I’ve always wanted a reason to not eat sugar. I mean a really good reason, not because it’s not good for me, because that reason just hasn’t worked very well, I’ll gladly harm my own body for a moment of heaven. No, I needed a good animal- or earth-friendly reason
So this falls under my commitment to “let no animal suffer” in my name, which by the way, is getting more and more difficult as I read more and more.
But back to sugar –
The white refined sugar Americans love so much is white because it is run through a bone char filter during the processing. What is a bone char filter? Well, it’s created from the most dense bones of a cow. Of the 82 pounds of bone from a cow, only about 20 pounds are load-bearing bones, mostly the pelvis, which are used for the bone char.
The bones, almost exclusively from non-USA sources, are baked for 12 hours at temperatures over 700 degrees to remove bacteria etc and thus create a char. You then have 9 pounds of char from one cow source.
An average sugar processing plant runs a filter processing 30 gallons of sugar per minute for 120 hours, each requiring 70,000 pounds of bone char. So doing the math, that’s almost 7800 cow bones being used for just one filter. Of course some plants run multiple filters at a time. That’s a lot of dead cow. Mind you hey only have to change the char every 5 years or so, but it’s still a lot of dead cow.
Cane sugar is the only kind of sugar run through these filters. Beet sugar is not, however it is common for cane and beet sugar to share the same post-filter vats, so you really can’t say for sure that it’s char-free. There is one plant in New York that is using an ion filter, but until now it’s been more expensive than bone char. But even the sugar from that plant is indistinguishable to you and I at the grocery store because it’s not packaged any different than the other plants as they’re all sold under the same names.
Organic sugar, however, is always char free. I’ve been eating almost exclusively organic and vegan for the last few weeks anyway but there have been occasional bits of candy and cake finding their way to my mouth. Again wondering to myself, why do I need a reason other than personal good health to not eat sugar?? Now I have the cow gross-out reason.
Enough of that, now a quick tip about genetically modified and organic produce. If your produce item code starts with a “9”, it’s organic. If your produce item code starts with an “8”, it’s genetically modified. Now, just run out to your supermarket and try and find an “8”, chances are you won’t. You see, they thought we’d PREFER genetically modified food, but the opposite proved true, we avoided it. So shortly after this was instituted the “authorities” decided we really didn’t need to know if it was genetically modified, so they took the “8” off. That’s how much they care for us, the big corporations and government, they care enough to mislead us into buying what we otherwise wouldn’t. .Baaa
Now where'd I put those organic cookies?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Earth Friendly Practices
I haven’t don’t much research on the RR cotton lately like I’d hoped, my time has been spent on other research that I would say falls under the personal “earth friendly” category. Home gardening.
Because of my newly acquired knowledge about the many questionable farming practices around the world, whether its GMO’s or worker mistreatment or non-sustainable practices, I am expanding my home vegetable garden considerably, implementing a rain-waiter storage system and raising chickens.
Buying organic is a start but even that’s not perfect. The USDA organic board states that to be organic, fruits and vegetables need to be grown without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineer seed or plants; or ionizing radiation. I still see room for improvement there.
So my latest research has been into rain barrels. I’ve collected seven 55 gallon drums and am just figuring out the best way to utilize them, I thought I had it all figured out on how to best collect rainwater from my downspouts, pump it to the reservoir and then gravity water my existing and new(in-planning-stage) gardens, when I hear “You shouldn’t use that rainwater for vegetables”.
What? Don’t use rainwater for vegetables? Well, maybe not. It depends on many factors and it’s not conclusive, but it makes you think. It will partially depend on the kind of roof you have for one. If you have cedar shake roofs, then No, don’t use it, because the cedar oil in the water is too strong for the vegetables. Asphalt shingles like I have are iffy. Also depends if you have herbicides or fungicides on the roof for moss and weed control. Do birds or raccoons frequent your roof? Their feces can contaminate the run-off.
There does not seem to be one definitive answer either way if it’s safe to use or not.
The best guidelines I’ve seen indicate to use collected rain water only
-at the root level of vegetable
-do not get it on the edible part of the plant
-do not use this water shortly before harvest
I think it might be wise to expand to this
-do not use for root vegetables.
And don’t use it for watering the animals. Of course, you can always use it for your grass, shrubs and flowers, and this might be enough to offset the amount of tap water you use for your vegetables.
I’ll continue with my rain harvesting and storage plan because I know we’ll be able to use the water somewhere. I’ve also seen homemade sand filters for your rainwater that might be worth further research.
I knew I saved all my old “Organic Gardening”, “Sunset” and “Mother Earth”’s for a reason! I have to go dig them all out so I can peruse them while I plan my new gardens, chicken coop, and irrigation system. I have to start scavenging off Craigslist soon if I want all this in place by spring!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
RoundUp Ready Alfalfa Comment
I know I talked about this once but I think I'll repeat it. Below is a letter I received from the Center for Food Safety encouraging people to comment to USDA about RR alfalfa. I encourage you to comment if you haven't already. The rest of this post is their letter with sample comment you can use.
Use this address for the easiest way to comment
http://ga3.org/campaign/alfalfaEIS
"In 2006, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its illegal approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa. The federal courts sided with CFS and banned GE alfalfa until the USDA fully analyzed the impacts of the plant on the environment, farmers, and the public in a rigorous analysis known as an environmental impact statement (or EIS).
USDA released its draft EIS on December 14, 2009. A 60-day comment period is now open until February 16, 2010. This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any GE crop. Therefore, the final decision will have broad implications for all GE crops.
CFS has begun analyzing the EIS and it is clear that the USDA has not taken the concerns of non-GE alfalfa farmers, organic dairies, or consumers seriously. USDA’s preliminary determination is to once again deregulate GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers or the environment. Instead USDA has completely dismissed the fact that contamination will threaten export and domestic markets and organic meat and dairy products. And, incredibly, USDA is claiming that there is no evidence that consumers care about such GE contamination of organic!
