I’m all up for going Green, switching to all biodegradable soaps and trash bags, composting kitchen scraps and switching out all of my household lightbulbs with new energy efficient ones but, the thought of giving up my feminine menstrual products is terrifying. According to an article recently published by OrganicAuthority.com, “Half of the American population—some 150 million women—will menstruate over the course of approximately forty years of their life. You can do the math (but here's some help: that's roughly 17,000 pads or tampons per woman per lifetime” that will either be flushed or thrown into a landfill. Also, the cotton that makes up these products are most likely sourced from crops that use large amounts of pesticides and chemicals during their cultivation. Despite being aware of these facts and statistics, when I am on my period how my used tampons will affect the environment is the last thing on my mind. I know this has to change.
Although Green companies like Natracare and Seventh Generation offer lines of Organic feminine hygiene products, some environmentalist members say that this isn’t enough. Landfills are being flooded with used feminine products and more women should take different steps in order to decrease the numbers of feminine products used during menstruation. But, what are these so called steps? One might be the implementation of a new product called the “Diva Cup,” a “BPA-free silicone capture device that fits somewhat like a tampon, except you just empty it out once it's full and reuse."Organic Authority.com. Another step would be to go back to using what our grandmothers and great grandmothers before us used, washable period rags.
Despite claims to the contrary, the more practical and sustainable method would be to create a more biodegradable product that can be bought over the counter and then thrown away after use. Although this seems to be fostering the same type of negative impact on the environment, the likelihood of the average American woman opting for a rag between her legs that she has to wash at the end of the day is somewhat unlikely but, not impossible. The only solution to this issue is to get the message out there. A number of women may choose to use more eco-friendly options like the Diva Cup during their menstruation cycles while other women may choose a more biodegradable option, if one were introduced to the mainstream market. Give women choices and you will be surprised at what could happen.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Death by Processed Food
I am child of the late 80s and early 90s. Fast food was running full steam ahead, colorful advertising characters for children were everywhere and convenience cooking was becoming the norm. Microwaves were now affordable and the Coca-Cola Company had finally come out with a better tasting diet soda. Officially gone were the days of stay-at-home moms slaving over a hot stove all day cooking a healthy meal for their children. Instead, a new world of overly processed, high fat and sugar substitutes were introduced to working moms who now had kids who made their own breakfasts. If we had only known then what we know now, we would never have let it happen.
While processed foods are plentiful these days, there are some that qualify as just plain scary. I am sure that everyone has read some sort of expose on McDonald’s Frankenstein-like McNugget, made out of some sort of pink gelatinous chicken by-product that cult documentary film director Morgan Spurlock claimed are made of only chickens that are too old to lay eggs anymore. Other than this, most American consumers are still pretty much living and eating in the dark when it comes to overly processed food staples in their diets.
Lists of these “scary foods” are all over the internet. Running down the lists, some of these foods like spray can cheese were obviously overly processed while others were not so much on my radar whenever I travel down the aisles of my local grocery store. Lets start with the most obvious, spray cheese. Known to consumers as “Easy Cheese,” this product does not have to be refrigerated which makes me uneasy to begin with. But, it is mostly made up of canola oil, trisodium phosphate and double the amount of salt in regular cheese. Bottom line, this is not cheese and should be avoided. It is processed food at its best or should I say worst.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a food that I never really considered to be so overly processed is frozen pizza. If you read the label on a lot of major store brands you will see that there are numerous unhealthy additives added to the product. These additives include: MSG, soy, sugar, hydrogenated oils and tons of other ingredients that I not only cannot pronounce but, also would have to google in order to find out what they are. If you are going to buy frozen pizza, try to find a brand like Amy’s that uses less preservatives and all Organic ingredients. And a good tip if you buy pizza or have it delivered is that a smaller chain restaurant will most likely use healthier ingredients than say a larger chain such as Pizza Hut or Dominos.
