Food, Inc.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Go see this movie before you pound back that burger, eat that bacon, slather on the peanut butter.

Grow your own, be aware of what you eat, know where your food comes from.

Multi-mode auto

A hybrid gas, solar and pedal powered car

The Antro Solo, a hybrid solar- and gas-powered car, looks like a soap dish on wheels. And that’s fitting, because it could very well help clean up the environment dramatically. The vehicle, from the Hungarian non-profit Antro, weighs just 600 pounds, reaches speeds upwards of 80 miles an hour, gets 150 miles to the gallon and sports pedals for each passenger.


Scheduled to hit the streets in 2012 with a price tag of $18,000, the Solo can handle 10- to 15-mile local trips powered by the solar cells on the carbon fiber vehicle’s roof. After that, drivers can rely on the gas- or ethanol-powered engine. Or they can power the generator themselves by pedaling. The founders of the futuristic auto company believe modern lifestyles are too sedentary; with the Solo, a short trip to the store can be a workout, too. The Solo can also reduce CO2 emissions by three-quarters, compared with ordinary vehicles. And a six-passenger version is in the works: the Duo, which can be broken down into two separate cars in 10 minutes. Sometimes, two green cars are better than one.

The Duo breaks into two cars? I want that!

Stupid is as stupid does...

The Nominating Committee has voted to present Congresman Barton with the "Stupid Award" based not only on his record but his mind as evidenced beginning at "2:30" of this tape.


Congrats Joe.

Don't read that book

In what seems like a case of the crazies, Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma has been censored. Crazy, ridiculous? Are we in the year 2010?

Huck Finn, The Grapes of Wrath and the Omnivore's Dilemma? Yes, Michael Pollan's popular rebuke of agri-business seems to have joined those other great works on the list of censored books. Officials at Washington State University have removed Pollan's work for what some are saying are political reasons.


According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the book was dropped from the common reading list for incoming freshman. The university is citing budget constraints as the reason, but those seems dubious at best. After all, Washington State, a well known agriculture school, has already purchased 4,000 copies of the book.



"What we were told is that when the committee picked The Omnivore's Dilemma, because of the politics of the agriculture industry, we would not be having a common reading, and that President Floyd decided that this was not a battle he wanted to wage," said one person who had knowledge of the program and asked not to be named because of fear of job loss.

Now if it will keep all critters...

Terracycle's Deer Repellent seems to work based on "Dr. Joe's" demo. Best thing about the product (besides being all natural) - it comes in a reused 1 liter bottle. Looks like a nice little spray nozzle as well.

Have to try this to keep out Bambi. A plus if it keeps out Chuckie and Chippy too.

Eat local - grow your own

Of course you can turn over the soil, plant the seeds, weed, water... But don't forget to Grow Sprouts: The World's Easiest Food

You don't need a lot to grow sprouts. You don't even need light, apparently. All you need is a pint glass, a rubber band, some muslin and sprout seeds. Soak the seeds overnight. Drain the water. Rinse the seeds everyday. Then eat them when they look edible. They should be done in less than a week. If you don't grow the sprouts in the light, they won't be green. So if you want your sprouts to be green, put them in the light so their chlorophyll will go to work. Otherwise, don't complain about brown sprouts.

Go past alfalfa. Try broccoli and radish sprouts.

Commute the Electric Way

Electric vehicles offer rides in the green lane

The Vectrix VX-1 maxi scooter, which weighs much more than a typical bike at 515 pounds, is anything but a kid's toy. It requires a motorcycle license to drive.


It's also electric, with a 180-pound battery that lets the rider forget about pumping gas. The Vectrix just needs an electrical outlet to get its fuel.


That statement came with a price, though. His Vectrix VX-1 was $8,000.

A high price but...

Earlier this year, President Obama's stimulus plan proposed tax credits for those who buy plug-in electric vehicles. Depending on the size of the battery, the credit can reach up to $7,500.

Wonder what the rebate is on this one? With a range of 35 to 50 miles, and a plug in anywhere design - it can work for me.

Beer and lawns?

 

Saint Arnold Brewing has the best named beer around - Fancy Lawnmower.

