Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability's topics - tribe.net

Reality Sandwich

Maya — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:19:48 GMT

Reality Sandwich is a cutting-edge Internet magazine and community forum aimed at "evolving consciousness bite by bite." We publish news, essays, interviews, videos, and podcasts for those seeking fresh perspectives and new possibilities of living. Our subjects run the gamut from sustainability to shamanism, alternate realities to alternative energy, holistic healing techniques to the promise and perils of new technologies. Our central theme is transformation, as we study how a shift in personal awareness relates to the global challenges we face today. Unlike traditional media, Reality Sandwich encourages a dialogue between contributors and readers, featured in the comments section under each piece. We see ourselves as a visionary think tank, helping to generate new ideas on important subjects of our time.

New articles posted daily at www.realitysandwich.com.

Also, join the Tribe:
tribes.tribe.net/realitysandwich

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article - Ontario high school student develops way to decompose plastic bags in months

enigmagnet — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:21:46 GMT

Ontario high school student develops way to decompose plastic bags in months

Kristine Owram, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - As jurisdictions across Canada take action to ban the use of landfill-clogging plastic bags, which can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, an Ontario high school student has discovered a way to break down the pesky plastic in a matter of months.

Daniel Burd, a 17-year-old student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, took home the top prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa for his project.

The prize earned him $10,000, as well as several other awards and entrance scholarships to various universities equalling tens of thousands of dollars.

But Burd, who will start Grade 12 in the fall, is modest about his idea, saying it literally hit him on the head one day.

"At home I have to do chores if I follow my mom's instructions,"Burd said in a telephone interview from his home in Waterloo, Ont. "Each time I open the closet where we keep our cleaning supplies and things like that, the plastic bags are on the top shelf and they always fall down like an avalanche onto my head.

"One day I just got so tired of it and I began to research it to find out what other people are doing with these plastic bags, and through my research I found out that we're not doing too much."

Burd discovered that approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. Billions of these end up in the oceans, where they are ingested by animals that often die as a result.

He also learned that plastic bags can take anywhere between 20 and 1,000 years to decompose - numbers in which Burd found unlikely inspiration.

Burd's hypothesis was that if plastic bags do eventually break down, it should be possible to isolate and concentrate the micro-organism responsible for the decomposition, thus speeding up the process.

To test his hypothesis, Burd took a few soil samples from a local landfill and mixed them with polyethylene, the substance used to make plastic bags, as well as a solution to encourage bacterial growth. After concentrating the solution several times and incubating it for 12 weeks, Burd took the resulting bacterial culture and tested it on strips of polyethylene.

After six weeks, the strips had lost more than 17 per cent of their weight compared to a set of control strips.

Burd concluded that a combination of two types of bacteria - Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas - was most effective at breaking down the polyethylene. After isolating these two bacteria, combining them with some sodium acetate and incubating the solution at 37 C, Burd was able to degrade the plastic by 43 per cent in six weeks. He figures the solution would entirely break down plastic bags in a matter of three months.

Burd said his findings could have a real impact on the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills - or as litter in our oceans and on our streets.

He envisions what he calls "recycling stations" for plastic bags, which would essentially act as large composters.

"It's like a container with constant temperatures and conditions in which you would have your liquid solution, your microbes and your plastic bags," he said.

Burd said he plans to keep working on his project to further reduce the time it takes to decompose the plastic bags, and he's thinking big when it comes to the future.

"To do that, it would be necessary to do more work in the laboratory with sequencing and things like that, and then after that, you can take it to the patent level," he said.

He acknowledges his discovery is a "very big step," but says there's a lot more work to do before it's marketable.

In the meantime, the ever-modest Burd says he will continue to work towards getting into a good university to study science.

"I hope I will go to university. I plan to apply."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Story from TELUS NEWS:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=canada&articleID=2948578

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Giving Thanks to the Cosmic Mystery - new essay by Corey Anton

greatdane — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:26:22 GMT

Corey Anton schooled me on some hot communication theory back in michigan. Check out his new essay for Wide-Eyed Nation.

by Corey Anton

CONSIDER THE NOVELTY OF COPERNICUS’S revelations about the Earth and Sun. Since the dawn of humanity everyone witnessed the rising of the Sun on one horizon and its setting on the other. “Things are not necessarily what we see,” Copernicus argued.

“The Earth is rotating, and the Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the universe.” Psychologist Allen Wheelis tells us that the Copernican discovery was two-fold: it lessened humanity’s sense of cosmic significance by diminishing the centrality of Earth but it simultaneously congratulated human ingenuity for having been able to make that discovery. All said, it forcefully advanced the prerogative for continued debunking and unmasking of received traditions.

But make no mistake; no one has adequate resources and context to remove all the mysteries that comprise our lives. The world is mysterious and so are we, and both profoundly so, and yet, we so often act as if all the mystery is gone. Not only have the greatest magic tricks been revealed, but the grand cosmic mysteries of our being and origins seem increasingly passé and misguided. For example, if we were to ask your average atheists on the street if they could forgive “God,” most would likely tell you that this is misguided. “There is no God to forgive; You’re obviously confused; ‘God is Dead,’” would be the likely response. Point well taken, but I’m often left with the thought: How many people decide to call themselves “atheists” basically because they first were seduced into overdrawn expectations? Or, how many of those who call themselves “atheist” simply are fed up with fundamentalist religious-types? Admittedly, many Neo-Conservative Evangelical types do seem to be pretty deluded and worth distancing oneself from.

Consider this too: if we were to ask your average Christians on the street if they could forgive God, many would likely say, “Forgive God? You don’t forgive God! God is all good and all loving and all perfect. If anything, God forgives you!” But, for the sake of argument, what if there is no afterlife? Perhaps God could not give people an afterlife any more than He could create a rock that is so heavy that even He cannot lift it. How many people could forgive (or would still believe in) God if it were the case that there is neither an afterlife nor ultimate justice? How many people would rather be atheists than believe in a Divinity who is so impotent that He’d be unable to issue cosmic justice and grant eternal life? How many people’s religious beliefs basically hinge upon the afterlife question? Is this world really not enough?

And just what if the Divine Mystery that resides in the depths of our being does need deep and profound forgiveness for all the eternally unresolved injustice and terror of existence? The trouble with being born is that no one asks for it. Seriously, I never asked to be born. Were you consulted? Forgiveness in this light would not be given to some guy in the sky (here atheism may be spot on) but to our deepest sense of life’s mysteries. All animals on this planet die, but only humans seem to build theories about immortal souls. Might we, on the contrary, see that evolution evolved beings who came to know of their own death, and we, those very beings, need to forgive the mysterious origins for such possibilities. If we do, we learn to accept death and thereby to open to other people in new ways.

If it is not yet obvious, my own guess is that there is no afterlife; our only persistence post-mortem is in the memories, words, and deeds of the still living. But none of that means that life itself is bereft of Divine Mystery; none of it implies that life, Nature in its grandest sense, is without spiritual import. Perhaps people have confused mystery, which is the very condition of our lives, with momentary acts of dispelling uncertainty. Perhaps there is something else too. The world admittedly has countless injustices, cruelties and senseless suffering, but it also has babbling babies, wide varieties of tasty fruits, countless genres of music, soap bubbles, butterflies, orgasms, and rainbows. Can’t we say: “Despite all that is painful, tragic and limiting, I am still thankful.”

In open forgiveness and a growing sense of gratitude, without any sense of resentment regarding the fact of knowing about our ultimate demise, we accept death and hardship as the price of admission. We feel thrilled, genuinely grateful, that we received an invitation to the mysterious feast. And, just for the sake of argument, if there is no life after this one, I hope that we can learn to forgive the mystery of evolution for evolving beings who may be able to imagine more than they ever will experience. Such imaginations, fantasies about eternity, might well be one of the most mysterious fruits on this planet. And, who knows? Just maybe there is an afterlife, a wonderful one too, but for the time being I’m pretty confident that no one can know for sure. It is probably best to just celebrate the mystery of life and to be suspicious of anyone who thinks that all the world’s mysteries have been revealed.