Spam, a more obvious processed food has been around since practically the dawn of civilization, or at least as far back as I can remember. Developed in the 1930s, this wartime favorite is made from pork shoulder and enough salt to kill a moose. Part of its appeal throughout the years has to be both its availability in war time as well as its ability to be packaged and shipped with ease. Spam is basically a mound of imitation pork jelly than can be easily manipulated into something more appealing and edible. A friend once told me that her grandmother would prepare fried spam sandwiches for her on Sundays, a true testament to the endearing novelty that processed foods has on older generations, I suppose. But, unlike today in which processed foods are the mainstays of a family's diet, novelty products like Spam were to previous generations just that, novelties. Not something to replace healthier whole foods like real meat, grains, dairy, fresh vegetables and fruits.
If you take the time to really think about what is in the kinds of foods that you were “raised” on, you would be amazed and shocked to discover just how overly processed these products can be. What is the Oreo cream filling actually made of and what additives to they add to the mix that goes into that box of mac and cheese? You will be surprised at how many things are included that you can neither pronounce, spell or let alone know what the heck they are. While the Organic movement is seen by some as either too cultish or unaffordable, past generations made due with far simpler ingredients in their foods and didn’t suffer from it. Whether they realized it at the time or not, they were all active proponents of Organic living. Maybe American society should take a play out of the old school’s playbook and shift back towards those days when food was fresher, healthier, tastier and simpler?
While processed foods are plentiful these days, there are some that qualify as just plain scary. I am sure that everyone has read some sort of expose on McDonald’s Frankenstein-like McNugget, made out of some sort of pink gelatinous chicken by-product that cult documentary film director Morgan Spurlock claimed are made of only chickens that are too old to lay eggs anymore. Other than this, most American consumers are still pretty much living and eating in the dark when it comes to overly processed food staples in their diets.
Lists of these “scary foods” are all over the internet. Running down the lists, some of these foods like spray can cheese were obviously overly processed while others were not so much on my radar whenever I travel down the aisles of my local grocery store. Lets start with the most obvious, spray cheese. Known to consumers as “Easy Cheese,” this product does not have to be refrigerated which makes me uneasy to begin with. But, it is mostly made up of canola oil, trisodium phosphate and double the amount of salt in regular cheese. Bottom line, this is not cheese and should be avoided. It is processed food at its best or should I say worst.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a food that I never really considered to be so overly processed is frozen pizza. If you read the label on a lot of major store brands you will see that there are numerous unhealthy additives added to the product. These additives include: MSG, soy, sugar, hydrogenated oils and tons of other ingredients that I not only cannot pronounce but, also would have to google in order to find out what they are. If you are going to buy frozen pizza, try to find a brand like Amy’s that uses less preservatives and all Organic ingredients. And a good tip if you buy pizza or have it delivered is that a smaller chain restaurant will most likely use healthier ingredients than say a larger chain such as Pizza Hut or Dominos.
Spam, a more obvious processed food has been around since practically the dawn of civilization, or at least as far back as I can remember. Developed in the 1930s, this wartime favorite is made from pork shoulder and enough salt to kill a moose. Part of its appeal throughout the years has to be both its availability in war time as well as its ability to be packaged and shipped with ease. Spam is basically a mound of imitation pork jelly than can be easily manipulated into something more appealing and edible. A friend once told me that her grandmother would prepare fried spam sandwiches for her on Sundays, a true testament to the endearing novelty that processed foods has on older generations, I suppose. But, unlike today in which processed foods are the mainstays of a family's diet, novelty products like Spam were to previous generations just that, novelties. Not something to replace healthier whole foods like real meat, grains, dairy, fresh vegetables and fruits.
