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Whoaaa! There is a lot of news today on the global warming issue. I am so pleased to see this information getting the attention it deserves. Here are some of the news items I found this morning:

More than 120 scientists across seven federal agencies say they have been pressured to remove references to “climate change” and “global warming” from a range of documents, including press releases and communications with Congress. Roughly the same number say appointees altered the meaning of scientific findings on climate contained in communications related to their research. Source

After years of languishing on Capitol Hill, efforts to curb global warming have picked up momentum, powered by a growing bipartisan belief that climate change can no longer be ignored. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has declared it a top priority for the House. Presidential candidates from both parties call it one of the biggest issues faced by the next occupant of the White House. Even President Bush, long a skeptic, is sounding the alarm. Source

Global warming could turn Australia’s Great Barrier Reef into a wasteland of bleached coral in 25 years, says a scientific report leaked yesterday. The extraordinary diversity of marine life found on the 1,200-mile-long reef could be little more than a memory for future generations unless the emission of greenhouse gases is curbed, it says. Source

Many people are falling prey to cancer due to increased stress, strain, and unhealthy eating habits, according to a recent study by the National Academy of Naturopathy.

Many dietary remedies for human ailments have been known for centuries, and an increasing number of nutritional scientists have been conducting studies that validate these traditional remedies. Additionally, naturopaths around the world are recommending organic food for detoxification of cancer cells.

Fresh foods are cancer fighting because they contain live enzymes that act as a catalyst for detoxification. Cabbage increases the metabolism of estrogen and is useful in fighting colon cancer, while carrot juice acts as an antidote to lung cancer. Beet juice has cancer fighting properties, as it is rich in sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper, vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6 and niacin.

Citrus juices like lemon, orange, and grapefruit are used as anticancer compounds; studies also show that spinach, lettuce, and broccoli juice act as antioxidants. Wheat bran decreases estrogen in the blood, wheat grass juice repairs damaged cells in leukemia patients. Spirulina, a species of blue-green algae used in juices to boost nutritional value, increases cancer-fighting substances in the body. Spirulina is 60% all-vegetable protein, rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin B-12 and GLA, a rare essential fatty acid. Cancer patients also are advised to eat fiber-rich foods like bran, oats, barley, legumes, carrots, beets, turnips, leafy vegetables, and cabbage.

All these vegetables and fruit juices inhibit the growth of cancer. So eat up!

I was in Sprouts Farmer’s Market today looking at the different organic cooking oils they had and it got me thinking that I am not very educated about what cooking oils are best for different dishes. I was also not sure which oils were the best as far as health is concerned. So I decided to do a little research to make some sense of it. Here is what I found:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The benefits - High in monounsaturated fats, lowers bad cholesterol levels while raising the good.

Uses - Salad dressings and drizzled over cooked dishes for flavor.

Canola Oil

The benefits - Rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. High in monounsaturated fats. Mild flavor and can withstand high heats.

Uses - Sauteing, frying, and baking.

Sesame Oil

The benefits - Rich in monounstaurated fats and polyunsaturated fats. May help lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and increase good cholesterol. Rich nutty flavor and high heat tolerance.

Uses - Asian flavored dressing and marinades or stir-fries.

Coconut Oil

The benefits - Virgin coconut oil may actually reduce bad cholesterol despite its high saturated fat content. Read more about the benefits of coconut oil.

Uses - A butter substitute in baking. I also use coconut oil for making pancakes and waffles.

Walnut Oil

The benefits - High in polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. A bold delicious flavor.

Uses - Sauces, dressings, or a finishing oil.

Tip! - To extend the shelf life of oils store them in your refrigerator.

I just finished reading a wonderful book today titled EcoVillage at Ithaca. The Ecovillage is a real place in Ithaca, New York…an intentional community with a focus on sustainable living.

This engrossing book draws the reader into the midst of a village that includes cohousing neighborhoods, small-scale organic farming, land preservation, green building, alternative energy projects and hands-on education.

The story is told by Liz Walker, who has been involved with Ecovillage at Ithaca since its conception. Not only does she share the joys and benfits of creating their own community or villiage, she talks about the sruggles and conflicts inherent in any community endeavor.

Basically Liz and another founder decided to build an intentional community that would bring people together under the common cause of helping the environemnt and building a community of loving, caring individuals to enrich the lives of all. Through a series of complicated events the founding community members band together and buy 175 acres of land just outside of Ithaca. They build the first community of 30 houses (nicknamed FROG), a common house, an organic garden and CSA program, farm structures, and eventually a second community of houses and an educational center.

The community grows, eating several meals a week together in the common house, meeting weekly and monthly to ensure the community needs are met, and working shifts in a variety of volunteer community positions. Carpools and car-sharing programs are formed, businesses are started, educational opportunites are arranged with local colleges, and government grants allow for projects such as habitat restoration.

I was amazed by this book. The enthusiasm of the writer, Liz Walker is infectious and I walked away planning a trip to Ithaca to visit this community and dream of a day when circumstances might permit me to join such a community.

This book is also a shining example of community taking charge of important environmental issues by adopting a lifestyle that put issues like organic and local foods, sustainable living, permaculture, water conservation, habitat resotoration, and living in harmony with the land at the forefront of their lives. This book is a must read!