USDA also claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product, despite the fact that more than 75% of consumers believe that they are purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA claims that Monsanto’s seed contracts require measures sufficient to prevent genetic contamination, and that there is no evidence to the contrary. But in the lawsuit requiring this document, the Court found that contamination had already occurred in the fields of several Western states with these same business-as-usual practices in place!
USDA predicts that the approval of GE alfalfa would damage family farms and organic markets, yet doesn’t even consider any limitations or protections against this scenario. Small, family farmers are the backbone and future of American agriculture and must be protected. Organic agriculture provides many benefits to society: healthy foods for consumers, economic opportunities for family farmers and urban and rural communities, and a farming system that improves the quality of the environment. However, the continued vitality of this sector is imperiled by the complete absence of measures to protect organic production systems from GE contamination and subsequent environmental, consumer, and economic losses.
Tell USDA That You DO Care About Genetic Contamination of Organic Crops and Food!
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238
In USDA's Environmental Impact Statement (Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044) on genetically engineered alfalfa, USDA claims that there is no evidence that consumers care about contamination to organic alfalfa and alfalfa-derived foods from Monsanto's GE Roundup Ready alfalfa. As an organic consumer, I can tell you that I DO care.
Prohibition of genetic engineering (GE) is a fundamental tenet of the Organic Standard. In fact, the organic rule's failure to exclude GE from its first version was one of the main reasons why 275,000 people like me filed public comments in 1997, at the time the largest outpouring of public participation in the history of U.S. administrative procedure. Consumers care deeply about organic integrity, and GE is fundamentally not organic. Polls show that more than 75% of consumers believe that they are purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA also claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product. The Organic Standard requires that livestock feed for animals used for meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products is 100 percent organic. As the Court found in the lawsuit that required this EIS, to "farmers and consumers organic means not genetically engineered, even if the farmer did not intend for his crop to be so engineered." Whether or not the end product is impacted is not the issue. Farmers' fundamental right to sow the crop of their choice is eliminated when it is contaminated with transgenes, and so is the public's ability to support meaningful organic food and feed production. Consumers like me will reject GE contamination of organic by any means or at any stage of sustainable food production.
USDA claims that Monsanto's seed contracts require measures sufficient to prevent GE contamination, and that there is no evidence to the contrary. In the lawsuit requiring this document, the Court found that contamination had already occurred in the fields of several Western states with these same business-as-usual practices in place! In general, where other GE crops were approved without restriction, contamination of organic and conventional seeds and crops is widespread and has been documented around the world. A recent report documented 39 cases in 2007 and more than 200 in the last decade. The EIS itself acknowledges that GE contamination may happen and includes studies that honey bees can cross-pollinate at distances over 6 miles, and Alkali bees at 4-5 miles, much further than any distances under Monsanto's "best practices."
As a consumer, I care about the contamination of organic foods and crops, and I expect USDA to do everything the agency can to protect organic farmers and consumers. The organic industry provides many benefits to society: healthy foods for consumers, economic opportunities for family farmers and urban and rural communities, and a farming system that improves the quality of the environment. However, the continued vitality of this sector is imperiled by the complete absence of measures to protect organic production systems from contamination and subsequent environmental, consumer, and economic losses. USDA must include in its decision adequate protections against this grave harm.
Sincerely, "
Use this address for the easiest way to comment
http://ga3.org/campaign/alfalfaEIS
"In 2006, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its illegal approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa. The federal courts sided with CFS and banned GE alfalfa until the USDA fully analyzed the impacts of the plant on the environment, farmers, and the public in a rigorous analysis known as an environmental impact statement (or EIS).
USDA released its draft EIS on December 14, 2009. A 60-day comment period is now open until February 16, 2010. This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any GE crop. Therefore, the final decision will have broad implications for all GE crops.
CFS has begun analyzing the EIS and it is clear that the USDA has not taken the concerns of non-GE alfalfa farmers, organic dairies, or consumers seriously. USDA’s preliminary determination is to once again deregulate GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers or the environment. Instead USDA has completely dismissed the fact that contamination will threaten export and domestic markets and organic meat and dairy products. And, incredibly, USDA is claiming that there is no evidence that consumers care about such GE contamination of organic!
USDA also claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product, despite the fact that more than 75% of consumers believe that they are purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA claims that Monsanto’s seed contracts require measures sufficient to prevent genetic contamination, and that there is no evidence to the contrary. But in the lawsuit requiring this document, the Court found that contamination had already occurred in the fields of several Western states with these same business-as-usual practices in place!
USDA predicts that the approval of GE alfalfa would damage family farms and organic markets, yet doesn’t even consider any limitations or protections against this scenario. Small, family farmers are the backbone and future of American agriculture and must be protected. Organic agriculture provides many benefits to society: healthy foods for consumers, economic opportunities for family farmers and urban and rural communities, and a farming system that improves the quality of the environment. However, the continued vitality of this sector is imperiled by the complete absence of measures to protect organic production systems from GE contamination and subsequent environmental, consumer, and economic losses.
Tell USDA That You DO Care About Genetic Contamination of Organic Crops and Food!
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238
In USDA's Environmental Impact Statement (Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044) on genetically engineered alfalfa, USDA claims that there is no evidence that consumers care about contamination to organic alfalfa and alfalfa-derived foods from Monsanto's GE Roundup Ready alfalfa. As an organic consumer, I can tell you that I DO care.
