News Roundup

From the Christian Science Monitor:

First bicyclist union in Canada.

"Borrow a Muslim" from a living library.

Environmentally conscious reason to "Just Say No".

From the Gaurdian:

Genetically modified crops will not solve food crisis.

From Ode Magazine:

Former nun takes on Ecuadorian gang and wins.

Carbon farming fights global warming.

From Mother Jones:

Can greed be green?

The Real Bee Movie

The Vanishing of The Bees is an upcoming documentary about Colony Collapse Disorder and how it affects bees and humans alike...

News Roundup

A bunch of recent-ish stories I've been meaning to post for a while...

Ode Magazine:

The ins and outs of Eco-Tourism

An overview of the friendlier, funnier "New Activism"

Earth-Friendly Fast-Food?

Christian Science Monitor:

Using bikes instead of trucks for transport.

Why organic farming is good for Africa

"Just how 'green' is that shirt?"

Mapping Organic Brand Ownership

The folks at Skyome.net took the data of Dr. Phil Howard, who has been tracking corporate ownership of organic brands for several years, and consolidated it into a fascinating time lapse animation. Check it out HERE.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the fantastic new book from Barbara Kingsolver, author of the Poisonwood Bible. It tells the story of her family's attempt to only eat locally grown food for a year while living in the mountains of Virginia. Not only does she tell the story of planting, growing, and finding her food, but her husband and daughter get in the act as well supplying in-depth sidebar information on the issues and recipes as well. Anyone with a budding interest in where their food comes from (and happily that number seems to be rapidly growing here in the US) should read this book. It's a fantastic primer for the gamut of issues surrounding food production/distribution, but it's also totally readable, a rare and pleasant combination which I've also found in the books of Michael Pollan. You can get a preview of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle as well as access to all the recipes it contains at the book's website HERE. But definitely consider picking up a copy of the actual book at your local independent book store.

Michael Pollan in NYT on "Sustainability"

A recent New York Times article by Michael Pollan (author of The Ominivore's Dilemma) questions the sustainability of our current agriculture system and even the definition of the word itself:

The word “sustainability” has gotten such a workout lately that the whole concept is in danger of floating away on a sea of inoffensiveness. Everybody, it seems, is for it whatever “it” means. On a recent visit to a land-grant university’s spanking-new sustainability institute, I asked my host how many of the school’s faculty members were involved. She beamed: When letters went out asking who on campus was doing research that might fit under that rubric, virtually everyone replied in the affirmative. What a nice surprise, she suggested. But really, what soul working in agricultural science today (or for that matter in any other field of endeavor) would stand up and be counted as against sustainability? When pesticide makers and genetic engineers cloak themselves in the term, you have to wonder if we haven’t succeeded in defining sustainability down, to paraphrase the late Senator Moynihan, and if it will soon possess all the conceptual force of a word like “natural” or “green” or “nice.”

Read the entire article HERE.

via Treehugger
Thanks Scott!

Word of the Year: Locavore

The Oxford American Dictionary recently announced "Locavore" as its Word of The Year for 2007. By way of explanation the Oxford University Press blog notes:

The past year saw the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.

The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.

Find out the runners-up HERE.

Thanks Mim!
via NYT LEDE blog

News Roundup

Sorry for the long quiet from me, I've got a bunch to post and hope to be updating more frequently in the coming weeks. First off some news clippings I've been collecting...

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Ethiopians tradmarking coffee to ensure Fair Trade.

Eating "green" at environmentally friendly restaurants.

Study finds White House manipulated climate science.

Africa begins banning plastic bags.

Free Rice

FreeRice adds a new twist to the one-click activism sites like The Breast Cancer Site. Not only does it allow you to donate rice to the United Nations World Food Programme, but it's also a vocabulary improvement game. Each word you get right is equivalent to 10 grains of donated rice (paid for by advertisers on the site). The site is a project of Poverty.com.

Thanks Nev!

King Corn Trailer

King Corn looks like it will be an excellent companion to the book Omnivore's Dilemma. Watch the trailer here...



Thanks Chris!

News Roundup

Getting caught up here from a very busy spell, I have lots to post, plus it's Blog Action Day so definitely want to get some environmental links out there. Here's a smattering to start you off...

From the Christian Science Monitor:
Amazon Farmers work with Corporations to Save the Forest
New Yorkers Using Biodiesel for Heating

From Ode Magazine:
Sesame Street working for Middle East Peace
Organic Agriculture CAN Feed The World
How Hospitals Make You Sick

From Mother Jones:
The Problem with Plastics (including a handy chart for your fridge)

FDA fights natural sweetener

A recent Organic Consumers Association article outlines the attempt by the FDA to prevent US consumers from having access to products containing stevia, a natural herb that is a healthy alternative to artificial sweeters for people who can't consume sugar. Claiming that research data is inconclusive the FDA has already requested that Celestial Seasonings stop selling their stevia sweened items.