No one knows if former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will return to politics, but he’s definitely headed for Hollywood’s red carpet, thanks to his climate change documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

“Truth,” a big-screen adaptation of Gore’s slide-show lecture calling for urgent action to curb man-made greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming, was nominated for an Oscar on Tuesday as a best documentary feature.

I am thrilled! I hope he wins.

Read more

By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer

There’s nothing like a tender steak from a free-range, grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, organic and — oh, yes — cloned cow.

Or is there?

That’s a question being raised by scientists, activists and government bureaucrats since the Food and Drug Administration concluded in December that meat and milk from cloned animals should be allowed on the market.

In the opinion of some in the biotechnology arena, the federal definition of organic food would allow them to label food from clones as organic, as long as those clones were raised organically.

“My interpretation is that it’s not excluded at this time,” said Barbara Glenn, chief of animal biotechnology at the Washington-based Biotechnology Industry Organization.

But the mere thought that a clone might earn the coveted organic label makes even the most mild-mannered foodies rabid.

“Over my dead body,” said Margaret Mellon, director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy organization in Washington.

“I think it’s unbelievable,” said restaurateur Nora Pouillon, proprietress of the Nora and Asia Nora restaurants and Washington’s doyenne of organic cookery.

“It’s like putting artificial apples in an apple pie,” said Joseph Mendelson III, legal director of the Center for Food Safety, a consumer group in Washington that has petitioned the government to more strictly regulate the sale of clone products for human consumption. “People would consider that a downright violation of the American way.”

Officials at the Agriculture Department, which oversees the definition and certification of organic food, say the question will not be fully settled until it is considered by an advisory panel, perhaps by this spring. At that meeting, they predict, opponents will probably win, and the term “organic clone” will join the ranks of word pairs that simply do not belong together.

But nothing is ever certain in the federal rulemaking process. And a look at the USDA’s legal definition of “organic” shows how tough it can be to regulate a science that is changing almost as fast as ink dries in the Federal Register.

The Agriculture Department spent years crafting a definition of “organic,” integrating the advice of a record-breaking 50,000-plus public comments. But even after all that, said USDA spokesman Jerry Redding, the issue of clones “really never came up internally or externally until the FDA made its announcement about cloned animals being safe.”

Read more…

I just ran across a hilarious YouTube video about GM food. It is a good laugh if you have a second.

Important! Read this before you buy any cosmetics or personal care products that contain protein or amino acids!

MSG may be hidden in your cosmetics and personal care products. If you know you’re sensitive to MSG, you may be avoiding it in your food but still noticing MSG-type reactions and not know where they’re coming from.

Do you ever get a headache or notice other unpleasant symptoms when you put on your makeup, shampoo your hair or wash your face? Have you ever wondered why? Or do you just shrug it off and pop a pill to mask the symptoms? Maybe you just grin and bear it and don’t give any thought to the fact that there might be a relationship between the product you’re using and the symptoms you’re feeling.

If you try to avoid MSG in your food, just because you believe it’s harmful, you may be surprised to know that MSG is found in more than food. It can be found in your cosmetics and personal care products, like makeup, soap, shampoo and conditioner. You may also be getting a dose of MSG in your daily vitamin supplements. Over-the-counter and prescription medications may also contain it, as well as vaccines that are given to your children.

MSG sensitivity is commonly referred to as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome because it’s frequently used in Chinese foods and many people experience symptoms like headaches, dizziness and sweating after eating Chinese food.

MSG is short for monosodium glutamate. It also applies to processed free glutamic acid, which is glutamic acid that has been freed from protein through a manufacturing process or fermentation. MSG is a neurotoxin. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and the placental barrier and excites nerve cells to death. If you’re pregnant, it may even affect your unborn baby.

Even if you’re not sensitive to MSG, these are good reasons to avoid it.

How do you know if MSG is in the products you use?

First of all, you have to read the label. Not just the front of the label that tells you what the manufacturer wants you to believe about the product, but the ingredients list on the back of the label. You know, that tiny print that’s often so small and in a color that blends in with the label that it’s almost impossible to read. The more difficult it is to read, the more important it is for you to read it. Carry a magnifying glass with you and make sure you read every label of every product … BEFORE you buy. Dying To Look Good is a book that will help you read labels and choose healthy products.

Look out for these ingredients that are hidden sources of MSG:

hydrolyzed proteins
amino acids
yeast extract
nayad (potent yeast extract)
glutamic acid
glutamates

MSG may also be in or be the result of:

processed proteins
enzymes
carrageenan

These are the hidden sources of MSG that are most likely to be found in cosmetics and personal care products. There are many more ingredients that are hidden sources or potential hidden sources of MSG. You can find more information on MSG at truthinlabeling.org.

MSG is not the only ingredient that you need to watch out for in your skin care products. There are many harmful ingredients in the cosmetics and personal care products on the market today. Some are even known to cause cancer. Make sure that the products you use on your skin contain safe and healthy ingredients because what you put on your skin can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream and affect your health.

© 2007 Christine H. Farlow, D.C., “The Ingredients Investigator” and author of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. Dr. Farlow has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. Learn more about the safety of ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products and find healthy products at www.dyingtolookgood.com.