I was watching the new show Eleventh Hour last night and it was focused on genetically modified fungus and pesticides. The pesticides used fungus and scorpion venom to kill the bugs but along with killing the bugs it stayed on the produce, in this case strawberries, and the pesticide attacked bug proteins (carmine a red dye made from a type of beetle) in food that people ate and it paralyzed them. Eek. Now that's creepy.
Could this really happen? Are companies playing with our food and products like this? Sadly, yes. Maybe not with hybrid scorpion venom and fungus but who knows what these mad scientists are concocting in their secret labs.
We may be eating genetically modified food and not even know it because right now, from what I understand, it doesn't have to be labeled as a genetically modified organism (GMO). Not only that, another good point that was made on Eleventh Hour, is that long term testing has not been done to ensure that GMO foods and products are safe.
Yes, we need solutions for ending world hunger but they need to be safe foods that don't do more harm than good.
Another good point Eleventh Hour made was that natural and non-toxic don't mean squat. Plenty of harmful, damaging, or just gross things are "natural". That doesn't mean they are safe or good for you. And non-toxic is pretty much a marketing term unless it is backed up with official evidence and testing.
The carmine that is used for making red dye is made from a type of beetle. For some people this may be an ick factor. Especially since many red food dye is made with these bugs. Yes, that means you are eating bug parts when you eat many types of red or pink colored foods. Or wearing red cosmetics. Carmine is used in many lipsticks. I probably have some on my lips right now...eeew. I may have to double check on that.
Other "natural" things that appear in food or cosmetics that may give you a feeling of eeew include animal urine, placenta, animal fats and all kinds of naturally occurring chemical compounds. Yeah, OK, Belladonna is a natural thing, it's a plant that's been used to create poisons for centuries, same with Foxglove. Foxglove is used to make digitalis, heart medication. But the wrong dose or touched by the wrong person and it can be deadly (coincidentally that was last week's killer method on Eleventh Hour).
So the moral of the story is, read your labels, and demand full disclosure from companies, that means they have to include everything, in layman's terms, that appears in the product.
If I'm eating bugs I damn well want to know I'm eating bugs.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
How to throw an Eco-Friendly Halloween party this year!!
Here's a few quick tips on how to throw an eco-freindly Halloween party from celebrity party planner Marcy Blum who has tons of suggestions to make your party environmentally conscious- from skeleton streamers, to recyclable dinnerware and candles made out of soy or beeswax.
Here's a few of her green ideas:
Make Halloween Costumes from sustainable products (globe, crayon, ocean, butterfly, 80s singer, woodland nympth)
OR
buy silk-not petroleum-made costumes: Sarah’s silks (http://sarahssilks.com), Nova Natural (http://www.novanatural.com)), Magic Cabin (http://www.magiccabin.com)
Serve Kopali Organic SUPERGOOD SUPERFOODS come in flavors like Chocolate-covered Bananas, Gojiberries, Espresso Beans and Mulberries
Drink Pure Teas from Bombilla, in flavors that come in Oolong, White, Green and Jasmine are the flavors. (they have 90% more antioxidants than traditional teas)
Here's a few of her green ideas:
Make Halloween Costumes from sustainable products (globe, crayon, ocean, butterfly, 80s singer, woodland nympth)
OR
buy silk-not petroleum-made costumes: Sarah’s silks (http://sarahssilks.com), Nova Natural (http://www.novanatural.com)), Magic Cabin (http://www.magiccabin.com)
Serve Kopali Organic SUPERGOOD SUPERFOODS come in flavors like Chocolate-covered Bananas, Gojiberries, Espresso Beans and Mulberries
Drink Pure Teas from Bombilla, in flavors that come in Oolong, White, Green and Jasmine are the flavors. (they have 90% more antioxidants than traditional teas)
It’s Easy Being Green – Tips from Hunter Douglas
It’s Easy Being Green – Tips from Hunter Douglas
Insulate Everywhere It Counts
And don’t forget the window. Remember that nearly five percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. is lost through the windows of our homes. Be sure you use double-glazed windows and that window seals are tight and/or caulked. Select super-energy-efficient products from Hunter Douglas such as Duette® Architella honeycomb shades with their honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction to help protect against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
Automate Window Coverings
To make the most of the natural heating and lighting power of the sun, window coverings should be automated to open and close at set times. Attach an inexpensive BTU sensor to the window and pre-set your motorization system. You need to integrate your window fashions with the other systems in your home – including media, security and electric lighting systems – for energy-savings potential to be maximized. All should be able to communicate with one another to optimize energy savings.
