You should know about GMO's

The Audacity of Genetically Modified Foods

"Does it bother you that we consumers are largely unaware that 70 percent to 80 percent of the [non-organic] processed foods we buy contain GM ingredients? We are 'largely unaware' because these foods are not labeled - even though 90 percent of Americans want them labeled and think that we have the right to know what is in our food. The biotech industry fights labeling viciously because they know that, if GM foods were labeled, many would refuse to buy them as is the case in Europe."

- "The Audacity of Genetically Modified Foods," Bruce Robinson, May 8, 2011

  



We are truly living in a precarious time in regards to food. We have never been more ignorant, more hoodwinked and more harmed by any major industry as we are by industrial agriculture. We need to know the truth about our food. Please read on and research more. Stand up and speak out if you don't think its right! Part of the yogic life is practicing deep honesty with ourselves and others, and yoga is a science of removing ignorance. As long as we remain ignorant, we are not in control and cannot make conscious choices for ourselves and our families. We cannot help support the sustainability of the earth and fellow human and animal life. Once our eyes are opened, we can never again be tricked so deviously.



The industrial agriculture system has chocked out most small farmers and farms and replaced them with huge fossil-fuel and chemical-based factory type farms. They utilize extremely destructive methods environmentally, including widespread use of Genetically Modified plants and animals. This whole system of agriculture destroys the natural fertility of the soil by poisoning the soil eco-system with chemicals. The soil production comes via these chemicals that poison groundwater and degrade the soil further. Over time more and more chemicals are needed to grow because the soil is literally dead.



Most people fall for the deceptive labeling practices used, which include happy looking animals, small family farms, and phrases like "natural" and "humane". None of these tricks or claims are truthful or regulated by law. Nothing could be further from the truth.



Natural agriculture, that which is truly sustainable, uses no chemicals. It utilizes age-old techniques for enriching the soil community and producing maximum crop yields. Techniques include composting,





 Learn about the food industry's deceptive, dangerous and destructive practices, especially the company Monsanto, which controls most of the crops grown in this country.




http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm 







from http://www.bnet.com/blog/food-industry/forget-the-royal-wedding-prince-charles-crosses-the-pond-to-denounce-factory-farming/3039



by Michelle Warner




 Just days after the hullabaloo of his son William’s wedding, Prince Charles delivered a rousing speech on the evils of industrial agriculture in Washington this morning — instantly turning himself into a new icon in the battle over modern agriculture and its impact on the environment, human health and animal welfare.

Speaking at the Washington Post’s “Future of Food” conference, the Prince called the large-scale, non-local, chemical-intensive, oil-shackled system of food production “no longer as viable as it once appeared to be,” earning him hero status among the assembled sustainable food advocates. In a tweet, Grist’s Tom Philpott called him a “lucid big picture thinker.” (That’s one indication, at least, that Charles may have better luck with this endeavor than he did with his ill-fated critique of modern architecture).

His Royal Highness has been a champion for sustainable agriculture for many years, but this is his first major speech on the subject in the U.S. Citing his concern for future generations, Charles argued for food systems more in sync with nature:

Soil is the foundation of world civilization, the health of nations….But soils are being depleted, demand for water is growing ever more voracious and the entire system is at the mercy of an increasingly fluctuating price of oil…In some cases, we are pushing nature’s life support systems so far they are struggling to cope with what we ask of them…If we do not work within nature’s system, then nature can not be the sustaining force she has been.

This sort of thinking — that industrial farming is ruining the environment and isn’t a good solution for feeding the developing world’s exploding population — is exactly the criticism large farm groups are gearing up to debunk. Trade groups representing the pork, chicken, beef and egg industries and the growers of corn, soy and sugar have formed the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and are planning a PR campaign starting in July. Here’s their message:

Consumers should realize and understand that U.S. farmers and rancher share their values and are committed to producing safe and nutritious food in a way that protects and enhances the environment, responsibly cares for animals and contributes to our larger community.

Some of those same industry groups, plus lots more, have teamed up to create another alliance — the Alliance to Feed the Future — though it’s not clear how these two groups will overlap since they’re both in the early stages.



Another presenter at the conference — Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation — argued that “the survival of the current food system depends on widespread ignorance of how it really operates.” The food industry professes to disagree. Both the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and the Alliance to Feed the Future are based on the idea that once Americans learn the story behind their food, they’ll realize farmers are people too and that everything’s OK.



But as we’ve seen before, when the food industry decides to open up its barn doors, the picture the public gets isn’t always complete. Big Ag is smart to try and counter some of the negative publicity with heartwarming stories of third generation family farmers. But with half of all Americans admitting concerns about genetically engineered foods and 80% of moms saying they’re concerned about antibiotic use on farms, it’s going to take a lot more than slick PR campaigns to turn the tide of public opinion.

For that, the industry is going to have to adopt actual change — using a lot less antibiotics, fewer GE crops and raising animals with a humane amount of space in which to live.

You Should Know: GMO's

The Audacity of Genetically Modified Foods

"Does it bother you that we consumers are largely unaware that 70 percent to 80 percent of the [non-organic] processed foods we buy contain GM ingredients? We are 'largely unaware' because these foods are not labeled - even though 90 percent of Americans want them labeled and think that we have the right to know what is in our food. The biotech industry fights labeling viciously because they know that, if GM foods were labeled, many would refuse to buy them as is the case in Europe."

- "The Audacity of Genetically Modified Foods," Bruce Robinson, May 8, 2011

 


We are truly living in a precarious time in regards to food. We have never been more ignorant, more hoodwinked and more harmed by any major industry as we are by industrial agriculture. We need to know the truth about our food. Please read on and research more. Stand up and speak out if you don't think its right! Part of the yogic life is practicing deep honesty with ourselves and others, and yoga is a science of removing ignorance. As long as we remain ignorant, we are not in control and cannot make conscious choices for ourselves and our families. We cannot help support the sustainability of the earth and fellow human and animal life. Once our eyes are opened, we can never again be tricked so deviously.


Learn more... http://www.organicconsumers.org/


The industrial agriculture system has chocked out most small farmers and farms and replaced them with huge fossil-fuel and chemical-based factory type farms. They utilize extremely destructive methods environmentally, including widespread use of Genetically Modified plants and animals. This whole system of agriculture destroys the natural fertility of the soil by poisoning the soil eco-system with chemicals. The soil production comes via these chemicals that poison groundwater and degrade the soil further. Over time more and more chemicals are needed to grow because the soil is literally dead.


Most people fall for the deceptive labeling practices used, which include pictures happy looking animals, images of small family farms, and phrases like "natural" and "humane". None of these tricks or claims are truthful or regulated by law. Nothing could be further from the truth.


Natural agriculture, that which is truly sustainable, uses no chemicals. It utilizes age-old techniques for enriching the soil community and producing maximum crop yields. Techniques include composting, crop rotation, companion planting, encouraging beneficial organisms and other similar techniques. Humane animal raising means allowing them to have plenty of outdoor pasture, letting them eat what diet they naturally evolved to eat for optimal health, and tending to their health overall.


Industrial animal agriculture is like a horrific concentration camp for farm animals. They are fed unnatural diets, which may include animal waste and always include mostly GM corn with a heaping helping of antibiotics. They are kept in extremely dank and cramped spaces, denied proper medical care, bred to grow so fast their bodies become frail. They are beaten and tormented and largely their suffering is ignored. Their waste creates human and environmental health hazards.


Welcome to the food at your grocery store. Look into whole, organic and local-chemical-free plant based foods to boycott this egregious destruction. The sustainable, localized food system can be restored by supporting local chemical-free farms.


