Green Deen

We're Moving.....

2009-08-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Find us out at our new home.

Baby Green Bean -- My fenugreek story

2009-06-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

My mother has always told me that drinking brewed fenugreek is good for health. I also discovered that it is very good for breastfeeding mothers to take as a supplement for increasing breast milk production. I drank it constantly while I breastfed my daughter, and more recently, my mother began brewing it (and diluted it) and offered it to her as she's now almost two.

One day I woke up and was near my daughter, and I could smell a syrupy sweet aroma. My first thought was that she had gotten into something sweet and sticky and it got into her hair. I dismissed this and noticed it every morning for one week that she always smelled like maple syrup. I couldn't figure it out because I did not offer my child sugar or sugary foods and I knew my family did not, either.

I mentioned this to my husband, and he was concerned, as he remembered from nursing school that a sweet smell coming from children was a symptom of a disease. Specifically Maple Syrup Urine disease which is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain protein building blocks (amino acids) properly. The condition gets its name from the distinctive sweet odor of affected infants' urine. Beginning in early infancy, this condition is characterized by poor feeding, vomiting, lack of energy (lethargy), and developmental delay. If untreated, maple syrup urine disease can lead to seizures, coma, and death.

Of course my husband and I began freaking out, and as we continued to research, I remembered my mom telling me that she remembered when she was little that when everyone in the family would drink brewed fenugreek, it would give off a certain odor. When this comment came back to me, I quickly told my husband to search "fenugreek" and "children" to my surise an article came up about a mother who's daughter always smelled like maple syrup! This news gave us great relief as we realized that alhamdullillah, she did not have MSUD, but rather, smelled sweet from the fenugreek she drank!

What is fenugreek? - Fenugreek is one of the world's oldest medicinal herbs. It has a variety of uses, including increasing breastmilk production.Fenugreek is the small stony seeds from the pod of a bean-like plant. The seeds are hard, yellowish brown and angular. Some are oblong, some rhombic, other virtually cubic, with a side of about 3mm (1/8"). A deep furrow all but splits them in two. They are available whole and dried , or as a dull yellow powder, ground from the roasted seeds.

What is it used for ? - Fenugreek seeds are ground and roasted and used to flavor to curry. The seeds are also soaked and then powdered and used to make lip balm and tonic. The seeds can be used to make tea, which can reduce fever and menstrual pains, or they can be used in an ointment to treat skin infections. The seeds have also been used to increase libido in men and serve as an aphrodisiac. Ground seeds are often used to give a maple flavor to sweets and candies. Ground seeds are also used to flavor cattle food, including different vegetable meals and hays. Fenugreek's leaves, which are high in iron, are used in salads. Taken internally, fenugreek is used to treat bronchitis, coughs, respiratory problems, sinus conditions and to increase milk supply (see more below).

Fenugreek and breastfeeding - Fenugreek seeds contain hormone precursors that increase milk supply. Scientists do not know for sure how this happens. Some believe it is possible because breasts are modified sweat glands, and fenugreek stimulates sweat production. It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb. Once an adequate level of milk production is reached, most women can discontinue the fenugreek and maintain the milk supply with adequate breast stimulation. Many women today take fenugreek in a pill form (ground seeds placed in capsules). The pills can be found at most vitamin and nutrition stores and at many supermarkets and natural foods stores. Fenugreek can also be taken in tea form, although tea is believed to be less potent than the pills and the tea comes with a bitter taste that can be hard to stomach.

Fenugreek is not right for everyone. The herb has caused aggravated asthma symptoms in some women and has lowered blood glucose levels in some women with diabetes. Please read Fenugreek Precautions and Dr. Ruth Lawrence's article Herbs and Breastfeeding for more information on fenugreek.

sourced from: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=maplesyrupurinedisease

http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/fenugreek/all_about_fenugreek1.html

Baby Green Bean -- Waafia.com

2009-06-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

This is for all the modern mommies (and daddies and grandparents, and everyone) out there! waafia.com is a wonderful up and coming site with amazing products. And the great part is that it is Local-Muslim-Sister-Owned. I've just ordered several of her products, and I'm currently antsy in my pantsy until they arrive!

The paper goods selection is just lovely. The greeting card graphics are chic, Islamic, and thoroughly cool. Check out the Arabic poster! A fun modern way to teach kids Arabic letters, or simply frame as a Study of Arabic Fonts art piece.

They also have AWESOME, customizable baby blankets and kid pillows! These unique hand-made pieces are the perfect Eid gift for that special little shaikh or shaikha in your life. The graphics are crisp, original, and totally touchable.

PLEASE VISIT
waafia.com

Green Khutbah at a Masjid Near You!

2009-06-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Green Deen has decided to spice it up a bit by asking a number of masajid in the So-Cal area and abroad to participate in encouraging the Muslim community to get serious about going Green. This Friday, June 12, 2009, catch a Green Khutbah near you!!

Participating Masjids include:

Masjid Omar AlFarouk, Fullerton
Islamic Center of Irvine
Islamic Society of Orange County
Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley
Madinah Islamic Center, Cerritos
Islamic Center of Inland Empire
Islamic Center of Las Vegas
Muntada Al-Islami in London, England
Birmingham Masjid in Birmingham, England
University of Ghana Central Masjid in Ghana

Baby Green Bean- Belly Sprout in Downtown Fullerton

2009-06-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

One of my dreams was to have an all-natural baby store, ideally I would have called it Baby Green Bean Shoppe (or something) and I would carry a whole array of green products from toys, to baby products, to beauty products... and alas, someone else got the idea before me...

Tucked away in the side streets of downtown Fullerton, a little gem of a shop can be found in the French Village. Belly Sprout is a tiny boutique that carries the most extensive selection of cloth diaper systems, and even hosts diaper clinics to aid parents in the ways of cloth diapering.

They also carry organic cosmetics (I just bought their black eyeliner, and loving it so far), as well as a selection of toys, and feeding items.

Upcoming Events :

June 4th- 10:30 - 12 pm:
Koala Club- Free event! Gathering of moms who enjoy baby wearing, and allows moms to share and connect.

June 17th- 10:30- 12 pm:
Cloth Nappy Club- Free event! Gathering of moms who cloth diaper their babies.

June 25th- 11:30 - 1 pm:
OC Babywearers - Free event! Learn tricks of wearing your baby

www.bellysprout.com

Green Muslimeen Tips

2009-05-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Simple Green Links

8 lil'Green Tips

Cheaply Green

Green Muslimeen

Asalaamu'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

The concept of going green has been popular since the 60's but Muslims have been green for over 1400 years. Going green is not a fad in Islam but its part of our Amaanah (responsibility).

It is reported that the Prophet (saw) once saw Sa'd performing wudu and he (saw) said to him: "Why are you wasting all this water?" Sa'd said "Is there wastefulness even in perorming ablution?" The Prophet (saw) said "Yes, even if you were performing it from a river of running water". [Ahmed (7025) [2/291] and Ibn Majah (425)

The Prophet (saw) said: If a Muslim plants a tree, anything eaten from it will be for him a charity, any thing stolen from it will be a charity, any bird that eats from it will be a charity, any animal that eats from it will be a charity and anything that is taken from it will be a charity [Muslim]

Being green doesn't necessarily require one to spend a great deal of time, energy or even money, It's a mindset that you need to develop. By making small changes in your lifestyle you can truly make a lasting difference and put money BACK in your wallet.

Switch to cold water when washing and save 80% on energy
Reduce lighting energy use by 45% by turning off your lights when not in use
Switch to compact fluorescents which use 60% less energy per bulb and save 300 pounds of C02 a year.

These are just a few of the small changes that you can make to help the only home we have.....Earth

Qabeelat Haqq

Cleaning out the medicine cabinet?

2009-05-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

We live in a society that is highly dependent on drugs. Personally, I'd rather not take medicine. I prefer drinking tons of fluids and resting over popping pills any day. Nonetheless my medicine cabinet is piled high with bottles upon bottles of prescription medications. Some of these medications are expired and others I have no use for.

Given the wide array of side effects and contraindications that are attributed to various pharmaceuticals and given the fact that our water supplies are already showing traces of these pharmaceuticals (due to the body's inability to fully metabolize and absorb ingested medications), it is pertinent that a conscious effort is taken to properly dispose of any drugs that might be lingering in the medicine cabinet for one reason or the other.

Here are some tips:

1. Keep all medicines out of the reach of children and pets.

2. Do not flush pills down the toilet.
The presence of contraceptives in the water supply can be attributed to its excretion in the urine. Urine gets flushed down the toilet. Because a system that is able to completely rid the water of such pollutants has not yet been developed, contraceptives and other medications find their way to our water ways. You can prevent larger amounts of pharmaceuticals from reaching the water ways by not throwing you unused and unwanted medications down the drain or in the toilet.

3. Ask your pharmacist if they take back unused medications.
Some pharmacies such as Kaiser Permanente will take back unwanted, unused or expired medications and will properly dispose of them at no cost.

4. Ask around in your neighborhood.
Some cities have collection centers or will often have arrangements where residents can bring in any medications that they may want to get rid of. There are various locations in the Los Angeles area that take expired and unused medications. To find an location near you visit Earth911.

5. If you absolutely must dispose of medication in the trash, follow these steps:

If the medication is a liquid , mix it with cat litter, coffee grounds, saw dust or something that will make it look less appealing to anyone who may want to ingest the med for whatever reason.
If the medication is a solid, crush them, add water and mix with cat litter, coffee grounds, etc.
Close the container tightly. Remember to remove any personal information that may be on the label.
Tightly secure the bottle shut with layers of strong tape (duct tape, electrical tape, etc.).
Place the sealed bottles in at least three plastic bags being sure to tightly secure each bag with layers of tape.

Sources: Earth911, Casa Sugar, Noaa Research

Can Peanut Butter and Jelly Save the World?

2009-05-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

"Eating plant-based meals conserves natural resources and slows global warming"

By Larry West, About.com

Looking for small ways to make a big difference for the environment? Why not start by making yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

As members of the PB&J Campaign (no, I’m not kidding) like to say, “You don’t have to change your whole diet to change the world. Just start with lunch.”

Eating a plant-based lunch (such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bean burrito, vegetarian chili, or a hearty salad) instead of an animal-based lunch (such as a hamburger, a tuna or grilled cheese sandwich, fish and chips, or chicken nuggets) will save water, preserve land and slow global warming.

How Eating a PB&J Sandwich Slows Global Warming
Every time you eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or other plant-based meal instead of one that features red meat, such as a hamburger, you save the equivalent of almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Eating a strictly plant-based meal compared to the average American lunch still saves 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. That’s about 40 percent of the carbon you would save by driving a hybrid vehicle for the day instead of a standard sedan.

How Eating a PB&J Sandwich Saves Water
Growing plants for food takes a lot less water than raising animals. As a result, every time you substitute a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or some other plant-based meal for an animal-based meal such as a hamburger, you save about 280 gallons of water. Eat three PB&J sandwiches a month instead of animal-based meals and you can save as much water as you would by switching to a low-flow showerhead.

How Eating a PB&J Sandwich Saves Land
Raising animals for food takes a lot of space. For example, animal products require 6 to 17 times as much land as soy to produce the same amount of protein. Eating a plant-based lunch like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hamburger, ham sandwich, or another animal-based meal saves anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution.

How Eating One PB&J Sandwich Helps the Environment
By eating lower on the food chain—plants instead of animals—you also consume fewer resources. Why? Because, basically, everything you eat comes from plants. You either eat plants directly—in the form of fruits, vegetables and plant products such as peanut butter—or indirectly after animals have converted plants into meat, milk, eggs, butter and cheese.

The problem is that animals are not very efficient as living food factories that convert plants into food for humans. Animals use most of the plants they eat to produce the energy they need to walk around and keep breathing. To stay alive long enough to become part of your lunch or dinner menu, every cow, pig and chicken has to eat much more protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients than it will yield once the ax finally falls. As a result, it takes several pounds of plants to produce one pound of beef, pork, chicken, eggs or milk.

Inevitably, that means it also takes a lot more land, water and fuel to produce one pound of meat, milk or eggs than it does to produce one pound of edible plants. Not only do the animals need food, water and room to roam, but growing the plants to feed the animals that will, in turn, become food for you requires even more land and water as well as fuel for farm machinery and irrigation pumps.

To help provide some context, the PB&J Campaign says the water required to produce the beef in one hamburger could grow enough peanuts for 17 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And the land required to put that same beef patty on your bun could produce enough peanuts for 19 PB&J lunches.

How You and Your Diet Can Make a Difference
Basically, this all comes down to your power as a consumer. Every time you choose a hamburger, omelet or grilled cheese sandwich over a plant-based meal, you’re telling your local restaurants and supermarkets to buy more meat, eggs and dairy products. By choosing more plant-based meals, you’re asking for less meat and a more efficient use of resources. Either way, your unspoken but unmistakable messages are received by your local merchants and conveyed to wholesalers and farmers.

Want to do more? Share this information with your friends, coworkers and family members and urge them to take action. Encourage your school or office cafeteria, and the local restaurants you frequent, to offer more plant-based dishes. Organize a weekly PB&J lunch (or other plant-based meals) at work, home or school and calculate the positive environmental contribution you’ve made.

Read on from Source.

Photo Source

Going Green: The Islamic Way

2009-04-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

===> Please click on the image to enlarge

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

Going Green: The Islamic Way

Going green isn't about being trendy – it’s about respecting our environment and fulfilling our obligation as vicegerents on Earth. In spite of being charged with this duty since the beginning of time, today, we find ourselves facing environmental crises from global warming to alarming water shortages.

This event will highlight the prophetic examples given to us through the Qur'an and Sunnah from an environmental perspective. This discussion aims to teach each of us how to interact positively with our environment so that we may preserve it in its own right.

with:

Sh. Said Seddouk
Imam, Islamic Center of San Gabriel Vally

Br. Karim Hakim
Environmental Specialist

Thursday, April 30th, 2009
7:30pm - 9:30pm

Room: Emerald Bay C (Student Center)

University of California, Irvine

The 10 best foods you aren't eating

2009-04-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Want to do your body a world of good? It's as easy as expanding your grocery list.

By: Jonny Bowden, Ph. D.

The science is clear: Plant foods are good for you. And the credit often goes to chemicals they produce called antioxidants. Just as the name suggests, antioxidants help protect your cells against oxidation. Think of oxidation as rust. This rust is caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen atoms that attack your cells, inducing DNA damage that leads to cancer. Thankfully, antioxidants help stabilize free radicals, which keeps the rogue atoms from harming your cells.

So by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, you'll boost the amount of the disease-fighting chemicals floating in your bloodstream. The result: Every bite fortifies your body with all-natural preventive medicine.

Click here for the list!

Green Community Dinner updated flyer

2009-04-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Please attend the event and spread the word!

Saturday, April 25th 2009

6:00pm - 9:30pm [Tickets $12 for Adults and $6 for Kids (3-9yrs)]

1220 N. State College Blvd, Anaheim CA 92806

714-533-6271
social@masjidomar.com

Natural Soda?

