Eco News

I read a lot...books, magazines, the Internet.  I seem to spend a lot of my reading time lately on environmental issues.  It is something I am really interested in learning more about.  I want to be educated on what I can do to make a difference.  Here are some of the more interesting bits of info I have read recently.

From Self magazine's July 2008 issue: Clif bar and TerraCycle have a program called the Wrapper Brigade.  The nationwide initiative recycles packaging that consumers submit and is weaving it into material for backpacks, gym totes and other products to be in Target stores next year.  Wrapper Brigade also donates two cents per wrapper to a charity of your choice. 

From Self magazine's July 2008 issue: 61% of women agree that it is difficult to tell which beauty products are natural or organic, a study from the Benchmarking Company, a research firm in McLean, Virginia, reports.  Look up eco-friendly products at GreenerChoices.org. 

From Body + Soul magazine's July 2008 issue: Two companies give new life to old clothes-

The Urban Renewal collection by Urban Outfitters features pieces constructed from discarded clothing and accessories.  

Goodwill Industries teamed up with designer Nick Graham to create William Good, a repurposed clothing line that aims to save 100% of unsold donated items from landing in the trash.  Find current styles at ecocitizenonline.com or, next spring, at retailers around the country.

From Body + Soul magazine's July 2008 issue: If we recycled 100 million unused cell phones, we could save enough energy to power 194,000 homes in America for a year.  To find an e-cycler, visit epa.gov/cellphones.        

Green Rant

With gas prices now topping out over $4/gallon, and food prices soaring ever higher, families are feeling the pinch now more than ever before.  Add to the mix the housing crisis, and you have a lot of people learning the hard way how to live with less.  And it is a terrible thing that people are losing their homes.  It is also terrible that unemployment and homelessness is on the rise. People have to choose between eating and filling up their car with gasoline.  But we brought this mess upon ourselves.  We learned nothing from the oil crisis of the 1970's.  As soon as the oil started flowing cheaply again, people chose to forget about the fact that petroleum is a non-renewable resource.  It is not in unlimited supply.  So people bought their SUVs, and they moved to the suburbs where they could have a giant house with a giant yard.  And they filled their McMansions with mounds of stuff.  

Then the bills came due.  The credit card bills, and the mortgage, and the car payment and most important of all, the environmental cost of all that greed and waste is coming due.  And the human cost. While the middle class was busy stuffing its face with cake, the rich ran off with all of the real money and the government in their pocket. So now the environment is in shambles and the rich don't care because they have raped and pillaged and gotten what they needed out of the Earth, and they can afford to buy gas and food and pay their mortgage.  With the middle class becoming more and more the lower class, the rich are going to have everything.  The lower class is going to have no choice but to be slaves for the upper class.  

There are 10.1 million people worldwide with at least $1 million in assets as of 2007.  They have a combined wealth of $40.7 trillion.  It is expected to be around $59.1 trillion by 2012. They represent a mere 0.15% of the world's 6.7 billion people.  33% of these millionaires live in the United States.  

What kind of a world do we live in where a few people have everything and billions of people are living in the depths of poverty and despair?  Sometimes I wonder why humans are so selfish and soul-less.  We are neglecting our fellow human beings, and we are letting the Earth fall apart right before our eyes, and we could have done something about it, but it was too much trouble.  It would have put a cramp in our consumerist, greedy, self-righteous lifestyles.  

Every Day Is a Chance to Live Green

I strive to live every day by my motto that "less for me means more for others."  By this I don't mean that people should take more than their share of resources because others are doing without.  I mean that if each and every one of us made small changes to our lifestyles, we could save countless resources for others. 

• According to Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe, if you sit down to an 8 oz. steak, the "feed cost" of that steak is 45-50 people with empty bowls in front of them, bowls that could have been filled with a full cup of cooked cereal grains.
• If we recycled 100 million unused cell phones, we could save enough energy to power 194,000 homes in the US for a year.  
• We go through 100 Billion plastic bags per year in the US, less than 1% of which get recycled.  An estimated 12 Million barrels of oil is required to make them, and the annual cost to US retailers of giving them out is estimated at $4 Billion.  
• The chopsticks that you get with your Chinese takeout cost China approximately 25 Million trees a year to make.
• Americans consume an estimated 70 Million+ water bottles a day, and only 14% get recycled. 
• Each person in the US uses an average of 700 pounds of paper products per year.

