Because I feel very strongly about supporting local food endeavors and educating people on environmental issues, I recently made an announcement of an upcoming showing of “Fresh, The Movie” and “Food, Inc.”
In my e-mail I stated: “Please keep this in the back of your minds to come to because these are two VERY IMPORTANT films that anyone concerned about our food supply really needs to see.”
I received an reply from a editor in the Charlottesville area:
“I question the validity of your statement that either or both of these films are important for everyone to see.”
Excuse me????
If you are truly concerned about our food system I would think that you’d want people to see these films.
If you feel that the public has been purposely kept in the dark by the FDA, USDA, the food industry, large corporations like Wal-Mart, chemical giants such as Monsanto, fast food companies and large agribusiness concerns, how can you ‘question the validity’ of my attempt to educate consumers?
Current health statistics cite rising rates of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, food allergies, birth defects and a host of diseases from our modern diet. Consumption of food laced with pesticides, additives, hormones, antibiotics, artificial colorings and flavorings are making people sick. Society’s dependence on cheap processed foods, proffered by our ‘friends’ in the food industry and fast food chains, have led to a frightening rate of obesity, illness & premature death. With this in mind, can you honestly say that either or both of these films are NOT important?
Pending legislation threatens the very existence of small farms and farmer’s markets across this country. Passage, without amendments, will sound a death knell for small farmers and severely damage organic food concerns. If you support our farmers and local food initiatives, then I would hope you would be for the dissemination of this information.
If you are committed to preserving the right of citizens to get their food directly from small farmers, instead of corporate giants who put profits ahead of the health of their customers, why then do you not support this venue?
Are you at all concerned about Monsanto and their tactics of bullying, spying on and putting small farmers out of business through litigation?
Do you question Monsanto’s worldwide monopoly for Round-Up Ready crops? What about the environmental effect of farmer’s increasing use of pesticides on all GMOs? Are you unfazed about the environmental impact of pesticides on the health of this planet & ALL of its inhabitants?
“Fresh” captured many accolades in 2009. Among them were official selections from: Environmental Film Festival, Sustainable Living Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Maine International Film Festival and the Kerry Film Festival. It was reviewed far and wide, garnering praise for insightful views into the food world.
“Food, Inc” also was applauded in many circles last year. In addition to the Gotham Award, it also was on the list for Academy Award for Best Documentary, the 25th Anniversary Spirit Award, and is on the list for an Oscar Award.
Everyone that I’ve talked to who has seen either (or both) agrees that these two films are important.
Methinks, dear scribe, that you are outnumbered!
It’s only fitting that today, Earth Day, I make mention of the responsibility of caring for our HOME.
This IS our home, but like irresponsible and selfish little children, we’ve messed it up. Our “Mom” (Mother Earth) has been trying to tell us. The animals, plants, oceans, atmosphere, insects have been trying to tell us too. The climate is … s c r e a m i n g … at us to pay attention. Still we spew, still we pollute, still we ignore the cries of a damaged ecosystem.
We think it’s someone else’s responsibility. The guy next door, the crazy environmentalists, the government or some other country. In fact - it’s everyone’s job…. yours, mine, the government and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we haven’t been too good at it.
This ‘hippie’ thing started in the 70’s - 39 years ago, to be exact. It looked good for awhile but then people forgot. They continued to drive their gas guzzling cars, made by car companies with interests in the oil industry; the government blind and deaf except to the whispers of the lobbyists and corporate America.
Electricity consumption - fueled by our voracious need for luxuries and entertainment and unnecessary ‘necessities,’ has jumped despite electricity saving techniques. One family showcased on TV had a monthly bill of over $700! How can this be? What do they NEED that their costs should be so much? How can they save? Do they even TRY?
What are YOU doing to help this Earth? Not just today, when we can proudly say ‘We celebrated EARTH DAY’ - but EVERY SINGLE DAY? What is your water useage? Do you waste water? What about electricity? How much can you save by really making an effort - not just putting band-aids on things. How about your driving? Have you gone back to driving more since gas prices went down? What are you giving back to the earth, instead of taking away?
What are you doing to be environmentally responsible - instead of irresponsible? Are you really making a difference - every day?
Time are tough, not doubt about that. If you are considering remodeling your home rather than trying to sell it, consider ‘deconstruction’ instead of ‘demolition.’
Modern homes are comprised of many materials, much of it potentially toxic. Instead of sending it to a landfill, ‘environmentally conscious building material recycling centers,‘ all available over the country.
‘Demolition’ destroys the structure rendering it unusable. It also can spread potentially harmful toxins, not only in your neighborhood (think of your neighbors!) but into the Earth as well. In ‘deconstruction,’ your building is taken apart carefully by skilled workers. Reusable materials are preserved and donated to nonprofit organizations, earning you a tax deduction.
It is just like a thrift store. You can donate new or used building materials, or you can shop and save a lot of money.
Benefits of using ‘deconstruction’ are:
Lift up communities by making repairs more affordable for homeowners, small businesses and community groups.
Reduce construction waste and keep reusable material out of landfills
Promote environmentally friendly building materials and methods.