Prohibition of genetic engineering (GE) is a fundamental tenet of the Organic Standard. In fact, the organic rule's failure to exclude GE from its first version was one of the main reasons why 275,000 people like me filed public comments in 1997, at the time the largest outpouring of public participation in the history of U.S. administrative procedure. Consumers care deeply about organic integrity, and GE is fundamentally not organic. Polls show that more than 75% of consumers believe that they are purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA also claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product. The Organic Standard requires that livestock feed for animals used for meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products is 100 percent organic. As the Court found in the lawsuit that required this EIS, to "farmers and consumers organic means not genetically engineered, even if the farmer did not intend for his crop to be so engineered." Whether or not the end product is impacted is not the issue. Farmers' fundamental right to sow the crop of their choice is eliminated when it is contaminated with transgenes, and so is the public's ability to support meaningful organic food and feed production. Consumers like me will reject GE contamination of organic by any means or at any stage of sustainable food production.
USDA claims that Monsanto's seed contracts require measures sufficient to prevent GE contamination, and that there is no evidence to the contrary. In the lawsuit requiring this document, the Court found that contamination had already occurred in the fields of several Western states with these same business-as-usual practices in place! In general, where other GE crops were approved without restriction, contamination of organic and conventional seeds and crops is widespread and has been documented around the world. A recent report documented 39 cases in 2007 and more than 200 in the last decade. The EIS itself acknowledges that GE contamination may happen and includes studies that honey bees can cross-pollinate at distances over 6 miles, and Alkali bees at 4-5 miles, much further than any distances under Monsanto's "best practices."
As a consumer, I care about the contamination of organic foods and crops, and I expect USDA to do everything the agency can to protect organic farmers and consumers. The organic industry provides many benefits to society: healthy foods for consumers, economic opportunities for family farmers and urban and rural communities, and a farming system that improves the quality of the environment. However, the continued vitality of this sector is imperiled by the complete absence of measures to protect organic production systems from contamination and subsequent environmental, consumer, and economic losses. USDA must include in its decision adequate protections against this grave harm.
Sincerely, "
Monday, January 11, 2010
Unfriendly skies and seeds
Just as I thought, researching into the airline industry has proven to be a large task. It’s hard for me to know when to stop looking sometimes, so I try to remember my original goal is “not harming people, animal or earth”. However finding all the safety issues is a little alarming and I wonder if I shouldn’t include “personal safety” on my list!
I’ve read stories about disabled workers being pushed out of their jobs and not compensated for them, or on-the-job-injured employees having their medical coverage denied and then being fired as well. And these sound like completely legit claims, of course it’s hard to know when you have just one side of the story but based on the quantity of these types of stories, I do believe them. There is even a United Airlines website set up for employees to voice their unfair treatment by management as well as several lawsuits in action.
But the safety part is really scary! People getting fired for doing the right thing and for not doing the wrong thing. I don’t know if one airline is really worse than another, but I read many complains against regional airlines, namely Gulfstream. You can go to http://www.airline-whistleblowers.org/ and read all the stories you want! This is a website set up specifically for whistle-blowing on the airlines. And why should a website like this even need to exist? Obviously passenger safety is not first with the airline industry and so the employees must anonymously voice their concerns for fear of retribution.
I’m not sure what I can do about this, I can’t stop flying major airlines – I guess I could hire my own plane ? Sure, I’ll put that down as a goal! But in reality it boils down to letter-writing.
I’ve written many letters this past week. It’s one of the only ways we have a voice in this country, let the decision-makers know what the people want! I’ve written to the Texas Board of Education asking them NOT to remove Cesar Chavez and other leaders of the farm movement from the school textbooks. I’ve written to my senators about several issues this past week, including several letters about GMO (genetically modified organism) products. I’ve asked Traders Joe’s to stop selling “red list” seafood and promoting unsustainable fishing practices. I’ll be writing to Health Valley organics and Amy’s organics thanking them for specifically labeling if they’re products contain GMO’s or not.
It’s real easy to write a letter, ask me if you need help.
I’ve been following the GMO world closely the last week, although I don’t want this to turn into an anti-GMO blog, nor anti-Monsanto blog, I’m getting increasingly frustrated. I’ve set a little personal goal to not support Monsanto or DuPont/Pioneer, but it’s tough/
As I look for organic seeds for my personal garden, I find that Seeds of Change is now owned by Monsanto, although you’ll not find that on any of their packaging. It’s increasingly hard to know just what we’re getting or where it’s coming from.
Two news items to note this week:
1. RR crops are getting more herbicide than ever before – over 30% more in the last two years. Can I get you some soymilk with your herbicide??
2. Gates Foundation has named a former Monsanto man as Agriculture Director ( I’m still figuring out my letter to send Bill.)
If you’re bored have a look and see what Gates, Monsanto, Rockefellers, DuPont and others are up to for controlling our future: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529 - I know it seems a little like “conspiracy theory” but there is truth to it, then watch the movie “Zeitgeist” for fun.
For my journey this week – just where is all the RR cotton going to? It’s not an edible product so it could be easy to let this slide, but it’ll endanger other products and people from it’s bio-engineered DNA and heavy herbicide use.
My wish of others – write letters! Go to change.org if nothing else and sign petitions
I’ve read stories about disabled workers being pushed out of their jobs and not compensated for them, or on-the-job-injured employees having their medical coverage denied and then being fired as well. And these sound like completely legit claims, of course it’s hard to know when you have just one side of the story but based on the quantity of these types of stories, I do believe them. There is even a United Airlines website set up for employees to voice their unfair treatment by management as well as several lawsuits in action.
But the safety part is really scary! People getting fired for doing the right thing and for not doing the wrong thing. I don’t know if one airline is really worse than another, but I read many complains against regional airlines, namely Gulfstream. You can go to http://www.airline-whistleblowers.org/ and read all the stories you want! This is a website set up specifically for whistle-blowing on the airlines. And why should a website like this even need to exist? Obviously passenger safety is not first with the airline industry and so the employees must anonymously voice their concerns for fear of retribution.