A sure sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to forgive the mystery as well as give thanks to it. Our sense of gratitude grows, in fact, only where we are able to forgive. If more people could understand this, they might be able to properly address the vast and ancient mystery all around them, the very mystery that they are.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 4 replies

HOW TO GROW FRESH AIR

rareworlds — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:31:44 GMT

How to Grow Fresh Air
50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office
by Dr. B.C. Wolverton

this is one of the best books i have seen for a while it's wonderfully put together with clearly laid out information and great photos.

did you know that formaldehyde is one of the most common toxins found in our homes? we are breathing it. it is released into the air from things like ceiling tiles, draperies, fabrics, toilet paper, tissue and paper towels. then there is benzene, ammonia, chloroform and others. these toxins can be the cause of sick building syndrome which results in symptoms like allergies, asthma, fatigue, headache and sinus congestion, to name a few. needless to say, children and the elderly are more susceptible.

the good news is that there are plants that grow well indoors that actually absorb these chemicals out of the air. boston fern, for example, has the quickest removal rate of formaldehyde from the air of any of the plants that have been tested. and in this book there are 50 plants listed so no lack of variety.

highly recommended. i bought it online at amazon.com for much less than retail even including shipping.

blessings to us all for our good health and well being

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Prophecy of Love JULY 13!!!!!!!

rachel — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:15:29 GMT

It has come to my attention that viewers are having trouble opening a link I included in a previous post. This previous message was posted as a loving message to get word out about something that I stumbled upon and found to be a great source of hope. It hurts to imagine that such a movement of healing and love as this would be labeled as SPAM. Although I can understand the confusion, I am reposting with message included, no links, so I am sure that all those who want to receive the message can.
This information has been copied off of a website from Shalomar Productions. com;

Worldwide Prophecy of Love Day

And the Angel said:
"The day of the fulfillment of the prophecy given long ago draws nigh. We would ask you to be the messenger for this day which shall be called the Prophecy of Love day, in your time and calendar July 13th 2008.
We would ask that for 24 hours on this your day of July 13th, 2008, that people all over your planet would commune at all of the Sacred places upon beloved Gaia and allow the energies of unconditional love to flood every cell, every fiber, and every molecule of their Beings. We will be focusing our collective energies upon each of you as you do this. The frequency of Love that you will feel in your bodies will be more than you have ever felt before because of this collective focus. If you would do this you will literally become Lightning Rods of Love.
We ask you to hold this energy and not to project it outward. After 24 hours of receiving and Being unconditional love it will become apparent to you that, indeed without projecting, your outer world will have already changed.
If 1 million or more of you will answer this call then all of the other prophecies of destruction and doom will be shifted. For it is Love that will bring balance and harmony to your world.
Focus not upon what you think is wrong in your world rather focus on the Kingdom of Heaven manifested now within the hearts of all creatures and upon Terra and it will be so.”

The vision for this conference is this: There are so many prophecies out there of doomsday and cataclysms, with floods, earthquakes, plagues and war, that it makes one feel that everything is hopeless. That is certainly one time line for the future. But I have had dreams and visions of a different future, a future based upon love and brother- & sisterhood where this Earth becomes the beautiful garden and radiant star that it is destined to become.
Thus, I am now guided to co-create this conference to counterbalance all of the fear-based prophecies running amok throughout the unconsciousness of so many people, and anchor into the morphogenic field this new dream, this new vision based upon the prophecy of love.
Where will you be July 13th, 2008?
Will you be one of the millions who will help make a difference in the Destiny of Terra?

For more extensive information and to get info regarding a July 13 conference upon Mt Shasta, you can visit shalomarproductions.com. For all those who wish to participate privately in your own sacred palce and in hopes of bettering our world, thank you.

Rachel

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Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory In Hawaii

Sinja — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:44:29 GMT

Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010. It prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries, according to state data.

The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions will be allowed, such as forested areas where there are low amounts of sunshine.

State Sen. Gary Hooser, vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, first introduced the measure five years ago when he said a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the cost of oil has more than tripled.

“It’s abundantly clear that we need to take some serious action to protect Hawaii because we’re so dependent on oil,” Hooser said. “I’m very pleased the governor is recognizing the importance of this bill and the huge public benefits that come out of it.”

Source: http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/37518

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how to conservedly wash vegetables?

Lynn — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:53:21 GMT

Hi all,

I've been thinking as I have been washing vegetables that I pull from my garden - what is the best way to consciously do this? It's usually cold water that gets very dirty, yet I hate to wash it all right down the drain. b/c my garden is organic I'm not concerned of icky residues, but sometimes the things I get from stores and wash are not organic. What is the most useful way, other than flushing my toilet with the water, to re-use this water?

Thanks for your ideas!
Lynn

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Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory In Hawaii

Sinja — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:47:37 GMT

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

dishwasher vs hand washing dishes

GoGoGypsy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:05:27 GMT

although i have found numerous sites claiming that automatic dishwashers are the environmental choice, if you look at the research, it just doesn't add up...and many have corporate sponsors who are...you guessed it...the manufacturing companies of the dishwashing machines...

looks like the ecoholic way of dishwashing is to hand wash:
1. wash large sinkloads at a time to conserve water...only fill the sink halfway full for soapy soaking
2. use moderately warm water as opposed to HOT water
3. use a sinkful of water to rinse with rather than rinsing under a running tap
4. use an ecofriendly soap

found the following entry here: http://www.ecojoes.com/dishwasher-versus-hand-washing/

Let’s say you’re about to clean your dishes, and you want to do it in the best way environmentally possible. So do you use your energy-efficient dishwasher, or do wash your dishes by hand? It might seem like a simple question, but man oh man there are a lot of answers (and a lot of other websites which have covered this question, with one result or the other). I’ll try to look at both sides of this surprisingly heated debate.

Water Use

A modern dishwasher will use less water than you would if you hand-washed your dishes. But this is assuming that you hand wash your dishes several times a day instead of leaving them in the sink for a “big wash”, which I always end up doing. This also assumes that you don’t use too much water pre-rinsing the dishes. So basically, it all boils down to efficiency of scale (doing a large load is more efficient than doing many smaller loads of dishes). If you only do large loads and moderate your water use, hand-washing is more efficient. But the smaller your loads are and the more water you use, the bigger the advantage of using a dishwasher.

Energy Use

Most of the energy for washing dishes (whether by hand or by dishwasher) comes from heating up the water (unless you like to wash your dishes with ice-cold water). Obviously, the dishwasher uses some electricity on top of that, so hand-washing wins this battle.
Time

Overall Environmental Impact

Hand-washing wins this one. There are phosphate-free soaps available for dishwashing or handwashing, but the energy and materials used to make a dishwasher is considerable. Plus, dishwashers take more energy, sometimes use more water, and sometimes even take more time. So unless you are doing a huge load of dishes (or unless you work in a restaurant), then hand-washing is the way to go. So put on them yellow gloves, fill up a pot with hot, soapy water, and get ready for some good ol’ hand-washing.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 11 replies

Confirmation Reminder for July 4th Camp-Out/Pot Luck at the Freedom Farm

Cherri — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:44:02 GMT

The Four Corners Trade Network, a community of Intentional Communities
is holding its first gathering on July 4th 2008 at the Organic Freedom
Farm (www.organicfreedom.com)

All are invited and encouraged to take part in trade of goods,
services, and ideas community related.

If you have not yet sent us your confirmation as of yet, please do so
via email organicfreedom@earthlink.net and/or join the Four Corners
Trade Network at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TradeNetwork/?yguid=219225594

Blessings,
Frank and Cherri

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20 Astral Keys to Gates of Universal Consciousness

DMG/Darkmother.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:51:02 GMT

Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist who developed the field of analytical psychology and introduced the concept of archetypes of consciousness being "innate universal psychic dispositions that form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life emerge. Being universal and innate, their influence can be detected in the form of myths, symbols, rituals and instincts of human beings. Archetypes are components of the collective unconscious and serve to organize, direct and inform human thought and behaviour. ...archetypes heavily influence the human life cycle, propelling a neurologically hard-wired sequence which he called the stages of life. Each stage is mediated through a new set of archetypal imperatives which seek fulfillment in action."[1]

Centuries before Jung, the Maya introduced the very similar concept of Archetypes of Divine Consciousness. (According to the Maya, there are 20 of them.) Likewise, these Archetypes form the substrate from which individual Divine Consciousness emerges. Also being components of the collective unconscious, the Maya-identified Archetypes organize, direct and engender Divine thought and behavior in the human experience, in stages, over the course of days, months, years, ...millennia. Hard wired into the binary code of DNA and the human brain, these Archetypes are mediated through the permutations of an universal, binary, object oriented Code evident in and galactically broadcast by harmonic star cycles. The Maya perceived the astral Nature of the Code and embodied It in a "lunar calendar." Regarded as their Sacred Calendar, they call it the "Tzolkin." The Tzolkin enables them to track the cycles, the individual stages of the cycles [i.e. days] and the progressive effects of those intermeshed stages in order to further enable them to live in conscious alignment and synchronicity with the 20 Archetypes. According to the Maya, living in such alignment and synchronicity activates the inherent Divine Consciousness latent within the individual consciousness. Thus activated, the Divine Unconscious within can be consciously harnessed and channeled for communlal and personal well being.

Being both harmonic and binary in Nature, the Tzolkin's Code has been digitized and expressed in sound. As the stuff of our bodies comes from starlight, the acoustic expressions (of the Code's objects relative to the individual Archetypes) directly facilitate an exclusively positive rewiring of the brain, aligning and synchronizing its synapses with the dynamics of the respective Archetypes, and having a sympathetic effect advancing the activation of analogous higher functions of DNA. (Rather than needing to track the individual harmonic stages of the Archetypes as they naturally occur staggered over the course of months and larger spans of Time, as Maya clerics have done for centuries, the Archetypes' entire harmonic sequences can be heard in seconds.) Each of the Archetypes has been individually recorded (in great for meditation lengths) and embodied in "The Mayan Book of Wisdom" (a cognitive/consciousness enhancement software product from DarkMother.com).

