The polluting of the Gulf of Mexico by the still-spewing oil disaster is just the latest of our assaults on the region. Did you know that for part of every year, the area near the Mississippi River delta has been so poisoned by agricultural and industrial contaminants that it is literally called the Dead Zone? And that was BEFORE the recent spill. There are hundreds of Dead Zones around the world that ebb and flow with the seasons, but this may set a record as a Dead Gulf. What can you do? Choose organic food as often as you possibly can. Plant a fruit tree, grow some tomatoes in a pot – join the growing crowd of urban farmers who are starting to take back the ancient human art of growing food.
You may recall the term “gleaning” from your Sunday school or temple classes. Gleaning means going out into the fields after the reapers have harvested the crop, and picking up grain or produce that was left behind. Biblical growers would sometimes leave extra on purpose, so that their poorer neighbors would not go hungry. Nowadays, gleaning is back, as kindly folks let groups like Second Harvest come to their land to collect apples and other foods that would otherwise go to waste. Marin Organics, an association of organic producers and businesses, has a gleaning program that in 2009 collected 200 boxes of carrots, greens, potatoes, and strawberries which were donated to schools and needy families.
[news from the Marin organic newsletter 4/16/10; website at marinorganic.com]
No, not the bookstore – the edges around farm fields. Organic and sustainable farmers have long known the value of hedgerows around fields – they allow habitat for wildlife, improve water quality, and offer homes for pollinators. Recent food safety scares have caused some places to blame hedgerows, but we think that’s like blaming the rooster for sunrise. Food safety comes with fewer toxins, better inspections, and cleaning up the meat supply. (FYI: I don’t eat meat myself, and you might not either if you knew about the cruelty and filth involved). Anyway, we congratulate the Wild Farm Alliance for encouraging border planting on farms.
Did you know that “San Francisco was the first (and still the only) major US city to implement an across-the-board ban on plastic bags?… Los Angeles is banning plastic bags starting July 2010 until California manages to implement a statewide plan to charge a fee to those who request plastic bags.”
Every time I go to the grocery store now, I either carry out the few groceries I purchase or am sure to bring my reusable shopping bags. The detrimental effects run through my mind now that I have been informed. Plastic bags are not biodegradable, and are harmful to the environment since they’re petroleum-based.
Please help participate in cutting down the use of plastic and paper bags and bring your own!!
(Info from: “Americans go through some 92 Billion disposable bags each Year” Kate Ter Haar) www.worldwatch.org
Did you know that the average US consumer eats about 89 lbs of chicken a year? Shouldn’t you be concerned to know that these chickens are being fed with an arsenic based drug?
In a recent article “Arsenic and Old Studies” found the Environmental Magazine, it informs that chickens are being fed “growth-promoting feed with “roxarsone,” an arsenic-based drug fed to an estimated 70% of the U.S. broiler (meat) chickens.” Since there are two sides to every story, there is a concern that “if roxarsone is banned, advantages in animal health and welfare, food safety and environment sustainability would be sacrificed,” according to Richard Lobb, director of communications for the industry trade group, the Nation Chicken Council. On the other hand, it has been discovered that “inorganic arsenic in drinking water has been linked to liver, kidney, lung, bladder, and skin cancer,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has also heavily impacted the Prairie Grove residents who can’t escape these poisonous chickens who have caused their cancer and other major health issues.
You can help this battle by cutting back on chicken consumption and by being aware of what you eat.
For the full article, Arsenic and Old Studies from the March/April 2010 E/The Environmental Magazine. The article can be viewed with its graphics at: http://www.emagazine.com/view?5064
Farmers, ranchers, commercial fishermen, and Native Americans had been contending, sometimes bitterly, over the Klamath River and its dams for years. But during the last few years, courageous individuals from these groups have reached out to each other to find ways to cooperate. The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement was reached in 2008, and an agreement to take down four dams was reached a few months ago. To anyone who thinks adversaries can never get along, I strongly encourage you to read this story. For the full article (by Jacques Leslie in the Spring, 2010 issue of Earth Island Institute), go to www.earthislandinstitute.net.
