Who makes sure organic means organic?

By Alan Gionet, CBS4 Denver, Nov 22

If you get a taste of ice cream from Bliss Organic Ice Cream in Boulder, you're getting the product of an entire stream of organic products and inspections.

"We have to fill out a lot of paperwork," owner Kim Troy said. "And we have to prove every year that we are organic. We have to keep track of all our lot numbers. We have to keep track of all our certifications. We have to prove that every single pint of ice cream can be followed."

That means keeping some things separate in their shop, which also sells some items that aren't considered organic.

"So we have to have separate bins, separate containers, separate shelving, separate refrigeration for all of our organics," Troy said.

Troy pays over $2,000 a year to get the inspectors from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to take a look at her operation, study it and give her the right to use the symbol that says, "Organic."

Watch excellent news article

Farmers in developing world hurt by 'eat local' philosophy in U.S

By William G. Moseley, SanFrancisco Chronicle, Nov 18.

Increasing awareness of climate change has transformed the way Americans think about organic food. While organic consumers used to focus on how food was produced, such as whether pesticides were used, they now are also concerned about how far food has traveled to arrive at their plate. The issue is that greater distances often equate to more energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The preference for eating local has been popularized, among others, by UC Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan in the "Omnivore's Dilemma" and by Barbara Kingsolver in "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." This "eating local" philosophy has a huge following among those consumers who buy organic food. But what about the consequences of the local food craze for farmers in the developing world who have joined the organic and fair trade movements?

read more (SFGate.com)

Sustainability in Curitiba and Urban Acupuncture

"A sustainable city is the one that integrates housing, work and leisure, while preserving its history and investing in public transportation." With this idea in mind, Jaime Lerner has turned Curitiba, capital of the Parana State in Brazil, into one of the greenest cities in the world.

Some of his ideas were to educate children on garbage separation in order for them to educate their parents, to exchange food for recovered garbage in favelas (poor settlements) in order to encourage trash separation, and to put sheep in parks for them to take care of grass and attract children.

Now on a project to revitalize the marine coast, solve the garbage management issues and transform the road system in Luanda, Angola; Lerner is constantly consulted by governments from cities around the world on environmental issues

read more (TreeHugger.com)

Sweet Misery - A Poisoned World

Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetener Aspartame is. From its history, to its effects this video is enough to shock anyone into really looking at there food labels next time they shop. Aspartame is a toxic food that came into the world as an investment by Donald Rumsfeld, while ignoring the deadly effects the tests showed.

Video (90 minutes)

There are many benefits to 'going organic'

By Laurie Bomba, Kansas City Star, Nov 11.

E. Thomas McClanahan suspects that shoppers who buy organic foods are doing so merely for "psychological reassurance" or as a "penance for the excesses of consumerism."

His opening paragraph seeks to alarm readers with the price of organic maple syrup compared with the store brand. If he had read the labels, he'd know that the reason the high-end organic syrup costs 10 dollars is that it's actually maple syrup, distilled from the slow-dripping sap of sugar maple trees. Organic or not, maple syrup is expensive to produce, and is therefore expensive to buy. The corn-syrup-based imitation he bought at one-tenth the price is something else entirely.

The vast majority of organic foods are not priced like delicacies, and they are rapidly making their way beyond the shelves of natural and gourmet markets and into the aisles of discount grocers and price clubs.

While not everyone is able to jump on the organic bandwagon yet, those of us who do go out of our way - geographically and financially - to buy organic foods have many legitimate reasons for doing so.

read more (KansasCity.com)

The Gullible Jennifer Garner Flu Shot Campaign

By Byron Richards, Wellness Resources, Nov 14

Flu shots remain a subject of intense controversy. Vaccinations of all types remain the centerpiece of the public health herd-mentality paradigm. Just wait until the Avian flu comes, then you will see public health at its finest. Yes, there will be police-state forced vaccinations with experimental vaccines and no right of recourse if you are injured. Thanks to our generally brain-dead Congress the laws are already on the books.

Vaccines have a long and tarnished history, along with an element of workability - which is why there is a controversy. Louis Pasteur is the grandfather of the vaccine-for-profit industry, the creator of the first vaccines (rabies, anthrax, and smallpox) with the financial backing of industry. He had his research records sealed for 50 years after his death, and when they were finally reviewed he was found to be a liar and dishonest scientist. He routinely discarded experiments that didn't prove his vaccine theory and even lied about the kind of vaccines he was using because the technical merit of his work was flawed.

read more (Wellness Resources)