another reason for a water bottle

The most comprehensive survey so far has found a slew of drugs, personal care products, pesticides and other contaminants in drinking water being delivered to millions of people across the United States. None of the compounds appeared at levels thought to be immediately harmful to human health. But the researchers were surprised to find widespread traces of a pesticide, used largely in corn (maize) growing, that has, at higher levels, been linked to cancer and other problems.

Released by Environmental Science and Technology, the team tested 19 utility companies, servicing 28 million people. Pharmaceuticals were found in the water, but they didn’t feel anything was at a harmful level.

Of course, I find it interesting that the number one toxin found in the water was a pesticide used in the farming of corn. Corn is the number one commodity crop of this country, and is more often than not, genetically modified. The most interesting finding about this, however, is what the scientists have concluded: Atrazine could be getting into water through food and drink, the researchers suggest, with, for example, many soft drinks containing corn syrup helping the pesticide to spread through the water-treatment system.

The final conclusion of the study was that if the source water was clean… guess what? The tap water was clean.

“We should be going toward protecting water resources,” says Obolensky. She believes preventing pollutants getting into the water supply in the first place is the most efficient way of tackling contamination — rather than putting money into advanced treatment at drinking water plants.

This week I posted about EcoUsable’s water bottles. I highly recommend these bottles, for many reasons. One reason is their new filtration bottles. You fill the bottle with normal tap water, and because of the tap water in the cap, the water is purified. Based on a reader question, I contacted the company and found out that the company has done some studies to ensure the filter removes pharmaceuticals from the water.

Give your family the gift of good health this season. I did!!

The article can be found HERE.

human wellness

I just happened upon a very cool website.

AMERICAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The American Human Development Project is a nonpartisan, non-profit initiative established to introduce to the United States a well-honed international approach and tool for measuring human well-being: the human development approach and the human development index. The project’s mission is to stimulate fact-based public debate about and political attention to human development issues in the United States and to empower people with an instrument to hold elected officials accountable for progress on issues we all care about: health, education and income.

so, that is what is about. One of the reasons this site is really interesting is because of their interactive map, down to the congressional districts, of well being in this country. There is also a little quiz where you can measure your own well being and compare to the rest of their data. Don’t want to brag too much…. but let’s just say I’M VERY WELL, thank you!!!

Here are some findings from this year’s report:

- The U.S. infant mortality rate is on par with that of Croatia, Cuba, Estonia,
and Poland.

- By the end of fourth grade, African American and Latino children, and chil-
dren of all races who are living in poverty, are two years behind their more
affluent, predominantly white peers in reading and math. They have fallen
three years behind by eighth grade, and four years behind by twelfth grade.

- Research shows that investment in intensive early childhood education
pays high dividends in educational attainment and reduction of social
problems, including crime, that correlate to high dropout rates.

- Fifteen percent of American children—10.7 million girls and boys—live in
families with monthly incomes of less than $1,500 per month.
- The United States is far behind other developed countries in its support to
working families, particularly in terms of family leave, sick leave, and child
care.

HERE is the link to the interactive map. Peruse the rest of the site, take the test… it is all pretty interesting

this is where the rubber meets the road

It is the end of the year. The United States has seen many changes, one of which being the political philosophy. Another being that more and more people understand and want to combat climate change. We have told the rest of the world that we are committed to change by the election of Barack Obama and his subsequent appointments of environmentally friendly staff.

However, this is also the time when the rubber has hit the road and the rest of the world wants to see how we are really going to act. It was easy for this country to go green as fuel prices rose, but what happens when the economy is suffering and oil prices have gone down?

The Guardian UK posted an interesting article that is a sort of “year in review” about climate change. One thing that stood out about this year is increase in malnutrition due to food shortages.

The problem, said the analysts, was a mix of climate change and extreme weather leading to poor harvests in major grain-growing countries such as Australia. But the blame was also laid on the many millions of acres of maize, wheat and other crops planted in the US and elsewhere in 2007 to provide biofuels for cars rather than food for people. Catastrophe loomed, said the UN.

