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Babies absorb chemicals from shampoo
BABIES ASBORB CHEMICALS FROM SHAMPOO
Date: Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Source: Catalyst (click here for full story)
Parents are advised to limit their baby's exposure to shampoo, lotions and powder after a new study found chemicals from babycare products in their urine
Baby lotion, powder and shampoo can lead to higher concentrations in an infant's body of phthalates, chemicals linked to allergies and altered reproductive development, a US study shows.
The study conducted at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute found that babies treated with common babycare products such as lotion, shampoo, and powder were more likely to have phthalates in their urine than other babies.
But more research is needed to determine if exposing very young children to phthalates is linked with reproductive or other problems, says the study published online in the journal Pediatrics.
Phthalates are chemicals commonly found in personal care and other household products, including plastic children's toys, lubricants and chemical stabilisers in cosmetics and personal care products.
Animal studies of phthalates have found that they can harm reproductive system development, and studies in humans have found that prenatal exposure or exposure through breast milk can alter hormone concentrations, the study says.
Researchers measured the levels of nine different phthalates in urine samples collected from 163 infants, aged 2 months to 28 months.
The team also asked the babies' mothers to fill out questionnaires on their use of babycare products in the previous 24 hours.
The scientists found that at least one phthalate in every baby's urine sample, and that using baby powder, lotion and shampoo were strongly associated with higher phthalate levels in the urine.
Pthalates present included monethyl, monomethyl and monoisobutyl phthalates.
This association was strongest in young infants under 8 months old who the report says may be more vulnerable to developmental and reproductive toxic effects.
Troubling
Lead author Dr Sheela Sathyanarayana, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington medical school, describes the findings as "troubling".
"Babies may be more at risk than children or adults because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing," she says.
She adds that phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose and eczema.
"If parents want to decrease exposures for their children, they can try to use lotions, shampoo, and baby powder sparingly unless otherwise indicated for a medical reason," Sathyanarayana suggests.
In 2006, the European Union banned the use of six phthalate softeners in PVC toys designed to be placed in the mouth by children younger than three.
Remember: Miessence Mother & Baby Range is free from fragrance, allergens and semi-naturals. There is no toxins, no synthetic chemicals & no parabens.
Read ArticleSuperior Nutrient Content Reported in Organic Blueberries
Superior Nutrient Content Reported in Organic Blueberries
Date: July 2008
Source: The Scope - The Organic Centre Newsletter
http://www.organic-center.org/news_archive/thescoop_july08.htm
The Bluecrop variety of highbush blueberries were grown on five organic and conventional farms in New Jersey. The farms shared comparable soils and weather conditions, and the berries were harvested in precisely the same way. The scientists carrying out the study are based at the USDA's Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, and at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The team found consistent and significant differences in nutrient content. The organic blueberries contained 46 ORAC units, a measure of total antioxidant capacity, while the conventional berries contained 31 ORAC units.
Accordingly, the organic berries had over 50% more total antioxidant activity. They also contained about 50% higher levels of total anthocyanins, the natural plant phytochemicals that give blueberries their dark color.
The organic blueberries also had 67% more total phenolics. The authors' concluding sentence reads:
"Blueberries produced from organic culture contained significantly higher amounts of phytonutrients than those produced from conventional culture."
Source: S.H. Wang et al., "Fruit Quality, Antioxidant Capacity, and Flavonoid Content of Organically and Conventionally Grown Blueberries," Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published on web July 1, 2008.
Remember..... Nutritionists recommend we consume around 5000 ORAC units per day.
One serving of Berry Radical contains over 7000 ORAC units.
1 Box of 30 sachets contains 217,200 ORAC units.
Click here to read more about Berry Radical Read ArticleThe Federal government releases Green Paper
Title: The Federal government releases Green Paper
Date: July 2008
Source: Department of Climate Change
Website: www.climatechange.gov.au
The Federal Government has released its proposed scheme to address the future of carbon emissions in Australia. Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, launched the Green Paper on 16 July at the National Press Club in Canberra.
"Placing a limit and a price on pollution will change the things we produce, the way we produce them and the things we buy," Wong said.
"In this Green Paper the Government has sought to strike the right balance on the basis of economically responsible policy in the national interest."
The Green Paper proposes an emissions trading scheme that will incorporate the majority of industrial sectors, including forestry. The emissions trading scheme will set a pollution cap for the nation and will then sell permits on auction. Set to begin in 2010 and some of the intended heavier hit industries, such as aluminium and cement manufacturers, will receive a majority of their permits for free.
The plan targets companies that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, which includes about 1000 businesses internationally. At present, these businesses account for about 75 per cent of total emissions in the nation.
To ease the anticipated strain on the economy, the plan also includes a "cent for cent" reduction of the fuel excise tax to help mitigate the imminent rise of petrol prices. This goes against the recommendations of Prof. Ross Garnaut in his draft Climate Change report released on 4 July.
Click here for a Summary
Click here to read more from the Department of Climate Change Read ArticleKid-Safe Chemicals Act
Title: Kid-Safe Chemicals Act
Author: By Katie Bird
Date: May, 2008
Source: Environmental Working Group
Website: www.ewg.org/kidsafe
"Please don't tell me a pre-polluted baby is just fine."
--Julie Deardorf, Chicago Tribune, 2005
Why We Need The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act
The nation's toxic chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act, is in drastic need of reform. Passed in 1976 and never amended since, TSCA is widely regarded as the weakest of all major environmental laws on the books today.
When passed, the Act declared safe some 62,000 chemicals already on the market, even though there were little or no data to support this policy. Since that time another 20,000 chemicals have been put into commerce in the United States, also with little or no data to support their safety.
The human race is now polluted with hundreds of industrial chemicals with little or no understanding of the consequences. Babies are born pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world. Testing by Environmental Working Group has identified 455 chemicals in people, and again, no one has any idea if these exposures are safe.
We are at a tipping point, where the pollution in people is increasingly associated with a range of serious diseases and conditions from childhood cancer, to autism, ADHD, learning deficits, infertility, and birth defects. Yet even as our knowledge about the link between chemical exposure and human disease grows, the government has almost no authority to protect people from even the most hazardous chemicals on the market.
The Campaign: Pass the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act (KSCA)
This pollution of people is the direct result of a law that does not require chemicals to be proven safe to get on the market, or stay on the market. Under the current toothless law, EPA does not have the authority to demand the information it needs to evaluate a chemical's risk, and neither manufacturers nor the EPA are required to prove a chemical's safety as a condition of use.
The Kid-Safe Chemical Act will change all this through a fundamental overhaul of our nation's chemical regulatory law. Specifically, the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act:
* requires that industrial chemicals be safe for infants, kids and other vulnerable groups;
* requires that new chemicals be safety tested before they are sold;
* requires chemical manufacturers to test and prove that the 62,000 chemicals already on the market that have never been tested are safe in order for them to remain in commerce;
* requires EPA to review "priority" chemicals, those which are found in people, on an expedited schedule;
* requires regular biomonitoring to determine what chemicals are in people and in what amounts;
* requires regular updates of health and safety data and provides EPA with clear authority to request additional information and tests;
* provides incentives for manufacturers to further reduce health hazards;
* requires EPA to promote safer alternatives and alternatives to animal testing;
* protects state and local rights; and
* requires that this information be publicly available.
Through the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act we can give our children a safer and healthier future. Read ArticleCalifornia files lawsuit against mislabelled cosmetics
Title: California files lawsuit against mislabelled cosmetics
Author: By Katie Bird
Date: June 11, 2008
Source: Cosmetic Design
Website: http://cosmeticsdesign.com/news/ng.asp?id=85853
The Attorney General of California has filed a lawsuit against a number of natural personal care companies whose products allegedly contain levels of a carcinogenic compound.
Avalon Natural products, which manufactures Alba, Un-petroleum and Avalon Organics brands, has been accused of failing to warn consumers that its products contain 1,4-Dioxane.
Consumers not warned about compound
Under the state's Proposition 65 consumer products should not expose consumers to chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without giving clear and reasonable warning.
The Attorney General of California has accused Avalon Natural, along with the Whole Foods Market California, Beaumont Products and Nutribiotic of failing to give clear and reasonable warning of the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in their products.
