|
This is the weblog of
Raymond Powers.
Here I will be sharing what I find of import, humor, concern, inspiration and on the transformational edge
|
A Quote:
Do your work as though it was to last a thousand years and you were to die tomorrow. --Ann Lee
|
Raymond lives in Ojai, where the time now is:
06:17AM
Unique Readers:
Primarily
Public Domain
Everything I've written here, except my copyrighted
essays, poetry, lyrics, and music is hereby placed in the public
domain. The quotes from other people's writings, and the pictures
used might or might not be copyrighted, but are considered fair
use. Thus the license here would best be described as:
Primarily Public
Domain.
Please ask permission if there is any question in
regards to public domain usage.
|
Syndication:
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.worldtrans.org/pic/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
WebLog Resources:
NCN NewsLogs
Weblogs.com
blo.gs
Technorati
Organica
DayPop
Blogdex
PopDex
Blogging Ecosystem
BlogTree
BlogStreet
BlogWise
BlogChalking
Wander-Lust
|
| Wednesday, January 11, 2006 |  |
|
|
|
11 Jan 2006 @ 07:33
The Greening of America's Campuses
January 8, 2006
The New York Times
[link]
The Greening of America's Campuses
By TIMOTHY EGAN
THE largest university in Oregon is camouflaged, its many parts spread among
the tight urban canyons of downtown Portland. But one building at Portland
State University stands out. It has a roof of grass, plants and gravel, like
a slice of the high desert on the wet side of Oregon. It is 10 stories high,
and inside, all the mechanical organs work with so little waste - pumping
water, air and electricity to the 400 residents of the dormitory and, on
lower floors, to classrooms - that it would impress even the thrifty New
Englanders who founded Portland.
If it is true, as Winston Churchill said, that "we shape our dwellings, and
afterwards our dwellings shape us," then Portland State's new residence
hall, the Broadway, may be more than environmentally virtuous. Open barely a
year, it is attracting students who say they want their campus home to be a
living laboratory, even if that means low-flow showers are part of a 24-hour
classroom. "This building is really cool, and everybody likes being a part
of it," says Micaiah Fifer, a junior who lives in the Broadway. "I
appreciate the fact that this school is trying to be environmentally
friendly. It's a reason to like the school."
The low water pressure, he admits, "gets to be a little annoying." Still,
students are lining up to take on such challenges. More than a hundred
students at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, were on the waiting
list last fall for what is being promoted as the world's largest green dorm.
Students had to write an essay stating why they wanted to live in the
building, which opened in fall 2004.
READ MORE More >
|
|
| Wednesday, January 4, 2006 | |
|
|
|
 4 Jan 2006 @ 03:16
New Balance Vegan Sneakers
January 3, 2006 06:31 AM - Kara, Newport, Rhode Island
Next time you need to replace your cross trainers, consider these from New Balance. Available for both men and women, these sneaks are made (and available) in the UK and are suitable for vegans. They can be found at Ethical Wares and come in a few different styles, depending how hardcore you are – shown here are trainers for the mid to high mileage runner.
|
|
|
|
4 Jan 2006 @ 03:10
Architecture2030.org: New Website about Sustainability
January 3, 2006 04:34 PM - Lloyd Alter, Toronto
We were perhaps less than charitable when the AIA announced its call for a 50% reduction in fossil fuel use- after all, it is primarily a group of volunteer architects working to improve their profession and the work that is produced by it. Similar initiatives are being started by others as well- Architecture2030.org is a new website started by Edward Mazria, a Santa Fe architect who wrote the Passive Solar Energy Book. He teaches, and is taking a slightly longer term approach: "in our professional architecture and planning schools, we should require the establishment of a mandatory, full-year, innovative, studio-based program which promotes creative problem-solving relevant to climate change—one which incorporates a deep understanding of the relationship between nature and design in all core courses."- most architects know very little about sustainability and you have to get'em while they're young. Great choices in case studies, good resource lists, we wish them well. More >
|
|
|
|
4 Jan 2006 @ 03:04
Press Release by: Organic World Online
Published on openPR 12-19-2005 01:13 pm - CET
(openPR) - Recently OrganicWorldOnline launched its new website,
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com, featuring services for finding articles,
resources information and news relevant to organic and organic-related
products and services via the internet.
