Bringing Up the Rear
by Matt DeNoto Fair warning, this is a bit of a rant. Apologies. One of the major arguments politicians have been making regarding the recently passed (by the House) American Clean Energy and Security Act is that the steps that it takes to try and cut America’s CO2 output are practically useless, because countries like China and India also produce a lot of CO2. These politicians have been saying this quite a bit lately. So much so that I feel the need to point out something that seems to me to be pretty obvious. We can’t make laws for China and India. They have ...
Flaws Build Character
Imagine that you were an alien visitor to an American grocery store and you step into the produce section. I think you would honestly believe that tomatoes only grow 16-18 cm. Or that corn is always about 8-9 inches. And that carrots are always straight and in a bunch. You would actually have a lot of data to prove your point. Each grocery store you went into would look exactly the same, with the fruits and vegetables always meeting those expectations. However, you would be wrong. In fact, the truth is that a lot of fresh, edible produce is thrown away because it ...
Strange Bedfellows
by Matt DeNoto In an earlier article, I suggested that one way to influence the unsustainable practices of large corporations was to buy stock in those corporations, thereby giving environmentally-minded people not only information in what the company was up to, but also a voice and a vote at stockholder meetings that decide future practices. If that option seems a bit confrontational to you, but you still want to use your investment dollars in a green way, GreenBiz.com reports that many stock indices are offering special lists that categorize companies by environmental impact. This provides you with an easy source of ...
Backlash: The Beginning
Last night, I was given a copy of the Wall Street Journal with a big opinion piece about climate change: The Climate Change Climate Change. In it, the author, discusses the new trend of being a climate change denier. According to this, there are a large number of politicians and scientists who claim that climate change is the "worst scientific scandal in history." They claim that they are looking at the data more closely because of the impact from the recession and it has left them with no doubt to believe it just does not exist; racking it up to something ...
Review: Food, Inc.
Just wanted to direct you all to a review I wrote over at LAist on Food, Inc. I wrote it a few weeks ago, and have since seen the movie twice. Obviously, this is the type of film that I find incredibly important to see. Check it out: FOOD, INC. You can watch the preview here or on LAist.
News
Fox Will Have a Field Day with This One
Do you remember when news leaked that Obama said: So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that's green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global... [Read more of this review]
Air Pollution
Just last week the list of the most hazardous cities in regards to air quality was released. Sadly, on the heels of that report, is a report that it may be far worse than originally expected. Pollution levels have historically been calculated using sensors on the ground. Because of a lack of resources and funding in many populated areas, a scientist... [Read more of this review]
Special Report: Mercury Contamination
We are constantly warned about mercury levels in fish. We are told to stay away from many varieties because of the effects of long term exposure and links to brain damage, severe respiratory issues, and kidney and liver failure. This is something that we laugh at when Jeremy Piven claims he has it, but should take all precautions to ensure our children... [Read more of this review]
Increase in Autism Seen in California
New data, released today, indicates that there has been a twelvefold increase in autism in the state of California, surpassing levels of cerebral palsy, according the the San Jose Mercury News. While the cause is still unknown, many experts believe that the most likely suspect is environmental triggers on genetically susceptible individuals. This... [Read more of this review]
good role model
In all honesty, I think beauty pagents are awful; debasing, degrading, sexist, objectifying, and I can keep going on and on. I think they send young girls a bad message. I think they give men an unrealistic ideal for a woman, whose expectation will never be met. Which is why I have even surprised myself by sharing with you a contestant for Miss... [Read more of this review]
bearing the burden
I do not have the answer for how to fix this. And, that is the sad, unfortunate truth of much of what I write. We have created a society where it is valued to smear products on our face, put chemicals in our food and homes, and where we walk through god knows what being emitted from business and cars. As a result, our bodies get beaten up by this... [Read more of this review]
Read More Posts From This CategoryFood
Fantastic Site: Sustainable Table
I think we have blogged about this before, but I want to draw your attention to it...
please make Mc-D’s a Mc-Don’t
Seriously. SERIOUSLY. After you read this, if you need further proof that the agri-business,...
vegetarian for one day
Americans are addicted to their meat. They eat a lot of it. Too much, actually. A...
Read More Posts From This CategoryClimate Change
ice is a species?
I found an article today that I just find so, SO fascinating that I felt it was important...
baby steps
So in 2007… I know it seems for away but data like this is always a bit delayed.....
your butt might be a wee bit upset
but, it is for the betterment of the planet, for gosh sakes. So GET OVER IT!! We...
Read More Posts From This CategoryBisphenol-A & Phthalates
girls are maturing at faster rates
A new study has shown that girls are reaching puberty sooner than expected. While we have heard this over and over for the last few years, this study is significant. The decrease in start of puberty had been primarily seen only in the United States. As a result, for a while scientists felt that the data might not have been statistically significant. ... [Read more of this review]
new news for bpa
Despite the continuing decisions by many states, and Congress, the FDA has decided to stick to its guns and declare that BPA is safe. To refresh your memory… the FDA approved BPA for use in the manufacture of plastics and to line the aluminum surface of canned products after TWO studies (that we funded by the American Chemistry Council).... [Read more of this review]
critical windows of development
OK everyone…. an AMAZING new site launched today and if you have any iota of interest into what effect chemicals are having on your children… even in utero… you need to go here and spend some time looking at it. Critical Windows of Development was created by Theo Colburn, who is most often credited with the discovery of hormone mimicking... [Read more of this review]
bpa lingers
Researchers from the Univeristy of Rochester in NY have found that Bisphenol-A lingers in the body longer than first expected. The significance of which is that the longer the chemical is in the body, the more likely it is to cause harm, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Most often BPA is transferred to the body through plastic products... [Read more of this review]
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