According to the Organic Consumers Association the lawsuit is a reaction to a study released by the association back in March, in addition to the state's own testing.
The OCA's campaign highlighted a number of 'fake' natural and organic brands that were found to contain the offending compound which is a by product of ethylene oxide, often used as a surfactant.
"The OCA's 1,4-dioxane study elevated the issue of fake 'natural' and 'organic' brands that utilize petrochemicals in their formulas in March, and now we are seeing labelling enforcement on a scale we have never seen before," said OCA national director Ronnie Cummins.
Although the OCA is unaware of the particular products that have prompted the lawsuit it stated that all the named companies have sold products that tested close to or in excess of 20 parts per million for 1,4-Dioxane in the OCA study.
In July 2007 the FDA released a comment stating that 1,4-dioxane does not pose a hazard to consumers at levels seen it has seen in the monitoring of cosmetics products.
No one at the FDA was available for comment regarding the Californian lawsuit.
Misleading organic branding
This is not the first time the state of California has seen a lawsuit filed over mislabelling cosmetics products.
Earlier this spring Dr Bronner's Magic Soaps filed a lawsuit in the superior court of California against a number of leading organic and natural brands and two certification bodies regarding the 'mislabelling' of products as organic, but contained conventional petrochemical or agricultural ingredients.
"We have been deeply disappointed and frustrated by companies in the 'natural' personal care space who have been screwing over organic consumers, engaging in misleading organic branding and label call-outs on products that were not natural in the first place, let alone organic," said president of Dr Bronner's Magic Soaps David Bronner.
The company and the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) had previously warned the brands that if they did not drop organic claims or reformulate their products they would face litigation.
However this approach failed to achieve the desired affect, according to the OCA.
"The pressure of imminent litigation outlines in cease and desist letters sent by OCA and Dr Bronner's in March prompted some serious discussion with some of the offending companies, but ultimately failed to resolve the core issues," said executive director Ronnie Cummins. Read ArticleGlobal Organic Growth - an update by Dr Ajay Shah
Title: Global Organic Growth - an update
Author: By Ajay Shah
Date: May 12, 2008
Source: BFA Organic Advantage Newsletter
Website: http://news.bfa.com.au/listmanager/display.php?List=1&N=15
Demand for organic foods continues to grow, reflecting accelerating rates of new product activity. Organic remains the fastest growing sector of the food industry. There were over 2,900 global organic food and drink launches recorded in the Innova Database (www.innovadatabase.com) in the first ten months of 2007, up from just over 2,600 in the January to October 2006 period. This was up in turn was up from 1,919 in the first 10 months of 2005.
The global market for organic foods is valued at about US$40bn a year, more than double the 2000 total.
The market is currently still highly geographically concentrated, however, with North America and Western Europe accounting for over 90% of global market value.
The UK has one of the largest markets in Europe, thanks to a series of nightmarish food scares, although estimates of its size vary from just over GB £1bn to nearly £2bn, depending on the definition and extent of coverage of alternative retail channels.
Fresh produce traditionally dominated the market, but has now been overtaken by dairy products, where sales of organic lines now stand at about £300m a year.
Sales in organic food in the UK increased by over 30% in 2005 to almost £1.6bn, an average weekly gain of £7m according to the UK Soil Association (British Certifying Body). For comparison, the current annual growth of all UK food and drink sales is around 3%. The UK may have one of the largest markets in Europe, but it trails well behind the US in terms of sheer size.
US sales of organic foods are expected to reach US$20bn in 2007, equivalent to over 3% of total retail food sales.
Fresh produce accounts for a leading share of the market, with about one quarter of the total value, but processed foods are demonstrating a better growth rate, reflecting the rising demand for convenience organic alternatives to standard lines. Organic dairy lines are less significant in terms of their market share than in Europe, with about 10% of the market.
In both countries, the market is being extended via the addition of organic products to standard brand lines of food and through the launch of specialist organic brands both by mainstream and specialist food companies. This has been critical to the overall expansion of organics.
The largest increases in organic food production have been in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All three regions have reported triple digit growth figures in organic farmland since 2000. Japan and Singapore are emerging markets projected to show rapid growth rates.
The Australian organic food industry has experienced strong growth as the number of certified organic operators increased 200% between the period 2000 to 2003 from 850 to 2,500.
Produce is not all sold on the Australian market, but approximately 40% is destined for export. Demand for organic food has grown over the past 5 years but is unable to mirror the growth of the UK, where food safety incidents have driven the desire for more naturally produced products. Australia’s clean and green image will stymie the growth of the organic sector at home.
The prospects for organic food and drink are looking very bright globally and are expected to increase in retail sales value by 50% over the next 5 years. The key factors that need to be considered are the ethical or health impulses of consumers that drive this growth, which will determine the feasibility of the market’s long term future.
References:
1. Innova Database
2. Hilliam, M (2007)
Organic Growth Continues,
The World of Food Ingredients, December, pp11-12
Dr Ajay Shah is the Director of AAS Food Technology Pty Ltd.
Email: ajay@aasfood.com
Web: www.aasfood.com Read ArticleThe changing face of organic cosmetics
Title: The changing face of organic cosmetics
Date: April 22, 2008
Source: BFA Organic Advantage Newsletter
Website: http://news.bfa.com.au/listmanager/display.php?List=1&N=11
The market for organic cosmetics is growing and industry commentators predict "2008 will be a defining year for the natural cosmetics industry."
According to a recent report from Organic Monitor, this is the year widespread adoption of natural & organic standards will begin, clearing the currently blurred lines between legitimate natural / organic products and pseudo products.
Regulatory activity is intensifying in the EU and leading European certification agencies will unveil a new European standard in June 2008, after working on the harmonisation of private standards for over a year. Standards implementation is due by the end of the year leading to uniform regulation of certified natural & organic cosmetic products for the first time.
Organic cosmetic growth in the U.S is strong and Austrade predicts retail sales of natural and organic skincare, hair care and cosmetics in the US will reach around $7.9 billion by 2009.
The growth of separate private standards in the US is reportedly of some concern, with a number of representative groups developing their own regulatory guides for release this year.
The impact of natural & organic standards on the cosmetics industry will be debated at the upcoming Natural Beauty Summit America (New York, May 15-17).
Improvements to the regulation of cosmetics in Australia in the past year include the addition of a distinct cosmetic standard to the Australian Organic Standard (AOS).
"The AOS now includes a well regulated and precise set of requirements for cosmetics, compared to previous strongly food based standards," says BFA cosmetic sub-committee chair Akiko Nicholls.
"Meeting these new requirements does present a greater challenge to cosmetics manufacturers, but there are Australian Certified Organic clients who have overcome those challenges and (in doing so) are delivering products at a high standard actively sought by consumers."
Eliza McGivern, marketing manager of Australia’s Sydney Essential Oil Co. says the business, which specialises in trade sales of personal care and cosmetic ingredients, is experiencing growth. But she adds there are obstacles to overcome before cosmetics can enjoy the rapid climb experienced by the organic food sector.
"Growth of organic cosmetic products has been weak in comparison to organic food, as the manufacturing standard has only recently been made specific to cosmetics."
"Nevertheless, demand for the product is increasing and manufacturers are investing in more R&D to make compliant product that also meets the aesthetic demands of the consumer," she says.
Ms. McGivern says other challenges in the cosmetic sector include:
* Ingredient availability and cost - "availability depends on the season and seasonal
price rises can occur on top of products already at a premium"
* Product development - "organic (natural) ingredients perform uniquely and cannot
simply be substituted for conventional cosmetic chemical ingredients, so extensive
R&D is necessary"
* Marketing claims - "Products touted as ‘contains organic' are not truly compliant
organic products. Those who do pursue and achieve fully compliant certified status
can find themselves competing on an unlevel playing field in the marketplace and we
do see evidence of this"
Ms. Nicholls says preservatives and emulsifiers have presented particular problems in cosmetics regulation.
"We have formed the BFA Cosmetics Sub-committee which allows us to assess ingredient proposals and issues on a case by case basis. Our organic cosmetic standard is still developing and we welcome industry feedback," she says.