If you take the time to really think about what is in the kinds of foods that you were “raised” on, you would be amazed and shocked to discover just how overly processed these products can be. What is the Oreo cream filling actually made of and what additives to they add to the mix that goes into that box of mac and cheese? You will be surprised at how many things are included that you can neither pronounce, spell or let alone know what the heck they are. While the Organic movement is seen by some as either too cultish or unaffordable, past generations made due with far simpler ingredients in their foods and didn’t suffer from it. Whether they realized it at the time or not, they were all active proponents of Organic living. Maybe American society should take a play out of the old school’s playbook and shift back towards those days when food was fresher, healthier, tastier and simpler?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
New York City is banking on Sewage Gas and Sludge?
Apparently cows are not the only thing producing and releasing methane gas into the air, so too are Sewage Treatment Plants in New York City. Along with large amounts of smelly gases being released into the atmosphere, potentially toxic layers of sludge and waste water byproducts run an extremely high risk of contaminating waterways. Maybe naivety has allowed a majority of Americans to assume that a longstanding system for dealing with billions of gallons of city waste water has been both efficient and environmentally responsible up until this point but, it is simply not true. Whatever the case may be, it has taken a city as large as New York until 2011 to realize that what they are doing to manage their waste products is not just costing taxpayers a great deal of money but, it is not reaching its fullest environmental potential and needs immediate attention.
According to the New York Times, “like other cities around the country looking to reduce both the costs of sewage treatment and disposal and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases emitted in the process, New York is beginning to look at its waste as an untapped resource.” Finally, a large American city is no longer hiding their heads in the sand when it comes to its own impact on the environment and the sustainability of the planet and becoming proactive in its efforts to make a difference and to change its ways. So what if the only reason they are doing this is to cut costs in order to better their own economy? Every little bit helps when it comes to bettering the planet and recycling anything and everything that comes out of human propensity towards creating large amounts of waste.
But, with no end in site to the billions of gallons of water used and flushed on a daily basis in this country, at least something good can come out of this. Both the recycling of methane gas and the byproduct sewage sludge has major potential according to city and environmental officials. One official states that they “hope to have a contract by 2013, said the solid could be harvested for gases that produce clean energy and could be used in more traditional ways, too, as fertilizer or as paving and building materials. The biggest potential source of energy, officials said, is the methane gas from sewage treatment plants’ digesters. About half of the methane produced by the city’s plants is already used to meet about 20 percent of the energy demands of the city’s 14 sewage plants, whose electric bills run to a total of about $50 million a year. Now the city wants to market the other half, which is burned off and wasted.”
Whatever their reasons for this kind of change, New York City has taken a positive step in the Environmental movement. It just goes to show you that going green doesn’t have to be a bad thing and ultimately, everybody benefits when you make going green a priority.
According to the New York Times, “like other cities around the country looking to reduce both the costs of sewage treatment and disposal and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases emitted in the process, New York is beginning to look at its waste as an untapped resource.” Finally, a large American city is no longer hiding their heads in the sand when it comes to its own impact on the environment and the sustainability of the planet and becoming proactive in its efforts to make a difference and to change its ways. So what if the only reason they are doing this is to cut costs in order to better their own economy? Every little bit helps when it comes to bettering the planet and recycling anything and everything that comes out of human propensity towards creating large amounts of waste.
But, with no end in site to the billions of gallons of water used and flushed on a daily basis in this country, at least something good can come out of this. Both the recycling of methane gas and the byproduct sewage sludge has major potential according to city and environmental officials. One official states that they “hope to have a contract by 2013, said the solid could be harvested for gases that produce clean energy and could be used in more traditional ways, too, as fertilizer or as paving and building materials. The biggest potential source of energy, officials said, is the methane gas from sewage treatment plants’ digesters. About half of the methane produced by the city’s plants is already used to meet about 20 percent of the energy demands of the city’s 14 sewage plants, whose electric bills run to a total of about $50 million a year. Now the city wants to market the other half, which is burned off and wasted.”