On this Summer Solstice weekend, in the interest of fostering the planetary increase of Light, you can download an abridged version of The Mayan Book of Wisdom containing 3:00.00 excerpts of the full length (13:00.00) expressions of the 20 Archetypes. They're for you - Download them, experience them, use them; enjoy them.

http://www.darkmother.com/mbow/mbow-demopack.exe

For more information on the harmonic nature of the Tzolkin, visit and peruse DarkMother.com. (These Archetypes are fundamental components of all the complex Tzolkin acoustic translations embodied in company's "Ascension" series.)

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Number sickened by tainted tomatoes rises to 383

Sinja — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:53:46 GMT

The U.S. government's count of people made ill by salmonella-tainted tomatoes has jumped to 383 — 106 more than were known earlier this week, according to health officials.

Most of those people got sick weeks ago but hadn't been counted yet, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

"We do not think the outbreak is over," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, the CDC's food safety expert.

Part of the surge is a result of better testing by states, and part is an end to a backlog of tests in laboratories.

The latest known infected person fell ill on June 5.

Meanwhile Wednesday, one part of Mexico — Baja California — has been cleared of suspicion in the outbreak of the salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

Five more states — Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio — and Washington, D.C., have reported patients, in addition to 23 states already reporting last week, although some may have been infected while travelling. At least 43 people were hospitalized.

The best lead remains a cluster of nine illnesses listed last week among patrons of an unidentified restaurant. Food and Drug Administration investigators were at work Monday tracing records of the restaurant's various suppliers, part of the painstaking work of cross-checking common suppliers for other parts of the country where people got sick.

Canadian tomatoes safe to eat

The FDA is urging consumers to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that FDA has cleared of suspicion. Canada is among the countries listed as safe. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.

The FDA has said that central and southern Florida and parts of Mexico were supplying most of the tomatoes sold when the salmonella outbreak began in early April, and thus are leading suspects. But tomatoes from northern Florida are in the clear because they weren't being harvested that long ago, and those tomatoes are arriving in stores now, often with state-issued certificates guaranteeing they weren't implicated.

Likewise, the FDA cleared Baja California over the weekend. That's because its harvest began April 26 and the earliest known patient in the salmonella outbreak fell sick on April 10, FDA food safety chief Dr. David Acheson said Monday.

Testing of tomatoes, including those from various parts of Mexico, hasn't yet turned up any salmonella, Acheson said.

Mexican Economy Secretary Eduardo Sojo said the Mexican government might seek compensation for the Mexican producers who are losing millions of dollars because they can't export to the United States.

"What we want is to get at the truth.… If the truth is that our country isn't responsible for making people sick in the U.S., then they need to lift the restriction on Mexican tomatoes," Sojo said.

"If this isn't resolved soon, the impact on the national industry will be severe."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/06/17/tomatoes-salmonella.html

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Canadians win prestigious Kyoto Prize for 1st time

Sinja — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:57:35 GMT

A leading Toronto scientist and a Montreal-based philosopher have been awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prizes, Japan's equivalent of the Nobel Prizes.

Dr. Anthony Pawson, 55, and Charles Taylor, 76, are the first Canadians to receive the prizes, awarded Friday by the Inamori Foundation of Kyoto, Japan. An American computer scientist also won the prize.

Pawson, a world-renowned cell biologist with the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, has been recognized for his work on how human cells communicate with one another. His work has furthered the understanding of a number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and immune disorders.

"It is a real endorsement of the importance of fundamental scientific discovery in the fight against diseases such as cancer, and it is particularly exciting to see Canadian biomedical research being recognized by such a prestigious award," Pawson said in a news release.

Taylor, co-author of a report last year studying the social accommodation of minorities in Quebec, was named Kyoto Prize laureate in arts and philosophy.

He is being recognized for his development of a social philosophy designed to help people from diverse backgrounds coexist peacefully.

He was made a companion of the Order of Canada in 2000 and last year won the Templeton Prize, which includes a cash award of $1.5 million US.

California-based computer scientist Richard Karp won the prize in advanced technology for his work in measuring how difficult certain computational problems are to solve — a fundamental step in designing computer algorithms.

Winners to get $470K Cdn

The winners will each be presented with a diploma, a 20-karat gold Kyoto Prize medal and $470,000 Cdn at a ceremony Nov. 10 in Kyoto.

The award is the latest in a series of honours for Pawson, who was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2006.

That same year, the Queen named him to the Order of the Companions of Honour; he is one of only nine Canadians to have received that distinction. He has also received the Gairdner Foundation International Award.

The author of more than 340 scholarly publications, Pawson was an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia from 1981 to 1985. In 1985 he joined the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, where he served as director of research from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, the Lunenfeld named him a distinguished scientist.

The Kyoto Prize is an international award honouring significant contributions to the scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of humankind. It is awarded annually to recipients working in advanced technology, basic sciences, arts and philosophy. A prize for life sciences is awarded once every four years.

Candidates for the Kyoto Prize are nominated by international experts from Japan and other countries.

Previous Kyoto Prize laureates include:

* Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall.
* American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
* Linguist and critical thinker Noam Chomsky.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/20/kyoto-prize.html

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Gonorrhea, chlamydia increasing among Alberta youth

Sinja — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:54:24 GMT

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise among young people in Alberta, according to new figures released by the province's health department Monday.

The statistics for males and females between the age of 15 and 19 showed an almost two-fold increase in the rate of gonorrhea among males and females from 2002 to 2007 and a similar rise in the cases of chlamydia among young men.

There were 112 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 males last year, compared to 53 per 100,000 thousand in 2002.

For young women, the rate was 208 cases per 100,000, compared to 130 cases per 100,000 in 2002.

Chlamydia rates for young men jumped from 282 per 100,000 to 397 cases per 100,000 during that five-year period.

Chlamydia rates for young women remained fairly constant over the period, at about 1,900 cases per 100,000.

Health experts attribute the spike to a growing number of young people participating in oral sex.

"When I'm in the classroom, when I'm talking about this, a lot of youth are shocked that you can get STDs, including those two, through oral [sex]," Brian Parker, an educator with Options Sexual Health Association in Edmonton told CBC News.

"I know sometimes their jaws drop."

Even though STDs are increasing among young people, there has been no change in the sex education students are getting at school, Parker said.

"It is one of those subjects that's kind of left to the end of the school year, and teachers can either decide to have an expert come in or not," he said.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/17/edm-std.html

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Surge in underweight babies in U.S.: report

Sinja — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:52:59 GMT

The percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to its highest rate in 40 years, according to a new report that also documents a recent rise in the number of children living in poverty.

The data on low birth weights is worrisome because such babies — those born at less than 5.5 pounds — are at greater risk of dying in infancy or experiencing long-term disabilities.

The findings were released Thursday in the annual Kids Count report on the health and well-being of America's youth, which measures the states in 10 categories. Overall, the report found progress, as well as some setbacks.

"Well-being indicators have largely gotten better for teens, and they've gotten worse for babies," said Laura Beavers, co-ordinator of the Kids Count project for the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The report documented improvements in the child death rate, teen death rate, teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working. There was no change in the infant mortality rate, while four areas worsened: low-birthweight babies, children living with jobless or underemployed parents, children in poverty, and children in single-parent families.

In composite rankings for all 10 indicators, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Utah ranked the highest, while Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama and South Carolina ranked the lowest.

Beavers noted that in many categories, the United States compares poorly with other developed countries. A recent study released by UNICEF ranked the U.S. second worst out of 33 industrialized countries in a composite index on child well-being, and it was 29th in regard to the percentage of babies with low birth weights.

According to Kids Count, the latest available federal data, from 2005, showed that 8.2 per cent of U.S. babies were born at low birth weight, a level not seen since 1968.

In Canada, the number of babies born underweight has been increasing steadily over the past five years, says a recent report from the Canadian Institute of Health Information. It shows that in 2005-06, about one in 16 babies, or 6.1 per cent, born in Canadian hospitals weighed less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds). In 2001-02, low birth weight babies accounted for 5.7 per cent of hospital births.

Poverty, multiple births cited as factors

The worst rate —11.8 per cent in Mississippi — was nearly twice the 6.1 per cent rate in the best states — Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

Beavers said part of the overall increase in low-birth-weight babies was due to a rise in multiple births as more older women use fertility treatments to conceive. But she said the birth-weight problem also has been worsening for single-baby deliveries.

The rate of low-weight births is sharply higher for blacks (13.6 per cent) than for whites (7.3 per cent) or Hispanics (6.9 per cent). One important factor, Beavers said, is the mother's overall health at the time of pregnancy and her access to good prenatal care.

Dr. Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes, said the increase in underweight newborns is closely linked to a rise in premature births.

