By Leah Karpus on January 30th, 2010
Chances are, you already do quite a few of these already. These ideas certainly aren’t new or ingenious. However, they are simple, easy and attainable. So if you see something new on the list, give it a go. There are always things we can work on.
Your Two New Best Friends…
…are your reusable shopping bag and stainless steel thermos, of course. The thing about shopping trips and coffee runs is that they’re often unplanned, so you can’t realistically say no to plastic bags or paper cups. The problem is that these one time slip-ups really add up for the planet. But its easy to avoid if you always keep these two essentials with you. Never leave home without them!
Go Veggie Once a Week
It’s probably no surprise that meat production and processing requires an immense amount of water and land—more than is required to produce any other form of food. So even if it’s just once a week, eating a vegetarian meal makes a difference. As an added bonus, a plant-based diet has countless health benefits, including lower cholesterol and a reduced chance of heart disease.
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By Liz Thompson on November 17th, 2009
Though the US may not regulate the cosmetics industry as rigorously as Europe, things are moving in the right direction. On November 5th the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted 12 to 1 in favor of heavier scrutiny by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) when it comes to organic labeling by personal care product manufacturers, holding them to the same guidelines as food producers.
The USDA holds strict standards for organic food products but up to this point cosmetics and personal care products have been very loosely regulated in the US. The new recommendation will require cosmetic manufacturers who use the term “organic” on their labels to either meet certain requirements, reformulate products that do not meet these requirements or cease use of the organic labeling.
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By Leah Karpus on November 4th, 2009
Our society is suffering from estrogen overload. No, I’m not referring to Sex and The City reruns—estrogen overload refers to the increasing amount of estrogen in our environment, our food and our bodies.
“Good” Estrogen
Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, is responsible for normal body processes in women such as secondary female sex characteristics, menstruation, fertility, protein synthesis, bone density, metabolism and much more. Actually, there are three kinds of estrogens in the body: estrone, estradiol, and estriol, which all have specialized roles to play at different points in a woman’s life.
Although estrogen levels are greater in women, estrogen is also needed for libido and maturation of sperm in men.
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By Liz Thompson on August 15th, 2009
The perfect cosmetic product is conveniently packaged, versatile, comes in a variety of gorgeous colors and, of course, is good for you and your skin. Well, Revolution Organics has created such a creature with their Freedom Collection.
Beauty Balms ($33.95) are creamy colors that come in a a sleek twist-up tube (easily tote-able) and are made with good-for-skin ingredients, like olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil and aloe vera. All are 100% natural and made with 85% certified organic ingredients and mineral-based pigments and packaged in recyclable material. (more…)
By Simon Leufstedt on August 5th, 2009
Penn Jillette and Teller, from the Penn & Teller: Bullshit! TV show, calls in the latest episode organic food for “bullshit” (see video below). Penn and Teller’s main point why organic food is “bullshit” is simply because it “might mean you’re getting your food from giant corporations or China.”
But what Penn and Teller fail to mention is that the so called “Food Policy Analyst Expert”, Alex Avery, is paid by the Hudson Institute. The Hudson Institute is an American conservative, religious and free market think tank. Simply put, they are corporate lobbyists. And the prestigious-sounding Hudson Institute is funded by giant corporations such as Monsanto, the leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) food.
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By Leah Karpus on July 6th, 2009
As early as 1998, the dangers of genetically modified food (GMOs) have been recognized by numerous scientific studies. Yet, no mainstream media included stories warning of these studies. Even today, the general North American public remains ignorant of their daily food’s dangers due to the mainstream press’s continual disregard of the topic.
The media research group Project Censored brought this issue to light by admitting it in its 2007 database. Annually, the American media research organization Project Censored records the twenty-five most underreported stories of the year, in hopes of exposing significant (and ignored) stories to the public and informing them on key issues that would not otherwise be brought to their attention. Underreported stories submitted must be reliable and of major significance to the population.
This article tracks the coverage GM food’s dangers since its induction into Project Censored’s database, searching in American mainstream press, Canadian and foreign mainstream press.
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By Liz Thompson on June 19th, 2009
You know there are certain ingredients that you don’t want in your cosmetic products. But you may not know all of the name variations or even exactly why certain ingredients are harmful.
Well, leave it to Stephanie Greenwood at Bubble & Bee Organic to come up with an easy, convenient and (even) fun way to keep you in the know on toxic ingredient education. With “Today’s Chemical” (Stephanie’s new chemical ingredient education service) you can ask a question about toxic ingredients in cosmetics, learn about chemicals and get recipes for homemade beauty products. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on June 4th, 2009
Okay, so the economy is bad. And, yes, we have all had to make changes and/or sacrifices in the name of saving a buck. But can this whole mess be put to good use? Yes it can! While you are already watching your spending closely, try keeping an eye on what you buy and not just how much it costs.
We can blame the big corporations for getting us into this economic mess and much of it may be deserved, but we the people are out there buying stuff up, so let’s make it count. We are still a capitalist country and true to this is supply and demand. We buy it, they keep making it. If we buy cheaply made, toxic-laden products, that is what the big companies will make. If we purchase nontoxic, safe products made with pure ingredients, the makers of these products will keep making them. Not only that, but the producers of organic, wild-crafted and natural ingredients will have to make more of them which is not only good for us but for the planet as a whole. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on May 22nd, 2009
It is definitely time to get the sunscreen out, but with so many chemical and not-so-natural versions on the market it can be very difficult to choose one that is safe. In the past natural sunscreen product manufacturers used zinc oxide to provide UV protection. And though it is safe and effective, it leaves behind that ghostly white skin we all wish to avoid. So the next scientific breakthrough was the use of nanotechnology, the creation of incredibly small particles — measured in nanometers (nm), or one-billionth of a meter. This took care of the white film, but recent evidence shows that these nanoparticles may pose risks to the environment. Not a great trade-off.
Not to despair, there are some terrific sunscreen products on the market that are safe, effective, free from nanos and leave your skin, well – skin colored. Vivesana is a new product line that presents major breakthroughs in organic sun care. The products are free from harmful synthetic ingredients, nanoparticles and even water, providing a stronger sun product.
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By Liz Thompson on May 14th, 2009
Aromatherapy is one truly beneficial indulgence most of us don’t make time for. Afterall, you do have to know what you are doing, like which essential oils work for what ailment, how to mix and use them and which to stay away from. Essentials oils are very potent and it is not wise to throw caution to the wind when using them, as some are skin irritants and over doing it can be toxic. That said, the right ones can go a long way toward good physical and mental health.
Nuworld Botanicals has come to our aromatherapy rescue with Aromatherapy Personals, little rollerball vials that combine aromatherapy and acupressure, along with health benefits of antioxidants, vitamins and 100% certified organic essential oils. Nuworld Botanicals uses a base of 100% certified organic Jojoba oil to dilute the essential oils for safe use. (more…)
