Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category
19/07/2010
Food Matters
Food Matters – A Guide to Conscious Eating
In this book, Mark Bittman explores the links among global warming and other environmental challenges, obesity and the so-called lifestyle diseases, and the overproduction and overconsumption of meat, simple carbohydrates, and junk food. It offers a plan for responsible eating that’s as good for the planet as it is for your weight and your health.
Sustainable Eating
With over 75 recipes and meal plans, this book will help you became accustomed to a style of eating that will cut back on your greenhouse gas production and teach you how to become less reliant on animal products and nutritionally worthless food.
To find out more, go to Food Matters.
Tags:Environment, Food Matters, Global warming, Mark Bittman, obesity, Sustainable Farming, Sustainable food
Posted in Blogs, Books, Environment, Health, Holistic Living, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
19/07/2010
How safe are your beauty products?
Film - The Story of Cosmetics
The Story of Cosmetics, to be released on 21 July 2010, examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. It explores the health implications for consumers, workers, and the environment, and shows how we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and toward safer alternatives.
Major loopholes in U.S. federal law allow the $50 billion beauty industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no monitoring of health effects and inadequate labeling requirements—making cosmetics among the least-regulated consumer products on the market.
Skin Deep
The Story of Cosmetics is co-produced with the trailblazing environmental health activists at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The release will support the introduction of groundbreaking national legislation to regulate personal care product ingredients.
Tags:Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Film, Skin Deep, Story of Cosmetics
Posted in Blogs, Environment, Film/DVD, Health, Holistic Living, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
18/07/2010
Coming soon: New series of blog posts will open your eyes.
Keep an eye out for a new series of video and text posts starting here in a few days. We think you’ll like it.
We’ve just traveled across the U.S.A, listening to an Omnivore’s Dilemma by Micheal Pollan. It was experiential education at its best, and a sobering experience.
What’s more it led to some great footage and interviews here in Durango, CO with local farmers and restaurateurs.
Stay tuned for this informative series of blog posts on your food supply.
Tags:Beyond Organic, Colorado, Durango, experiential edcuation, local farmers, localvore, Micheal Pollan, Mountain Spirit, Omnivore's Dilema
Posted in 1- Video Posts, Animals, Books, Conservation, Environment, Experiential Education, Fair Trade, Focus on MSI People, Health, Holistic Living, Inspirational People, Leadership, Service, Sustainable Living/Communities | 2 Comments »
24/06/2010
Cleaning Up After Climbers
The Swiss family Schwörer and their companions on the TOPtoTOP Global Climate Expedition have successfully completed their project to clean up Everest Base Camp. Unfortunately, expedition leader Dario Schwörer didn’t manage to reach the summit of the “Roof of the World”.
As already reported, for the last seven years the Mammut-sponsored TOPtoTOP expedition has been traveling all over the world, from Switzerland to Everest Base Camp, freeing our environment from discarded rubbish. The family used carbon-neutral forms of transport, such as walking, cycling or sailing, to reach their destination. Read the rest of this article at Mammut.ch
Tags:Dario Schwörer, Everest Base Camp, Mammut, Schwörer, TOPtoTOP expedition
Posted in Asia/Himalaya, Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Conservation, Environment, Mountain People, Sustainable Travel, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
22/06/2010
We are not powerless to what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf of Mexico
Dr Masaru Emoto is the scientist from Japan who is well known for his research and publications about the characteristics of water. Among other things, his research revealed that water physically responds to emotions. Many people have the predominantly angry emotion when we consider what is happening in the Gulf. And while justified in that emotion, we may be of greater assistance to our planet and its life forms if we sincerely, powerfully and humbly pray the prayer that Dr. Emoto, himself, has proposed.
Let’s give energy of love and gratitude to all the living creatures in Mexico Gulf by praying like this. To whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures ion Gulf of Mexico
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
Masaru Emoto
May, 9th 2010
We are not powerless. We are powerful. Our united energy, speaking this prayer daily…multiple times daily… can literally shift the balance of destruction that is happening.
We don’t have to know how…we just have to recognize that the power of love is greater than any other power active in the Universe today.
To read the article published by Dr Emoto, go to
http://www.masaru-emoto.net/english/dr.emotos_message_2.html
Posted in Animals, Blogs, Climate Change, Conservation, Environment, Health, Holistic Living, Indigenous Wisdom, Inner Work, Leadership, Power of Place, Spiritual, Traveling, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
18/06/2010
Ragged Mountain Equipment Leads the Way in Giving for the Environment
Donating for the Environment
Ragged Mountain Equipment in Intervale, NH is doing good work. When I was climbing in the North Conway area, Rob Nadler and Cort Hansen were just starting the store in a small space behind the Intervale post office. They made their own chalk bags, ice axe leashes and a few polypro pullovers. Since then, they’ve grown the business to one of the best outdoor and retail outlets in the nation. They might not be the biggest, but in my opinion, one of the best. There’s always a good feeling when you go into their store.
In line with their values, there now contributing .50 cents from every sale of a Ragged Mountain made product over $25.00 retail cost to the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust (USVLT).
USVLT’s mission is to protect the cultural and scenic values of the Upper Saco River Valley by preserving land for farming, forestry, recreation and education. Founded in 2000, USVLT has helped preserve nearly 4,000 acres of open space here in the area. The same program is being used by some of the restaurants and B&B’s in the valley.
Says Cort, “I think we are the only retail/manufacturer doing this at this time. I think it is a great program to raise the awareness of local land conservation issues. ” He adds, “The customer has the choice at the register to opt out and save $.50. Very few have done so.”
