some other articles from NPR

These articles are worth a read, they all relate tot the food industry:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/16/251611230/big-meat-bad-small-farm-good-it-s-not-so-simple

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/16/249342738/in-florida-a-turf-war-blooms-over-front-yard-vegetable-gardening

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/11/250239604/drug-companies-accept-fda-plan-to-phase-out-some-animal-antibiotic-uses

Plastic contaminating our seafood

My co-worker and I had a discussion on how fish, while full of heathy fat and oil and lower in calories can be contaminated on dangerous level. I myself developed a shellfish allergy at 19 but  when given the test I show no reaction. That was explained as being an allergy to the toxins in which shellfish consume and which they apparently process differently. My doctor told me at the time that it was becoming increasingly common. In fact I knew someone else with a similar diagnosis. Well, my co-worker saw this article and its completely on point. Why people are ignoring this problem is beyond me. Here's a clip from the article:

'How Plastic In The Ocean Is Contaminating Your Seafood'



Picture taken from article on NPR.org


We've long known that the fish we eat are exposed to toxic chemicals in the rivers, bays and oceans they inhabit. The substance that's gotten the most attention — because it has shown up at disturbingly high levels in some fish — is mercury.
But mercury is just one of a slew of synthetic and organic pollutants that fish can ingest and absorb into their tissue. Sometimes it's because we're dumping chemicals right into the ocean. But as a study published recently in Nature, Scientific Reports helps illuminate, sometimes fish get chemicals from the plastic debris they ingest.
"The ocean is basically a toilet bowl for all of our chemical pollutants and waste in general," says Chelsea Rochman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, who authored the study. "Eventually, we start to see those contaminants high up in the food chain, in seafood and wildlife."
For many years, scientists have known that chemicals will move up the food chain as predators absorb the chemicals consumed by their prey. That's why the biggest, fattiest fish, like tuna and swordfish, tend to have the highest levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other dioxins. (And that's concerning, given that canned tuna was the second most popular fish consumed in the U.S. in 2012, according to the National Fisheries Institute.)
What scientists didn't know was exactly what role plastics played in transferring these chemicals into the food chain. To find out, Rochman and her co-authors fed medaka, a fish species often used in experiments, three different diets.
One group of medaka got regular fish food, one group got a diet that was 10 percent "clean" plastic (with no pollutants) and a third group got a diet with 10 percent plastic that had been soaking in the San Diego Bay for several months. When they tested the fish two months later, they found that the ones on the marine plastic diet had much higher levels of persistent organic pollutants.
"Plastics — when they end up in the ocean — are a sponge for chemicals already out there," says Rochman. "We found that when the plastic interacts with the juices in the [fish's] stomach, the chemicals come off of plastic and are transferred into the bloodstream or tissue." The fish on the marine plastic diet were also more likely to have tumors and liver problems.

To read more visit: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/12/250438904/how-plastic-in-the-ocean-is-contaminating-your-seafood?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

Lets talk about plastic: Earthday Network: Billon Acts of Green

Humans are obsessed with plastic. "Over 300 million tons are produced every year to make plastic bags, bottles, clothes, computers, and just about everything else you can think of. And the problem is only getting worse. Over the last 10 years, we’ve produced more plastic than we did in the entire 20^th century!

Take the pledge to cut down on your plastic use today!
Here’s the thing: our excessive plastic use is hurting the environment. For one, the production of this plastic is responsible for millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change and polluting the air we breathe. On top of that, some of this plastic ends up in landfills, where it slowly breaks down, leaching harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater. The rest of the plastic ends up on our streets, in our parks, and in our oceans. Over 100,000 marine animals and 1 million birds die each year from ingesting plastic.
Recycling is one way we can reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our landfills and in our natural environment, but—given the excessive amount of plastic we consume--recycling simply can’t keep up. We need to reduce the amount of plastic we use!
How can we accomplish this? We can start by avoiding disposable bags, bottles, silverware, dishes and other single-use products, and replacing them with reusable items.
Join us by pledging to reduce the amount of disposable plastic products that you use. The more people that make the pledge, the bigger the impact we’ll have.
Thanks for your support."


- The Earth Day Network Team

 
Image from plasticstoday.com

* I think this is a great campaign and i am dedicated (and therefore my husband is too) to reducing our pastic usage!

Cosmetic companies beware!