I’m not sure what I can do about this, I can’t stop flying major airlines – I guess I could hire my own plane ? Sure, I’ll put that down as a goal! But in reality it boils down to letter-writing.
I’ve written many letters this past week. It’s one of the only ways we have a voice in this country, let the decision-makers know what the people want! I’ve written to the Texas Board of Education asking them NOT to remove Cesar Chavez and other leaders of the farm movement from the school textbooks. I’ve written to my senators about several issues this past week, including several letters about GMO (genetically modified organism) products. I’ve asked Traders Joe’s to stop selling “red list” seafood and promoting unsustainable fishing practices. I’ll be writing to Health Valley organics and Amy’s organics thanking them for specifically labeling if they’re products contain GMO’s or not.
It’s real easy to write a letter, ask me if you need help.
I’ve been following the GMO world closely the last week, although I don’t want this to turn into an anti-GMO blog, nor anti-Monsanto blog, I’m getting increasingly frustrated. I’ve set a little personal goal to not support Monsanto or DuPont/Pioneer, but it’s tough/
As I look for organic seeds for my personal garden, I find that Seeds of Change is now owned by Monsanto, although you’ll not find that on any of their packaging. It’s increasingly hard to know just what we’re getting or where it’s coming from.
Two news items to note this week:
1. RR crops are getting more herbicide than ever before – over 30% more in the last two years. Can I get you some soymilk with your herbicide??
2. Gates Foundation has named a former Monsanto man as Agriculture Director ( I’m still figuring out my letter to send Bill.)
If you’re bored have a look and see what Gates, Monsanto, Rockefellers, DuPont and others are up to for controlling our future: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529 - I know it seems a little like “conspiracy theory” but there is truth to it, then watch the movie “Zeitgeist” for fun.
For my journey this week – just where is all the RR cotton going to? It’s not an edible product so it could be easy to let this slide, but it’ll endanger other products and people from it’s bio-engineered DNA and heavy herbicide use.
My wish of others – write letters! Go to change.org if nothing else and sign petitions
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Traveling Friendly
It’s time for me to start planning my next few business trips, dates yet to be determined but definitely in January sometime. And to where? Sin city of course- Las Vegas! off-hand I’d think it’s probably the hardest city for healthy living, but after thinking about i ta minute, there are probably enough people there that they might have some very good options. It’s the travel to po-dunk towns in the Midwest or South that I can’t find anything decent. Nothing. Sometimes not even a vege-burger (my least favorite vegetarian meal).
Let me first say that I love loyalty programs, so much so that I bought two nights out of my own pocket at the end of December just so I didn’t lose my elite status with the Hilton group. I like the special treatment and I love the free nights. But now I am thinking - I may not be staying with the Hiltons much anymore, I just don’t think of them of being that “green” or eco-friendly. Although I must admit, the new Hilton in Vancouver, WA is getting good reviews on their “green” program from many of the websites I visited, so there may be hope.
Regardless, I think my upcoming trips to Las Vegas won’t be so Friendly, but lets take a look.
Airline: Southwest or Alaska. Again, love the loyalty program and those free First Class upgrades, plus Alaska has several non-stops to Vegas. Most of the Southwest options include connecting flights, which to me means more fuel wasted going out of the way and for the extra touchdowns. I’ll look deeper behind the scenes at the airlines, but for now it is my job and I don’t have a lot of choice on this right now. I’ll be going AlaskaAir.
Car Rental: I can usually get a hybrid from National. I do need a car, the places I go to are rarely easily accessible by public transportation, especially hauling all my stuff around.
Hotel: At http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/ they do have a number of listings for Las Vegas hotels that appear to be Friendly. My deciding factor will include location and price, for business it’ll need to be the price of a Hampton or less. The hotels on environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com are rated by users, so these ratings could change from time to time, but I see some great possibilities there. If you’re interested, the judging criteria are listed below this blog.
The other thing I like to do is stay at Bed and Breakfast’s or find some other local treasure. I found a fabulous B&B in Mt Shasta called Shastao (www.shastao.com) . The hosts are vegetarian, raw-foodists I believe, and have deep interests in philosophy, sustainability and spirituality among many, many other interests! I always hope to find another treasure like this in other cities.
Food: I always visit www.happycow.net before I go to a new city to find out my vegetarian options. It’s a great website for finding stores and restaurants and I have had some great meals this way. I see 3 vegan and 1 vegetarian restaurant listed for Las Vegas, now to find out if they tend towards organic or not.
I’ll stay away from the casino buffets, it’s likely there is little food a vegetarian can eat there anyway, as there is so much chicken or beef base in everything. If nothing else, I’ll find an organic store and buy my own supplies, I’ve gotten used to doing this a lot anyway. I really don’t want to support the big chain restaurants anymore and well, they aren’t organic anyway!
The other travel website I always check in with is TripAdvisor to get other travelers input on the best things to see, do and eat.
I’m thinking there must be a website similar to TripAdvisor or HappyCow that green users must put travel reviews on? I haven’t found it yet, so if you know of one please fill me in!
My goal for now: look into airline wastefulness. Alaska does recycle but that is just one small thing, I’m curious just how bad the airline industry is.