He agreed with Beavers that better socio-economic conditions for pregnant mothers would help. But Fleischman also said the U.S. medical profession should be more rigorous in encouraging women to continue their pregnancies as close to term as feasible, and reduce the number of early, induced deliveries, often caesarean, that frequently produce underweight infants.

Regarding its key economic indicator, the Kids Count report said 18 per cent of U.S. children — 13.3 million of them — were living in poverty in 2006, up by one million children from the 17 per cent rate in 2000. It said child poverty increased in 32 states during that period.

"It's disconcerting, because between 2000 and 2006 the economy was doing pretty well," said Beavers, who predicted the poverty rates would worsen amid the current economic downturn.

The report's data was based on the official poverty measure as determined by the Office of Management and Budget. Its 2006 poverty line was $20,444 for a family of two adults and two children.

Among the states, the child poverty rate ranged from a low of 10 per cent in Maryland and New Hampshire to a high of 30 per cent in Mississippi. The national rate was 11 per cent for white children, 36 per cent for blacks and American Indians, and 28 per cent for Hispanics.

In a separate ranking of 50 large cities, the lowest child poverty rate — 10 per cent — was in Virginia Beach, Va. The highest, 44 per cent, was in Detroit.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/12/underweight.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Plastic shower curtain smell may be toxic: study

Sinja — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:34:32 GMT

The smell of plastic shower curtains may be hazardous to your health, according to a new study.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains may release into the air 108 toxic chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins, accounting for a smell that can cause adverse health problems affecting the lungs, central nervous system, liver and kidneys, suggests the study by the U.S.-based Centre for Health, Environment and Justice.

In laboratory animals, some phthalates, used to soften plastics, have been associated with liver abnormalities including tumours as well as fertility problems. Some may act as endocrine disruptors, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

"Combined exposure to the multiple chemicals released from vinyl shower curtains is cause for concern, especially for children as they are more sensitive to toxic chemicals," Aaron Freeman, policy and campaigns director of the Toronto-based lobby group Environmental Defence, said in a release Thursday.

The study, titled Volatile Vinyl: The New Shower Curtain's Chemical Smell, examined shower curtains purchased in the U.S. from Bed Bath and Beyond, Kmart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart stores — but most major Canadian retailers carry some variety of vinyl shower curtain.

A spokeswoman for Bed Bath and Beyond in Canada says the retailer is aware of the study's findings and is moving away from PVC curtains.

Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association released the study in Canada, and are calling on the federal government to ban PVC curtains and force manufacturers and retailers to instead sell cotton ones.

The two groups also want the government to:

* Require manufacturers and retailers to switch to safer products.
* Change product labelling.
* Assist consumers to make safer choices.
* Have the chemicals emitted from PVC in consumer products listed and regulate their usage.

The two groups also want provincial governments to take similar steps to protect Canadians.

In the interim, the two groups say, Canadians should avoid buying shower curtains, or other everyday products, made with PVC.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/12/plastic-showercurtain.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

More chains pull tomatoes from shelves amid salmonella scare

Sinja — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:36:40 GMT

More restaurants and retailers in Canada and the U.S. are clearing their stocks of tomatoes suspected of triggering a salmonella outbreak in the U.S. that has sickened 167 people.

Tim Hortons, Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald's are among the restaurants in Canada to have removed raw tomatoes from their menus. In the U.S., Long John Silver's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Giant Eagle, Trader Joe's, Winn-Dixie and Wal-Mart have stopped making tomatoes available.

Rick McNabb, a spokesman for Cara Foods, said raw tomatoes are no longer being served at Milestones, Montana's, Harvey's and Kelsey's.

"As the FDA started to identify more specifically where the affected regions could be, that's when we decided to take the steps as a precaution to stop serving the fresh tomato products right away," he said.

Canada's food watchdog says it will not issue a tomato recall until a definitive link between tomatoes and the outbreak has been demonstrated. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said restaurants are removing tomatoes from their menus as a precaution. No illnesses have been reported in Canada.

"At this point, the U.S. FDA has not initiated any recall action with regard to any specific products," said CFIA spokesman Garfield Balsom. "Their investigation is still ongoing. …[They are] looking into the source but at this point have not identified a source."

The CFIA says consumers should wash tomatoes thoroughly under running water and wash their hands with soap and warm water before and after handling tomatoes.

Common symptoms of salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, although more serious consequences are possible, especially in children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

167 people infected, 23 treated in hospital

According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 167 people have been infected with the same strain of salmonella since mid-April. At least 23 people have been treated in hospital. Illnesses have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Texas health officials say the salmonella infection likely contributed to the death of Raul Rivera, a 67-year-old cancer patient.

Meanwhile, the tomato industry warned failure to resolve the food poisoning outbreak could prove disastrous for growers. Reggie Brown, the executive vice-president of the Florida Tomato Growers, said $40 million US worth of tomatoes could be left to spoil if Food and Drug Administration investigators fail to pinpoint a solution to the problem.

"We've had to stop packing, stop picking," Brown told Reuters. "It fundamentally shut down the industry."

The FDA is urging consumers not to consume raw red Roma, raw red plum and raw red round tomatoes. The federal agency noted however that tomatoes grown in the following places have not been linked to the outbreak: Canada, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.

The outbreak has also not been linked with cherry or grape tomatoes, or tomatoes sold with the vines still attached, the FDA said.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/06/10/tomatoes-retailers.html

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Lead and Aluminum in the body -

rareworlds — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:21:31 GMT

Anyone know a good detox for it?

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Pollution in People

WabanakiWmn — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:33:52 GMT

Interesting article regarding the polluting of people!~

http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0803.asp

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

4th of July Camp-Out/Pot-Luck at the Freedom Farm

Cherri — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:15:31 GMT

This is the first gathering of the Four Corners Communities Trade
Network. Our goal is to bring together like minded Communities,
members, homesteaders, and survivalists and plan for our future
through trade of goods, services, ideas, etc...

We are in the process of building the Freedom Farm, so things are very
primitive. We would ask that you bring all accomodations required for
a camping trip, in addition to your pot-luck contribution.

We would like to do an informal pot-luck 2ish on the 4th, but if you
would like to arrive a day early and/or stay a day or two more that
would be great!

For the Pot-luck we would ask that you bring some sort of vegetarian
dish, enough to feed 10 hungry people (I will let you know if this
changes) Your own place setting, and beverage.

This project too is in its early stages, and we don't anticipate a
huge turnout, however many people have contacted us regarding the
project and we do expect the idea to grow throughout the quad state area.

The collapse of our economy as we know it is happening quite rapidly,
and we need to band together now!

Please rsvp to: organicfreedom@earthlink.net

Bright Blessings,
Cherri
www.organicfreedom.com

NOTE: If you would like to join the Trade Network follow this link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TradeNetwork

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Antipsychotic drug use soaring in kids in U.K.

Sinja — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:32:56 GMT

American children take antipsychotic medicines at about six times the rate of children in Britain, a new U.K. study suggests.

Does it mean U.S. kids are being over-treated, or that British children are being under-treated?

Experts say that's almost beside the point, because use is rising on both sides of the Atlantic. And with scant long-term safety data, it's likely the drugs are being over-prescribed for both American and British children, research suggests.

Among the most commonly used drugs were those to treat autism and hyperactivity.

In the U.K. study, antipsychotics were prescribed for 595 children at a rate of less than four per 10,000 children in 1992. By 2005, 2,917 children were prescribed the drugs at a rate of seven per 10,000 — a near-doubling, said lead author Fariz Rani, a researcher at the University of London's pharmacy school.

The study is being released Monday in the May edition of the journal Pediatrics.

By contrast, an earlier U.S. study found that nearly 45 American children out of 10,000 used the drugs in 2001, versus more than 23 per 10,000 in 1996.

There are big differences that could help explain the vastly higher U.S. rate.

A recent report in The Lancet suggested that the U.K.'s universal health-care system limits prescribing practices there. The report also said direct-to-consumer ads are more common in the United States. These ads raise consumer awareness and demand for medication.

While drug company ties with doctors are common in both the U.S. and U.K., Vanderbilt University researcher Wayne Ray said British physicians generally are more conservative about prescribing psychiatric drugs. Ray co-authored the U.S. study, published in 2004.

Drugs have powerful side-effects

The new U.K. study, involving 1992-2005 health records of more than 16,000 children, is the first large examination of these drugs in British children. It found the increase was mostly in medicines that haven't been officially approved for kids. They were most commonly prescribed for behaviour and conduct disorders, which include attention deficit disorder.

Side-effects including weight gain, nervous-system problems and heart trouble have been reported in children using these drugs and there's little long-term evidence about whether they're safe for them, the study authors said.

"This highlights the need for long-term safety investigations and ongoing clinical monitoring," they said, "particularly if the prescribing rate of these medicines continues to rise."

One of the most commonly used antipsychotics in the U.K. study was Risperdal, a schizophrenia drug that is sometimes used to treat irritability and aggression in autism. Its side-effects include drowsiness and weight gain.

