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Yesterday I gave my review of An Inconvneient Truth, an excellent movie that outlines our current environmental crisis….global warming.

I hope that it made you think a little bit about what you can do to be a part of the solution. I know it made think about this deeply. There are many ways we can decrease our carbon dioxide emissions and here are just a few of them:

1. Drive a fuel efficient, hybrid, or electric car. Or reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible.
2. Consume less - Stop junk mail, buy recycled products, use reusable products.
3. Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs, unpug appliances when not in use.
4. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
5. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
6. Use energy efficient appliances.
7. Plant a tree to help absorb carbon dioxide.
8. Switch to green power.

This last item “switch to green power” may seem a bit daunting. Not many average folk have the resources to install a 20,000-40,000 solar energy system on their home. But what if you could afford it…wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity? Well, I have recently discovered something amazing. You can now afford solar energy in your home.

Yes, you can have an engineer come to your home and design a solar system for you that will provide enough energy to run your entire home in most circumstances. It will be installed for you and you do not need to worry about maintenance or upkeep. All of this can be had in exchange for a $500.00 secuirty deposit.

Okay I may have lost you there. I am sure you are thinking that this is not possible but I am happy to say that it is. I discovered this program to get solar energy for your home and it is really amazing.

This program packages solar power for you in a simple and smart way. Plainly put, the program pays for, installs, owns and operates the solar installation. You don’t have to worry about maintaining the equipment or any of the other concerns that come with making an investment into solar power. All you are required to do is pay for the electricity generated from these panels, at a fixed rate that is at or below your current electricity price, for as little as one year or as many as twenty-five years. Just take a look at some of the benefits that you would receive:

1. No upfront investment, no need to become a financial expert to justify your investment.
2. No waiting for rebates.
3. No headaches with the city and the utility; let them handle the engineering, procurement, and construction.
4. Performance-based contract means you only pay for what is delivered. And since the solar power you generate will reduce the need for electricity from your power company, your net payment should always be equal to, or less than, what you’re paying now.
5. Hassle-free operating and maintenance; it’s handled by the experts.
6. Actual hedge against future utility price increases: you can “lock in” your rates for the electricity generated from the solar system at your home for a period of up to twenty-five years, far longer than the guaranteed rates offered by other electricity providers.

But there is plenty more. Take the time to visit the site and learn more about clean solar power, how this program will benefit you, and how you can get started. Go ahead and take that step towards helping us provide a safer, cleaner more reliable electricity service for our world. I know I will be taking that step along with you. If you have ANY questions just drop me an email at admin@naturemoms.com.

AND if you want to do even more and perhaps help spread the word about this awesome opportunity you can find out more here. Be a part of the solution!

I have been remiss in not reviewing the movie An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary from Al Gore. I have to admit that even though I knew the importance of the message in this movie (aka Global Warming) I was a bit slow to watch this movie. I hope I can spur some of those other slow movers to go ahead and see it now!

Quite simply An Inconvenient Truth is astounding…in a good way. In the movie industry you often hear people refer to “feel good movies” and this movie is one of them. I watched it in my bedroom late after the kids were asleep and I had to contain myself from standing and clapping…giving my TV a standing ovation…periodically throughout the movie. This movie is so important that everyone MUST see it.

It brilliantly weaves the scientific evidence of the global warming problem with Al Gore’s personal story, including his decade’s long commitment to this topic and his efforts to make the government stand up and take notice. Not only are we touched by his stories we are alternately fascinated and horrified by the facts, studies, and statistics that he shares with us. The charts, graphs, statistics, and photographs that are shared with us leave no room for doubt regarding the reality (not “theory”) of global warming as Earth’s ultimate environmental crisis.

Sometimes it is surprisingly funny such as when Gore shows us a picture of a scale with the earth on one side and bars of gold on the other. It is so ridiculous that anyone would choose gold over the earth…our home…but many greedy corporations have done so and they are making that decision for all of us.

There were also times in the movie when you are outraged…such as when you see a clip of George Bush senior during his administration, talking about how environmentalism is being taken to an extreme and that we will soon be “neck deep in owls…and without any jobs for Americans.” This lack of common sense made me want to throw something at the TV.