Links from this post: www.happycow.net, www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.shastao.com
The judging criteria for Environmentally Friendly Hotels:
Towel Program
Sheet Program
Cotton Towels/Sheets
Alternative Energy
Maintenance for Conservation
Energy Conservation
Bulk Soap & Amenities
Bonus
Newspaper Program
Composting
Organic Food Served
Eco-friendly Food Served
Promote "greenness" in PR
Educate Guests to "green"
Educate Staff to "green"
Participate in Green Program(s)
Fresh Air
Allergies
Non-Smoking Rooms
Environmental Cleaning
Water Conservation
Xeric Garden
Gray-Water Recycling
Recyclable Disposables
Compostable Disposables
Durable Service Items
Guestroom Recycling Bins
Hotel Recycling Bins
Donating to Charity
Conference Center/Rooms
Transportation
Fitness Center
Internet
Let me first say that I love loyalty programs, so much so that I bought two nights out of my own pocket at the end of December just so I didn’t lose my elite status with the Hilton group. I like the special treatment and I love the free nights. But now I am thinking - I may not be staying with the Hiltons much anymore, I just don’t think of them of being that “green” or eco-friendly. Although I must admit, the new Hilton in Vancouver, WA is getting good reviews on their “green” program from many of the websites I visited, so there may be hope.
Regardless, I think my upcoming trips to Las Vegas won’t be so Friendly, but lets take a look.
Airline: Southwest or Alaska. Again, love the loyalty program and those free First Class upgrades, plus Alaska has several non-stops to Vegas. Most of the Southwest options include connecting flights, which to me means more fuel wasted going out of the way and for the extra touchdowns. I’ll look deeper behind the scenes at the airlines, but for now it is my job and I don’t have a lot of choice on this right now. I’ll be going AlaskaAir.
Car Rental: I can usually get a hybrid from National. I do need a car, the places I go to are rarely easily accessible by public transportation, especially hauling all my stuff around.
Hotel: At http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/ they do have a number of listings for Las Vegas hotels that appear to be Friendly. My deciding factor will include location and price, for business it’ll need to be the price of a Hampton or less. The hotels on environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com are rated by users, so these ratings could change from time to time, but I see some great possibilities there. If you’re interested, the judging criteria are listed below this blog.
The other thing I like to do is stay at Bed and Breakfast’s or find some other local treasure. I found a fabulous B&B in Mt Shasta called Shastao (www.shastao.com) . The hosts are vegetarian, raw-foodists I believe, and have deep interests in philosophy, sustainability and spirituality among many, many other interests! I always hope to find another treasure like this in other cities.
Food: I always visit www.happycow.net before I go to a new city to find out my vegetarian options. It’s a great website for finding stores and restaurants and I have had some great meals this way. I see 3 vegan and 1 vegetarian restaurant listed for Las Vegas, now to find out if they tend towards organic or not.
I’ll stay away from the casino buffets, it’s likely there is little food a vegetarian can eat there anyway, as there is so much chicken or beef base in everything. If nothing else, I’ll find an organic store and buy my own supplies, I’ve gotten used to doing this a lot anyway. I really don’t want to support the big chain restaurants anymore and well, they aren’t organic anyway!
The other travel website I always check in with is TripAdvisor to get other travelers input on the best things to see, do and eat.
I’m thinking there must be a website similar to TripAdvisor or HappyCow that green users must put travel reviews on? I haven’t found it yet, so if you know of one please fill me in!
My goal for now: look into airline wastefulness. Alaska does recycle but that is just one small thing, I’m curious just how bad the airline industry is.
Links from this post: www.happycow.net, www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.shastao.com
The judging criteria for Environmentally Friendly Hotels:
Towel Program
Sheet Program
Cotton Towels/Sheets
Alternative Energy
Maintenance for Conservation
Energy Conservation
Bulk Soap & Amenities
Bonus
Newspaper Program
Composting
Organic Food Served
Eco-friendly Food Served
Promote "greenness" in PR
Educate Guests to "green"
Educate Staff to "green"
Participate in Green Program(s)
Fresh Air
Allergies
Non-Smoking Rooms
Environmental Cleaning
Water Conservation
Xeric Garden
Gray-Water Recycling
Recyclable Disposables
Compostable Disposables
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Monday, January 4, 2010
Out Goes The Popcorn!
Okay, so I thought I wasn’t going to throw anything out, but after reading up on microwave popcorn I couldn’t allow it in my house anymore.
Somehow, I think, a lot of Americans assume our government is somehow going to look out for us, that they wouldn’t intentionally bring us harm. Now, I hear almost daily from my husband about the corrupt and broken banking and finance system in our country, so I’m well aware the government is working for the elite few with money, but I still get a little shock when I find another case of their blatant disregard for our health.
There is an actual “popcorn workers lung” disease that first showed up in people working microwave popcorn factories, and now also appearing in the candy industry. People die from this while waiting for their lung transplants. It’s caused by the chemical diacetyl becoming airborne, that’s the yummy buttery taste, . And although there has been plenty of litigation and discussion, it’s not actually illegal, and while some popcorn makers say they don’t add diacetyl anymore, they add a diacetyl starter which is later converted to diacetyl. Oh, did I mention there are even cases of people becoming fatally sick from this in their own homes just from microwaving popcorn?? If I do decided to eat microwave popcorn again, it will be organic and have no ‘artificial flavoring”.
But that’s not the only bad news for my beloved popcorn. Popcorn is on the top ten list of contaminated foods from the USDA! Crazy.
For your information, the top ten:
butter
cantaloupe
cucumbers
meatloaf
peanuts
popcorn
radishes
winter squash
summer squash
spinach
Oh, my lovely butter. My sister told me years ago it contained a lot of contaminants, but it was a piece of information I tucked away in my head and pretended I never heard it. I can see where this is going for my food – only buy organic.
I have been researching Organic dairies. Here is what it takes for a dairy to be organic:
• Require preventative health care practices such as adequate feed, nutritional supplements, sanitary housing and freedom of movement.
• Prohibit withholding medical treatment in cases of animal illness.
• Require access to outdoors and calls for conditions that accommodate the natural behavior of the animal.
• Require appropriate clean and dry bedding.