The most common GMO's are (non-organic) soy, corn and canola. Avoid these if you wish to avoid GMO's. Organic corn and soy are protected by organic standards, at least for now.Canola is highly contaminated by GM pollen blowing and should be avoided to be cautious.



 Learn about the food industry's deceptive, dangerous and destructive practices, especially the company Monsanto, which controls most of the crops grown in this country.


http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm


Learn more about BIODIVERSITY the antithesis of modern mainstream agriculture.


Grow your own HEIRLOOM produce, protect plants and nutrition.


Learn to COMPOST, ROTATE CROPS and avoid chemicals.


NEVER buy ROUNDUP or any MONSANTO products.


DON'T BELIEVE everything that you see on the label-- remember that their job is to make money, not nourish you or the earth or care about animal suffering. Corporations are committed to the bottom-line and that is it!




from http://www.bnet.com/blog/food-industry/forget-the-royal-wedding-prince-charles-crosses-the-pond-to-denounce-factory-farming/3039

by Michelle Warner


 Just days after the hullabaloo of his son William’s wedding, Prince Charles delivered a rousing speech on the evils of industrial agriculture in Washington this morning — instantly turning himself into a new icon in the battle over modern agriculture and its impact on the environment, human health and animal welfare.

Speaking at the Washington Post’s “Future of Food” conference, the Prince called the large-scale, non-local, chemical-intensive, oil-shackled system of food production “no longer as viable as it once appeared to be,” earning him hero status among the assembled sustainable food advocates. In a tweet, Grist’s Tom Philpott called him a “lucid big picture thinker.” (That’s one indication, at least, that Charles may have better luck with this endeavor than he did with his ill-fated critique of modern architecture).

His Royal Highness has been a champion for sustainable agriculture for many years, but this is his first major speech on the subject in the U.S. Citing his concern for future generations, Charles argued for food systems more in sync with nature:

    Soil is the foundation of world civilization, the health of nations….But soils are being depleted, demand for water is growing ever more voracious and the entire system is at the mercy of an increasingly fluctuating price of oil…In some cases, we are pushing nature’s life support systems so far they are struggling to cope with what we ask of them…If we do not work within nature’s system, then nature can not be the sustaining force she has been.

This sort of thinking — that industrial farming is ruining the environment and isn’t a good solution for feeding the developing world’s exploding population — is exactly the criticism large farm groups are gearing up to debunk. Trade groups representing the pork, chicken, beef and egg industries and the growers of corn, soy and sugar have formed the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and are planning a PR campaign starting in July. Here’s their message:

    Consumers should realize and understand that U.S. farmers and rancher share their values and are committed to producing safe and nutritious food in a way that protects and enhances the environment, responsibly cares for animals and contributes to our larger community.

Some of those same industry groups, plus lots more, have teamed up to create another alliance — the Alliance to Feed the Future — though it’s not clear how these two groups will overlap since they’re both in the early stages.


Another presenter at the conference — Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation — argued that “the survival of the current food system depends on widespread ignorance of how it really operates.” The food industry professes to disagree. Both the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and the Alliance to Feed the Future are based on the idea that once Americans learn the story behind their food, they’ll realize farmers are people too and that everything’s OK.


But as we’ve seen before, when the food industry decides to open up its barn doors, the picture the public gets isn’t always complete. Big Ag is smart to try and counter some of the negative publicity with heartwarming stories of third generation family farmers. But with half of all Americans admitting concerns about genetically engineered foods and 80% of moms saying they’re concerned about antibiotic use on farms, it’s going to take a lot more than slick PR campaigns to turn the tide of public opinion.

For that, the industry is going to have to adopt actual change — using a lot less antibiotics, fewer GE crops and raising animals with a humane amount of space in which to live.

The Yoga of Sustainability

CHAPTER 7. CONSERVE PAPER + TREES

All of us certainly take paper for granted, which is a shame in general, but especially considering the majesty and miracle of living trees. These gorgeous, ancient plants are the very lungs of the Earth. Rumi likens them to ecstatic Sufis in dancing prayer. Too many people think too little of these incredible lifeforms. Here are some ideas for conserving precious trees.

CLOSE THE LOOP
Whenever you do purchase paper products, especially notebooks and toilet tissue, please choose 100% recycled, post-consumer content if possible. Tree-free is even better.

GET CRAFTY + USE BOTH SIDES
Whenever you use paper, make sure to use both sides and recycle or compost it when it has completed its useful life. You can use an old blender to puree used paper and spread it onto a screen to make decorative or perhaps functional, papers. Use every scrap of paper to the max-- including art projects such as collage and paper mache (a great use for magazine and catalogs). If you aren't crafty check your local library or school to see if they can make use of your old magazines.  


GO CLOTH
Stop buying tissues, paper towels and paper napkins. Use cloth napkins and kitchen towels instead. Turn old soiled T-shirts or ripped up, old towels for the truly gross stuff. (and remember that you can compost old cloth bits.) Use handkerchiefs. Flannel clothes make soft and durable hankies that don't cause soreness on your nose when you are sick. When eating out, be bold and bring a cloth napkin, or use the minimal amount of paper napkins possible, and reuse or compost them after. Dry your hands on your shirt if no hand dryer is available in public restrooms. Speak out and request cloth napkins and hand dryers at your local eateries, or at least encourage a change to unbleached, 100% recycled paper napkins. 


HEMP OR OTHER PLANT FIBER PAPERS
Hemp, kenaf, banana and sugarcane are some of the options for computer and notebook papers, and for the stubborn, even paper plates and napkins. Using reusable dishes are always preferable, but if they are not possible, there are even elegant, compostable plates made from fallen leaves! Plant fibers are ecologically preferable to plastics and Styrofoams, so it is great that finally there are many alternative options to using trees.

RECLAIMED OR SUSTAINABLY MANAGED WOODS
When it comes to furniture, nothing is more study and healthful than real wood. Pressboards and cheap composite and laminated faux woods are filled with poisonous chemicals. Using fallen trees or wood from sustainably managed forests is a viable solution. Don't be afraid to ask for documentation as to the source of the wood- never trust just the word or suggestion on a label. False representation can happen on accident, so don't let your wishful thinking lead you into a harmful choice.

BAMBOO + CORK
Fast-growing and durable, bamboo is a versitile and highly renewable choice for flooring. Cork too, fascinatingly, is renewable because the tree still lives while a certain degree of its wood is harvested every so often. Both make excellent choices for wood flooring. Marmoleum brand flooring is another sustainable and natural option for elegant, functional, healthy, and environmentally-kind flooring.

PLASTIC LUMBER
One of the only times when plastic is a better choice environmentally- recycled content plastic lumber, perfect for decks and similar outdoor building. Durable, there is no need to refinish or ever use any chemicals on it- making it safe and practical.

PLANT TREES, SUPPORT ARBORETUMS
One way to help is to of course plant trees, or donate to arboretums- plant conservatories, that often care for precious old-growth forests. You can also donate to organizations such as The Arbor Day Foundation that plant trees.


BUY YOUR OWN FOREST
If you have enough of a savings, you could simply buy a forested piece of land.  Influencial Yoga teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life have done just that- maintaining a 125-acre forest sanctuary near Woodstock, NY. Perhaps you can't find or afford that large of a space, but no matter how small it is, you are helping the trees and the entire eco-system by preserving precious forest land and allowing it to remain wild and natural. Never be discouraged by the size of the action, remain inspired by the intention.

Tree-friendly Furniture c/o care2.com

If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear it? Woodworkers with a passion for solid hardwood are rescuing and reclaiming downed trees to create one-of-a kind handcrafted modern heirlooms do.


