get the daily recommended amount of 18g.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Are All Fats Bad?</span> <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">The truth of the matter is that we all need fats. According to Healthcastle.com, “<i style="">Fats assist with nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity, etc.”</i> However, when consumed in excessive amounts, fats can contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Yet, some fats promote health while others increase our health risks. The solution is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet.<o:p></o:p></p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There are two types of Good Fats: Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated. <span style=""> </span>Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in monounsaturated fats. Also, Polyunsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Some examples of polyunsaturated fat food sources include soybean, sunflower, fish and corn oils.<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">There are also two types of Bad Fats: Saturated Fats and Trans Fats. Saturated fats are known to raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Trans fats were a result of scientists beginning to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can uphold better in food production process and provide for a better shelf life. Trans fatty acids are formed as a result of hydrogenation. They are found in many commercially packaged and fried foods, such as fries from some fast food chains, packaged snacks, vegetable shortening and stick margarine.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Making Healthy Choices</span><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;" >In order to create and maintain good health it is vital to eat a well-balanced diet that includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fiber while avoiding processed foods as much as possible.<span style=""> </span>After all, when it comes down to making a life long decision, would you rather take medication or choose healthy, wholesome foods? </span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-87227017075606918182009-06-30T16:17:00.001-07:002009-08-09T19:28:21.587-07:00An "Egg-Cellent" Option<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa1zTg7DXL31mVSN70Sls5FRTeyb0ALXd2zMOdvOkP_kQHuT60l04PwIowHvFYZmGn1pexjGZ9vChetGFTtZj8ZPeHmtaUwMZxA_kGbUe57CcAocknmRgFUBc3GwyJ7DopCqjwUDrK0_e/s1600-h/battery-cage-hens-compassion-over-killing-photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa1zTg7DXL31mVSN70Sls5FRTeyb0ALXd2zMOdvOkP_kQHuT60l04PwIowHvFYZmGn1pexjGZ9vChetGFTtZj8ZPeHmtaUwMZxA_kGbUe57CcAocknmRgFUBc3GwyJ7DopCqjwUDrK0_e/s200/battery-cage-hens-compassion-over-killing-photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353263840139732066" border="0" /></a>For centuries, eggs have been touted as the “perfect little food package.” They are said to be an important source of protein, essential vitamins and minerals, and can make a significant contribution to a healthy diet. Although there are many excellent food alternatives that supply the same nutritional value, eggs continue to be a popular food source.<br /><br />When most people think of “farm-fresh” eggs, the picture that comes to mind is one of hens roaming freely, scratching, pecking, and contentedly laying eggs.<br /><br />However, in today’s society where egg production is in full force, this peaceful image is a far cry from reality. According to <a href="http://www.factoryfarming.com/">Factoryfarming.com</a> “<span style="font-style: italic;">There are more than 325 million egg laying hens in the U.S. confined in battery cages — small wire cages stacked in tiers and lined up in rows inside huge warehouses without access to natural sunlight.</span>” The egg-laying hens contained within these cages have space approximately the size of an 8” X 11” piece of paper, where they are jam packed against each other. This leads them to rub up against the sides of the cages causing cuts, abrasions and feather loss. The birds are also unable to scratch and peck at the ground without their feet getting caught in the wires because they are living in such an unnatural environment.<br /><br />Under a natural, free-range farm setting, hens can establish a "pecking order" and none of the hens are in jeopardy so long as they can easily move to a different area. Under a high-stress, high-density environment, a natural pecking order cannot be established and the sharp beaks of hens can result in injury (and death) to large numbers of birds. These conditions cause them to peck excessively at each other due to frustration and monotony.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxnKRiU34d3kH0GCCC95n3FYj_-RFwZniHkpGY_kuUk1_iF49CgRehP17TTFRuEjmsmWOszZwpk-XB4v79e7qY5m7wMz4DuJh6v6Rj6g3e0tOtTrRkkPojbhR6Grh9XPJ9xFowsIykkbU/s1600-h/Debeaking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxnKRiU34d3kH0GCCC95n3FYj_-RFwZniHkpGY_kuUk1_iF49CgRehP17TTFRuEjmsmWOszZwpk-XB4v79e7qY5m7wMz4DuJh6v6Rj6g3e0tOtTrRkkPojbhR6Grh9XPJ9xFowsIykkbU/s200/Debeaking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353264630126715218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Consequently, to keep the hens “safe” from each other, they go through the process of “debeaking” when they are young chicks. This is an awfully painful process where the beaks are seared off with a hot torch or chopped off with a machine leaving only the short stub of a beak. The hens are then forced to live the rest of their lives without a complete beak intact and many are also subjected to painful toe removal, as reported by the FDA.<br /><br />Another common practice used by major egg producers is “forced molting” which is basically a condition when hens are “starved for profit.” According to <a href="http://www.upc-online.org/">United Poultry Concerns Website </a>“<span style="font-style: italic;">In nature, birds replace all their feathers in the course of a year to maintain good plumage at all times. A natural molt often happens at the onset of winter, when nature discourages the hatching of chicks. The hen stops laying eggs and concentrates her energies on staying warm and growing new feathers.”</span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoMgRM6KOI69w2b6rYWrilJuUYm5F3p70KjHND9JzBhWjIHnoBGx4xgdz2Yxx-AlxTa4rupEcxOXY8pZ5Tu-7shgYZ9CzEeQsbsNJqFeKfWoWQqQ1E6G_DNg0_KsZHafjqnhVIfz_e_Eu/s1600-h/forced_molting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoMgRM6KOI69w2b6rYWrilJuUYm5F3p70KjHND9JzBhWjIHnoBGx4xgdz2Yxx-AlxTa4rupEcxOXY8pZ5Tu-7shgYZ9CzEeQsbsNJqFeKfWoWQqQ1E6G_DNg0_KsZHafjqnhVIfz_e_Eu/s200/forced_molting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353264924803081202" border="0" /></a><br />Sadly, the egg industry exploits this natural process by forcing an entire group to molt simultaneously. This is done to obtain several hundred additional eggs from the overly exhausted hens, because it is thought to be cheaper to "reuse them to death” rather than have the hens lay eggs in connection with their natural cycles.<br /><br />To trigger the physiological shock of the forced molt, food is withheld for no less than five days and as long as fourteen days. Many hens die during the starvation process, but survivors may be force-molted two or three times, based on economics. “<span style="font-style: italic;">At any given time, over 6 million hens in the U.S. are being systematically starved in their cages</span>,” reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These inhumane practices are all in the name of mass egg production and greed, and the heavily strained hens are unable to produce eggs in this manner for very long and are soon put to death.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.factoryfarming.com/">Factoryfarming.com</a>, “<span style="font-style: italic;">After one year in egg production, the birds are classified as 'spent hens' and are sent off to slaughter. Their brittle, calcium-depleted bones often shatter during handling or at the slaughterhouse. They usually end up in soups, pot pies, or similar low-grade chicken meat products in which their bodies can be shredded to hide the bruises from consumers.”</span><br /><br />What’s more, is that for every egg-laying hen cramped in a battery cage, there is a male chick killed at the hatchery. And because genetic selection plays a part in chickens being bred for maximum egg production, these bree<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eNsMN1Utq4S_pg54KRf3dOezGAwhlZpwe9N6hyphenhyphen9f8EHE8UN4eQz1S7srK0KCysHPzkO7dtTFPabjzS2lWjrZ-NP_pNNeKysFCz6dZNuANVbRWXQS2Jb9FNMMzLSEWQcSNmA-PpQYNOAi/s1600-h/malechicks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eNsMN1Utq4S_pg54KRf3dOezGAwhlZpwe9N6hyphenhyphen9f8EHE8UN4eQz1S7srK0KCysHPzkO7dtTFPabjzS2lWjrZ-NP_pNNeKysFCz6dZNuANVbRWXQS2Jb9FNMMzLSEWQcSNmA-PpQYNOAi/s200/malechicks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353265224875743122" border="0" /></a>ds do not grow fast enough to be raised profitably for meat. Therefore, “<span style="font-style: italic;">male chicks of egg-laying breeds are of no economic value, and they are literally discarded on the day they hatch — usually by the cheapest, most convenient means available. Thrown into trash cans by the thousands, male chicks suffocate or are crushed under the weight of others or being ground up alive</span>,” states <a href="http://www.factoryfarming.com/">factoryfarming.com.</a><br /><br />Today, a visit to any supermarket will provide consumers with an overwhelming array of egg choices--such as white, brown, organic, cage-free, free-range, Omega 3’s, traditional, etc. Yet, is paying top dollar for a dozen eggs the answer to a “guilt-free” purchase? The unfortunate answer is, No.<br /><br />After researching a variety of egg brands--many of which state that their "happy hens roam freely in barns" and eat an "all-vegetarian diet", it appears most egg manufacturers are using these terms loosely. For example, Rock Island and Judy’s Family Farm Organic Eggs (both produced by the same company), Trader Joes Organic and Free-Range options, and Safeway’s Organics, all utilize debeaking practices on their hens, and even when they make claims of “cage free/free-range,” the birds still have little room to move around and have limited or no easy access to the outdoors.<br /><br />Unfortunately, with the food industry's big business practices, egg producers are able to advertise that hens are "cage-free" or "free-range" if they simply provide a small opening or window in the wall of the warehouse giving "access to the outdoors." However, when millions of hens are packed into the area, they still cannot move around “freely,” even when there are no cages present. Additionally, the use of terms such as "cage-free" and "free-range" are neither adequately defined nor strictly enforced by the FDA, so these labeling lies can mislead consumers into paying more for a product based upon false claims.<br /><br />With all of this information to take into account, what is a conscientious consumer to do? Of course, choosing options other than consuming eggs is best. Plus, research on vegetarian and vegan diets shows that eggs are not a required food source, and there are a wide variety of healthy alternatives. And although it may seem an easier solution to skip a morning meal of scrambled eggs, most people are not familiar with how to substitute eggs when cooking or baking. Yet, there are many products that work just as well, if not better--and all are definitely more healthy than eating eggs.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596">Mayoclinic.com</a>, “<span style="font-style: italic;">In baked goods, try commercial egg replacers — such as Ener-G egg replacer; or you can use the following to replace one egg: 1/4 cup whipped silken tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Also, unsweetened applesauce and ripe bananas make excellent choices. Plus, for an egg-free omelet you can use tofu instead of eggs.</span>”<br /><br />Yet, if one still insists on having their eggs and eating them too, the best option is to purchase fresh eggs from a local farmer’s market where it is possible to get to know the farmers on an intimate level and learn about ethical choices being made. In so doing, consumers will support small, local farms instead of large, inhumane factory farms. Plus, every time a dollar is spent on sustainable, earth-friendly food products, in turn, one less dollar is spent on conventional, inhumane, manufactured goods--and this is an "egg-cellent" option for all.<br /><br />**Egg buyers can also visit<a href="http://www.sustainabletable.org/home.php"> Sustainable Table’s Website</a>, enter a zip code and find local, sustainable, organic food in their area using the Eat Well Guide.