Category: Pollution

Weather extremes - worrying to say the least

5/14/2014

So, did you find the weather this past winter a bit extreme???

"The extreme temperature duality witnessed across the US this past winter is likely to become the norm, thanks to ACD (anthropogenic climate disruption), and it was again revealed who the largest CO2 emitters are. China, the US and India lead as the world's largest polluters."

http://truth-out.org/news/item/23660-devastating-impacts-of-climate-change-increasing

0 Comments

10 Reasons to Go Organic - Alternative Medicine

4/11/2014

0 Comments

Raspberries from my friend Lisa's organic garden in Waterville, ME.

Oh, I've written about it before. Sure, you've been reading it in Facebook posts, articles, seen it in the news (sometimes)...BUT...it cannot be stressed enough. The reasons to eat organically produced food outweigh the extra cost.

I've been repeatedly asked by people "But how do you KNOW that the food you are buying is organic?" It's a legitimate question. How do we know ANY of the foods we eat are safe and healthy? We pay premiums for chicken and beef and then turn around and, with horror, watch or read about different outbreaks of contamination of the very food we feed ourselves and our children. Even the USDA has repeatedly failed to stop the contamination of meat (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/usda-pilot-program-fails-to-stop-contaminated-meat/2013/09/08/60f8bb94-0f58-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_story.html).

So, back to the original question. How do I know that the food I am buying is organic? I don't. But I BELIEVE that the people who supply the food (my local co-op and CSA - Community Supported Agriculture) are honest business people who care about their communities. There is no produce in either of these that they claim to be anything other than organic. Now, if I go to Whole Foods and see they have "conventional" and "organic," I'm not so sure. It's easy to mix them up.

According to the USDA, organic is defined:

Organic Certification
Q. How does USDA define the term organic?

A. Organic food is produced using sustainable agricultural production practices. Not permitted are most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. The USDA National Organic Program website has more information including inspection and certification information.

All this leads me to an article I read in this month's "Alternative Medicine." 10 Reasons to Go Organic - http://www.alternativemedicine.com/alternative-medicine/departments/10-reasons-go-organic

I believe these are very good reasons to at least TRY buying more organic fruits and vegetables.

------------------------

Every year more and more savvy consumers are going organic, and it seems that every year the stakes get higher. From protecting the health of your family in future generations to preventing the collapse of the bee population, shrinking the oceans’ dead zones, and doing your part to reduce climate change, here are 10 research-supported resolutions you can adopt this year.

One: Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables—and make sure they’re organic.

Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables can decrease risks of mortality by 10 percent and delay mortality by 1.12 years according to a recent study. (Fresh fruits and veggies had a stronger correlation to longevity in the study than cooked.)

Two: Balance your omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intake.

Healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratios are low, around 2:1, but unhealthy diet trends have increased that ratio to between 10:1 and 15:1. A 2013 study showed that organic milk contained 25 percent less omega-6 fatty acids and 62 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk.

Three: Save the soil.

Eating organic can help improve soil quality by building organic matter and supporting the soil microbiome. Recent studies show that long-term organic management resulted in more biologically active organic matter, better resistance to erosion, and an increase in the soil’s ability to sequester carbon.

Four: Focus on future generations.

New animal studies in 2013 have shown that it is possible for future generations to be affected by the chemicals that their ancestors were exposed to, even if the future generations were never directly exposed to the pollutants themselves.

Five: Listen to the frogs.

Amphibian populations have been in dramatic decline over the past decade, leaving many scientists worried that several species of frogs will go extinct in the next few years if we don’t change our agricultural practices. Studies published last year suggest synthetic pesticides may be contributing to the decline.

Six: Avoid antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report detailing the threats of antibiotic-resistant diseases to the public. One of the factors contributing to antibiotic resistance is the broad application of low doses of antibiotics in rearing animals. About 80 percent of all antibiotics sold are used in livestock facilities, and antibiotic resistance has been linked to this use of antibiotics in conventional animal rearing.

Seven: Bee friendly.

Unfortunately, 2013 saw a continued trend of bee population decline—without bees, many important crops would disappear, such as apples, almonds, blueberries, cherries, avocados, and oranges. One of the most recent studies examining honey bee population declines showed that a combination of insecticides and fungicides can have a negative impact on bees’ immune systems. The pollen that bees collect to feed to their larvae contained an average of nine different pesticide contaminants.

Eight: Shrink the dead zone.