Thioridazine, sometimes used to treat hyperactivity in those diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, was frequently used early on. Its use decreased after 2000 when a U.K. safety committee warned of heart-related side-effects, the authors said.

Reasons for the increases are uncertain but may be similar to those in the United States, such as an increase in autism cases and drug industry influence.

In both countries, the issue isn't simply how many children are getting these drugs, said Dr. David Fassler, a University of Vermont psychiatry professor. "The more important question is whether or not the right kids are getting the most appropriate and effective treatment possible," he said. Fassler wasn't involved in the study.

Dr. William Cooper, a Vanderbilt pediatrician, said the study shows the drugs are being used "without full understanding about the risks."

"I find it really interesting that we're now seeing increases in other countries besides the U.S., which suggests that the magnitude of this issue is global," said Cooper, also an author of the 2004 U.S. study.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/05/05/antipsychotic-drugs.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Sunscreen: Not your only layer of defence

Sinja — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:10:54 GMT

It's easy to head out into the summer heat thinking you're protected because of all that sunscreen you've slathered on. You've judiciously checked the labels and decided on a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30 or more. Slap it on and soak up the sun without fear of burning.

But Canadian dermatologists say you could be setting yourself up for trouble. There are 75,000 new cases of skin cancer in the country every year.

"We estimate that from one in five to one in seven people will develop a skin cancer during the course of their lifetime," Vancouver dermatologist Dr. Jason Rivers told CBC News. "Unfortunately, the incidence rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years for all types of skin cancer."

"Further, in North America, someone dies from a skin cancer every hour, so this is obviously a problem that we have to deal with because it is largely preventable."

Rivers says one of the biggest mistakes people make about sunscreen is they don't use enough of it. If you buy one tube in the spring and still have some left at the end of summer, you're not using enough, unless, of course, you've spent the whole summer indoors. Rivers says a 120-millilitre tube of sunscreen is only good for about four or five applications.

Another problem is that many people don't purchase the proper kind of sunscreen. You should get a sunscreen that offers broad protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

There are three types of UV radiation:

* UVA: Not as powerful as UVB, but these rays penetrate more deeply into the skin. UVA rays are responsible for contributing to
photodamage and wrinkling of the skin, premature aging, and skin cancer. Prevalent in tanning parlours.
* UVB: Primarily affects the skin's outer layers and is thought to be the primary cause of sunburn, skin aging and skin cancer. UVB rays
tend to be more intense during the summer months.
* UVC: strongest, most dangerous rays. But they're normally filtered out by the ozone layer and do not reach the surface of the Earth.

Rivers says dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen at least Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30

Complete article: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/05/21/f-health-sunscreen.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Trace bisphenol A levels in canned goods harmless: Health Canada

Sinja — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:15:11 GMT

Health Canada is assuring consumers that cans of tomato sauce and tins of apple juice are safe to eat and drink, after testing detected low levels of the chemical bisphenol A in the products.

Trace amounts of the chemical — which has been linked with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer-cell growth, and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals — were not cause for concern, the federal department said in a statement issued Thursday.

"Health Canada has been made aware of testing results published by some media outlets related to the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods," it said.

"A preliminary examination of the results show that levels of BPA reported as migrating from canned food sources are very low, in the range of parts per billion (one-billionth gram in a gram of food), and are consistent with levels of BPA reported in canned foods sold worldwide."

An average Canadian would need to eat several hundred cans of food daily to be at risk, Health Canada said.

Recent tests showed the presence of BPA in tomato sauce at 18.2 parts per billion and at 17.9 parts per billion in apple juice, according to a report by the Globe and Mail. The study also found trace amounts in apple juice, beer, canned soup and vegetables.

Until recently, Health Canada had long maintained the chemical used in the manufacture of hard plastic water bottles, DVDs, CDs, and liners in cans did not pose a risk to human health. But on April 18, Health Minister Tony Clement announced a ban on the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A.

In December, Mountain Equipment Co-op became the first major Canadian retailer to halt sales of Nalgene bottles, made using BPA.

Wal-Mart in April said it will phase out bottles containing BPA by 2009, while Nalgene Outdoor Products announced plans to discontinue use of the chemical.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/05/30/bisphenol-cans.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Get Brita to recycle Its filters

Sinja — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:07:07 GMT

A campaign to get Clorox, the owner of Brita, to take back and recyce/reuse filters.

www.takebackthefilter.org/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World

enigmagnet — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:44:57 GMT

video with Paul Stamets

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/107498/detail/

Seems like he had a short time limit, but this is very interesting.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Colorado Families

daizee — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:28:15 GMT

Hi I created a network for families to connect and discuss important issues or obtain helpful resources. Please visit and join if interested.
http://rockymtnfamily.ning.com/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Birth control patch linked to 16 cases of blood clots, 2 deaths

Sinja — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:31:26 GMT

Sixteen cases of blood clots and one heart attack among users of a birth control patch have been reported since it was introduced to Canada in early 2004, says a report.

Two patients have died — both in 2006 — while using the Evra patch made by Janssen-Ortho, according to the Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter published this month by Health Canada.

Dr. Melissa Mirosh, former fellow of the contraception advice, research and education fellowship program at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., suggested the statistics are not a cause for concern.

"When you look at any estrogen-containing contraceptive product available on the market, whether it's the pill or the Evra patch or NuvaRing, the vaginal ring, all of them slightly increase the risk of blood clot," Mirosh, a gynecologist, said from Lethbridge, Alta., where she practises.

"There so far has been absolutely no medical proof worldwide that Evra causes clots above and beyond any of the other products on the market."

Both Health Canada and Janssen-Ortho released safety information about Evra in November 2006. The drug company noted the results of a study indicated that women using the patch had an increased risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs compared to women using an oral contraceptive. Another study, however, indicated no difference in the risk of these blood clots.

"Health Canada is currently reviewing updated information for Evra and will notify health-care professionals and consumers as required," spokesman Alastair Sinclair said in an e-mail.

Class action may proceed

The woman who suffered the heart attack while using the transdermal patch died. She was a "heavy" woman and a smoker in her early 30s, and had been using the contraceptive patch for "a few months," the adverse reaction report said.

The other person who died was a 16-year-old girl, who began using the patch shortly after having a caesarean. The product monograph says women "should be encouraged to use a nonhormonal form of
contraception in the three months following delivery," the report noted.

Janssen-Ortho issued a statement noting that the use of all combination hormonal contraceptives, whether in pill or patch form, is associated with increased risks of serious conditions including blood clots.

"The risk of serious adverse events is small in healthy women but increases significantly if associated with the presence of other risk factors such as obesity, or cigarette smoking," the company said.

It noted some women shouldn't use hormonal contraception at all — including those with a history of blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, and women who are or may be pregnant.

Evra is safe and effective when used according to approved prescribing information, the company said.

From January to November 2007, retail pharmacies in Canada filled about 10.7 million prescriptions for contraceptives, including 274,617 for Evra, according to the market research company IMS Health.

In its 2006 advisory, the drug company said women wearing the Evra patch should avoid saunas and whirlpool baths, due to a "theoretical risk of unintentional increase in estrogen exposure from the patch."

The labelling says the patch should be discontinued at the earliest sign of blood clots — including pain in the calf, shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing blood.

The law firm Siskinds has filed a class proceeding against Janssen-Ortho Inc. related to the patch, said lawyer Matt Baer from London, Ont. A certification hearing has been scheduled for December in Toronto, where a judge will hear arguments about whether a case can proceed as a class action.

"Litigation in Canada is pending, and the company will vigorously defend the product," Janssen-Ortho manager of communications Suzanne Frost said Wednesday.

Mirosh noted that the transdermal patch delivers a comparable amount of drug to the bloodstream as the pill. "Everybody who you start on this product — whether it's a pill or a patch or a ring — gets the same warning," she said.

"What I tell people is that any estrogen-containing birth control product will slightly raise your risk of having a blood clot in your leg or in your lung. But it does not raise it nearly as much as being pregnant or having a baby. And that risk is a very small increase."

Evra users put on a new patch once a week for three weeks, then go for a week without one. The side-effects are the same as for the pill — breast tenderness and nausea, added Mirosh, whose speaking
engagements over the years have included some paid for by a number of companies that sell contraceptives, including Jannsen-Ortho.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/01/10/evra-clots.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

The best and worst places to be a mother or child: survey

Sinja — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:35:58 GMT

Study ranked countries based on access to health care, education and economy

Canada ranks 20th out of 146 countries in a survey of the best and worst places to live for mothers and children, according to U.S.-based humanitarian organization Save the Children.

The group issued its ninth annual State of the World's Mothers report Tuesday, ranking countries according to mothers' and children's health, education and economic status.

Canada's ranking slipped to 20 from 15 last year, but not because of changes within Canada, says Susan Rooks, spokeswoman for Save the Children Canada.

"It's because a number of other countries improved spending on early childhood education and secondary education," Rooks told CBC.

