Please Pardon my Absence...

Sorry for my absence loyal readers. Although I have not been posting religiously lately, I have been mulling over all the wonderful ideas I have, and through school, I am pushing myself to really expand my horizon so-to-speak. I wanted to share this exciting news with everyone first hand. Tomorrow afternoon I have an interview (as a journalist-in-the-making) with the co founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society, Vicki Psihoyos. I am so glad that she has agreed to take the time to speak with me. After her affluent involvement with her husband in directing the Oscar award winning movie, "The Cove", I am estatic to have a one on one with such a phenominal person!
If you haven't seen "The Cove" contact me for the next viewing party and please take a minute to check out the website that started it all, Oceanic Preservation Society.

Wish me luck!
(and don't worry, regular weekly posts are on the way starting next week!)

Lower Levels of that Good Ole' Fluoride

Today is a good day, a day when the United States government takes a small step in the right direction in admitting, well partially admitting, their faults. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, The Environmental Protection Agency, and publicly supported by the American Dental Association, fluoride levels are a little too high in our water. Fluoride has been put into our water since 1945, forcing about 73% of Americans to regularly consume fluoride when they drink their water. Currently, the recommended levels of fluoride in our public water system are between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm, although many studies have shown that most cities are fluoridated at 1.2 and higher, all the way to 4 ppm. Now the government is recommending we lower that to the bottom end, and put 0.7 ppm as the maximum parts per million.The Department of Health and Human Services has conducted studies showing that too much fluoride causes children's teeth to be weak, brittle, and/or discolored. It also causes bones to be brittle in adults, a gift that is already magnanimous to people over 50. It took them about 60 years to come to this conclusion, not exactly news that makes you want to continue to blindly trust the government. See the CNN article here.

I personally avoid fluoride at all costs, but why (other than the obvious, just in news)? 

• Well, first and foremost, fluoride is not the only way to prevent cavities. Compounds in Alvera are said to prevent tooth decay just as well as fluoride. I make my own mouthwash using this recipe and absolutely love this toothpaste. Both are non fluoridated. My teeth are white, and cavity free.
• Fluoride was used as the key chemical in the production of the atomic bomb. (don't just take my word for it!) 
• Not that I plan on having kids of my own, but fluoride is also linked to birth defects. Chile even banned fluoridation because of research by the world-renowned researcher, Dr Albert Schatz, which showed a link to infant deaths due to fluoridation (as seen here).
• See the full list of places where fluoride is banned here.
•  It is bad for the environment for obvious reasons, dumping it causes a whole slew of harm. 
• Fluoride is a bi-product of aluminum. Studies show that the brain absorbs more aluminum when people consume fluoride, which is one of the main symptoms in Alzheimer's patients. 
• Lastly, and most importantly, IT IS UNETHICAL! Forced medication is unethical if given from a doctor, but from the government it is supposed to be okay? It is an unfair double standard. Just because they "say" it is good for my health, does not mean I should be forced to take it!

 You still have control over what goes into your body. Take small steps in eliminating fluoride from your life. Skip the fluoridated toothpaste and other fluoridated dental care since their are plenty of alternatives, and drink filtered water. A standard carbon filter does not remove fluoride, so the most effective way to eliminate it from your water is through reverse osmosis. Refer to this wonderful website on what filters to use. Remember, don't just take my word for it, search around, the world wide web is a wonderful place to do research, just always remember to not only look at the actual information, but also look at the source. You can find anything on here these days, even....well I could point out countless examples, but for fear of offending someone, I will let you find your own. =)

Wild Tigers Extinct?

According to the World Wildlife Fund, wild tigers are on the verge of mere existence. It has been determined that there are only about 3,200 tigers in the wild, worldwide today, which is less then the number held in captivity in the United States alone. So, why have the wild tiger numbers gone down drastically from 100,000 to the ghastly number is it today? The illegal trade, poaching field, and habitat loss are to blame directly, but the world turning their back to this issue seems to be the real perpetrator.

Without the tigers in our world, we are left with much less biodiversity, and thus meaning other species will die off or over produce. The whole ecosystem can be thrown off if one piece is missing. When was the last time you could drive your perfect new car with only 3 tires instead of four? Sure, maybe you could go a few feet on mere push, but soon the whole car falls apart and becomes useless, much like the world would without its biodiversity.

In some parts of the world tigers are worth more dead than alive. Their teeth are used as jewelry and currency, while their skins are used as clothes and home decor. In China, they believe that tiger bones can cure illnesses, much like we believe that McDonald's food is good for us.

It is time we step up, just as we did when the American symbol, the bald eagle, neared extinction, and create awareness and conservation. We can stop the elimination of these beautiful creatures, a symbol of not just the United States, but the world, a world where they live, without boundaries. Visit World Wildlife Tiger Adoption to see what you can do!

Don't Ask, DO Tell!

It is about time! After its seventeen year reign, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy repeal has been signed by President Obama. The DADT policy forced the LGBT community to hide their orientation in the military, or face dismissal. More then 13,500 people were told to leave under this abhorrent policy. Now, finally, all those people you are asking to risk "dying for your county" can do so with enough dignity to at least be themselves. Contrary to popular beliefs, I say good job Obama (just please keep the ball rolling at this point).

Your Cup of Joe Could be Better...

If you are anything like me, you look forward to that nice hot cup of coffee (or in my case espresso) in the morning to start your day off right. Now most people are very particular about what type of coffee they drink; Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Folgers, etc. Have you ever thought of where that coffee comes from? How it is grown? Or even if it really is the "best tasting" brew as most of the labels claim? I invariably drink the best coffee ever grown, and that I can say with scientific certainty.

