Justin Has Stolen My Heart

Image from here.

So, do you remember that pesky nutella problem I have?  Of course you do.  Good news.  Nutella has met its match with Justin's Nut Butter.  I stumbled upon it during a gluten-free adventure two weeks ago.  When I saw it, everything went into slow motion as I approached the jar '80's teen movie style; with the bass in my ear and the beat reverberating through the aisles.  Please, I thought.  Please let this be dairy free.

Then I picked up the jar and nervously turned it over to examine the ingredient list.  Dairy-free.  The heavens opened up and angels sang and Republicans and Democrats embraced in the streets and nothing hurt.  I had found it. 

Justin's has chocolate almond, peanut, and hazelnut butter.  Honey almond, and peanut butter.  Regular peanut and almond butter.  And maple almond butter.  Plus dark chocolate and milk chocolate peanut butter cups.  The milk chocolate peanut butter cups are not vegan, as well as the honey products.  Everything else is vegan!  Exciting, yeah?  I know.  Personally, I've never liked honey so there is no loss there, for me, and I've always preferred dark chocolate.

It is all sustainably harvested and green and something you can feel good about.  Is it expensive?  I suppose it could be classified as such.  Let's remember, though, that we're looking at quality, here.  It's not like this is an apple or something that you would have all in one sitting; it's something that is meant to last for a while.

Also, it comes in little individual squeeze packages.  For a student who spends all day in a classroom listening to the smooth stylings of Chaucer, translating middle-English, this is paramount.  You can find Justin's at specialty stores, Safeway, and Raley's -- that I know of.  The website also has a store-locater as these websites to tend to have.  And as always, you can buy it online if you really needed to.

Feel Better?

For those of you who follow me on twitter, you may have noticed that yesterday I retweeted one article multiple times from different sources.  That was deliberate, I can assure you.  It was on "Humane Meat."  The article was written by Nil Zacharias, co-founder of One Green Planet.  You can follow them on twitter, as well.  The article is called Humane Meat Is The Solution To What, Again?

As a vegetarian working on the transition into veganism, I have often pondered this question.  I have had discussions with people and sometimes, I've been roped into arguments about it.  Bottom line is:  people don't like to think about where their food comes from and making it seem like it comes from at least marginally happy animals makes them feel better.  Zacharias explores the ideas that buzz words and phrases like "free-range" and "humane" are used to ease the consciouses of the people buying the products; people who know what's going on in factory farms but don't care might be sociopaths; and a lot of people just don't want to know.

A friend of mine asked me why I don't just eat the meat from organic farmers where you know the animals were allowed to graze and were taken care of.  This bothered me for two specific reasons and then a number of less definable reasons. 

Number one:  I don't want to eat meat.  Period.  I do not agree with the practices employed by CAFO's; however, I wouldn't eat meat from anywhere because I am not okay with eating the flesh or byproducts of another animal regardless of where it came from.  True, grass-finished organic meat is vastly better for you than CAFO meat because it does not have all of the antibiotics and hormones injected into it and it grazes instead of being fed corn and God only knows what else.  If you are dead set on eating meat, you should get it from these places instead of supporting the practices of factory farming.  I, however, do not eat meat, do not want to eat meat, and will not eat meat, therefore, the topic is moot.

Number two:  he tends to try and pressure me out of vegetarianism/veganism.  When I asked him why he is always on my case about it, he told me it is because he feels pressured.  I never try and convert anyone or preach to them.  When people ask me something, I answer them.  When he wants to know things, I tell him.  When he asks me my reasons, I tell him.  From what I've heard and read, this is common among a lot of omnivores; they feel threatened or pressured or judged solely by the veg-lifestyle.  I can understand that.  It also supports the idea that "humane meat" makes them feel better.  If they buy this "humane meat" they can't be judged because they are looking out for the animals.

Here's the thing... what this entire things really comes down to is giving an abused animal an extra few inches of space doesn't really constitute as humane behavior.  Even if they figure out how to slaughter the animals in a more "humane" way, the fact of the matter is that these animals -- living breathing creatures that can feel pain and be scared -- are still being killed and treated as things; as a commodity.  This is because of supply and demand. 

People are demanding animal products at a startling rate.  As a result, the environment is suffering, people are getting exponentially unhealthier, and more and more animals are being raised for slaughter in order to meet the meat demand.  If everyone cut down on their animal consumption, the demand for it would lower so much that fewer animals would be raised for slaughter -- this would be reflected in peoples health and the environment, also.  The numbers are in and people want animal products.  The companies see the demand and supply it as quickly and efficiently for them as possible.  What all of this means, and the article talks about, is that everyone needs to work on being a conscious consumer.  Think about where the stuff you're buying comes from and what had to be done to get it and if stamping the word "humane" on the label makes the situation better or if it just makes you feel better.