Gore also poked fun several times (deservingly) at the current administration for incredulous decisions that have been made (crimes against nature really), such as the time when The Environmental Protection Agency published a detailed report on the current state of the environment. Well, the White House was given a chance to “edit” the EPA report before its publication, and administration officials — surprise, surprise — decided to remove the global warming information. One of those officials took the fall for this when it was discovered by the public and we get yet another surprise, one of the people Bush appointed to protect our environment went to work for a big oil company “again”. The film isn’t void of bias, but there could certainly have been a lot more. Gore showed much more restraint than I would have.

There were also moments in this movie that made me very sad. I remember one moment where I had to pause the DVD after a computer generated animation was shown of a polar bear swimming in a large expanse of ocean…searching for ice upon which to rest. Gore’s voice could be heard in the background informing us that scientists were now finding polar bears that had drowned…because they were searching in vain for a place to rest their weary bodies as the ice caps were melting away. As an animal lover I found this particularly hard to stomach…that global warming is killing these (and many other) beautiful animal species. It was difficult for me to watch.

But don’t worry…overall this movie contains not a message of despair but one of hope. Rather it motivates us all to rally together and protect the one earth that we all share. We must act “boldly, quickly, and wisely” Gore says. So see this film if you have not already and buy a copy or two for the skeptics you may know. We NEED to do something before it is too late to do anything. Hopefully, this film will one day be viewed as a historical document of the beginning of a great change.

P.S. And while your at it please stop by this petition site to send in your public comment to support listing polar bears as a “Threatened” species!

New Short film by creators of The Meatrix debuts today

Contact: Aimee Sands, Annie’s Homegrown, 707.254.3700 x103, asands@annies.com
Erica Priggen

Free Range Studios, 510.981.0353, erica@freerangestudios.com

NAPA, Calif., January 23, 2007 /Natural Newswire/ — Mouths of the world are uniting to take a stand against trans fats, artificial ingredients, GMOs and pesticides in a new short film by the director of the most-watched internet films of all time. Annie’s Homegrown, makers of delicious alternatives to traditional comfort foods, and Free Range Studios, creators of the Meatrix and Store Wars, have partnered to produce the Mouth Revolution, a new short film that touts the benefits of choosing organic foods, now screening at www.MouthRevolution.com.

The Mouth Revolution is a humorous 4.5-minute live-action film that parodies history and contemporary culture while informing viewers about the vital importance of eating real, organic foods. Narrated by revolutionary mouths who take it upon themselves to decide what they will and will not eat, personalities like “Sojourner Tooth” and “Captain Mouth” unveil their “Mouthifesto” — a Declaration of Indigestion that details their objectives and demands: No Trans Fats, No GMOs, No Pesticides, and No Artificial Ingredients.

“At Annie’s, we’re committed to offering delicious snacks and macaroni & cheese meals that don’t contain “weird stuff” like artificial ingredients, Trans fats or GMOs. We’re also dedicated to teaching people why they should choose natural and organic foods,” said John Foraker, CEO, Annie’s Homegrown. “The Mouth Revolution is a fun, lighthearted way to spread this message. We urge mouths everywhere to join the Mouth Revolution and take a stand in favor of eating Real Food!”

“Our on-line viral work is all about making complicated issues ‘digestible.’ Our first smash hit, the Meatrix, exposed the horrors of factory farming. Now we’re using live action video to show people how they can take control and eat healthy. If they don’t, their mouths will do it for them,” said Jonah Sachs, Co-founder and President, Free Range Studios.

Louis Fox, director of the video and Free Range Co-founder, adds, “we took that child’s game where you make a puppet out of your mouth by drawing eyes on your chin to and then amped it up all the way. We’re quite confident that the Mouth Revolution is the best upside-down mouth movie in cinema history!”

At the end of the film, viewers are invited to take action by learning more about each Moutifesto article. They’ll have the opportunity to learn more about Trans fats, GMOs, pesticides and artificial ingredients, and can connect with organizations who are working to change current legislation around these issues. Non-profit partners include Trans Free America, Campaign to Label GMOs, Pesticide Action Network and the Organic Consumers Association.

Viewers can also use Web 2.0 “Upload Your Mouth” technology to interact and join the Mouth Revolution community in their own creative way.

About Annie’s Homegrown
Napa, Calif.-based Annie’s Homegrown offers delicious, all-natural and organic alternatives to traditional comfort foods. Since Annie Withey founded the company in 1989, Annie’s has been dedicated to delivering great-tasting, easy-to-prepare products made with the highest-quality ingredients that are healthy for people and the planet. The company was the first to create and introduce organic macaroni & cheese, and now is the nation’s leading natural and organic macaroni & cheese brand. Annie’s Homegrown is a wholly owned subsidiary of Homegrown Naturals, Inc., a growing family of natural and organic brands that includes Annie’s Naturals, Fantastic World Foods and Consorzio. Annie’s Homegrown products are available nationwide at major grocery stores, natural food stores and club stores. For more information, visit www.Annies.com.