Coffee itself is grown on a small tree or shrub that grows fairly low to the ground. Naturally, it cultivates underneath taller trees, about 30 meters worth, and resides slowly ripening in the shade. Since shade grown coffee takes longer to ripen, it naturally makes the flavors more bold and complex. There are many benefits to growing coffee the way nature intended it to be grown. Shade reduces chances of pathogen infections which can wipe out whole coffee farms at an alarming rate. Shade also reduces weed growth, thus meaning coffee growers do not have to use as many harmful chemical pesticides (although most shade grown coffee is certified organic, meaning they do not use any pesticides). Although sun grown coffee produces high yields, it also calls for all taller trees to be eliminated, which creates much less biodiversity. "Biodiversity engenders ecological stability."

"Rustic" is the term used to describe the most natural growing conditions in the coffee world. This means that the coffee is grown under many levels of taller trees as well as grown without any pesticides or chemicals. Rustic most closely mimics the natural world. Studies have shown that the bird biodiversity on a rustic coffee farm is much higher which in turn means that the pesky insect levels (the birds food) are much lower. Some farms sans shade have shown a 70% increase of the horrid Coffee Berry Borer, who seems to love coffee beans even more then we do. Some studies show that after a shade growing area is converted into the higher yield sun growing area, the bird biodiversity decreased at a ratio of 10:4, or 60%. And it is not just about the birds, bats also watch over these farms at night. Shade farms attract bats, which eat pesky rodents such as insects, mice, spiders, and so on. Shade also causes the trees to process and release more nitrogen into the soil, thus meaning about 30% less fertilizers are needed, i.e. less water contamination.

So how do you know if your coffee is shade grown or not? Look for the certification seal. The highest standards for coffee is brought by the Smithsonian Seal, or the "Bird Friendly" certification. Another good seal to look for is the "Rain Forest Alliance". This time honored manner of growing coffee is scientifically proven to produce a better tasting cup of coffee as seen through the research provided here, but honestly, I think your common sense should prevail. Do yourself and the environment a favor, go out and try a cup of shade grown coffee. Not feeling bold enough to try something new, no worries, even starbucks offers a shade grown coffee, available year round here for only around $11 a pound! My personal favorite can be purchased here, Fraizer Farms Shade Grown Organic Coffee.

"Tigers in Red Weather"

Just a quick note..."The eco-system is like an aeroplane. We're all in it. We can go on taking away the rivets that hold it together and keep the plane up, for a while. No one rivet will decide when and where we crash. But ultimately, one rivet too many will bring us down." (page 27 Ruth Padel)

Go to Canada to eat your noisy Sun Chips

When I walked towards the checkout at the local sandwich shop with my trusty junk food, a bag of chips, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. As I opened my tasty bag of Sun Chips, I did happen to notice the green label bragging about their new biodegradable bag. I was a little surprised to see such a big company making the risky move of "going green". I do agree with the fact that every time we purchase something, we are saying that we approve. I wanted to continue to cast my vote for Sun Chips since they made this positive change. As quickly as this innovative blessing had arrived, it seemed to vanish.

I searched online to see if anyone knew where these wonderful "green" bags went. I was sickened to see hundreds of people stirring about the removal of these bags, but not in the way that I had hoped. One commenter by the name "disgruntled co-worker" posted "Sunchips are our favorite chip .... but I won't buy another bag for my family. The bags are irritating just sitting on the shelf. Pity the poor driver who has to stack them ...maybe his health insurance can cover the noise pollution. Please don't do this to your other products!!" (posted on Sun Chips in the Chicago Tribune). Hundred of more comments I read praising Sun Chips for taking these biodegradable bags off the shelf.

Little did I know, Sun Chips was actually a product of Frito-Lay, who was ironically owned by Pepsi Co Inc. Pepsi Co is one of the most influential Fortune 500 international companies, in partnerships with the other most powerful companies such as Starbucks and Lipton. This HUGE company had the power to really make a positive change that could have snow balled into a major trend here in the United States. Frito-Lay officially announced they would discontinue these biodegradable bags in the United States due to the consumer complaints. A private party reported that the sales have dropped 11% since January when these bags were introduced. No actual statistics were released by Pepsi Co themselves. Frito-Lay has also declined to release the dollar amount on the creation and production of these biodegradable bags. Now why would a company withhold information unless they had something to hide? I am not sure whether to be ashamed of the consumers for their selfishness or to blame the all powerful Pepsi Co for their vague reasons, but I think I will stick with both. Now, instead of the bag that decomposed in about 9-14 weeks, we are left with more plastic chip bags that never really break down, they just crumble into small dust like pieces over hundreds of years. With Frito-Lay manufacturing over 30 million bags of Sun Chips a week, I am sure it will be no time until we are immersed in preventable garbage. You made your bed, and now we all will be forced to lay in it. 

Bottom line, maybe I should move to Canada? In Canada, they have decided to keep the biodegradable bags for their whole line of Sun Chips flavors. Frito-Lay's sustainability chief aired a public service announcement informing us that Canada will indeed keep the biodegradable bags, and that he has always been proud about the way that Canadians take care of Canada which makes him proud to be a part of something that can continue to help make and keep Canada beautiful. He sums it up by basically saying, get over it and if you still have a problem with the noise, they will send you a FREE pair of ear plugs. That is right folks, again, Canada is ahead of us, I thought we were supposed to be really competitive here in the United States? Watch the PSA HERE.