Since the above incident, my friend has expressed to me a desire to go "a little veg" as he calls it.  He says he can't imagine not eating meat but he wants to be healthier.  I told him I would help him, if he wanted. 

Urgent Petition!



Picture from here.

Go here and sign the petition to defend The Richardson Grove State Park.  This park is home to old-grow redwood trees that are up to 1,000 years old.  They are not only part of California history but national history; world history.  These beautiful trees are part of a fragile environment that is home to endangered species.  Please help.  Sign the petition.  Tell as many people as you can about it so that they can sign it and we can save these beautiful trees and the wildlife that depend on them.  Besides, we need them, also.  Lungs, remember?

Conservation: A Better Life

Conservation.  The ation of conserving.  Whether it be water, energy, or biodiversity, conservation is paramount to the survival of not only our own species but the entire planet and all of the life on it.  It's a big deal.
Sounds sort of daunting, doesn't it?  I know.  There is a lot of doom and gloom surrounding environmentalism.  This produces Eco-guilt (something we will discuss in a later post).  Then of course there are those who say that your efforts aren't enough and that you're naive to think anything you're doing is going to make a difference.  Forget what you heard; that's what I say.

Don't listen to those people that discourage you or make you feel deflated.  Like I've said before, we all need to start somewhere.  So, if you're in the market for a greener lifestyle and you're not quite ready to unplug from everything you've known your whole life or you don't really know where to start, have I got a great resource for you!

Conservation International is an amazing resource to learn about conservation.  From here, you can donate, support conservation campaigns, learn about initiatives, reduce your impact, and so much more.  It's a great tool for everyone, regardless of your proficiency level when it comes to conservationism.

One of my favorite sections of the site is the Simple Steps to Live Green section.  It's a great jumping off point.  The most important tip, in my opinion because it supports all of the other steps, is to BE INFORMED. 

This is crucial.  Knowledge/education/information is our number one weapon to combat climate change, deforestation, animal cruelty, pollution, and everything else that is damaging our world.  Knowledge really is power.  That's kind of the point of this blog.  I wanted to create a place where the ordinary person could come and be exposed to resources.  A place where they could just get the run-down on what's going on.  A place where people could learn something in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.  I wanted to create a sort of hub of information.  I encourage you to look into things yourself but just remember, I can't seem to stop myself and I am always looking into things on my own.  Then I post them here.  You read them and we are all united in our journey towards a better world.  But first, you have to check out the resources I provide for you...

Conservation International was founded in 1987 -- making it oh so slightly older than I am.  It is a well established organization that knows what it's doing as well as what it's talking about.  You can follow them on twitter, I do.

In closing, I was raised to take care of my things.  I had to clean my dishes, wash my clothes, and clean my room.  I had to have respect for my things because I was lucky to have them.  This is our only planet.  Our only world.  We need to have respect for it and take care of it. 

Animal Profile: Big Cats

I made a decision, today.  I have decided to start a sort of animal profile series.  Sometimes these profiles will be on one specific animal with their name, age, location, etc.  Sometimes -- like today -- it will be on a particular species or group; or a hybrid of the two.
Today, we are going to discuss big cats.  Despite being predators, big cats are quickly becoming endangered. 

Tiger

Tigers, for example, are the biggest of all the cats and pretty bad ass, I must say.  Tigers, however, are also endangered.  In places like Thailand, tigers have been hunted to the brink of extinction and are also now being farmed.  Like all of the big cats, they are hunted for parts.

Snow Leopard

Snow Leopards are indigenous to Asia.  As of now, there are only about 6,000 left in the wild.  They too are being hunted to extinction for their thick fur and organs.  As part of the black market dealing in big cat parts, the organs are used in medicines.  The rest of the parts are sold as decoration, souvenirs, and trophies of masculinity.

African Lion

The African lion is a social animal -- unlike many other big cats which are solitary -- and they are classified as vulnerable -- meaning not yet endangered.  They live in a family unit where the male, being very protective of his pride, watches over his women and cubs. 

Mountain Lion

There is a type of big cat indigenous to the area where I live.  The Mountain Lion.  Also called the puma, cougar, and catamount, this endangered cat is extremely territorial and is always on the lookout for invaders.  They inhabit all of South America and the most western part of the United States.  Mountain Lions used to inhabit all of the United States.  Now, the only other Mountain Lions are the endangered Florida panthers; hunters wiped them out of the mid west and eastern United States.