Develop career opportunities and ‘green’ jobs for nearby residents.
www.LoadingDock.org or www.BuildingReuse.org and www.Habitat.org/Env/Restores are just a few of the environmentally responsible organizations who can help recycle your house!
The holiday season is the ‘trashiest‘ time of year. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, a staggering amount of waste is created. There is an increase of over 25% in trash tonnage. Wrapping paper alone accounts for an additional 25 million tons every holiday season or one million tons a week.
What are you doing to have an more environmentally friendly holiday season and reduce your footprint? There are many things you can do:
Recycle your wrapping paper: A tradition in my family, and it almost became a contest between my Mom and Grandmother, was reusing (now called ‘re purposing’) gift wrap. Mom and Grandma would smooth out and save the larger pieces of wrapping paper to recycle next Christmas. Years later, we’d laugh as we’d recognize the paper from years past.
Wrap a gift in a gift: Give two gifts at once. Wrap one in a reusable shopping bag which is a strong, lightweight recyclable tote bag. This way the recipient gets TWO gifts, one which is totally environmentally responsible. Or, you might try hiding a gift in a piece of fair trade, organic clothing.
Get off the mailing lists for catalogs and unwanted subscriptions. Call the 800 number and have your name removed from the list. Contact all your subscriptions, credit cards and tell them that you do not want your name rented or sold. This will dramatically cut down on your junk mail. If you do get an unwanted catalog, call their 800 number right away, because these things are like rabbits. They multiply quickly!
Give chargers & rechargeable batteries - especially to parents with young children. Batteries account for a massive amount (and environmentally harmful) of holiday waste. Consider giving a battery charger and rechargeable batteries as gifts. Take your dead batteries to a safe recycling center - never throw them in the trash. This endangers the collection people, those who process your trash and the environment.
Lastly: Think before you buy. Sometimes the best gift is the simplest one: time spent with family and friends doing things that don’t cost money! Make memories instead of garbage!
What IS ENVIRONMENT?
Webster’s dictionary defines it as: “to surround, to encircle, to envelop, to encompass, external conditions which determine modifications in the development of organic life.”
I like the last one. When you think of it, what we all do, in one way or another “determines modifications in the development of organic life.” For much of the world, the environment beyond our noses has been given little thought. Not only the current chic usage of the word environment, meaning world or ecosystem health of the planet, but environment as in living conditions and lifestyles of millions on the planet. Environment as in human rights of; environment as in how one relates to the world in general.
How do you treat your environment? How do you treat, deal with, relate to the other beings on this planet, whether they be animal, plant or human? Where is your regard for their well-being is and what steps do you take to contribute to it?
Recently I started a web site. The original idea was to have environmentally responsible items. Now I find it has morphed into something else - to encourage and promote fair trade and human rights.
I have long been a champion of justice. Born in the middle of the sign of Libra, with many aspects IN Libra, justice, fairness and peace all relate to my core.
When faced with getting products to sell on the site, I could have taken the easy way out and used drop shippers who import from Asia. I scanned the offerings for weeks, never satisfied that any of them could provide me with organic, eco-friendly items. I became so frustrated and at times, tried to convince myself to break down and sell that crap. I couldn’t.
Why? Because I was raised to have respect for the Earth and, it seems for my entire life, I have loved the trees, the animals, the beauty and wonder of this world. I have lived with environmental mindfulness, far more than most people I know, far more than most Americans, too.
I could not bring myself to be a purveyor of what I call garbage; useless crap that the world already has too much of. Cheap knock-offs, or even the real things: i-Pods, sports team jackets, the latest phone or computer products, disposable this, wastefully packaged that, personal care products with no ‘natural’ IN the ‘natural’ they promise.
Stuff which is produced in sweatshops overseas for a pittance and where workers are mistreated, paid $1 a day, exposed to harmful, toxic, inhumane conditions and no thought to their welfare is given. It is slavery! Workers exploited all so that the United States can have cheap prices at their local Wal-Mart store. Americans want cheap, cheap, CHEAP. Who cares about quality when you can throw it away and get another one? Planned obsolescence has done much to fill up the landfills in the last 50 years, hasn’t it…. and we’ve all played right into it, haven’t we?
So my quest continued for organic, fair trade, sustainable and responsible environmental products.
I have been very lucky to find wonderful vendors for the site: A wonderful man named Syed, who offers completely natural henna products in a range of colors, to another man named Barry who has patented rain barrels, because he truly is concerned about our planet.
Then there’s the local artist, Adelbert, who, despite his battle with Parkinson’s disease, works in wood taken
from ’standing dead’ only, makes beautiful heartfelt items.
Cecilia, who lived in Botswana for many years, is a member of the Fair Trade Federation. Her daughter, Macallan designed a “Get Involved” t-shirt which from which proceeds go for AIDS orphans in Africa. 
These are truly inspiring and special people and I am so honored to be working with them.
Another aspect of the site is that it must give back and be useful to the world. By providing not only fair trade items, but also giving a portion of the profits to environmental, humanitarian and health organizations, it will enable me to give back to the people of the Earth. In this way I feel that I am contributing to the environment of the Earth instead of just taking away.