"It's Our Culture"

This is dedicated to the ones I love! I have been compelled out of my silence by forces I cannot explain...

So what is compelling? I received an email yesterday from the Worldwatch Institute, a Spring 2009 Campaign donation request, I often receive them and just as often I delete after reading the final word. This time the words spoke to my soul....

It speaks of culture and how our culture influences our daily lives. Their call to action is to shift the culture of over-consumption to a culture of sustainability! While this isn't a new thought, this culture shift angle struck a loud chord with me.

I often (more and more every day) hear comments from friends in a predominant culture that I believe in about "tree-huggers" and other such silly names that label a movement that they believe does not belong in their "culture." Well I'm sorry folks! You're the ones that can't see the forest for the trees! Sustainability is self-reliance. Self-reliance is a core value you suppose to espouse....or are those just words? This is dedicated to you, my friends!!

In re-posting their email here, and I must use their words, I am not necessarily asking you to join their campaign financially - especially in this economic environment - but I am asking you to consider how you can join their campaign in how you live your life! Enough of my editorial, on with their words!

Why do we spend billions on expensive products to keep us healthy, while consuming cheap processed foods that make us sick?

Why do we spend more time than ever plugged in to gadgets, and less time visiting with our friends?

Why do we put some animals in day care and others in factory farms, making "best friends" of the former and fast food of the latter?

IT'S OUR CULTURE.

Culture is the invisible force that molds our values, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors. It is the force that makes everything we do seem natural. And while rarely discussed, culture is the single most important determinant of whether we as a society thrive long into the future, or-like maladapted civilizations before us, go extinct.

The 21st-century consumer culture now influences the behaviors of over 2 billion people. But to thrive, we urgently need to shift cultural norms so that it is no longer "second nature" to consume ever more stuff. Instead, it should feel natural to live healthier, more satisfying lives that are in balance with the Earth's limits.

After decades of extreme over-consumption, we now have a moral obligation to ourselves, to our children and grandchildren, and to the Earth that sustains us to change the way we are thinking and alter our habits as a result. And that is exactly what Worldwatch is hoping to provoke.

In Worldwatch's Spring 2009 campaign, we are working hard to raise $20,000 for our "Transforming Cultures Project,"which will explore the current consumer culture and how to transition to a culture of sustainability. I hope you will consider making a gift to support those efforts.

The two main goals of our Transforming Cultures Project are:

• To develop powerful tools that encourage people to reconsider the current cultural system.

• To challenge people to play a role in transforming that cultural system into one that is more sustainable.

In addition to providing a compelling analysis of how a culture of sustainability is starting to take root, our flagship report State of the World 2010 will launch a discussion of how to effectively cultivate a culture of sustainability as individuals and as a society. Throughout 2010, the book will be used to reach those actors already poised to lead this cultural transition: environmental educators, policymakers, journalists, social entrepreneurs, eco-celebrities, and civil society leaders.

Will you help us get there? Please make a donation of $50, $100, $250, or more to support the writing and research behind State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability, as well as the critical communications strategy that will amplify its impact.

With gratitude,

Christopher Flavin

President

Get the Lead Out!!

This is a call to action folks! It seems that it's not only loose lips that sink ships - but RED LIPS do too!!

What am I talking about? In October 2007 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), a coalition of a environmental and health organizations (including my favorite - the Environmental Working Group), tested over 30 popular brands of lipstick and found 61% contained lead!!

My understanding is that even small amounts of lead are considered a health concern. Lead builds up in the body over time - and think about the number of times lipstick is applied in a day. Lead is a known neurotoxin and can cause learning disabilities, and a number of other unpleasantries.

The FDA has not moved quickly, if at all, to remedy or regulate cosmetic ingredients. And it doesn't stop with the lipstick. According to a news release from CSC on February 9, 2009, the Canadian government announced that they have found lead in children's face paint. I'm going to go out on my editorial limb and suggest that children's makeup might not be safe...!?!

Some of the cosmetic companies are self-regulating on their ingredients and there are lipsticks and other cosmetics that are better than others - but it is still legal in the US to use unlimited amounts of lead in cosmetics. So what can we do?