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com is a new resource site for organic and
organic-related products and services. You'll find all the resources needed
to assist with understanding, living and enjoying an organic lifestyle.
Organic promotes and enhances ecological harmony, using materials and
products that minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic
agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the
overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end
up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with
health consequences of all living things, in particular people, from any
health disorder. By using organic products, people can protect themselves
from the toxins of pesticides.
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com will assist in the search for organic and
organic-related products and services. Whether the organic interest be in
helping to save the environment, healthy eating, home and garden, skin care
or more you will find resources and information to assist you with the
knowledge of living an organic lifestyle as well has how and where to
purchase what you desire.
OrganicWorldOnline offers quick and easy access to the resources, products
and services needed to assist you with your organic lifestyle.
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com offers resources, news and information for
organic and organic-related products and services.
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com goal is to offer fast and easy access to news,
resources and information about organic and organic-related products and
services on the internet.
About OrganicWorldOnline: OrganicWorldOnline promotes fast and easy
references and resources for organic and organic-related products and
services. OrganicWorldOnline can be contacted through its website at
www.OrganicWorldOnline.com More >
|
|
|
|
4 Jan 2006 @ 03:01
Organics Booming: 65% of Americans Tried Organic Foods in 2005
Americans Consuming More Organics than Ever: Whole Foods Survey
NOVEMBER 21, 2005 -- AUSTIN, Texas -- The number of Americans who've tried
organic foods has jumped to 65 percent in 2005, compared to 54 percent in
2003 and 2004, and a quarter of 1,000 people responding to a survey said
they're consuming organics more than they did a year ago, said Whole Foods
Market here.
According to an annual survey released on Friday by Whole Foods here, 10
percent of respondents said they consume organic foods several times per
week, up from just seven percent last year.
The 2005 Whole Foods Market Organic Trend Tracker found that Americans are
buying organic foods and beverages for a variety of reasons. The top three
are: avoidance of pesticides (70.3 percent), freshness (68.3 percent), and
health and nutrition (67.1 percent). More than half (55 percent) buy organic
to avoid genetically modified foods. Also, more than half of all respondents
agreed that organic foods and beverages are "better for my health" (52.8
percent) and better for the environment (52.4 percent).
"Organic foods continue to move into the mainstream, and more Americans are
choosing organic foods as part of a lifestyle aimed at wellness," said
Margaret Wittenberg, v.p. of communications and quality standards at Whole
Foods and a former member of the USDA's National Organic Standards Board.
"It's long been acknowledged that organic food is a better choice for the
environment, and we applaud organizations like The Organic Center who are
working to more clearly define how organics are better and more nutritious
for our bodies through long-term and meaningful scientific studies."
The survey unveiled significantly higher taste and quality ratings from
Americans who regularly consume organic foods and beverages. Fresh fruits
and vegetables remains overwhelmingly the most frequently purchased category
of organic foods at 73 percent. Produce is followed by non-dairy beverages
(32 percent), bread or baked goods (32 percent), dairy items (24.6 percent),
packaged goods such as soup or pasta (22.2 percent), meat (22.2 percent),
snack foods (22.1 percent), frozen foods (16.6 percent), prepared and
ready-to-eat meals (12.2 percent), and baby food (3.2 percent).
One quarter of respondents said they purchase organic foods at natural foods
supermarkets, while 18 percent shop for organics at farmer's markets.
The main barrier to purchasing continues to be price; almost three-quarters
(74.6 percent) of respondents said the price of organic food and beverages
is the main reason for not consuming more. Other reasons Americans are not
consuming more organics, according to the survey, include: availability
(46.1 percent) and loyalty to non-organic brands (36.7 percent).