2009-04-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

I made one of my rather infrequent stops at Costco today. As I was passing through the drinks isle, something caught my eye. A brown cardboard box with a logo reading "Pepsi Natural." Of course I had to stop and take a look at it to scrutinize the ingredients and finally try a little of it since Costco always seems to have free samples.

Pepsi packages this drink in glass bottles and in containers that look like the traditional brown paper bag. While the color of this drink looks a little dilute, kind of like dirty water, the taste is rather impressive. Needless to say it doesn't really taste like the real thing. Its fair to say that it does taste like a soda even though it lacks the high levels of carbonation.

I'm not sure as to whether the sugar added to the soda is cane sugar or if its regular refined sugar, but either is better than high fructose corn syrup. For more information about Pepsi Natural, the ingredients and nutrition facts visit the Pepsi website and use the drop-down menu to the left to find Pepsi Natural.

Baby Green Bean -- NO sniffles for Kleenex!

2009-04-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

The University of Florida is one among 12 colleges that have come together to campaigned against, and successfully removed, Kleenex brand products from their campuses.

Kimberly-Clark, owner of Kleenex brand, uses virgin pulp from the Boreal rainforest, which is North America's last remaining ancient forest, to create disposable paper products. They are the world's largest tissue manufacturer, and for that reason alone should take an environmentally responsible stance on its manufacturing processes.

Businesses and schools across the nation are boycotting Kleenex and all other Kimberly-Clark products, and are demanding that Kimberly-Clark adopt sustainably sourced methods, such as using recyled paper, for creating its products.

Virgin tree fibers are used to give the plush feel to the "premium" tissues. But the price we must pay to be so "kind to your behind" is destroying rare-growth and hundred-year-old standing trees in order for five seconds of our noses and tushes to be pampered.

"Kleercut" is the campaign amied at preventing ancient forests become destroyed for the single-use, disposable tissue that are used and tossed in seconds.

please learn more at

kleercut.net

Join MNN's Student Correspondent Program

2009-04-13T20:54:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Mother Nature Network, a new environmental site founded by Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones. As part of our launch, we’re selecting student interns from across the country to be the Mother Nature Network student correspondent for their campus for 2009. We've just launched MNN Local, and we're eager to hear from you. Read the details below, check out the other students who have already been selected, and then submit a resume and cover letter to contact@mnn.com

This is an ideal internship for anyone interested in a career in writing, editing or environmental issues as this will be hands-on, real-life experience. MNN combines unconventional and lively original content alongside breaking environmental news from around the web. From wilderness issues to green technology, from politics to sustainable living — if the topic is of interest to people who love the environment, chances are, we write about it. We want interns with the right combination of talent, interest and commitment, whether they are students or post-students. Because you’ll be working from your campus, the system allows for a lot of flexibility around scheduling (including the ability to do some of your work from the road).

We're looking for great applicants across the country.

What will I do?

MNN student bloggers and videographers are vital to our operation and will have a hand in everything we do. They work (virtually) alongside our reporters as they write and break stories, help our editors keep a finger on the pulse of the environmental day, and produce all kinds of digital media from YouTube clips to slideshows. In addition, our bloggers will have their own channel at MNN ... allowing them to report and analyze the top environmental stories in their area.

This experience can be great for journalism, environmental studies and active students who want a résumé-building experience that might lead to a great job in new or old media.

The Particulars

• The internship is for 2009 and will – in general – require 5 to 10 hours weekly, scheduled at times that are convenient for you (though we welcome correspondents who can contribute more hours).

• The internships are run from your campus and you will be both given assignments and encouraged to come up with your own topics to cover.

• Every participant is part of his or her own state channel at the Mother Nature Network where your résumé-building work can be followed by millions of people interested in the environment.

• While the internships are unpaid, we do plan to reward our top performers at the end of the year.

Just submit a resume and cover letter to contact@mnn.com and specify your interests. If you’re applying as a videographer, you can post your work at our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/MNN and then send us the note.

Protecting Earth: Our Islamic Duty

2009-04-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Asalamualikum,

Came across a lecture by Br. Ghaith Mahmood

Enjoy and implement!

Online Event: The Messenger's Medicine

2009-04-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Click on image for more information and to register - in sha' Allah.

EPA Water Quality Video Contest- Win $2,500!

2009-04-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Protection Agency is "looking for educational videos that inspire people to help protect our streams, lakes, wetlands, and coasts."

For more information, proceed to view the following website: Click here.

Photo Source: Message in a Bottle.

Baby Green Bean -- Top 10 Environmental Toxins Most Harmful to Children

2009-04-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

In the 2006 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) environmental health report, research revealed that "avoidable environmental exposures" are responsible for as much as 24% of all global diseases and more than 33% of diseases in children under the age of five.

The research has also linked environmental exposures to a staggering number of health issues including hyperactivity, learning disabilities, headaches, allergies, asthma, obesity, autism, diabetes, pediatric cancer, eye damage and even rheumatoid arthritis.

Here are the culprits:

1) Mercury- Found in vaccines, certain fish, dental fillings, coal emissions, landfills, etc.
2) Toxic cleaning products- Bleach, VOC's found in household cleaners, including Lysol, Clorox Wipes, and Pledge.
3) PCB's- (Polychlorinated biphenyls) Production was banned in the 70's. Was used as plasticizers in paints and cements, stabalizer for PVC, de-dusting agents and many many other industrial and household uses.
4) Lead- Found in old homes, certain toys, traces in imported foods, and even some leaded fuels.
5) Air pollutants- Dioxins, VOC's, asbestos, etc.
6) Smoke- Environmental, and tobacco smoke, especially industrial emissions.
7) Pesticides- Sprayed inside and outside of the home.
8) Pesticides- Used in lice shampoos.
9) Pesticides- Leeched into food and water supplies.
10) Drinking water contaminants- Exposure to acid rain, storm drain runoff, pesticide runoff, and industrial waste.

Ice bridge ruptures in Antarctic

2009-04-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

An ice bridge linking a shelf of ice the size of Jamaica to two islands in Antarctica has snapped.

Scientists say the collapse could mean the Wilkins Ice Shelf is on the brink of breaking away, and provides further evidence or rapid change in the region.

Sited on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Wilkins shelf has been retreating since the 1990s.

Researchers regarded the ice bridge as an important barrier, holding the remnant shelf structure in place.

Its removal will allow ice to move more freely between Charcot and Latady islands, into the open ocean.

Continue at BBC News

Go Earth Hour!

2009-03-29T01:33:00.001-07:00

"THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR."

Did you miss it?!

Click here for more Earth Hour information and for pictures and videos from around the world.

Blackout Earth Day - Shut Lights Off for Dark Night Skies - Global Warming - Lights Out America - thedailygreen.com

2009-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

If only more cities/countries participated in Blackout Earth Day for longer than an hour.

Blackout Earth Day - Shut Lights Off for Dark Night Skies - Global Warming - Lights Out America - thedailygreen.com

Posted using ShareThis

The 11th Hour

2009-03-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Feed your face!

2009-03-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

Before there were expensive face washes and masks, people in India, Africa and other countries used spices and other foodstuffs to tend to their various skin conditions. Recently, I have decided to ditch the soaps and use these old methods. So far, I like what I see! Plus, I have everything in my kitchen, so no more spending 20+ dollars on face wash. Below are some of my favorite "recipes":

Salt and Olive Oil scrub: mix half a teaspoon of salt (table or sea) with a quarter-sized amount of olive oil. Rub on face and neck in a circular motion and rinse with warm water. The salt helps to scrub away dead skin and the olive oil helps moisturize.

Turmeric and yogurt: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with about a teaspoon of plain yogurt and a couple of drops of fresh lemon juice. Apply to face and let dry. Rinse with warm water. Turmeric has antibacterial properties, the lemon is used to help lighten any scars or blemishes (I think it also prevents your face from turning yellow from the turmeric) and yogurt acts as a moisturizer.
Gram flour and lemon juice applied to the face as a mask or used as a scrub is something my mother swears works wonders, I have not yet tried it, but I will soon insha'Allah.
Apple cider vinegar: in an 8 ounce glass of water mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and honey to taste (I usually put two tablespoons). Drink this daily for clear skin, low cholesterol and low blood pressure. Of course, using organic apple cider vinegar is the best choice, I get mine from Trader Joe's. This drink doesn't taste that good and takes lots of discipline, but it works wonders. You can also apply apple cider vinegar to problem areas before sleeping with a cotton ball and wash it off in the morning.

Does anyone else have any cool remedies? Leave us a comment!

Plane transforms into a car

2009-03-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Eco-Mansion

2009-03-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

A 15,000 square foot mansion built in Florida is being put out onto the market as "green". It includes features such as solar panels and energy efficient light fixtures.

It's also featuring reclaimed and renewable wood floors composed of bamboo, teak, palm and coconut wood. The amount of wood reclaimed in this project is estimated to be equal to saving more than 105 acres of rainforest!

Check it out at: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

This Sunday: A Community Discussion on Health Reform | Orange County

2009-03-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

American Muslim Health Professionals and the Islamic Institute of Orange County present:
A Community Discussion onHealth Reform

Sunday, March 22nd | 2 - 4pm

at the
Islamic Institute of Orange County
1220 North State College
Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92806

As part of the national, "Cover the Uninsured" week, we will be holding an interfaith community

discussion on health care reform. The intent of the forum is to hear the voices of those suffering from the health care crisis, and allow the community an opportunity to discuss health care affordability and accessibility. The forum will be moderated by a health care reform expert.

Speaker: Dr. Don McCanne
Senior Health Policy Fellow for Physicians for a National Health Program
Don McCanne is a retired family physician now serving as Senior Health Policy Fellow for Physicians for a National Health Program, an organization dedicated to affordable, quality health care for everyone through a single payer national health program. He writes a Quote of the Day on current health policy issues that can be accessed at www.pnhp.org.

For more information please contact:

Asma Mana, Event Coordinator | (562) 810-1836 or

Nazia Khan, AMHP-LA Office Coordinator | LAsecretary@ amhp.us

Please also visit the following websites for further information:

www.amhp.us

http://covertheunin sured.org

The Age of Stupid

2009-03-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

A new movie was released today in the UK called The Age of Stupid.

Synopsis

Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Brassed Off) stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of 2055, looking back at “archive” footage from 2007 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Trailer

The film is scheduled for an April/May US release.

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PETE

2009-03-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like modern America is one colossal plastic palace. The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?

Number 1 Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

Baby Green Bean -- Plastic Bottles, Buh-Bye!

2009-03-12T13:42:00.001-07:00

Six of the largest baby product companies are going to phase out the sales and manufacturing of hard plastic baby bottles!

Playtex Products Inc., Gerber, Evenflo Co., Avent America Inc., Dr. Brown and Disney First Years - said they no longer will market the shatter-proof polycarbonate bottles and some other baby products in the United States.

Polycarbonate is made of bisphenol A, widely used in hundreds of commercial applications, including the inside lining of metal food and drink containers, epoxy resins and polyvinyl chloride plastics.

Because of pressure from consumer rights groups and a move toward toxics-free products, some of the companies have been making bisphenol A-free alternatives, including old-fashioned glass baby bottles. Nalgene, a leader in sales of portable drinking water bottles, discontinued its polycarbonate lines last year.

"Eliminating bisphenol A from baby bottles is an important first step," Pavley said Thursday. "I hope makers of formula cans and other baby feeding containers follow suit and acknowledge the inherent dangers of (the chemical) to the developing bodies of young children, who now ingest it on a daily basis when it leaches into their food and drink."

taken from San Francisco Chronicle

From Cornfields to Parks, Obsolete to Opportunity

2009-03-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (Plan) will shape the future of a 600+ acre area located just one mile north of downtown Los Angeles. The Plan is a pilot project in the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) program. The Plan will overtime transform a neglected and vehicularly oriented industrial area into a cluster of affordable, mixed-use pedestrian oriented, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods, provide economic growth opportunities for emerging clean technologies, and re-connect historical communities. A comprehensive transportation and open space strategy will facilitate pedestrian mobility, encourage bicycle and transit use and provide access to a variety of neighborhood and regional parks through a series of interconnected streets and paseos. All are welcome for this 2 hour walking tour to explore and discuss the issues and strategies behind transforming this area into a truly sustainable community. Be sure to wear walking shoes, and bring a hat and plenty of water! Please feel free to join us for lunch afterwards at the Homegirl Cafe.

RSVP by March 7 by Email to Gabriela Juarez: Gabriela.Juarez@lacity.org.

Participants are Eligible for 2.0 AICP CM Credits. Those seeking CM credits are required to arrive on-time, sign-in and participate through the full 2-hour program.

Saturday March 14, 2009

10 AMLA State Historic Park1245 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

Transit Accessible Via METRO Gold Line Chinatown Station

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - HDPE

2009-03-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Baby Green Bean -- Imus Ranch

2009-03-04T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a book called "Growing Up Green" by Dierdre Imus, and it's a wonderful reference to keeping our family green in all aspects.

In the book it mentions that pediatric cancers have risen steadily at the rate of 1% annually over the last 20 years. There have been epidemic cases of childhood obesity and diabetes. Asthma rates have increased tenfold in the last decade. About 1 out of every 6 U.S. children has a developmental disability. About 1 out of every 150 U.S. children has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Premature birth rates has increased almost 31% between 1981 and 2003. Rheumatoid arthritis has become the THIRD most common childhood disease among INFANTS. Those numbers are absolutely terrifying...

It also mentions that the World Health organization estimates that we could prevent more than 80% (!) of all chronic illnesses by improving our lifestyles in simple ways, such as reducing our exposure to environmental pollutants and eating a healthier diet. What are we all waiting for?!

A noteworthy item in the book is the mention of a unique place called Imus Ranch. In the year of the birth of their son, Dierdre Imus and her husband were inspired to help their child and all other children to get the best possible start in the earth, and reduce their exposure to toxins. To do this, they created Imus Ranch, an authentic 1880's-style working cattle ranch. At this retreat, children who suffer from cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders, as well as children who lost a sibling to SIDS are allowed to come and rebuild their self-esteem, and feel empowered, and create bonds. At this summer ranch, it's not fun and games at all. It's full of hard work, and learning how to be a cowboy/girl. The routines, the labor, and the rules all culminate in a life-changing experience for children who have only known themselves as related to their illness. At the ranch, the focus is not on the childrens' illnesses, but their inner character and their strength.

Imus Ranch

The Tale of rBGH, Milk, Monsanto and the Organic Backlash

2009-03-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Christine Escobar
Founder and editor of Green Parent Chicago.com
March 3, 2009

Organic milk is now as readily available as conventional milk as more consumers and companies are recognizing its benefits and demand. A recent estimate by the USDA, says organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and nearly 3 of 4 conventional grocery stores.

If you and/or your children drink organic milk, you've already heard about rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), which may have prompted you to switch from conventional milk to organic milk in the first place.

Organic milk is produced by cows who eat feed free of animal by-products from slaughter, and free of antibiotics, pesticides and hormones, like rBGH.

