Organic Food

Organic living covers all aspects of life, ranging from food to clothing to skin care. In this article we will cover organic food, which has the largest impact on a green lifestyle.

Organic food is grown without synthetic substances for a minimum of 3 years. Forbidden synthetics include fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, artificial flavors, colors, or hormones. Any food that has been irradiated or genetically modified is also excluded.

The United States Department of Agriculture has a tiered approach to organic labeling of food:

1. 100% Organic – Item contains only organic ingredients.

2. Organic – Item contains 95% or greater organic ingredients.

3. Made with Organic Ingredients – Item contains 70% or greater organic ingredients.

The major difference between organic horticulture and chemical horticulture is primarily in fertilizer and pesticide usage. Many studies have shown that pesticides can decrease fertility, increase cancer risk, and hurt the nervous system. Organic growers control pests through a series of steps that include choosing disease-resistant plants and encouraging beneficial insects to flourish.

Organic growers produce their own compost to fertilize their crops. They rely on the natural breakdown of organic matter, using manure and compost to replace soil nutrients. Rock powders provide additional soil amendments such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and other minerals.

Why should you go organic? Here are 10 reasons why:

1. Reduce toxic chemicals from our air, water, soil, and bodies
2. Protect children’s health and future generations
3. Reduce soil erosion
4. Great taste and truer flavor
5. Assist family farms
6. Avoid poor food science
7. Reduce fossil fuel burning
8. Promote biodiverse habitats
9. Protect farm workers from pesticide exposure
10. Reduce federal subsidies and environmental costs

Going Green Painlessly

Are you perplexed by the new green movement? Perhaps you genuinely care about the earth, but you fail to see how using biodegradable laundry detergent will change the world in any meaningful way. If someone told you how important your small changes were, and why you should care, you would be all in. Read on, because below are simple ideas that will vastly improve our earth and make your personal shade of green a little, well, greener.

While most people that care about the environment want to take action, they simply do not know where to begin. These simple steps take little effort and can make a measurable impact on our environment.

Conserve Water

Here is an easy one. Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth. Most of us turn the water on, run our brush under the water for a moment, then brush away for a minute or two, all the while water is running down the drain. By turning off the water you will save an average of 8 gallons of water per day!

Go Old School

Maybe our parents had it right. Use cloth napkins and real plates instead of paper. This saves a tree, and it may even encourage your family to linger around the table a bit longer.

Our grandparents hung laundry out to dry in the fresh air and sunshine. While this is a nice idea, it isn’t very practical in terms of simplifying our daily life. We can, however, look at how we use the clothes dryer. This appliance uses more energy than any other appliance in the house except the refrigerator. Use the moisture sensor feature if you have it, which only dries clothes until they are just dry.

Go for the Light

This is a fun one because for little effort, you can feel pretty darned good about yourself in terms of saving energy. As your light bulbs burn out, replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). Energy saving bulbs use 75% less energy than regular bulbs and can last up to ten times longer.

Ban the Bag

I find it distracting, and mildly annoying really, to be asked every time I am in the store, “paper or plastic?” Pausing while I weigh my options, I ponder over what is more useful to me versus what is politically correct. “Plastic” I say with feigned confidence. I keep my gaze straight ahead to deflect any judgmental eyebrow raising that may be done by my peers in line. Actually, the answer should always be paper, or even better, bring your own bag (BYOB).

It is estimated that one trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide. These bags don’t completely breakdown when discarded. Rather, they become tiny particles that remain in our soil and eventually make it into the food chain.

Be a Turn Off

There used to be a school of thought that it was actually more energy efficient to leave a computer on 24/7. This is clearly not the case as 75% of the power consumed by home electronics takes place while they are turned off but still in standby mode. An easy solution to this is using a power strip for your electronics. When you are done in your office for instance, one flick of the switch turns off everything.

A lot of people resist going green because they feel it is too much work, or will take too much time out of their already packed schedules. However, little changes here and there actually do add up to measurable energy savings. These simple tips can get you started in moving in a decidedly green direction.

Endangered Species

What is an endangered species? It is a group of individual organisms, known as a species, that are at risk of becoming extinct or are threatened by changing habitat parameters. Organisms include vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Impact to the species can come through environmental or human influence. Almost 100 species become extinct every day according to the United Nations. The World Conservation Union estimates that 40 percent of all organisms are “endangered”. Research estimates that extinction rates over the last 150 years exceed the average background rate of the planet by 100 to 1000 times.

Legislation passed in 1973, called the Endangered Species Act, was designed to protect species of plants and animals from becoming extinct. The major species of endangered animals you typically hear conservationists discuss include giant pandas, elephants, gorillas, whales, and tigers. It is estimated only 800 giant pandas exist and less than 650 gorillas remain worldwide.

Animal species become endangered primarily due to human influences. Conservation groups, such as the World Wildlife Fund, work diligently to protect threatened animals and their habitats.

Primary reasons for endangerment include:

1. Habitat Loss – This is the primary cause of endangerment to a species. Each habitat goes through natural change, however, rapid change is hard for a species to endure. Humans are the main cause of rapid change and examples include rainforest deforestation, urbanization, land development, pollution, and climate change due to the release of greenhouse gases.

2. Exotic Species Introduction – Humans may accidentally, or in some cases, intentionally introduce foreign species into a sensitive habitat. New species compete for food, become new predators in the food chain, or bring disease.

3. Overexploitation – This category includes increased activities such as hunting, fishing, and gathering that may threaten a species. Examples include unrestricted whaling, hunting for rhino horns and tiger bones, and gathering of materials for medicines in parts of the world.

What can you do to help endangered species? The primary goal must be to protect the natural habitats where these plants and animals live.

Primary ways you can help include:

1. Protect – Help preserve natural habitats in parks, reserves, and the wilderness. Follow the rules when visiting government parks and be careful not to disturb sensitive areas in the wilderness. Educate people about endangered habitats and plant native species when possible.

2. Recycle – Reduce waste, reuse items, and use public transportation whenever possible to help reduce stress on threatened species and habitats.

3. Conservation Groups – Join a group to help promote the protection of endangered species. You will find others who are passionate about the subject that can provide guidance and resources that will help in your protection efforts.

4. Control Exotic Species – Obey laws regarding the transport of plants and animals as they are usually in place to help protect endangered species or human health. The introduction of exotic species should also be cared for in other situations as well; one example includes the movement of noxious weeds from one locale to another.

5. Be Heard! – Most important of all is to let your voice be heard. Contact your legislators and let them know your opinions regarding endangerment laws and protection, especially with the rapid, present-day increase of urbanization and land development.

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