So I don't eat a lot of red meat.  I do eat it, though, I won't deny it.  I know being a vegetarian would be even better for the planet, though. I have had the same cell phone for a little over two years.  It is only the second one I have ever owned (I lost my first cell phone).  When this phone finally does need to be replaced, all I have to do is return it to AT&T, because the carriers recycle used cell phones.  

I carry a reusable bag with me absolutely everywhere.  They make them to fit on your belt buckle or key chain.  

My boyfriend and I rarely if ever order takeout.  It is environmentally disastrous, not to mention lazy and bad for your waistline.

I rarely drink bottled water.  On occasion I have bought a bottle of water or juice while out, but I ALWAYS recycle the bottle.  

We do not keep paper towels or paper napkins in our apartment.  I use sponges and old socks for cleaning, and we simply wash our hands after a messy meal, or if really necessary, wipe our hands on a cloth towel.  

We swapped out all of the regular light bulbs in our apartment with CFLs.  I turn off the lights when I leave a room, and I shut off and/or unplug appliances I am not using.  

For every bag of garbage we make, we make 2-3 bags of recycling.  

We eat as local and as healthy as we can afford to-organic as much as possible.  

We don't own a car.  We both own a bicycle, though.  And we both walk a lot and use a fair amount of public transportation.  

We don't have an air conditioner.  We have a ceiling fan and a window fan, and we turn them off when we are gone.

I just live this way because I feel it is the right thing to do.  I don't feel like I am sacrificing anything.  I feel blessed by what I do have and feel that everyone should have the chance to experience abundance in their lives.  If everyone on Earth consumed the way we did in the US, we would need 5-6 Earths just to satisfy the demand for resources.  I personally think that says that we, as a country, are thoughtless and greedy.  The Earth is not ours to plunder.              

Where Can I Recycle _____________?

Do you live in a town or city with no recycling program?  Or maybe you even live in a town with a recycling program for things like cans, plastic, and paper.  But what about batteries, CFLs, cell phones, electronics, shoes, etc.?  Where can I recycle things like that?  The following list is by no means all-inclusive.  You can always give stuff away that you no longer want anymore.  Click here to find a recycling center in your area.  Click here to find a list with descriptions of some things that can and cannot be recycled.  

• Plastic Bags-never put these in with other plastics.  Many grocery stores have drop-offs for plastic bags.  If you are unsure, find one in your area that does.
• Printer Cartridges-take them to an Office Supply store where you will get store credit, or you can send them back to the company that makes them.  Sometimes you will have to pay for the postage to send them back but often times the cartridge comes with a prepaid return envelope or box.  Best Buy recycles ink-jet cartridges-look for kiosks right inside their stores.
  
• CFLs-these contain mercury and should not go in the landfill. Try your local hardware store or recycling center.    
  
• Computers-put that old computer to use---not in a landfill. Give it to a non-profit, school, or someone who really needs it.  
• Electronics-getting new gadgets is great, just be sure and recycle the old ones.  
• Batteries-Find your nearest Radio Shack to recycle regular batteries like AAs.  Best Buy recycles rechargeable batteries-look for kiosks right inside their stores.  Get a kit from Battery Solutions for your home or office and mail them in.
  
• Cell Phones-you can usually drop them off where you bought them or mail them in to your wireless carrier.  Click here for more information on mailing them in.
  
• Clothes-places like Goodwill , The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities will gladly accept your clothes donation. Just make sure the clothes are clean.
  
• Shoes-Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program accepts all brands of sneakers.  They recycle them to create tracks, fields, and playgrounds.  
  
• CDs/DVDs/Floppy Disks/Tapes-if they are not worth selling or giving away, take them in to a recycling center in your area.  Or contact Green Disk.   
• Furniture-if it is not worth selling or giving away, contact your local recycling center.
  
• Food-composting is the best way to use most of your food wastes.  Even if you live in an apartment with no yard, you can still compost.  Check out the NatureMill.      

If there is something you don't see on this list, check out Earth 911.  

   

Why Are There Genetically Modified Organisms in My Food?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are found in six out of ten processed foods at the supermarket.  Genetically engineered crops became available to farmers in 1996.  70% grow in the US.  81% of soybeans, 71& of cotton, and 40% of corn grown in the US is genetically engineered.  

Corn, soy, canola, and some cottonseed turn up in processed foods as oils.  Biotech soy binds hot dogs and is in some nutritional supplements such as protein extracts and Vitamin E.  Ground corn is in foods like taco shells and chips.  Other corn-based ingredients include cornstarch, flour, dextrose, maltrose, baking powder, and high-fructose corn syrup.  Most corn and soybeans end up in animal feed, so meat and poultry comes from animals raised on biotech feed.  

