California NOW

EPA WANTS YOU TO DECIDE -- SHOULD TOXIC PESTICIDE BE BANNED?

The EPA has opened a public comment period on whether a toxic pesticide used on food and cotton in the U.S. but banned in much of the world, should be taken off the market. The pesticide, endosulfan harms the hormone system, and low levels of exposure in the womb have been linked to autism, male reproductive harm and other birth defects. The Organic Consumers Association is joining with Pesticide Action Network and other allies in gathering tens of thousands of petition signatures to ban this toxic pesticide off the market now. Learn more and take action.

 

H2O

I pledge to Think Outside the Bottle , which means:

Opting for public tap water over bottled water; and

Supporting the efforts of local officials who prioritize strong public water systems over bottled water profits.

How is water connected to women's rights?

Because water is a human right and not a commodity to be bought and sold for profit;

Because bottled water corporations are changing the very way people think about water and undermining people's confidence in public water systems;

Because up to 40% of bottled water in the U.S. and Canada is sourced from municipal tap water;

Because some bottlers have run over communities' concerns and the environment when they extract water and build bottling plants to get local spring and ground water;

Because bottled water travels many miles from the source, results in the burning of massive amounts of fossil fuels, and contributes to the billions of plastic bottles ending up in our landfills;

Because worldwide there is a need for investments in public water systems to ensure equal access to water, a key ingredient for prosperity and health for all people; and

Because solutions to ensuring water as a fundamental human right require people acting together and standing up for public water systems,

Join me, make the switch, sign the pledge!

Longest Walk Kicks Off

"The Longest Walk"  is a 5 month journey starting TODAY  from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco and ending in Washington D.C. on July 11. The spirit of the walk is: "All Life is Sacred, Save Mother Earth." It commemorates the 30th anniversary of the original longest walk, as well as seeks to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth and of sacred site issues.

Along the journey, walkers will collect debris and trash found along the highways. The journey is truly a sustainable movement with peace in every step! The Northern route leaves from Sacramento on February 12 and the Southern route should hit LA buy mid-March.

Be Mine, Be Green

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. What does this mean? It means BIG profit for big businesses like Hershey's and Hallmark, BAD news for Mother Earth.

As an eco-feminist, I LOVE living on this planet and I’m in the mood for some real romance, not plastic knickknacks destined for the next landfill. Here are some eco-friendly options that smell good, taste good, and just might land you a date.

Organic flowers are a great alternative to pesticide-covered roses! Better yet, grow your love with a potted plant that keeps on giving! "Bee" sweet to your sweetheart: Help small-scale, rural farmers make a decent living from fair trade honey (chocolate, coffee or tea). 

Think outside the heart-shaped box. Try something new: a dozen baby chicks that support HIV/AIDS-affected households. Choose cards made from recycled, tree-less  or elephant poo paper. Cook that special someone a meal made solely from organic and locally grown veggies. Set the table with soy candles! Single? Sign up to volunteer for an environmental organization and deepen your relationship with nature.

Climate Change

This post comes from Michaeleen Mason, Director, Statewide Regulatory Issues Western States Petroleum Association and member of CA NOW's EcoFeminist Committee.

Climate change is a huge issue especially when it comes to the debate between big oil and alternative energy sources.

Here are the facts:

• Nikolaus August Otto, inventor of the combustion engine, created an 1860 prototype to run on ethanol.

• Rudolf Diesel designed the diesel engine to run on peanut oil  In 1912, he said: “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today.  But such oils may become in the course of time as important as the petroleum and coal tar products of the present time.”

• Henry Ford built his legendary 1908 Model T to run on ethanol, gasoline, or a combination of the two.  “The fuel of the future,” he predicted, “is going to come from fruit such as that of sumac out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust – almost anything.”

• In 2004, Harvard University began fueling the diesel vehicles in its fleet with a soybean/diesel mix.  In 2006, the university converted one of its recycling trucks to run on waste vegetable oil from one of its dining halls.

Senator Clinton's energy plan calls for more investment in renewable energy technologies. She outlines 10 actions we can take to reduce global warming and sustain the life of our planet.

CA Sues EPA

California and 15 other states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today, demanding a reversal of the agency's decision last month to block a state law that would cut greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

Attorney General Jerry Brown announced the suit and said the move by the EPA to block the CA law was illegal. Part of the crafty move to get around the EPA decision included filing the suit in the more liberal leaning Ninth District Court of Appeals, instead of the more conservative District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Glad to see Jerry Brown busting his good, social-justice driven moves on this one.

A new proposed slogan: California: Doing what's right despite the U.S. government.

Green Your Holiday!

While the holidays bring cheer and laughter to friends, family and loved ones, they are also a time of increased consumption and waste. Did you know that thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year? Or that every year, there are 2.65 billion holiday cards sold in the U.S. …that's enough to fill a football stadium field 10 stories high! And think about how much garbage will pile up between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. It is estimated that  we throw away about 25% more trash during this time which equals an additional 5 million tons of garbage! We could reduce this amount if we re-used materials. If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. WOW! My family started a tradition of wrapping gifts in the comics from old newspapers. My mom also loves the smell of fresh pine, but when I told her that approximately 33 million live Christmas trees are sold in North America every year, we went for the fake alternative.