I just found this site.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Now maybe I'm behind but I really had never seen it before. I was researching my facial moisturizer, because Liz Earle announced that it went back to low level parabens because of concerns with contamination/ bacteria and I was heart broken. But it got me thinking - is paraben free really safer? I real the ingredients in other "safe" moisturizers and they have more chemicals than Liz Earle. So when I found this site it was a real eye opener. Now they didn't have my cream, but that wasn't a problem. I created a account and did a build your own report and compared the "natural" and "safe" products I was considering. In the end decided to stay with Liz Earle because of the lower risk for reproductive issues (I have a reproductive disorder and had a hormone based cancer). Ultimately, I learned that nothing mainstream is in the "green" but, I was surprised that products like bare minerals rare minerals facial moisturizer was in the red! (sham on you bare minerals, I love their makeup but their moisturizer is down right toxic!)

OK so hopefully I will enlighten others with this post, or if nothing else, keep this link in a safe place for future reference.

PS- I think theres an app!

LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center_ native sod

The wildflower center has informatuion regarding native sod. Now this is focused in Texas, where the headquarters is located, but gives me hope that this will lead to similar sods in other parts of the country!

A sample of the article is below:
Picture from the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center website.

A wet year in many parts of Texas may have you wondering whether to spend time replacing landscape greenery that requires frequent watering. Unfortunately, Texas’ burgeoning population will likely intensify water restrictions, and long-range forecasts still include drought.
One way take a major chunk out of future watering bills is to replace your traditional lawn of Bermudagrass or other non-native grasses with one that requires less water and other resources. The good news is the Wildflower Center’s native turfgrass, Habiturf ® will soon be available as sod.

Read More: http://www.wildflower.org/feature/?id=126&utm_content=azamenick%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Learn%20about%20Habiturf%20sod&utm_campaign=November%20Wildflower%20Wire

LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center - photo competition

The LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center has conducted a photo competitiona and let me tell you they are worth looking at. This is an email, by the way, i always enjoy getting. The center has fantastic research ifnormation, regional plant information and Mr Sparty pants blog, which is my go to for gardening questions.
Check out the photos here:
http://wildflower.org/photocontest/?utm_content=azamenick%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Learn%20more%20about%20the%20winning%20images&utm_campaign=November%20Wildflower%20Wirecontent

A Dolphin Asks a Human for Help!

http://www.ba-bamail.com/View.aspx?emailid=4120&source=mobile_share

This looks true and its pretty amazing!

Earth Day Network- Ecological Footprint quiz

We humans are the most successful species on the planet. We’re also the greediest. And the problem is we’re using more resources than the planet can produce and replenish. In fact, every year we humans consume the equivalent of 1.5 planets’ worth of resources! And if you live in a developed nation like the US, chances are you’re using four or five planets’ worth or more.
Take the Ecological Footprint quiz to see how many planets’ worth of resources you consume.

SITES project participants talk sustainable landscape certification - The Wildflower Center

                                          ABOVE: Paddlers at Kayak Beach, Scenic Hudson's
                                           Long Dock Park. Photo by Scenic Hudson.
                                         (Photos taken from The Wildflower Center website)


In Beacon, New York, the past two summers have offered what you might expect from a Hudson River town. Hundreds of visitors and residents can be found each day at Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park kayaking, canoeing and learning to fish in the river while others picnic, sunbathe and watch wildlife from its banks. As little as two years ago, however, the Dutchess County site was an entirely different scene.
A critical 19th-century transportation link between New England and points west, Long Dock once contained a rail ferry terminal and an oil storage facility but had become a contaminated, ecologically degraded industrial site closed off to the public.
“There were Do-Not-Enter signs everywhere,” says Margery Groten of nonprofit organization Scenic Hudson, which began the long planning process to restore public access to this portion of the river through Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park nearly 20 years ago. This month, the park became one of the eight pilot projects newly certified by the Sustainable SITES Initiative™ (SITES™) for its sustainable site design, construction and maintenance.
....

SITES is intended to do for landscape sustainability what LEED® certification did for green building.

....
Scenic Hudson, which has a 50-year history of creating or improving more than 60 parks and protecting more than 30,000 acres, has adopted SITES principles for all new parks and preserves that it develops. Of its most ambitious project to date, Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, Groten says, “We hope that it can now serve as a model for how all landscape development — not just park development — can be done along the Hudson River.”
Groten and Crowley are most proud of the degree to which the park allows people access to the river. They agree that of all the SITES credit areas to which Long Dock Park applied, it was the SITES human health and well-being category where all of the work appeared to coalesce. Groten says, “Using the right sustainable materials allows the park to endure for public use and caring for the once-degraded soils ensures that the park is now healthy for human use. Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park will educate people about sustainability for decades to come.”