<br /><br />**For more information on egg substitutes in baking visit <a href="http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm">About.com</a><br /><br /><object width="378" height="280"><param name="movie" value="http://www.animalvisuals.org/empathy/virtualbatterycage/m/vbce_l.swf"><embed src="http://www.animalvisuals.org/empathy/virtualbatterycage/m/vbce_l.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="378" height="280"></embed></object>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-53713918704388567222009-02-21T13:55:00.000-08:002009-09-08T21:55:13.600-07:00Does Milk Really Do a Body Good?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vOMYOvGtZb_yB6vxQwgs5BHYrFfBMOWIzZ95hlYelCxshxJ3JUE8uPNEpbqTadGwdiuYXOEJLddG3O_Dj6UNYW9628oRZBMzlwc6LWy7SJgmFdSYVhJDUYrqunXvb0ZO-x5oCc0QydWX/s1600-h/cattle-dairy-03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vOMYOvGtZb_yB6vxQwgs5BHYrFfBMOWIzZ95hlYelCxshxJ3JUE8uPNEpbqTadGwdiuYXOEJLddG3O_Dj6UNYW9628oRZBMzlwc6LWy7SJgmFdSYVhJDUYrqunXvb0ZO-x5oCc0QydWX/s320/cattle-dairy-03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306999176063224082" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Milk, which is defined as <i>an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals, </i><span style="">has been the subject of deliberation among both conventional doctors and holistic healers alike. Mother’s milk serves the purpose of providing proper nutrients to newborns. </span>However, throughout all mammalian species, once the young reach a certain level of development, mother’s milk is no longer needed. Nonetheless, humans cease drinking the milk of our own mothers and turn to the milk of other living creatures--all in the name of obtaining the daily recommended allowance of protein and calcium. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;">According to <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/index.html">Harvard School of Public Health</a>, “<i style=""><span style="">Calcium is important. But milk isn’t the only, or even best, source.</span>” </i>Calcium and protein are easily obtained from many plant sources. For example; eating a cup of broccoli provides approximately the same amount of calcium as drinking a glass of milk.<span style=""> </span>The experts at Harvard School of Public Health also report that, “<i style="">Dairy products can be high in saturated fat as well as retinol (vitamin A), which at high levels can paradoxically weaken bones.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I</span><span style="font-family:Arial;">t’s no wonder that there are <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/milk/index.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">so many questions around </span>drinking a glass of milk</a>. For one, there is the ever growing debate over the use of genetically engineered Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). Additionally, our good old public broadcasting system has been threatened to <a href="http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/rBGHinDairyProducts/index.cfm">suppress pertinent information</a> surrounding the negative findings on the use of growth hormones.<span style=""> </span>This is a well known practice used among big businesses that are out to make money off of keeping the public uninformed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">What’s more is that the happy, healthy cows pictured on most dairy products are actually false advertisement. Most dairy cows are subject to <u><span style="color:blue;"><a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/factsheets/inhumane.asp">horribly</a> inhumane treatments</span></u>. Not only are they packed into cramped, unsanitary quarters, but the baby calves are ripped from the mothers at a young age, so the milk can go to humans and not to the intended recipient--their own calves. Additionally, mama cows, which hardly see the natural light of day, are hooked up to massive machines that pump milk in a vigorous and rough manner, unlike the caring hands of most farmers. Often times, the combination of rBGH and over-pumping of milk leads to the formation of painful ulcers and sores full of puss, which form on the udders of the cows. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">According to <a href="http://www.milksucks.com/">www.milksucks.com</a>, <i>“One culprit causing the hundreds of millions of pus cells in every liter of milk may be “bovine growth hormone,” the Monsanto chemical company’s growth hormone marketed as Posilac. Because cows are not built to produce vast amounts of milk, they are prone to a painful udder infection called mastitis. When they are milked, pus and bacteria from the infection flow right along with the milk. Researchers estimate that an ordinary glass of milk contains between one and seven drops of pus. This isn’t just disgusting—it can also be dangerous. Pus can contain paratuberculosis bacteria, which are believed to cause Crohn’s disease in human beings.” </i>These ill conditions are treated with large does of antibiotics, which are proven to be found in the very milk intended for human consumption. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/rbgh/">Sustainabletable.org</a> states that, <i>“Cows forced to produce unnaturally high quantities of milk can become malnourished because they lose more nutrients through their milk than they ingest in their feed<a href="http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/rbgh/#rf15"><sup>15</sup></a>, and are therefore more susceptible to disease. In addition to artificial hormones, factory farms also use such methods as selective breeding, feeding dairy cows large amounts of grain (instead of grass), and exposing cows to longer periods of artificial light to make them produce more milk. Cows put under large amounts of stress do not live as long as cows that are not stressed.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Furthermore, one of the largest producers of organic milk, Horizon Organic, was found by the USDA to be perpetrating fraud and violating organic standards. “<i>This giant agribusiness enterprise, with majority ownership by Charlesbank, the investment arm of the Harvard endowment fund, was found to have illegally confined their cattle to feedlots, depriving them of fresh air and healthy grazing conditions as required by law,” said Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. In addition Kastel stated, “<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aurora</st1:place></st1:city> was also found to have brought in conventional cattle to their operation instead of milking cows that had been managed organically for their entire lives. This corporation was out and out cheating.”<span style=""> </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">This is not to say that all farms practice horrific treatment of their livestock, so it is important to become an educated consumer by locating sources for buying locally and getting to know where your food products come from. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">On another note, many vegetarians are unaware of the ingredient, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet">rennet</a>,</i> which is used in the process of making cheese. Although there are now three types (animal, microbial, and vegetable) most rennet is still derived from animals. The process of creating rennet involves killing young calves, which usually end up as veal, and emptying the 4<sup>th</sup> stomach of its contents. This is done prior to drying and then mixing the stomach with water and whey. The resulting blend helps in the coagulation of milk to make cheese. What's more is that the "loose" guidelines of the FDA do not require the disclosure of which type of rennet is used in food products. Therefore, rennet is often disguised under the description of “enzymes” on cheese and dairy package labels, so most vegetarians are not informed of what they are eating.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">T<span style="font-family:Arial;">here is continuing debate around the value of milk and dairy products. However, the benefits of eliminating these items from my own diet led me to experience increased feelings of well being and happiness, and brought an end to my frequent incidence of stomach ailments and the overproduction of mucous. Plus, I also benefit from the awareness that I no longer partake in practices known to cause unnecessary suffering to animals. Therefore, living dairy-free has become the perfect choice for my body and my soul. Maybe one day you might want to give it a try yourself........<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:11;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:11;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-21654552800441631972009-02-12T19:00:00.001-08:002009-02-18T20:23:35.049-08:00I Am: Therefore, I Destroy!!<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GKj9faNv0akxn6tw-gLz685EQ1d_8qy1-bWyXCZ0OWE7yP5JCyOppnSskcNJrZykzXMeXk60yc6rDHn-La28f2J8gooTW3QwOTkkDFPCreUT52d6dEmDIyXYf8GwAzBeFl9h-AiqZN5v/s1600-h/air-pollution-illustration.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GKj9faNv0akxn6tw-gLz685EQ1d_8qy1-bWyXCZ0OWE7yP5JCyOppnSskcNJrZykzXMeXk60yc6rDHn-La28f2J8gooTW3QwOTkkDFPCreUT52d6dEmDIyXYf8GwAzBeFl9h-AiqZN5v/s320/air-pollution-illustration.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302141746370912274" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently, I was jogging along the creekside trail near my house, when all of a sudden there appeared a round, turquoise colored balloon floating across the path up ahead of me. As I approached the balloon, I couldn't help but wonder where it came from. <br /><br />Shortly thereafter, I found a young couple and their dog playing with several balloons, so I assumed that they were the rightful owners of this lost one. As I tried to return it, the two doggie masters were not really interested in getting the balloon back. As a matter of fact, they seemed not to care where the remnants might even end up---laying like a piece of discarded litter on nature's path, or possibly, in the stomach of one of the ducks feeding there in the creek, or any number of unplanned destinations that non-biodegradable rubber just might find its way to. <br /><br />It was in this moment I was reminded that we never truly know what the actual consequences of our daily choices are. It also occurred to me, that no matter how well meaning we think we are and how hard we try to walk lightly upon this planet, we are prone to causing death and suffering without essentially intending to.<br /><br />I will list just a few examples of what I am trying to convey right here:<br /><br />• Shopping at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and even Trader Joes for the cheapest deal on an item which was created by the sweatshop labor and suffering of a human being in some other part of the world <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/24/shrimp.retailers/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Driving in a vehicle or flying in an airplane and sucking down gallons of gasoline which are obtained by a costly and murderous war <a href="http://http//srb.stanford.edu/nur/oil_and_war.pdf"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a> <br /><a href="http://www.amconmag.com/article/2008/mar/10/00006/"><span style="font-style: italic;">And Another Article</span></a><br /><br />• Sipping on a cup of hot java, where the beans used to create it are picked by farm workers who earn .04 cents for every $4.00 cup we drink <a href="http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/news-reports/ethiopian-coffee-farmers-fight-starbucks-for-more-bucks/"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Eating conventionally grown, non-organic food items which are sprayed with chemicals and insecticides that kill millions of birds annually and cause cancer or other harmful side effects in humans <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5616641"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article </span></span></a> <br /> <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=940DE0DA1F39F930A25753C1A96E948260"><span style="font-style: italic;">And Another Article</span></a><br /><br />• Buying and wearing an expensive piece of jewelry that was obtained by raping and ruining many parts of this precious earth while also causing the miners to work and live in substandard conditions <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1063198/PETER-HITCHENS-How-China-created-new-slave-empire-Africa.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Taking a vacation to exotic locations where human impacts, pollutants, and waste runoff generate mass destruction of pristine areas <a href="http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=41660374-d79a-4b7b-81f9-5e0375a456d0"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Indulging ourselves on meals such as Sushi which leads to the overfishing of populations such as the Blue Fin Tunas, which are caught by using non-sustainable methods and killing more sealife than is necessary <br /><a href="http://www.livescience.com/animals/080317-sl-tuna-farming.