Ms. McGivern says the approval of several emulsifiers and preservatives will open up sector opportunities.
"Production of organic cosmetic products will increase and a full assortment of personal care products will be available at the highest certification level," she predicts.
International cosmetic opportunity has organics covered
Austrade have reported substantial opportunities for the export of all natural, organic and high end luxury cosmetic products to key markets.
These markets include Spain - where specialty cosmetics retail sales have risen 13 per cent since 1998 - and France, where there is reportedly an increasing trend for ‘cosmebio’ (organic cosmetic labels). Environmental concerns are of prime importance to cosmetic and toiletries manufacturing companies in France with a key focus on recycling, biodegradable products and packaging, and replacement of harmful ingredients.
Some opportunities are reported in the Phillipines (one of Asia's fastest growing markets for cosmetic and wellness products). Austrade says Filipinos are starting to appreciate organic and all natural products - however, say heavy introductory marketing such as educational seminars and free samples are required.
In the U.S, growth in retail sales of natural and organic skincare, hair care and cosmetics is expected to be strong (retail sales predicted around $7.9 billion by 2009).
Health warnings, environmental concerns, ethical buying concerns, therapy awareness and organic attitudes have all contributed to growth in popularity.
What other trends are there in cosmetics?
According to Austrade, niche category lines are faring well. Organic could be marketed in combination with the following trends:
- Increasing popularity of men’s lifestyle products
- Rising sales of anti-ageing products to baby boomers
- Increasing popularity of distinct youth products
- Ultra niche products including those containing botanical extracts, plant acids, enzymes,
herbs, vitamins, proteins, and food ingredients.
- Cosmeceuticals - one of the strongest trends in the cosmetics market, also subject to
confusion and ambiguity in regulation and labelling. Cosmeceuticals are 'functional
products', aiming to combine personal care with some of the benefits of medical or over-
the-counter/ drug products. Some cosmeceuticals are naturally derived and some are
synthetic. Read ArticleGovernment sued after approving 4 pesticides
Title: Government sued after approving 4 pesticides
Date: April 8, 2008
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/BA6P101C4R.DTL
Environmental and farmworker advocates have sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides, saying the government brushed aside its own findings that the chemicals are dangerous to workers, children and wildlife.
The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's decision in 2006 to reauthorize the four pesticides sprayed on fruit and vegetable fields in California.
A 1996 federal law required the EPA to reassess the safety of all pesticides used on foods and decide by 2006 whether to approve their use. Patti Goldman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the agency found that four substances posed risks to human health but concluded their cost savings to growers outweighed the dangers.
"These four pesticides put thousands of farmworkers and their families at risk of serious illness every year," said Goldman, of the nonprofit firm Earthjustice.
EPA spokesman Tim Lyons said the agency would review the lawsuit and respond in court. Lyons declined to comment on the EPA's decision to approve the pesticides, but said, "Our mission is to protect the environment and human health."
California officials have classified one of the pesticides, ethoprop, as a cancer-causing substance. The state requires manufacturers to disclose that risk on product labels but cannot ban the pesticide because of the EPA approval. The suit said the pesticide, used mainly on potatoes, sugarcane and tobacco, has been linked to fish kills and has also drifted from fields into rural communities.
Another substance, methidathion, was listed as an air contaminant by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation earlier this year because of potential health hazards. It is used on artichokes, oranges, almonds, peaches and olives, mostly in California.
The other two pesticides are methamidophos, used mostly on potatoes and cotton, and oxydemeton-methyl, used on broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, corn, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. The suit said both have been associated with bird kills. Methamidophos has been banned or severely restricted in several countries, and oxydemeton-methyl is linked to birth defects, according to the suit.
"We're relying on EPA's findings that the risks were too high," said Goldman, the plaintiffs' lawyer.
She said federal law allows the agency to approve continued use of risky pesticides based on offsetting benefits, including cost savings. But Goldman said the EPA failed to address the particular danger each pesticide poses to children, or to take adequate account of the potential harms to birds and fish as well as farmworkers.
The suit seeks a court order requiring the agency to re-evaluate the pesticides. Plaintiffs include the United Farm Workers, the Teamsters, Pesticide Action Network North America, Beyond Pesticides and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Read ArticleVitamin pills 'increase risk of early death'
Title: Vitamin pills are no substitute for healthy diet
Date: April 16, 2008
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
Website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/16/scivita116.xml
Popular vitamin supplements taken by millions of people in the hope of improving their health may do no good and could increase the risk of a premature death, researchers report today.
Vitamin pills are no substitute for healthy diet
Have your say: Do we rely on vitamins too much?
They warn healthy people who take antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A and E, to try to keep diseases such as cancer at bay that they are interfering with their natural body defences and may be increasing their risk of an early death by up to 16 per cent.
Researchers at Copenhagen University carried out a review of 67 studies on 230,000 healthy people and found "no convincing evidence" that any of the antioxidants helped to prolong life expectancy. But some "increased mortality".
About 12 million Britons supplement their diets with vitamins and the industry is worth £330 million. But little research has been done on the long-term health implications.
The Department of Health said yesterday that people should try to get the vitamins they need by eating a balanced diet and advised care in taking large doses of supplements.
A spokesman said: "There is a need to exercise caution in the use of high doses of purified supplements of vitamins, including antioxidant vitamins, and minerals. Their impact on long-term health may not have been fully established and they cannot be assumed to be without risk.
"Anyone concerned about their diet should speak to their doctor or dietitian."
Antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, C and beta-carotene and selenium, are said to mop up compounds, called free radicals, which cause disease. It is this action that researchers believe may cause problems with the defence system.
The Danish research, released by the influential Cochrane Library, applied only to synthetic supplements and not to vitamins that occur naturally in vegetables and fruit.
It found that vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death in healthy people by 16 per cent. Taking beta-carotene was linked to a 7 per cent increased risk, while regular users of vitamin E supplements increased the risk of an early death by four per cent.
Although the review found no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C, it found no evidence that it helped ward off disease. Millions take it in the hope of avoiding a common cold.
Goran Bjelakovic, who led the review, said: "We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases.
"If anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality."
But Patrick Holford, a nutritionist who has formulated supplements for the company Biocare, said: "Antioxidants are not meant to be magic bullets and should not be expected to undo a lifetime of unhealthy habits.
"When used properly, in combination with a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, getting plenty of exercise and not smoking, antioxidant supplements can play an important role in maintaining and promoting overall health."
A spokesman for the Health Supplements Information Service said: "People should get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diet, but for the millions who are not able to do that, vitamins can be a useful supplement and they should not stop taking them."
However, Catherine Collins, of the British Dietetic Association, said: "This study is deeply worrying and shows that there should be more regulation for vitamins and minerals.
"The public can buy vitamins as easily as sweets. They should be treated in the same way as paracetamol with maximum limits on the dosage." Read ArticleOrganic farming mitigates climate change
Title: Organic farming mitigates climate change
Date: April 21, 2008
Source: Stock & Land
Website: http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/organic-farming-mitigates-climate-change/85276.aspx
A 30 year scientific trial shows that organic practices could counteract up to 40pc of global greenhouse gas output.
Organic Federation of Australia chairman, Andre Leu, claims the trial of organic and conventional farming practices has proved that organic practices "can be the single biggest way to mitigate climate change".
"Scientists at the Rodale Institute in the US have proved that organic farming practices can remove about 7000kg of carbon dioxide from the air each year and sequester it in a hectare of farmland," Mr Leu said.
According to Mr Leu, the scientists estimated that if all of America's 100 million hectares of cropland were converted to organic practices, it would be the equivalent of taking 217 million cars off the road.
This is nearly 88pc of all cars in the US and more than a third of all the cars in the world.
Dr Paul Hepperly, PhD, research director at The Rodale Institute and Fulbright Scholar stated: "We've shown that organic practices can do better than anyone thought at sequestering carbon, and could counteract up to 40pc of global greenhouse gas output."
Mr Leu said it was important to note that the research that the amount of CO2 sequestered was based on what had already been achieved through current organic farming practices.