Go On a Power Strip
Power strips aren’t just for your computer gear. Use them for TVs, VCRs and appliances – electronic “vampires” that suck electricity to the tune of $1 billion a year when not in use. Turn them all off with one quick click.
The Light From Above
Light should enter the room from the highest point. Use products such as Duette® honeycomb shades, Silhouette® window shadings and Vignette® Modern Roman Shades from Hunter Douglas in a Top-Down/Bottom-Up configuration that lets you open from the top and stack at the bottom. This allows light to stream in from the top of the window, effectively lighting the room without electricity, while providing a measure of privacy and a view
How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? Replace conventional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They cost a little more, but last up to 10 times longer, use two-thirds less energy and give off 70 percent less heat. Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room.
Turn It Down
Lowering your thermostat by just one degree can reduce costs by about four percent. Using a ceiling fan in the summer and the winter can also help lower A/C and heating energy consumption.
Filter It Out
Keep air conditioner and heating filters clean and replace fiberglass filters with reusable, washable ones.
Your Solar System
In the U.S. , a home solar system can meet about three quarters of a family’s energy needs. A 4,000-watt solar-power system costs about $20,000, yet may qualify for significant tax credits. In states offering additional rebates and financial incentives, return on investment can be achieved in seven to 10 years.
Lean Green Washing Machine
Improvements in technology and effective, environmentally friendly laundry products mean there’s no need to use hot water in the laundry. Enjoy savings in electricity and a kinder, gentler treatment of fabrics and the environment.
Go Low With the Flow
Invest in low-flow water fixtures for shower, faucets and toilets and reduce water consumption and electricity costs as much as 50 percent.
Grime Out
Household cleaning and laundry products such as bleach, detergents and phosphates add fumes, carcinogenic toxins and other dangerous substances to clothing and household surfaces and then get poured down the drain to do permanent damage to the planet. Inexpensive natural cleaning products such as white vinegar with lemon juice, baking soda and borax are safe, sustainable and work on a multitude of household objects.
Bag It
Plastic bags have a lifespan of 500 years. Cut down or eliminate their use altogether by bringing cloth bags to the supermarket, cutting down on trash and giving garbage new life in a compost heap instead of a trash bag.
The Constant Gardener
Even if you don’t talk to them, plants are living things with a job to do – clean the air. Include houseplants in your interiors – one for every 10 yards of space. Outside, plant shrubs and flowers that require less water and replace harsh pesticides with natural substances.
With these tips and more, being green can be easier and more impactful than you think.
Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada . Headquartered in Upper Saddle River N.J. , the company is the leading manufacturer of custom window fashions in North America . For more information visit: www.hunterdouglas.com.
Insulate Everywhere It Counts
And don’t forget the window. Remember that nearly five percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. is lost through the windows of our homes. Be sure you use double-glazed windows and that window seals are tight and/or caulked. Select super-energy-efficient products from Hunter Douglas such as Duette® Architella honeycomb shades with their honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction to help protect against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
Automate Window Coverings
To make the most of the natural heating and lighting power of the sun, window coverings should be automated to open and close at set times. Attach an inexpensive BTU sensor to the window and pre-set your motorization system. You need to integrate your window fashions with the other systems in your home – including media, security and electric lighting systems – for energy-savings potential to be maximized. All should be able to communicate with one another to optimize energy savings.
Go On a Power Strip
Power strips aren’t just for your computer gear. Use them for TVs, VCRs and appliances – electronic “vampires” that suck electricity to the tune of $1 billion a year when not in use. Turn them all off with one quick click.
The Light From Above
Light should enter the room from the highest point. Use products such as Duette® honeycomb shades, Silhouette® window shadings and Vignette® Modern Roman Shades from Hunter Douglas in a Top-Down/Bottom-Up configuration that lets you open from the top and stack at the bottom. This allows light to stream in from the top of the window, effectively lighting the room without electricity, while providing a measure of privacy and a view
How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? Replace conventional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They cost a little more, but last up to 10 times longer, use two-thirds less energy and give off 70 percent less heat. Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room.
Turn It Down
Lowering your thermostat by just one degree can reduce costs by about four percent. Using a ceiling fan in the summer and the winter can also help lower A/C and heating energy consumption.
Filter It Out
Keep air conditioner and heating filters clean and replace fiberglass filters with reusable, washable ones.
Your Solar System
In the U.S. , a home solar system can meet about three quarters of a family’s energy needs. A 4,000-watt solar-power system costs about $20,000, yet may qualify for significant tax credits. In states offering additional rebates and financial incentives, return on investment can be achieved in seven to 10 years.