According to the American Herbal Products Association, "Stevia leaf is a natural product that has been used for at least 400 years as a food product, principally as a sweetener or other flavoring agent. None of this common usage in foods has indicated any evidence of a safety problem. There are no reports of any government agency...indicating any public health concern whatsoever in connection with the use of stevia in foods."

Read more here.

Planting Peace

Planting Peace is a handy new resource from the folks at the Organic Consumers Association. It collects news stories about the intersection of the anti-war, environmental, and organic activist communities in an attempt to forge a better alliance between the groups.

How The Food Industry Is Deceiving You

The first of a five-part series (that appears to be from 2004) called "How The Food Industry Is Deceiving You" created by Peter Jennings...



Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

via Mercola.com

Vegetarianism vs. Global Warming

A recent New York Times article "Trying to Connect the Dinner Plate to Climate Change" discusses how a U.N. report from last year which stated that commercial livestock produced more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined, is being used by animal rights groups to further their cause:

"When that report came out, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other groups expected their environmental counterparts to immediately hop on the 'Go Veggie!' bandwagon, but that did not happen. 'Environmentalists are still pointing their fingers at Hummers and S.U.V.’s when they should be pointing at the dinner plate,' said Matt A. Prescott, manager of vegan campaigns for PETA."

Read the entire article HERE.

Thanks Jenny!

Food Fight!

The Farm Bill Food Battle site, gives information on the current plan to revise the allocation of food subsidies in the US and encourages folks to support a fair Bill (rather than one that focuses on giant agribusinesses). Which side of the battle are you on?...

Open Source Restaurants?

In a move rare in the commercial restaurant arena the UK based Pret a Manger chain, which sells preservative-free foods is now offering it's recipes to the public...for free. Download a wide selection of soups, sandwiches, and deserts here.

Thanks Mica!

New York Times on the Problem with Organic Certification

A recent New York Times article "How to Add Oomph to 'Organic'" talks about the dismal reality of the current organic certification program:

THE organic industry has gone wild in the last decade, but you wouldn’t know it at the Department of Agriculture. Despite year after year of double-digit growth, organics receive a pittance in financing and staff attention at the department, which is responsible for writing regulations about organics and making sure that they are upheld.

The National Organic Program, which regulates the industry, has just nine staff members and an annual budget of $1.5 million. A Florida real estate developer named Maurice Wilder received more than that in farm subsidies in 2005, some $1,754,916, to be exact, according to a subsidy database maintained by the Environmental Working Group.

Read the entire article here (login required).

The truth about Ronald McDonald.

This image has been around for a while, but I just ran into it the other day, and it's satisfying to me on so many levels. I wonder what Miss McDonald has been up to this last couple of years.

via DieYoungAndSaveYourself

Going Local

A few nice articles about the local food movement have come out recently:

From the Christian Science Monitor: More Restaurants Going Green by Going Local

and an entire section in Plenty (written by my friend Tracie McMillan):
Local Food Movement Hits Urban America which includes...

• Motor City Harvest
• One Stop Shop
• Not Your Average Turnip Truck
• A Zucchini Grows in Brooklyn
• Mapping Out Meals

Corporate Organics

If you like to eat packaged natural foods that aren't produced by mega-industrial food corporations your choices are getting slimmer. Download the latest PDF of the Organic Industry Structure chart via the Organic Consumers Association to see which of the top 25 North America food processors now own Boca, Horizon, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, Walnut Acres, Celestial Seasonings, and most other well known "organic" brands.

Conversely you can see which are the few brands that still remain independent here (PDF).

"Hugo Me": Supersize is Back

McDonald's, which dropped their "Supersize" range of jumbo products, shortly after the documentary "Super Size Me" came out, in an effort to address concerns about rising obesity rates, has now introduced the "Hugo" a 42oz 410 calorie soda. A recent New York Times article on the McDonalds about-face quotes a representative defending the summertime only product saying: “People, I believe, tend to drink more during the summer. People are out and about.”

Read the full article here.

via StayFree!

11 US Food Companies agree to limit advertising to kids

In an ongoing shift in the way corporations market to kids, 11 major US food and drink companies have agreed to adopt new rules restricting the use of cartoon/TV/movie characters to sell their products to children. The businesses, which represent 2/3rds of kids TV food advertising will only use popular characters on their "healthier options". This change comes just ahead of a Federal Trade Commission hearing, which was to focus on increased pressure on corporations to address growing obesity problems among children.

Get more details in the AP article here.

Wolfgang Puck wants animals to be happy.

World-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck writes in a recent Newsweek article about his growing interest in animal welfare (as well as promotion of organic non-GMO food and reduced reliance on disposable packaging!):

I've been thinking a lot lately about how it's up to chefs like me to help everyone stay healthy. It's not just about reducing obesity and diabetes, though that's obviously a priority. It's about getting every one of us to eat the right foods. That means buying produce from responsible farmers who grow fruits and vegetables that aren't covered with pesticides or genetically modified. It means getting meat from ranchers who not only shun the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, but also raise their animals humanely in a free-roaming environment. I'm not going soft, or, heaven forbid, vegan. I'm just trying to be more accountable to myself, my customers and to those who are farming responsibly. And if it means being nicer to animals along the way, well, that's a big bonus.