Every garment has a hang tag explaining their mission. Says Cort, “We are in the process of expanding hang tags to all our existing inventory which is a major task I can inform you. New styles come through with the tags already on them.”
They’re up to more good. Adds Cort, “We also enrolled the Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring Foundation in the program as well. All ski trail passes sold here at the Touring Center include a $.50 contribution the USVLT. We are the only XC ski touring center participating in this program currently. I think this is vital to making all nordic skiers aware that almost 100% of the valley XC trails use private land which is not protected from development or alternative uses.”
Climber Henry Barber approached Ragged Mountain late last fall about their participating in this this program.
If you’d like to donate and help owners Rob and Cort with this worthwhile project, contact Cort at cort(at)raggedmountain.com
Tags:Conservation, Dexter Randall Richards, Henry Barber, Intervale, Mount Washington, Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring Foundation, Mountain Spirit, New Hampshire, NH, Ragged Mountain Equipment, Service, Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Posted in Conservation, Environment, Inspirational People, Leadership, Service, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
07/06/2010
The U.S. citizens’ perspective of the world might not be quite as bad as depicted in this map, but I feel it may be close. While although “we are all one”, and Americans have the best of intentions, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
In a recent NPR interview, a few large truck and SUV drivers were asked if there were any connection to their driving habits and the Gulf oil spill, and, did they feel any remorse. They said “no”, they still needed “to get to work, and deliver the farm goods”. We’re all part of this problem, even the Amish, most of who don’t drive. They still need and send deliveries sent by truck. As Tolle asks, “Are you cleaning up the mess or contributing to the problem?
Back to the American perspective. This map illustrates the longstanding isolation and provincial perspective that seems unique to the USA. Just across the border in Quebec, the world view is, more worldly. The U.S. is a young country full of many, but not all, who still think we’re on top of the world. It’s understandable. Our continent stands alone, our controlled media* and corporatocracy has perpetuated a tunnel vision for many years that is catching up to us. This narrow vision that has been sold to us, effects not only our global view, but our environmental abuse, and our imperialistic tendencies.
At Mountain Spirit Institute, our mission is to broaden the American perspective. See our programs on Peru and the USA/Peruvian Music Exchange where a bit of Peru was brought into the schools and communities in the Northern U.S.
What do you think about this map? We invite your comments.
*“Cause when they own the information Oh, they can bend it all they want”. John Mayer
Thanks to Amanda Richards for sending this map my way. She was a little apprehensive about my posting this, but I thought, “Heck, our readers have a good sense of humor”.
Tags:American perspective, Gulf Oil Spill, John Perkins, NPR, Quebec, Sense of humor perspective, World according to Americans, World Map
Posted in Conservation, Environment, Fair Trade, Holistic Living, Sense of Humor Perspective, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
23/05/2010
New Book: Living DownStream – Shows evidence showing links between environmental toxins and cancer rates.
Our water: Filter it!
From Living on Earth
National Public Radio
Steve Curwood of LOE, interviews author Sandra Steingraber.
For the audio MP3 click here.
CURWOOD: Recently the journal Pediatrics reported a link between exposure to pesticides and the condition ADHD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It seems that almost every week we learn some unsettling bit of news about the effects of chemicals in our food, or water, or air, or the products we use.
Environmental chemicals have long been a concern for author and biologist Sandra Steingraber—particularly those linked to cancer. In a new film based on her groundbreaking book of more than a decade ago, Ms. Steingraber explains why her own cancer diagnosis as a young woman left lingering questions about the disease.
CLIP: I’m one of those people who really does come from a family with a lot of cancer in it. I wasn’t the first in my family to be diagnosed. My aunt went on to die of the same kind of bladder cancer that I had. I have uncles with prostate cancer, colon cancer, but the punch line of my story is that I’m adopted.
CURWOOD: Sandra Steingraber’s book, “Living Downstream”, laid out evidence showing links between environmental toxins and cancer rates in her hometown. Now a new edition of the book and the film of the same name expands the evidence of the relationship between our health and our environment. Sandra Steingraber, welcome to Living on Earth.
STEINGRABER: Thanks Steve.
CURWOOD: Where did you grow up and tell me why you relate the cancer you developed as a young adult to the environment in which you were raised? Read the rest this interview
Tags:ADHD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, environmental chemicals, Journal of Pediatrics, Living Downstream, Living on Earth, Sandra Steingraber, Steve Curwood, water supply
Posted in Books, Environment, Health | 1 Comment »
21/05/2010
Chevron's Logo?
Please sign this petition to Chevron’s CEO, Mr. Watson asking that Chevron finally do the right thing in Ecuador. (En español aquí)
Dear Mr. Watson:
As the new CEO of Chevron, climate change and the environmental and human rights impacts of Chevron’s operations are the two issues that will define your tenure at the helm of one of the world’s largest oil companies. Chevron has fallen behind other businesses and many political leaders already taking a leadership position on climate change. Furthermore, your company is drawing increasing criticism for failing to rectify its massive human rights and environmental disaster in Ecuador. Taking the following steps will demonstrate a true commitment to environmental responsibility and respect for human rights – which will only strengthen your company’s future.
We the undersigned call on Chevron CEO John Watson to:
* Clean up Chevron’s toxic legacy in Ecuador, compensate affected communities for health and environmental impacts, and provide affected people real access to health care and potable water.
* Develop a global environment and human rights policy that will prevent similar tragedies in the future.
* Adopt aggressive strategies to provide clean energy to a carbon-constrained world.
Tags:Chevron Petition, civil and environmential rights, Climate Change, Ecuador, Environment, John Perkins
Posted in Conservation, Environment, Room For Improvement, Sustainable Living/Communities | 1 Comment »
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