"This is not a theoretical estimate as in some of the tree plantation models or unproven like the millions of dollars being spent clean coal or mechanical geo sequestration trials," he said.
"This is being achieved now by organic farmers in the US, Australia and around the world."
Read ArticleDalai Lama highlights individual's role in preserving the environment during Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability
Title: Dalai Lama highlights individual's role in preserving the environment during Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability
Date: April 20, 2008
Source: The Ann Arbor News
Website: http://blog.mlive.com/michigan/2008/04/dalai_lama_highlights_individu.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We have a responsibility to take care of the environment. It is our only home." - The Dalai Lama
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He takes showers rather than baths, and he turns out the lights when he leaves the room.
Those are small examples of how each of us can contribute to preserving the Earth's environment, the Dalai Lama said Sunday during a lecture on the environment at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
As he delivered the annual Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability, the Dalai Lama admitted he never uses the world "sustainability," but likened taking care of the planet to taking care of your own home. "We have a responsibility to take care of the environment," he said. "It is our only home."
The Wege lecture, sponsored by the University of Michigan, ended a remarkable of weekend of pageantry and talks by the Dalai Lama. Earlier Sunday morning, he conducted his final lecture on "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion," after giving two other teaching sessions on that topic Saturday. Crowds of about 8,000 attended each of Sunday's sessions, officials said, which was similar to the Saturday sessions.
Outside Crisler during the talks, about 600-700 protesters, mostly Chinese college students, continued a second day of peaceful demonstrations. It was a much larger demonstration than the approximately 100 students who demonstrated Saturday, with the line stretching from Crisler along Stadium Boulevard in front of Michigan Stadium.
Although there were some animated discussions among demonstrators and passersby, there were no arrests or citations issued to any demonstrators, said Diane Brown, spokesperson for U-M's Department of Public Safety. The big crowd the dispersed around 4:15 shortly after the second talk ended.
In introducing the Dalai Lama for the lecture on the environment, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman mentioned the founding of Earth Day at the university in 1970, cited the fragility of the environment and said that the Buddhist leader is "uniquely positioned to spread this message."
As he did all weekend, the Dalai Lama mixed self-deprecating humor with anecdotes and insight, conveying his environmental message in a personal, friendly style.
Smiling, he said the notion that he has a specific healing power is "absolute nonsense."
He spoke English throughout the two-hour Wege lecture and question-and-answer session, though he frequently paused briefly to clarify points or phrases with his longtime interpreter Thupten Jinpa. "I'm getting older. My English is also getting older," he said.
He noted that such things as showering and turning out the lights become habits as one builds a way of life that contributes to our ecology. How we treat the environment can depend on how we treat others on a planet with six billion people, the Dalai Lama said.
"We are a social animal," he said. "Our survival is based on community."
Such survival can hinge on personal compassion, which creates inner peace and lessens fear, The Dalai Lama said.
Many of our problems are self-created, yet we are a heavily interdependent world, nation to nation and continent to continent. "Therefore, the concept of war is outdated," The Dalai Lama said.
Later, in response to a question on whether sustainability differed for rich and poor countries, the Dalai Lama bemoaned the gap between rich and poor, saying it can lead for frustration, anger and violence. "Both sides have a responsibility to reduce this gap," he said.
He said that religious leaders have the potential to help shift peoples' awareness of such issues as global warming. He noted that the Buddha was born under a tree, achieved enlightenment under a tree and died under a big tree 2,500 years ago. "I consider him one of the ancient ecologists," the Dalai Lama said.
The free Wege Lecture, sponsored by the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment, honors Peter Wege, former vice-chairman of the board at Steelcase in Grand Rapids and a champion of sustainability.
The China protesters outside Crisler carried signs with various messages urging the public to be informed about the issues facing Tibet and China as the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing approach. The conflict between native Tibetans and the ruling Chinese has become more violent in recent months, with the Chinese government blaming the Dalai Lama for the inciting the escalation. In Ann Arbor Friday, he repeated his recent statements that he hopes for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Some of the demonstrators' signs on Sunday called the Dalai Lama a liar, and overhead a plane pulled a banner that read: "Dalai Please Stop Attacking Olympic Flame."
Jing Chao of Rochester Hills said she came to show both her respect for the Tibetans and her love for her native country, China. "I personally pay my respect to the Dalai Lama, but we have to see not just what he says, but what he's done," she said.
Ling Cheng, an MBA student at U-M's Ross School of Business, came with several classmates to support the Olympics and peace. "We want to demonstrate our passion and our love for our country and our pride," she said.
Windsor resident Jian Wen said the Dalai Lama verbally supports the Beijing Olympics, but secretly orders people to destroy the torch.
Sunday morning's lecture by the Dalai Lama offered a continuation of Buddhist lessons from Saturday, but was more listener-friendly, particularly to the non-Buddhist. After a full day Saturday discussing Buddhism's Four Noble Truths mostly in his native Tibetan tongue, the Dalai Lama alternated between English and Tibetan.
He answered a few written questions and discussed some passages from the writings of Arya Nagarjuna, sometimes referred to as the "second Buddha."
The teachings were satisfying to Tom Notebaert, of Roseville, who heard the Dalai Lama when he last appeared in Ann Arbor in 1994.
"I always like to listen to what he has to say," said Notebaert, a Buddhist for about 40 years. "You always learn something new because you forget unless you read it all the time."
The Dalai Lama spoke on emptiness, the awakening mind, karma, happiness and inner strength.
"Read often, and think," he said, encouraging the crowd to take seriously the study of spiritual matters. "Then weeks, months, years ... Some improvement is bound to take place."
And that, he said, will lead to inner strength, enthusiasm and determination.
But earlier he reminded the people that head knowledge isn't everything. He recalled his mother was a very kind woman who was greater than some of the philosophers. They may have been learned persons who believed strongly in Buddhism, but he said his mother's loving kindness was better.
Referring to Nagarjuna's text, the Dalai Lama explained that excessive cherishing of one's self-interest results in bad things in the next world, but that one must cherish others as one cherishes one's own body.
He stressed the importance of altruism and friendship, noting that we are social animals and it is a pity to remain lonely. Neither money, power, nor physical strength bring about happiness in the same way friends do, he said.
At the conclusion of his morning talk, it was announced that ticket sales for the three teaching sessions had raised $561,735, and there were another $20,000 in donations. Expenses so far totaled $529,603. The Dalai Lama then presented Jewel Heart with a check for $10,000.
"It's a tremendous honor," said Jonathan Rose, co-chair of the Garrison Institute, which helped sponsor the weekend. "It's a reflection of His Holiness' respect for Gelek Rimpoche's work."
Rimpoche is the founder of Jewel Heart, the Ann Arbor Tibetan Buddhist Center mostly responsible for bringing the Dalai Lama to town. Read ArticleInspired by the Mediterranean: "Blue" is the new wave of green
Title: Inspired by the Mediterranean: "Blue" is the new wave of green
Date: April 2008
Source: Green Pages
Website:http://www.thegreenpages.com.au/index.asp?page_id=548&C=2
Jeans are considered the classic wardrobe staple with women's jeans sales in the US alone being $7.6 billion in 2005. And internationally, eco jeans, made from organic cotton, are on the rise and denim makers are keen to marry sustainability with fashion. Levi's, Just Jeans, and Nudie Jeans are among some of the popular brands that boast an organic range.
Meanwhile, the Turkish-based Mavi Jeans will introduce its organic denim collection in Australia for Summer 08. Mavi, which means 'blue', is known for its high quality, perfect-fitting, fashion forward lifestyle-oriented jeans.
For this collection, Mavi uses premium Aegean cotton that is 100% organic, Mediterranean natural in pure indigo blue hues. Organic peace stretch denim, organic authentic denim and organic share stretch denim jeans are detailed with natural color hand stitching at back pockets with a hand-stitched, hand-crafted blue eye motif. Labels are printed on natural canvas with a batik-effect and selvedges are green with green thread details. Available for women and, the styles are aged and brushed, in soft, supple comfortable shapes with silhouettes that are sexy and inspired.
The Unities Nation Environment Programme, also launched its youth campaign in France with a television spot on eco-tips for post-consumer denim care.