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Using disposable chopsticks at every visit to an Asian restaurant causing massive deforestation <a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Chopping+chopsticks:+desperate+to+save+trees,+China+slaps+a+tax+on...-a0150864927"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />• Ordering from a fast food restaurant where a burger is created using meat which comes from mega farms and slaughterhouses contributing colossal amounts of pollution to the environment <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2004-05-17.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">View Article</span></a><br /><br />This list is just a mere drop in the bucket of mankind’s potential for destruction. We are, therefore, we destroy!<br /><br />Please feel free to contact me with any additions to the list, relevant comments, or opposing viewpoints. I feel that the more cognizant we can become; the better it will be for the plane and all of its inhabitants as a whole.<br /><br />In your freetime, you can also read just for fun (really, for FUN!) about the <a href="http://www.livescience.com/technology/destroy_earth_mp.html">TOP 10 WAYS TO DESTROY THE EARTH</a> on LiveScience.com</div>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-85315854500439962982009-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:002009-02-18T20:30:13.359-08:00Meet Your Meat!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzVQmbZk7RNmHN72HF3JcVPPiU9rKN2NXweb_VjEMDxH1HFMOrmNUyFEbJcaWT6DWW87R1oehGqN78p3FRw9DgtiahOaYo77AmOVfTnkKf8WE6Ia7cMTJTeOQPnjgb3Q-XMybrr-udzyB/s1600-h/cows.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzVQmbZk7RNmHN72HF3JcVPPiU9rKN2NXweb_VjEMDxH1HFMOrmNUyFEbJcaWT6DWW87R1oehGqN78p3FRw9DgtiahOaYo77AmOVfTnkKf8WE6Ia7cMTJTeOQPnjgb3Q-XMybrr-udzyB/s320/cows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302104677494813586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chooseveg.com/animal-cruelty.asp">Meet Your Meat!! (Watch Video Here)</a></span></span><br /><br />Sometimes I come into contact with people who question my reasons for not eating meat. Or, for thinking I'm not getting enough protein, or whatever else they have been lead to believe. But in instances such as this, I defer to educational videos, which are essential teaching tools in expressing the true realities of a majority of animals that are devoured by the very people questioning me.<br /><br />There is a saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." This is true, however, in this instance, moving pictures with added dialogue and commentary will even better assist you to visually experience and become a part of what is really going on behind the "meat scene."<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chooseveg.com/animal-cruelty.asp"></a></span></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-22968564388491607352008-10-16T20:23:00.000-07:002008-10-23T07:41:50.759-07:00The Food Issue!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyAwSt1cCxaeu-ROgwv0rVZ3OT8AlBr71gUUq3iVCDYHq1f0m5K9JZ4ngH51uhv1xqDNjSBaMqgTcSJXlKNz91h0ruEohcuO9BNgzxmFQoB90Oy5HWHBO83GLTGyS_LnJymICmr_ShR4r/s1600-h/pollan.190.126.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyAwSt1cCxaeu-ROgwv0rVZ3OT8AlBr71gUUq3iVCDYHq1f0m5K9JZ4ngH51uhv1xqDNjSBaMqgTcSJXlKNz91h0ruEohcuO9BNgzxmFQoB90Oy5HWHBO83GLTGyS_LnJymICmr_ShR4r/s200/pollan.190.126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260359550772504930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thank goodness for Michael Pollan and his recent letter to the President-Elect. Please take the time to read about this extremely important issue. Michael Pollan is very well-versed on the subject of food issues, as he has written several books based upon the topic--one of which I write about in a previous blog. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">You can read his letter </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15101.cfm">here.</a>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-17639882165789311692008-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:002008-10-16T17:25:35.428-07:00Freedom At Last<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIHrqXn8JQPgC1tkPA72BRZGRNO2Iw3TVM8G-JCheUryXXka7715udQFFwVAWLsxlzzZ3eyaPg0i5v-wg8IIeHTnsYBGIv6XY_VTRJPfe3yEMlsxMbcPNUleVbd7ftQ_tlbBWNFUWuqUG/s1600-h/cell-phone-brain-cancer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIHrqXn8JQPgC1tkPA72BRZGRNO2Iw3TVM8G-JCheUryXXka7715udQFFwVAWLsxlzzZ3eyaPg0i5v-wg8IIeHTnsYBGIv6XY_VTRJPfe3yEMlsxMbcPNUleVbd7ftQ_tlbBWNFUWuqUG/s320/cell-phone-brain-cancer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257900720189251474" border="0" /></a>Several weeks ago, I lost my new cell phone. What's ironic about this is that after having the same phone for years, I finally decided to upgrade to a newer version of my very simple Nokia. I kept my old phone for so many years because I never liked all the fancy new phone features with the flipping flaps, tiny keyboards and bazillion ring tones, but after researching the dangerous effects of cell phone usage, I decided to see what was out there.<br /><br />Although I was able to find a phone with a much smaller amount of radiation emissions than most, I was still very aware that my constant cell phone usage could be harmful to my health and needed to be curtailed. I guess the "powers that be" thought so too, and decided to take my new phone right away from me.<br /><br />After trying for a week to recover my lost prized possession, I finally gave up. However, during this time I began to realize a freedom that I had not experienced in years. Sadly enough, it was apparent that I had really become dependent on my phone. Admittedly, I even used to feel "lost" when I would actually leave the house without it.<br /><br />Another ridiculous realization I had during these past few weeks, is that I used to think that I was so efficient in making all of my pressing phone calls while driving--because I simply could not find the time for them while I was at home. How absurd is that? Now I realize that I am much more focused while driving. Plus, I am enjoying quality time on the phone with family and friends from the comfort of my very own home.<br /><br />Even though a major concern of not having my cell phone with me at all times was how my family would contact me if there was an emergency--we figured out the solution to that problem rather quickly. We reverted to the "old-fashioned" way of doing things. My son and I reviewed who to call and what to do while he is at home alone, and not to just rely on the cell phone during emergencies.<br /><br />Well, it has been several weeks now since my phone and I parted ways, and the best part about not having it around (<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144349.htm">besides the health benefits</a>) is that I feel so mysterious. As odd as this sounds, I am truly enjoying the fact that nobody really knows where I am--I am independent and free! And the best part is that now you can reach me when I am really available--at home, relaxed, and able to give you my full and undivided attention.Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-13956957871942450112008-10-10T22:19:00.000-07:002008-10-10T22:31:13.948-07:00Bad Sugar.........The Monsanto Kind........<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MXYcAqIZt-M5p66EqDH8vaZiyrUn-9isKrnE7WODuMgetfWn8O7uFvZ6QrrQ5fi23gxd1YUwtHA4b7-cOHmwsRAf3YQJMKEXY8EdeeNonGrf76HZaHqX44aS-OrYnLBOmGb5BmIK8xQi/s1600-h/beet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MXYcAqIZt-M5p66EqDH8vaZiyrUn-9isKrnE7WODuMgetfWn8O7uFvZ6QrrQ5fi23gxd1YUwtHA4b7-cOHmwsRAf3YQJMKEXY8EdeeNonGrf76HZaHqX44aS-OrYnLBOmGb5BmIK8xQi/s320/beet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255763921503454978" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/Hersheys"></a>Consumers in Brazil can now eat Hershey’s Kisses(TM) without fear of GM ingredients. Unfortunately, that is not the case for US consumers. Several weeks ago, Hershey’s in Brazil announced that it will not use GM ingredients, including GM beet sugar, in the products it makes in Brazil, but it remains silent about its plans in the US. <p>US farmers planted GM sugar beet crops for the first time this year. These Roundup Ready® GM sugar beets are genetically altered to resist Monsanto’s toxic weed killer, Roundup, and its active ingredient, glyphosate. But here’s the scary part: </p> <p>When the USDA first approved the planting of GM sugar beets, the EPA also increased the maximum allowable residues of glyphosate on the beet roots (from which sugar is extracted) by a staggering 5,000%! This EPA policy change was made at the request of Monsanto, producer of GM sugar beet seeds.</p> <p>What this means for consumers is that the more GM ingredients permitted in our foods, the greater the likelihood that we are ingesting more toxic chemicals. What’s worse is that there will be no way to know if we’re eating GM beet sugar once it hits the market, which could happen as early as next year, because GM ingredients are NOT labeled. </p> <p>In 2001, Hershey’s announced that it would not use<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/23/6563"> GM beet sugar</a>, but the company has been noticeably silent on the issue ever since. A double standard is not likely to prevail in the US, where members like you have sent more than a hundred thousand letters to food companies asking them to publicly refuse to use GM sugar in their products.<br /><br /><a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/Hersheys"><strong>Tell Hershey’s to Kiss GM Sugar Goodbye! Write a letter to Hershey’s urging the company to publicly reject the use of GM sugar in its chocolates and other sweets.</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/Hersheys">(This Message is taken directly From the </a><a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/Hersheys">True Food Network)</a></p>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-60431622495668070902008-10-04T14:57:00.000-07:002008-10-23T07:45:01.916-07:00How Does a Cow Fit in a Petri Dish?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXWrlzBJ0eAygfGyh0Gm-gDstRSydcz43QLi6VsAlilTZDGZfTjgXQFWlsusyNy-y3ao7TZhFi9Dta8rUqRz_zTq494-i2OFuifuc4Ery2roYTxzAgO0lAKyoMUW_WKhdw4-BZzKsMYkh/s1600-h/cloned+cartoon.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXWrlzBJ0eAygfGyh0Gm-gDstRSydcz43QLi6VsAlilTZDGZfTjgXQFWlsusyNy-y3ao7TZhFi9Dta8rUqRz_zTq494-i2OFuifuc4Ery2roYTxzAgO0lAKyoMUW_WKhdw4-BZzKsMYkh/s400/cloned+cartoon.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253425636796760850" border="0" /></a>I am a big fan of the scientists who spend their lives dedicated to research for the betterment of humanity. I read scientific material, listen to new discoveries explained by famous scientists on the radio, and I even obtain issues of <a href="http://www.popsci.com/">Popular Science Magazine</a> to enjoy in my free time. However, I recently read an article about scientists intermingling with our food, that really grosses me out.<br /><br />I am already vehemently against the ways that animals are treated on the so-called "farms" of the Agri-Industry. I don't agree with the cramped living quarters, inhumane treatment and disease laden conditions in which they live. I also do not agree with the fact that these same "sick" animals end up on the plates of our nations' citizens. Yet to make matters worse, our government is in favor of taking it all one step further to create "fake" animals that will be considered nutritious and delicious fare.<br /><br />With the Food and Drug Admistration ruling in January that milk and meat from cloned animals such as pigs, sheep and cows are safe to eat, the only real thing keeping them off your plate, is time.<br /><br />It just so happens that the biotech industry has been diligently working for many years on cloning and growing meats such as beef and pork in petri dishes. So it won't be too long before these cloned meats hit the supermarket shelves. Plus, without any labeling restrictions in place by the FDA (they are against that sort of thing), the average consumer will not actually ever know if the meat they are eating is indeed cloned.<br /><br />As it stands right now, our Government and the FDA are actually in favor of cloning animals, so it will only be a matter of time before this type of freakish activity is considered the norm. However, cloning the tastiest beef can cost upward of $14,000 a cow, which makes them way too expensive to eat according to today's prices. Although once these newly cloned animals have enough offspring for you to munch on, the prices for cloned beef will definitely become affordable.