Need more ideas on how to reduce waste this holiday season? Here are a few tips from the EPA:

•    Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for holiday gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don't need a bag for small or oversized purchases.
•    Send recycled-content greeting cards to reduce the amount of virgin paper used during the holidays. Remember to recycle any paper cards you receive. You can also try sending electronic greeting cards to reduce paper waste.
•    About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run.
•    Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will not only save energy, but will also help your lights last longer.
•    After the holidays, look for ways to recycle your tree instead of sending it to a landfill. Check with your community solid waste department and find out if they collect and mulch trees. Your town might be able to use chippings from mulched trees for hiking trails and beachfront erosion barriers. To help prevent waste from cutting down and disposing of live trees, you can buy a potted tree and plant it after the holidays.
•    Create and use holiday decorations such as ornaments made from old greeting cards or cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcorn or cranberries, wreaths made from artificial greens and flowers, and potpourri made from kitchen spices such as cinnamon and cloves.

Schapiro & Pollan talked, laughed and chatted about Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products

I am truly unveiling what a social justice, feminist, eco geek I am by telling you that last night's discussion in Berkeley with Mark Schapiro author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power and Michael Pollan author of The Omnivore's Dilemma (another Must Read!), ranks as high as meeting Ani DiFranco in NY! After this post and this post, I know you are not surprised that we sat in the front row.

As I've already told you, Schapiro exposes the dangerous consequences that lax environmental policies are having on the consumer products that we, and our children, use every day thanks to lobbying efforts by the U.S. chemical industry. Yet, despite the numerous powerful chemical companies in the European Union, the EU has passed laws that prevent untested or toxic chemicals in the market place.

How did they do this? Is the EU full of eco-freaks like me? Do the politicians hate big business? Unfortunately, the answers are no and no. But the real answers are still fantastic. #1. The political candidates in the EU cannot take campaign contribution from business & industry!! Woo hoo!!! Politicians free from the golden handcuffs of lobbyists and big business are able to DO THE RIGHT THING! I'm so glad. #2. The most of the European Union have single payer health care...that means that the Government is invested in Europeans health because they pay the health care bills. I wonder what it feels like to know your Government actually cares about your health.

Schapiro and Pollen laughed, as they told us we all need to "get over" our idea that the FDA protects us. We all have grown up believing that new products get screened through the FDA, right? Wrong. That is a myth. They don't even test most foods.

Couldn't make it to Berkeley last night? Can't wait for your copy to arrive? Listen to the NPR interview with Terry Gross.

Thanks for a great night Mr. Pollen and Mr. Schapiro. If either of you ever want to blog here, just let me know.

Lecture: "The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry: Toxins in Personal Care Products and Safer Alternatives" - November 28

Lead in lipstick ... Carcinogens in baby shampoo ... How is this possible? Simple. The $50 billion cosmetics industry has kept itself unregulated for decades. The result: Toxic chemicals are widespread in beauty products, and in our bodies. It's not just women who are affected by this chemists' brew. Shampoo, deodorant, face lotion and other products used daily by men, women and children contain hazardous chemicals that the industry claims are "within acceptable limits." But there's nothing acceptable about daily multiple exposures to carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals — from products that are supposed to make us feel healthy and beautiful.

Stacy Malkan is a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry (New Society, 2007). The book delves deeply into the dark side of the beauty industry, and looks to hopeful solutions for a healthier future.

       

Date: Wednesday, November 28
            Time: Noon to 1 p.m. (Feel free to bring your lunch)
            Place: Herbst Hall at Mt. Zion, 1600 Divisadero Street, 2nd floor
            Presenter: Stacy Malkin is communications director for Health Care Without Harm, a global coalition working to green the health care industry. Stacy is also a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Her new book, entitled "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry" (New Society) will be released in September 2007.

Mark Schapiro in Conversation with Michael Pollan: I know I'm a geek, but I can't wait!

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7:30pm
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way (at Dana)
Berkeley, CA

As you've seen in a previous post of mine, Mark Schapiro's new book Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power blew my mind. So I can't wait to hear him discuss the book with the author of the Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan!

Here is what the flyer says: Mark Schapiro and Michaeol Pollan will discuss themes in Schapiro's new book, Exposed, including how everyday products are poisoning us and the results of Schapiro's investigation into the response of U.S. companies to stricter environmental standards in Europe. They will talk about the implications for Americans as even China and other countries follow Europes lead.

Tickets: $10 advance, $13 door, $5 students with ID
Tickets available at indie bookstores in the E. Bay: Analog Books, Cody's Black Oak, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Pegasus, Pendragon, Global Exchange Store, Walden Pond, Moe's Books. In San Francisco at Modern Times.