“We live in this amazing former forest,” says artisan/environmentalist Jessica Wickham of Wickham Solid Wood Studio. As a gifted craftsperson and professed localvore, Wickham possesses a rare combination of skills. She can look at a downed tree in the forest and see its inherent potential. From an ecological perspective, a responsibly-sourced tree becomes the perfect green building material. Wickham reclaims trees and reinvents their beauty with an earthy and sophisticated modern aesthetic. With respect for the rich grain and natural shape of trees, Wickham uses minimal processing, traditional joinery, and natural finishing techniques reminiscent of both Japanese traditions and Shaker sensibilities.



The very best things take time. Founded on “process, poetry, and patience” of designing carefully crafted solid wood furniture, Wickham begins with the premise that we have extraordinary resources “in our own backyard.” This commitment to create timeless, quality, handcrafted pieces with the least impact on the environment, makes this wood furniture the exact opposite of the glut of mass-produced furniture.
I live in the woods and my property seems like a tree mecca, but a quick understanding of how forests have suffered, illuminates the importance of protecting our forests. As a member of the Moms Clean Air Force, I’ve learned that deforestation caused by air pollution, acid rain and other environmental hazards aids in the erosion of our forests and has become a leading contributor towards the loss of biodiversity. Intact eco-systems provide an intricate web that controls floods, conserves oxygen, soil, insects and creates diverse habitats. While forests do regrow, when older forests decline, they eventually lose more carbon to the atmosphere than they absorb, thus fueling climate change.


Represented in this celebration of wood is a cycle of production that promotes less waste, a lessening of dependence on our precious natural resources, healthy finishing techniques (low or no-VOC stains, dyes), and a reverence for promoting a way of life that is local.


If there is one thing that will get us beyond the planet’s sustainability woes, it will be the eco-enlightenment that includes a lifecycle analysis of everything. With environmental awareness becoming more mainstream, and the coexistence of style and sustainability taking center stage, artisans like Jessica Wickham will light the way.
Bench photo credit: Wickham Solid Wood Studio

Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer and educator. Ronnie regularly writes about sustainable living for online sites and magazines. Along with being the creator of www.econesting.com, Ronnie has contributed to numerous books about green home design, DIY, children, and humor. Ronnie lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her family.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/forest-friendly-wood-furniture.html#ixzz1IUHPvIWW

Why we should avoid GMO's from Organic Consumers' Association

Generation Monsanto (GM) - Why We Need Labels on GM Foods Now

Gen-M, the first Monsanto Generation of humans force-fed genetically modified foods hasn't reached reproductive age yet (they were born in the late 1990s). But, if a critical mass of animal feeding studies are any indication, the millennial generation, reared on Food Inc.'s unlabeled "Frankenfoods" can look forward to a long-term epidemic of cancer, food allergies, learning disabilities, sterility, and birth defects.

Corn (85% of U.S. production is GM), soy (91% GM), cotton (88% GM), canola (85% GM) and sugar beets (95% GM) are all genetically engineered by Monsanto to withstand massive doses of the company's glyphosate herbicide RoundUp, or else to exude their own pesticide, Bacillus Thuriengensis (Bt). RoundUp, the favorite weedkiller poison of non-organic farmers and gardeners, causes brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses. And scientists warn that RoundUp, the most extensively used herbicide in the history of agriculture, "may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering soils infertile, crops non-productive, and plants less nutritious." In addition, hundreds of thousands of US dairy cows are injected with genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (developed by Monsanto) in spite of studies linking BGH with cancer, and longstanding bans on the drug in the EU, Japan, Canada, and most industrialized nations.

With genetically modified foods and crops threatening public health and the environment, not to mention the next generation's reproductive capacity, why isn't there a massive consumer outcry to restrain Monsanto's biotech bullying and ban genetically engineered foods and agriculture?

The answer is disturbingly simple. Collusion between Monsanto and elected public officials (including the current Obama Administration) has obscured the fact that almost all non-organic foods in the US contain GMOs. Despite poll after poll indicating that 85-95% of US consumers want mandatory labels on foods containing GMOs, Congress has heretofore listened to Monsanto and corporate agribusiness, rather than their own constituents. In the European Union, Japan, or South Korea, where GM foods must be labeled, there are no GM foods on grocery story shelves (and little or none served in restaurants), since most consumers would not buy them and a significant number would complain if they saw GMO labels on products. Consequently there are very few GM crops being cultivated in the EU (mainly a small amount of corn in Spain for animal feed).

Most Americans simply do not understand that 80% of non-organic supermarket processed foods (basically every product containing soy, corn, canola, cottonseed oil, or sugar beet derivatives) are contaminated with GMOs. While nearly everyone in North America has eaten genetically modified foods, only 26% believe that they have.

People don't think they're eating genetically modified foods because they have no way of knowing whether they are or not. Genetically modified foods aren't labeled.

If we're going to save this generation from reproductive dysfunction and save our farmland from the ravages of RoundUp, we need to stop Monsanto.

The first step is to protect consumers' right to know whether their food is genetically modified.

We need genetically modified food labeled now!

Write your Congresspersons and 2010 candidates for the House and Senate. Tell them to support mandatory labeling of all genetically modified foods.

TAKE ACTION>>>http://www.capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=15154336&type=ML

51 Ways to Use Baking Soda & How Sustainable Dave Washes His Car

Baking Soda is cheap, natural, safe and able to be used in lieu of many toxic home chemicals. Be smart and don't let advertising and habits keep you stuck on products that hurt you and the Earth.

Sustainable Dave adds a nice article on washing (& not washing) your car, a funny and smart read, my Loves.

I found these on Care2.com, an AMAZING SITE for simple activism, information on news you may care most to know, and more!!!!!! Please check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Namaste!



http://www.care2.com/greenliving/51-fantastic-uses-for-baking-soda.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-i-wash-my-car.html

Jivamukti Yoga- Be a Vegan to STOP Global Warming part 2

Part two... see previous post.
..click on this post's title to see the video..

Jivamukti Yoga- Be a Vegan to STOP Global Warming part 1

Jivamukti Yoga shares close ties with Natural Yoga. These two videos show their Global Mala celebration, focused on a challenge to go vegan for one month...click on this post's title to see the video..

Grocery-store Vegan vs. Whole-Food vegan

Grocery-store Vegan: Herbivore-abstaining from all animal products. Still eating produce out of season, eating highly processed meat substitutes often, and eating industrially made processed snacks & cereal bars. Synonym: junk-food vegan

Whole-food Vegan: Herbivore- abstaining from all animal products. Eats nearly 100% locally-grown in-season produce, uses whole grains & beans, rarely if ever eats industrially processed foods. Makes snacks from vegetables, whole-grains, beans & nuts, such as crunchy chickpeas, baked veggie chips & homemade crackers, hummus, and more. Doesn't depend on store bought tofu, but makes it easily in an hour per week at home (3.5 lbs from 3 cups yellow soybeans)! Doesn't buy soymilk from the store, as even organic soybeans can be GMO! Makes soymilk, or even cheaper, faster & easier, oat or other grain or nut milks. Flour, grains, beans & other staples are bought in bulk, as much as 10, 25, or 50 pounds at once to reduce negative environmental impact.
Synonym: sustainable diet, healthy diet

I know now through experience- it feels healthier, its less wasteful, its fresher, its cheap! It doesn't take much work at all! Well, it takes more work in Summer- canning & putting up food for Winter. Then all Winter cooking is all fast & convenient, unless you choose to bake or be fancy. Its living the high-life of a gourmet with out the disease or expense!