To Read the entire article please visit: wildflower.org

Honey Bees

Pollinator Conservation- from www.xerces.org

 

 

Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of nearly 70 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than one hundred crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the U.S. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. In many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases.

To Read More or to Take action visit: http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/learn-about-pollinators/

SaveOurEnvironment.org

Giant saw blades threaten to reduce huge swaths of irreplaceable old-growth trees in America's last intact rainforest to stumps and sawdust.

The ancient, mist-shrouded Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is home to black and brown bears, five different species of Pacific salmon, bald eagles, wolves, and so many more unique species.

Unfortunately, these creatures and many more are threatened by the U.S. Forest Service's current plans to sell off big swaths of old-growth trees in Tongass.

We only have until Sunday, June 30th to say "NO" – please send your message today.

Three years ago, the Obama Administration announced a goal of protecting the Tongass rainforest by making a quick transition away from destructive old-growth logging in the rainforest.

However, instead of taking concrete steps to make this wonderful goal a reality, the Forest Service is currently planning a number of large old-growth timber sales.

There are only a few days left to convince the Obama Administration and the Forest Service not to go down this road.

And we need your help to make sure they get the message about the urgent need to align the Tongass management plan with the President's 2010 goal of transitioning away from old-growth logging – before any more ancient trees fall.

There's no time to waste – the deadline for public comments on this plan is June 30th. Submit your comment now.

The wild salmon, bears, wolves, and millions of trees and other species are counting on us to save their rainforest from old-growth logging.

Thank you so much for helping to preserve this national treasure for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Kevin Curtis
Director, SaveOurEnvironment.org
info@saveourenvironment.org

HAPPY ARBOR DAY- Arbor Day Foundation.

How to Celebrate Arbor Day

It has been over 135 years since J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. Discover ideas on how to celebrate Arbor Day in your community.

Download Our Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook

Download the Guidebook

Our Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebookshows you a smorgasbord of possibilities. Pick and choose what makes sense for you. This PDF is available for free download for the first time ever (12.7 MBs).

for more info visit: http://www.arborday.org/arborday/celebrate.cfm

Weight Watchers wanted in on the Earth day fun too!

EMAIL FROM WEIGHT WATCHERS:

Get Out for Earth Day

Celebrate the earth with your own personalized sun salutation. These fun activities make the most of the great outdoors.

Article By: Mary Lynn Mitcham

April is a month of environmental celebrations. Earth Day is on the 22nd, and Arbor Day is celebrated on the 26th. So instead of just exercising outside, why not make the great outdoors part of your fitness routine?

"Environmental fitness is an exercise trend that's only going to get bigger," says Suzanne Nottingham, a spokesperson for the American Council for Exercise. The results feel as good as fresh air. Plus, you still get all the benefits of being outside.

"There's nothing like getting outside of concrete walls for stress reduction," says Nottingham. "You're not in a controlled, sterile environment, and outdoor workouts combine everything: cardio, strength-training, balance, and flexibility. Plus, 'outside' has no set hours, and no fee. You pick your own time and go."

Ready to make your workout green? Here are some easy ways to do it:

Head for the hills
See a hill when you're walking or running? Go for it. "Bumping up your workout routine improves your overall fitness level, and you'll see more results," says Nottingham.

Use rocks for weights
Do sets of bicep curls, shoulder presses, even back strengthening exercises. "Keep challenging yourself," warns Nottingham, "when exercise feels too comfortable, it's time to use bigger rocks."

Find environmental equipment
Use a park bench or a low tree branch for triceps dips. Or make a curb your substitute gym step with sets of step-ups.

Be a tree hugger 
Arbor Day is all about trees, so to celebrate, why not head to the park and find a few trees in a row? Then weave your way between them by walking, jogging or running, just like you would in an obstacle course. "A great exercise in agility, balance, and coordination," says Nottingham.

Give the car the day off
Consider walking to work. If your commute is too long, you might try biking, in-line skating, or jogging. Whatever method you choose, you can't go wrong. They're all great cardio workouts, and help reduce blood pressure, improve circulation, mobility, and, of course, burn calories.

Go green and clean
Looking for ways to take care of the environment and get active? Go to your local park and pick up litter. Incorporate a squat each time you bend down to pick up a piece of trash. At home, lunge your way back and forth from your recycling cans. Find more ways to incorporate activity throughout your day here.