There is a lot of wiggle room in there. Outdoor access can mean for only a very short time each day.
For me, dairy is the only animal product I consume so I will personally make sure my dairy supplier does more than the minimum required to be labeled organic. I’ve looked into several locals on the internet but I’m going to pay some live visits as well. It is that important to me that both the harvesters and the animals are good.
One last thing I must do is urge everyone to comment on the USDA regulation regarding RoundUp Ready Alfalfa, or genetically modified seed from Monsanto. The comment period is open until mid February 2010, and I read many of the comments posted already, and, gasp, they were pro RR Alfalfa! I know the farmers just need to make money easy, I’m sure thats why they want it, so if you feel as I do that we don’t want genetically modified food for any of the following reasons, please leave a comment at:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480a6b7a1
My reasons:
We don’t need the monopoly of Monsanto intimidating even more farmers and suppliers
Increased allergic reactions to GM foods
Increased Superweeds and SuperPests from uncontrollable cross contamination
Long term consumption and exposure risks still unknown.
You can read more here:
“Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years"
November 2009 Author(s): Charles Benbrook, Ph.D,Chief Scientist,The Organic Center
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view&report_id=159
My goal for this week: Be willing to pay more for my food. We’ve become a nation of cheap food, and I’ve fought paying more for organics for a long time. I think I’m ready to change. I vote with my money, so I’ll make my money count.
Current resources and links: There was probably way more, I forgot to record all of them. www.mindfully.org, www.farmersteve.com, www.popcorn.org, www.kycorn.org, http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/desktop/pesticides.html, www.sustainablog.org, www.coldtruth.com, www.theorganicpages.com, http://www.cspinet.org/-
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"Mahatma Gandhi
Somehow, I think, a lot of Americans assume our government is somehow going to look out for us, that they wouldn’t intentionally bring us harm. Now, I hear almost daily from my husband about the corrupt and broken banking and finance system in our country, so I’m well aware the government is working for the elite few with money, but I still get a little shock when I find another case of their blatant disregard for our health.
There is an actual “popcorn workers lung” disease that first showed up in people working microwave popcorn factories, and now also appearing in the candy industry. People die from this while waiting for their lung transplants. It’s caused by the chemical diacetyl becoming airborne, that’s the yummy buttery taste, . And although there has been plenty of litigation and discussion, it’s not actually illegal, and while some popcorn makers say they don’t add diacetyl anymore, they add a diacetyl starter which is later converted to diacetyl. Oh, did I mention there are even cases of people becoming fatally sick from this in their own homes just from microwaving popcorn?? If I do decided to eat microwave popcorn again, it will be organic and have no ‘artificial flavoring”.
But that’s not the only bad news for my beloved popcorn. Popcorn is on the top ten list of contaminated foods from the USDA! Crazy.
For your information, the top ten:
butter
cantaloupe
cucumbers
meatloaf
peanuts
popcorn
radishes
winter squash
summer squash
spinach
Oh, my lovely butter. My sister told me years ago it contained a lot of contaminants, but it was a piece of information I tucked away in my head and pretended I never heard it. I can see where this is going for my food – only buy organic.
I have been researching Organic dairies. Here is what it takes for a dairy to be organic:
• Require preventative health care practices such as adequate feed, nutritional supplements, sanitary housing and freedom of movement.
• Prohibit withholding medical treatment in cases of animal illness.
• Require access to outdoors and calls for conditions that accommodate the natural behavior of the animal.
• Require appropriate clean and dry bedding.
There is a lot of wiggle room in there. Outdoor access can mean for only a very short time each day.
For me, dairy is the only animal product I consume so I will personally make sure my dairy supplier does more than the minimum required to be labeled organic. I’ve looked into several locals on the internet but I’m going to pay some live visits as well. It is that important to me that both the harvesters and the animals are good.
One last thing I must do is urge everyone to comment on the USDA regulation regarding RoundUp Ready Alfalfa, or genetically modified seed from Monsanto. The comment period is open until mid February 2010, and I read many of the comments posted already, and, gasp, they were pro RR Alfalfa! I know the farmers just need to make money easy, I’m sure thats why they want it, so if you feel as I do that we don’t want genetically modified food for any of the following reasons, please leave a comment at:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480a6b7a1
My reasons:
We don’t need the monopoly of Monsanto intimidating even more farmers and suppliers
Increased allergic reactions to GM foods
Increased Superweeds and SuperPests from uncontrollable cross contamination
Long term consumption and exposure risks still unknown.
You can read more here:
“Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years"
November 2009 Author(s): Charles Benbrook, Ph.D,Chief Scientist,The Organic Center
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view&report_id=159
My goal for this week: Be willing to pay more for my food. We’ve become a nation of cheap food, and I’ve fought paying more for organics for a long time. I think I’m ready to change. I vote with my money, so I’ll make my money count.
Current resources and links: There was probably way more, I forgot to record all of them. www.mindfully.org, www.farmersteve.com, www.popcorn.org, www.kycorn.org, http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/desktop/pesticides.html, www.sustainablog.org, www.coldtruth.com, www.theorganicpages.com, http://www.cspinet.org/-
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"Mahatma Gandhi
Saturday, January 2, 2010
A "quick" shopping trip
I decided to make myself some potato soup last night, some comfort food to match the cool rainy night. Having most of the ingredients already, I only needed to hit the grocery store for a few items.
First le me digress, I’m not in a position to replace everything I already have – food or otherwise. Not only would it be a waste, but it seems like it would be just as disgraceful to purchase something from someone who labored over it, only to waste it. Or is that just me rationalizing? I’m also not in a financial position to clear out my cupboards, this project is just one step at a time.
So all I needed was celery, milk, eggs and orange juice for breakfast, teriyaki marinade for my non-vegetarian husband, and if I could find some bacon that looked like it met my standards I’d buy some for husband since it’s his birthday.