The Yoga of Sustainability: Part Two

PART TWO: CONSERVE

Where the first section of this book reflected on ways to "do no harm", the second will address the application of mindfulness in reducing consumption of resources.

It sounds like common sense not to waste finite and vital resources, but we take so much for granted everyday, partially because our consumer culture urges us to consume more than we possibly can, as if it will fulfill us or make us happier.

Let us begin to awaken to the present moment and true state of the world. Mindfully conserving resources and still living comfortably, we can help the earth by only using our own share, making sure others won't have to go without. Like all other things, swift changes are needed right this minute, or else we are going to see people around us, ourselves & our children struggling for basic resources in the near future.

If you have ever "roughed it", gone camping where there are no modern conveniences, then you know how to conserve resources. You also know how excessive we are with our resource use, how much we waste without even paying attention. Roughing it at least once a year can be an important spiritual practice to remind us not only of our waste, but how far we've tried to move from the real world. Nature, we have to remember, is the measure & provider of all things, not our man-made so-called "real" world.

CHAPTER 6: CONSERVE WATER

Gallons of precious potable water flow down the drain while we ignore it, scrubbing our teeth. Or dishes. Or body. Sound familiar? Without mindfulness we use water like its infinite and inexhaustable. But the amount of freshwater on earth is finite, & we cannot control where its falls as rain in its continuous cycle of transformation.

If we simply live more mindfully, we can survive on a fraction of the 100 gallons the average American blows through everyday. Its shameful and embarassing that we waste a significant portion of that amount, when whole families in India & Africa survive on less than a tenth or fifth of that each day. And, the most startling contrast is that while our potable water flows instantly into our own home, these families have to spend hours, up to eight each day, walking, searching, competing for it- and carrying it home. We take water for granted, and we shouldn't. It is too precious, and necessary to life to be taken as anything less then sacred.

Begin by simply becoming mindful everytime water is flowing. Practice new techniques for water use and within three to four weeks those techniques will become your new habits. Then remain mindful to keep them up!

THIS SAME TECHNIQUE APPLIES TO WASHING DISHES & THE HANDS, SCRUBBING SINKS & THE TUB: turn the water on for a flash to wet hands, the dish Or surface and then off again. Lather & scrub-at least 20 seconds for hands. Then turn the water to half the force you'd normally use or less, and thoroughly rinse & shut off the water again. Use a pitcher or cup to fill for rinsing the tub or sink, shutting off the water once its filled.

MINDFUL SHOWERING: For the body, use a low-flow showerhead with a "water pause" function- the Waterpik one is very good. It conserves water but delivers strong enough pressure to feel very nice, and the water pause feature keeps the water mixed at the chosen temperature, while cutting it down to a trickle. These Waterpik showerheads are available at Target for about $20, & installs in moments.

So begin with a full-force shower to thoroughly wet the hair & body, then pause the water. Let the trickle keep your body warm while lathering hair and body, and while shaving. Then take just a couple minutes to rinse with the full-force water.

IN THE BATHROOM:

Put a brick or two into the tank of your toilet, making sure that it doesn't interfere with the mechanism.

For homeowners, water conserving toilets start between $100-200, & toilets last just about forever.

Don't necessarily flush for every single thing. Flush only when needed. Never throw trash into the toilet, and if you accidentally do, don't waste the flush for that piece of floss.

IN THE KITCHEN:

Pour half-drunk water glasses into a pitcher for watering plants.

Reuse the same glass all day, the same coffee mug, the same plate, silverware & bowl. Rinse only if needed in between uses. One family member only needs one set.

Wash dishes as they become dirty, as much as possible. Avoid pile-ups, stuck on funk, and feel more clear & relaxed without that lurking mess in the sink. It takes less time, effort & water to wash freshly soiled dishes then dried messes.

You can use a dish-tub for clean rinsing your dishes after scrubbing, then pour the water at the end of the day into a watering can for the garden.

IN THE YARD:

Don't water your lawn. Healthy lawns only need water in a drought. If you are having a drought, water your lawn before sunrise or after sunset for 15 minutes, and please be mindful not to waste water on your driveway, street or sidewalk.

If you have sprayed your lawn in the past you have killed the microorganisms & beneficial cycles of bacteris & nutrients that truly keep a lawn healthy. Focus not on water but humus building. Use food scraps & water in an old blender & spray that around the yard. Let your lawn recharge & rebuild. It will take time. Make sure to cut it at a medium-length & not sooner than every nine days, too soon & too short is the same as over-grazing.

It is inappropriate to use water to clear your sidewalk or driveway. Not only is it wasteful, but it pushes your debris downstream to become another's problem. Instead, find a good driveway broom, stand tall, engage your navel towards your spine, and enjoy the core strength you create as you sweep. Sweeping burns energy, stimulates the flow of prana and is a good cardiovascular workout.

Try to gather & use rainwater for watering indoor and outdoor plants, and other non-potable uses such as washing hair. Make sure not to ingest any of it.

IN GENERAL:

Be mindful whenever you use water. When the water is flowing, let it be a bell of mindfulness, and focus on the task at hand. If you catch yourself daydreaming, turn off the water and take a deep breath before working on your task again.

Movie Review: Dirt!

Dirt! is an informative documentary that teaches about the importance of our soil for our very existence. It's a fairly short film, 80 minutes, but the 33 extra minutes of deleted scenes are very ineresting and very worthwhile as well.

Dirt! shows that soil is actually a rich ecosystem of life, not just dead stuff. You will see and understand easily the difference between sustainable and unsustainable agriculture. All in the course of discussing dirt we see illustrated the true interconnection of all life. Various experts convey diverse aspects of the science of soil, the reality of climate change, the necessary remedies to protect the future and the array of other positive effects on societies that these steps will produce. These people include photographers, a mycologist, a wine expert, sustainable farmers in America, France & India, chef Alice Waters, biologists and more.

If you want to understand what is happening to our environment, why we should make change to the way we live, this film illustrates it clearly in a non-political, non-didactic way.

Animation clips make this a family friendly film that simplifies complex information, however, it is an intelligent film that is meant for adults and does not talk down to viewers.

Many more important points are raised, such as the dangers of the globalization of food, the lack of traditional food culture in America, the power of gardening to rehabilitate prisoners and the fact that if just Ethiopia was farmed sustainably, it could feed nearly all of Africa.

Dirt! is an important movie, I sincerely hope that you will watch it, perhaps with your family or friends. When spiritual cultures say that all aspects of nature are alive & have spirit, the Western lens often sees them as "primative", or "savage", but this film shows how ignorant and savage we are to wantonly destroy the ecosystem that provides our food. Fertility cannot come from chemicals, man does not out-smart nature. Chemical fertility leads to soil death & desertification. The only true fertility comes by nature's processes.

Once again, humankind's superiority complex is proven pompous & wrong. We are only part of nature. We are all future dirt.

Some Albert Einstein for you

Quotes by the brilliant man with the big hair. He was a very yogic scientist...

"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."

"A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be."

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree."

"Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either."

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death."

"Information is not knowledge."

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."

"Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift."

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

" Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."

"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."

The Yoga of Sustainability

CHAPTER 5: SHOP WISELY

It is not the case that we can just spend our way out of this environmental crisis. Yoga also contends that seeking fulfilment through grasping, through seeking material accumulation with no practical need is futile, and will cause more emptiness or stress then joy. When we buy that new thing, the joy is often quick to fade into boredom, regret or general disappointment. If we still identify with the falsification that owning material objects is equal to owning more happiness, then we'll then covet, desire and possibly buy, some other non-esential thing, repeating this cycle.

