ethanol - the next big scam

If you haven't heard of ethanol yet, you may want to check your pulse. Recently, at the MTV music awards, Chevy and MTV teamed up to promote biofuel (AKA ethanol, E85, FlexFuel) as being the new fuel to save the environment and eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.

I have news and it isn't good for Chevy, President Bush or the corn farmers of the Midwest. I guess the President should have done some research first before jumping on the bandwagon promoting ethanol. But, as we all know, our Government only supports the topics that put the most cash in their pockets (hint: lobbyists).

The word of ethanol's pitfalls must spread before too many Americans are convinced that ethanol is a good thing. Our tax dollars deserve to be spent on an alternative fuel source that benefits the environment and society as a whole.

Some of the drawbacks of ethanol:

• According to a study at Cornell University, ethanol production requires 29% MORE fossil energy than the fuel produced (this will make the US MORE dependant on foreign oil, not less); takes 1.3 gallons of petroleum to make 1 gallon of ethanol
  
• Ethanol does lower carbon monoxide (CO) output from your vehicle but results in an increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx) a main precursor of smog
  
• Leads to increased emissions of acetaldehyde (a toxic, carcinogenic pollutant)
• With the increased demand of corn, factory farms will be using more and more chemical insecticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms to increase yields. This increased use of chemicals will be detrimental to the environment

The US Government has already invested billions of taxpayer dollars into ethanol. Its time to cut our loses and look for alternatives that work.

beware of bogus organic milk

One challenge facing the organic industry is that there are several loopholes in the national organic standard. The loopholes allow scrupulous food producers to label their food organic even though it is far from it.

Organic milk should never come from a factory farm. A factory farm is one in which the animals are kept in confinement with little movement and little to no access to fresh green pastures. Since these farms often keep animals in such close living quarters, disease outbreak is common. To prevent the disease from killing all the animals the farmers at these facilities load their animals with antibiotics.

Aurora Organic has recently received a failing grade for resembling a factory farm. Aurora Organic is the supplier for many private label milk brands. Avoid the brands below and take action!

Organic milk that is not quite living up to the standards:

• Costco's Kirkland Signature
  
• Safeway'’s "O"
• Publix's “High Meadows”
• Giant's Natures Promise
• Wild Oats'’ organic milk

monsanto whistleblower says genetically engineered crops may cause disease

One topic that consumers take for granted is genetically modified food/organisms (GMO). In the US, food producers have lobbied congress and the FDA to keep labels OFF food that contains GMO ingredients. If you travel to other countries, this is not the case. Typically, all food containing GMOs are listed as such on the label.

Ok, so why the fuss? Considering humans do not know everything about the world in which we live (and every scientist will agree with that) how can they be so sure that the genetic modifications they make to food are really beneficial? Let us not only consider the nutritional value of the food but also what types of disease or illness these genetically modified ingredients may inflict on us?

The biggest culprit in this game is Monsato. Recently, a former Monsato employee decided to blow the whistle. Monsato is behind several TOXIC chemicals, many of which are in our food today. Their resume would include chemicals like: Agent Orange, Roundup Pesticides, Bovine Growth Hormone, and PCBs among others.

What can we easily do:

• Avoid foods containing GMO ingredients
• Look for a non-GMO label (since food does not label when they have GMOs, you must look for a label saying no GMO)
• Buy organic when possible (organic standards prohibit GMO ingredients)
• Do not support the GMO industry
• Take action against Monsato
• Be an educated consumer
  

energy right - how to save fossil fuels

Quite possibly the biggest challenge facing everyone is to lower our Carbon Footprint. A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced.

Our carbon footprint directly impacts global warming and climate changes. It is important to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible to prevent the next generation from being subjected to extreme environmental devastation.
Considering the US consumes a quarter of the planet's oil, there is a lot of room for improvement. Another side effect of lowering our carbon footprint is that it will prevent money from leaving our pockets and padding those of the unstable countries of the world.

Some simple thought could drastically reduce our carbon footprint:

• Overcome the political and bureaucratic hurdles to make energy efficient technology mainstream and lower our addiction to oil (OK, this one isn't all that easy, but it was worth mentioning)
• Conserve vehicle fuel: walk or ride a bike when just going to the store down the street, use cruise control while on the highway to maintain speed and prevent jamming the gas pedal then slamming on the brakes, take it easy while accelerating, combine short trips into one longer trip - vehicles are more energy efficient when the engine is warm
• Fix that leaky water faucet or toilet
• Turn off the heat dry function in your dishwasher
• Try to use heavy load appliances (dish washer, dryer, washing machine, etc) after 7PM when the overall demand on the electrical grid is low
• Invest in alternative energy sources; typically an option from your local utility company
• When shopping, purchase the most energy efficient product you can afford. Several rebates are available for items ranging from construction products to computers - check the Environmental Protection Agency's website. Also look for Federal Tax credits on items from cars to home improvements
  
• Get an energy audit on your home - contact your local utility, sometimes they provide these free of charge
• Use powerstrips to turn the power off to appliances and other electronic devices. "Phantom" power loads (the power used by an appliance when its switched OFF) can account for up to 5% of household electricity usage
• Consider a programmable thermostat to lower the heat while you're out
• Use cold water when doing the laundry
• Install low flow shower heads
• Only turn on the water as much as you need, don't run the water full blast to brush your teeth
• Support government candidates that encourage the Kyoto Protocol
• Turn lights off when not in use
  

This is a small list. With a little thought, everyone can come up with their own ideas to easily conserve energy. Replacing one light bulb in every home in the US with an Energy Star qualified bulb is environmentally equivalent to taking one million cars off the road for one year!

change made simple.

Easy to do - Earth shattering results

• Coming soon - easy ways to make change
• How to influence change with little things you can do
  
• Organic lifestyle for today's fast paced world