About Free Range Studios
Free Range is a 20-person company with offices in Washington, D.C. and Berkeley, CA. The company enables its clients, progressive non-profits and socially responsible businesses, to communicate key messages and empowers individuals to transform society through the innovative use of digital media, storytelling, graphic design and strategy.

The firm is guided by the co-founders Jonah Sachs and Louis Fox, two lifelong friends, along with McArthur, Free Range’s Vice President. Under their leadership, Free Range has become known for top-notch design, ground-breaking contributions to Internet viral marketing and interactive, educational web design, creative communication strategies and stellar customer service. Free Range’s work has been showcased at scores of film festivals including Sundance and South by Southwest, and has won numerous awards including a 2005 Webby.

Over the past seven years, Free Range has worked for hundreds of clients, representing the premier change-makers in the progressive social space including Heifer International, ACLU, Environmental Defense, Amnesty International, International Campaign For Tibet, Stonyfield Farms and Clif Bar.

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Today I was reading about the Worlds of Healthy Flavors Retreat, an invitation-only event held from January 18-21 in the beautiful Napa Valley, California at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus. I had never heard of this before but the motto for the event was: “Bringing together the best of world cooking and the latest in nutrition research.”

The retreat was attended by representatives from chain restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and volume food service. Basically, it was a who’s who of major culinary forces of the world. There were reps from diverse institutions ranging from McDonald’s to Whole Foods Market.

Here is a summary of what The Well Fed Network gleaned from the event:

Trans fats will someday not be a part of American food. It will be a tough, costly process to get there, but the momentum exists today to make it happen. One of the Harvard scientists referred to trans fats as “metabolic poison.”

Some corporations, such as Au Bon Pain, have led the charge to eliminate trans fats. Even using their best efforts, they are now only 87 percent trans fat free, with a goal of eliminating trans fats by May 2007.

After eliminating trans fats, nutrition scientists hope to reduce the amounts of refined starches and sugars in the American diet. Then reducing sodium consumption and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption are the next priorities.

The soft drink industry will likely be a target soon. They have been clearly linked to obesity and the risk of type 2 diabetes. If an individual drinks one or more sugar sweetened beverages, their risk of diabetes doubles.

There are signals of change showing up in the foodservice industry, but advocates of change must realize that corporations must have a sustainable business to deliver healthy food.
Research shows that the risks of consuming small amounts of mercury in fish are outweighed by the benefits of eating fish (pregnant women excepted). Farmed fish actually contain more uber-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than wild fish.

If Americans doubled their consumption of produce (which we would have to do in order to eat as much as we should be eating), there would not be enough vegetables to go around. More government funding for fruits and vegetables instead of big row crops like wheat, corn, soy and rice would help the problem.

Source

Great news! I got the results of my PET/CT scan and the results were terrific…I am cancer free! The nodules on my lungs are just normal wear and tear from pollutants (grrr) and they can see no cancer elewhere in my body so I am stoked.

Of course I will have many check up appointments and I need to get PET/CT scans every 3 months, colonoscopies every year, etc. but for the most part this chapter of my life is closed….almost. I have two more surgeries coming up including one on Monday to have my Port-A-Cath removed. The other will be a bit more major and will require a hospitalization but nothing is bringing my spirits down now.

Pardon me while I get back to doing my happy dance!

Remeber Erin’s post about the FDA getting ready to approve allowing milk, eggs and meat from cloned animals into our food supply and that there would be no required labeling on these products that are coming from cloned animals? Well here is another opportunity to do something baout his important issue.

Well the FDA is taking comments on this issue until April 2. Given that researchers do not understand many of the health problems that arise throughout the lifecycles of cloned animals, the FDA acted irresponsibly in assuming that the foods produced from these animals are safe for humans to eat. According to Ian Wilmut, the leader of the team of scientists that cloned the sheep Dolly, determining the health impacts of food derived from clones must be based on the animals’ complete health profiles. Such studies have not been done.

The Center for Food Safety has called on FDA to ban the use of clones in food production until the food safety and animal cruelty problems in cloning have been resolved, and until public discussions have addressed the troubling ethical issues that cloning brings. They also call on FDA, in the event that these pre-conditions can be met, to require labeling of food from animal clones.