<br /><br />While the average American seems to be against cloning food, they don't actually take the time to stop and think where their next meal might really be coming from. For, if they did, the fast food industry might definitely not be so popular. As a matter of fact, it might not even exist any longer. For example: what if you really knew what a <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Hot_Dogs_and_Food_Safety.pdf">hot dog</a> was made of? Would you still eat it? Or, what if you became aware that the meal you just purchased from <a href="http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/145_eating_well.html">McDonald's</a><a href="http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/145_eating_well.html"> </a>didn't exactly contain all of the "healthy" ingredients you thought it did? Or, what if you found out exactly how many carcinogenic chemicals were added to your <a href="http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/145b_eating_well.html">fast meal</a> just to keep it "fresh" and looking good? Most people really don't want to think about these things. They are good at using the 'I don't want to know' mentality.<br /><br />Well, that same mentality is going to move cloned beef right into your dining room. Not only that, but while the food industry waits for the cloned cows to come down in price, scientists are hard at work "improving" other ingredients you just might add to your next hamburger. These include: "cruelty free" bacon grown from the stem cells of pigs combined with water, glucose and amino acids; bacterial genes added to cheddar cheese eliminating the bitter taste that comes with the ripening process; breeding a tomato that is sweeter, yet less nutritious than those grown today so that ketchup can keep its sweet flavor; and splicing rat genes into lettuce so that it contains more vitamin C.<br /><br />So when did food get so complicated? I mean, if the giant biotech industry gets its way, ordering your next hamburger may go something like this, "one charbroiled cloned-beef patty, with genetically modified cheese, lab-grown bacon, and vitamin c fortified lettuce on a protein-spiked bun." Sounds delicious, doesn't it?Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-76666429814623960972008-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:002009-02-18T20:36:15.776-08:00There's a (Healthy) Fungus Among Us<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLX9R7FSSCZ7FqBM7hlqd397iq8e1kVxlAQLBGKCBPrEoXtZRTYSVsWeCpr4W9aTAckVEURpzkP-5PU_bu2iFX2WCSnRQ9gfVRmBQVwVGeoclgrumxEqUuplJi5sJP6zOfDbe1t_pNDf9/s1600-h/Fresh_Oyster_Mushrooms.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLX9R7FSSCZ7FqBM7hlqd397iq8e1kVxlAQLBGKCBPrEoXtZRTYSVsWeCpr4W9aTAckVEURpzkP-5PU_bu2iFX2WCSnRQ9gfVRmBQVwVGeoclgrumxEqUuplJi5sJP6zOfDbe1t_pNDf9/s400/Fresh_Oyster_Mushrooms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250883963449103538" border="0" /></a>Although I have always enjoyed eating mushrooms, I never really paid too much attention to them--except on a few occasions when trying to determine if a newly discovered fungus could be used in a culinary creation or was to be avoided like the plague.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>It wasn't until the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay, that I started seeing mushrooms in a new light--I actually began to realize their deeper, more meaningful purpose on this planet.<br /><br />Now, you may be asking how do mushrooms and oil spills even fit together in the same sentence? Well, I found the answer to this very interesting question as I listened to a radio talk on NPR where the show's main purpose was to educate the public about totally organic methods of the cleaning up and disposal of massive amounts of spilled oil.<br /><br />This new and exciting process is executed using hair mats made from human hair in a project started by Lisa Guatier, called <a href="http://www.matteroftrust.org/">Matter of Trust</a>. In the clean-up mission, volunteers use the hair mats to suck up the offending oil. Once the hair mats become saturated, they are layered in a giant tank and the mushrooms are then put to work. In this system, Oyster mushrooms are placed on the mats to grow and absorb the oil. The mushrooms take approximately 12 weeks to complete the job, converting the oily hair mats into nontoxic compost.<br /><br />A national mushroom expert named <a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html">Paul Stamets</a> donated $10,000 worth of Oyster mushrooms to the clean-up effort when he heard of the project. Paul actually claims that when the mushrooms have finished cleaning up the oil, they are still edible.<br /><br />Because this information completely amazes me, I decided to do my own research about the miraculous mushroom. Here are some of the interesting facts I found:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><em></em>Mushrooms are actually the fruits of fungus. The fungus itself is simply a net of threadlike fibers, called a <em>mycelium</em>, growing in soil, wood or decaying matter. Mushrooms on a mycelium are like apples on an apple tree.</li><li>There are an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms.</li><li> Most mushrooms provide a substantial amount of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, calcium and other minerals.<br /></li><li>While medicinal mushrooms have been used in China and Japan for more than 3,000 years to boost immunity and fight diseases such as cancer, only in the last decade has their power become acknowledged in the United States.</li><li>At least three species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi.</li><li>Harry Preuss and Sensuke Konno, Ph.D., authors of Maitake Magic, say that studies show Maitake (Grifola Frondosa) can hamper growth and spread of cancer cells, protect normal cells from environmental carcinogens, reduce side effects of and augment chemotherapy, stimulate anti-tumor and anti-microbial activity, and help to halt HIV proliferation. The National Cancer Institute declared Maitake more powerful than AZT, with no toxic side effects. Those with high blood pressure can expect a gradual decrease and Maitake also reduces blood and liver cholesterol and triglycerides, thus reducing risk of stroke and heart disease.</li><li>According to <em>The Medicinal Benefits of Mushrooms</em> by William H. Lee, R.Ph., Ph.D., Reishi increases vitality, improves coronary arteries, inhibits platelet aggregation, normalizes blood pressure, relieves stress and asthma and prevents and treats certain types of cancer and other degenerative diseases. The beta-glucans found in Reishi support the body's immune system in fighting cancer cells and countering the effects of aging.</li><li>According to Kenneth Jones in <em>Shiitake: The Healing Mushroom</em> , these mushrooms provide benefits for ulcers, high or low blood pressure, liver problems, allergies and autoimmune diseases. Shiitake (Lentinus Edodes) is the second most commonly produced mushroom in the world because of having both medicinal and food value. When eaten, it yields 26% protein by dry weight, carbohydrates, fiber, linoleic acid, vitamins B2, C and D, ergosterol and possesses abundant quantities of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and all the essential amino acids needed in our diet.</li><li>Crimini and Portabello (Agaricus Bisporus) are the same mushroom, the portabello being left to grow longer and larger. These mushrooms contain a variety of B complex vitamins, are an excellent source of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin, are a very good source of thiamine, vitamin B6 and a good source of folate. Selenium, lysine, protein, zinc, copper , manganese and iron are more benefits of eating this mushroom.</li><li>Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus Ostreatus) are a fleshy, gilled mushroom growing in shelf-like fashion on wood that are good food and have promising medicinal properties. Protein quality is nearly equal to animal derived protein. Low-fat content is mostly of the good unsaturated kind. Also contained are carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, plus minerals, especially iron. This mushroom shows activity against cancer and high cholesterol.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;">So, as simple as the mysterious mushroom may appear, it turns out that these </span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of a fungus are truly a miracle of life. </span></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-87681767991991695692008-08-09T14:52:00.000-07:002008-09-27T19:01:13.313-07:00Excessive Wastes and Excessive Waists<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23XEq3v1S0_s0nv4abLByRve1I3Xz_rvq-7J0gHxEzJLasaztnfFrwtQqkKFr4Sokdvdrs0HzVwrU037gTKXucwZi3pHdny7Gx5mkb2Oi_RyMl_hcS9i_Zm8UKATbhfw5C68maTjviMXH/s1600-h/obesity5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23XEq3v1S0_s0nv4abLByRve1I3Xz_rvq-7J0gHxEzJLasaztnfFrwtQqkKFr4Sokdvdrs0HzVwrU037gTKXucwZi3pHdny7Gx5mkb2Oi_RyMl_hcS9i_Zm8UKATbhfw5C68maTjviMXH/s400/obesity5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233354254614610738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZUeWdPhJaWK905_kBth67IT_M2u-_CKrBNtnZ6XaaHmEgDSMZy-691PRJLmbiWAwWz38Ru1kiyDAlNASliTmzb2yrsuGBgU9P9CbUaDtjb0Mgj9ZIadAVw10kHWJeL0xY69nx0fHE_Cg/s1600-h/obesity5.jpg"> </a><p class="MsoNormal">The <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> is an incredible country--priding itself on the fact that its citizens are well taken care of. Sure, many of us may have reason to whine and complain about the intricacies of our daily lives, but overall, we are pampered in a way that a great majority of people in other countries will not ever have the luxury of experiencing.<br /><br />It is well known that <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> is a country built upon globalization--promoting endless consumerism, and providing its citizens with a surplus of "in the moment" conveniences--many of which are unnecessarily wasteful. We are also a country that is continuously expanding--with concrete buildings consuming vanishing wilderness as effortless as an artist spreads paint across canvas. Yet, even though we are "gobbling up" our green lands at an alarming rate, it seems we cannot stop. For, we do this in the name of "creature comforts" and we do this to make way for food!<br /><br />In my eyes, the American public is spoiled. We can drive to any nearby destination and find that which we seek to fill our grumbling bellies. Restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food chains are located on every street corner and there are an overwhelming number of options for us as consumers of food. For example, within a 1/2 mile radius of my own home, there are over 30 culinary establishments--which means that I could eat out for an entire month and not repeat a single dining experience.<br /><br />What's more, is that here in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America we have developed eating habits that aren't so great</st1:place></st1:country-region>--we eat while driving, while watching TV, and we eat while we are working. We also use food for a variety of purposes other than its nutritional value. For example, we eat when we are celebrating, we eat when we are sad or bored, and we eat just because we are used to a schedule of breakfast, lunch and dinner time.<br /><br />Most of us have become so used to the conveniences of "having our cake and eating it too” that our comfortable lifestyles are not the only thing developing--it is quite evident that our waste sizes are expanding too. Current research has found that more than 50% of Americans are overweight and 22% are obese, even though weight-loss products and services are a $34 billion-a-year industry. There are more fad diets existing in this country than there are certain species of endangered animals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So what causes one to become overweight and/or obese?<i> <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to the <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.obesityinamerica.org/geographic_files/geochart3.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.obesityinamerica.org/geographic.html&h=391&w=478&sz=15&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=aa4fiqeBaJK4NM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dobesity%2Bin%2BAmerica%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG">Obesity In America</a> website, <i>"weight gain and obesity are caused by consuming more calories than the body needs – most commonly by eating a diet high in fat and calories, being sedentary or both."</i> Although, there are other factors that can be taken into consideration such as genetics, environment, culture, and hormonal imbalances, most cases of weight gain are simply caused by the fact that the body is taking in more calories than it expends--and in this country, it is super easy for a person to devour a large number of calories.