11 Powerful Environmental Messages

2009-03-01T22:18:00.001-08:00

Powerful Environmental Ads - thedailygreen.com

Green Deen @ the Colorado Lagoon

2009-02-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, some members of the Green Deen team participated in ice plant removal at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach. Below are some pictures of us hard at work removing the ice plants in an effort to make room for native plants.

Adam - Our photographer for the day (future Mohammad Mertaban in the making)

Mansur and Shabana

Mansur in the trash can

Jasmin and Adam seemed to have a ton of fun

Asma hard at work

Jazak'Allah Khair for all your hard work! Insha'Allah we'll have a larger group at the next event.

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PVC

2009-02-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Mass migrations and war: Dire climate scenario

2009-02-24T02:27:00.000-08:00

By Charles J. Hanely, 2/21/2009

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – If we don't deal with climate change decisively, "what we're talking about then is extended world war," the eminent economist said.

His audience Saturday, small and elite, had been stranded here by bad weather and were talking climate. They couldn't do much about the one, but the other was squarely in their hands. And so, Lord Nicholas Stern was telling them, was the potential for mass migrations setting off mass conflict.

"Somehow we have to explain to people just how worrying that is," the British economic thinker said.

Stern, author of a major British government report detailing the cost of climate change, was one of a select group of two dozen — environment ministers, climate negotiators and experts from 16 nations — scheduled to fly to Antarctica to learn firsthand how global warming might melt its ice into the sea, raising ocean levels worldwide.

Their midnight flight was scrubbed on Friday and Saturday because of high winds on the southernmost continent, 3,000 miles from here. While waiting at their Cape Town hotel for the gusts to ease down south, chief sponsor Erik Solheim, Norway's environment minister, improvised with group exchanges over coffee and wine about the future of the planet.

"International diplomacy is all about personal relations," Solheim said. "The more people know each other, the less likely there will be misunderstandings."

Understandings will be vital in this "year of climate," as the world's nations and their negotiators count down toward a U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen in December, target date for concluding a grand new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol — the 1997 agreement, expiring in 2012, to reduce carbon dioxide and other global-warming emissions by industrial nations.

Solheim drew together key players for the planned brief visit to Norway's Troll Research Station in East Antarctica.

Trying on polar outfits for size on Friday were China's chief climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua, veteran U.S. climate envoy Dan Reifsnyder, and environment ministers Hilary Benn of Britain and Carlos Minc Baumfeld of Brazil.

Later, at dinner, the heavyweights heard from smaller or poorer nations about the trials they face as warming disrupts climate, turns some regions drier, threatens food production in poor African nations.

Jose Endundo, environment minister of Congo, said he recently visited huge Lake Victoria in nearby Uganda, at 80,000 square kilometers (31,000 square miles) a vital source for the Nile River, and learned the lake level had dropped 3 meters (10 feet) in the past six years — a loss blamed in part on warmer temperatures and diminishing rains.

In the face of such threats, "the rich countries have to give us a helping hand," the African minister said.

But it was Stern, former chief World Bank economist, who on Saturday laid out a case to his stranded companions in sobering PowerPoint detail.

Read on here.

JAK Yesi King

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - LDPE

2009-02-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

Baby Green Bean -- The Biodegradable Diaper!

2009-02-18T20:35:00.000-08:00

A tide is turning for the disposable diaper. Gone (or going) are the days of plastic sheets covering our babies soft bums. Lots of Eco-friendlier products are out on the market, and one of my favorites is Nature Babycare's biodegradable diapers. The outer layer is made of a corn byproduct, the absorbent pulp core is made from sustainably harvested Scandinavian forest wood. Even the packaging is biodegradable! They are chlorine free, and have cute little tree prints. They are also competitively priced at $11.99 a pack. (Same price as a similar pack of Huggies.)

I'm really happy that this diaper is now growing in popularity...when I first discovered Nature Babycare diapers, I had to order them online, or go to the Target store in Chino Hills (which seemed to be the ONLY Target that carried them).

(And I didn't waste gas driving all the way to Chino Hills just for diapers, mind you, my in-laws happen to live there...haha.)

They are now available at Babies R Us, or online:

Nature Babycare

Energy and efficiency intact in stimulus bill

2009-02-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

by Martin LaMonica

The Senate on Wednesday reached an agreement on a massive government stimulus bill that includes tens of billions of dollars for energy through direct government investments and tax incentives.

The Senate pared down the package to $790 billion from the House's $820 billion version, but the majority of energy-related infrastructure spending and incentives remain in the compromise bill. Final votes on the bill, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, in both houses could happen on Friday.

Overall, there is $50 billion for energy programs, much of it focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy, and $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and efficiency, according to a conference report released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office (click for PDF) and an Associated Press analysis. Provisions include:

$5 billion to weatherize homes of up to 1 million low-income people.
$11 billion toward smart-grid technologies to run the power grid more efficiently.
$13.9 billion in loans to subsidize renewable-energy projects and transmission.
$6.3 billion in state energy-efficient and clean-energy grants.
$4.5 billion to make federal buildings more energy efficient.

There is $2 billion for advanced battery manufacturing and over $2 billion for carbon capture and storage demonstration projects, according to a Wall Street Journal comparison of the House and Senate versions.

The bill has $400 million in spending to create the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) "to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency in collaboration with industry," according to Pelosi's office.

In transportation, there is $8.4 billion for mass transit and $8 billion for construction of high-speed railways.

Continue at CNET Green Tech

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PP

2009-02-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

Natural Home Magazine

2009-02-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

To continue my rant about Interior Design, I've come across a GREAT magazine, called "Natural Home".

This magazine is dedicated to "Living Wiseley >> Living Well". It focuses on home interiors, paints, carpets, textiles, and other materials used, as well as design and accessories. All of which have some type of Green factor.

In the future, my husband and I would like to own a home, and I've made it my goal that in the future, I will design my home as a fully eco-friendly dwelling, and there are so many ways to improve on a house, that I couldn't believe that we're still building homes with PVC plumbing and installing vinyl flooring all over the place.

NATURAL HOME MAGAZINE

Advanced technology designed by nature

2009-02-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Scientists investigate using natural design concepts to improve battery technology

— Jason Mednick, University Communications

Fractals are everywhere in nature – in snowflakes and swirling seashells, ferns and even lightning bolts.UC Irvine scientists are applying the concept of fractals – elegant geometric patterns composed of small pieces that resemble the larger whole – to develop technology that could extend battery life and shorten recharge time.

“Nature uses fractal designs in many instances – for example the lungs, which are composed of increasingly smaller tube-shaped bronchi,” says Marc Madou, Chancellor’s Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. “Fractals are advantageous in situations requiring minimal energy loss and maximum transport efficiency. Interestingly, this concept also applies to battery electrode design.”

Shaping electrical conductors inside batteries into fractal-like forms (which results in an increased surface area) could lead to battery designs that are one-half to one-third the size of current models while maintaining the same performance level.These small, powerful batteries one day could power the next generation of hybrid-electric vehicles.“Battery technology has advanced only incrementally in the last decade,” says Genis Turon, mechanical engineering doctoral student. “We hope our novel batteries with fractal electrodes will contribute to vastly improved battery technology.”

Scientists at UCI and the Los Alamos National Laboratory will collaborate to model, build and test electrode designs. The research is funded by a $740,000 grant from the UC Lab Research Program.

Source.

Related Links:

JAk Nida Chowdhry

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PS

2009-02-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

My True Calling!

2009-02-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

Even though I usually post a Baby Green Bean piece, today, I wanted to share another passion of mine.

I am an Interior Design student, and I am relishing, loving, absorbing, and invigorated by every moment of study. I also know that Green Design is a fledgling niche which I hope to anchor myself somewhere along my career path.

In one of my classes, we learned about a very cool project. ECOSA Institute is a school in Arizona whose mission statement is my life goal:

"The mission of the Ecosa Institute is to restore health to the natural environment, and thus the human environment, through education in design. Our vision is based on synthesizing the ethical and ecological values critical to the health of the environment, with the vitality and dynamism of the design arts."

This school has a unique sixteen-week programs that offers, through field trips, lectures, guest speakers and projects an overview of sustainable design, from architecture to permaculture, product design to urban and community planning.

It's a hands-on experience of how to build and design from the ground up using Green materials and concepts.

Arizona! Here I come! (Once my munchkin is off to kindergarten, at least!)

Ecosa Institute

25 Most Promising Green Businesses

2009-02-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

Going green was big news for a while, then the collapsing economy put a cloud over the movement. Nonetheless, a derth of reporting doesn’t mean that the scientists, entrepreneurs, and business brains behind the burgeoning industry have slowed down. If anything, their products are growing in maturity and potential. We waded through hundreds of eco-oriented companies to pick out the ones with the most promise, in terms of product potential and marketability.

Here is #18:

Chicago paper company GPA has devised a way to produce paper without trees or water. Instead, it uses calcium carbonate and limestone-derived mineral powders to make the paper, which it then binds with resin and polyethylene. Dubbed Ultra Green paper, the product is cheaper than synthetic paper, more weatherproof, doesn’t yellow, and is even antimicrobial. Despite this plastic-like durability, GPA claims the paper is as printable as that made from trees. Energy savings and favorable features make Ultra Green a product to watch out for.

Click here to read about all 25.

Source: Business Pundit

Another reason to avoid HFCS

2009-01-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

(Continue)

Thanks Hasna :)

Dilution is the Solution to Pollution?

2009-01-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, once upon a time chemists could be heard saying things like "Dilution is the Solution to Pollution", but they have learned the error of their own ways and are now trying to clean up their act! Partially by letting people know what they can use as alternatives to harsh chemicals. There are lots of little ways to lessen our everyday use of "bad" chemicals.

Some of the harshest chemicals that people tend to use are cleaning agents. With the need to obtain godliness through cleanliness we often over look its far reaching effects. Hear are some Green Cleaning ideas that we can use at home.

Laundry detergent can contain nasty things called ethyoxylates. Ethyoxylate can act as hormone mimicking agents and mess with DNA and reproduction in many living creatures. To get your clothes clean without creating two-headed frogs try using a mix of borax, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide. The borax cleans most stains; the lemon juice gets out grease and the peroxide bubbles away what gets left behind.

May this be a helping hand on your way to a greener household!

Source: Green Chemistry - everything

Go Green Expo

2009-01-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

Go Green Expo draws nearly 10,000 to Los Angeles Convention Center

Environment-conscious crowds look at energy-efficient lightbulbs, biodegradable trash bags, cornstarch cups and electric cars.

By Esmeralda Bermudez

January 25, 2009

The glass jar and wire contraption promising to increase your car's gas mileage was a hit. So were the solar panels, the hemp bags and the rooftop gardens. And for a couple discreetly taking whiffs in one booth, it was all about the organic aphrodisiac candles.

Nearly 10,000 people went green Saturday during the first Go Green Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In true Angeleno fashion, most arrived in a procession of cars and then circled the parking garage, vying for a space.

Once inside, a bustle of environment-conscious builders, business owners and families took in more than 200 booths displaying the latest trends in a global campaign that has gained momentum in the last few years. This weekend's event, scheduled to end today, is the second green expo held at the center in the last eight months.

There were electric cars, soybean fiber teddy bears, organic bubble gum, cornstarch drinking cups and a vast menu of energy-efficient products from windows to lightbulbs, air purifiers to irrigation systems. At the center of the convention floor, a massive earth dome made of recycled plastic housed a band playing solar- and exercise-powered instruments.

"I've been recycling for 30 years," said Ross Newton of Altadena. "It's nice to look around and see it works."

He and his wife, Patti, were in the market for synthetic grass to patch up their driveway, though everything from tea brewers to biodegradable garbage bags seemed appealing.

Willis Smith may not be able to control beach pollution or traffic gnarls, but in his home he does his part, he said.

Like many people "converted" by loved ones, Smith, 68, began to reduce and reuse after his teenage daughter got on his case.

"I can't bring plastic home from the market, and when I shop, I got to take one of these doggone bags," he said, pointing to a biodegradable sack he grabbed for free at an exhibitor's table.

As some checked out the competition, television producer Brian Girard, 32, and three of his friends spent the morning learning about the green industry and hoping to become involved in a renewable energy business. Some companies have come a long way, Girard said, but the push to go green could use some help.

"Some of the stuff has been around for years," he said. "It can seem hokey or gimmicky."

Organizers of the L.A. County Fair plan to bring the movement to the masses this year as part of their event, said Sara Kirk, a commercial sales specialist with the county.

Kirk spent the day inviting the eco-mindful exhibitors to set up booths at the fair.

"A lot of people are receptive," she said. "The fair will be a great way to reach them."

Coordinators of the event saw the expo as a way to challenge Angelenos to take care of Southern California.

"Surfers can't breathe. People can't breathe. There's a lack of mass transit," said Bradford Rand, chief executive and founder of Go Green Expo. "It's tremendous, but all solvable because there's such passion in Los Angeles."

Source: LA Times

Upcoming Volunteering Opportunity

2009-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars for February 15th. GreenDeen will be making it's presence at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach to assist with the removal of non-native iceplants.

What: Iceplant Removal- come help eradicate a non native plant

When: Sunday February 15th 11-1pm

Where:Meet at the Colorado Lagoon Wetlands And Marine Science Education Center near the corner of Appian Way and Colorado Ave.

- Directions: http://coloradolagoon.org/focl/contact.html·

- Please come ready to work. Wear closed toed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dirty. Water, hats, and sunscreen are recommended. Tools will be provided.This is a great opportunity for service learning hours. All ages are welcome.

For more info: Visit http://coloradolagoon.org/

If you are interested in participating please contact Asma via email at whitechocmocha@gmail.com

Get Fluoride Out of Water

2009-01-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

I like fluoride in my toothpaste, but I'm opposed to fluoridation of public drinking water and prefer not to drink it. Even if fluoride hasn't been added to your water, it may contain fluoride anyway. If you don't want to drink fluoridated water, you have a couple of options. You can buy bottled water that has been purified using reverse osmosis or distillation. If neither of those purification processes is specifically listed on the package, assume the water is fluoridated. Your other option is to remove the fluoride from water yourself. You can't boil it out -- that actually concentrates the fluoride in the remaining water. Most home water filters won't take out fluoride. The types of filters that do remove fluoride are activated alumina filters, reverse osmosis units, and distillation setups. Of course, you ingest fluoride through more than just water. We should all try to cut back on our intake of Fluoride.

As a side note, when you're buying bottled water, keep in mind 'distilled water' is not always suitable for use as drinking water. There may be nasty impurities in distilled water that are bad for you. So, using a product labeled 'distilled drinking water' is fine. Drinking any old distilled water... not such a great plan.

Baby Green Bean -- Happy Green Bee

2009-01-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

The former owner of Burt's Bees began a clothing line for children called Happy Green Bee.

Here is a wonderful clothing line that is cheerful, gender-free, and organic. This company utilizes sustainable, earth-friendly manufacturing practices in an effort to meet and increase the demand for organic children's clothing that not only looks and feels great but is contributing in positive ways to the welfare of our planet.