Send a letter to the FDA

Send a letter to your local media

The picture below is from their web site and is pretty telling if you ask me. Yuck!

We are only a few days away from Valentine’s Day, so I have decided to start investigating eco-friendly gifts that couples can use to celebrate this day of love. Here are some of the great finds I have happened upon:

Recycled Glass Goblets

If you’re going to have a romantic date, bring out the wine glasses, but not just any ordinary ones. Surprise him /her with Recycled Glass Goblets from the Green Glass Company. The Green Glass Company recycles bottles and turns them into elegant goblets and tumblers. Green Glass Company does not melt to recycle, but uses a separation process that has won them international awards for their designs.

At left you see the Monaco Champagne Flute as blue as the Mediterranean Sea, these graceful flutes would no doubt have been used by the Phoenicians to toast their accomplishments had these been available. Made from the upper portion of the beautiful, hard-to-find Breganze bottle.

Green Glass, a company that converts empty, discarded bottles into elegant glassware, has established a North American manufacturing facility in Central Wisconsin. And the magical essence of its product is delighting trend setting consumers and corporate brand managers from Los Angeles to New York.

Inspired by an idea Mara Penrith had to turn bottles into glasses, the company is the brain child of entrepreneurs Sean Penrith and Philip Tetley; who hold a worldwide patent on the unique conversion process they invented. Green Glass currently manufactures about 25,000 goblets, tumblers and drinking glasses each month at its production facilities outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Organic Flowers

Conventionally grown flowers are often harmful to the environment and the workers involved with growing them. Most of the flowers commercially sold in the US are imported - half come from Columbia. Mostly due to low wages and little or complete absence of pesticide regulation. It’s disturbing to think that one woman’s present is another woman’s poison. Chemicals such as Methyl Bromide, Dursban, and even DDT are applied to flowers - but they don’t just stay on the plants. These chemicals drift out, end up on the clothes of workers, enter the groundwater, contaminate food sources, end up in their children’s bloodstream and that of wildlife. These chemicals cause cancer, birth defects, and even neurological problems. Organic Bouquet was formed in January 2001 with the goal to establish the national market for organic flowers. They have accomplished this by encouraging both small and large flower growers to initiate organic production while creating widespread trade and consumer awareness of the need for organic flowers. Their ultimate goal is to protect the environment and improve farm worker safety by eliminating millions of pounds of toxic pesticides from agricultural usage.

I am not big on getting flowers myself but some gals just love to get flowers so Organic Bouquet is a great option. They also sell organic chocolates. Order before February 1st to lock in the best prices.

Chocolate Lover’s Gift Basket

Fair Trade chocolates to satisfy the most discriminating taste. A Natural Hand-woven Kaisa Grass Basket from Bangladesh is filled with:

Three Art Bar Chocolate Bars

Choice of two Divine Chocolate Bars

Two Equal Exchange Chocolate Bars

Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic Hot Cocoa Mix

Dark Chocolate covered Java Drops from Dean’s Beans

Dagoba Choco Drops

Choose Recycled Gift Packaging for your basket to arrive wrapped in 100% biodegradable cellophane with a ribbon.

Sweetheart Gift Basket

Introducing the latest Global Exchange gift basket, lovingly created for your someone special. This thoughtful collection of Fair Trade goodies is the perfect way to say I love you.

A Natural Handwoven Kaisa Grass Basket from Bangladesh is filled with:

Choose Recycled Gift Packaging for your basket to arrive wrapped in 100% biodegradable cellophane with a ribbon, as pictured on right.

Voltaic Solar Bags

Does the special man or woman in your life have high tech gadgets? The Voltaic solar bags are mobile power generators, designed to charge your devices without tying you to a power outlet, which makes them ideal for traveling.

Just plug a standard car charger into the bag and recharge most small electronic devices including: cell phones, cameras, two way radios, PDA’s, and MP3s. Note: it is not designed to charge laptops.

If you don’t have a car charger, the bags come with a set of 11 standard adaptors for common cell phones and other devices. We also offer a full range of optional adaptors.

Embedded in the outside of the bags are three lightweight, tough, waterproof solar panels which generate up to 4 watts of power. This means quicker charge times!

Included with each bag is a Li Ion battery pack which stores any surplus power generated, so it is available when you need it not just when the sun is up. The battery pack can also be charged using an AC travel charger or car charger (both included). This makes the Voltaic bags just as useful on the grid as off.