Dead zones are low-oxygen zones in the ocean caused primarily by nutrient pollution from synthetic fertilizers. Oxygen levels in these areas are so low that most aquatic life cannot survive. They affect large areas of the ocean—especially in the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay and have been growing in size since 1985. A current project by The Organic Center has found that organic production cuts nitrogen pollution by 50 percent. You can also personally contribute by avoiding chemical fertilizers on your own lawn and garden.

Nine: Stabilize the climate.

Climate change will continue to be a major concern in 2014, and organic production may be a key part of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A study from Germany showed that organic farming not only produces less greenhouse gases, but also uses less energy than conventional farming techniques.

Ten: Go bird-watching.

Organic agriculture benefits birds on a large scale, according to a 2013 study from France. The study cited “bird-friendly” practices used by organic techniques—such as diverse crop rotations, reduced use of pesticides, and the creation of more heterogeneous landscapes—as being responsible for these benefits.

Source: The Organic Center

0 Comments

The Good Human

1/1/2013

1 Comment

One of my favorite sites on the Internet is "The Good Human" run by David Quilty (http://thegoodhuman.com/). He write on topics which help us to become more aware of ways in which we can become "good humans." I've "Liked" him on my Facebook. Check him out here (https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodHuman).

Last year, about this time, David wrote about how profits won't matter if our drinking water, air and soil become contaminated rendering us helpless keeping our children and children's children and so on from becoming sicker and sicker.

You can read the entire article here http://thegoodhuman.com/2012/01/03/profits-wont-matter-post-climate-change/). Below are sections of the longer article. The bold, italicized words are my own comments.

...We are in a lot of trouble...because we as a nation refuse to slow down our consumption habits, limit our greenhouse gas emissions, and sign on to international climate treaties. Destructive weather is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future (remember Hurricanes Katrina, Irene, Sandy?), until we finally finish ourselves off. Remember, the planet will be fine — it's us that's screwed.

According to NASA and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in the next 100 years we can expect the following:

Plant and animal species will face increasing competition for survival
A serious reduction in planetary biodiversity
Rising sea levels, which will make many current coastal communities completely uninhabitable
More intense heat waves
Stronger hurricanes and blizzards
More virulent diseases
Worldwide food shortages

All the recycling and buying “greener” gifts at Christmas in the world is not going to save us anymore. We need new people in charge around the globe who care more about people than corporations, and every last one of us needs to make drastic changes in our behavior and lifestyles. Switching out light bulbs makes us feel good, but it’s not really going to do much in the big picture. It’s time to get tough, get honest with ourselves, and take a hard look in the mirror and see that the way most of us currently live needs to change if we want to have any chance of long-term survival. We need to take responsibility for our own actions! Voting politicians into office who are in bed with polluting corporations and investing in companies because they will make us more money, build up our nest egg and the like, only FEED the problem.

We need to pay more for well-made heirloom-quality furniture and not instantly look for cheap paperboard stuff that lasts a year or two. Buy it once, keep it for life, pass it on.
We need to spend the extra money on organic foods, so that organic foods become the norm rather than the exception.
We need to live in smaller houses, live more local, and invest in our communities rather than in a faceless corporation with warehouses in faraway lands.
We need to start calling out corporations and environmental organizations for green washing the truth. We cannot expect groups like The Nature Conservancy to do the right thing for the rest of us when Monsanto is stuffing their back pockets with millions of dollars.
And, again, along with taking responsibility for the above actions, take responsibility in what you invest your money in. If you are complaining about how certain companies are destroying the planet but are still receiving dividends in your mutual funds and stocks from those very same companies, then it's time to rethink your investments.

New Year's is a time for resolutions. Why not make a few of your own which help our planet and the inhabitants on it.

1 Comment

Air Purifying Plants

9/16/2012

0 Comments

I'm not sure where this list comes from. I see it on all sorts of sites on the Internet so I can't really credit it to anyone in particular. Regardless of that, it's really good to know especially if you live in or near polluted cities. and they are really pretty plants to brighten up your home!

I have a snake plant as well as a spider plant. My peace lily died a few years ago and I didn't replace it and have some friends with tons of bamboo in the backyard that I'll be getting too. If you love having plants around your home, consider some of these.

Natural 6 Air Purifying House Plants

1. Bamboo Palm: According to NASA, it removes formaldahyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.

2. Snake Plant: Found by NASA to absorb nitrogen oxides and formaldahyde.

3. Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness.

4. Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldahyde from the air.

5. Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also know to remove formaldahyde and trichloroethylene.

6. Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.

0 Comments

Weather extremes - worrying to say the least

10 Reasons to Go Organic - Alternative Medicine

The Good Human

Air Purifying Plants

Categories

Archives