Lean Green Washing Machine
Improvements in technology and effective, environmentally friendly laundry products mean there’s no need to use hot water in the laundry. Enjoy savings in electricity and a kinder, gentler treatment of fabrics and the environment.
Go Low With the Flow
Invest in low-flow water fixtures for shower, faucets and toilets and reduce water consumption and electricity costs as much as 50 percent.
Grime Out
Household cleaning and laundry products such as bleach, detergents and phosphates add fumes, carcinogenic toxins and other dangerous substances to clothing and household surfaces and then get poured down the drain to do permanent damage to the planet. Inexpensive natural cleaning products such as white vinegar with lemon juice, baking soda and borax are safe, sustainable and work on a multitude of household objects.
Bag It
Plastic bags have a lifespan of 500 years. Cut down or eliminate their use altogether by bringing cloth bags to the supermarket, cutting down on trash and giving garbage new life in a compost heap instead of a trash bag.
The Constant Gardener
Even if you don’t talk to them, plants are living things with a job to do – clean the air. Include houseplants in your interiors – one for every 10 yards of space. Outside, plant shrubs and flowers that require less water and replace harsh pesticides with natural substances.
With these tips and more, being green can be easier and more impactful than you think.
Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada . Headquartered in Upper Saddle River N.J. , the company is the leading manufacturer of custom window fashions in North America . For more information visit: www.hunterdouglas.com.
7 Completely No-Brainer Ways To Go Green And Save Money
Here's a post found on PeopleJam.com
Going green doesn't have to mean losing green. There are so many ways to be eco-friendly without getting rid of the paper in your bank account. Sometimes, being green is not only pricey, but also complicated, and inconvenient for the average person. Composting, making your own bio-fuel, buying only organic-- all are great for the environment, but unrealistic for the newly green. Follow these steps to make your life greener, with less money spent.
Dry Clothes the Natural Way-Return to the virtuous days of old, when laundry was hung outside to dry. Let your clothes air-dry instead of wasting massive amounts of energy in the dryer. Not only will your wallet thank you, but your clothes will benefit from the open-air freshness.
Use Body Heat This Winter-Find someone to cuddle with by Winter. This is free and fun, and it actually works. Your body is a toasty 98.6 degrees, so hugging someone else is the best form of insulation. It's cheaper than raising the thermostat, and it doesn't put a strain on the earth.
Say No to Vampire Power-Appliances like printers, blenders, and blow-dryers that remain plugged in while not in use drain your energy slowly. It's a process called vampire power. You may think that because these items are not in use, you're not using electricity, but the truth is that these appliances are always in stand-by mode, and require small amounts of electricity constantly. The more appliances you have plugged in, the more energy you consume. And it can really add up. A simple remedy is to go around the house and unplug unnecessary things, like that old VCR that you never use, or the TV in the guest room. At night, when you shut off your computer, switch off the power strip as well. Unplug fully charged cell phones from the adapter, and unplug the adapter from the wall, too!
Digitize Your Reading-Don't allow more trees to die! Take your reading into the 21st century by reading online or using a Kindle. Of course you can still check out books from the library (or read them an hour at a time at your local bookstore), but both of those option require you to leave home and burn up some more fossil fuel! And remember that websites like Barnes & Noble allow you to buy used books directly from their site. It's cheaper than buying new, and you can feel better about your impact on the environment.
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bags-Leaving the grocery store with a heap of plastic bags is so not cool anymore that many cities are banning them. Although paper is a smidgen better, using cloth bags is that much closer to perfection. Bags are not really necessary at all if you compartmentalize your trunk with a recyclable box and put your food directly from your cart into your box. When the cashier asks, "paper or plastic," you can say "neither!" and feel good about reducing the amount of plastic in landfills. It may feel weirdly pedestrian initially, but the awkwardness will wear off!
Bye Bye Bottled Water-Recent studies have shown that filtered tap water is just as healthy as expensive bottled water. It's time to say goodbye to bottled water that pollutes the earth with long-lasting plastics. Invest in a metal bottle and a simple tap water filter. It'll definitely be cheaper than constantly buying bottled water, and it's healthier for the earth.
Work From Home -Everyone knows that gas prices are going up, but so are all energy prices. Carpooling is so yesterday. If you can convince your boss to let you telecommute a few days a week, you'll be saving both you and your company money. With freely available remote access technology at your fingertips, you can easily work from home without skipping a beat.
These are just some of the many low-to-no-cost things you can do to make a positive impact in the environment, have a lighter carbon footprint, and make the world a little greener. Don't just sit there: be the change you wish to see in the world.