In California, we are vigilantly informed about the dangers of Mountain Lions.  Whenever there is a drought, the Mountain Lions prey population grows thin and there is little water.  This causes the lions to come down out of the Mountains and hills into cities and towns.  They have also been known to attack hikers during these times of starvation.  When this happens, people cry for justice and chaos ensues.  Everyone acts like we're all in danger of being eaten by lions.  Yes, lions are dangerous.  They're hunters.  Predators.  Carnivores.  They, however, occupy a different habitat from ours.  The only time they enter into our habitat is when something has happened to damage theirs or there is no food and/or water. 

The reason they usually have to leave their own environment is because of us.  We pollute their air which has led to climate change.  This causes droughts, floods, and extreme changes in weather.  We are the big cats primary predator.  We destroy their homes, hunt them for their pelts and parts, and create conditions that disenfranchise them.

National Geographic has a campaign called Cause An Uproar.  To Learn more about this campaign to save big cats, please click the link above.  Also, watch the trailer for The Last Lions.  For every view, National Geographic will give $0.10 to lion conservation; all you have to do is take 1 minute and 51 seconds of your life and listen to Jeremy Irons (Scar from The Lion King) as he narrates this stunning film.  For all of the effort it will take you, watch it over and over again.

Whether or not you find big cats scary or vicious is irrelevant.  They are part of this planet just as much as we are and they have every right to live.  Like us, they are mothers, fathers, and children.  They socialize.  They mate.  They eat.  They sleep.  They protect.  They feel pain.  They show fear.  They play.  They get excited.  They mourn.  They may not possess as high a level of brain function as we do but they are still living beings that feel.  Listen to the people who study these amazing animals and work with them in sanctuary's.  Like our pets that we all love so much, these animals have personalities and idiosyncrasies that make them unique.  They are not things.  They are individuals.  They're all different; just like we are.

So, help big cats.  They have as much of a right to live on this planet as we do.  OH!  And sign the petition for sled dogs at the bottom of my blog.

GMO: From Plants to Meat to People

Last quarter, for my women's studies class, we were split up into groups and each group was assigned a book to read and present on.  My group was assigned Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  The book chronicled her and her families journey through a year of food.  They vowed to eat only local foods in order to limit their impact on the environment and be pesticide free.

For my section of the project, I talked about genetic modification and how that relates to not only food -- as was discussed in the book -- but also people which related it back to the class; Women's Health.

Today's entry will be my section of our report.  Enjoy.
 
GENETIC MODIFICATION:  FROM PLANTS TO MEAT TO PEOPLE
      When Barbara Kingsolver, her husband Steven, and their family decided they wanted to embark on a year long journey to abstain from processed, out of season foods and only eat local and organic food -- much of which they grew themselves on their farm -- they agreed to forego genetically modified foods.  Genetic modification (GM) is the "direct manipulation of genes spliced into the chromosomes of plants, and vice versa" (47).  Genetically modified crops serve many purposes; they can grow faster and allow crops to grow out of season.  This allows people to eat the same produce all year round.  Apples, for instance, which are in season in Fall and Winter, are always available in grocery stores.  Strawberries, a summer berry, can also be purchased all year -- albeit at astronomical prices.  Bananas, which are not even grown in the United States, too, can be purchased any given day, all over the country.  Genetically modifying these crops allows the grower to grow them during times of the year when they are not in season and also expands their shelf life so the produce can travel long distances to get to the consumer -- bananas, for example, are trucked up from Mexico.  In her book, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Barbara explains the detrimental effects of transporting food over long distances: carbon emissions, gasoline, etc.
      Genetic modification, however, primarily benefits the large companies who own the patent to the genetic mutation:  "The ultimate unnatural product of genetic engineering is a 'terminator gene' that causes a crop to commit genetic suicide after one generation" (47).  This allows the company who owns the patent to the seeds to prevent the farmer from saving seeds and using them in another harvest; by forcing the farmers to buy more seeds every harvest, the companies make more money.  The terminator gene offers no nutritional benefit to the crop, and in turn, the consumer.  The opposite of genetically modified seeds/crops, are heirloom seeds/crops.  These are seeds that are in their natural form.  These open-pollinated heirlooms are collected by farmers like jewels.  They behave the same way natural selection does; the crops best attributes are reproduced in subsequent generations.  In the book, Barbara talks about heirloom vegetables and how important they are to farmers.  Unlike seeds with the terminator gene, these seeds can be saved from the fruit of one crop to be used in the next season and can continue indefinitely.
      Plants, however, are not the only genetically modified food being produced.  CAFO, or Factory Farms, account for a majority of the meat consumed in the United States.  CAFO stands for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and make up approximately 15% of all AFO's -- CAFO's are AFO's that meet certain EPA criteria.  The EPA.gov (for the actual link, check the References section) site defines AFO's as "agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations.  AFO's congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area.  Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals seeing feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland."  CAFO meat is dramatically different from free-range and grass finished meat.  The CAFO animals themselves are dramatically overweight and are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.  These additives carry over into the meat that people consume, effecting human health.
In the informational essays Steven Hopp includes in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, he discusses the complaints of opponents of CAFO have:

1. The treatment of CAFO animals:  the animals are packed tightly -- often unable to turn around.  According to Steve, a six-foot-by-eight-foot room can house 1,152 chickens.
2. Pollution:  putting so many animals in a small space produces huge volumes of excrement, creating waste storage and water quality problems.  "CAFO animals in the United States produce about six times the volume of fecal matter of all humans on our planet.  Animals on pasture, by contrast, enrich the soil" (91).  The water and soil become toxic which affects the crops that come in contact with the contaminated soil and water.
3. Health:  confined animals are stressed and given antibiotics to ward off disease.  "Nearly three-quarters of all antibiotics in the United States are used in CAFO's" (91).  The problem with antibiotics is that the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics -- the antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that grow in CAFO conditions are a significant new threat to humans (91).  In addition, the CAFO animals are all being fed corn -- even the fish -- which they are not evolved to eat, compromising their immune system and in turn creating strains of viruses that would not be present if the animals were being fed what they are evolved to eat. 

       Similarly to the way seeds have been genetically altered, animals too, have been bred certain ways in order to benefit the companies that produce the CAFO meat.  In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver raises a flock of turkeys in order to start a breeding flock.  In her experiment to start her flock, Barbara receives a first hand demonstration of the consequences of CAFO breeding.  Since the animals are so tightly packed, in factory farms, it is beneficial for production for them to be docile so that they can gain weight.  "Genes that make turkeys behave like animals are useless to a creature packed wing-to-wing with thousands of others, and might cause it to get uppity or suicidal, so those genes have been bred out of the pool" (90).  When Barbara is trying to get her turkeys to mate so that she can have her flock, she chronicles how difficult it was for the turkeys to figure out what they were supposed to do -- these weren't even the wide-breasted turkeys that the factory farms use.
      In order to keep the animals docile, traits like intelligence and the ability to reproduce naturally have been bred out -- Barbara notes that a friend told her that she has seen turkeys drown because they looked up when it was raining.  The animals are unable to reproduce naturally because their legs are not strong enough to hold up their unnaturally giant bodies and the instincts that would encourage them to mate have been suppressed.  All industrialized turkeys -- CAFO -- are artificially inseminated, given growth hormones and antibiotics, and do not live to be a year old.  Cows are sent from farmers to the factory farms when they are only a few months old and then immediately fattened up for slaughter.
     CAFO came into existence as part of the switch from naturally based farming to a highly mechanized production system that utilizes genetic modification as well as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.  This is in stark contrast to the family run organic farms that Barbara and her family frequent.  U.S. farmers now produce 3,900 calories per citizen, per day (twice the amount the human body needs and 700 more calories than were being grown in 1980).
      In response to the increased amount of calories being produced, the food industry found ways to get those extra 700 calories in to the bodies of people who may not want them.  The most genetically modified crops -- and the ones that make up for most of those forced 700 calories -- are corn and soybeans.  Corn is especially prominent in everything from high-fructose corn syrup to packaging materials (contains cornstarch).  Soybeans, as well, have found their way to imitating animal flesh and/or fall under the category of "added fats." 
     Serving sizes and packaging have grown to accommodate the excess calories.  The Coke bottle, for example, went from 8 oz. to 20oz.  "U.S. consumption of 'added fats' has increased one-third since 1975, and our HFCS is up by 1000 percent" (14).  Due to evolving in "lean environments," humans have a genetic weakness for fats and sugars.  Although they may not be familiar with the science, the food companies hire strategists to figure out how to market the calorie surplus to people.  Kids are the primary demographic, "food companies spend over $10 billion a year selling food brands to kids, and it isn't broccoli they're pushing" (15).  This is similar to how cigarettes are often pushed on kids.  As a result, the waistlines of Americans are growing.  Diet trends are rampant as well as plastic surgery.  Just as we modify our food, we modify ourselves. 
Not only does the lower nutrition in GM food impact our health, -- obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc. -- it also affects our body image.  Elayne A. Saltzberg and Joan C. Chrisler, in their article "Beauty Is the Beast:  Psychological Effects of the Pursuit of the Perfect Female Body," examine how body image has changed over the years and how people augment their bodies to fit the contemporary idea of beauty. 