This proved to be more of a challenge than I realized. The celery was easy, pulled some great looking stock from the organic section.
The eggs I thought would be easy, but as I reached for my usual “grain fed, cage free” two things stuck me. Grain fed? That means corn fed. Are chickens okay to eat corn as a staple? I didn’t know. And just what does “cage free” really mean? Some are marked “cage free” and some “free roam”. I had investigated eggs long ago but can’t really remember any of it.. I skipped the eggs for now until further research. We’ll be getting chickens later this year anyway, both for the eggs and for the fertilizer, then I’ll know just what I’m eating.
The orange juice threw me too, I thought I’d just grab a bottle of organic, but there was no organic orange juice available.
I have limited organic options close to my home, but QFC usually has the basics. I live about 15 minutes from any real organic or natural store so I usually just pick and choose from the small selections at QFC, Safeway or Fred Meyer. Since I work from home I don’t even drive close to any large stores on a regular basis, so I can see I’ll have to be more organized with weekly menus and shopping lists so I can rationalize using the gas going to PCC or Whole Foods.
For milk, well I typically grab an organic, any but Horizon. I’ve heard that Horizon Organics farms don’t treat the animals humanely. Although after talking with a vegan he informed me that cows at organic dairies may suffer more because they don’t receive the antibiotics to treat wounds on the udders. I think I need to look into this deeper and maybe find a local dairy I can trust. Having my own dairy cow isn’t really on option! (though I’d love to have one, they’re so cute).
Teriyaki marinade – I hope Paul Newman brand is as good and wholesome as it appears, it was my only option not full of corn syrup.
The bacon was as expected for a traditional grocery store. As I looked at the few brands available I had visions of pigs being crushed on Food, Inc. No bacon today, sorry dear. We’ll go out for breakfast anyway. I’ve told him this may be my last visit to a non-organic/vegan/natural restaurant.
As I find the answers to my questions above I’ll share, I just didn’t’ realize such a short trip to the grocery store would bring up questions for nearly every item on the list. Links to reliable sources for above questions are appreciated, anything to make my research less labor-intensive.
My other goal for this week: Investigate dairy practices and popcorn. Yes, popcorn. Popcorn is a staple for me and I’ve realized this is probably in direct conflict with my goals. .
Wishful thinking for others: Simply to think about what you’re consuming.
Current resources and links: Food, Inc(www.foodincmovie.com)
First le me digress, I’m not in a position to replace everything I already have – food or otherwise. Not only would it be a waste, but it seems like it would be just as disgraceful to purchase something from someone who labored over it, only to waste it. Or is that just me rationalizing? I’m also not in a financial position to clear out my cupboards, this project is just one step at a time.
So all I needed was celery, milk, eggs and orange juice for breakfast, teriyaki marinade for my non-vegetarian husband, and if I could find some bacon that looked like it met my standards I’d buy some for husband since it’s his birthday.
This proved to be more of a challenge than I realized. The celery was easy, pulled some great looking stock from the organic section.
The eggs I thought would be easy, but as I reached for my usual “grain fed, cage free” two things stuck me. Grain fed? That means corn fed. Are chickens okay to eat corn as a staple? I didn’t know. And just what does “cage free” really mean? Some are marked “cage free” and some “free roam”. I had investigated eggs long ago but can’t really remember any of it.. I skipped the eggs for now until further research. We’ll be getting chickens later this year anyway, both for the eggs and for the fertilizer, then I’ll know just what I’m eating.
The orange juice threw me too, I thought I’d just grab a bottle of organic, but there was no organic orange juice available.
I have limited organic options close to my home, but QFC usually has the basics. I live about 15 minutes from any real organic or natural store so I usually just pick and choose from the small selections at QFC, Safeway or Fred Meyer. Since I work from home I don’t even drive close to any large stores on a regular basis, so I can see I’ll have to be more organized with weekly menus and shopping lists so I can rationalize using the gas going to PCC or Whole Foods.
For milk, well I typically grab an organic, any but Horizon. I’ve heard that Horizon Organics farms don’t treat the animals humanely. Although after talking with a vegan he informed me that cows at organic dairies may suffer more because they don’t receive the antibiotics to treat wounds on the udders. I think I need to look into this deeper and maybe find a local dairy I can trust. Having my own dairy cow isn’t really on option! (though I’d love to have one, they’re so cute).
Teriyaki marinade – I hope Paul Newman brand is as good and wholesome as it appears, it was my only option not full of corn syrup.
The bacon was as expected for a traditional grocery store. As I looked at the few brands available I had visions of pigs being crushed on Food, Inc. No bacon today, sorry dear. We’ll go out for breakfast anyway. I’ve told him this may be my last visit to a non-organic/vegan/natural restaurant.
As I find the answers to my questions above I’ll share, I just didn’t’ realize such a short trip to the grocery store would bring up questions for nearly every item on the list. Links to reliable sources for above questions are appreciated, anything to make my research less labor-intensive.
My other goal for this week: Investigate dairy practices and popcorn. Yes, popcorn. Popcorn is a staple for me and I’ve realized this is probably in direct conflict with my goals. .
Wishful thinking for others: Simply to think about what you’re consuming.
Current resources and links: Food, Inc(www.foodincmovie.com)
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year, New blog
So here it is already, 2010. I’m not the kind that usually makes resolutions for I know I tend to not keep them, which makes me normal I guess. I was reminded on the last day of 2009 that the single resolution I made last year was completely forgotten sometime around April. Oops.
But this time it feels a little different. I seem to be moving in the direction of this Years resolution anyway, so it seems natural to step it up a notch by telling world and actually documenting the progress (or lack thereof).
And what would this New Years Resolution for 2010 be?