Visit Mavi online at www.mavi.com. or call 02 9699 2118 in Australia.
Read ArticleCongress to Chemical Industry: You’re Under Investigation
Title: Energy and Commerce Committee launches probe into chemical industry corruption of science and public health protections at EPA
Date: 2 April 2008
Source: Environmental Working Group
Website: http://www.ewg.org/node/26261
WASHINGTON - The powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee today launched a landmark investigation into the chemical industry lobby group, The American Chemistry Council (ACC). In a letter to ACC President Jack Gerard, Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak - the committee chair and its investigations chair demanded that the industry come clean about the degree to which it has been able to corrupt science at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Said Stupak in a statement accompanying the letter to the ACC, "Americans rely on sound science to ensure the safety of everyday products. If that science has been compromised by industry, then the health and safety of the public is in danger."
"EWG has collected thousands of internal chemical industry documents showing that for decades the chemical industry has worked to corrupt the scientific process and deceive the American public about the health risks of their products, even as they knowingly polluted the bodies of every person in the country with toxic chemicals," said Richard Wiles, Executive Director of EWG. "This is a landmark investigation. For the first time the public will find out exactly how the chemical industry uses their influence to corrupt government science at the expense of public health" Wiles added.
For more information go to http://www.ewg.org/node/26261
Read ArticleCDC: Americans Carry Body Burden of Toxic Sunscreen Chemical
Title: CDC: Americans Carry Body Burden of Toxic Sunscreen Chemical
Date: 25 March 2008
Source: Environmental Working Group
Website: http://www.ewg.org/node/26212
A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that 97% of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. A companion study published just one day earlier revealed that this chemical is linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Oxybenzone is also a penetration enhancer, a chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin.
Although oxybenzone is most common in sunscreen, companies also use the chemical in at least 567 other personal care products.
Environmental Working Group identified nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the U.S. that contain oxybenzone, including products by Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat (see the full list of 588 sunscreens here) as well as 172 facial moisturizers, 111 lip balms, and 81 different types of lipstick.
The Food and Drug Administration has failed miserably in its duty to protect the public from toxic chemicals like oxybenzone in personal care products. At the request of industry lobbyists, including Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who represented the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association, the agency has delayed final sunscreen safety standards for nearly 30 years. FDA issued a new draft of the standards last October under pressure from EWG, but continues to delay finalizing them at the behest of the regulated industry.
EWG research shows that 84% of 910 name-brand sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients, like oxybenzone, with significant safety concerns.
The last safety review for oxybenzone was done in the 1970s, and does not reflect a wealth of information developed since that time indicating increased toxicity concerns and widespread human exposure. A recent review in the European Union found that sufficient data were not available to assess if oxybenzone in sunscreen was safe for consumers.
Environmental Working Group again calls on FDA to review the safety of oxybenzone, given this new data on widespread contamination of the U.S. population, and to finalize its sunscreen safety standards so that consumers can be certain that sunscreen products they purchase are safe and effective.
Check out the products that contain oxybenzone at http://www.ewg.org/node/26212 and at http://skindeep.ewg.org/browse.php?containing=704372 Read Article$110b direct selling industry eyes ME
Title: $110b direct selling industry eyes ME
Date:11 March 2008
Source: Khaleej Times Online - News - BUSINESS
DUBAI - The Dh404-billion ($110 billion) global industry of multilevel marketing, or direct selling, will pry open the Middle East market through an exhibition in Dubai, which now allows people to work part-time.
"With part-time work now becoming legal in Dubai, direct selling can give many people the opportunity to earn extra income, especially women and students," said the Direct Selling Educational Institute (DSEI), in Dubai.
In a statement, DSEI said the Direct Selling Exhibition and Conference would be held on May 18-19 at Dubai's Jumeirah Beach Hotel, with Benjamin Tan, founder of the Direct Selling Association of Singapore, as one of the speakers.
It also said that DSEI was formed under the patronage of Professor Charles King, of DSEI in North America, and in tune with efforts of the Dubai government to legislate the industry.
Poorya Montaseri, founding director of DSEI, said the institute is tasked to "promote the industry, establish professionalism among direct sellers and create a regulatory framework for government approval".
Direct selling is the person-to-person sale of a consumer product or service away from a fixed retail location. This has become a major part of many economies, with annual sales in the US reaching Dh112 billion ($30.5 billion) and Dh82.3 billion ($22.4 billion) in Japan. Read ArticleNew Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Planted-Based Organic Foods
Title: New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Planted-Based Organic Foods
Date: March 2008
Source: State of Science Review
A new report from the Organic Centre provides strong evidence that organic foods are definitely more nutrient dense for the most important of 11 nutrients and often by a considerable margin. Across the 11 nutrients, organic foods contained on average 25% higher concentrations of nutrients.
The report points out that more than 40 new studies have been published since 2001.
The dramatic increase in high-quality studies in recent years has changed what the body of science shows on the nutrition of organic foods. Until a few years ago, scientists could say "We simply don't know" when asked if organic foods are, in general, more nutritious. Nutritionists and scientists who use that answer now are not current with the literature.
The confidence placed in the conclusions reached in the Organic Center's new report will be strengthened by important new studies soon to be published including the Center-funded strawberry fruit quality project carried out by a team at Washington State University.
Click Here to Read the Full Article Read ArticleCanadian Government Funds Organic Agriculture
Title: Canadian Government Funds Organic Agriculture
Date: March 2008
Source: Organic Federation of Australia
The Canadian government has given $1.3 million to the Organic Federation of Canada and Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. The government is keen to see the $1 billion industry continue its rapid expansion. $711,000 of the funding will be used by the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada to increase research and development into organic systems.
Canada is currently in the process implementing a regulatory system for the organic sector that will protect the integrity of organic products sold there.
Read ArticleThe Link Between Organic and Health: New Research Makes the Case for Organic Even Stronger
Title: The Link Between Organic and Health: New Research Makes the Case for Organic Even Stronger
Date: March 2008
Source: Organic Processor Magazine
The Organic Center provides an overview of important new scientific discoveries in 2007 that help trace the roots of food quality and safety.
Obi-Wan Kenobi triggers a sense of foreboding when he warns Luke Skywalker that he senses "...a great disturbance in ‘The Force’. Many people feel the same sense of apprehension about the American food supply. As a result, consumers are restless, and the food industry is scrambling.
Looking back on the last year alone, it’s easy to see why. From E.coli outbreaks to melamine in pet food—several watershed events triggered or reinforced today’s deepening concerns about food. Most stories portrayed government food safety agencies as a day late and dollar short and too complacent and listless.
With increased incidence of diet-related diseases along with widely read books such as Michael Pollan’s 'Omnivore’s Dilemma' and 'What to Eat' by
Marion Nestle, as well as movies like 'Super Size Me', consumers are becoming more educated about what they eat. All this has also planted a promising seed the notion that consumers can change the food system and their quality of life if they change what food they buy.
Consumer anxiety has increased demand for better information on food quality and safety at the same time science is delivering deeper insights into why and how conventional systems and technologies are eroding both. But today’s science is proving that if we can change the way we grow and process food through using organic methods, we can reestablish the true value of food as a form of nourishment and health promotion creating a pathway to higher quality foods and thus higher quality living.
Click Here to read Article Read ArticleInkJet-Printed, Flexible, Organic Solar Cells?
Title: InkJet-Printed, Flexible, Organic Solar Cells?
Date: March 5, 2008
Source: Wired Science
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/03/inkjet-printed.html
Yesterday, Konarka announced that they have demonstrated organic (made of carbon/plastic/oil based products versus silicon/inorganic products) solar cells that can be manufactured using highly efficient ink-jet printing. These solar cells do not require the clean room processes that silicon cells do and could make it easier to incorporate solar power into many useful applications.
Sounds like a green victory, but CNET reported that the organic cells are so lightweight and flexible Konarka suggested "putting its plastic on soft drink bottles in stores for advertising." While I appreciate that Konarka needs to generate a lot of "market" to turn a profit for the considerable amount invested in them, I don't think that adding plastic solar cells and screens on the outside of disposable soft drink bottle is consistent with the sustainable promise of the company and their technology.