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For example:<span style=""> </span>a single meal at McDonald’s can equal or exceed the amount of calories a person actually needs for an entire 24 hour period.<span style=""> Since calories are the so-called equivalent of energy, and our bodies only need a certain amount each day (</span><span style=""><a href="http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/rda.php">recommended daily allowance</a></span><span style="">) for us to be productive, any excessive calories consumed have nothing else to do, but turn into fat. </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles continue over time, weight gain manifests itself. Unfortunately, being overweight is not only detrimental to one's self-esteem, it has also been linked with greater risk of certain illnesses--including heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.<br /><br />So what is a concerned person to do? Why, make some self-loving, healthy, life changing habits such as exercising regularly and consuming a plant-based diet.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The <a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=9246">United States Department of Agriculture</a> shows the many benefits of eating a plant-based diet which includes an abundance of vegetables, fruits and other "green" foods--all of which show evidence of protecting against:<br /></p> <ul><li>Heart disease</li><li>Stroke<br /></li><li>Diabetes<br /></li><li>Hypertension<br /></li><li>Birth defects</li><li>Cataracts</li><li>Cancers<br /></li></ul> A plant-based diet can also contribute significantly to reducing obesity. Thus, not only is this type of diet good for your waist size, it is also good for the planet because it reduces the amount of excessive waste which comes with highly processed and heavily packaged foods. Plus, it provides us with the proper nutrients, vitamins and other beneficial factors that our bodies truly need.<br /><br />What's more is that there are numerous studies and a wide variety of evidence proving that a fresh, lively, plant-based diet's benefits far exceed those of a highly processed, meat-based diet. So why not start today and make a change for the better--incorporate lots of fresh fruits and veggies into into your lifestyle--which will be beneficial for both you and the planet!Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-15604576805766236302008-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:07:28.564-08:00Stop Biotech Intimidation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeg5Mc9W7AzJRfB6tcxMsssjHM1q7-plRKg0ur3_JWB29xEfSId_v_GohhkJerTTCenyQhd0h3-1OL5VhY4n2OB6A-SmgDeSpI3dwbn4BRowGhJtOm_TQ8sdMTnUvofSkESiQs4Svts92p/s1600-h/monsanto-no-food.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeg5Mc9W7AzJRfB6tcxMsssjHM1q7-plRKg0ur3_JWB29xEfSId_v_GohhkJerTTCenyQhd0h3-1OL5VhY4n2OB6A-SmgDeSpI3dwbn4BRowGhJtOm_TQ8sdMTnUvofSkESiQs4Svts92p/s200/monsanto-no-food.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225705583620329986" border="0" /></a>In May, an article in the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-food-crops_14may14,0,7229990.story">Chicago Tribune</a> relayed information that the White House (led by Mr. Bush and his Monsanto pals) is attempting to bully famine stricken countries into planting Genetically Engineered (GE) crops.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"> This requirement comes as part of a $770 million dollar aid package that seems to justify the forcefulness in spreading untested, unregulated GE seeds--making it "a-ok." To date, there are at least 40 countries around the world that have curbed GE farming as well as the use of GE ingredients in food by requiring mandatory labeling on food packages. There are also plenty of other intelligent nations that have banned the use of GE seeds in both agriculture and food production altogether.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But why doesn't the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> see any problem with GE food?<br />It is apparent that the majority of people in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> love their convenience foods so much that they just don't care how the food is made or where it comes from. However, as it is in our own country, food costs are increasing around the world in such a way that the average family is really struggling to put food on the table. Yet, it is even more complicated and disheartening in places such as sub-Saharan <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>.<br /><br />Therefore, it seems that the propaganda in which GE modified crops will save the world, is something that the average person might want to believe in. However, beyond the obvious environmental and health concerns that have not been studied extensively enough, it has been demonstrated that GE crops do not significantly increase yields.<br /><br />As a matter of fact, these farmers in the poorest countries who are coerced into growing GE crops are actually forced to stop saving their own seeds, pay for high priced GE seeds which are unable to be saved, and purchase toxic chemicals that aid in seed growth--all of which are patented and owned by my favorite "evil company of all time"--Monsanto--in addition to others such as DuPont, Syngenta, BASF and Bayer. The unfortunate part of this is that the farmers are not actually able to afford to continue purchasing seeds and chemicals, which often leaves them worse off because they become dependent on these major corporations for their crop production. (Monsanto actually has a patented <a href="http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/engdahl/2006/0828.html">Suicide Gene</a>, which makes it impossible for seed saving.)<br /><br />On a global scale, currently, the root cause of hunger has much to do with "free-trade" agreements and the current market conditions. It has less to do with crop yields and patented hybrid crops which are not actually guaranteed to be drought resistant. Therefore, struggling countries need to be able to gain control over their own food supply to feed their own people, and not have a majority of it exported or controlled by giant Agri-businesses.<br /><br />If you feel moved to take action today, please urge your Congresspersons to reject the Bush Administration's $150 million allocation for "Big Biotech" by signing the petition at <a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24651">Organic Consumers Website. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/17675">If you want to read more.......go here</a></p> <a href="http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/17675"></a>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-64700439565355839472008-05-17T21:33:00.001-07:002008-12-10T01:07:28.723-08:00Nature's Gas Guzzlers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_MhoucAuoQxZ5jU4VzuZLjbtBEeKbny7zAFzrusQx2iyFHHr49q5AO0JJOctHEwXHZI9aqIrHNFcFRM1VlN9xNl-Wu1FfzVclxODmHzqh_j6Ia1FsEEHe3VSAE2W-Zb7AKaCisfHlGl0/s1600-h/Cow+Gas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_MhoucAuoQxZ5jU4VzuZLjbtBEeKbny7zAFzrusQx2iyFHHr49q5AO0JJOctHEwXHZI9aqIrHNFcFRM1VlN9xNl-Wu1FfzVclxODmHzqh_j6Ia1FsEEHe3VSAE2W-Zb7AKaCisfHlGl0/s400/Cow+Gas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201593882456307890" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Photo Created by Grover Casey</span><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Several years ago my husband suggested that we begin searching for a car to provide us with better gas mileage. He was becoming quite active in the "social justice scene" and wanted to make a difference in our world. Plus, he also watched <a title="http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/" href="http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/"><i title="http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/"><span title="http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Who Killed The Electric Car?</span></i></a> which served to strengthen his awareness about the choices we make as a society and the often unforeseen consequences that follow.<br /><br />As with any major purchase, I usually overdo it on the research until I start to question everything....but to make matters worse, while tackling this fuel saving topic, I ran across additional information directly connecting consumer choices with the hugely negative impact they have upon the environment. Only this time it had nothing to do with automobiles--this time it was about our diets. It soon became evident that my husband actually needed convincing that his very own meat-based diet impacted the planet more negatively than his driving habits.<br /><br />Being an avid organic gardener and a self-titled "food snob" I read through the newly acquired information with intense curiosity. Sure, I had become a strict vegetarian while in college many years ago, but that was simply because I was really sensitive and could not stand the sight of dead animal parts on my plate. Back then my decision was based purely upon visual reasons, but now I was happy to find that a plant-based diet has other positive advantages--including benefiting the planet as a whole and for our own personal health and well being.<br /><br />A major report published by the <a title="http://www.wcrf.org/research/fnatpoc.lasso" href="http://www.wcrf.org/research/fnatpoc.lasso" target="_blanc">World Cancer Research Fund</a> in 1997 recommended that we lower our risk of cancer by choosing a predominantly plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods, and to limit the intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish. Yet, in spite of this information, the production and consumption of meat worldwide has more than tripled since 1961. In the year 2007 alone, there was approximately 284 million tons of meat produced in the world. This has lead to a vast decline in small, family-owned farms, and an explosion in the development of large, inhospitable Agri-Farms.<br /><br />What's more is that these giant, modernized industrial farms keep livestock crammed in horrendously uncomfortable and unnatural conditions which do not allow for the animals to freely graze on grasses (which are their natural diet). Plus, to increase the size and production of cows, farmers feed them a diet full of grains, fat, and soy products (or some similar combination). The animals are also provided with much needed daily doses of antibiotics to help digest this non-typical diet because it induces too much stress and upsets their internal system. This, in turn, leads to needless over-usage of antibiotics which are indirectly consumed by people eating meat leading to strains of new bacteria which are resistant to our current antibiotics.<br /><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></b>This type of mega-meat production system also wreaks havoc on the environment by creating huge amounts of waste, polluting surrounding water sources, and using tremendous amounts of energy. Agriculture associated with meat production in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>, contributes to nearly three-quarters of all water-quality problems in the nation’s rivers and streams, according to the <a title="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/environmental_protection_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org More articles about the Environmental Protection Agency." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/environmental_protection_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. The meat industry alone consumes over half of all water used for all purposes in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. For example: Water utilized to produce 1 pound of meat amounts to 2,500 gallons. In comparison, the water utilized to produce one pound of wheat amounts to 25 gallons. As a result of this, major deforestation is occurring to make way for pastures. This, in turn, robs the planet of the very trees which are perfect for absorbing carbon dioxide. In fact, meat production is so demanding that <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place> alone lost 1,250 square miles of rain forest in five months due to crop production and the need for grazing land.<br /><br />When it comes to deciding whether to cut back on your fuel usage or your meat consumption, you should be aware that cattle and sheep release vast amounts of methane, which is proven to be a potent greenhouse gas. A recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations produced startling findings: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The animals' gas outputs, the nitrous oxide gases from their decomposing manure and other factors, including the energy needed to store and transport meat, were responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions --which is more than the entire transportation sector produces. </span></i><br /><br />To put this in layman's terms, <a title="http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp" href="http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp">GoVeg.com</a> states that, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">eating one pound of meat produces the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving a Hummer 40 miles.