Buying organic is one way to avoid genetically engineered foods. Another way is to shop at the three chains that refuse genetically modified ingredients in their private-label products-Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's.  Yet another is to shop local.  Go to Farmer's Markets and get to know the people producing your food.

Check out these websites to become better informed about your food:

Environmental Working Group

Food First

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

Organic Consumers Association 

If you want to download a Shopper's Guide listing non-genetically engineered foods, go to http://www.TrueFoodNow.org.        

Tips When Shopping for Food

Shop the perimeter of the supermarket and ignore the middle.

Go directly to the sections devoted to organic produce and natural products.

Buy organic foods.  However, if that is not possible or affordable, you can cut your exposure to pesticides by 90% by buying the following foods organic only :

• Apples
  
• Bell Peppers
  
• Celery
  
• Cherries
  
• Grapes
  
• Nectarines
  
• Peaches
  
• Pears
  
• Potatoes
  
• Red Raspberries
  
• Spinach
  
• Strawberries
  

Buy organic versions of the foods you eat the most.

Shop at natural food stores such as Whole Foods or Wild Oats.

Buy locally produced foods and fresh local produce in season, whether they are organic or not.

You Are What You Eat

This is as true today as it has always been.  But today we have so many options now that it seems overwhelming at times to pick the right foods for your body.  So it makes sense that the more natural your food is, the better it will be for you-but also the planet as well.  

We should all be concerned about where our food is coming from-we should be more aware of the process from planting to picking, from birth to slaughter and even in the handling and transportation. There was the spinach scare of 2006.  The on-going recalls of products coming in from China-but most especially the contaminated seafood.  Then there was the meat plant that got shut down in California for torturing its animals.  Now there is the tomato and now bagged lettuce recalls going on right now.  It is enough to make you want to stop eating. However, all you have to do is know how your food was treated before you bought it.  Greater care=greater nutrition.    

Going to Farmer's Markets is the best way to get to know your food. You can actually talk to the people who own and work the farms to find out what practices they use to grow and cultivate your food. There are a few websites to check out to find one near you.  

• http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets
  
• http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
  
• http://farmersmarket.com

If there is not a Farmer's Market near you, then check out the Local Harvest website.  You can have food delivered right to your door, or you can find a grocery store in your area that sells locally farmed products.  The Land Connection can connect you with local food as well.  

Buy organic.  If the product is organic, then you know it is better for you.  Studies are being done to bear this out.  Organic foods are free of the harmful chemicals, but they are loaded with more of the nutrients than their non-organic counterparts.  Organic foods just taste better too.  If you are unable to find organic, look for all-natural, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, cage-free. When shopping for seafood, look for sustainably harvested.  Check out Seafood Watch for more information. 

Remember, you are what you eat.  The better your food is treated, the better it is for you and for the planet.  And companies that treat their food well will be proud to tell you about it-in person, on their packaging, on their website, etc.  Get to know your food.     

Things Are Not Made to Last

You may hear older people say this from time to time, but it is actually true.  Companies don't make nearly as much money if they make things to last.  We have become a consumerist, throw-away society, but it was not always this way.  Check out the Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard for some eye-opening statistics and the real cost of our consumerism culture.  I will summarize the story here.  

• In the United States, we only have 5% of the world's population, but use up 30% of its resources and produce 30% of the world's waste.  
  
• Each person in this country produces 4.5 pounds of trash per day, twice the amount we produced 30 years ago.  
  
• 99% of the materials that go into making the stuff that we buy are trashed in less than 6 months. 
• For every 1 garbage can we produce, the manufacturers are producing 70 garbage cans.
  

Things were not always this way.  After World War II, corporations actively sought out a way to make more money.  Consumerism was the key.  This would help explain why the average person consumes twice as much today than they did 50 years ago, or the fact that the average house size has doubled since the 1970's.  Each person in this country gets targeted with 3,000 advertisements per day, more than people used to encounter in their entire lifetime.  

But money cannot buy you happiness.  National happiness has been steadily declining since the 1950's (when it peaked).  Is it coincidence that this was the beginning of our consumer-driven era?  Why would people want to work so hard just to buy stuff that they never really needed or wanted in the first place?  