Nordic countries came out on top while countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominated the bottom tier. Sweden tops the list, followed by Norway, Iceland and New Zealand while Niger ranks last among countries surveyed, just ahead of Chad, Yemen and Sierra Leone.

Survey criteria included:

* Lifetime risk of maternal mortality.
* Percentage of women using modern contraception.
* Skilled attendant at delivery.
* Female life expectancy.
* Expected number of years of formal schooling for females.
* Ratio of estimated female-to-male earned income.
* Maternity leave benefits.
* Participation of women in national government .
* Mortality rate for children under 5.
* Percentage of children under age 5 moderately or severely underweight.
* School enrolment ratios.
* Ratio of girls to boys enrolled in primary school.
* Percentage of population with access to safe water.

The gap in availability of maternal and child health services is especially striking when comparing Sweden, at the top of the list, and Niger, at the bottom. Skilled health personnel are present at virtually every birth in Sweden while only 33 per cent of births are attended in Niger.

A typical Swedish woman has almost 17 years of formal education and will live to be 83. Modern methods of contraception are used by 72 per cent of Swedish women, and only 1 in 185 women will lose a child before the child's fifth birthday.

In Niger, a typical woman has less than three years of education, and the life expectancy of a girl born today is only 45. Only four per cent of Nigerian women use modern contraception, and one child in four never reaches the age of 5. At this rate, every mother is likely to suffer the loss of a child during her lifetime.

200 million children without basic health care

In a separate survey, the group also ranked 55 developing countries according to children's access to health care.

It found more than 200 million children lack basic health care according to a recent survey of developing countries that estimates six million of those who die every year could be saved if they had access to such services.

The children and health care survey found the Philippines ranks first and Ethiopia ranks last, with more than 80 per cent of Ethiopian children under age five not receiving basic lifesaving care.

The group defines basic health care as a package of lifesaving interventions that includes prenatal care, skilled care at childbirth, immunizations and treatment for diarrhea and pneumonia.

"A child's chance of celebrating a fifth birthday should not largely depend on the country or community where he or she is born," Charles MacCormack, president of Save the Children, said in a release.

Although some countries are doing a good job of reaching all children with basic health care, a closer look shows disparities. The poorest Filipino children, for example, are 3.2 times more likely than those from wealthier families to go without basic health measures, according to the report.

In 12 of the 55 countries, the poorest children are three or more times more likely to die than the richest children. These countries include Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bolivia, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and the Philippines.

Peru has the widest gap in child death rates between the rich and poor. The poorest Peruvian children are 7.4 times more likely to die than the richest Peruvian children.

The report calls on governments around the world to close the child survival gap by stepping up commitments to deliver basic health care, especially to the poorest children in developing countries.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/05/06/survey.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Executive Order to re-build Sustainably

Rocky — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:36:44 GMT

Executive Order to re-build Sustainably

I was just thinking with the recent bouts with tornadoes. Plus, the Hurricanes of Katrina and Rita a few years back plus and other natural disasters. Why don't we organize a petition or mandate of some kind to re-build using only environmentally friendly products and install more sustainable energy systems? Rather than re-building exactly the same way, here's an opportunity to implement the positive environmental changes we'd all like to see come about.

What are some of the most effective ways to bring this about? Nows the time what with the Presidential election coming up in a few months.

Would you suggest a Petition, demand an Executive Order or what? What are your thoughts?

;

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 3 replies

PLEASE WATCH = "IN LIES WE TRUST" = IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE

Daniel J — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:02:43 GMT

PLEASE WATCH = "IN LIES WE TRUST" = IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
Join the "TRUTH REVOLUTION"..

http://www.restoretherepublic.com/component/option,com_seyret/task,video\
directlink/Itemid,40/id,559/

TORRENT WITH extras
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PLEASE READ "A Truth Soldier"
http://danieltowsey.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-soldier.html

Make copies and share them with people you care about, make some and write
"PORN" and leave copies in malls and other places...

Only the truely informed will have any chance..

Please join "conspiraciesclub' It's loaded with thousands of Articles,links,Videos, Documents and more.. http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/conspiraciesclub/

and for Canadians please go to "canadianconspiraciesclub" to learn about Bill C-51 before it's to late http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianconspiraciesclub/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Consumer Alert-- Homeopathy is a Fraud

Hummingbird Summer Edition — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:07:51 GMT

www.skepdic.com/homeo.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 50 replies

Sustainable Food Solutions...

jenilyoness — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:59:50 GMT

Check out this fabulous little video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p4RCyxgz97g

It inspired me to find & join a local organic CSA (Community Sustained Agrculture). Go to localharvest.org to see if there is a CSA near you.

With energy costs going nowhere but up for the forseeable future, buying locally grown food has never been more important.

Go green!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 5 replies

supplement dangers

Fifi — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:26:57 GMT

Just one more bit of the mounting evidence that Big Vita cares even less about your health than Big Pharma does, and the health dangers of unnaturally high doses of vitamins, minerals and other isolated or synthesized nutritional elements taken out of their natural context and form. While vitamins and mineral supplementation can be necessary in some cases (an underlying illness causing a deficiency, pernicious anemia, severe B12 deficiency, scurvy, etc) and a nutritional deficiency can cause various symptoms and sometimes even damage, most of us living in wealthy countries suffer more from diseases associated with excess than lack (diabetes, cancer, thyroid syndromes and other obesity related degenerative diseases).

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/CDC_Mounting_illness_reports_linked_04182008.html

Just like Big Pharma, Big Vita pretends that they're looking after you while really looking after their bottom line. Unlike Big Pharma, Big Vita isn't regulated (and the industry has put lots of money into lobbying to make sure they can avoid regulation, including pretending any attempt to regulate their industry - selling unnatural, synthesized nutritional "supplements" - is a plot by the evil "them" to keep natural health down. The con, of course, being that unnatural supplements are natural, innately safe and healthy....and that you'd be deprived if they were regulated and required to actually sell you what they claim to be selling you.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 12 replies

'Exposure to daycares in early childhood could protect against leukemia'

enigmagnet — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:29:09 GMT

I'm not a huge fan of daycares. I think my ideal, if I had kids, would be something more 'communal' (for lack of a better word). But this does seem to make a case against being too germ-phobic with kids.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exposure to daycares in early childhood could protect against leukemia

(CBC) - Kids who go to daycare or attend playgroups are 30 per cent less likely to develop the most common form of childhood leukemia than those who do not, finds a new study.

The research is being presented Monday at the second Children with Leukemia Conference in London.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley reviewed data on 6,108 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 13,704 who did not have the disease. The studies included interviews with parents about their children's attendance at daycare or participation in playgroups. The length of time in daycare, and the extent of the children's exposure to other kids were documented.

Twelve of the 14 studies included in the Berkeley analysis found that kids in daycares and with higher exposure to other children were less likely to develop leukemia than those who were more sheltered. Two studies found no connection between increased social interaction and fewer cases of leukemia.

"Combining the results from these studies together provided us with more confidence that the protective effect is real," said Dr. Patricia Buffler, professor of epidemiology at Berkeley's school of public health, in a release. "Analyzing the evidence in this way gives a more reliable answer to the question and a more precise estimate of the magnitude of the effect."

According to data cited in the study, scientists think that childhood leukemia is the result of a genetic mutation in the womb followed by a second trigger in childhood such as an infection - or its timing.

The authors believe that children exposed early in life to infections may develop immunity to the disease. They theorize that if a child's immune system is not forced to defend itself, it may overreact to infections encountered later in childhood, leading to the development of leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia affects 1,091 children between the ages of 0 and 14 in Canada per year, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. It accounts for 80 per cent of all childhood leukemia cases.

Children between the ages of two and five are most at risk of developing the disease.

Leukemia is a disease of the blood-forming tissue known as bone marrow. It affects white blood cell production, the body's defense system.

Story from TELUS NEWS:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=tech&articleID=2911995

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Ottawa moves to limit smog-causing chemical in paints, cleaners

Sinja — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:43:26 GMT

Ottawa announced a plan Saturday to crack down on additives in products such as paint and cleaners that contribute to smog.

The new regulations will limit the concentrations of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds. Identified by their strong smell, the chemicals are found in paints, varnishes, adhesives, vehicle repair cleaners, hairspray, perfume and nail polish. They typically make coatings and solvents more adhesive and durable.

When VOCs are released into the atmosphere, they combine with other air pollutants to form ground level ozone and particulate matter — the main ingredients of smog.

"It's hard to imagine that painting your house or refinishing the painted surface of your vehicle actually contributes to smog," said Environment Minister John Baird, who made the announcement at an Ottawa hardware store. "But these actions do just that."

The government's proposed regulations, which will take effect in 2010, would limit the VOCs in three areas:

* Consumer products, including nail polish, adhesives, caulking, shaving cream and deodorant.
* Architectural coatings, including paints, stains and varnishes.
* Automotive refinishing products, including coatings and surface cleaners used in vehicle refinishing or repairs.