• Dieting is a $30-billion-per-year industry.
• Cosmetic Surgery (women) $1.2 billion in 1990.
• Cosmetics $103 billion per month in 1990.

Not all plastic surgery is a result of vanity; often it is a result of poor lifestyle choices and diet.  As a society, we have fallen under the impression that natural is not good enough.  Plants the way they are in the wild are not good enough so we alter them genetically to be able to withstand climate changes, pesticides, and be able to travel long distances without spoiling.  Our animals are not good enough so we breed them to coincide more with our convenience rather than our nutrition; we prescribe to the idea that more is better so we fatten up our animals so that we can have giant chicken breasts and steaks -- even if that means raising disease ridden animals who are raised in confinement and unable to walk.  Our bodies are not good enough so we add and subtract things, surgically, to fit an unnatural idea of beauty.  From how we eat, to how we view ourselves, unnatural has become common place while natural is a rarity.  We genetically modify our bodies the way we genetically modify our food.  In her journey, Barbara Kingsolver explores the idea that natural is good and natural is what works best.  Through her year long journey of consuming only natural, local foods, Barbara and her family prove that natural is not only better, but it's doable.
"Woe is us, we over fed, undernourished U.S. citizens" (54).

I hope that was educational.  My interest in environmental issues and animal welfare issues can all be traced back to my eating habits and my concern for my health.  The way we eat and what we eat directly impacts the environment and the lives of others.

Think about it.  Oh, and sign the petition at the bottom of my blog.

New Wave Enviro: Eco-Water

Making certain changes in your life will not only benefit your health, but also your wallet. 

In my house, I'm the one who does the grocery shopping.  Something constantly on the list that irks me to no end is "water."  I know that this one word is meant to convey to me "Ashley, buy a flat of unnecessary plastic water bottles filled with water that tastes like plastic because of its packaging and is practically a poison because of all of the leeching that occurs from the bottle and is most likely going to end up killing marine life."  Just saying "water" saves ink, I guess.

Picture from here.

For a long time, now, I've been trying to turn everyone I know on to reusable water bottles.  Personally, I have three -- one of which is the promotional one from Twilight with a picture that says "Team Edward" under it.  It's not that I'm a huge twilight fan -- personally, I love vampires but I don't really think of the Cullens et al. as vampires.  But I digress.  The people from Twilight are supposed to be as cold as ice and Edward lives up to that reputation through his use as a water bottle; my water is always nice and cold.

Quite recently, however, I've been in the market for a new stainless steel water bottle and I stumbled upon a company that makes some of the safest water bottles, plus food storage and filtration systems, that I have ever seen.  This company is called New Wave Enviro.  What I really like about them is how thorough they are.  They think about everything from bottle to cap to filter to lunch.

They do carry plastic which is notorious for leeching deadly chemicals and carcinogens into whatever they hold.  The plastic they use, however, is BPA free.  For those of you not in the know, BPA stands for Bisphenol A.  It is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to birth defects, obesity, cancer, neurological issues, thyroid issues, sexual dysfunction, etc.  Basically, the stuff's bad news.  New Wave Enviro uses plastic in the safest way possible, though, so they get my stamp of approval.

Aluminum water bottles are a definite step up from plastic; however, they must be lined to be safe to drink from.  The lining can chip or flake, creating dangers.  There was also a time when the lining was made of BPA.  Then you have the cap possibly being made of plastic, etc. etc. 

The safest by far is stainless steel. Stainless steel does not need to be lined, leeches nothing, and is smooth and pore-less.  It keeps your drink at just the right temperature without any nasty health side effects.  New Wave Enviro has a great collection of stainless steel water bottles.  I really like this bottle because not only is it safe and nice to look at but it also benefits a good cause:  Pandas International.  It's the bottle I intend to get once I make my way down to Wholefoods.  There are so many other great bottles and storage containers including a small stainless steel bottle with a nipple for babies.  It makes sense, doesn't it?  Knowing what we know about the dangers of plastic water bottles, why would you want your kid drinking out of one?  I wouldn't.

Even if you're the kind of person who looks at all of the science supporting the dangers of plastic water bottles as witchcraft and tomfoolery, you can't ignore the toll it takes on the environment.  Emissions from production aside, so many plastic bottles are not recycled and they end up on the sides of our roads and in our oceans, rivers, and lakes.  They polute our world and kill our wild life.

That not a good enough reason, either?  Okay.  Buy one water bottle, refill it, it lasts forever.  Or, waste money buying a bunch of disposable bottles of water that make water taste like plastic and do not stay cold. 

As always, it's your choice.