Happy Green Bee

President Obama 'has four years to save Earth'

2009-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama has only four years to save the world. That is the stark assessment of Nasa scientist and leading climate expert Jim Hansen who last week warned only urgent action by the new president could halt the devastating climate change that now threatens Earth. Crucially, that action will have to be taken within Obama's first administration, he added.

Soaring carbon emissions are already causing ice-cap melting and threaten to trigger global flooding, widespread species loss and major disruptions of weather patterns in the near future. "We cannot afford to put off change any longer," said Hansen. "We have to get on a new path within this new administration. We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take the lead."

Hansen said current carbon levels in the atmosphere were already too high to prevent runaway greenhouse warming. Yet the levels are still rising despite all the efforts of politicians and scientists.

Only the US now had the political muscle to lead the world and halt the rise, Hansen said. Having refused to recognise that global warming posed any risk at all over the past eight years, the US now had to take a lead as the world's greatest carbon emitter and the planet's largest economy. Cap-and-trade schemes, in which emission permits are bought and sold, have failed, he said, and must now be replaced by a carbon tax that will imposed on all producers of fossil fuels. At the same time, there must be a moratorium on new power plants that burn coal - the world's worst carbon emitter.

Hansen - head of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies and winner of the WWF's top conservation award - first warned Earth was in danger from climate change in 1988 and has been the victim of several unsuccessful attempts by the White House administration of George Bush to silence his views.

Hansen's institute monitors temperature fluctuations at thousands of sites round the world, data that has led him to conclude that most estimates of sea level rises triggered by rising atmospheric temperatures are too low and too conservative. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a rise of between 20cm and 60cm can be expected by the end of the century.

However, Hansen said feedbacks in the climate system are already accelerating ice melt and are threatening to lead to the collapse of ice sheets. Sea-level rises will therefore be far greater - a claim backed last week by a group of British, Danish and Finnish scientists who said studies of past variations in climate indicate that a far more likely figure for sea-level rise will be about 1.4 metres, enough to cause devastating flooding of many of the world's major cities and of low-lying areas of Holland, Bangladesh and other nations.

As a result of his fears about sea-level rise, Hansen said he had pressed both Britain's Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences to carry out an urgent investigation of the state of the planet's ice-caps. However, nothing had come of his proposals. The first task of Obama's new climate office should therefore be to order such a probe "as a matter of urgency", Hansen added.

Source: Guardian News

Water, sewage system "collapsing" in Gaza, says official

2009-01-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

GENEVA (IRIN) - The UN has warned that power networks were down in large parts of the Gaza Strip on 4 January, with hospitals relying on generators. Without power for pumps, 70 percent of Gazans are estimated to be without tap water.

Israel has been blocking fuel supplies, and stocks are dwindling, the latest (4 January) report by the UN's humanitarian coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories said.

The Israeli Gisha organization, a non-governmental organization, said seven of the 12 electricity lines in the enclave (the 12 lines normally supply about 70 percent of Gaza's electricity) were down, and warned that the lack of power was causing sewage to flood into populated areas and farmland. There continued to be a risk of sustained flooding.

"The water and sewage system in Gaza is collapsing, cutting people off from the water supply and causing sewage to flood the streets," said Maher al-Najjar, deputy director of Gaza's water utility, CMWU. He also said 48 of Gaza's 130 wells were not working at all due to lack of electricity and damage to pipes. "At least 45 other wells are operating only partially and will shut down within days without additional supplies of fuel and electricity," al-Najjar said.

Continue reading: Electronic Intifada

**Please remember our brothers and sisters in Gaza and around the world in your dua's.

Scientists Create Flubber

2009-01-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Flubber (1997) is a movie about a professor at a college trying to create a new source of energy with his assistant. In the end, he created a rubbery bouncy creature which it was called Flubber.

The image above that looked like Flubber is not Flubber (sorry for fooling you with the title). It is a 5 mm capsule doll composed of living cells created by scientists at University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science (IIS). The researchers cultivated hundred thousand cell capsules which each coated with dozens of skin cells into the doll-shaped mold, hence creating a doll-shaped tissue. IIS lead researcher professor Shoji Takeuchi said that this technique can create body organs and tissues which is useful in regenerative medicine and drug development.

Checklist for Gaza

2009-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

A simple way to get the whole family aware and involved in the recent atrocities happening in Gaza, Palestine. This can become a family project of taking action for a cause, this can teach social responsibility, awareness, sensitivity, and build a sense of community.

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfcqc4tf_85fgs5h6f6

Name ______________________________________________

Masjid _____________________________________________

CHECKLIST FOR GAZA

Please return completed checklist to your masjid (mosque)

at the next Jumu‘ah (Friday) prayer. Each masjid report the

total number collected. Deadline: Friday January 16, 2009

 MAKE DU‘A’ (A PRAYER) – 5 MINUTES DAILY

O Allah, improve the state of the Ummah (nation) of Muhammad (saws); O Allah, grant ease to the Ummah Muhammad (saws); O Allah, have mercy on the Ummah of Muhhamad (saws).

O Allah ease the pain and suffering of the people of Gaza; O Allah, grant them steadfastness and patience; O Allah, make their hearts firm and strong; O Allah, save the people of Gaza.

 PRAY TAHAJJUD (NIGHT PRAYERS)

“Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change that which is within themselves.” (The Holy Qur’an 13:11)

In order for any of our actions be effective, they must be blessed by and accepted by Allah. We can only achieve this by drawing nearer to Him through acts of worship and abstaining from prohibited acts.

Make sure to sleep and wake up between ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayers.
Make your wudu’, clear your mind and prepare for your prayer.
Make your intention to perform 2 rak‘ahs of Tahajjud prayer.
During your sujud (prostrations), recite a du‘a’ for those suffering in Gaza [see above for examples].
Can be repeated up to 8 rak‘ahs (4 sets of 2 rak‘ahs).

 FAST MONDAY AND/OR THURSDAY

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (saws) would fast Mondays and Thursdays. When he was asked about this, he said, “The deeds of people are presented to Allah (swt) on every Monday and Thursday. Allah (swt) forgives every Muslim except for those who are deserting each other.”

 CALL A RESIDENT OF GAZA

Call a random number in Gaza. Tell them that you are calling from North America, make Duaa for them and tell them all their brothers and sisters around the world are with them. This will give them moral support and courage. How to call:

Replace last 4 digits with random ones.

(011) 972-8284-XXXX

(011) 972-8282-XXXX

(011) 972-8255-XXXX

Try 4 or 5 times and you’ll reach a family insha’Allah! Even if you don’t speak Arabic, use slow and simple English.

 TALK TO A NEIGHBOR AND/OR CO-WORKER

Educate your co-workers, friends, and neighbors about the situation in Gaza; let them know why this is important to you. Often times, people trust information from a source they know and are more likely to share this information on with others.

For talking points:

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=29449

 ATTEND A DEMONSTRATION

For protest dates/ times/ locations: www.answerla.org

 CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS

President-Elect Barack Obama: http://change.gov/page/content/contact/

Senator Barbara Boxer: (202) 224-3553

Senator Dianne Feinstein: (202) 224-3841

Locate your U.S. Representative:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

 WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

New York Times: letters@nytimes.com
Los Angeles Times: letters@latimes.com
Washington Post: letters@washpost.com
Chicago Tribune: ctc-tribletter@tribune.com

Orange County Register: letters@ocregister.com

Time Magazine: letters@time.com

Newsweek Magazine: letters@newsweek.com

 SIGN AN ONLINE PETITION

Avaaz: http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/

CAIR: http://petition.cair.com/Default.aspx

IAC: http://www.iacenter.org/gazapetition/

 DONATE TO RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS

Islamic Relief: www.irw.org

LIFE for Relief & Development: www.lifeusa.org

KinderUSA: www.kinderusa.org

If you have questions, concerns or would like to request an electronic version of the checklist,

please email gaza.checklist@gmail.com.

Activist Art Finds Niche in Urban Environment

2009-01-13T01:41:00.001-08:00

Aerosol Arabic - Free Gaza Graffiti Mural in Birmingham

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The latest mural from Mohammed Ali (aka Aerosol Arabic) is a public graffiti mural for the people of Gaza in the streets of Birmingham, England on January 4th 2009.

SubhanAllah, Ants!

2009-01-11T21:24:00.001-08:00

My past TARGET experience

2009-01-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

Target has to be one of my favorite stops for anything under the sun that I may or maynot need. I recently purchased two of my new top house cleaners- GreenWorks all purpose cleaner and natural bamboo all purpose wipes.

For a long time I was skeptic at how well eco-friendly cleaners work. I found both products to work amazingly especially the bamboo wipes and best part NO CHEMICAL ODORS!!

Next on my shopping list: Eco-friendly swiffer :D

More Melamine Found in U.S. Infant Formula

2009-01-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

4.5% of formulas tested were laced with a toxic chemical contaminant at levels the FDA deems "safe." 4.5% of formulas tested were laced with a toxic chemical contaminant at levels the FDA deems "safe."

Of 89 containers of infant formula tested, four showed traces of melamine and its by-product, cyanuric acid, according to an Associated Press account.
Melamine is an industrial chemical that has been used illegally by unscrupulous food manufacturers to give the appearance that their products have higher protein content. It is the chemical responsible for the wave of pet deaths and illnesses in the United States in 2007, and the horrifying incidence of kidney stones — as well as several deaths — among infants in China in 2008.

Previously, two containers of 77 tested had showed contamination by either of the chemicals — Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron, and Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron.

The new results, according to the AP, showed three more of the Mead Johnson product had traces of cyanuric acid, and one can of Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron showed traces of melamine.

The FDA has said the traces found in these products do not pose a health risk. The contamination in China that caused so many painful kidney stones was much higher.

Baby Green Bean -- Mommy & Me

2009-01-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Local Events for Mommies and Children

I've been joining a local Mommy & Me group for a few months now, and I'm just thrilled on the days that I am able to attend.

I have found a wonderful support group, and a network of mommies and children who get together for the sake of having a grand ol' time with our little ones.

The support of being around like-minded moms helps me in my daily and weekly goals of raising my child with self confidence, a sense of pride in their deen and living green.

Class:
Mommy & Me - A fun two-hour session filled with songs, games, and crafts
Location:
ISOC, Masjid Al-Rahman, (also known as the Garden Grove Masjid)
Conference Room
One Al-Rahman Plaza, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Time:
Wednesdays
11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Class:
Mommy Halaqa- A class for moms, who can bring their children, and gain Islamic knowledge at the same time.
Location:
A local residence in Garden Grove, CA. (If you're interested you may contact me for more information, since this is a personal residence.)
Time:
Thursdays
10: 30 am - 12:30 pm

Class:
Parenting 102- Part 2 of a class based around Positive Discipline philosophy, taught by Noha Al Shugairi, M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy.
A MUST!!
Location:
ICOI, (also known as Irvine Masjid)
Multipurpose Room
2 Truman, Irvine, CA 92620
Time:
1/15/09 - 3/12/09, Thursdays
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

If you are interested in any of these events you may contact me at ferdaus@gmail.com for further information.

A great website started by Muslim mommies in Maryland
http://growmama.com

HP Offers Money for Old Tech Equipment

2009-01-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Posted by Candace Lombardi

Hewlett-Packard has decided to offer people in the United States money in exchange for their old tech equipment, the company announced Tuesday.

The PC maker has had a recycling program for years that lets consumers determine the value of their old tech equipment, then receive a credit for that value toward a new HP or Compaq brand product.

This new recycling program does not require people to buy anything to realize a monetary gain from giving HP their old tech equipment, though they are responsible for postage when mailing in the item. The shipping costs associated with a "Premium Service," in which FedEx picks up the old electronics, are taken out of HP's check to the consumer.

HP calls its new program the HP Consumer Buyback and Planet Partners Recycling Program. The program offers money in exchange for any brand of PC, monitor, printer, digital camera, or smartphone that HP determines still has some sort of value. It's part of HP's effort to recycle 2 billion pounds of electronic junk by 2010. As of now, the company has recycled more than 1 billion pounds of e-waste.

It's like Antiques Roadshow for techies, only you don't have to go to the fair to find out what your attic junk is worth.

HP has a quote Web site for the buyback program that lets consumers input the specs of their old tech equipment and receive a free instant quote.

In testing out the system, I discovered that HP offers examples from a drop-down menu, but will also accept items that have been modified, and it offers a place to put in the modified configuration and evaluate it. For example, I found that an old Dell Inspiron notebook with a 20GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, a Pentium III M 1.0GHz processor, and loaded with Windows XP Professional is worth about $60.

If your tech junk is determined by the online tool to have no value, you're out of luck for financial gain, but if it's an HP or Compaq brand product, you can still opt to mail it to HP for recycling.

I took it one step further and tested out the value of the same old Dell laptop against HP's U.S. trade-in recycling program, which is another option for consumers. On trade-in, the same old Dell Inspiron gets me an $86 credit.

Given this economy, I'd say it's worth your time to look up the value of your electronic junk on HP's site and make that trip to the post office.

Source: CNET: Green Tech

White Phosphorus: Israel fires artillery shells into Gaza

2009-01-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

A shell fired by the Israeli military explodes in the northern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Bernat Armangue/AP

Israel fires artillery shells into Gaza
Matthew Weaver and agencies, 1/3/09 The Guardian
Embedded commentary from here.

Israel unleashed an artillery bombardment on Gaza today for the first time in its week-long offensive, prompting increased speculation that a ground invasion is about to begin. Palestinian medical officials also said that an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza mosque had killed 10 people and wounded dozens more. Al Jazeera quoted witnesses as saying there were at least 200 people at prayer inside the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque in northern Gaza when the missile struck. The Israeli TV station Channel 10 said the entire length of the Gaza Strip was under attack. Palestinian witnesses told Reuters the shelling had caused a large explosion in Gaza City and there were a series of blasts close to the frontier with Israel. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Comment: The AP photo above shows what appears to be a white phosphorus shell fired into Gaza, as was used by Israel in Lebanon. White phosphorus is an indiscriminate killer that ignites once it is exposed to oxygen, producing such heat that it bursts into a yellow flame and produces a dense white smoke. It causes painful burn injuries to exposed human flesh, as discovered by Lebanon's Children at the hands of Israeli Phosphorus Bombs in 2006. White Phosphorus is considered a chemical weapon by most governments around the world. Its use in civilian areas is banned by the Geneva Treaty of 1980. The United Nations considers such weapons illegal.

Israeli TV commentators said shelling could be used to clear Hamas-laid minefields ahead of a possible ground invasion. Israeli troops are massed on the border waiting for orders to go in.

Comment: Mine fields? The lies and excuses are wearing thin. With 1.5 million people concentrated in the tiny Gaza Ghetto, what possible use would they have for mine fields?

Speaking from Syria, the exiled Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, warned that any ground assault would lead Israel to "a black destiny of dead and wounded". Sustained artillery fire is likely to significantly increase the number of civilian casualties, according to a report on the website of the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz. Israel's first artillery use came shortly after Gordon Brown telephoned his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Olmert, urging him to stop the attacks.

Comment: Toothless. If Brown had any conscience he would act.