But, we do need to buy things sometimes. Food and cleansing agents, and at certain times, tools, refrigerators or clothing. There are a couple items unique to them which each person needs to feel good about themselves and have a proper sense of wholeness, that are otherwise non-essential. Too many people don't know what these items are for them because they just buy everything they want indescriminately and consider these "creature comforts" essential.

This is the problem. We have a uniquely disposable consumer culture. Never before have we ever ignored or applauded such waste. And never before have we had so many insecure, depressed or anxious people either. The two are correlated- the rise of the capitalist ideal of owning the biggest pile of stuff as a sign of status & the empitiness remaining when the newest object isn't new and exciting. So much in our lives is considered meaningless and disposable that our lives seem a bit less meaningful too. We've learned to get all of our self-worth and joy from objects, others or our external appearance. Since these will never provide lasting joy, they are inevitable sources of dissatisfaction.

So what we need to do is question our consumer habits. We must assess our true need- & what we are really seeking. And if we decide that a purchase is truly warranted, we have a duty to inform ourselves with objective and accurate sources how and where we can obtain that product in a manner that does not support & condone negative environmental, social and ethical issues. If we like it or not, in our country, what we spend our money on is seen as a vote for more of the same. Packaging and labels are not there to help us make informed choices about what we purchase, they exist to compel us to buy. That's it. And its everything the label doesn't say that is usually the most important information.

THE SIN OF OMMISSION: Here is listed some of the most nasty hidden facts. While these are generalizations in each category, they are HIGHLY COMMON & often nearly the rule unless specifically addressed on the packaging.

ANIMAL-TESTING: assume all make-up, beauty products like shampoos, contact lenses & solution, and even cleaning chemicals have been tested on animals, and not nicely. Make sure these products have explicitly been labeled "no animal testing".

CHILD-LABOR: unless your chocolate bares the Fair-Trade certification or specifically addresses it, assume that workers are not fairly compensated for grueling hours of labor and more of these workers are likely to be children then you think.
Also buy Fair-Trade red, black, green or white teas as well.

UNCALLED FOR RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION & UNFAIR PRICES: buy shade-grown coffee, since coffee naturally loves to grow under the rainforest canopy, but is often grown in clear-cut forest areas. It does not make sense. Coffee also can be bought Fair-Trade or organic, both ensuring fair prices & proper environmental resect.

EXPLOITED CRAFTSMEN: buy only fair-trade indigenous art and handicrafts from foreign countries- especially those in Asia, Africa & South America. Make sure these artists were compensated fairly for their hardwork.

SWEAT-SHOPS: assume all clothing & footwear not made in the US, Canada or EU and all manner of objects made in China especially to have been made by underpaid workers in unfair, unsafe factories. Buy American made to vote for more jobs in the US and less outsourcing to foreign countries.

SAVE POUNDS OF CHEMICALS FROM BEING DUMPED ONTO THE EARTH: buy only organic cotton, because cotton is heavily pesticided. Bamboo is an eco-friendly wood alternative, but the process to make it into clooth is chemical & energy intensive. Hemp is a very earth-friendly clothing fiber- not as water hungry as cotton. Organic clothes cost more, but we are used to sweatshop labor prices. Buy sweatshop free hemp or organic cotton or secondhand clothes. Do research before trying new eco-friendly fibers to make sure they are truly friendly.

JET-SETTING PRODUCE & DISAPPEARING FARMS: if your going to buy non-local out-of-season produce, such as Californian organic strawberries in Winter or otherwise non-local produce, such as South African oranges, keep in mind that your produced was either trucked or flown into the area, from possibly 1500, or many more miles away. Truck transport is bad enough for the environment, flying is even worse. Eat local & seasonal produce from your local farmer's market-pay your farmer the money he deserves for his work-instead of him getting 4 cents of the dollar you spend at the grocery store. Support your local farmers.

CAFO MEAT, MILK, AND EGGS: remember that you can assume that all dairy products, eggs and meat at fast-food joints, restaurants and most if not all at your chain grocery stores came from CAFO'S- not your local farm. Always choose local animal products. Know what farm your food came from. If you truly cannot afford local animal products go vegan, eat only home cooking and pack your lunches. You'll be healthier, it's much cheaper and there are numerous recipes online to help you.

TOXIC OUTGASSING: unless you buy specifically zero VOC products or find a green wet-cleaners, assume that paints, plywood, particleboard, wood paneling, carpets/carpet pads, insulation, finishes, solvents, adhesives, air fresheners, dry-cleaned garments, synthetic fabrics, cleaning products, body care products, art & hobby supplies, mothballs, insecticides and aerosol products are putting dangerous volatile organic compounds into the air we breathe. These can make you sick. They are poisonous. Eliminate them or find alternatives.

HOW TO SHOP MORE WISELY:

After considering the above specific situations, here are a few more general guidelines:

DO YOU REALLY NEED IT? Honestly, can you repair or repurpose what you already have or just go without it?

IF YOU REALLY NEED IT, HOW CAN YOU BUY IT WITH THE LEAST NEGATIVE/MOST POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL IMPACT? Buy it second-hand. Buy locally grown or made. Purchase 100% recycled paper products or use cloth (old clothes make great rags, cloth napkins, cloth diapers, cloth wipes). Buy organic, fair-trade, shade-grown and or biodiverse. Buy in bulk with the least packaging possible. Glass is better than plastic- try & avoid plastics as much as possible. Make as little trash as possible and try & reduce what you have to recycle- lowest total waste.

BUY HIGH QUALITY, TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU HAVE, DISPOSE OF IT RESPONSIBLY. Buy things that will last, don't buy disposable or poorly made items. Respect what you own and treat it with care, helping it to last. Fix or repurpose broken items. Donate, pass on, share whenever possible. Recycle properly all appliances, electronics, paints, chemicals, batteries and compact flourescent lightbulbs. Never throw these things into the trash.

Applying mindfulness to our consumption will greatly reduce our burden on the planet, save us time and money, prevent stressful clutter, and possibly improve our health and well being. Mindfully making wise purchases can help us to positively impact farmers and artisans all over the world, voting for fair wages & humane standards in factories and fields. We can support local farms & the local economy.

However, to do so, we must walk the talk. The capitalist system never turns a blind-eye to the almighty dollar. Every single dollar we spend counts. Every single one votes for what we want. Like it or not, this is our reality. So we cannot ignore the burden of responsibility. Our dollar can vote for what we believe is right or what we loathe, but the choice is ours when we make EVERY purchase. Put your money where your heart and mouth are. Use your power wisely at all times.

The Yoga of Sustainability

CHAPTER 4: BIODIVERSITY

Beginning in the last chapter, biodiversity was introduced. Biodiversity describes the numerous varieties within each species of plants & animals raised in human agriculture. Each variety has developed over generations of adaptation to climate, varying weather conditions, and resisting pests & diseases. Simutaneously they also were chosen for unique color & taste properties, & these factors actually are nature's way of expressing nutrition. Biodiversity in food plants and farm animals is a result of the on-going process of their evolution.

A large share of what decimates & ravages the Earth is the unstable & impossibly unsustainable globalized food system. One of the most disturbing elements of this food system is that its based mainly on selling farmers patented genetically-modified seeds & suing them into ruin for saving their seeds. Here are presented the basics of what is happening, why its unsustainable and how to do the right thing, but reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver will present a more full view of the problem and solution.

If biodiversity and polyculture are the heroes of sustainable agriculture, then capitalism, genetic-modification & monoculture are the villians. Farmers have always had the responsibility of feeding the people. Farms are ecosystems, including not just food plants & livestock animals but also grass, microorganisms, insects, birds, sun, water, people & abstract concepts to honor the natural functions & needs of animals and ecosystem alike- rotation, diversity, and loops of interconnection large & small.