About PeopleJam.com :
PeopleJam.com is the first social utility to truly empower users to discover what works – and what doesn’t – in Self-Improvement. The site helps people find the best and most relevant products, resources, experts and information that will have a positive impact on their lives and help them achieve personal goals. PeopleJam’s robust product catalog is powered by user reviews, professional and user-generated content and advice, and customized social networking tools. Visitors to PeopleJam maximize the value of the time and money they spend in Self-Improvement across all major life improvement topics within Health & Fitness, Money & Career, Love & Relationships, Spirituality and more. PeopleJam also operates the Internet’s first and largest advertising network dedicated to the $11bn Self-Improvement category, reaching more users with a targeted interest in improving their lives than any other Internet property.
7 Completely No-Brainer Ways To Go Green And Save Money
Going green doesn't have to mean losing green. There are so many ways to be eco-friendly without getting rid of the paper in your bank account. Sometimes, being green is not only pricey, but also complicated, and inconvenient for the average person. Composting, making your own bio-fuel, buying only organic-- all are great for the environment, but unrealistic for the newly green. Follow these steps to make your life greener, with less money spent.
Dry Clothes the Natural Way-Return to the virtuous days of old, when laundry was hung outside to dry. Let your clothes air-dry instead of wasting massive amounts of energy in the dryer. Not only will your wallet thank you, but your clothes will benefit from the open-air freshness.
Use Body Heat This Winter-Find someone to cuddle with by Winter. This is free and fun, and it actually works. Your body is a toasty 98.6 degrees, so hugging someone else is the best form of insulation. It's cheaper than raising the thermostat, and it doesn't put a strain on the earth.
Say No to Vampire Power-Appliances like printers, blenders, and blow-dryers that remain plugged in while not in use drain your energy slowly. It's a process called vampire power. You may think that because these items are not in use, you're not using electricity, but the truth is that these appliances are always in stand-by mode, and require small amounts of electricity constantly. The more appliances you have plugged in, the more energy you consume. And it can really add up. A simple remedy is to go around the house and unplug unnecessary things, like that old VCR that you never use, or the TV in the guest room. At night, when you shut off your computer, switch off the power strip as well. Unplug fully charged cell phones from the adapter, and unplug the adapter from the wall, too!
Digitize Your Reading-Don't allow more trees to die! Take your reading into the 21st century by reading online or using a Kindle. Of course you can still check out books from the library (or read them an hour at a time at your local bookstore), but both of those option require you to leave home and burn up some more fossil fuel! And remember that websites like Barnes & Noble allow you to buy used books directly from their site. It's cheaper than buying new, and you can feel better about your impact on the environment.
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bags-Leaving the grocery store with a heap of plastic bags is so not cool anymore that many cities are banning them. Although paper is a smidgen better, using cloth bags is that much closer to perfection. Bags are not really necessary at all if you compartmentalize your trunk with a recyclable box and put your food directly from your cart into your box. When the cashier asks, "paper or plastic," you can say "neither!" and feel good about reducing the amount of plastic in landfills. It may feel weirdly pedestrian initially, but the awkwardness will wear off!
Bye Bye Bottled Water-Recent studies have shown that filtered tap water is just as healthy as expensive bottled water. It's time to say goodbye to bottled water that pollutes the earth with long-lasting plastics. Invest in a metal bottle and a simple tap water filter. It'll definitely be cheaper than constantly buying bottled water, and it's healthier for the earth.
Work From Home -Everyone knows that gas prices are going up, but so are all energy prices. Carpooling is so yesterday. If you can convince your boss to let you telecommute a few days a week, you'll be saving both you and your company money. With freely available remote access technology at your fingertips, you can easily work from home without skipping a beat.
These are just some of the many low-to-no-cost things you can do to make a positive impact in the environment, have a lighter carbon footprint, and make the world a little greener. Don't just sit there: be the change you wish to see in the world.
About PeopleJam.com :
PeopleJam.com is the first social utility to truly empower users to discover what works – and what doesn’t – in Self-Improvement. The site helps people find the best and most relevant products, resources, experts and information that will have a positive impact on their lives and help them achieve personal goals. PeopleJam’s robust product catalog is powered by user reviews, professional and user-generated content and advice, and customized social networking tools. Visitors to PeopleJam maximize the value of the time and money they spend in Self-Improvement across all major life improvement topics within Health & Fitness, Money & Career, Love & Relationships, Spirituality and more. PeopleJam also operates the Internet’s first and largest advertising network dedicated to the $11bn Self-Improvement category, reaching more users with a targeted interest in improving their lives than any other Internet property.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)