"Smog is linked to serious health impacts, including chronic bronchitis, asthma and premature deaths," said Baird. "Far too many families and sports teams and joggers alike, can't go out on smog days because the air is just too thick."

The federal government says VOCs are the second largest contributor to smog in the country, second only to vehicle emissions.

An industry representative says it will cost the sector several hundred million dollars to lower VOC levels in consumer products.

Greg Stebbe, the owner of Calgary's Walls Alive paint store, says it will take time and money to produce new products.

He says it took four years to make an environmentally-friendly and durable paint for his store. Although the paint is double the price of standard paint, Stebbe says he thinks Canadians are willing to pay more to pollute less.

"I think Canadians generally want to feel as if — at least feel as if — they're making a contribution and they can make a contribution by choosing a high quality product that's green certifiable," said Stebbe.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/26/smog-plan.html

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Ottawa to ban baby bottles made with bisphenol A

Sinja — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:29:07 GMT

The federal government announced Friday it intends to ban the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A, making Canada the first country in the world to limit exposure to the controversial chemical.

Health Minister Tony Clement told reporters at an Ottawa news conference the ban would come into force barring new information from a 60-day public comment period.

"We've concluded it's better to be safe than sorry," said Clement.

The ban would affect only baby bottles and not other food containers made with bisphenol A (BPA).

Clement said Health Canada's assessment shows that in most instances, negative health effects occur at levels much greater than those to which Canadians are exposed.

"This is not the case for newborns and infants," he added. "We have concluded that early development is sensitive to the effects of bisphenol A. Although our science tells us that exposure levels to newborns and infants are below levels that cause effects, we believe the current safety margin needs to be higher."

Clement also said Canadians can continue to use hard plastic reusable water bottles and plastic tableware and that Health Canada "will be providing some advice on how to use them properly."

BPA is a synthetic chemical compound found in some hard, clear plastics and resins such as food and drink containers, compact discs, electronics and the liners in many metal cans.

The minister said Health Canada's assessment is that the chemical does not pose a health concern for most Canadians.

Clement also said the government intends to work with industry to reduce the use of BPA in cans containing infant formula, but stressed that the health benefits of formula outweigh the potential risks presented by BPA.

On Thursday, a string of major retailers pulled plastic products containing the substance off their shelves in anticipation of a government announcement on BPA.

Studies in peer-reviewed journals have indicated that even at low doses, the chemical can increase breast and ovarian cancer-cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals.

Health Canada began reassessing bisphenol A, along with a number of other chemicals, in November 2007. The review looked at human and animal studies around the world into how much of the chemical is leaching from consumer products, such as plastic baby bottles and water bottles.

But the plastics industry has vigorously defended the chemical, noting that it's been widely used for 50 years.

In a release Friday, the American Chemistry Council, an industry group, said it respected the Canadian government's decision, while noting the assessment "confirms that health risks to the general population in Canada from exposure to bisphenol A are negligible."

While many retailers have already begun removing BPA products from their shelves, the packaging industry warns that a sudden ban on BPA could have a devastating economic impact, forcing people out of work in a number of industries.

Nalgene Outdoor Products — a manufacturer of popular water bottles made from hard, clear polycarbonate — announced Friday it will stop producing the containers because they are made with BPA.

The Rochester, N.Y.-based company said it will phase out production over the next several months, but will continue to make containers from materials that do not contain the chemical.

Most of the concern surrounding the health implications of the chemical is linked to food and drink containers. While plastic baby and water bottles have garnered a lot of media attention, Cassandra Polyzou at Toronto-based Environmental Defence said canned foods are more worrisome.

Tin cans are not labelled with the symbol — the number seven inside a triangle — that marks water bottles containing BPA.

"And every tin can is heated, so there's almost a guarantee some BPA has leaked into the food," she told CBC News.

Polyzou said some studies have also shown tin can liners containing BPA break down more readily when they come into contact with fatty food such as fish and acidic food such as tomatoes and apple juice. It also breaks down more readily in the presence of alcohol.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/18/bisphenol-a.html

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BLOOM @ TLC Farm - THIS SATURDAY!!!

sidewaystree — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:40:21 GMT

here is a schedule of events for the day, and i have posted the original information below.....

Please park at Riverdale High School: 9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd, PDX - 97219. A shuttle will be provided. Biking and carpooling encouraged.

This is a family friendly / alcohol-free event; food and drink not included in admission price.

more info at: www.tryonfarm.org/share/bloom-2008

Schedule of Music and Workshops

* 2:15-3:00 Community Yoga with Lauren Turley - Come and Start off your BLOOM experience reaching for the trees and breathing with the forest and animals! Lauren will lead us for 45 minutes through some easy and simple yoga poses to set the tone for the day's events.

* 3:00- 4:00 Cassandra Robertson — acoustic conscious folk (www.cassandrarobertson.com)

* 3:00- 4:00 Ivy Basket Weaving with Kiliii - Join us for a 1 hour workshop on how to harvest English Ivy and make it into a beautiful basket or other creative creation. Kiliii Yu is a local hero when it comes to reintroducing people to their natural environments and will be leading this fun and creative workshop. ( dancinghawk.com).

* 4:00- 5:00 Zine Making 101 with Ari - Since the invention of the printing press (if not before), dissidents and marginalized citizens have published their own opinions in leaflet and pamphlet form, which in modern times is know as a 'zine'. Come and learn the basics of making a small 'magaZine' in this 1 hour workshop. Ari will be helping us assemble a zine in class and copies will be available shortly afterwards!

* 4:15- 5:15 Njuzu Mbira — Traditional dance music of Zimbabwe (www.cdbaby.com/cd/njuzumbira)

* 5:00- 5:30 Mushroom Walk with Jordan Weiss - Ever wanted to know more about mushrooms that grow in the area? Take a half hour walk with TLC Farm's mushroom guru and learn more about your local fungi friends and how to foster their growth.

* 5:30- 6:15 Calynco — World Fusion born out of Calypso and Flamenco (www.calynco.com)

* 6:15- 7:00 Dinner, "This is TLC Farm" by Jenny Leis

* 7:00- 8:00 SaraTone — Acoustic Soul Expression and Mystical Dub (www.sonicbids.com/saratone)

* 8:00- 9:30 Alpaca! — Dance your pants off! (www.myspace.com/alpacaband)

* 9:45- 11:45 Off The Grid — Electronic/NuJazz (www.myspace.com/offthegridportland)

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

whether or not you have been here before, this is a perfect time to visit the Farm and see what we've been up to......

--
C h a d D e r m a n n
Tryon Life Community Farm
11640 SW Boones Ferry Road
Portland, Oregon -- 97219
.:: www.tryonfarm.org .::. 503-245-3847 ::.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Improper "Big Pharma" Influence in Medicine is VERIFIED!

elvenpath — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:13:35 GMT

Improper "Big Pharma" Influence in Medicine is VERIFIED!

This is a BIG step in the right direction for health care in the USA! It has been no secret, but no one was talking about it since the monetary benefits that many doctors are receiving from these companies made this unlikely. I mean - if you were the type to only care about money (which is why many become doctors in the first place), wouldn't you want a free trip to Cancun by putting other people on basically unproven and even harmful chemical substances?

Catherine D. De Angelis, MD, MPH and Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA have submitted this timely (and likely unwelcome) article into the April 16, 2008 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), entitled "Impugning the Integrity of Medical Science - the Adverse Effects of Industry Influence."

What is even more awesome is that this was broadcast on the same day on the morning edition of Talk Radio's "Paul Harvey" show, so this information has come to the attention of many Americans today!

I am happy to see that some doctors do in fact have some integrity. This may also be an opening for safer alternative methods to be approved by the AMA for doctors to use and not feel like they will have their medical licensing taken away if they recommend a proven herbal remedy (as an example) instead of the new designer drugs of the day. I hope this allows them the courage to step forward now that the door has been opened!

We can help by showing this to our medical providers (if you have those) this article, and telling them about this, they can maybe take additional steps as doctors to become more able to practice alternative and natural techniques without risking their careers. Also, tell your friends in any way you can, so that they can demand alternative therapies be implemented or they will go elsewhere now that this article ought to free up other practitioners to use these methods. This also provides some validation for Alternative practitioners who have known about these dangers all along. Health care freedom (and responsibility) is up to all of us - please spread the message!

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/299/15/1833 (download in case they remove!)
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/282/17/1609

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Pollution maps for Bay Area

chrisodell — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:40:45 GMT

Does anyone know how to get a pollution map (or air quality map) for the bay area? I am particularly interested in my area which is Albany and the only thing I can find is statistics for all of Alameda county which is not fair since I don't think Richmond with the oil refineries is the same as Berkeley or Albany.

Thanks.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 4 replies

Bloom 2008: Tryon Life Community Farm’s 4th Annual Spring Benefit

sidewaystree — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:16:24 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2pm-MIDNIGHT

Sliding Scale: $50-$10 (worktrade available)

THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR TRYON LIFE COMMUNITY FARM

This is a No Alcohol Event

Please park at Riverdale High School: 9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd, PDX - 97219
A shuttle will be provided. Biking and carpooling encouraged.