When it came to naming the beer, we performed our typical expensive, highly sophisticated consumer research program. We made a sheet of paper with five potential beer names on it: Select, Blonde, Kölsch, Golden and Fancy Lawnmower Beer. We then went around to any parties or bars we were at and handed out these sheets to have people rate their perception of the quality of the beer with each name on a scale of 1 to 5. If we just averaged the totals, Golden would have won. People rated Fancy Lawnmower Beer either a 1 or a 5, but all anyone wanted to talk about, no matter what they rated it, when they handed their questionnaire in was Fancy Lawnmower Beer.


This beer has a distinctive floral hop aroma. This, combined with the power of suggestion leads many people to inform us that this beer tastes like grass. No it doesn't, silly. And stop smoking so much of it.

May have to take a trip to Texas just to get a bottle. Love that label.

Thanks to Beer Labels.com

Gardens not War

By Sandra Griffin --- T-shirt at Northern Sun

If you have a lawn...

Okay, I have an electric chain saw, electric grass trimmer and electric hedge trimmer. Is a Neuton for me?

The Neuton CE 6 Mower gives you the powerful performance of a gas mower with convenience of battery technology. There is no gas or oil to spill and no engine emissions to pollute the air.


This is the most powerful mower with a removable, rechargeable battery you can buy. With 360 watt-hours of battery energy, it has plenty of power to mow through even tall, wet grass.


The Neuton CE 6 mower is ideal for lawns up to 1/3 acre (about 15,000 sq. ft.) on a single charge. If you need more time, just drop in an optional spare battery and keep mowing!

Hmmmm... two batteries and I can cut the lawn without the noise, without the gas...Sounds great to me.

Mother Earth News reviewed the Neuton, Black & Decker and Remington models.

There are differences among the four cordless mowers I tested, but every one of these mowers is a perfectly adequate replacement for a gasoline-powered push mower.

As for the Neuton...

When I first started my test, this was my favorite mower. It’s a good compromise between cutting width and weight, plus it’s fairly easy to maneuver. The battery is easy to put in and take out. This mower has a nice feature all the others lack — a gauge that tells you how much juice you have left in the battery. Also handy: The tools you need to remove the blade for sharpening or replacement are supplied with the mower and stow on the machine. One of the wrenches doubles as a scraper to remove built-up grass clippings from the deck underside. This mower works well in bagging mode and is my choice for chopping and gathering autumn leaves.

Could we survive?

To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...
to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...
to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin...
to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...
to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts and company...
Thousands have had such dreams, but Dick Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country. This video "Alone in the Wilderness" is a simple account of the day-to-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature's events that kept him company.
- Sam Keith

How many of us are in tune with the world and nature to survive as Proenneke did? Who can toss the iPod, emails, iPhones?

Need more signs?

Climate Change Displacement Has Begun

Two weeks ago a momentous event occurred: the beginning of the world's first evacuation of an entire people as a result of manmade global warming. It has been marked so far by one blog post for the Ecologist and an article in the Solomon Times*. Where is everyone?


The Carteret Islands are off the coast of Bougainville, which, in turn, is off the coast of Papua New Guinea. They are small coral atolls on which 2,600 people live. Though not for much longer.


As the Ecologist's blogger Dan Box witnessed, the first five families have moved to Bougainville to prepare the ground for full evacuation. There are compounding factors - the removal of mangrove forests and some local volcanic activity - but the main problem appears to be rising sea levels. The highest point of the islands is 170cm above the sea. Over the past few years they have been repeatedly inundated by spring tides, wiping out the islanders' vegetable and fruit gardens, destroying their subsistence and making their lives impossible.


They are not, as the Daily Mail and the Times predicted, "the world's first climate-change refugees". People have been displaced from their homes by natural climate change for tens of thousands of years, and by manmade climate change for millennia (think of the desertification caused in North Africa by Roman grain production).


Some people ascribe the fighting in Darfur - and the consequent displacement of its people - to climate change, as people struggle over diminishing resources. But this appears to be the first time that an entire people have started leaving their homes as a result of current global warming.