For more on a host of "green" activities for Earth Day, go to www.earthday.org. 

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!!!!!!- from the The Earth Day Network Team

Today is Earth Day! Over one billion people in 192 countries – from Palau to Portugal to Paraguay – are taking action today to protect the environment. In Pakistan, Earth Day Pakistan is in the process of planting 50,000 trees today. In the Cayman Islands, 1,500 people are participating in a beach and reef clean-up. In Columbus, Ohio, volunteers are pulling invasive plants, cleaning up neighborhoods, and preparing gardens at over 1000 sites in the region. See what else is going on around the world for Earth Day here. It’s not too late to get involved! Attend a local Earth Day event, plant a tree, write to your elected officials, or simply commit to living more sustainably. Every little action counts. As people all around the world mobilize to protect the environment, each one represents a unique Face of Climate Change, so upload your photos and share your stories with the world. UPLOAD Together, these photos form a digital mosaic being updated in real-time and shown at thousands of Earth Day events. SEE THE DISPLAY Be sure to use the hashtag #FaceOfClimate to update the world about your Earth Day events. Your tweets will be featured alongside the photos. Today is a monumental day. Together, our efforts will serve as a call to action, sending a powerful message to the world. Happy Earth Day!                     -  The Earth Day Network Team

New Planets that could host life!- CNN article

Photo from CNN


On the eve(ish) of Earth Day we receive news that scientists have found other earth like planets. Now that can be something scary to some, as the unknown can always be a cause of fear, but I think we should be excited that there is likely other life and perhaps opportunity to learn how to care for our planet better! While these new planets are not likely vacation destinations (as they are soooooo incredibly far away) I still love the idea of more 'earths'!

Read below:

CNN- Scientists announced Thursday the discovery of three planets that are some of the best candidates so far for habitable worlds outside our own solar system -- and they're very far away.

NASA's Kepler satellite, which is keeping an eye on more than 150,000 stars in hopes of identifying Earth-like planets, found the trio.

Two of the planets -- Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f -- are described in a study released Thursday in the journal Science. They are part of a five-planet system in which the candidates for life are the farthest from the host star.

The host star -- the equivalent of Earth's sun -- takes the name Kepler-62, where the individual planets are designated by letters thereafter.

A third planet that's potentially habitable, but not included in the Science study, is called Kepler-69c. A study about it and its system is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

These are the smallest planets ever found in the "habitable zone," the area near a star in which a planet can theoretically hold liquid water. Kepler-69c seems less clearly in the habitable zone than the other two planets, but scientists haven't ruled it out.

"With all of these discoveries we're finding, Earth is looking less and less like a special place and more like there's Earth-like things everywhere," said Thomas Barclay, Kepler scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in Sonoma, California.

You won't be swimming on the planets anytime soon, though. The Kepler-62 star is 1,200 light-years away; Kepler-69 is 2,700 light-years away. A light-year, the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, is nearly 6 trillion miles.

To read more visit: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/us/planet-discovery/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Earth Day 2013

Well its been a while since I've posted, new job, new house, wedding, but its time to start talking about earth day 2013 and I couldn't miss that! While Jaden Smith may be doing a earth day/ canopy project message to promote a new movie, that doesn't really matter because it still increases awareness of the issues and a new movie may mean some new people to join the movement.

Watch Jaden Smith's message here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm1UtGqpyLU&feature=youtu.be
He asks that everyone plant a tree. That sounds simple. Now lets remember not an invasive species and preferably native. And to donate to help plant trees where they need them the most.
I have been participating in this campaign in my own small way for years. its easy and all it takes is a little time and sometimes money. But even if you don't have any extra cash it can be as simple as helping at a local garden or planting some acorns or even asking your neighbor if they have any spouts off their tree. (I've done this and it actually is a good conversation starter- I do it with flowers too).

I feel like this campaign is a great transition into Arbor day, another nature oriented day that comes on April 26th. For more info visit the arbor day foundation website (ps they run good sales on saplings around this time and I've had pretty good luck with them!).

For more information: http://www.earthday.org/2013/


* I also feel that i cannot post today without sending my prayers and thoughts for the people effected by the bombings in Boston yesterday. On the radio this morning, it was said that we should focus on those who ran towards the bombs to help people and that we need to remember that despite all the horror we have experienced as a nation that the good people still outnumber the bad. May people and the city recover and may those who inflicted this pain be brought to a swift justice.