I recently found these green cleaning products and I have tried them and give them my full hearted approval! They not only will help you keep the environment safe while you clean, they are better for the surfaces that your children touch and they won't bleach any of your clothes. (A common occurrence in my house.) A great find and a great way to start living green on a budget. Thank you Walmart!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Walmart is Going Green
Walmart is starting to expand it's products and they are now going to be incorporating more "green" items. 
I recently found these green cleaning products and I have tried them and give them my full hearted approval! They not only will help you keep the environment safe while you clean, they are better for the surfaces that your children touch and they won't bleach any of your clothes. (A common occurrence in my house.) A great find and a great way to start living green on a budget. Thank you Walmart!
I recently found these green cleaning products and I have tried them and give them my full hearted approval! They not only will help you keep the environment safe while you clean, they are better for the surfaces that your children touch and they won't bleach any of your clothes. (A common occurrence in my house.) A great find and a great way to start living green on a budget. Thank you Walmart!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Good Websites for Disseminating Information on Organic and Sustainable Living
Occassionally I come across great web pages or articles that I think would be useful to others who are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Over the next little while, I will be sharing these finds with you all. The first is a website and organization entitled Organic Living.
This organization aims to scientifically demonstrate the benefit of eating an organic diet. Their articles cover a variety of topics from antioxidants and pesiticides to obestiy.
Check it out at:
http://www.organic-center.org
This organization aims to scientifically demonstrate the benefit of eating an organic diet. Their articles cover a variety of topics from antioxidants and pesiticides to obestiy.
Check it out at:
http://www.organic-center.org
Monday, February 11, 2008
World's Largest Rubbish Dump
Floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is what scientists call the world's largest rubbish dump. It is a dump of plastics and other trash that is floating in the ocean below the surface. It is an area that is 2 times the size of the continental US! Nearly 1/5 of the rubbish comes from ships and the rest comes from land. This waste is not detectable by satellite since it is slightly below the surface and the plastic nearly translucent.
Charles Moore, an American oceanographer, discovered this patch of trash over a decade ago when he was coming back from a yacht race. He took a short cut and found himself in the "North Pacific gyre" – a vortex where the ocean circulates slowly because of little wind and extreme high pressure systems. Usually sailors avoid it. Moore woke up to find his boat surrounded by trash. For nearly a week he traveled through this dump in the ocean. This dump contains things such as legos, toothbrushes, kayaks, footballs and carrier bags. It is essentially a dumb of plastics and since plastic these days are so durable, you can find every piece of plastic that was dumped into the ocean for the past 50 years!
The full effect of these things is still unclear on the ecosystems in the ocean. However, according to the UN Environment Programme, plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. And at this rate, things can only get worse as the "dump" grows larger in size.
So start watching what plastic things you buy and where and how you throw them away!
Charles Moore, an American oceanographer, discovered this patch of trash over a decade ago when he was coming back from a yacht race. He took a short cut and found himself in the "North Pacific gyre" – a vortex where the ocean circulates slowly because of little wind and extreme high pressure systems. Usually sailors avoid it. Moore woke up to find his boat surrounded by trash. For nearly a week he traveled through this dump in the ocean. This dump contains things such as legos, toothbrushes, kayaks, footballs and carrier bags. It is essentially a dumb of plastics and since plastic these days are so durable, you can find every piece of plastic that was dumped into the ocean for the past 50 years!
The full effect of these things is still unclear on the ecosystems in the ocean. However, according to the UN Environment Programme, plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. And at this rate, things can only get worse as the "dump" grows larger in size.
So start watching what plastic things you buy and where and how you throw them away!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Genetically Engineered Foods
What are genetically engineered foods?
Genetically engineered(GE) foods are foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering.
Are there harmful effects to GE foods?
1. GE foods cause an increase in allergic reactions. By taking a gene from a common food allergen and placing it into another food that has always been considered safe (ie- a gene from a nut placed into a soybean) can cause lethal allergic reactions.
2. GE foods increase the resistance to antibiotics. Many of the genes that are GE into common foods have an antibiotic gene code. These antibiotic resistance genes therefore enter our body and increase our already growing resistance to common antibiotics.
3. GE foods weaken our immune response. There have been studies done on rats who were given a GE diet and the studies found that the animals had underdeveloped organs, lower metabolism and a less robust immune system.
4. GE foods have a lower nutritional value. The USDA has concluded that genetically engineering food can result in "undesirable alteration in the level of nutrients" of foods.
How common are GE foods in the US and in the world?
The US grows 55.3% of all GE crops worldwide. Argentina grows 19%, Brazil and Canada 6.4%, China 3.7% and all other countries 5.2%. It is estimated that nearly 75% of all processed foods in the US are genetically modified.
Why does the US have the highest percentage of GE foods?
Most of the global community are leaps and bounds ahead of the US in the regulation of GE foods. The European Union had a fiver year moratorium on GE products, which they have lifted under the condition that ALL GE foods are labeled. The Cartagena BioSafety Protocol went into effect in 2003 and it was the first international legislation that regulates the trans-border trade of GE foods. Over 140 countries have signed the agreement which allows them to ban the import of GE products. Only the US and Australia are yet to sign this agreement.
If you are interested in knowing sources for any of the above statements, please leave a comment. Each statement has a credible source and I would be more than willing to post sources if there is a concern or interest.
Genetically engineered(GE) foods are foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering.
Are there harmful effects to GE foods?