Climate change is disproportionately hard on the poor: water shortages, weather extremes, lack of food make it hard for the lower classes to adapt to their conditions. And the article illustrates how poorer nations have reacted to the food crisis and the affect on poorer communities.

So here we are. The brink of major change is upon us to save the world. This author has fears:

Whether the world weans itself off oil and fossil fuels will probably determine global sustainability over the next 20 years. Low oil prices traditionally push energy efficiency off the policy agenda. Economic recessions have punctured green economic bubbles in the past. When times are tight, the wisdom goes, no one invests in new or risky technologies, and countries stick to cheap and dirty energy.

The article is a good read and you can find it HERE.

recession… good?

Over the last few weeks, there has been report after report on how the recession is going to be bad for the “green” movement. Slate magazine begs to disagree.

The Green House: The recession is the best thing that could have happened to Barack Obama.

The feeling amongst many is that Obama believes that the “green” movement and setting the economy back on track go hand in hand. By tackling things like the infrastructure and energy, there is a double benefit of saving money due to efficiency, while also creating “green jobs” and getting people employed, again.

Newly Nobel-ed economist Paul Krugman has taken the lead in arguing that “the usual rules of economic policy no longer apply.” Normally, if you wanted to retrofit a building or weatherize a home, you’d have to get the money from somewhere. The usual way is to increase revenues or reduce spending. No longer. With the economy in freefall and interest rates as low as they can go, the only hope for recovery is to spend—and to err on the side of spending too much.

The best part: Even though we have to borrow money, eventually the government can pay itself back by printing more. Yes, that would devalue the currency and therefore would not be, to use a technical economic term, free. But the way Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research sees it, we have to spend the money now, anyway, to stimulate the economy: “It’s like what Keynes said: Even if we pay people to dig holes and fill them up again, it’s still good.” And if we’re going to spend, we might as well spend on something that’s going to save us—both economically and environmentally—in the long term.

The argument against all of this… spending more and deflating the value of the dollar may lead the way to the Amero and there is always the backlash of a growing economy hurting the green movement.

You can read the article from Slate Magazine, HERE

save this date

Huh. President-elect Obama made a pick for Agriculture Secretary, marking his first bad decision.

 

Former Gov. Tom Vilsack has been picked to head the USDA as the Agriculture Secretary. Many, including myself, had hoped that Obama would pick a more agriculture friendly representative. I guess he had to please some corporate sponsor.

What is being reported is that Vilsack is a proponent of alternative energies. And, while that may be true, he is a big supporter of corn based ethanol and is very biotech, genetic engineering, big agribiz friendly.

As a state senator, he voted for the infamous House File 519 in 1995, which stripped counties of the right to impose restrictions on CAFOs. In 2005, as governor, he signed into law House File 642, which barred local governments from regulating the planting of genetically modified seed.

I mean if high positioned people at Monsanto like him, then I smell something fishy. Sorry, but I do.

You can read more about the appointment HERE, via the New York Times. As well as, HERE, via Grist.org

getting away with murder

New information alleges that Bush Administration officials broke the law. Shocker.

Bush’s Interior Department Interfered With Scientific Work To Limit Endangered Species Protection, via Huffington Post:

A high-ranking Interior Department official tainted nearly every decision made on the protection of endangered species over five years, a new inspector general report finds, concluding she exerted improper political interference on many more rulings than previously thought.

Julie MacDonald, a former deputy assistant secretary overseeing the Fish and Wildlife Service, did pervasive harm to the department’s morale and integrity and may have risked the well-being of species with her agenda, Interior Inspector General Earl Devaney said in his report out Monday.

The Interior Department last year reversed seven rulings that denied endangered species increased protection, after an investigation found that MacDonald had applied political pressure in those cases. The new report looked at nearly two dozen other endangered species decisions not examined in the earlier report. It found MacDonald directly interfered with at least 13 decisions and indirectly affected at least two more.

It should be noted, she is NOT on the EPA’s Most Wanted list.