Each region was served by farmland and families of farmers- respectable earth-workers that learned to care for the land & animals, those that knew the subtleties of coaxing food from the land with resourcefulness & the ability to enrich the land's fertility. This was no mindless skill, the farmer's knowledge & mindfulness needed to be vast to be successful, and so much life depended on this success.

Before the 20th century, all seeds were heirloom, all farm animals heritage- in other words, farmers saved their best tasting, heartiest seeds for next year's planting, & the healthiest heartiest animals bred.

Farming was slowly undermined and taken over by big business. Farms were choked out by big agribusiness megafarms. These small, diverse, sustainable & regionalized family farms were stomped out or, facing bankruptcy, forced to become part of the agribusiness machine. Agribusiness farms want quantity over quality, conformity over taste, and use chemicals, inhumane animal treatment and hormones, among other environmentally & socially devistating tactics to produce more, bigger, fatter, faster, but only of one crop or one animal at once.

Instead of have polyculture, or the growing of several plant & animal varieties, the agribusiness farms focus on monoculture, just one. This fact, teamed with genetically-modified seeds that aren't allowed to adapt naturally to withstand weather, pests & blights anymore, can make these mega-monocultures very open to crop failures.

Still, many farmers have been led to believe that becoming part of this system was the only way to stay in business. In 50 or so years Americans went from knowing the farmers that grew their food to a food system based on a seasonless globalized machine of reallocating food. The people have forgotten how to eat whole, natural, season foods, farmers were becoming slaves to multination corporations that took over more than 75% of our entire food system, and these companies got rich. This is the food represented at your grocery store. This food often travels, on average, 1500 miles from farm to plate. So, if tomatoes are in season in your county, you are still probably finding another state's tomatoes at your local grocery store. This is just just one example of how absurd, unstable, inefficient & unfair our current food system is.

Animals are not raised on farms, but CAFO'S, Confined Animal Feeding Operations. This isn't true for all of the meat, milk & eggs sold in this country, only more than 80%, but this 80% reflects 100% of fast food animal products, and nearly all of the supply found at chain grocery stores nation-wide.

CAFO's keep animals in unnatural conditions, force them to eat antibiotic-laced corn, which is not there natural food, & thus causes them ill health- in the case of cows it causes them lots of pain and increases the instances of deadly E. COLI, deadly to the humans that eat them. CAFO animals, be they chickens, cows, turkeys, or pigs stand (or lay if they are too weak to stand) in the mass of feces from themselves and their prisonmates. These animals live tortured lives, start to finish. They are not healthy and happy.

Although at the grocery store the labels, purposefully deceiving, show happy pastoral scenes, this is not where eggs, meat, milk (and thus cheese & other dairy products) come from. Some terms on labels are regulated, like organic, but some are not, like natural. And even the organic stuff has a decent chance of coming from what is basically an organic CAFO, better than its non-organic counterpart, but not kind enough to the earth or the animal.

Combining the results of all of these factors- monoculture, genetic-modification, CAFO animal products, animal cruelty, deadly E. Coli, and we have a pretty dangerous and unstable system. It also depends on oil so heavily- for proscessing, shipping, and even in growing, that it is an extremely environmentally destructive force all around. And, its also destructive to the public health. White flour products, which so much of the plastic offerings at the grocery store are, laden with corn & soy additives are highly contributing to the epidemic of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Even corn-fed animal products have a negative impact on health where their counterparts from animals fed the natural diet on which they evolved do not.

Yet again, the way to protect our health and the earth's is the same. And in this same way we can strengthen our national food system, our local economy and our bodies. The solution is to choose locally grown food. Shop at farmer's markets and co-operative markets. Only buy milk, meat and eggs from farmers that you know are raising their animals in a humane & old-fashioned way. boycott fast food. Grow a garden of heirloom variety produce. Stop buying processed food.

More details of a localized diet will be shared in the chapter on lifestyle. To protect bioiversity, the earth & your health, eat locally, especially all animal products. You will taste the difference!

The Yoga of Sustainability: a simpler, healthier, happier world

CHAPTER 3: PROTECTING LAND

There is interconnection among all things in nature, and so, there is similarity in protecting all elements. Protecting the air & water is protecting the land- be mindful not to use, drop or dump batteries, chemicals, electronics, plastics, pharmaceuticals and the like outdoors or elsewhere.

Most of us see dirt as inanimate, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In a teaspoon full of healthy dirt one could find thousands of microorganisms, easily. It is the bacteria present in soil that "fix" nitrogen for the plant's natural fertilization. Adding chemical fertilizers destroys this system & makes the soil naturally barren, dependent on chemical's for its fertility.

Unique to soil is the concept of errosion, the preventing of the washing away of precious topsoil. Whenever you are out enjoying nature, RESIST THE URGE TO REMOVE OR MOVE ROCKS OR TO WALK OUTSIDE OF MARKED NATURE TRAILS. IF WALKING IN AREAS WITHOUT MARKED TRAILS, FOLLOW A WATERWAY OR NATURAL TRAIL. DO NOT PICK WILD PLANTS. In your yard, never spray chemicals on your lawn, even herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. As we've seen, they destroy the ecosystem of the soil, making it more prone to washing away.

Try to landscape your yard with indigenous plants. Importing plants from other climates can actually wreak havoc on ecosystems. Just like introduced animals can multiply unchecked & ravage landscapes, so too can can introduced plants choke out native plants that occupy an important niche in the local ecosystem. TRY LANDSCAPING WITH ONLY INDIGENOUS PLANT VARIETIES: local healing herbs, perreniel herbs, heirloom fruit trees, berry plants and local wetland grasses in pond areas. Working with native plants increases pest & weather-resistence, reduces watering needs & gives you an opportunity to create aesthetically-pleasing habitat for birds, butterflies & mammals. Learn about indigenous plants & local habitats online, or request them at your local nursery.

When growing food plants, choose heirloom variety seeds. These seeds, unlike hybrid or genetically-modified seeds, will adap generation after generation to resist blights, droughts, pests and to adapt to changes in weather. These seeds will develop richer, more complex tastes, more nutrients & more resistence, evolving with every generation. When each plant's growing season is complete you collect the seeds & plant again. Heirloom vegetables are amazingly diverse & hearty. Our current grocery store globalized unnatural & insecure food system tends to cultivate one variety of each food plant, letting the other varieties disappear. Commercial seeds are bred in labs by scientists who manipulate genes, usually concerning themselves with qualities such as conformity of size & shape, and ability to prolong shelf-life. As grocery store tomatoes & red delicious apples show, taste is not as important. Likewise animals are bred for ability to grow bigger, faster and on a diet of corn. Many of these CAFO prisoners never see sunlight & have forgotten how to breed. PROTECT BIODIVERSITY & FOOD SECURITY BY GROWING HEIRLOOM VARIETY PLANTS & BUYING OR RAISING HERITAGE VARIETY LIVESTOCK ANIMALS. IF YOU CAN'T GROW YOUR OWN, PROTECT THE LAND BY BUYING ONLY LOCALLY RAISED ANIMAL PRODUCTS & VEGETABLES AT FARMER'S MARKETS & COOPERATIVES.

Do not cut down mature trees unless they are severly damaged or pose imminent danger. If you are clearing trees to build a home, use those trees to build furniture or floors. Smaller trees can be moved if they are growing too close to ther trees to be able to mature or are growing too close to a foundation. Try to transplant them in early Spring, sooner than you may want to be out there, but at the ideal time for the tree. If you can't transplant a young tree that absolutely cannot stay, cut it down as early as possible. Once trees reach about ten years old they start trapping larger amunts of carbon dioxide, which is released when they die. If an older tree has to be cut down use the wood for a special fire or building project if you can.