For more info, directions, schedule and general info, please Visit: www.tryonfarm.org/share/bloom-2008 or www.tryonfarm.org

Join us on Saturday April 26th at Tryon Life Community Farm for an all day benefit celebration! At the forefront of turning vision into action, we will educate, celebrate, demonstrate, and co-create in this Permaculture haven and seven-acre preserved green space within the city of Portland. Enjoy live musical performances spanning genres of folk, world, and dance. Participate in educational workshops. Delight your senses with local, organic food, tonics, and desserts. Rejoice with friends and family the creation of an ecologically viable future within our community!

Music:

* Cassandra Robertson – acoustic conscious folk (www.cassandrarobertson.com)
* Njuzu Mbira – Traditional dance music of Zimbabwe (www.cdbaby.com/cd/njuzumbira)
* Calynco – World Fusion born out of Calypso and Flamenco (www.calynco.com)
* SaraTone – Acoustic Soul Expression and Mystical Dub (www.sonicbids.com/saratone)
* Alpaca! – Dance your pants off! (www.myspace.com/alpacaband)
* Off The Grid – Electronic/NuJazz (www.myspace.com/offthegridportland)

Workshops:

* Zine Making 101 with Ari - Since the invention of the printing press (if not before), dissidents and marginalized citizens have published their own opinions in leaflet and pamphlet form, which in modern times is know as a 'zine'. Come and learn the basics of making a small 'magaZine' in this 1 hour workshop. Ari will be helping us assemble a zine in class and copies will be available shortly afterwards! 4:00

* Ivy Basket Weaving with Kiliii - Join us for a 1 hour workshop on how to harvest English Ivy and make it into a beautiful basket or other creative creation. Kiliii Yu is a local hero when it comes to reintroducing people to their natural environments and will be leading this fun and creative workshop. 3:00-4:00

* Mushroom Walk with Jordan Weiss - Ever wanted to know more about mushrooms that grow in the area? Take a half hour walk with TLC Farm's mushroom guru and learn more about your local fungi friends and how to foster their growth. 5:00-5:30

* Community Yoga with Lauren Turley - Come and Start off your BLOOM experience reaching for the trees and breathing with the forest and animals! Lauren will lead us for 45 minutes through some easy and simple yoga poses to set the tone for the days events. 2:15-3:00

Food:

* Lulu's Raw Chocolate Alchemy is a small Portland chocolate company dedicated to bringing you chocolate as close from the tree to the table as possible. Lulu handcrafts all of her raw chocolate using fair trade, organic ingredients and sweetens it with agave nectar and lots of love. Lulu's Chocolate was born from a desire to eat pure, whole foods combined with a passion for gourmet chocolate. " I aim to please your palate and lift your spirit! " luluschocolate.com

* Olympian Falafels are created by Harold Clark and friends as a sustainable business idea for his course work at Evergreen State College in Olypmia, Washington. These creations will be made with as many local ingredients from the Pacific Northwest as possible. - 4:00

* Heartsong Herbal Brewing Company will be bringing an assortment of chai and pepper brews made in Ashland, Oregon. "Raising the vibration of the nation through hydration!"

* TLC Cob Oven Pizzas - If you have been to the Farm before, chances are you have had a piece of tasty pizza from the TLC Cob Oven. These pizzas will be made to order and will offer a variety of fresh spring toppings! YUM! - 2:00

This is a family friendly / alcohol-free event; food and drink not included in admission price.

Tryon Life Community Farm
11640 SW Boones Ferry Road
Portland, OR 97219
www.tryonfarm.org
503.245.3847

.::Tryon Life Community Farm grows community learning in Portland while preserving common green space, restoring native ecosystems, and demonstrating sustainable urban density living :: At the confluence of rural farm land and native forest, in an urban center, TLC Farm is a place of cooperation and crossroads for a diversity of people::.

(Special Thanks to Rob Pellicer for design and love. – robpea.com)

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Support a Family Healing Arts Center!

kara — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:40:50 GMT

I am writing to ask you to please help me to manifest my dream of creating a family healing arts center with massage, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic, midwifery, and workshops for the whole family, including infants and pregnancy.

Please vote for my hoopdancing video "Gemini Hoops" at Clipstar.com and help me to win $10,000! I am currently in 2nd place and need your help to win this contest so as to fund my dream healing arts center for pregnancy, babies, children, and adults.

http://www.clipstar.com/videopage.jsf?video=9_7002_159

I am a healing arts practitioner with 10 years experience as a massage therapist, doula, craniosacral therapist, birth educator, hoopdancer, teacher, writer, and mama...please support this project by voting for my video and sharing this with your friends! I have a space lined up, and practitioners prepared to share the office.

I am working diligently to manifest this contest as well as a microbusiness grant that will fruit next year to help the center grow. However, the space may be opening sooner than previously expected and I'm hoping to win this contest to transition this summer into the healing arts center!

Thanks!

Blessings, Kara

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Save the date! 07/13-Sustainability Salon

Promise74 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:47:29 GMT

I know I'm new here, and its tacky to post an event, but its going to be so much fun!
Grin*

Event Date: SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2008, 2PM-5PM
Venue: PARKWAY THEATRE, 1834 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Cost: FREE
Contacts: Promise privately for more details

Sustainability Salon:
Not the same old “Gloom and Doom”

The NGD Committee is hosting a multi-media teaching event. The public is invited to attend this free Salon, which will feature a mixture of video clips, moderated discussion, and a free-ranging Question & Answer session covering many current topics.

Video content will include portions from ‘The Story Of Stuff’ (featuring Annie Leonard), ‘What a Way to Go’, and the latest documentary-in-progress about the Center Las Gaviotas in Columbia.

Discussion content will center around themes raised in these videos, and include:
-Consumerism and Local activities
-Peak Oil-Petroleum and Food / Overpopulation issues
-Systems Thinking and the Design Revolution for business and home life

In other words, this event will focus on solutions that are available today, and local ways SF Bay Area residents can take steps to improve the situation at hand.

Panelists slated to appear include members of Bay Area Localize, Back To Earth Organic Catering, Post Carbon Oakland, Friends of Gaviotas, the Design For Better Living Collective, the Sustainable Business Alliance, the Bucky Fuller Institute, SWT Energy.

Sponsored by the NGD Committee and the Parkway Theatre, this event promises to open doors and spark new connections between area residents who are sick and tired of feeling like nothing can be done. In fact, there’s lots going on right now, and the Sustainability Salon will be the place to learn more.

The Parkway serves food and beverages of many kinds. For a full preview of their menu, go here: www.picturepubpizza.com For more about the NGD committee, visit google-groups and search under ‘Design-For-Better-Living’.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

04/19-04/24 Introduction to Cob and Natural Building Prescott, AZ

transcendance — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:59:22 GMT

folks, a Friend of mine is hosting a workshop in AZ building a cob/natural building greenhouse. Whether you want to build a cob oven, bench, studio, or other such space...or are inspired by the ecological/community awareness, while simultaneously creating a tangible product you should check this out. If anyone is interested either personally or professionally in such a workshop you should look into www.SGNB.com (thats for Seven Generations Natural Builders).

Instructor:
Sasha Rabin (sasha@sgnb.com)
Sasha Rabin has a degree in Ecological Design from Evergreen State College. She has studied natural and traditional methods of building in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Indonesia, and the southwest United States. Following an apprentice at the Cob Cottage Company she worked with them as an assistant instructor(2001) and went on to co-found Seven Genereation Natural Builders in 2003. She built a cob dwelling in the southwest US that she is curently living in. She contuinues to teach with SGNB, as well teaching as a guest instructor at the Real Good Institute for Solar Living(www.realgoods.com) / and Yestermorrow Design/Build School. (www.yestermorrow.org/)

(She is also flexible on the price if that is an issue but for a workshop that is a fair number!!!)

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Buy One Ticket, Get One Free Ticket Amtrak Deal

amy — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:38:39 GMT

In honor of National Train Day, Amtrak is offering a buy one ticket, get one free ticket deal. Tickets are available for sale only on April 4th for travel on May 10th only. Visit the website for full list of restrictions http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Hot_Deals_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1178294134016&ssid=224

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Earth Hour - Saturday, March 29th from 8 pm to 9 pm

Sinja — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:31:17 GMT

This year's Earth Hour - taking place on March 29th (Saturday!) from 8-9 pm local time. Nearly 200 cities spanning the globe and millions of individuals and businesses (form mom-and-pop joints to multinational corporations) have pledged to take part by turning out their lights for this symbolic hour. Organizer, World Wildlife Fund is encouraging people to use the time to engage in eco-friendly activities.

From candlelight dinners in San Francisco to glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee at the Illinois Institute of Technology, it's a time to get eco-imaginative. To see how you can get involved, visit http://earthhour.org.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 7 replies