"The prime minister has spoken again today to Prime Minister Olmert, and is pressing hard for an immediate ceasefire," a Downing Street spokesman said. "We are working urgently with international partners to address the underlying causes of the conflict, including trafficking of arms into Gaza ... Moderation must prevail."

Comment: Forget history, forget the slow genocide, its all about arms into Gaza, its the Palestinians own fault for resisting the brutal occupation of their lands and the cold, calculated slaughter of their families.

Earlier today, Israeli aircraft and gunboats continued attacking targets in Gaza. The Israelis struck the homes of two Hamas operatives, saying the buildings were used to store weapons and plan attacks. Hamas said one of its military leaders, Abu Zakari al-Jamal, was killed in an air raid last night. More than 400 Palestinians and at least four Israelis have been killed since Israel launched its offensive last Saturday. The UN estimated yesterday that a quarter of the Palestinians killed were civilians. George Bush today blamed the continuing violence on Hamas terrorism and offered no criticism of Israel in his first comments since the offensive began a week ago. The US president condemned Hamas's campaign of rocket attacks on Israel as an "act of terror" and said no peace deal would be acceptable unless the flow of smuggled weapons to terrorist groups was monitored and stopped. "This recent outburst of violence was instigated by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group supported by Iran and Syria that calls for Israel's destruction," he said.

Comment: Lies piled upon lies, the psychopath Bush is complicit in the slaughter and - recognizing the acts of his own kind - no doubt feeding on every ounce of suffering that Israel can render from its captives.

The White House will not comment on whether it views the Israeli response as proportionate. In his weekly radio address, Bush said Washington was "leading diplomatic efforts to achieve a meaningful ceasefire that is fully respected". He said he would keep the president-elect, Barack Obama, updated on the negotiations. Obama has refused to comment on the crisis while Bush remains in office. The UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon last night urged world leaders to intensify efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire. Israel has said it will accept a ceasefire only if it is enforced by international monitors. Palestinian militants continued to fire rockets into southern Israel today. There were no injuries, though one rocket hit a house in the southern city of Ashkelon, police said.
a

~~~
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Israel dropping White Phosphorus on Gaza?

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More Info:

Wiki - White phosphorus (weapon)
CDC's ATSDR - ToxFAQs & Toxicological Profile
WebMD - eMedicine: Incendiary Agents, White Phosphorus
Recall: US used white phosphorus in Iraq & Vietnam

Important Recollections:

"Do not ever think that Allah is unaware of what the transgressors are doing..." [Qur'an 14:42]
Never underestimate the power of: Du`a'.
Recite Qur'an - especially Surat Al-Fath & Surat Yas-sin & Surat An-Nasr.
Tafsir of Surat al-Asr - Sheikh Sadullah Khan
Be focused and action oriented!

"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well Acquainted with what you do." [Qur'an 4:135]

"And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? - Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Thee one who will protect; and raise for us from Thee one who will help!" [Qur'an 4:75]

Local Green News

2009-01-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

This past year about 200 local volunteers came out to help the Colorado Lagoon Wetlands and Marine Science Education Center with plant restoration of the Colorado Lagoon here in Long Beach, CA. The volunteers helped with native plant plantings and iceplant eradication.

The Colorado Lagoon Wetlands And Marine Science Education Center's upcoming events include:

Estuary Explorations: come help salvage native salt marsh plantsSat. January 10th 12-2pm
Sat. February 14th 12-2pm

Iceplant Removal Days: come help eradicate a non native plant
Sat. January 17th 10am-12pm
Thurs. February 12th 3-5pm
Sunday February 15th 11-1pm:
Thurs. February 26th 3-5pm

Native Bluff Planting: Come help plant a Coastal Bluff habitat. Limited space, please RSVP to get involved.
Sat. January 24th 1-3pm

If you are interested in participating you can get more information by visiting the site: http://coloradolagoon.org/ or by contacting Cris Sarabia 562-879-9756 cris@coloradolagoon.org

Organic Petfood

2009-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

This appeared in the buying guide on National Geographic's Green Guide site.

Petfood 101

Dogs and cats are usually considered part of the family, and their owners want to give them food that's as healthy and wholesome as what the rest of the family's having for dinner. So how can you wade through the flood of pet food on the market to find a product with the best ingredients? Here are a few things to look for.

It's difficult to make blanket recommendations on what to feed your dog or cat. Each pet has different nutritional needs, and the best person to provide food recommendations is your vet.

USDA Organic

For environmental reasons, organic pet food is a better choice than conventional pet food, since it's produced without the use of petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers and uses meat from animals raised without antibiotics and growth hormones, which can pollute waterways.

No Animal Testing

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has compiled a list of companies that have claimed in writing that they don't test their products on animals. If your pet food is not listed, call the company and ask them if the product, or any of the products ingredients, utilize animal testing.

Shopping Tips

Whichever food you choose, verify with your vet that it has all the right nutrients at the right proportions for your particular pet.
Some vegetarians prefer that their pets also abstain from eating meat. This is a controversial choice, since dogs and cats may not receive all the nutrients they need to thrive on a vegetarian diet. Cats, especially, need a nutrient called taurine that can only be obtained through foods of animal origin. The ASPCA recommends against vegetarian or vegan diets for cats
Don't feed dogs cat food or cats dog food, and avoid feeding them an abundance of "people" food. Dogs and cats are both carnivores but their nutritional needs are very different. The ASPCA has compiled a list of ten people foods that you shouldn't feed your pets.
If you want to switch your pet from his or her existing food to a new organic product, mix the new food with the old for several days to get pets used to the taste and to avoid stomach upset.

Baby Green Bean -- 10 Resolutions for Parents

2009-01-01T00:59:00.000-08:00

1. Say yes more: to spending time and doing things together.

2. Say no more: to I want, I need, everyone has it, and everyone does it.

3. Worry less: about all the large and small highly sensationalized harm that exists out there. The overwhelming odds are with you (but drive carefully – without the cell phone).

4. Listen more; talk at less: Ask what do you think? What are you feeling? Tell me about it. What would you do?

5. Negotiate less; explain more: Our kids deserve to know the thinking behind our decisions and expectations, but should not be equal partners at the bargaining table. We are the parents.

6. Read a little more: to your child, with your child, and in front of your child – books, magazines, newspapers, notes.

7. Write a little more: notes of love, recognition, encouragement, responsibility, and daily appreciation of life.

8. Expect a little more: good behavior, responsibility, manners, kindness, and all of the goodness that lies within our children.

9. Expect a little less: constant scheduling and enrichment filled days. Slow down, you move too fast. Children need a lot of slow to grow.

10. Connect more: to family, friends, the community, those less fortunate, and the natural world.

Expressions from a Young Activist

2008-12-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

Our Earth
by Arfa Khan, 8th Grade
.
Look at our earth
So dirty and gray
Will it ever be clean or just stay this way?
.
Coal is burned and gases are exploded
Ice is melting and soil is eroded
.
There’s smog, smoke, but no room for air
Will the kids after us ever see a polar bear?
Wasting water, doesn’t anyone care?
Forget diamonds and rubies, water is rare
.
We’re just killing animals, that’s what people say
But when it comes to people, they must be cared for in every possible way
.
You say go green and go blue
But don’t worry about others when this advice is really for you
.
Land is sinking and seas are rising
People are too involved with enterprising
.
Can no one see this horrible transformation?
One day there’s trees, the next, man comes up with deforestation
.
Don’t you think we need to open our eyes and be aware?
Allah gave us resources and we wasted them,
I don’t think that’s fair Just one day take a minute and look
Does our planet seem like how they show it in storybooks?
.
We should thank Allah for making us this wonderful earth
It’s so important to take care of it now, we don’t have a second chance, no rebirth
I know it’s hard to understand but you’ve got to face the truth
.
If we act now people will be saying:
The planet was saved by the youth.
.
~~~
Arfa Khan is an 8th grade student at Orange Crescent School in Garden Grove, CA. She currently stands as the president of Student Council. Khan aspires to be a fashion designer for modest and Islamic clothing. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, playing tennis, reading, and taking small steps toward change as a contributor towards greater goods.

Schwarzenegger's Green Challenge

2008-12-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

California Governor Says He'll Stick To Environmental Plans, Despite Economic Crisis

>

Source: 60 Minutes

What is it?

2008-12-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last week I posted this image asking viewers to guess what it depicts. Many of you guessed and a few were very close to the correct answer.

The picture is of an office building in Florida after a hurricane. In the past, scientist projected that global warming will cause an increase in hurricanes in Florida. However, they now know that global warming won't cause an increase but instead will intensify already occurring hurricanes causing more severe storms.

Is global warming messing with the weather?

2008-12-25T02:36:00.000-08:00

The summer of 2008 left the Arctic with less ice than any other time in recorded history when the annual sea ice minimum was measured Sept. 14. While the extent of sea ice left at the height of the melt -- on Sept. 14 -- fell shy of the extraordinary record set in 2007, the volume of sea ice declined to a record extent.

With the melting of the Arctic, seen as the clearest example yet of global warming's real-world impacts, comes more danger of increased warming. As more ice melts, more open water absorbs more heat, and more permafrost loses methane, both of which accelerate the pace of warming in the region, and around the world.

The Arctic's vital signs are showing consistent signs of stress from global warming, and in many cases the region is changing at a much faster pace than had been predicted just years, or even months, earlier, as the 2008 Arctic Report Card showed.

Grains of the Prophet (pbuh)

2008-12-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

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By Karima Burns
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There is a famous Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah that, "Allah never inflicts a disease unless he makes a cure for it..." (Sahih Bukhari).

While some of us may assume that this cure is always in the form of a medicine or herbs, the Hadith does not state that. In fact, two of the greatest cures Allah has given us for heart disease are foods that the Prophet (SAW) ate: whole wheat and barley.

Both provide multiple benefits in the fight against heart disease as they both lower cholesterol, increase proper elimination of wastes by the body, facilitate proper blood clotting, and improve general circulation and cellular health.

When Sahl bin Sad was asked, "Did Allah's Apostle ever eat white flour?" he replied, "Allah's Apostle never saw white flour [from the time] Allah sent him as an Apostle till He took him unto Him."

Modern science has long been against processed breads, even when they are supposedly "enriched." E. Cheraskin, in his book Diet and Disease, compares enriching white flour with "robbing someone in a dark alley of their clothes and wallet, and then giving them back their underclothes and bus money to get home." In addition to the fact that white flour has no nutritional value, it can leech vitamins and minerals from the body as well. This is because nutrient-void foods do not supply all of the nutrients that are needed for their digestion; hence, they must take the nutrients that are lacking from the body. White flour can even mimic white sugar, creating problems for the hypoglycemic or diabetic person (Pritchard, Healing with Whole Foods).

According to nutritionists Jean Anderson and Barbara Deskin, whole-wheat flour, high in protein and fiber, is far superior in nutrition to white flour. Whole grain wheat contains a large amount of Vitamin E, mostly concentrated in its germ layer. Research on the Vitamin E found in wheat discovered that of 31,000 people studied, those who ate whole wheat bread had a much lower risk of heart disease than those who ate white bread. Michael H. Davidson, MD, president of the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, says that this is because the Vitamin E in wheat causes the liver to produce less cholesterol. He found that subjects in his study who consumed ½-cup of wheat germ daily for 14 weeks saw their cholesterol levels drop by seven percent.

Although wheat has undeniable health benefits, we need to be aware of the dangers of its overuse. Eaten daily, whole wheat can be detrimental to the health as it causes bloating in many people and often encourages the growth of unfriendly (candida albicanus) bacteria in the colon. It can also encourage weight gain and cause allergic reactions in many people when overeaten.

It is revealing that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did not indulge in regular wheat consumption, but ate instead mostly barley and bread made from barley flour. Abu Hazim narrated (in Sahih Bukhari) that he asked the Prophet (SAW), "Did you use to sift barley flour?" The Prophet answered, "No, but we used to blow off the husk (of the barley)."

Barley is so easily digested that the Prophet even recommended that barley soup (talbiyah) be used for all stomach ailments (Sahih Bukhari). Possessing even more health benefits than wheat, barley is extremely high in calcium and protein, and is far less allergenic. It does not encourage bloating or unhealthy bacterial growth; therefore, while wheat is healthful, barley is better for daily consumption.

One of the richest sources of tocotrienols, powerful antioxidants that help reduce damage to the body from dangerous oxygen molecules called free radicals, barley also reduces the body's production of cholesterol in the liver. David Jenkins, MD, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto says, “Tocotrienols are potentially more powerful antioxidants than other chemical versions of vitamin E.” Barley is also a lot more affordable than most vitamin E supplements on the market. Furthermore, it contains lignana, found to prevent tiny blood clots from forming – perhaps providing a similar benefit to the recently popular “daily dose of aspirin” against heart disease. Just one-half cup of barley contains half the daily requirement for selenium in the diet and almost twenty-percent of the USRDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of Vitamin E. Both of these have been found to be powerful allies in the fight against cancer.

Barley also contains beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that forms a gel in the small intestine to which cholesterol binds and is then excreted from the body. This gel forming action also prevents constipation and colon cancer.

To get barley's healing benefits, it is recommended by health experts that it be eaten in the same way that the Prophet (SAW) did. Hulled barley (the husk loosely intact or “blown off”) is superior to processed barley which has been cleaned and scrubbed more than five times to create a quicker-cooking version that lacks most of barley's healthful fiber, minerals and thiamin.

Karima Burns, MH, ND has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Masters in Herbal Healing. She has studied natural healing for 12 years, published a natural healing newsletter for 4 years, and writes extensively on natural healing and herbs. Sister Karima became interested in natural healing after ending her personal lifelong struggle with asthma, allergies, chronic ear infections, depression, hypoglycemia, fatigue and panic attacks with herbs and natural therapies.

Source.

What is it?

2008-12-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

What do you think this picture depicts?

Arctic Research Center: Underwater permafrost is thawing and releasing methane

2008-12-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide

University of Alaska, Fairbanks scientists reported the alarming news at the AGU meeting:

A team led by International Arctic Research Center scientist Igor Semiletov has found data to suggest that the carbon pool beneath the Arctic Ocean is leaking.

The results of more than 1,000 measurements of dissolved methane in the surface water from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf this summer as part of the International Siberian Shelf Study show an increased level of methane in the area. Geophysical measurements showed methane bubbles coming out of chimneys on the seafloor.

"The concentrations of the methane were the highest ever measured in the summertime in the Arctic Ocean," Semiletov said. "We have found methane bubble clouds above the gas-charged sediment and above the chimneys going through the sediment."

We first heard about this research when Semiletov talked to the U.K.'s Guardian in September. These observations are extremely worrisome for four reasons. First, many fear that a huge methane release is what happened during the Permian-Triassic extinction event and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Second, releasing even a small fraction of the sub-sea methane would make stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions at non-catastrophic concentrations all but impossible.

Third, as NOAA reported earlier this year, levels of methane rose sharply last year for the first time since 1998:

Fourth, the findings are apparently based on very new and credible in situ measurements: "Semiletov said this year's expeditions used both chemical and geophysical measurement techniques, a first in the area."