When enjoying nature, MAKE SURE TO CARRY-OUT ALL FOOD & TRASH CARRIED IN. DO NOT FEED ANIMALS IN WILD PLACES. It's hard to resist, but don't feed animals in parks (like ducks in Congress Park). This difficult to understand, but feeding animals in wild places makes them learn to prefer & depend on human food sources, forgeting to forage. Also, in the case of ducks, increasingly they may be reticent to migrate, and face Winter starvation. In addition, increasing the population due to the extra food source increases feces, which upsets the land & water balance. Land and water ecosystems are able to process only a certain amount of waste- naturally the amount of foods avaiable will maintain the proper population density of all creatures to support their life & absorb their waste to enrich the environment. Messing with the natural equilibrium harms the animals & the land.

Protecting the land and life it supports by respecting the delicate but deeply interconnected relationships between microorganisms, plants, minerals, animals, insects, sun, air, & water. All of the concepts that sustain healthy air and waterways will apply to protecting the land as well. Use your mindfullness to guide you in respectful interaction as a part of, not apart from, the ecosystems of Earth.

The Yoga of Sustainability: a simpler, healthier, happier world

CHAPTER 2: AIR

Luckily, America caught on with air protection fairly early on, relatively speaking. Unfortunately G. W. Jr was the most environmentally incompetant president this country has ever seen, and so our Clean Air Act has been weakened. However; we've never had strict enough regulations to help in the most necessary ways. One victory, is that the EPA fought to classify Greenhouse Gases as a threat to the safety of Americans, and thus, obtain the power to regulate them. But, as in all matters, our mindfulness can guide us faster and better than regulations.

In the home, outgassing of toxic, often unnoticed fumes from new paint, carpets & furniture are making people ill. Called "sick building syndrome", this toxicity is dangerous, especially in professional building with no direct air exchange with the outdoors. Do you know that "nice" new carpet smell, new paint job smell, new home smell, new car smell..? That is out-gassing, & so is that smell of plastic, vinyl, and anything similar.

In your home, USE ONLY ZERO OR ULTRA-LOW VOC PAINTS, FINISHES AND WOOD STAINS. Voc's or volatile organic compounds, are just that, volatile. Its worth the extra money to protect your health and the earth.

BUY SECOND-HAND FURNITURE, REUPHOLSTER YOURSELF WITH NATURAL MATERIALS, OR BUY NEW UNFINISHED FURNITURE MADE OF SOLID WOOD OBTAINED FROM CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY PRACTICES. And unless you install all natural, cruelty-free wool or fiber carpeting, (such as hemp, coconut or similar renewable, untreated plant fibers) DON'T INSTALL CARPETS. They trap allegens, dirt and grime anyways. Bamboo or cork floors with ultra-low or zero voc varnish are the way to go.

Whenever you smell that "new product" smell, its most likely harmful. In order to smell something, you are inhaling particles of it, so it can have an impact on your health over time. EVEN SYNTHETIC FRAGRENCES, COLOGNES, PERFUMES & THE FRAGRENCE OF CONVENTIONAL SOAPS & SHAMPOOS, DISH SOAPS & LAUNDRY DETERGENTS, & FABRIC SOFTENER ARE ALL UNHEALTHY FOR YOU AND THE EARTH.

That which you place on your skin is absorbed into your body, so be mindful of what you use. USE 100 PERCENT PURE ESSENTIAL OILS INSTEAD OF PERFUMES OR COLOGNES. You can find recipes online to make your own signature scent.

Laundry should be washed in a biodegradable, perfume free, ultra concentrated detergent such as Biokleen brand. Use Borax to whiten, never bleach. USE SEVERAL DROPS OF ESSENTIAL OIL ON A DAMP WASHCLOTH & A PAIR OF DRYER BALLS TO GIVE LAUNDRY A FRESH SCENT, SOFT FEEL AND FASTER DRYING TIME. EVEN BETTER, 70+ PERCENT OF THE YEAR LAUNDRY CAN BE DRIED ON THE LINE FOR A FRESH SCENT THAT MAN CAN'T FAKE WITH CHEMICALS.

All natural, certified organic shampoos, conditioners & soaps should be the only kind you use for your body & the precious bodies of your loved ones. Do not trust vague labelling- certified organic is the only proven qualifier of natural quality. Legally, the word natural is meaningless. Beauty products should say specifically that they are not tested on animals and do not contain animal ingredients. Aveda & The Body Shop are leaders in ethically & environmentally responsible products. In addition, they shouldn't contain any petroleum products, phosphates, and should be marked as biodegradable. Many people question the safety of proplene glycol & SLS (sodium laurel or laureth sulfate).

If the perfumes that smell "good" in your bath & beauty products are unhealthy for you & the earth, its not hard to imagine that the noxious smelling home cleaning chemicals are even worse. Take all of these terrible things in to your local tranfer station or call the local DEC office to find out where to take for proper disposal. USE ONLY A COUPLE TRULY NATURAL PRODUCTS TO REPLACE A WHOLE HOUSE FULL OF TOXIC ONES. Replace window cleaner with either white vinegar & water wiped with a clean rag, a dry piece of newspaper, or water with a light touch of soap and a clean rag. YOU CAN USE AN ULTRA-CONCENTRATED ECO-FRIENDLY SOAP, such as Dr. Bronner's or Biokleen as varying strengths TO DO ANYTHING from wash the car, the dishes, the floors, counters, porcelain & appliances to hand washing as well. In fact, Dr. Bronner's can be used on hair & body as well!

Anything you spray into the air gets around, harming those who breathe it, and washing into the water supply as well. PLEASE DO NOT SPRAY YOUR LAWN. PLEASE DON'T USE SPRAY PAINT- YOU CAN USE ZERO VOC PAINT IN A SPRAYER.

Camp fires are a pleasure, but also a privelege. Brush fires are convenient, but not an excuse to burn trash. PLEASE DO NOT BURN PLASTICS, METALS OR PRINTED PACKAGING. IF YOU ARE BURNING BRUSH OR HAVING A BONFIRE, USE NATURAL BRUSH & UNTREATED WOOD. BE RESPONSIBLE & DON'T BURN OFTEN.

BECOME FUEL EFFICIENT and carpool, consolidate errands and walk & drive less. Get an electric scooter if it fits your lifestyle, ride your bike, or take public transportation. These tips will cut down on greenhouse gas pollution. So will working from home (telecommuting) and keeping your vehicle well-maintained. To get the best fuel economy keep your tires properly inflated and DRIVE 55. Its hard to do, but DRIVING THAT TEN mph SLOWER BOOSTS FUEL ECONOMY BY UP TO 20%!

Likewise, A WELL-INSULATED HOME & PROPERLY MAINTAINED HEATING SYSTEM (PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED EACH YEAR) HELPS TO INCREASE HOME ENERGY ECONOMY. Update windows, use recycled paper based Green Fiber insulation, or castor oil based spray foam to keep your home energy efficient, reducing fossil fuel related air pollution.

SUPPORT GREEN ENERGY. Opt for renewable energy through your power provider. It is affordable- on a bill of $200, your charge for green energy will usually be around $20. It's worth protecting the environment! LOOK INTO SOLAR PV PANELS- IN NY, NYSERDA HAS A PROGRAM OF FINANCING & GRANTS TO HELP HOMEOWNERS GO SOLAR!

Being mindful of what you send into the air directly (paints, chemicals, cleaners) and indirectly (via fossil fuel use & purchases-discussed later) is crucial to protecting the air we all breathe.