<br /><br /></span></i>And guess what? Meat production is also <a title="http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm07autumn/health_pork.html" href="http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm07autumn/health_pork.html">subsidized by our government</a>--just like oil is. So, in all actuality, the massive amounts of livestock are also our nation’s “gas guzzlers”. Plus, we Americans represent approximately 5% of the world's population and eat around twice the global average of meat each day. So the cost of production of all of the crops which are needed to feed livestock and the amount of land needed for growing these crops is ever increasing. What's even more though provoking is that if we took all of the food produced which is lost down the throats of livestock, we could feed millions of people on this planet.<i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></i>In July of 2007, after hearing a former cattle farmer (now an animal activist, turned vegan, who cured himself of heart disease) give a speech on his first hand account of the negative impacts of the meat industry and the ways in which we, as consumers, can put a stop to this--my husband finally decided to join me and 'go veggie'. So, instead of rushing out to buy that idealistic hybrid car, we chose instead to make a difference by regularly purchasing more environmentally friendly and organic products, shopping at local farmer's markets, supporting our local CSA's (Community Shared Agriculture), utilizing sustainably produced eggs and dairy, and striving to be the shining example we wish to see. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/444588686?z00m=15308812" href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/444588686?z00m=15308812"><br />**Make a Pledge to Eat Conscientiously for Animals and the Planet</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-10561957227811041812008-04-25T17:24:00.000-07:002008-07-14T15:09:10.125-07:00What Do Conventionally Grown Strawberries, Bananas, Melons, Tomatoes and Beans Have In Common?Recently, I listened to "A Pair O' Docs" on the <a href="http://www.kwmr.org/">radio.</a> The theme was regarding the current health care issues we face as a nation and ways in which people are opening up to alternative medicines and holistic treatments. However, at one point during the show, the hosts were sidetracked and began talking about pesticides and the detrimental effects they have upon declining bird populations--which isn't actually a new subject (remember DDT), but one that has been proven as being a leading cause of this tragedy.<br /><br />The Docs stated that although America has now outlawed some of the chemicals that are most harmful to humans and the environment, Latin American countries have drastically increased the use of these U.S. banned substances. According to <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-songbirds-are-being-wiped-out-by-banned-pesticides-804547.html">The Independent</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Testing by individual EU countries and the US Food and Drug Administration reveals that fruits and vegetables imported from Latin America are three and sometimes four times as likely to violate basic standards for pesticide residues. </span>What's more, is that pesticide usage in Latin American Countries has increased fivefold since the 80's.<br /><br />But why should that really concern you and me since we don't live there? Believe it or not, we Americans are the very people who consume the majority of conventionally grown fruits and veggies from Latin American countries. We are also the people that demand our "out of season" fruits and vegetables to be available in bountiful supply year round. Which means that a large quantity of warm weather produce grown down south is drenched heavily in dangerous pesticides and then shipped right back to us. Thus, in reality, we are actually munching on foods contaminated with the very chemicals we have banned in the first place....<br /><br />So, if you would still rather spend a few bucks less on conventionally grown produce as opposed to paying more for quality organics, and if you don't quite understand how buying products that are grown using pesticides adversely affects your own health and/or the health of your family, or if saving a few dollars did not somehow negatively impact the many farm workers struggling to make a living in the first place--there is yet another important side to this topic that one may not ever stop to consider-- <span style="font-style: italic;">the birds</span>!<br /><br />That brings me right back to the Docs' radio broadcast discussion about conventionally grown produce, pesticide usage and birds. Did you know that there are three major species of birds, one of which is the Songbird, that are being found at a rate of approximately 25 dead per acre, across Latin American Farms? This count does not include the even greater number of birds who do not die on the farmlands, but instead become dazed and disoriented and cannot successfully reproduce. These bird populations are declining at an alarming rate and the underlying cause of this is basically our own<span style="font-style: italic;"> self-centered consumer choices</span>.<br /><br />The Docs on the radio show made a plea to the listeners which went something like this...<br />"If you do not care about your own health, please stop and think about the health and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">livelihood</span> of all other earthly creatures who are dying unnecessary deaths." They also asked, "Even if you choose not to purchase all organics, please at least stop buying these top five conventionally grown bird killers!" They are listed here: Strawberries, Bananas, Melons, Tomatoes, & Beans. So now do you know what all five of these have in common??<br /><br /><center> <img src="http://www.garlicbarrier.com/images/DeadBirdSM.gif" /></center> <center style="font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><b>A Continuing Tragedy</b></span></center> <div align="left"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">65,000,000 birds are killed each and every year by pesticides. Birds eat sprayed bugs and die themselves. We're killing off one of our best allies. When the birds are gone the insects will really take over. (Bird statistics herein are from researchers at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY</span>)</span></p></div>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-74720870671630393702008-04-23T16:54:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:07:28.942-08:00"Black Gold"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhtE1_oNqEMNEVEm3sVQiG8MoXdKsitIq17Ph33TFCqBx7DcIMbBxgtMYpk-ij39FKc-V57rLDxmLazRYtSYOl2UanUZPQcGFpnbnWdO0chcLAea50hyphenhyphenSXHg51HUQunFKnHDl1j4hw-eP/s1600-h/compost3blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhtE1_oNqEMNEVEm3sVQiG8MoXdKsitIq17Ph33TFCqBx7DcIMbBxgtMYpk-ij39FKc-V57rLDxmLazRYtSYOl2UanUZPQcGFpnbnWdO0chcLAea50hyphenhyphenSXHg51HUQunFKnHDl1j4hw-eP/s200/compost3blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192666667374676914" border="0" /></a>I have been composting for so many years that it has become second nature to view almost any food scrap as future "Black Gold." This commodity is so desirable to gardeners and farmers alike that there have been numerous events held in its honor. Yes, even taste testing contests are held for the finer aficionados of this delectable dirt.<br /><br />When I use the term Black Gold, I am simply referring to high quality, well composted, nutrient rich soil, which is created via the decomposition of earthly foods and natural vegetation. So, it is somewhat disheartening when I view somebody throwing perfectly biodegradable food into the garbage can--which is directly headed for the landfill.<br /><br />It should be well known by now that, "If the 21.5 million tons of food residuals generated annually were composted instead of being sent to landfills, the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to taking more than two million cars off the road." –<em>Resource Recycling, Elizabeth Cotsworth, “Composting opportunities improve food waste management,” Nov. 2000</em><br /><br />Since we, as a society, are already burdened with the task of ridding ourselves of an ever growing, humungous heap of trash--it seems obvious that the last thing we would want to add to the pile would be easily compostable items such as food scraps.<br /><br />Here in Sonoma County, we are fortunate as the Sonoma Dump runs <a href="http://www.recyclenow.org/">Recycle Town</a> as well as an <a href="http://www.sonomacompost.com/regional.shtml">active composting program</a> which produces fresh, organic compost for the public at large to utilize. However, since only the materials that are in your yard waste bin are used in creating the compost, there is still plenty of food that lands in the gigantic trash heap. Therefore, if the citizens of our community all composted at home, we could make an even greater impact in reducing the amount of trash products we are sending to the dump.<br /><br />How would this work? Well in my eyes, citizens could either learn to create a small compost station for their home or simply compost their veggies by putting them in the yard waste bin to be picked up curbside. This type of composting is actually encouraged by <a href="http://www.recyclenow.org/Compost_your_veggies.pdf">The Sonoma Waste Management System</a>, as they state that approximately 35% of all resiential garbage is food waste.<br /><br />Unfortunately, when I speak to others about composting, there often appears to be some type of intimidation or disgust around the breakdown of rotting foods and the earthworms wriggling through this topic. However, earthworms are supremely beneficial and creating compost is not as difficult as one may think. Sure, there are scientifically proven ways to get the perfect heated temperature causing the quick breakdown of food stuffs and the killing off of bad microorganisms, but in all actuality, for most home use purposes composting can be quite a simple process.<br /><br />For example, in dealing with the leftover foodscraps in our home, we have a small, lidded step can, which has a bucket inside that we keep in our kitchen. When the bucket gets full, we transfer it outside to our compost pile. Since our garden space is relatively small, the compost pile is in a vertical fashion. Food stuffs and leaves go in at the top and by the time they reach the bottom (over a period of many months) they are miraculously converted into the sacred Black Gold.<br /><br /><em></em>Since composting only takes a relatively small change in our "trash related" behaviors, I have often wondered why there are not composting containers sitting right along side of the recycling bins and garbage cans located throughout our cities. However, one day as I was listening to a talk radio show, I learned that Berkeley is indeed actually implementing such a program. The beauty of this plan is that so much great compost is generated, the city shares much of it with organic farmers in the surrounding areas--which is a beneficial process for everyone involved.<br /><br />So, it seems to me that since we already have a wonderful composting program in place at our very own Sonoma Dump, taking this one step further to emulate Berkeley's program would be somewhat of a straightforward task---but first the intrinsic worth and supreme coolness of Black Gold needs to rise up the scale of importance like fair trade products, organic food and sustainable living.<em><br /></em><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-44076335925527053952008-04-16T07:22:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:07:29.087-08:00"Mom, What is Irradiation?"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpezhWdelqReHW2LstUvu3_c-PCvcUA9OhR5OHemcXkIu1xpXB15-622Sz_aGLzLDkA78NXfIbsZSY_N12z7aVYARCFdfVa54YaKJEIo_YVIu58QxuJVbzorbnHKZgrRGnJ3xMxqvp8pj6/s1600-h/Irradiation_Facts_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpezhWdelqReHW2LstUvu3_c-PCvcUA9OhR5OHemcXkIu1xpXB15-622Sz_aGLzLDkA78NXfIbsZSY_N12z7aVYARCFdfVa54YaKJEIo_YVIu58QxuJVbzorbnHKZgrRGnJ3xMxqvp8pj6/s320/Irradiation_Facts_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190832591316280562" border="0" /></a><br />Last night as we were sitting down at the dinner table, my son asked about irradiation. At first, I thought he was referring to the aftermath of a nuclear war, but it soon became evident that he was actually speaking of food.