Creating solar power collecting windows on the other hand (a previously announced Konarka product plan), now that sounds like a good idea...
Although only 5% efficient now compared to the 15-20% efficiency of traditional silicon solar cells, organic solar cells are more flexible and easier to print in colors, transparent or even in camouflage. Konarka is already developing portable, electricity generating buildings for the military.
Although not commercially available yet, Konarka is at work with a number of commercial partners and likely to be available later this year. Read ArticleOlympic Village embodies Green Olympics
Title: Olympic Village embodies Green Olympics
Date: March 5, 2008
Source: China View
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/05/content_7724269.htm
BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic Village for the Beijing Olympic Games is energy-saving and environmentally friendly, said the organizers here on Wednesday.
Liu Rong from the Beijing Guoao Investment Development Co. Ltd which was entrusted to build the Olympic Village and the National Indoor Stadium, said the 66-hektare village in north Beijing materialized the three Beijing Olympics concepts of Green Olympics, People's Olympics and Hi-tech Olympics.
"We have been pursuing the harmony between the structures and the environment," Liu said.
She said the Village, playing home to 16,000 athletes and officials during the Olympic Games and 7,000 during the Paralympics, will be operated partly through solar energy to reduce the use of electricity.
"Our resources-recycling system will make use of the waste water and solar energy to run the air-conditioners and provide hot water for the 16,000 athletes and officials during the Games time and 2,000 residents after the Games," said Liu. The Olympic Village will be modified to become residential area in 2009.
"Through the system, five million kWh of electricity will be saved each year," she said.
Domestic wastewater and rainwater are also useful in the Village.
"We set up pipes to collect rainwater and recycle domestic wastewater as supplies for places like the lake and irrigation," she said.
The Olympic Village will formally open on July 27, less than two weeks before the Aug. 8-24 Olympic Games and continue to serve the Paralympics until Sept. 20. Read ArticleAGL wins rights to build SA wind farm
Title: AGL wins rights to build SA wind farm
Date: March 5, 2008
Source: Money - Ninemsn
http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=387581
AGL Energy Ltd (AGL) says it has acquired rights to build a third wind farm in South Australia.
The new farm will be at Mount Bryan (Hallett 3), approximately 200km north of Adelaide.
Hallett 3 is expected to have a capacity of up to 90 megawatts and will be located around 15km from two other farms currently being built by AGL, the 95 megawatt Brown Hill (Hallett 1) wind farm and the 71 megawatt Hallett Hill farm (Hallett 2).
The proposed Hallett 3 wind farm is expected to comprise around 30 turbines, receiving an average wind speed of eight to nine metres/second - well above speeds at the other two sites nearby.
AGL managing director, Michael Fraser, said providing the Hallett 3 wind farm goes ahead, AGL could be operating approximately 164 wind turbines in South Australia with a combined capacity of more than 345 megawatts by 2010.
"When fully operational we anticipate that it will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 43,000 average Australian households and avoid up to 265,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year," Mr Fraser said. Read ArticleHydrogen fuel plant to use heat from solar power station
Title: Hydrogen fuel plant to use heat from solar power station
Date: February 22, 2008
Source: The Age www.theage.com.au/news
A MELBOURNE company is developing the world's first commercial plant using solar energy to make hydrogen gas a clean fuel that can run cars or generate electricity, without producing greenhouse gases.
The $60 million project, based on an Australian breakthrough, aims to achieve science's elusive quest to convert solar energy into a fuel that can be stored and used when needed.
The developer, Solar Systems, of Hawthorn, is also building the $450 million Mildura solar power station due to start generating electricity in 2010. The solar hydrogen project will be attached to the power station or to a smaller demonstration power plant being built at Bridgewater, near Bendigo.
The project is possible because of technology developed by one of the company founders, John Lasich. In 1991 he discovered a new technique to perform electrolysis, the most common way of producing hydrogen gas, by passing an electric current through water.
He says this technology is now commercially feasible because it can be wed to a solar electricity plant, taking excess heat.
Mr Lasich says the project, which has backing from federal and state governments and private investors, will initially be a demonstration plant built over seven years, which will produce the equivalent of about one megawatt of power a day, when fully commissioned.
Storing power generated by clean means such as solar or wind is regarded as the Holy Grail of renewable energy.
Electrolysis is used to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen, but present technology is quite inefficient, even using solar power. At room temperature every 100 watts of electricity produces just 60 watts of hydrogen.
Mr Lasich's technique heats the water to 1000 degrees Celsius, a temperature at which the process delivers 140 watts worth of hydrogen for every 100 watts of electricity.
The plant will work by filtering off infra-red rays from sunlight hitting the cells of the solar power station.
The hydrogen would be stored and used to produce power after dark, by converting it directly to electricity through a fuel cell or reverse electrolysis, or using it to power a generator.
Several car makers have touted hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power engines. But supply problems with hydrogen have been a deterrent. Most hydrogen gas now produced is a byproduct of petroleum.
Mr Lasich believes that hydrogen fuel can be produced for a similar price to petrol.
"If it is used in a car specially designed to run on it, its higher flame temperature means it is about 30 per cent more efficient than petrol," he says.
"This technology is a byproduct of our solar power station, we have developed it as something we can roll off the end once we get the power station up and running.
"We think that once we demonstrate it on a commercial scale, in the current climate there will be global demand." Read ArticleSony steps up green drive
Title: Sony steps up green drive
Source: www.itnews.com.au
Date: 22 Feb 2008
Sony has unveiled its long-term environmental commitment, joining 11 other international companies at the Climate Savers Summit in Tokyo to outline various green initiatives.
The organisations have signed the Tokyo Declaration aimed at tackling global warming and enacting industry-wide change.
Sony has vowed to promote a low-carbon lifestyle to consumers, and to make its carbon footprint more transparent by highlighting related reduction activities.
The company's 'Product, Process, Planet' initiative aims to highlight the measures Sony has taken to reduce the environmental impact of its products in the manufacturing process and through consumer use.
Serge Foucher, executive vice president at Sony Europe, said: "This marks the first time that Sony is addressing consumers directly across various channels to enhance the communication of meaningful environmental information.
"This should ultimately help the consumer to make the right decision when it comes to their own contribution to sustainability through their purchase."
Around 66 per cent of Sony's sales are generated by consumer electronics, and the energy efficiency of these products plays a crucial role in reducing its carbon footprint.
Sony is investing in research and development to further improve the environmental performance of its products and help minimise this impact.
The company claims to have reduced the power consumption of its LCD TVs, and is looking for further reductions through the development of OLED TV panels.
Sony has also announced a commitment to increase its use of renewable energy by 2010 and to quadruple its overall volume of renewable energy used worldwide.
The firm claims to be the biggest single-company purchaser of renewable energy in Japan, and aims to save the equivalent of 30,000 tons of CO2 in Europe by 2010.
In joining the Climate Savers Programme in 2006, Sony committed to a seven per cent absolute reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 compared to 2000 levels. Read ArticleHybrid Taxis hit the streets!
Title: Hybrid Taxis hit the streets!
Source: Green Pages Australia & Department of Premier and Cabinet
Date: 12 February 2008
Melbourne’s taxi fleet is set to go green with Premier John Brumby announcing a special one-off trial of 50 environmentally friendly hybrid taxis.
At the Toyota City in Nagoya, Japan, Mr Brumby said 50 of the 100 peak-cabs taxi licences that are granted annually in Melbourne would be made available this year for hybrid cars.
'Peak cabs' are currently licensed to operate between 3pm and 7am everyday - travelling an average 100,000 km every year, Mr Brumby said.
Each of these new 'green' taxis would emit almost two tonnes less CO2 and save on average around $5,000 worth of fuel every year.
The green taxi licences will be offered at a special rate of $1136 - instead of the $6136 per annum fee currently paid.
Mr Brumby said the Government would also introduce a new green passenger hire car fleet of hybrid vehicles in metropolitan Melbourne.
Hire car operators who choose to take up this environmentally friendly licence will be supported with a discounted one-off green licence fee of $40,000 instead of the existing $60,500 which currently applies to hire cars.