Whatever their reasons for this kind of change, New York City has taken a positive step in the Environmental movement. It just goes to show you that going green doesn’t have to be a bad thing and ultimately, everybody benefits when you make going green a priority.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Top Green Companies
Cleaning and Toiletries:
Seventh Generation
Ecover
Marcal Small Steps
Full Circle
Mrs. Meyers
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Dairy and Meat:
Organic Valley
Local Harvest
Makeup and Hair:
Josie Maran
Kiss My Face
Korres
Pacifica
Tarte
Extra:
Preserve Products
Acca Kappa
Reduce Products
Seventh Generation
Ecover
Marcal Small Steps
Full Circle
Mrs. Meyers
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Dairy and Meat:
Organic Valley
Local Harvest
Makeup and Hair:
Josie Maran
Kiss My Face
Korres
Pacifica
Tarte
Extra:
Preserve Products
Acca Kappa
Reduce Products
Thursday, February 10, 2011
It's an Organic Dog's Life
Whether you are new to the Organic movement or not, you must aware of both the health as well as the environmental benefits of living a primarily Organic lifestyle. Choosing organic foods promotes more natural, environmentally sound agricultural practices while giving support to local farmers and enhancing overall dietary health. But, why should you be the only one benefiting from an Organic lifestyle? Allow everyone in your family partake in this revolutionary new way of life including your dog.
As a dog owner, you only want the best for your pet. Many people are researching the effects that transitioning your dog to an Organic/Natural pet food can have on bettering and prolonging the life of your pet. The potential benefits include: improvement in skin and coat quality, reduction of allergies, increase in energy and better temperament, healthier weight, longevity. One of the key benefits of choosing an Organic pet food is knowing exactly what is in your pet’s food and having the added security of knowing that it is made with care with no artificial bi-products and lowering the risk of cross- contamination during its manufacturing process.
But, no matter what brand you end up choosing for your pet, make sure that you do your research prior to actual purchase. Like the food you choose to eat, read the labels and visit the brand’s website. Read as many reviews as you can about the pros and cons related to the brand and see what customers have to say about how their pet reacted to the food.
As a dog owner, you only want the best for your pet. Many people are researching the effects that transitioning your dog to an Organic/Natural pet food can have on bettering and prolonging the life of your pet. The potential benefits include: improvement in skin and coat quality, reduction of allergies, increase in energy and better temperament, healthier weight, longevity. One of the key benefits of choosing an Organic pet food is knowing exactly what is in your pet’s food and having the added security of knowing that it is made with care with no artificial bi-products and lowering the risk of cross- contamination during its manufacturing process.
But, no matter what brand you end up choosing for your pet, make sure that you do your research prior to actual purchase. Like the food you choose to eat, read the labels and visit the brand’s website. Read as many reviews as you can about the pros and cons related to the brand and see what customers have to say about how their pet reacted to the food.
A day in the life of a Landfill
You are a college freshman and you have just walked into one of the four major dining halls located on campus. The food choices are endless. Whether you are craving cereal, pancakes or a freshly made omelet with ham and cheese, you can take as much as want. The facility boasts that whatever you don’t want to eat, you can just put in the trash and go back up for something else. Your place your plate of half eaten food on a conveyor belt and watch it disappear forever. But, where does that food actually go after you have thrown it away? Ultimately, that food will be dumped into a trash bag and taken to a dump or landfill.
Americans generate over 250 million tons of trash per year. Although some of this garbage is recycled and reused, most of it ends up sitting in a landfill in the hopes that it will eventually biodegrade. The simple fact is that modern landfills are simply just inefficient and do not promote the actual biodegradation of mass quantities of solid waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
In order to biodegrade, large solid waste masses need oxygen and water. Current American landfills adhere to a completely different philosophy then this. Efficiency in the eyes of the landfill workers is to pack as much garbage into the tightest space possible without the infiltration of water in order to decrease smells. Waste is continually being moved and forced into smaller and smaller spaces in order to be less of a physical nuisance to humans. But, by creating an environment in which humans become less affected by the garbage they are creating themselves, they are in fact hindering the very process that they are trying to perform.