I resolve to move towards living cruelty-free in all areas of my life.
I’d like to be 100% cruelty-free, but I think that would be nearly impossible. I do have a demanding full-time job, I do have a husband and family, and I do have other obligations that prevent me from devoting all of my time to research and personal manufacturing of products.
So what do I mean by cruelty-free? I mean using products and services that don’t treat fellow humans badly in the process, for I am no better than them; using products and services that don’t do animal testing or otherwise bring harm to animals, for they do feel pain and I am no better than them; and using products and services that are sustainable and don’t have a negative impact on the earth. My original reason for going vegetarian was that I didn’t want anything to die in my name, and now I’m expanding it to include - I want nothing to suffer in my name.
I’m pretty sure that most Americans have no idea where there food really comes from, and if they did I don’t think they would eat it. I hope the same would be said of them if they knew how workers were being treated that made their cheap toys or most anything else they buy.
I’m afraid I will become overwhelmed, that the amount of research required to pass the cruelty-free test or to find an alternative is impractical or cost prohibitive. I’m afraid of how the information will affect my psyche- I want to be happier, not sadder! For this reason, I will remove the word “cruel” from my mission and simply use the word Friendly Living to imply cruelty-free. Saying “friendly” makes me smile, saying “cruelty-free” does not.
I know this could be a battle. I travel for a living and the whole travel industry is not, shall we say, green-friendly? From the airplanes to mini shampoo bottles to three meals a day in restaurants – I suspect these don’t live up to my new standards, so some things like this will just have to fall to the bottom of the list while I work on others. Of course if a Friendlier job offer came along…
I hope to research new products or services at least 2-3 times a month and report on my progress. Every product or service is open to scrutiny. When you think about all the products in your home, do you really know how they are made and if the workers are treated fairly? I already wonder about the items I’m buying now, but I’ll go one step further to find out instead of just living in ignorance.
So thank you for staying with me this far! I’m open to informative links, good ideas and humor! By the year 2011 I expect to be a much friendlier person, and have hopefully helped someone else become friendlier as well.
My goal for this week: To not eat anymore high-fructose corn syrup. I easily quit this before but it somehow found it’s way back into my body with a vengeance over the holidays. Much of the corn and corn-by product industry is terrible to its workers. Quick fact - over half of the corn industry is made into sweeteners.
Wishful thinking for others: To not eat any corn-fed beef, only grass-fed. Tied to my personal goal, the corn industry is not sustainable and there are too many issues to get into here. I’ll just say that cows are not meant to eat corn and it would significantly reduce the antibiotics they’re fed, the e-coli contamination rates and the ammonia being blended with nearly all beef sold
Current resources and links: Food, Inc(www.foodincmovie.com), King Corn (www.kingcorn.net), www.leapingbunny.org, www.naturewatch.org
But this time it feels a little different. I seem to be moving in the direction of this Years resolution anyway, so it seems natural to step it up a notch by telling world and actually documenting the progress (or lack thereof).
And what would this New Years Resolution for 2010 be?
I resolve to move towards living cruelty-free in all areas of my life.
I’d like to be 100% cruelty-free, but I think that would be nearly impossible. I do have a demanding full-time job, I do have a husband and family, and I do have other obligations that prevent me from devoting all of my time to research and personal manufacturing of products.
So what do I mean by cruelty-free? I mean using products and services that don’t treat fellow humans badly in the process, for I am no better than them; using products and services that don’t do animal testing or otherwise bring harm to animals, for they do feel pain and I am no better than them; and using products and services that are sustainable and don’t have a negative impact on the earth. My original reason for going vegetarian was that I didn’t want anything to die in my name, and now I’m expanding it to include - I want nothing to suffer in my name.
I’m pretty sure that most Americans have no idea where there food really comes from, and if they did I don’t think they would eat it. I hope the same would be said of them if they knew how workers were being treated that made their cheap toys or most anything else they buy.
I’m afraid I will become overwhelmed, that the amount of research required to pass the cruelty-free test or to find an alternative is impractical or cost prohibitive. I’m afraid of how the information will affect my psyche- I want to be happier, not sadder! For this reason, I will remove the word “cruel” from my mission and simply use the word Friendly Living to imply cruelty-free. Saying “friendly” makes me smile, saying “cruelty-free” does not.
I know this could be a battle. I travel for a living and the whole travel industry is not, shall we say, green-friendly? From the airplanes to mini shampoo bottles to three meals a day in restaurants – I suspect these don’t live up to my new standards, so some things like this will just have to fall to the bottom of the list while I work on others. Of course if a Friendlier job offer came along…
I hope to research new products or services at least 2-3 times a month and report on my progress. Every product or service is open to scrutiny. When you think about all the products in your home, do you really know how they are made and if the workers are treated fairly? I already wonder about the items I’m buying now, but I’ll go one step further to find out instead of just living in ignorance.
So thank you for staying with me this far! I’m open to informative links, good ideas and humor! By the year 2011 I expect to be a much friendlier person, and have hopefully helped someone else become friendlier as well.
My goal for this week: To not eat anymore high-fructose corn syrup. I easily quit this before but it somehow found it’s way back into my body with a vengeance over the holidays. Much of the corn and corn-by product industry is terrible to its workers. Quick fact - over half of the corn industry is made into sweeteners.
Wishful thinking for others: To not eat any corn-fed beef, only grass-fed. Tied to my personal goal, the corn industry is not sustainable and there are too many issues to get into here. I’ll just say that cows are not meant to eat corn and it would significantly reduce the antibiotics they’re fed, the e-coli contamination rates and the ammonia being blended with nearly all beef sold
Current resources and links: Food, Inc(www.foodincmovie.com), King Corn (www.kingcorn.net), www.leapingbunny.org, www.naturewatch.org
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