Read the entire article here.

Thanks Mica!

Tsunami Orphan Music Video?

Actually these are the credits for a new documentary AmmA, about orphans in Sri Lanka, which is in its final stages. To find out more at Simba Share.

Foodometer

Watch Your (Fo)odometer is a succinct video explanation of the benefits of eating locally by artist Molly Schwartz. It accompanies an essay on fast food by Donna Schaper on TheNation.com.


Thanks Jessica!

Cereal Killer

According to a recent New York Times article Kellogg will begin phasing out marketing unhealthy cereals to children under 12 over the next year and a half. Having tie-ins with licensed characters will be limited to healthier cereals as well. The self-imposed changes follow the threat of a lawsuit from the Center for Science in The Public Interest and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The plans for a lawsuit have now been dropped. From the article:

Susan Linn, the co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said Kellogg’s decision to stop using licensed characters on sugary food was particularly significant. “Until now the industry has absolutely dug in their heels,” Ms. Linn said.

In the last several years, health officials have repeatedly warned that the steady stream of food ads aimed at children is contributing to the number of overweight or obese children, which has soared over the last four decades.

Some countries have banned advertising of nutritionally questionable food to children altogether, and some members of Congress have suggested that federal regulation may be needed in the United States, too. The food industry has promised to bolster its own self-regulation.

Read the entire article here.

via Consumerist

Spotted in Washington, DC: Rap Snacks

I went up to DC last week to attend the Socially Responsible Business of Washington (SBNOW) 2007 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Symposium. On my way back to the train station I spotted this bag of "Honey Dew" flavored Rap Snacks at a street vendor.
From the bag I learned that:
A. Rap Snacks are "The Official snack of Hip Hop"
B. Rappers don't like Trans Fats (though are apparently fine with a host of preservatives, artificial colors and MSG.)
and
C. Reading is fundamental (though there was no elaboration on this point).

Farmers' Market(ing)

One of the things I do when I'm not running Another Limited Rebellion (the design studio AND blog) is help coordinate SPROUT a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Group that I founded. SPROUT provides organizational, administrative, and marketing services to small organic farms and/or gardens that are interested in starting a CSA, but either don’t have the time or resources to do so themselves.

Community Supported Agriculture is a form of mutual partnership between farmers and consumers. Rather than go through several layers of middle people, consumers make a commitment to directly support an individual farm by providing money (and sometimes labor) for their yearly operating budget. In exchange they receive a dividend of the freshest produce possible. Each supporter buys a “share” of the farm (not unlike a share of stock) and takes on some of the risks and benefits of growing food along with the farmer. CSA’s are a unique way for people to have a better knowledge of the food they put in their bodies and the process, people & land it takes to produce it.

This season SPROUT is partnering with Victory Farms, Inc., a small family run farm, which relocated from Phoenix, Arizona to Hanover, VA.

You can out more about CSA's via the Robyn VanEn Center at Wilson College, find a CSA in your area at Local Harvest, or if you're in the vicinity of Richmond, VA please consider joining SPROUT this season, an application can be downloaded here (PDF).

Chocolate Activism

Pressured by large corporate manufacturers, the FDA is considering changing the legal definition of chocolate to allow artificial ingredients and fat substitute to replace the classic ingredients. The Don't Mess With Our Chocolate campaign, hosted on the family owned chocolate company Guittard's server, is the leading the charge to protect consumers from disingenuous packaging. Read more and register your comments with the FDA (you have until June 25th) at DontMessWithOurChocolate.com.

Thanks Mica!

Vegetable Weapons

Love these photographs of women holding guns made from the vegetables in their favorite recipes by Japanese artist Tsuyoshi Ozawa.

Afterwards the dish is cooked and shared by the artist and subject.

Additional images here, here, here, and here.


via Sum1

Steven Colbert on rBGH

Steven Colbert's take on the recent flap over labeling of products using Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is, as usual, right on target...



via Treehugger, thanks Melinda!

Fast Food Reality

We all know that ads lie, still it's fun to have such a dramatic illustration as the Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality page.

My favorite image has to be the Filet-O-Fish that defies styling and looks just as bad in ads as it does in real life!

Thanks Mica!

Irradiated = Pasteurized says FDA.

According to a recent AP article the FDA is once again considering relaxing the labeling of foods which have been irradiated. Under their new proposal some irradiated foods could just be labeled as pasteurized or even alternate terms, which could be petitioned for by manufacturers. Jeff Barach, vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association, was quoted as saying “We have long argued that the use of the term irradiation or radiation has such a negative impact on the consumer that it basically acts as a warning label.” However:

The FDA acknowledges in the proposed rule that allowing alternative ways of describing irradiation could confuse consumers: “Research indicates that many consumers regard substitute terms for irradiation to be misleading,” the proposal reads in part.

Read the entire article here.