The new data indicates the underwater permafrost is thawing and therefore releasing methane. Permafrost can affect methane release in two ways. Both underwater and on land, it contains frozen organic material such as dead plants and animals. When permafrost thaws, that organic material decomposes, releasing gases like methane and carbon dioxide. In addition, methane, either in gas form or in ice-like methane hydrates, is trapped underneath the permafrost. When the permafrost thaws, the trapped methane can seep out through the thawed soil. Methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, is thought to be an important factor in global climate change.

The East Siberian Arctic Shelf is a relatively shallow continental shelf that stretches more than 900 miles into the Arctic Ocean from Siberia. The area is a year-round source of methane to the globe's atmosphere. However, until recently, scientists believed that much of the area's carbon pool was safely insulated by underwater permafrost, which is, on average, 11 degrees Celcius warmer than surface permafrost.

Since 1994, Igor Semiletov of the Far-Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences "has led about 10 expeditions in the Laptev Sea but during the 1990s he did not detect any elevated levels of methane. However, since 2003 he reported a rising number of methane "hotspots," which have now been confirmed using more sensitive instruments." Why now?

Dr Semiletov has suggested several possible reasons why methane is now being released from the Arctic, including the rising volume of relatively warmer water being discharged from Siberia's rivers due to the melting of the permafrost on the land.

This, of course, would be an amplifying feedback of the very worst kind.

The Arctic region as a whole has seen a 4C rise in average temperatures over recent decades and a dramatic decline in the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by summer sea ice. Many scientists fear that the loss of sea ice could accelerate the warming trend because open ocean soaks up more heat from the sun than the reflective surface of an ice-covered sea.

And, in fact, the NSIDC reported at the AGU that the early autumn Arctic was warming up thanks to the open ocean.

The time to act is January 20, 2009.

By Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor)

Baby Green Bean -- Where are my floaties?

2008-12-17T22:50:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest fears that parents have is of their child accidentally drowning. My husband's 4-year-old nephew nearly died at a children's party, in someone's backyard pool. And the crazy part was that many adults were present, and one of the children noticed him in the water.

Drowning can happen in a split second, for older children, they generally can splash around for a few moments and even have a chance to scream out for help if they are lucky. But for infants and toddlers, accidentally falling in the water can be fatal almost instantly.

The good news is that you can teach your infants and toddlers to swim! A child inherently loves the water, and when safely and securely attended, a child can be taught to be safe in the water.

This does not mean to leave a child alone in any type of body of water! This just means that if a baby learns to swim, they increase their chances of not immediately drowning.

Some say that a baby as young as 3 months can be introduced to pool swimming. When a baby goes underwater, their "diving reflex automatically kicks in. This is the same reflex a person has when one swallows, the epiglottis closes over and blocks the throat passage, so no water gets through. This is why a baby will be seen swimming underwater with their mouths open. But this reflex lasts only till about 18 months of age, after which toddlers and older children are taught a different way to swim.

Swimming is one of the only activities that a small baby is completely independent, especially before they learn to walk or crawl. The water supports their weight and they are free to move their legs and arms as much as they want. They love it! This is a great bonding experience for moms and dads with their child.

You can find a local swim instructor near you online. Also, your city will usually have a swim program for babies, six months and up. Check the local programs.

Source:

www.babyworld.co.uk/information/baby/swimming/swimming_lessons.asp

FDA Urges Pregnant Women to Consume More Mercury-Laced Seafood

2008-12-16T23:59:00.001-08:00

Washington Post, Lyndsey Layton
Published December 12, 2008

The Food and Drug Administration is urging the government to amend its advisory that women and children should limit how much fish they eat, saying that the benefits of seafood outweigh the health risks and that most people should eat more fish, even if it contains mercury.

If approved by the White House, the FDA's position would reverse the government's current policy that certain groups -- women of childbearing years, pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children -- can be harmed by the mercury in fish and should limit their consumption.

The FDA's recommendations have alarmed scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency, who in internal memos criticized them as "scientifically flawed and inadequate" and said they fell short of the "scientific rigor routinely demonstrated by EPA."
_

The FDA sent its draft report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, to the White House Office of Management and Budget as part of the FDA's effort to update the existing health advisory. The report argued that nutrients in fish, including omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and other minerals could boost a child's IQ by three points. The greatest benefits, the FDA report said, would come from eating more than 12 ounces of fish a week, which is the current limit advised for pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers and young children.

FDA spokesman Michael Herndon declined to discuss the draft report. "As a science-based regulatory agency we periodically and routinely review and analyze scientific evidence about health effects of FDA-regulated products," he wrote in an e-mail. "We do not comment on draft reports that are undergoing internal review."
_

Benjamin H. Grumbles, the EPA's assistant administrator for water, said, "EPA is working closely with other agencies in the scientific review of this report to better understand the risks and benefits of fish consumption."

The FDA and the EPA both play a role in protecting the public from mercury contamination. The EPA investigates and regulates mercury and other contaminants in recreationally caught fish, while the FDA regulates mercury in seafood sold in markets and restaurants. States rely on the federal agencies in issuing their own advisories.
_

In 2004, the two agencies issued their first joint advisory, suggesting that women of childbearing age, pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children stop eating four species of fish considered especially high in mercury: swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel. At the same time, the government advised limiting consumption of other mercury-contaminated fish.
_

Mercury can damage the neurological development of fetuses and infants. Recent studies have suggested that mercury may also pose a health risk for adults, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The two agencies are supposed to work together to regularly review the advisory, but EPA sources said the FDA went ahead with its own proposal earlier this year, not consulting the EPA until the document was nearly finished.
_

The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, wrote yesterday to EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson and urged him to fight the FDA's recommendations.

"This is an astonishing, irresponsible document," said Richard Wiles, the environmental group's executive director. "It's a commentary on how low FDA has sunk as an agency. It was once a fierce protector of America's health, and now it's nothing more than a patsy for polluters."

Kathryn Mahaffey, who was the EPA's top mercury scientist until she left the agency in August to become a lecturer at George Washington University School of Public Health, said the FDA used an "oversimplified approach" that could increase the public's exposure to mercury.
_

But Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, applauded the FDA's efforts. "This is a science-based approach," he said. "And you start to see a picture emerge that shows the clear benefits of eating seafood outweigh the risks of a trace amount of mercury in fish."

Source - Environmental Working Group.

Photo Source - Flickr

The Lorax

2008-12-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories...

Dr. Seuss' spokesthing for the environment was ahead of the curve in 1971. Now, he's a green kids favorite.

By Erik Himmelsbach
December 14, 2008

The little kids understand. My 6-year-old son, Emmett, reads Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" at least once a week and can explain the message of the book succinctly. "It's about ruining God's creations, that money's not more important than nature."

Published in 1971, at a time when Earth Day and the ecology movement were gaining counterculture traction, "The Lorax" addressed then-unconventional issues such as deforestation, pollution and greed. It was "An Inconvenient Truth" for children.

" 'The Lorax' was very overt, very political," says William Dreyer, curator of the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. "It was a statement on conservation and corporate responsibility. He did an amazing job of simplifying issues into a story that can be appreciated and grasped by kids and adults."

The book tells the story of the Once-ler, a greedy businessman, who, literally, can't see the forest for the trees. The Once-ler builds a huge factory and chops down lush Truffula trees to feed the demand for his product (a frivolous item called a thneed).

In spite of repeated warnings from a creature called the Lorax, who speaks for the trees (but also for the creatures), the Once-ler continues to raze the forest. Eventually, the wildlife become deathly ill before finally moving away in order to survive. After polishing off the last Truffula tree, the Once-ler finds himself alone and out of business, surrounded by a wasteland of his own making.

Read the rest of the LA Times article

The Vaccine Controversy

2008-12-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting video about the vaccine controversy that aired on the Dr's show this past October. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? What do you think?

Baby Green Bean: Non-Toxic `Id Fun!

2008-12-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

`Id Mubarak everyone! We hope that you and your families had a blessed and festive `id this year! And what better way for the lil ones to celebrate than to get some new toys! This year, try to make sure you aren't giving your loved ones toxic chemical infested toys but maybe try some of these options sent out by Ideal Bite's Mama Biter tips! Check them out:

Ages 6-9
* Recycled Plastic Radio Flyer Earth Wagon - 3-foot-long wagon made from 100% recycled postconsumer milk jugs ($150).

* Imagination Box Co. Country Cottage - 18-inch-tall cardboard dollhouse (or firehouse) made with 45% postconsumer materials; comes with nontoxic paints to personalize ($22).
Preschool to K

* Wildlife Creations Reindeer/Moose Swing - animal-shape tire swing made with recycled shock-absorbing tires and water-based paint ($79). Also: elephant and dog.

* Sprig Toys Discover Rig - truck made with the Sprig’s trademarked recycled wood and reclaimed plastic composite; self-powered LED lights and sounds ($54).
Toddlers

* Jayden Earth Girl and Raji Earth Boy - dolls made with organic hemp and recycled plastic containers ($68).

* Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set - colorful pot, skillet, and place settings made from 100% recycled milk jugs; phthalate- and BPA-free, and packaged in recycled, recyclable cardboard ($25).

Infants

* Frazier & Wing’s Recycled Paper Mobile - one-of-a-kind mobiles for the crib (or your living room; $150 and up). DIY: Make your own from recycled stationery.

* YoYo dolls - fair-trade elephant, teddy bear, and rabbit stuffed animals handmade from leftover fabric scraps; two sizes ($25-$50).

If you haven't signed up for Ideal Bite, please do! They havea wide variety of specialized daily tips sent out (depending on the city you live in) as well as the general ideal bite tips and not to mention their newest addition, Mama Bites! Check out them out at www.idealbite.com

Greenhouse Gases

2008-12-09T23:31:00.001-08:00

Greenhouse Gases Research

Scientists in Wisconsin are discovering that increased greenhouse gases are having some unexpected effects.

Source - National Geographic Video

Effects of Global Warming

Signs are everywhere:
The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole, and everywhere in between. Globally, the mercury is already up more than 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius), and even more in sensitive polar regions.

And the effects of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future. They’re happening right now. Signs are appearing all over, and some of them are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice, it’s also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move.

Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening.

Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.
Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adélie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.
Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.

Read on here.

Simple Living

2008-12-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of voluntary simplicity? It is another term used to describe the concept of simple living. Both terms refer to a basic lifestyle often one in which people “live off the land.” Some people embrace the idea of simple living as a lifestyle that helps to protect the environment. Some just prefer this way of life to the hectic existence of many consumers. Others do not approve of corporatism, capitalism, or consumerism, and choose simple living on principle.

Voluntary simplicity may actually be the more accurate term since simple living should not be confused with having only the most basic necessities due to poverty. Simple living is a chosen lifestyle, and that choice may be based on a variety of issues. People who choose this lifestyle feel as if they get something out of it, not as if they are doing without.

Simple living means that every available resource is utilized in a way that makes the most of each one. For example, fruits and vegetables are planted and harvested and then that food is eaten for nourishment. Waste from that food such as peels, stems, and cores that are not eaten, can then be made into compost. The compost is used for fertilizer with which to grow more food. It becomes a cycle.

Simple living also has a spiritual aspect for some. People of many different faiths believe that they are to trust in their God to provide for their needs and that they are not intended to long for the trappings of the secular world.

Source: WiseGeek.com

For more information on simple living/voluntary simplicity, check out these two informative links:

Simple Living Manifesto

Wikipedia: Simple Living

Obama Seen Picking Energy, Environment Cabinet Next Week

2008-12-06T02:14:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- In step with naming climate policy as one of his top priorities, President-elect Barack Obama is expected to soon officially designate his senior energy and environment cabinet officials, possibly next week, according to people familiar with the matter.

Obama has vowed to rewrite the country's energy and environment policies, creating a low-carbon economy through strict regulation of greenhouse gases and shifting away from conventional fossil fuels to renewables, efficient and clean energy.

Transition officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said research portfolios for the Energy Secretary, Interior Secretary and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator designates had to be finalized by this Sunday. The Obama team is also still deliberating on who to appoint as head of the President's Council on Environmental Quality and whether that person should act as a special energy/climate change czar to oversee and coordinate Obama's policies between the different departments, or if a special position should be created.

As with his appointments, Obama is expected to announce the posts simultaneously.

None of the potential candidates could be reached for comment, and representatives of both the potential designates and the Obama transition team declined to comment.

People close to the Obama team said one of the top contenders for the energy secretary post is the former chairman of Edison International, John Bryson, one of the strongest advocates for moving the country's gasoline and diesel-driven vehicles to electric cars. Bryson has also served on the California Public Utilities Commission, and was a co-founder and attorney of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a powerful environmental lobby group with strong ties to Democrats.

With many of Obama's appointments coming from the public service, insiders say the president-elect's team wants to appoint an energy secretary from industry, and one with the gravitas to help steer the massive Department of Energy into a new green era. That's one of the reasons that Bryson, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm are now said to have pulled ahead in consideration in front of another contender, Dan Reicher, director of Google's climate change and energy initiatives division.

Sibelius recently won political kudos in the Democratic ranks for her successful prevention of a new coal-fired power plant approval in her state on the grounds that it would produce greenhouse gases.

The EPA Administrator in the new administration will play a much more powerful and influential role that previously, especially as the agency moves forward with drafting a rule to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

The head of California's Air Resources Board Mary Nichols was originally a front-runner for the position, but since Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., took over the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - the panel that drafts climate change legislation - having a triumvirate of Californians crafting greenhouse gas regulations has hurt her chances. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D- Calif., is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee responsible for Senate climate bills. Some fear that legislation drafted by a California delegation wouldn't be able to get through Congress wary of the impacts on the entire economy.

New Jersey's former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Lisa Jackson, is now said by several people close to the transition team to be the top pick, though they say it's far from a done deal. Jackson was also one of the chief proponents of the regional greenhouse gas program, one of the first carbon dioxide cap-and-trade programs in the U.S.

World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash was also a serious contender, but two insiders said he wouldn't be well received because of the perception of being too closely tied to environmental groups, and not enough experience with industry.

"Clearly he was and is a candidate, but industry will tend to say, that's an extreme choice, and that's not what Obama seemed to be about," said one person close to the transition team responsible for designate recommendations.

The Interior Department appointment will also be a strategic pick for Obama, especially as the debate over offshore drilling is expected to pick up in the new year, though oil prices down to 2005 levels have helped to erode the political urgency of the issue.

Two people close to the transition said the final two candidates are Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, whom Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is said to support, and Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat whom House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wants in the post.

Although, historically, the Interior position in a Democratic administration has gone to an inter-mountain western state official, California has been a vociferous opponent of offshore drilling and a representative from that state would likely play hardball on new Outer Continental Shelf exploration.

Transition team insiders say there's no decision yet on whether to appoint a special energy/climate czar. "They don't know what the job would be," said one person close to the team. "They're talking about a climate change czar, an energy czar, and a national environmental council similar to the National Security Council," he said.

He added that Al Gore is lobbying hard for the White House to instead use the existing council on environmental quality, only strengthened to better coordinate policy between the agencies.