1. GE foods cause an increase in allergic reactions. By taking a gene from a common food allergen and placing it into another food that has always been considered safe (ie- a gene from a nut placed into a soybean) can cause lethal allergic reactions.
2. GE foods increase the resistance to antibiotics. Many of the genes that are GE into common foods have an antibiotic gene code. These antibiotic resistance genes therefore enter our body and increase our already growing resistance to common antibiotics.
3. GE foods weaken our immune response. There have been studies done on rats who were given a GE diet and the studies found that the animals had underdeveloped organs, lower metabolism and a less robust immune system.
4. GE foods have a lower nutritional value. The USDA has concluded that genetically engineering food can result in "undesirable alteration in the level of nutrients" of foods.
How common are GE foods in the US and in the world?
The US grows 55.3% of all GE crops worldwide. Argentina grows 19%, Brazil and Canada 6.4%, China 3.7% and all other countries 5.2%. It is estimated that nearly 75% of all processed foods in the US are genetically modified.
Why does the US have the highest percentage of GE foods?
Most of the global community are leaps and bounds ahead of the US in the regulation of GE foods. The European Union had a fiver year moratorium on GE products, which they have lifted under the condition that ALL GE foods are labeled. The Cartagena BioSafety Protocol went into effect in 2003 and it was the first international legislation that regulates the trans-border trade of GE foods. Over 140 countries have signed the agreement which allows them to ban the import of GE products. Only the US and Australia are yet to sign this agreement.
If you are interested in knowing sources for any of the above statements, please leave a comment. Each statement has a credible source and I would be more than willing to post sources if there is a concern or interest.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Why Organic Milk is Better
Organic diary has several positive factors that lead it to be a safer, healthier choice for you and the environment. Organic milk has no antibiotics (versus conventional milk that has some) and no pesticides. The USDA "tested 788 samples of milk in 2005 and found, on average, residues of more than 2.5 pesticides per sample. Most worrisome are residues of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides and other developmental toxins in nearly half of the samples of conventional milk." (The SCOOP Newsletter, January 2008) The USDA has also done testing that measured the level proteins and amount of vitamins- in which organic milk has been concluded to have more.
As for the environment, "organic farming builds soil organic matter more effectively than conventional farming, sequesters far more carbon, dramatically lowers the amount of nitrous oxide released from over-fertilized fields, uses less energy, does not rely on routine applications of toxic synthetic pesticides, and promotes biodiversity." (The SCOOP Newsletter, January 2008)
There is some confusion out there about the differences in milk. Below is listed the different types of milk to help clarify what organic milk is.
Organic milk
-Organic milk comes from cows that have been grazed on pasture that has no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or agrochemicals used on it.
-The producers must register with an approved organic body and are subject to regular inspection.
-Once the cows have been milked, the milk is treated in exactly the same way as regular pasteurized milk.
Raw Milk
Raw milk is untreated and has no pasteurization. It is uncommon and not widely sold.
Whole Milk
-Natural whole milk is milk with nothing added or removed.
-Whole standardised milk is whole milk standardised to a minimum fat content of 3.5%.
-Whole homogenised milk is identical in fat and nutrient content to whole milk or whole standardised milk however it has undergone a specific process known as “homogenisation” which breaks up the fat globules in the milk. This spreads the fat evenly throughout the milk and prevents a creamy layer forming at the top.
Skimmed milk
-Skimmed milk has a fat content of between 0.1-0.3 %. Skimmed milk therefore has nearly all the fat removed.
-It contains slightly more calcium than whole milk and lower levels of fat soluble vitamins, particularly vitamin A, as this is lost when the fat is removed-see nutritional composition of milks
-The lower level of fat in skimmed milk reduces its calorie (energy) content. For this reason it is not recommended for children under the age of 5 years as they need the extra energy for growth. However it is ideal for adults who wish to limit their fat or calorie intake.
As for the environment, "organic farming builds soil organic matter more effectively than conventional farming, sequesters far more carbon, dramatically lowers the amount of nitrous oxide released from over-fertilized fields, uses less energy, does not rely on routine applications of toxic synthetic pesticides, and promotes biodiversity." (The SCOOP Newsletter, January 2008)
There is some confusion out there about the differences in milk. Below is listed the different types of milk to help clarify what organic milk is.
Organic milk
-Organic milk comes from cows that have been grazed on pasture that has no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or agrochemicals used on it.
-The producers must register with an approved organic body and are subject to regular inspection.
-Once the cows have been milked, the milk is treated in exactly the same way as regular pasteurized milk.
Raw Milk
Raw milk is untreated and has no pasteurization. It is uncommon and not widely sold.
Whole Milk
-Natural whole milk is milk with nothing added or removed.
-Whole standardised milk is whole milk standardised to a minimum fat content of 3.5%.
-Whole homogenised milk is identical in fat and nutrient content to whole milk or whole standardised milk however it has undergone a specific process known as “homogenisation” which breaks up the fat globules in the milk. This spreads the fat evenly throughout the milk and prevents a creamy layer forming at the top.
Skimmed milk
-Skimmed milk has a fat content of between 0.1-0.3 %. Skimmed milk therefore has nearly all the fat removed.
-It contains slightly more calcium than whole milk and lower levels of fat soluble vitamins, particularly vitamin A, as this is lost when the fat is removed-see nutritional composition of milks
-The lower level of fat in skimmed milk reduces its calorie (energy) content. For this reason it is not recommended for children under the age of 5 years as they need the extra energy for growth. However it is ideal for adults who wish to limit their fat or calorie intake.
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