Another major hindering factor in the biodegradation process in modern landfills is the congestion created due to non-biodegradable ( usually petroleum-based products like plastics) being thrown away and mixing in with natural food wastes. Plastics, styrofoam and metals do not biodegrade and should be recycled.
Alternatives and solutions to the modern American landfill dilemma is to either build facilities that promote more environmentally sound practices of natural biodegradation and recycling programs. Changing the way the average American thinks about their personal consumption and contribution to the environment will take time but, it is doable.
Americans generate over 250 million tons of trash per year. Although some of this garbage is recycled and reused, most of it ends up sitting in a landfill in the hopes that it will eventually biodegrade. The simple fact is that modern landfills are simply just inefficient and do not promote the actual biodegradation of mass quantities of solid waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
In order to biodegrade, large solid waste masses need oxygen and water. Current American landfills adhere to a completely different philosophy then this. Efficiency in the eyes of the landfill workers is to pack as much garbage into the tightest space possible without the infiltration of water in order to decrease smells. Waste is continually being moved and forced into smaller and smaller spaces in order to be less of a physical nuisance to humans. But, by creating an environment in which humans become less affected by the garbage they are creating themselves, they are in fact hindering the very process that they are trying to perform.
Another major hindering factor in the biodegradation process in modern landfills is the congestion created due to non-biodegradable ( usually petroleum-based products like plastics) being thrown away and mixing in with natural food wastes. Plastics, styrofoam and metals do not biodegrade and should be recycled.
Alternatives and solutions to the modern American landfill dilemma is to either build facilities that promote more environmentally sound practices of natural biodegradation and recycling programs. Changing the way the average American thinks about their personal consumption and contribution to the environment will take time but, it is doable.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Styrofoam-The Truth behind the Container
Sitting in the back booth of a restaurant, waiting on the check and the to-go box for all that leftover pasta that you couldn’t force yourself to eat. But, it will reheat like a dream and make a perfect lunch to take to work the next day. The waitress comes to the table and hands you one of the most dreaded materials known to man. No, it isn’t a rusty can or a dripping piece of unwashed flatware, it is a box made of styrofoam. So what is the big deal? It is just a box right? Wrong.
Styrofoam is the Frankenstein-monster of the Eco-Awareness movement. This material, made with a petroleum base, is made from a non-renewable fossil fuel and is both harmful to humans and the environment. When it is made, styrofoam can release up to 57 harmful chemicals into the air causing pollution. Also, if it is ingested by either humans or animals it can result in sickness or death. Linked to both nerve damage and Cancer, when styrofoam is used as a food or drink container, you run a very high risk of contamination.
Along with the dangers that the use of styrofoam poses to humans, the biggest risks are to the planet. Styrofoam does not biodegrade and can sit in landfills for hundreds of years. This can result in chemicals seeping into the ground and causing pollution and contamination to both the soil and water sources.
The best way to prevent Styrofoam from causing harm to humans and the environment is to stop using it entirely. Look for biodegradable products and try reusable cups and boxes for your lunch, morning cup of coffee and bottled water.
Styrofoam is the Frankenstein-monster of the Eco-Awareness movement. This material, made with a petroleum base, is made from a non-renewable fossil fuel and is both harmful to humans and the environment. When it is made, styrofoam can release up to 57 harmful chemicals into the air causing pollution. Also, if it is ingested by either humans or animals it can result in sickness or death. Linked to both nerve damage and Cancer, when styrofoam is used as a food or drink container, you run a very high risk of contamination.
Along with the dangers that the use of styrofoam poses to humans, the biggest risks are to the planet. Styrofoam does not biodegrade and can sit in landfills for hundreds of years. This can result in chemicals seeping into the ground and causing pollution and contamination to both the soil and water sources.
The best way to prevent Styrofoam from causing harm to humans and the environment is to stop using it entirely. Look for biodegradable products and try reusable cups and boxes for your lunch, morning cup of coffee and bottled water.
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