Source: CNN

Must-See Documentaries

2008-12-02T23:57:00.001-08:00

Blue Gold: World Water Wars - The Global Water Crisis

American Southwest: Are we Runny Dry? - The U.S. Water Crisis

King Corn - Mass Deception of a Liquid Poison

Must See JV!

2008-11-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

Venus, Jupiter and the moon align this weekend

After Thanksgiving, you may be so stuffed you can do nothing but sit and stare up at the sky.

Well that’s the perfect position to take when Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon line up in the southwestern sky just after sunset on Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st.

No need for a telescope. The Moon and the two planets will be visible to the unaided eye and easily distinguishable from the stars in the distance.

“They will be the brightest things in the sky,” said Anthony Cook, astronomical observer at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

The three celestial objects pass each other once a year but rarely do they appear this clearly, he said.

“It’s striking,” Cook added.

Here’s the scoop: Look to the southwest, about 17 degrees above the horizon, between 6 and 7:30 p.m. on either night.

On Nov. 30, the crescent moon will be just below the two planets. Venus will be the brightest of the two and Jupiter will have a slight yellow tinge. On Dec. 1, the moon will be just above the two planets.

To see photos of similar alignments from the past, check out the NASA Images website.

Cook doesn’t recommend looking through a telescope because you won’t be able to get all three objects in one field. Instead, he suggests using less-powerful binoculars to see some detail without isolating any of the orbs.

Although the moon and the planes will look close in the sky, they are actually millions of miles apart. The moon is 240,000 miles away; Venus is 93 million miles away and Jupiter is a scant 539 million miles from earth.

You can read more about the alignment and other astronomical sights on the Griffith Observatory’s weekly Sky Report.

-Hugo Martín, Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Venus, Jupiter and the Moon align over Phoenix. Credit T. Polakis, courtesy of NASA]

Source: LA Times

Still Not Convinced to Recycle More?

2008-11-25T23:25:00.001-08:00

If you ever get too lazy to recycle, or you need help convincing people to recycle, read this!

Plastic Producers WANT you to recycle. They complain about not getting enough used plastic products to remanufacture, because of all the energy it takes to use virgin plastic (polythene).

here's why:

~Plastic production uses 8% of the world's oil production!

~Nearly 1.8 tons of oil are SAVED for every ton of RECYCLED polythene produced.

~Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W bulb for up to 6 hours.
~If every American household recycled just ONE out of every ten discarded HDPE bottles (used in milk jugs and most shampoo and detergent bottles), it would keep 200,000,000 pounds of plastic OUT of landfills.

~A report on the production of plastic grocery carrier bags concluded that the use of recycled plastic resulted in:
• reduction of energy consumption by 67%
• reduction of water usage by nearly 90%
• reduction of carbon dioxide generation by 87%

How about paper?
~Making a ton of paper from virgin wood requires
• 3,688 pounds of wood • 24,000 gallons of water

~Each ton of recycled paper saves
• 17 35-foot trees, which could make 11,500 pages of 20-pound 8.5” x 11” paper
• 380 gallons of oil, or enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles
• 3.1 cubic yards of landfill space
• 4,077 kilowatts of energy, or enough to heat and air condition an average American home
for six months

WOW! Doesn't that make you want to recycle? Let's reduce the load of garbage that is going to our landfills. It's easy! Just keep a container in your kitchen along with your trash can to separate your recyclables from your garbage, and even keep one in your bedroom (I do). Throw the recyclables into your recycle bin each week, instead of the garbage bin.
With paper, its ok to use the back side of each page, even for homework assignments. Buy recycled paper items at the store. They are affordable!

~drf.umd.edu

Green Building

2008-11-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

Green efforts embrace poor; More areas are updating housing to cut energy use and utility bills

Haya El Nasser

Low-income people who live in old or flimsy housing are becoming prime targets for cities and groups intent on slashing energy use.
Recent efforts to cut energy consumption in the home have focused on new construction, often in more affluent areas and public buildings. Now, community organizations and cities that have embraced the green effort are homing in on low-income houses and apartments to reduce emissions and help poor people lower their utility bills.
"That area is getting a lot more attention now," says Tom Deyo, senior adviser for Green Strategies at NeighborWorks America, a non-profit that promotes homeownership and affordable housing through more than 230 local organizations.
It launched a website this month designed to help create greener and healthier housing and neighborhoods.
In several cities, public and private funds and services are teaming to give low-income households free energy audits, compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs, insulation and other energy-saving devices and tips:

On Oct. 1, groups working with Greenprint Denver -- Mayor John Hickenlooper's climate initiative -- went door-to-door through the low-income Sunnyside neighborhood.

"We looked at utility data and found it was the highest energy-using neighborhood with the lowest income," says Michele Moss Weingarden, Greenprint director. The homes are older and poor residents or seniors on fixed incomes can't always afford the insulation and appliance upgrades available, she says.
The Neighborhood Energy Blitz gave the residents energy audits, got them to sign up for the city's free recycling service, offered a tree to plant in their backyards, replaced light bulbs and shower heads and inspected furnaces and water heaters.

Rays of Hope Austin, a non-profit founded by local interior designer Effie Brunson, offers low-income homeowners solar panels. Before they're installed, volunteers upgrade light bulbs, insulation and appliances.

Homeowners in the Texas capital get a utility rebate from Austin Energy. Water and electricity usage can be cut by 40% to 50%.

The Sustainability Institute in North Charleston, S.C., a non-profit, has helped 1,300-plus homeowners lower energy bills by 10% to 25%.

"Most of the homes have upwards of $300 or more a month in energy bills," says Renee Patey, program manager. "We choose homes that are bad, where the building envelope is very leaky, that get air infiltration, heat and energy loss."

Low-income areas key

Rosetta Martinez had seen those funny-shaped light bulbs in stores and knew they used less energy but at $9 apiece couldn't afford them.
So when volunteers offered a floor-to-ceiling energy audit of her two-bedroom Denver home, throwing in CF bulbs, a programmable thermostat and insulation around doors, windows, the water heater and furnace, she was ecstatic.
"I was all into saving energy," says Martinez, 53, a security guard who bought her home three years ago. "But I'm single and I'm barely making it."
Greenprint Denver found that 52% of the carbon emissions generated in Denver come from the way homes and businesses use energy (another 30% from transportation).
City officials also know that reaching lower-income households is a key to reducing energy use.
"Eighty percent of the housing stock was built before 1970, and much of that is in lower-income neighborhoods," says Mayor Hickenlooper, one of the first to sign the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. He set a goal of reducing per-capita greenhouse gas emissions 10% by 2012 and 25% by 2020.

A citywide effort

Hickenlooper launched Greenprint Denver with the help of 33 civic, government and business leaders. It encourages residents to take shorter showers, install CF bulbs, ride a bike or walk one day a week, plant a tree and use reusable bags. The city is working with real estate boards to do energy audits every time a house is sold.
"There is synergy in being able to put more money in the savings accounts of low-income families and do that through reducing energy," Hickenlooper says.
Greenprint mobilized organizations and companies to perform the services. The Mile High Youth Corps, for example, installed low-flow toilets in low-income houses.
"Energy costs are volatile, and we wanted to help people stay warm this winter," Weingarden says. "For this community, we knew we could have a huge impact and we wanted to make it as easy as possible."
Marlene Vasquez, 53, moved to a three-bedroom rental home in Sunnyside last summer. She's on government assistance and takes care of six grandchildren, ages 2-14.
Less than two months ago, she says, "somebody came to my door and brought me one light bulb and talked to me about energy." Then she got an energy audit, a new furnace with a digital thermostat and energy-saving bulbs. Volunteers have helped her lower her water usage.
Vasquez is excited to see how much these measures will knock off her $120-a-month energy bill. "I'm hoping for at least $30 a month," she says.

Oil Prices Need to Go Back Up!

2008-11-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

As oil prices fall, we are less likely to push for green-tech. With the price for regular unleaded at just under $2/gallon, I am torn between celebrating at the pump and cringing because of what it means for alternative energy. And according to this article, oil is expected to continue falling.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices could fall to as low as $40 a barrel next year as more efficient refining capacity comes online and production costs for some regions fall, Deutsche Bank said in a Wednesday research note.

"The most underappreciated issue is the combination of poor demand with major new refining capacity additions and the extent to which that will undermine light sweet crude prices," the bank said in the note outlining the downside risk to its 2009 oil forecast.

"We believe that cash production cost 'floors' for the oil price are shrinking target (lower costs, stronger U.S. dollar), which imply a 'V' shaped downside to $40 a barrel crude around April 2009."

Oil prices have tumbled from a record over $147 a barrel to below $54 a barrel on Wednesday as demand from large consumer nations across the globe wilts due to the economic crisis.

The bank said the new refining capacity additions will use 20 percent less crude to make gasoline and distillate than older capacity, cutting the need for crude and pressuring prices.

In addition, the research note said healthy supply increases from non-OPEC sources should also weigh on oil.

"Given the weak demand we see versus relatively healthy supply levels, we seek the cash break-even cost of marginal production as the floor for oil prices," Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Sankey wrote, adding this floor was a "shrinking target".

"As oil falls, costs fall, the U.S. dollar strengthens, further causing local (Canadian, Russian) break-evens to fall."

OPEC members, feeling the squeeze of falling oil prices, will also face increased pressure not to cut production due to shrinking revenues, the bank said.

Source: Reuters

ZeroWater Filter With Almost Zero Waste

2008-11-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

ZeroWater Filter with Almost Zero Waste

by Mary Logan Barmeyer

We've heard again and again that it's time to kick the plastic water bottle habit and head back to the tap. Despite evidence that our tap water is highly regulated and just as safe as bottled, news about pharmaceuticals and chemicals in drinking water or pipes that may contain lead, or even just bad tasting tap, can make us wary of getting our water straight from the faucet. Although most water filters can't eliminate every contaminant, they can help reduce them. But are unrecyclable water filters any better for the environment than recyclable plastic bottles? Not if you can recycle them.
Zero Technologies recently launched a recycling program for filters, the only program of its kind in the country. Ninety percent of the materials in its ZeroWater filters are recyclable--even the filter media are recycled for use in wastewater-treatment plants--and they can be shipped back to the company in their original packaging in exchange for a discount on replacements. (Zero is also one of the only companies to offer filter bottles made of glass, although the ABS plastic used in their other products has been tested to ensure no chemicals leach out).
ZeroWater's carbon and ion-exchange filter reduces dissolved solids in water down to zero parts per million, which you can test with a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter that comes with the filter. The filters are also NSF certified to remove lead, chlorine taste and odor, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, chromium, aluminum, zinc and iron.
But remember, you may not need a water filter at all. Your annual Consumer Confidence Report, which you can get through your water supplier, will tell you about local water quality, and if you're worried about lead in your pipes, check with your health department or contact a specialist to test your household water.
ZeroWater filters are available online at http://www.zerowater.com/. Half-gallon pitchers are $39.99, and larger 2.5 gallon bottles are $119.99 for glass or $99.99 for plastic.

California leads fight against climate change on global level

2008-11-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

California formally moved to spread its can-do global warming gospel around the world, signing a declaration Wednesday with 11 other U.S. states and provinces or states in five other countries to help them slash their greenhouse gas emissions.

Fighting climate change shouldn't just go "nation by nation," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a climate summit in Beverly Hills attended by more than 700 delegates from 19 countries. It must go "province by province. . . . We have got to do something worldwide here," he said.

California's unusual state-level diplomacy comes as President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to invigorate U.S. participation in negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which took effect in 2005 -- and which the Bush administration declined to join.

Talks on a new climate treaty resume in Poland next month, and final agreement is expected to be signed in Copenhagen in December 2009. But success is far from assured as industrial nations, which have caused much of the world's global warming, battle with fast-growing developing nations such as China to determine who should cut emissions.

Regional leaders signing Wednesday's declaration said they would develop strategies for high-polluting industries in an effort to influence the talks. The signers included 12 U.S. governors and state or provincial representatives from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and India.

California has developed more technical expertise in controlling planet-heating emissions than any U.S. state in the two years since it passed a law requiring its emissions to fall by about 15% in the next 12 years. And although the federal government has stalled in adopting any economy-wide climate legislation, the Golden State has forged ahead with renewable energy standards, automobile tailpipe regulations, efficiency incentives and forest carbon protocols.

"California is a little spot on the globe, but the influence we have on the rest of the world is enormous," Schwarzenegger told the conference, touting the "green jobs" that the state would produce from solar and other clean-technology energy.

The declaration sets in motion a process for the state's Air Resources Board, one of the world's oldest and most sophisticated pollution control agencies, to share engineering and policy expertise with regions such as Brazil's Amazon states and Indonesia's forested provinces on how to measure and control greenhouse gases.

China, India, Brazil and other fast-developing nations have resisted caps on their emissions.

"The industrial countries that have been spewing out the most greenhouse gases have a higher responsibility to act," said Gov. Ana Julia de Vasconcelos Carpa of the Brazilian state of Para.

About 20% of the world's annual carbon emissions come from burning forests in Brazil, Indonesia and other tropical nations. In an international carbon market, as envisioned in California's global warming law, U.S. industries could pay to preserve tropical forest as a cheaper way to meet their own global warming targets. It is a source of income that foreign leaders are eager to tap.

Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, one of the signers of the agreement, said that his heavily forested state also would share research with the tropical nations. "We have a joint interest in how the carbon market moves forward," he said. "We want to ensure that forest lands and their facility in capturing carbon receive appropriate credit. This will be a big political fight in this country and around the world."

Tropical deforestation, which was excluded from the emissions rules in the Kyoto Protocol, is expected to be incorporated in the new treaty. But how the developing nations are compensated by wealthy nations for not burning down their forests is far from resolved.

With California and other U.S. states facing severe fiscal restraints as the economy worsens, nonprofit organizations including the Climate Group, Conservation International and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have pledged funds to support working groups and draft position papers for states and provinces that signed Wednesday's pact.

"Everyone wishes they could just say, 'I'm going to protect my forest, so give me money,' " said Peter Seligmann, chief executive of Conservation International. "But we have to verify that any commodity is real. Now these regions are linking with California, the eighth largest economy in the world, in an effort to create a verifiable source of carbon credits. That is huge."

Source: Margot Roosevelt, LA Times

Baby Green Bean -- The Crack Down on Fat

2008-11-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

Mmm, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cakes... Those warm fuzzy memories of munching down 50 cent portions on the school playground are a thing of the past, quite literally.

To combat the epidemic of childhood obesity, new state nutrition guidelines strictly limit the fat, sugar and total calories of any food sold on campus during school days - even before and after school.

This has led to the ban of not only selling greasy foods at lunchtime, as well as the disappearance of soda and junk food vending machines from public school campuses across the state. Lunch options are now including spinach salad, healthy burritos and grilled chicken.

But the real shocker comes with the banning of bake sales from all campuses. The home-baked delectables that for many years has symbolized the hard raised funds of loving parents has come to an end. The low-nutrition and highly refined sugary treats are no longer allowed to be sold on campuses. So what are classes to do to raise funds for their projects? Well, this will certainly push for alternative fundraisers such as walk-a-thons, auctions, etc. Hopefully we will see a lower trend in childhood obesity in the coming years.