Lumia Organic Candles

Candles are essential for setting up a romantic evening of dining, intimate massages or candle lit bubble baths. And what busy couple doesn’t need a romantic evening every now and then? A gift set of non-gmo soy candles from Lumia Organic will help you and your partner get one step closer to that long awaited romantic night in a much more environmentally friendly way. Lumia Organic produces candles achieving the highest standards for clean burning organic wax, pure essential oils, natural colors, and cotton wicks. Their most popular candle, Tall Crackle Glass Candle-scented Cinnamon spice burns for 120 hours.

From the Lumia web site: “Our motto is From Organic Farms to You. Organic Soybeans grown by organic farmers are harvested and crushed to make Certified Organic Soy Oil. We use this to make our Organic Soy Wax. We then blend in and hand pour other Organic Waxes to make your Organic Candle. Organic Candles benefit you and organic farmers. The farms that produce the raw agricultural materials for our wax must observe sustainable organic practices. We visit the farmers who raise these crops and let them know how important it is for us and our customers to be able to trust them. They care for their land and water. They produce organic crops. We let them know we are developing a new market for organic agriculture. We strive to maintain our consciousness of everything that goes into our products. Lumia is the leader in making Organic Non-GMO wax for candles.

For the last four years, Reusable Bags has been fighting hard to spread the word on the massive over-consumption of plastic shopping bags and have made a significant impact — inspiring hundreds of news stories, empowering individuals with practical tools and supporting grassroots activists. Recent endorsements in An Inconvenient Truth and others provide testament to the impact we are making.

Since their inception, they have grown and expanded their mission to provide consumers with additional “reusables” - smart, practical solutions that enable people to consume less, preserve natural resources and save money too. You can get stylish reusable bags and bottles for all occasions such as the Built NY lunch tote and Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles. They make great practical gifts for your loved ones!

The Veg Sex Shop is happy to introduce you to a special collection of hot vegan and natural sensual wares. They carry condoms, dams, latex gloves, a variety of lubes, massage oils, books, lip balm, rubber whips, and quality silicone toys. VSS is the first and only adult site that features only vegan and vegetarian models. This store run by a vegan woman, and every effort is made to bring you the best selection of quality sensual products that are free from animal testing and animal byproducts.

If you decide to wrap a gift this Valentine’s Day don’t forget to wrap it green. Take a look at the paper Paporganics carries. Their organic cotton paper, hemp blend paper, recycled papers, envelopes and biodegradable ribbons are more than enough to wrap up your gifts with love and peace of mind. See Green Gift Wrap Here

Thinking of painting your house or doing a spot of DIY? Well I was and I was searching the net looking for a good deal and I came across organic and eco paints. My first thought was how can paint be organic? Isnt that for vegetables?

I did some more research and found that the term organic can be a highly misleading term when applied to paint so many companies dont use it and tend to use the term eco or natural instead. Unlike the food and textile industry, there is currently no legally defined standard or recognised certification scheme in place for organic paints just like soap pods (what are soap pods I hear you ask?).

It is possible for some organically grown plants to be utilised in the manufacture of some of the natural paints and to obtain organic pigments from some plants and insects, but these are not ideally suited to use in paint because they tend to fade.

It has been found that ingredients such as the sol vents, acrylics and acrylic softeners used in most conventional paints are hazardous both to health and the environment as paints consist essentially of pigments (the colourant), the binding agent (which binds the colourant to the surface) and of solvents, (which keep the paint in suspension until applied). As the paint dries the solvent evaporates and leaves the dried paint on the surface. This process is the same with all paints.

But as the paint begins to dry, components called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air causing toxic air pollution (that nasty smell) and increasing your chances of becoming chemically sensitive. These and other chemical compounds can cause chest complaints, aggravate allergies, contribute to the greenhouse effect and pollute the environment.

Most paint manufacturers set out to make a paint that is non toxic and doesnt give off VOCs so it will be a safe paint for humans as well as environmentally safe. Unfortunately, research has found that most organic paints and components release VOCs.

The vital difference between conventional paint and eco/natural paints lies in using as many eco friendly and natural ingredients as possible as pigments, binding agents and solvents.

People should also look to buy paints made in their own country as not only does it reduce the pollution caused by the transport of the end products and sometimes the raw materials, it also supports a more local approach to buying goods and services.

by Davinos Greeno
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Author info: Davinos Greeno works for the organic and ethical directories that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have Organic Articles for you to read