Their numbers might be small, but this is the event that foreshadows the likely mass displacement of people from coastal cities and low-lying regions as a result of rising sea levels. The disaster has begun, but so far hardly anyone has noticed.

The signs are there. Change is here. So take the steps to make positive impacts on our environment.

Green Beer

There's a Serious Sustainable Beer Culture in Appalachia

Graham Averill, a writer for Blue Ridge Outdoors, recently invited readers along for a brewery tour in the Appalachian Mountains. He traveled to breweries all over the Southern Appalachia. From Athens' Terrapin Beer Co. to Atlanta's Sweetwater Brewery, Averill hit all the breweries known for producing the best and brightest local brews. He also visited one of my favorite breweries in Asheville, Highland Brewing Company, and Charlottesville's hometown favorite Star Hill.

Perhaps the most eco-friendly beer of them all comes from the Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain, N.C. It's the only Southeastern brewery currently certified organic for each of their brews. While other breweries might produce a special organic brew, Pisgah produces nothing but organic.

Even if you don't like beer as much as I do, raise a glass or two of organic ales this summer. Don't overlook other brands as well (like Wolaver).

Air quality improved with plants

Just don't stop at those three plants. Experiment with others too. It can't hurt. Just remember to water them.

Dr. Bronner's - Too Good to be True?

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps states their...

...soaps are 100% true pure-castile soaps. The high foaming lather of our soaps is from their high coconut oil content, which makes a more luxurious and rich lather than any detergent can ever create. "Pure-Castile" is your guarantee that what you are using is a real ecological and simple soap, not a complex blend of detergents with a higher ecological impact due to the waste stream during manufacture and slower biodegradability.

Once you get paste the numerous quotes and treatises on the labels, look for the ingredients. You'll be impressed.

The product has been around for years - but still an all-time fave.

Reynolds showing the way?

Reynolds Wrap has introduced a new product line. 100% recycled foil wrap - pre & post consumer aluminum.

The manufacturing process still requires a high amount of heat - curious as to how they are "greening" their manufacturing facilities.

It is clear that this is a good product for you to look at. The mining of bauxite needed to wrap your peanut butter and jelly sandwich is very damaging to the environment - clearing of vegetation, soil erosion... So the small step in using this product, or other available recycled foil products, is a positive step. The question remains whether Alcoa Reynolds is in it for the good of the planet or just another case of "greenwashing."

Buy it, use it, but always think/(know) about the environmental cost of the product - and every product you consume. When you are aware of the true costs - you will be motivated to find alternatives, to recycle, to reduce...

Soda and Tomatoes - Yummy?

I know you've seen those commercials with fantastic looking tomatoes growing upside down. Do those things work?
This year I decided to try it out. Though I could not see myself buying one of those things. Instead I used a plastic gallon planter that I had saved from a perennial plant I had purchased. Made the hole a little bigger, lined the drain holes with newspaper, "planted" the beefsteak tomato plant, filled with soil, watered, and hung it up using wires poked into the planter. After one week the plant is still alive though growing sideways along the bottom reaching for the sky. Other who have tried it say that eventually the plan becomes larger and heavy and twist downward. Time will tell if it is successful, more prolific...
I found another way to create the "topsy turvy" using soda bottles.

 

A great way to reuse those soda bottles - if you drink that deadly stuff. Cost? Cost of redemption - here in CT $.05.

Fuel Documentary

"Fuel" is a vital, superbly assembled documentary that presents an insightful overview of America's troubled relationship with oil and how alternative and sustainable energies can reduce our country's -- and the world's -- addictive dependence on fossil fuels.


The film's structure is built around director-narrator Josh Tickell's personal journey of enlightenment, which started in childhood after moving with his family from idyllic Australia to murkier Louisiana, where he came to realize the oil-rich environment was being ravaged by the omnipotent petrochemical industry. Later, as a young adult, he spent 11 years crossing the country in his vegetable oil-powered "Veggie Van," promoting biofuels and compiling footage for what would become this impressively comprehensive film.

Green energy is one way out of our predicament. But let's leave corn and soy to feed people instead of gas tanks.