<br /><br />In all honesty, irradiated food is a topic that I haven't thought much about since the time there was a huge protest against the FDA when they wanted to change the wording on food packaging labels. For some reason, the FDA wanted to use the word "pasteurized" in place of "irradiated" to describe preservation techniques used with food--even though their initial studies proved this type of labeling would be misleading to consumers.<br /><br />So I decided to find out how the idea of irradiation materialized in the first place, and it turns out that e-coli and bacteria growth issues are some of the leading causes. Although these types of problems are actually perpetuated by the unsanitary conditions found within large factory farms and food storage warehouses, big corporations are using food safety scares as a perfectly good excuse to keep our food "protected from disease" by a process which entails the usage of <span class="body">high-energy Gamma rays, electron beams, and super powerful X-rays.<br /><br />So is irradition really harmless?<br /></span><br />Of course, the <a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/%7Edms/fdirrad.html">FDA's research</a> on food irradiation shows evidence that this type of preservation is perfectly safe for human consumption. FDA scientists concluded that <span style="font-style: italic;">irradiation reduces or eliminates pathogenic bacteria, insects and parasites. It reduces spoilage, and in certain fruits and vegetables, it inhibits sprouting and delays the ripening process. Also, it does not make food radioactive, compromise nutritional quality, or noticeably change food taste, texture or appearance as long as it's applied properly to a suitable product.</span><br /><br />However, the <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/food_irrad.cfm">Center for Food Safety's research</a> proves otherwise. Accoring to them, <span style="font-style: italic;" class="body"> Radiation can do strange things to food, by creating substances called "unique radiolytic products." These irradiation byproducts include a variety of mutagens - substances that can cause gene mutations, polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome aberrations (often associated with cancerous cells), and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells. Making matters worse, many mutagens are also carcinogens.</span><span class="body"><br /><br />And with over 50 years of investigating, food scientists still do not fully understand how these changes take place. Much of the ongoing research, in fact, is focused on devising new ways to hide the changes that happen to irradiated foods instead of finding safer, alternative methods of preserving food.<br /><br />So how do we, as consumers, know for sure if our food has been subject to a trip down sci-fi lane? All we need to do is ask--because the main goal is to find out where your food really comes from and how it is treated along the way. Even if you shop at major chain grocers, you can question the meat and produce managers before you make a purchase. You also protect yourself when you buy organics or join a local CSA (which I write about in a previous topic). You can also support local farmer's markets and develop a face-to-face relationship with the producers of your food. Or better still, you can even grow some of your own.<br /><br /></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-30229024973730604162008-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:07:29.187-08:00The World According to Monsanto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XTczDZ2_X4V-gp4moc_inlHnwQxX_MxwC3gciP9sxYe69fjNDJYrgSqN-Qajvw7djCS2lqXW8kDVHtyr-Z78GpJcumFaRMuwu2QyUZWx8unY548xnu-isv8szNAFls5LS_s2HWbpxLN-/s1600-h/monsanto3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XTczDZ2_X4V-gp4moc_inlHnwQxX_MxwC3gciP9sxYe69fjNDJYrgSqN-Qajvw7djCS2lqXW8kDVHtyr-Z78GpJcumFaRMuwu2QyUZWx8unY548xnu-isv8szNAFls5LS_s2HWbpxLN-/s320/monsanto3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188927352413709506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Click Image to View Larger Size</span><br /><br />Since it is my purpose to educate the readers of this blog (or at least provide you with something new to think about) without sounding too negative or condescending, I spend countless hours watching, reading, and learning before putting my thoughts down for the world to see.<br /><br />Inevitably, I encounter tons of videos, cartoons, blogs, and articles created by intelligent people who are more eloquently versed on certain topics than I am. When I find this to be so, my blog's objective then becomes the vehicle for sharing others' work.<br /><br />So, when you are ready to see the world through the eyes of one <span style="font-style: italic;">truly evil corporation</span>, take some time to watch this recently created <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842180934463681887&q=the+world+according+to+monsanto&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0">documentary about Monsanto,</a> which includes a very informative interview with the former Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, who speaks of the pressures not to "question anything" during the intial development of the Round Up Ready crops and GMOs.<br /><br />This documentary, by the way, was <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> intended to be shown to anyone in our country.<br /><br />And why not you might ask? Well it is because here in America we have the government run FDA and EPA to protect us, right? And they would never let anything bad happen to the citizens of their own country now would they? Not even if a bazillion dollars (from some corporation like Monsanto) was dangling in front of their noses???....... Oh don't be ridiculous Lisa.Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-45805837551345229842008-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:07:29.522-08:00On To Something......<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnfTZ8Ign7dREiLjFJAvbuVhI6Z1D03HI7koW4clz75l6PFtlsTUPdI0P3EWl27glQEoPP00lfHmBLNUGPQIcf9lvtMrBJngCoQAT2IH8M_h7nmoFic38nOgGOVSBZU4hBxYVVenSK4xZ/s1600-h/InDefenseFood_cover_thumb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnfTZ8Ign7dREiLjFJAvbuVhI6Z1D03HI7koW4clz75l6PFtlsTUPdI0P3EWl27glQEoPP00lfHmBLNUGPQIcf9lvtMrBJngCoQAT2IH8M_h7nmoFic38nOgGOVSBZU4hBxYVVenSK4xZ/s200/InDefenseFood_cover_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187395778217678530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I recently began listening to the CD of Michael Pollan's new book </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">In Defense of Food,</span></a> <span style="font-family: arial;">which is the follow up novel to Omnivore's Dilemma.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Obviously, a person like me, writing my own blog on a similar topic, thinks he is truly brilliant. As a matter of fact, I almost feel like I could simply stop this blog now and just say go and spend your time reading his book. But be prepared to look differently at what you are putting in your body... even foods labeled "healthy" come under attack.<br /><br />Even still, I am comforted by the fact that there is now available a well written, comprehensive and research based book that delves into the history of food science and where we are headed. This book uses somewhat lighthearted and sarcastic tones at times as it ridicules how science and man try to dissect fresh, whole foods and rework them into products that are <span style="font-style: italic;">even better for us</span>! As if we humans can do something more spectacular than Mother Nature herself. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">If I didn't believe in writer's karma, I might just be tempted to plagiarize his entire book and make it my own blog... just kidding.. </span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-55795091561239131722008-04-05T19:14:00.000-07:002008-04-05T21:18:00.393-07:00Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a farming concept that has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the United States in the mid-1980s. The CSA<acronym title="Community Supported Agriculture"></acronym> concept was basically initiated in the 1960s in Japan and Switzerland, where consumers who were interested in obtaining fresh, wholesome, and safe food joined into economic partnerships with farmers seeking stable markets for their crops.<br /><br />According to<em> Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide,</em> A CSA basically<acronym title="Community Supported Agriculture"></acronym> consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary.<br /><br />The participating members receive shares of the farm's harvest throughout the growing season, as well as the satisfaction gained from reconnecting to their food source and the land that it is grown on. Members of the CSA also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to its "share-holders" who have provided the farm with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.<br /><br />Most CSAs offer a wide variety of seasonal produce, herbs, and other goodies that vary with the size and location of the farm. <acronym title="C S A"></acronym>A number of CSAs are able to provide a full array of farm produce, including shares in eggs, meat, milk, baked goods, and wares by local artisans. Some farms offer a single commodity, or team up with other farms aligned with the CSA philosohpy so that members receive goods on more of a year-round basis.<br /><br />The Community Shared Agriculture program that I am currently connected with is <a href="http://www.lagunafarm.com/">Laguna Farm</a>, which is located in Sebastopol, CA. This farm has been providing organic produce to Sonoma county for over 20 years and is run by farmer Scott Mathieson. In aligning with the CSA concept, Laguna Farm offers a very real way for its members to foster a direct relationship with the land and the farmers who grow their food. This type of experience serves as a highly desirable alternative to the conventional way of supermarket shopping while providing members with an abundant supply of fresh, organic and sustainably produced products. Additionally, Laguna Farm is involved in a variety of alternative and educational progr<a href="javascript:void(0)" tabindex="11" onclick="return false;"><span></span></a>ams such as solar power, veggie oil co-op, green building, a composting program, <a href="http://www.earthcampcollective.org/Welcome.html">Earth Camp Collective</a>, and a local farmer's market.<br /><br />According to the Laguna Farm website, "Our method of growing stewards the earth as a living system and connects us with nature. Community support connects us with each other. We feel that living and practicing agriculture based on this interconnectedness can lay the foundation for physical, cultural, intellectual and spiritual growth." All I need to say about that is, <span style="font-style: italic;">who wouldn't want to be a part of such a wholesome, valuable and wonderfully rewarding program..........</span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-51994903098793291102008-04-02T11:27:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:29:10.571-07:00Perfect on the OutsideSo today I cut open an orange... it wasn't an organic orange, and it surely wasn't a blissfully juicy Florida orange (like the ones that grow during the winter months in my parent's back yard.) This orange was just one of several that were left over from a recent event my husband attended. Even still, I was willing to give it a try because I simply love citrus fruit. (I just smuggled a bunch into Cali from my recent visit to Florida).<br /><br />Anyhow, this particular orange sure did look <span style="font-style: italic;">perfect</span> on the outside (actually it looked much, much prettier than my own home grown, Florida citrus)... But what really caught my eye is that it was <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">exactly</span> the same size, same shape and same color as the other couple of oranges that were sitting right beside it. I was, for one brief moment, quite impressed with just how perfect those oranges appeared.<br /><br />So I picked up the fruit and lo and behold, once I cut the thing open, I realized that the real beauty of this orange was only "skin deep." The peel itself happened to be about 1/2 inch thick and the actual fruit inside was dry and mealy.<br /><br />I immediately recalled the process that occurs with painting and waxing the external skin of conventionally farmed produce so that they do indeed appear quite pleasing to the eye--which is a most definite guarantee from the factory that they will be just as tasty and satisfying to the palate, right??<br /><br />So I tossed the orange into my compost bin with a bit of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">disappointment</span> and went back to try another---only to obtain the same result.