With the introduction of the new fleet people using luxury hire cars will now be able to request environmentally superior vehicles. This would mean people hiring a luxury car would have the option of cars such as a Toyota Prius or a Lexus.
People who use taxis or chauffer services to travel around cities are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly options as a way of off-setting their travel, Mr Brumby said.
With the completion of Victoria’s new 6 star Convention Centre in 2009 business visitors to our city will be able to travel to and from an environmentally built conference site in an environmentally friendly car.
At the moment Melbourne has no green cabs or hire cars and this initiative would see us compete with other states and countries which are currently trialling environmentally friendly transport options.
There are obvious benefits to the whole community and the environment if vehicles use less fuel and produce fewer greenhouse gases and this initiative will tell us if hybrid vehicles can operate viably as taxis and hire cars.
Other cities, including New York, London and more recently Sydney and Perth have already adapted similar measures in their taxi fleets with success. New York claims that its entire fleet will be green by 2012. Melbourne's fleet of 50 hybrids stands to be the largest green fleet in Australia as of date. Read ArticleCHOICE: We love our strawberries. But are there hidden dangers?
Title: We love our strawberries. But are there hidden dangers?
Date: February 2008
Source: CHOICE Magazine
We love our strawberries. They look beautiful and good ones taste delicious. But are there hidden dangers? CHOICE's latest test results suggest we should be concerned about poor pesticide practices in Australia.
In brief
* Almost all the conventionally grown strawberries in our test contained pesticide residues.
* While these chemicals are generally thought to be safe at the very low levels found, some experts are concerned that over the long term they're increasing our risk of cancer and other health problems.
Strawberries are unfortunately more likely to be contaminated with pesticides than other fresh fruit, as growers use pesticides to protect their strawberries from insect pests and fungal diseases. Without pesticides, strawberries would be more expensive because yields would be lower and there would be greater losses from them going bad before they get to the shops. (This is one reason why organic fruit costs more.) But pesticides can be applied too enthusiastically.
The last time independent test results were published in Australia (in 2003), strawberries stood out as the fruit with the highest levels of pesticide residues, though still within acceptable limits. They've been flagged in the US as of 'high concern' for pesticide contamination. When last tested in the UK, 67% of strawberries contained pesticide residues. In France a recent survey found pesticide residues above the legal limit in 20% of strawberries.
For the CHOICE test, we bought strawberries from Coles and Woolworths, as well as from several independent fruit shops, organic food specialists and organic food markets in Sydney.
Our experts assessed each punnet for the quality of the berries — taking into account ripeness and rot. Finally, a lab tested the strawberries from each grower (31 growers in total) for pesticide residues.
Why the concern?
If you're a farmer or you’ve used pesticides in your garden you’ll know from the labels that they’re dangerous chemicals that need to be used carefully.
Our national food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), has set maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides permitted in specific foods. MRLs are so small as to be measured in parts per million and they include a substantial safety margin.
Despite this, some experts argue that there’s still an element of risk even at these low levels, and especially when we’re exposed to a daily 'cocktail' of several different pesticides. Evidence is growing that pesticides could be increasing our risk of some cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and impaired cognitive development in children.
And washing doesn’t necessarily remove the pesticides from strawberries. Some pesticides are systemic (which means they penetrate right through the fruit). Others are formulated to resist being washed off by rain.
About our test
How we tested
We bought strawberries from Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and independent Sydney suburban fruit shops (three of each). We also bought some from organic food specialists and from small organic food markets (again located in different Sydney suburbs). For comparison, and to increase the number of individual growers sampled, we also bought strawberries from the Sydney Markets at Flemington.
When an outlet had strawberries produced by more than one grower we bought five punnets of each. We always chose the best-looking strawberries on offer, like any other customer would.
An expert examined each sample of strawberries and estimated the percentages of:
* Premium berries (with no obvious blemishes).
* Berries with no obvious rot.
* Completely ripe berries (100% red, with no white areas).
We then tested the strawberries from each grower for pesticide residues. Altogether we tested strawberries from 31 growers in all states (except Tasmania and South Australia) 27 of them conventional growers and four certified organic growers, who shouldn’t be using pesticides.
What we found
The test method was able to detect any of 150 different pesticides. We found the following in one or more samples:
* Boscalid
* Captan
* Carbaryl
* Chlorpyrifos
* Dimethoate
* Endosulfan-beta
* Iprodione
* Pirimicarb
* Pyrimethanil
Some of the results were particularly disturbing.
* Three of the strawberry samples contained pesticide residues at levels that exceed the maximum residue limit (MRL), or pesticides that the regulations don’t allow on strawberries.
* Another two were under the Australian limit for captan, but contained more of this fungicide than is permitted under more stringent EU regulations.
* Seventeen of the conventionally grown strawberries had residues of more than one pesticide.
* Four of these came with a cocktail of no less than four different chemicals, though all below the MRL.
* One of the four organic samples contained the fungicide pyrimethanil. However, the level was less than 1% of the MRL, so it may have been from residual environmental contamination, or sprays blown across from an adjoining property.
MRLs are very conservative. It’s highly unlikely that a few strawberries with pesticides above the MRL will do you any harm, but we know very little about the pesticide levels in other fruit and vegetables, and long-term overexposure could be of concern.
CHOICE verdict
More independent testing is needed. Right now the only independent testing for pesticide residues in food is done by some state governments, and even then the number and types of products tested are limited and some states do no testing at all.
The fresh fruit and vegetable industry has its own internal national testing program called FreshTest but the results aren’t made public.
Our results highlight the need for truly independent, comprehensive and regular testing on a national basis, as is done in the UK. CHOICE welcomes the recent decision by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) that it will be including pesticide residues in its next Australian Total Diet Survey in 2008. This is a step in the right direction, but no substitute for regular and comprehensive testing.
Children are at greater risk of pesticides than adults, because of their smaller body size. If you want to minimise your family’s exposure to pesticides, organic is the way to go. Independent testing has consistently found much lower levels of pesticide residues in organic than in conventionally grown produce.
Where to buy
If you still fancy strawberries after all that talk of pesticides, where will you find the sweetest and tastiest ones? All too often strawberries look wonderful in the shop but turn out to be bullet-hard and tasteless when you get them home, with a percentage of them usually inedible because of rot or other blemishes.
This is why we also put our strawberries to the test for edibility, checking them for blemishes, rot and ripeness.
* On average, the strawberries from independent fruit shops had the fewest blemishes, with 70% blemish-free vs 55% from the big supermarkets. The fruit from organic specialists had the least rot: only 0.7% had significant rot compared with 3% of the supermarket fruit.
* The ripest strawberries came from small suburban organic food market, with on average 80% completely ripe. This compared with only 56% from independent fruit shops and 78% for the two big supermarkets.
What to consider
There are several factors to consider when buying strawberries:
Strawberries taste best when they’re fully ripe
Unlike some fruit, such as bananas, strawberries don’t develop their full flavour unless they’re allowed to fully ripen on the vine. But often they’re transported over long distances and wouldn’t survive two or three days jolting in a truck unless they were picked under-ripe.
So under-ripe, flavourless fruit is the price we pay for having strawberries from interstate when there are no local ones available.
Shopping in Sydney, we found strawberries from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA. On average the fruit from WA stood out as being the least ripe. The strawberries from NSW growers were the ripest.
If you want flavour and sweetness, look for fully ripe fruit. There’s a trade-off, though, as ripe fruit is more likely to have blemishes. But you can cut any blemishes off a small price to pay for tasty strawberries.
Strawberries taste best when they’re fresh
Strawberries start to lose flavour as soon as they’re picked, so the longer it takes to get them from the farm to your plate, the poorer the flavour. And the flavour deteriorates faster than the strawberries themselves. They can still look perfectly OK a week after harvesting, but they don’t have much flavour left.
A punnet of strawberries usually has a sticker showing the grower’s name and the district where the strawberries were grown. You can improve your chances of getting tasty strawberries by avoiding fruit that’s travelled a long distance. Don’t necessarily expect strawberries at your local produce market to have been locally grown. You might strike it lucky, but there’s no guarantee.
At the three markets where we bought strawberries, only one stallholder had local fruit that he’d grown himself. At another Sydney market we only found strawberries grown in WA.