Awareness is a first step. The report from the lipstick study is available to read (this link will take you directly to page 10 that names the brands tested):

Poison Kiss Report

Another very helpful resource is the Environmental Working Group's bodycare/cosmetics database, Skin Deep (fantastic!), that has loads of products listed and a rating system ranging from ok to beware. Well they use better words. Find it here:

EWG - Skin Deep

And here is the call to action - within the EWG's SkinDeep Website listed above (first page past the e-mail sign-up) is a petition to Congress for help in making our cosmetics safe. SIGN IT!!

And while you're there, browse through and look up the products you use every day. Interesting and insightful! Can't find your product? Sign up for their email updates and you can enter the ingredients list and get a provisional report.

So let's get the lead out!!

Honey, Honey

No, I'm not singing you a sweet ABBA song. I'm singing about something a little closer to home today. At least I hope it's a little closer to home.

Today I write about real, straight from the comb honey. I have my own source - do you? Do you know where that honey you're eating and feeding your children came from? Are you sure it's even real honey?

One of our local newspapers, the Seattle Post Intelligencer, conducted a five-month investigation that resulted in a short series of news stories a few weeks ago. The first two stories can be read by copying the following links into your browser:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394053_honey30.asp

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394054_honeyhealth30.asp

So if the US-based honey packers are purchasing their honey outside the US and can't be sure of it's origin, how can you unless you're raising your own bees or know a beekeeper?

Lots of questions and many things to consider. This isn't the reason I keep my own bees and harvest my own honey - but it sure reinforces my desire!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Today was the second day of my Master Gardener course. My neurosis has been fed. I learned enough to blog about for weeks. And believe me, I will. But don't worry, be happy - enlightenment helps us make informed choices!

I chose to take the courses and put in the time to become a Master Gardener so that I could be a better gardener at home. I want to grow better flowers, fruits and vegetables. I want to have access to the latest information on all the methods, technologies and developments that come from the research university here that sponsors the Master Gardener program.

Just a quick side-note: the Master Gardener program was started right here in Pierce and King Counties through the Washington State University Extensions. Now it's a nationwide program with most of the land-grant, agricultural schools.

Anyway, last week we learned about soils! Who knew that there was six hours of fascinating information about soils?!? It was amazing and the teacher was amazing. This week would prove to be no less fascinating, but in a different way.

This week we spent the first half of the day learning about pesticides! I will share most if not all of what I learned in the near future. I am pleased to say that I was able to hold my cookies in the whole time. I sit on the front row, right in front of the instructor, and nobody signed up for the lecture and a show....

What's the big deal? Let's just say that I was sickened with the knowledge I learned. It will help me make informed choices! And it has compelled me to share with those near and dear to me so that they too can make informed choices.

My only regret is that those loving and, well, mean friends and family were unable to join me in this lecture - you would have loved to see me squirm. I know it.

Total Recall(ection)

Yum, we love the peanut butter! It's disturbing to hear that more and more and more products are being added to the recall list - especially painful is the dog food, most likely processed right next to those granola bars and crackers!! Should I run to the pantry and purge (heehee)?

After a little research I feel much better. Our tub of organic natural peanut butter is safe, for the time being. It's interesting to note that the products affected are pretty much highly processed - sold in stores as a highly processed product or shipped off to our nursing homes and schools for lunch! Anyone need another reason NOT to eat school lunch?

Amazed that I care about peanut butter? I really do eat it now, actually I LOVE it now! Years of abstinence and therapy have allowed me to overcome the chunky peanut butter throw-up dream. Skiing down that oh-so-smooth creamy hill of peanut butter only to trip on an obnoxious chunky peanut rock and fall face first into the pool of peanut oil that had separated at the bottom of the hill - urp! Maybe some things are better left un-recalled. None of that purging either.

As for all those highly processed peanut butter "flavored" items. No need to worry. They've been banned for the most part from the pantry already. Started worrying about all the extra things in the peanut butter long ago and now eat the real stuff. If we want peanut butter anything we'll make up a batch of homemade cookies. Now that's something to remember!

See? It's in your best interest to be aware.....

This is ME!

How does a neurotic, OCD, worry-wart mom survive in this world? Add the "green" colored glasses and the outlook is not good.

I didn't choose these labels myself, they were imposed on me by loving, well-meaning (or is that well, mean) family and friends. You know who you are, and I want you to know that I deny every-single one of them!

I rather consider myself aware. I am aware of myself, my family and immediate surroundings, and the planet we inhabit!

My purpose in creating and keeping this blog is to let you - my loving and well, mean family and friends - see how my awareness helps me survive....!!