<br /><br />As I dumped the remaining oranges into my compost, a thought occurred to me. These very oranges are essentially a perfect symbol of our current American Society---a society that is known for admiring external beauty and good looks over valuing the actual quality, worth and attributes which are really found "on the inside."Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-18446497375251692682008-03-31T15:34:00.000-07:002008-07-22T12:20:53.939-07:00Little Green Bubble<h3 style="margin-left: -63pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span> </h3><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I just arrived back in my <b style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">little green bubble</b> after being out in the vast open space of this great country of ours. When I say "little green bubble" I am referring to the forward thinking, greeny, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Sonoma</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> that I live in. The very place where recycling everything is the norm, local farmer's markets happen at least twice a week, organic CSA's are plentiful, and even a couple of big chain type grocery stores advertise about "buying local" and "fair trade." Not to mention that a great majority of folks here bring their own cloth bags to the grocery store--and some of the grocers even offer prizes and incentives for those of us who do.<br /><br />So it is just wayyy too easy living here to get my head full of ideas that we can somehow make a difference with this giant and scary food problem that plagues our nation--and our world. It is easy, because a large number of citizens here actually understand terms such as biodynamic and Permaculture, grow their own food, and participate actively in "greening" our community. Heck, even our city dump has a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Recycle</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Town</st1:placetype></st1:place> and creates mega amounts of fresh, organic compost from all of the yard materials they pick up along the way. What's more, is the fact that we are often on the cutting edge with our intelligent and inventive pioneers who hail from such esteemed places as <st1:city st="on">Berkeley</st1:city> and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city>. We actually lead the country in forward thinking on many fronts!<br /><br />Anyhow, while soaring through the night, I saw millions of lights twinkling way down below my plane.. and I got to thinking that each one of those lights represented the millions of human beings living on the planet...and that obviously, each and every human being needs ample food to exist.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I do believe that everyone is entitled to their fair share of tasty grub. However, I still don't understand where we are headed with our humongous agri-farms that create genetically modified products, and food chock full of items such as corn syrup and preservatives so they can be packaged and stored for all of eternity—or shipped to any place on the planet.<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now I, myself, am certainly not perfect in this area (as it is impossible to really know about packaged foods when you are dealing with a system that hides information from the public at large) but I am slowly learning and making changes every day. Therefore, I do hope that when more Americans begin to discover where their food really comes from and develop a closer relationship with the process, they may actually start to comprehend the value in choosing the healthy benefits of <b>real, whole food</b>s over convenience, and a change for the good of all will be seen. But for now, at least my "little green bubble" makes me feel hopeful.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: -63pt;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:10;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: -63pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-34699922729747988212008-03-18T13:53:00.000-07:002009-12-01T14:29:56.353-08:00Is Your Food REALLY Organic??<div id="post_message_50694">I recently purchased a bag of organic brown sugar at a local market. Then, for some reason, I happened to look real close at the product's label. Sure, it was certified organic by all the "right" organizations. However, below that, was printed "Product of Paraguay." This lead me to look a bit further into the product's distributor--Woodstock Farms. At first glance Woodstock Farms appeared to be a kind, responsible company supporting local farmers and only supplying consumers with the highest quality organic goods. On further investigation, I found that this was false advertising at its finest. <br /><br />Unfortunately, health food chains like Whole Foods and many others appear to just sell "names" with warm fuzzy images to make us believe our purchases are so humane and good for the planet, but the real scoop is that these products get around most real certification and labeling laws because there are so many loopholes. Therefore, the advertising and packaging labels can be very misleading and we, as consumers, have a right to know what we are really spending our money on... <br /><br />As the Slow Food movement grows, many people are becoming aware of the increasing alienation we Americans have from our food sources. Even ostensibly organic food is more and more a product of the industrial complex so much so that what we think of as organic is reduced to a mere shadow of its former ideal.<br /><a href="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/french_beans.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/moth_heaven/images/french_beans.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> Woodstock Farms Baby French Beans. Organic even. Cool, huh?<br />What's even cooler is this:<br /><a href="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/shortening.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/moth_heaven/images/shortening.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A little food philosophy for you: it reads "Picked at the height of ripeness, bringing them straight to market and <b>shortening the distance from the farm to you</b>". I love this idea of shortening the distance between where the food is grown and my house. It makes me feel like there are still farmers out there who might be working the land their parents did. Like this Woodstock Farms. That we could also buy a bag of this from the market is very appealing come February, eh? But wait! Look at the back of the bag:<br /> <a href="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/organic.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/moth_heaven/images/organic.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />See all that warm and fuzzy organic certification? Everyone who hands out these little honour badges seems to have jumped at the chance to slap their seal of approval on these baby green beans. Makes you feel kind of superior, doesn't it?<br />But then you see this . . .<br /><a href="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/china.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/moth_heaven/images/china.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Product of China? Huh? Whatever happened to all that talk about "shortening the distance"? You mean, it's just marketing? You mean it's a lie? Right there on the package? I guess that concept of "distance" is some kind of metaphor. One that stands for something other than mega-gallons of petroleum and half and earth's worth of highway and ocean miles.<br /><br />I attempted to contact Woodstock Farms on several occasions. As one might think, I was never given a direct answer. Basically, when asked where their products come from and what local farmers they were really supporting, here is the reply that I received. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Dear Lisa,<br /><br />Unfortunately we are unable to provide the exact location of the farms or their names as it is our policy to keep our suppliers confidential. However I am more than happy to provide any details about our certification process for you. <br /><br />In regards to your questions about our products that are grown outside the U.S., we employ only the highest quality growers overseas. At Woodstock Farms we source product form local farms whenever possible. Our dedication to organic and natural farming, as well as our implementation of environmentally responsible business practices are examples of our dedication to Earth Friendly and sustainable business practices. Woodstock Farms is aware of its impact on our environment and we are working everyday to lessen that impact.<br /><br />We do source product overseas due to varying factors including product availability, supply and demand, growing seasons and quality. With the growing demand for organic and natural products coupled with the fact that it takes three years for a farm to become certified organic, there is just not enough supply to meet the demand in many cases and in other cases the product is simply unavailable in the U.S." <br /></span><br /><br />So unless you are buying from the local farmer's market or supporting a CSA, do you really know where your food comes from, and who is watching out for you?? It certainly isn't the distributors, package labels or even the government.<br />So, it is really up to you! Read the fine print, read the labels--and even then it may not be the truth you are seeking.<br /></div> <!-- / message --><!-- Waccco: reduce Top Margin <div style="margin-top: 10px" align="right"> --><!-- controls --><!-- WaccoBB - Begin addition of REPOST. --><!-- End addition of REPOST --><!-- WaccoBB - Edit Moved up --><img style="display: none;" id="progress_50694" src="http://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/misc/progress.gif" alt="" /> <a href="http://www.waccobb.net/forums/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=50694" name="vB::QuickEdit::50694"></a>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6912266555458895138.post-54467814333193726702008-03-14T16:26:00.000-07:002009-03-08T20:30:31.585-07:00Open Your Eyes; Know Your FoodSometimes I feel terribly overwhelmed when I try to grasp the whole earth, giant agribusiness picture....<br />At times, it appears virtually impossible for any one person to even think about going against the way this mega-business, <span style="font-style: italic;">feeding frenzy</span> is really set up all around the world... Major corporations and gigantic mono-crop farms seem to have a hold on a great majority of the land on which we grow our food, and scientists are continuously proving that this is not the great concept we once thought. Afterall, where in untamed nature does just one kind of plant grow?<br /><br />There is no real relationship between elements on a mono-crop farm.... But then again, we actually have several major corporations wanting to own and control the worlds entire seed supply!! They are patenting seeds and creating new plants that do not reproduce on their own..This means there is no way to save seeds and it creates our dependence on purchasing modified seeds from only one or two major companies, which seems really scary to me..... <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,18814-1,00.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Just try reading about Monsanto and their Suicide Gene plants.....</span></a><br /><br />However, it is my hope that each person who learns what is going on "behind the scenes" in relation to our food system, will simply become a catalyst for change..... Sure, it is easier to turn a blind eye and just go about our daily lives, but in the end, we are only hurting ourselves....<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The way I see it is</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">,</span> just because we DO IT in AMERICA, doesn't always make it right..<br /><br /></span><span> It is true that actions speak louder than words... <span style="font-weight: bold;">And your consumer dollars speak volumes.</span> The more you go into a grocery store seeking the PERFECT looking piece of waxed and painted fruit, the more you will be supplied with this.<br /><br />Instead, how about supporting your local farms and organic farmers? Be willing to pay a little more money for the quality of food and life this supports....Cheap, processed food does not pay off in the end--not in health benefits to yourself nor to the planet as a whole. So take care of yourself and each other... learn to really know your food and put your dollars where they really deserve to go. As Joni Mitchell sings, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees. Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you got 'till its gone."</span></span><br /><br /> <span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><div> </div> <span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>Cool Earth Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130327671636069643noreply@blogger.com0