Some varieties taste better than others
It may not be obvious when you buy them, but strawberries come in different varieties (just as apples can be Golden Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and so on) and some varieties have a better flavour than others.
Breeding programs have recently been producing some really tasty new varieties of strawberry, but as far as the consumer’s concerned the effort’s been wasted. None of the strawberries we bought had the variety stated on the label or displayed in the store. When we asked sales staff at each of the 15 outlets where we bought strawberries, only one could tell us the variety (the market stallholder who’d grown them himself).
Occasionally you might see the variety on the small label stuck to the punnet, and there’s a space for marking the variety printed on the cardboard trays in which the punnets of strawberries are supplied to shops. But on most of the trays we saw at the Sydney Markets the grower hadn’t bothered to mark the appropriate square.
Varieties to look for:
* Rubygem from Queensland
* Camarosa (a variety originally from California)
* Millewa from Victoria Read ArticleAGRIBUSINESS NEWS: Australian organic exports to climb on the back of cloned meat
Title: AGRIBUSINESS NEWS: Australian organic exports to climb on the back of cloned meat
Date: January 23, 2008
Source: BFA Press Release
Australian organic meat exporters say their business could be bolstered by the US Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to approve the consumption of food from cloned animals and their offspring.
The decision has re-ignited a focus on organic sales of organic beef and dairy products from Australia could be boosted as consumers in the United States search for an alternative source of protein and dairy products, says Ms Dalene Brook, Business Development Manager of OBE Beef, Australia’s largest organic beef co-operative.
Australia has the largest area of certified organic land in the world (approximately 11.8million hectares certified to international standards) due to vast areas of rangelands certified for organic cattle and fat land production.
Australia has some of the highest standards of food safety and traceability in the world protecting its primary industry environment. Australia’s clean and green reputation is highly regarded and a valuable asset for exporters in markets worldwide, says Ms. Brook.
In south-west Queensland, OBE runs 70,000 certified organic cattle on 7 million certified organic hectares of land, and is well positioned to accommodate overseas markets seeking high-grade beef produced to organic standards. They are among a number of successful livestock industry groups.
Certified organic is one of the few regulatory systems already in place to guarantee accountability of source in livestock, amid rising consumer concerns that any cloned meat introduced on market will not be labelled accordingly (meat from cloned animals would be identical to a natural source and impossible to identify).
Spokesperson for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Damon Whittock says that MLA will closely monitor the attitudes of consumers and export markets but that cloned meat was not likely to enter the Australian food chain in the near future.
Cloned cattle do exist in Australia (there are less than 100), but they are incredibly expensive to produce and used for research purposes. They do not enter the food chain.
Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) will make the decisions on the safety of cloned beef and consumer attitudes will ultimately determine whether it will be accepted and hence made commercially viable, he said.
BFA spokesperson and Standards Committee Chair, Dr. Andrew Monk says cloned meat concerns are the latest in a series of proposed food modification techniques that stringent standards for certified organic production offer an alternative to. Reproductive hormones and cloning are prohibited under the Australian Organic Standard.
In a world of food increasingly tampered with in competition for the greatest slice of the agri-food market, certified organic is becoming a haven for those in search of naturally produced food,” he says.
With no planned requirement that labels identify cloned animal foods, and with the exemption of labeling of many GM foods, as well as products utilizing nanotechnology, organic logos such as the Australian Certified Organic Bud will hold even greater importance for consumers who care about where their food comes from, and how it is produced.
Dr. Monk says BFA does not reject the progressive benefits of technology but takes a precautionary approach in the interests of human health and safety, while being unrepentantly focused on Read ArticleOur tests show supermarket apples are up to 10 months old
Title: Our tests show supermarket apples are up to 10 months old
Date: January 20, 2008
Source: The Sun-Herald
Sales of organic and free range chickens have soared following a controversial Jamie Oliver television programme which showed disturbing scenes of chickens being slaughtered using battery-farming methods.
Despite the advertising that pushes fresh fruit and vegetables, independent testing shows apples have been stored for months before sale, Maxine Frith reports.
APPLES on sale in supermarkets are up to 10 months old, an investigation by The Sun-Herald has revealed.
Woolworths, which advertises itself as "the fresh food people", was the worst culprit, with the oldest products on sale.
The Sun-Herald bought samples of Granny Smiths from Woolworths, Coles and the Norton Street Grocer in Bondi Junction after learning that, within the industry, some products are nicknamed "birthday apples" because they are up to a year old by the time they hit the shelves.
All the samples were Australian-grown.
The apples are kept in cold storage under controlled conditions from the time they are picked.
But scientists said that quality and freshness was being affected because they were being kept for longer in order to satisfy consumer demand for year-round products.
Our apples were sent for testing at the independent Sydney Postharvest Laboratory, which conducts research for the fruit and vegetable industry.
Analysis showed the Woolworths samples were about 10 months old while the Norton Street and Coles products had spent 9 months in storage since being harvested.
The apples were also tested for firmness and levels of ethylene, a natural plant hormone that stimulates fruit to ripen but can also cause it to go off.
Stephen Morris, the principal research scientist who conducted the tests, said that Norton Street apples were of the best quality and Woolworths the worst.
Woolworths' apples had 75 times the ethylene levels of the fruit from Norton Street.
Dr Morris said: "Apples can be kept for six months and they will still be of very good quality.
"After nine months the quality is going to start to be affected and at 10 and 11 months you are not going to get such a good apple.
"If you want to eat fresh fruit now, don't buy apples, buy mangoes."
Dr Morris said that any apples on sale at the moment would be at least eight months old.
Woolworths chief executive Michael Luscombe said: "Apples have a very short growing and harvest season and it has always been the case that they are picked and kept in cold storage.
"The cold storage helps to slow the ripening process but of course it can't keep an apple as fresh as if it came straight off the tree so it will affect the quality.
"Customers want apples all year round. We have a big commitment to Australian farmers and 97 per cent of all our produce is from Australian producers.
"The only options other than cold storage would be to not have apples all year round or to buy from the northern hemisphere where the quality might not be as good.
"I accept that consumers might not be aware of the fact that the apples on sale are not fresh off the tree.
"It might be something that we need to do in terms of customer education, perhaps using our television adverts when we have staff members talking about what is in season to explain when they will have come from cold storage."
A spokesman for Coles said: "The technology for storing apples is now very sophisticated." Read ArticleOrganic chickens fly after Jamie Oliver's fowl deed
Title: Organic chickens fly after Jamie Oliver's fowl deed
Source: James Hall - The Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk
Date: 22 January 2008
Sales of organic and free range chickens have soared following a controversial Jamie Oliver television programme which showed disturbing scenes of chickens being slaughtered using battery-farming methods.
Waitrose, the supermarket, saw sales of organic chickens rise by 31pc in the second week of January, the week the programme aired, while free range chickens from its Select Farm range rose by 24pc. Overall poultry sales at the chain rose by 7pc over the week in question, the highest weekly sales figure of the year outside of Christmas or Easter.
Asda and J Sainsbury also reported increases in sales. "Sales of organic chickens have gone up but so have Basics, our value line," said a Sainsbury's spokeswoman.
A source close to one large supermarket said that sales of free range and organic poultry had risen eightfold since the programme aired.
The TV show, Jamie's Fowl Dinners, featured scenes showing battery-farmed chickens being slaughtered. The show attracted controversy for its content and for comments that Oliver reportedly made criticising Sainsbury's, whose ad campaign he fronts, for not sending a representative to a televised debate. Oliver later wrote an open letter to Sainsbury's staff apologising for his outburst.
Growth in sales has not been restricted to big chains. Steve Merritt, founder of S&J Organics, a Welsh company which sells organic chickens direct to customers, said that orders had risen by between 40pc and 50pc in the last week. "We have had a lot of people ringing up with orders; there has been a lot of interest. It just goes to show what a difference a television programme can make," said Mr Merritt. He added that many customers were increasingly concerned about "food miles" and were buying local.
Waitrose sold out of free range chicken thighs last week, demonstrating that people were opting for cheaper joints but upgrading to higher levels of animal welfare. Read ArticleIs the difference between organic and non-organic irrelevant?