Bush Administration Covered Up 500+ Blocked Water Pollution Cases, via Environmental News Service:

The results of a Congressional investigation released today detail the collapse of the Clean Water Act enforcement program in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that clouded the question of whether rivers, streams and wetlands remain protected from pollution and development.

“One of the legacies of the Bush Administration is its failure to protect the safety and health of the nation’s waters,” said Chairman Waxman. “Our investigation reveals that the clean water program has been decimated as hundreds of enforcement cases have been dropped, downgraded, delayed, or never brought in the first place. We need to work with the new Administration to restore the effectiveness and integrity to this vital program.”

the carbon atlas

The Guardian UK published a very interesting chart. It is an interactive map in which you can view the carbon output of almost every country in the world. The data is from 2006, but I think we can assume it has gone up since then. And, since the numbers seem very high… I think that’s worrisome.

New figures confirm that China has overtaken the US as the largest emitter of CO2. This interactive emissions map shows how the rest of the world compares. Global C02 emissions totalled 29,195m tonnes in 2006 – up 2.4%.

Go HERE. It’s pretty cool.

whatever is the equivalent of nationalist, applied to the state level… I’m that

California is very innovative and a leader in becoming “green” and sustainable.

California officials today unveiled a six-step strategy to promote use of safer, sustainable chemicals and wean the state’s industries and consumers off toxic compounds.

Twenty months in the works, the recommendations from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s staff are a mix of regulatory and voluntary strategies. State officials say it would be the most comprehensive program in the nation to push industries toward following the tenets of green chemistry.

Green chemistry alters how products are designed and manufactured by choosing compounds that do not produce hazardous waste. Of the 83,000 known chemicals, only a few hundred are considered green. Of the others, hundreds are harmful to humans and nature. And for a vast majority, the risks are still unknown.

You can read the full article HERE, which details the program.

dirty food and what you can do about it

I know we have all read these kind of lists, before, but I never think it hurts to continuously remind us… although, I added a few notes

THE FIVE DIRTIEST FOODS, via Yahoo

Eggs: While most eggs aren’t going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they’re pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks.
edit. notes: I would never buy anything pasteurized. What this is missing is the information that most of the bacteria is on the outside of the shell. If you are really concerned about it, wash the egg before you crack it. More than likely, you will have reduced your chances of getting sick. Also, if it can be avoided, don’t order eggs at a restaurant. You have no idea what farms they use or how they handle them. Many breakfast places make batches and batches of egg batters and dip from there instead of cracking fresh per order.

Peaches: They’re pretty, but that’s just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won’t have pesticides). edit. note: I agree. Buy organic. Buy Farmer’s Market.

Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! “Triple washed” doesn’t mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl. edit. note: consider not buying this mixes at all. The amount of water and plastic it takes to make these mixes are an environmental wasteland. If you are going to have to rewash everything any way, just buy a head of lettuce. It is cheaper and you have control of your carbon footprint. Oh, and p.s., buy from a Farmer’s Market and this is not much of an issue.

Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, “when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs.” Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing. edit. note: One thing that is not brought up on this discussion is that we shouldn’t be eating melon year round. In order to make them available at all times, farmers have compromised how they farm and treat the crops. Buying from someone who believes in sustainability, you will not have to worry about these issues.

Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can’t control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with. edit. note: can you believe I have nothing to say on this one?

midnight ruling, 12/16/08

This is a good one….

Rule OK’s chemical tankers through cities, via the Christian Science Monitor.

The Bush administration has finalized a controversial regulation that will allow railroads to continue to ship dangerous chemicals through major cities.

Federal security officials have long considered railroad tankers full of such chemicals as chlorine or anhydrous ammonia to be potential weapons of mass destruction. If attacked by a terrorist or disturbed individual in the middle of a city they could cause thousands of deaths.

In this instance, the regulation leaves the decision of which route to take with deadly chemicals primarily in the hands of the railroads. Critics contend that this leaves too many communities vulnerable to a serious security threat and that state, local, and federal officials should have more input to ensure the chemicals are transported along the shortest, safest, and most secure routes.

I don’t think more needs to be said…. read the article

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