Over the past three decades, one-third of the planet's natural resource space has been consumed.  In the US, we have only 4% of our original forests left, and 40% of our waterways are undrinkable. Industries here admit to releasing over 4 Billion pounds of toxic chemicals per year. Climate change is the consequence of our actions.  It is too late to stop it from happening, but we could keep it from getting worse.    

  

   

What Does Natural Mean When It Comes to Personal Care Products?

There are currently no governmental regulations defining natural. This means that some products you thought were "natural" may actually be filled with oil-based, synthetic ingredients. The Natural Products Association is working on a Natural Standard and Seal so that consumers can know what "natural" really is and how to identify the truly natural products.  Look for the Seal to begin appearing on products later in 2008.  

• One natural ingredient does not mean a product is all-natural.  Scrutinize personal care labels the same way you do your food labels, and pay close attention to ingredient order. The ingredients are listed from most concentrated to least.  
• Ingredients with long or scientific names are not always chemicals.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires manufacturers to use Latin and scientific names for ingredients.  Make it easier on yourself and learn what is safe by checking out the Cosmetic Database.
• Watch out for phrases such as "nature-inspired," "made with natural ingredients," and "natural origin."  This kind of language allows manufacturers to position their products as natural even though they may few natural ingredients.
• Even products with the USDA seal for Organic means that 97% of the ingredients used are certifiably Organic.  The other 3% could be synthetic and potentially harmful.
• Watch out for trademarked names using "natural" and "organic."  There are no laws on what a product can be called, only on how the product is used.
• There are certain ingredients that you should steer clear of and should never be used in something that is "natural."-

Parabens are synthetic preservatives and may be potential endocrine disruptors. 

Sulfates such as Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate are synthetic cleansing agents.  They potentially remove natural oils from the lipid layer of the skin.

Phthalates are fixatives of some synthetic fragrances that are potential toxins.

Petrochemicals, including petrolatum, mineral oil, and paraffin, are non-renewable by-products of crude oil with potential impurities.  

Fragrance is a term that any manufacturer can put on their label and the FDA does not require them to list the ingredients in it.

You have to be careful when you shop for personal care products. Look carefully at the ingredient list.  If you are unsure, be sure to look up the product and even the company that manufacturers the product.  Also, be mindful to buy products that are in environmentally friendly packaging-recyclable, biodegradable, and even compostable. If the packaging is just going to rot in the landfill, then it is not really a good product.  

  

12 Simple and Easy Eco Tips

1) Buy local and organic.  If your organic kiwi comes from Chile, then you are not a conscious consumer.  Though there are studies showing that organic foods retain more of their nutritional value than their non-organic counterparts, if you cannot get it local, find something else to buy.  

2) Look for concentrated products because they use less packaging. But also look for all-natural products in recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging.  If it is all-natural or organic, but does not come in environmentally sound packaging, move on to another product that does.

3) Switch your incandescent bulbs for CFL's (compact fluorescent light bulbs).  CFL's use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.  You will save an average of $30 per bulb.

4) Turn off the lights when you leave a room.  Also, turn off and/or unplug appliances that are not in use.  

5) Use reusable shopping bags whenever you go ANYWHERE. Grocery store, mall, wherever. The oil it takes to produce 14 plastic bags will power a car for a mile.  Plus, reusable bags are more study and comfortable.

6) Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth.  You will save on average of 25 gallons of water a month.  

7) Reduce the amount of time in the shower, and never turn the shower on and just let it run. Turn the water on only after you are in the shower.  

8) Use all-natural, earth-friendly cleaning products.  Better yet, use products that can serve many purposes in the home: 

• Baking soda-You can use it as a deodorizer, to clean abrasive surfaces, to bake, and even to get rid of heartburn. 
  
• Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps (liquid)-You can use it as a cleanser in the shower, or you can mix a little with some vinegar and water and clean your house with it. *This is real soap. Check out their website.  Dr. Bronner's rocks!
  
• White Vinegar-You can use it to clean, to cook, and to make vinaigrettes.   

9) Turn your thermostat down in the Winter and up in the Summer. Turn it off when you are not home.

10) Calculate your carbon footprint.

11) Walk or ride a bike to work and to run errands, or use public transport if it is available.  If you have to drive, make sure you run your errands all at once and in an order that makes sense-for example, drive to the farthest place and work your way back home. Better yet, carpool with co-workers, friends and neighbors.  

12) Give away used clothes and any other unwanted and unused items around the house.  Or barter.  Or sell.  Try Goodwill, Freecycle, Craigslist, and Ebay.  Even your local church will likely accept used clothing.