The Yoga of Sustainability: a simpler, healthier, happier world

SECTION ONE: Protect

This section will focus on ways to protect our natural resources. That includes non-polluting, non-erroding and other practices of non-spoiling.

CHAPTER 1: WATER

Water is a most abused resource, both in squandering and misusing it, and in blatantly rendering it contaminated.

If we have something toxic, such as medication, to dispose of, what do we commonly do with it? We toss it into the toilet. Where does it end up from there? It ends up contaminating drinking water and entering the tissues of fish, where it can harm the individuals life, the reproductive abilities of the species, or end up in an unsuspecting human's dinner. NOTHING OTHER THAN HUMAN WASTE, TOILET PAPER OR AT WORST, FOOD SCRAPS SHOULD GO INTO THE TOILET. Call your local pharmacy and ask if they take & properly destroy expired medication.

Even that which we use to clean our home, selves & dishes can foul freshwater ecosystems. Any cleaner, detergent, shampoo, conditioner or soap that contains phosphorous/phosphates with encourage the growth of algae in the water where it ends up. This extra burst of algae growth will use up the water's oxygen and suffocate fish & other waterlife. ALWAYS USE SOAPS, DETERGENTS, SHAMPOOS, CONDITIONERS, & HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS THAT ARE BIODEGRADABLE, AND DO NOT CONTAIN PHOSPHATES.

We also have been conditioned to use poisonous cleaners throughout our home, making ourselves & waterways sick. NEVER USE TOXIC CLEANERS, BLEACH, DRAIN UNCLOGGING SOLUTIONS OR THE LIKE. INSTEAD USE A SNAKE TO CLEAR YOUR DRAIN, AND USE ALL-NATURAL, BIODEGRADABLE, SUPER-CONCENTRATED SOAPS TO CLEAN YOUR HOME. IF YOU NEED TO WHITEN LAUNDRY, USE BORAX. Your home will still shine, and the environment will be preserved. You and your loved ones will also be healthier for it.

It's not just the pipes in your house that are linking water to the rest of the water cycle, but the ground as well. Thousands of gallons of gasoline are poured onto the earth every year- from spillage at the pump to filling the lawnmower. We need to exercise great care in the handling of toxic substances. ALWAYS BE MINDFUL NOT TO SPILL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND OTHER HARMFUL SUBSTANCES ONTO THE EARTH- PAVED OR BARE SURFACES. It poisons the ground and groundwater. Even spillage on paved surfaces with runoff into storm drains during the next rain. Never throw garbage outdoors for the same reason- toxic substances from furniture, tires, electronics, batteries & other trash left to nature pollutes earth and water. ALWAYS DISPOSE OF REFUSE PROPERLY- RECYCLING BATTERIES, ELECTRONICS, TIRES, AND HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS. Call your local transfer station for details. ALSO, NEVER SPRAY CHEMICALS, FERTILIZERS OR HERBICIDES ONTO YOUR LAWN, AS THIS IS THE SAME AS DUMPING OTHER TOXIC SUBSTANCES OUTSIDE. Cultivate a lush lawn by leaving the blade at a medium or high level and mowing grass every 9 or so days. Mowing too frequently and too close to the ground is the same as over-grazing, and it causes the grass to die back and doesn't allow it to build strong roots. Mowing every 9-12 days leaving a medium length on the grass stimulates thick, heavy growth. If you can't stand the weeds, buy a tool to pop them out of the ground. If you don't feel like taking the time to do so, make peace with them and let go of the ego that drives you to desire a uniform lawn. That is a human ideal, and nature sees health in diversity, not monoculture.

Water is a precious resource which we Americans are blessed to have ready access to. We need to respect this abundance and stop the needless poisoning of groundwater & freshwater ecosystems.

The Yoga of Sustainability: a simpler, healthier, happier world

INTRODUCTION

Mindfulness is the mental part of a yoga practice. When we exercise mindfulness, we are focused. Our mental perceptions and our physical actions are unified. We are thinking about what we are doing, we are noticing our impact and paying attention to interactions.

This is a powerful state to embody. When we are mindful, we can notice our emotions, but choose to set the negative emotions aside. We stil experience them, but do not allow them to control us. Mindfulness helps us to fully enjoy all actions in life from eating to chores, and especially enjoy peak experiences & even normal daily interactions with loved ones with a new sense of delight & sacredness.

Mindfulness has to be practiced, because it is not, at least in this place & time, our default state. Without mindfulness we live with no understanding of the roots of our feelings and we trash relationships by reacting blindly out of negative feeling states. We also live stuck in habitual cycles that may prevent us from achieving well-being. We may also falsely think that happiness comes from of people and objects. This leads to focus unduly on material possesions, or to blame others for our lack of harmony. Once we apply mindfulness we see that happiness comes from an inner feeling of rightness & well-being, brought on by positive action, love, generosity, freedom from negative attachments & the wellness and harmony of mind, body & spirit.

When we apply mindfulness sociologically, we see the patterns forged in our culture based on seeking happiness without mindfulness. The idea that objects make us fulfilled, that buying or consuming is the way to solve everything has made profiteers rich & the masses sick, tired & indebted. Profiteers further benefit as people, desperate for wholeness and happiness try to buy solutions. What makes this demented capitalist paradigm worse is that not only people are devalued, but also the entire ecosystems- an entire planet of intricately connected lives dependent upon limited, precious resources is reduced to commodities to be manipulated to acquire the most money possible.

It doesn't take too long to draw the parellels between the environmental situation, the epidemics of anxiety, depression & preventable diseases, our focus on meaningless consumption, and our reverance for money in America. Its all part of the same problem and requires the same solution. Mindfulness is at the root.

We can use mindfulness to change ourselves, and one person, one family at a time change our society. We can move away from an object and money focused culture to one focused on life, on living beings, gratitude, interconnection, respect and kindness.

May this book inspire and serve you on a mindful journey through this life. May you rediscover that we all are a part of the whole of nature, our well-being interconnected to the entire Earth ecosystem. May your practice of mindfulness and sustainability bring you countless unforeseen treasures & bring you closer to your loved ones, community, spirituality, and self. May all of us Earthlings live happily, healthfully & free from suffering together on this small, beautiful, delicate planet.

Namaste.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Part one: Protect
1. Water
2. Air
3. Land
4. Biodiversity
5. Shop Wisely

Part two: Conserve
6. Water
7. Paper
8. Fuel/energy
9. Consume Less
10. Resourcefulness
11. Simplify

Part three: Lifestyle
12. Sustainable Food Systems
13. Mindfulness

CONCLUSION

How to feed the world

How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

Slow Foods Revolution

Foodies & Environmentalists Unite!

The Slow Food movement, started in Italy to counter the emergence of fast food, seeks to preserve health in families, communities, cultures & planet through promoting a revolution in school foods, reformation in the way we look at nutrition, & protection for biodiversity in plants & farm animals.

Please give their website a peek!!

Since 70% of the water is used by agribusiness, most of the petroleum products go to farming & food miles constitute a lion's share of CO2 emissions in the US, simply by becoming a slow foodie, celebrating connection, taste & respect, the recreational gourmet can become vastly greener. Changing your eating & purchasing habits is a huge part of becoming sustainable. And by gum, its so much more delicious too.

So if you, like me, are embarrassed for those people who buy those tasteless grocery store tomatoes, or who refuse to eat fruits and vegetables out of season, you may already be well on your way to being a Slow Foodist.


Below how the Slow Foods website defines their slogan of "Slow Food is Good, Clean & Fair".


Good:

The word good can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.

Clean:

When we talk about clean food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.

Fair:

We believe that food is a universal right. Food that is fair should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.