Source:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/8e/child-obesity-donut-md.jpg

Pollute, baby, pollute

2008-11-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

George Bush is working at a breakneck pace to dismantle at least 10 major environmental safeguards protecting America's wildlife, national parks and rivers before he leaves office in January.

With barely 60 days to go until Bush hands over to Barack Obama, his White House is working methodically to weaken or reverse an array of regulations that protect America's wilderness from logging or mining operations, and compel factory farms to clean up dangerous waste.

In the latest such move this week, Bush opened up some 800,000 hectares (2m acres) of land in Rocky Mountain states for the development of oil shale, one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet. The law goes into effect on January 17, three days before Obama takes office.

The timing is crucial. Most regulations take effect 60 days after publication, and Bush wants the new rules in place before he leaves the White House on January 20. That will make it more difficult for Obama to undo them.

The last-minute rules passed during the "midnight hours" of the George Bush presidency differ from his predecessors because they are basically a project of deregulation - not regulation. Among the most far-reaching:

• Industrial-size pig, cow and chicken farms can disregard the Clean Water Act and air pollution controls.

• The interior department can approve development such as mining or logging without consulting wildlife managers about their impact.

• Restrictions will be eased so power plants can operate near national parks and wilderness areas.

• Pollution controls on new power plants will be downgraded.

• Mountain-top mine operators could dump waste into rivers and streams.

• 2m acres of land in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado opened to development of oil shales, the dirtiest fuel on Earth.

Read the rest here.

Source: The Guardian

Cloned Animals on the Dinner Plate?

2008-11-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

In early 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they considered meat and milk from cloned animals to be safe to eat¹ despite years of controversy and a long list of unresolved ethical, health, and animal welfare concerns. The agency asked the livestock industry to continue a voluntary moratorium on putting meat and milk from cloned animals into the food supply, but did not ask for the same moratorium on products from the offspring of cloned animals. And, to add insult to injury, the agency will not require any of these foods to be labeled.

Currently, the appeal of cloned animals to the livestock industry largely lies in their role as breeders or milk producers. Already, cloned bulls’ sperm is shipped all over the country to sire offspring with particularly desirable traits, such as high milk production. These “half-clones” (offspring of cloned animals) are possibly reaching the marketplace, with no consumer awareness as to their ancestry. One semen broker who has sold the sperm of cloned bulls, said that these offspring are “going to be slaughtered [for food], and the FDA can’t do anything about it.” In 2001, the FDA asked farmers to voluntarily refrain from selling meat or milk from cloned animals or their offspring, but no one at the agency is tracking whether farmers are complying.²

In 1998, cows were successfully cloned for the first time in Japan. Approximately 300 beef cows, 150 dairy cows, and 200 pigs have been cloned in the United States.³ A Texas-based company began cloning champion horses in March 2006, which can sell for as much as $150,000 per horse.⁴ And pet cats can be cloned by a private company for $32,000.⁵

Pushing ahead with cloning animals for food, researchers have cloned pigs whose meat contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids by blending a gene from earthworms with pig’s genetic material. No one has tasted the transgenic piglets’ meat, yet. Nevertheless, scientists hope to clone chickens and cows with high levels of omeegs-3s in the future.⁶ Even as the FDA is poised to approve cloned animals for human consumption, there are concerns about the process’ impact on animal health and the insufficient research on eating meat or drinking milk from cloned animals.

Fact Sheet: Cloned Animals on the Dinner Plate?

Read on.

Take Action!

Tell Congress you don’t want to eat cloned animals and that need to step in to keep these controversial foods off of your plate. You can contact your Representative and Senators by calling (202) 224-3121.
Buy sustainable meat from a producer who you can ask or read about their practices. Visit the Eat Well Guide to find sustainable meat and dairy products near you.

Source: courtesy of foodandwaterwatch.org.

LA/OC Fires

2008-11-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

If you live in Southern California, you can't help but notice the horrible air quality we are suffering today as a result of the fires in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. I pray that those whose homes are being threatened with the flames are safe insha'Allah.

Here are some tips on staying safe and healthy as the winds blow the fires and their ashes all over.

Don't try to be a hero, if you are told to evacuate, please do so.
If you have Asthma or any other respiratory illness, keep your inhaler handy and try to stay indoors.
If you must be outdoors and the air quality is bad, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth or mask to help keep the particles of ash out of your respiratory tract as much as possible.
If you're driving, keep the windows up and have the internal air circulation button on, so that ashes and other particles are not circulating in your car as you drive.
If you are having difficulty breathing and you already have a pre-existing condition its important that you seek medical attention.
Stay well-hydrated.
And, of course, make dua for the rain.

‘O Allah, send upon us helpful, wholesome and healthy rain, beneficial not harmful rain, now, not later.’

Stay updated with the fires here.

Proposition 2 Protects Animal Rights

2008-11-14T22:06:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer Das Faias

The 2008 election made history in more ways than one. California
voters passed Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty
Act.

Proposition 2 will amend the lives of millions of farm animals, (like the chickens on the right)
confined in small crates and cages where they can hardly move for
essentially their entire lives.

The purpose of this act is to outlaw the cruel and inhumane
confinement of animals which applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens
and veal calves.

By January of 2015, California farms are obligated to provide enough
space for animals to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. For
animals, this means they no longer have to live and suffer in
miserable conditions.

For Californians, this means improved health and food safety. Filthy,
unkempt, unsafe and crammed cages are breeding grounds for diseases
such as Salmonella, which can be passed on to consumers.

Proposition 2 also supports Californian family farmers and, protects
air and water and safeguards the environment.

Fisher student Ashley Grinnell is an animal lover of all kinds.

"I hope New York follows in California's footsteps. It's so sad to
think these animals treated as objects," Grinnell said.

The Rochester area is also taking strides to protect animals. Last
month, Monroe County Legislators sent a memorializing referral to
local grocers and food markets to stop selling eggs from hens in
battery cages.

Rochester animal rights activist, Adam Durand, is the campaign
director for Animal Rights International. (ARI). ARI seeks to reduce
animal suffering of all kinds; refining agricultural methods is one
effort.

Durand, supporter of Proposition 2, says this referral is a big step
to abolish the use of battery cages.

"Whole foods, college campuses and universities, including the
University of Rochester, have ended or greatly reduced their use of
caged hens," Durand said.

In 2004, Adam Durand and two other investigators documented the
appalling animal cruelty taking place at New York State's largest egg
farm, Wegmans Egg Farm, which supplies the Wegmans grocery store
chain.

They found hens living in disgusting conditions. Many were covered in
feces and many were dead due to not having access to food or water.

Up to nine hens were stuffed in cages the size of file drawers and
many had painful infections due to their skin and feathers rubbing
against the rough wire.

In December of 2005, St. John Fisher held a screening of the
documentary "Wegmans Cruelty." This documentary raised a lot of
attention locally and nationally. Durand was arrested for trespassing
and spent a month in jail. In 2007, Wegmans sold its egg farm.

"Most likely, Wegmans continues to sell battery caged eggs," Durand
said.

St. John Fisher student Melissa Dempsey followed Proposition 2.

"I am really happy it passed. I saw Oprah's show about Prop 2. I had
heard about farm cruelty but to witness it on this show was eye-
opening," Dempsey said. "Seeing cage-free hens on an organic farm and
then the farm with hens stuffed in cages where they could barely move,
was enough for me. I now only purchase eggs that are cage-free."

There are people who care where their meat and dairy products come
from, those who don't know, or those who just don't care.
Fisher student Jake Andrews was not aware of Proposition 2 and thinks
other issues are more important.

"Animals like pigs and chickens were put on this earth to be consumed.
I don't think it matters how they are raised, they are going to die or
be killed anyway," Andrews said.

Reference: Cardinal Courier Online
Image: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2007/07/24/egg3.jpg

Dare to Prepare…

2008-11-13T13:44:00.001-08:00

SubhanAllah… according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey, Southern California Earthquake Center and California Geological Survey the state of California faces a 99.7 percent chance of being rocked by a Northridge-size earthquake by 2037.

Researchers found the odds of such an event are higher in Southern California than Northern California, 97 percent versus 93 percent chance.

The study focuses on specific fault lines and urbanized areas, as well as making predictions about whole regions. On balance, we as southern Californians should be a little more nervous than those in the north; the probabilities for quakes of magnitude at least 7.5 before 2037 are 37% in the south versus 15% in the north.

The last time a magnitude 6.7 quake hit California was the 1994 Northridge disaster, which killed 72 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused $25 billion in damage.

“We look at the very largest earthquakes, magnitude 7.5 and greater, the odds of one of those happening within the San Francisco Bay region in the next 30 years is 10 percent,” said U.S.G.S. seismologist Tom Parsons.

~~~

=> This information makes you want to reflect on Surah 99 - The Earthquake.

Baby Green Bean -- Elephant Art

2008-11-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a beautiful example of the intelligence, sophistication, and sheer beauty of a creation of Allah (swt). This is almost unbelievable!

Also, visit the Elephant Gallery to see more...

sign here to protect organic fish

2008-11-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/813124154?z00m=17779912

Going Green the Economical Way :)

2008-11-10T19:39:00.001-08:00

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/save-money-going-green-care2s-best-ideas.html

Testing ... One, Two, Three

2008-11-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sign the Pledge Against Animal Testing

Animal News

2008-11-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Here are some main headlines I came across in the news this week:

This past Tuesday 2/3 of Californians voted in favor of increasing farm animal space giving them free mobility. Farmers have been given till January 2015 to change their animal housing situation and get rid of all battery cages.

Cheetahs are being reintroduced into South Africa's Mountain Zebra National Park.

In Kenya, elephants are given a new high-tech collar that sends text messages when they cross a virtual fence. This allows the rangers to rush to the elephant's site and protect both crops and the elephant.

Warmer temperatures due to climate changes are adversely affecting lemmings mainly in Norway, the Arctic region and Canada. The warmth causes wetter snow. This prevents them from burying food and burrowing into the snow to hide from predators.

eBay will ban all black market sales of ivory by Jan 2009. This was declared just before the International Fund for Animal Welfare declared that in a 6-week period over 7,000 posts were made selling body parts of protected wildlife.

Click here to see the best wild animal photos for 2008.

Cloned animals meet early deaths

2008-11-06T15:59:00.001-08:00

Cloned animals may indeed die young suggests the first direct study of their lifespan, carried out by Japanese researchers on mice.

Cloning involves removing the nucleus from an egg and replacing it with the nucleus of a donor cell. Many of these "nuclear transfer" embryos never develop or miscarry. Even after birth some clones die. But many cloning scientists argue that the few survivors can be perfectly normal.

Atsuo Ogura of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo says his team's work suggests that some effects of cloning are not apparent in the days, weeks or even years after birth. "It is very probable that, at least for some populations of clones, some unpredictable defects will appear in the long run," he says.

The debate over the health of clones and how they age has swung one way and then the other. In November 2001, US biotech company Advanced Cell Technology reported the cloning of two dozen apparently healthy cloned cows. But in January, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, Dolly the sheep, was reported to have prematurely developed arthritis.

Rudolf Jaenisch, a mouse cloner at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston says the new work "shows that to look at animals at one point in time and say they are healthy and normal is really wishful thinking."

Immune system defect

Ogura's team cloned 12 male mice and these were compared with seven males from natural matings and six others produced using in vitro fertilisation. The clones appeared active and healthy, gained weight normally and matched the control animals in 14 of 16 physiological measurements.

But the first cloned animal died after only 311 days and, by day 800, 10 (83 per cent) of the animals were dead. In contrast, only three (23 per cent) of the controls died during the same period.

The dead clones showed high rates of pneumonia, liver disease, cancer and a lower level of antibody production, suggesting they had an immune system defect. Ogura's team is now trying to pinpoint the precise cause of death and repeat the experiment with more animals.

ACT's Tony Perry points out that it remains unclear if clones from other species such as cows or pigs die early. And even if clones in general do prove to have a shortened lifespan, he does not think that undermines data from ACT and others that clones can be healthy.

All the researchers agree that the work should be an additional warning to would-be human cloners.

Reference

2002. Cohen, Philip. Nature Genetics. 10: 1038.

Green Deen

We're Moving.....

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Baby Green Bean -- Waafia.com

Green Khutbah at a Masjid Near You!

Baby Green Bean- Belly Sprout in Downtown Fullerton

Green Muslimeen Tips

Cleaning out the medicine cabinet?

Can Peanut Butter and Jelly Save the World?

Going Green: The Islamic Way

The 10 best foods you aren't eating

Green Community Dinner *updated flyer*

Natural Soda?

Baby Green Bean -- NO sniffles for Kleenex!

Join MNN's Student Correspondent Program

Protecting Earth: Our Islamic Duty

Online Event: The Messenger's Medicine

EPA Water Quality Video Contest- Win $2,500!

Baby Green Bean -- Top 10 Environmental Toxins Most Harmful to Children

Ice bridge ruptures in Antarctic

Go Earth Hour!

Blackout Earth Day - Shut Lights Off for Dark Night Skies - Global Warming - Lights Out America - thedailygreen.com

The 11th Hour

Feed your face!

Plane transforms into a car

Eco-Mansion

This Sunday: A Community Discussion on Health Reform | Orange County

The Age of Stupid

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PETE

Baby Green Bean -- Plastic Bottles, Buh-Bye!

From Cornfields to Parks, Obsolete to Opportunity

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - HDPE

Baby Green Bean -- Imus Ranch

The Tale of rBGH, Milk, Monsanto and the Organic Backlash

11 Powerful Environmental Messages

Green Deen @ the Colorado Lagoon

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PVC

Mass migrations and war: Dire climate scenario

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - LDPE

Baby Green Bean -- The Biodegradable Diaper!

Energy and efficiency intact in stimulus bill

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PP

Natural Home Magazine

Advanced technology designed by nature

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? - PS

My True Calling!

25 Most Promising Green Businesses

Another reason to avoid HFCS

Dilution is the Solution to Pollution?

Go Green Expo

Upcoming Volunteering Opportunity

Get Fluoride Out of Water

Baby Green Bean -- Happy Green Bee

President Obama 'has four years to save Earth'

Water, sewage system "collapsing" in Gaza, says official

Scientists Create Flubber

Checklist for Gaza

Activist Art Finds Niche in Urban Environment

SubhanAllah, Ants!

My past TARGET experience

More Melamine Found in U.S. Infant Formula

Baby Green Bean -- Mommy & Me

HP Offers Money for Old Tech Equipment

White Phosphorus: Israel fires artillery shells into Gaza

Local Green News

Organic Petfood

Shopping Tips

Baby Green Bean -- 10 Resolutions for Parents

Expressions from a Young Activist

Schwarzenegger's Green Challenge

What is it?

Is global warming messing with the weather?

Grains of the Prophet (pbuh)

What is it?

Arctic Research Center: Underwater permafrost is thawing and releasing methane

By Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor)

Baby Green Bean -- Where are my floaties?

FDA Urges Pregnant Women to Consume More Mercury-Laced Seafood

The Lorax

The Vaccine Controversy

Green Community Dinner updated flyer