The Whole Foods survey of 1,000 Americans, now in its fourth year, was
conducted by Equat!on Research in August 2005 and is representative of the
United States adult population.
|
|
| Tuesday, December 6, 2005 | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, December 5, 2005 | |
|
|
|
 5 Dec 2005 @ 01:18
EcoDesignz: Bamboo Furniture for a Sustainable Future
December 4, 2005 07:26 AM - Lloyd Alter, Toronto
We have been expecting this- bamboo as lumber replacement. "Due to recent technological advancements, it is now possible to convert raw bamboo culms into more conventional lumber and plywood such that it can be used to build virtually anything that traditionally has been made from wood." Ecodesignz produces tables, chairs and doors out of bamboo, using it like regular wood- there now appear to be no limitations to where and how bamboo can be used. More >
|
|
| Tuesday, November 29, 2005 | |
|
|
|
 29 Nov 2005 @ 16:54
Itronics Wins Enviro Award for Recycled Fertilizer
November 29, 2005 11:10 AM - Erin Oliver - Madison, WI
If you use synthetic fertilizers made from recycled chemical waste, are you still a TreeHugger? According to the judges for The Green Apple Environment Awards based in Northampton, UK the answer is a definite "yes." Itronics Inc., a firm that recycles used photochemicals into fertilizer products, is this year's recipient of The Green Apple's USA Gold Award. In recognizing Itronics the judges said, “More than 100 million gallons of potentially toxic photographic waste are generated by America’s laboratories, printers, copiers and X-ray machines each year. Dr. John Whitney set up Itronics not only to solve the problem but also to turn an environmental negative into a plus." Perhaps the days for non-digital image processing are numbered, but the creativity and ingenuity of projects like this will be forever valued. (The Green Apple Environment Awards is an annual, international campaign to recognize, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world. More >
|
|
| Saturday, November 26, 2005 | |
|
|
|
26 Nov 2005 @ 18:55
Demand for Organics Skyrocketing
Organic market growing, headed by fruit and veg
11/21/2005
[link]
Demand for organic foods has increased by almost 17 percent over the past year, according to a new report that reveals how Americans are increasingly turning to organic alternatives in an effort to improve their diet.
The latest survey commissioned by leading organic supermarket Whole Foods Market reveals that nearly two thirds of the nation's consumers have opted for organic goods in 2005, compared to just over half in both 2003 and 2004.
As with their European counterparts, American consumers opt for organic fruit and vegetables above any other food category, with these products purchased by 73 percent of consumers.
Non-dairy beverages and bread and baked goods come in as the next most popular categories, each purchased by 32 percent of shoppers. Dairy products come in at 25 percent, while 22 percent of consumers opt for organic meat, snack foods and packaged goods such as soup or pasta.
Other popular categories include frozen organic foods, prepared and ready-to-eat meals and baby foods.
According to the Organic Trade Association's 2004 Manufacturers' Survey,
the organic foods industry reached $10.8 billion in 2003 and has grown at an average rate of 19.5 percent per year since 1997.
Market researcher Euromonitor predicts that sales of packaged organic foods alone will be worth $8.6 billion at retail by 2009 up from 5.1 billion in
2003.
Yet despite the strong growth of the market for organic goods, price continues to be a main barrier, with almost three quarters of consumers saying that the higher prices of organic foods are what prevent them from buying more, according to the Whole Foods Market report.
Most of the participants said they opt for organic goods in order to avoid pesticides, for their freshness, for their nutritional benefits and in an effort to avoid genetically modified foods.
A majority of consumers also felt organic products were of better quality, as well as being better for the health and the environment.
"Organic foods continue to move into the mainstream, and more Americans are choosing organic foods as part of a lifestyle aimed at wellness," said Margaret Wittenberg, vice president of communications at Whole Foods
Market.
According to the survey, 40 percent of people who purchase organic foods notice the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) green organic logo and clear organic labeling on the foods and beverages they buy. More >
|
|
| Wednesday, November 23, 2005 | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, November 20, 2005 | |
|
|
|
 20 Nov 2005 @ 05:01
BitLight LightHitParade: Old CDs Put to Good Use
November 18, 2005 01:20 PM - Collin Dunn, Durham, North Carolina
Recycling CDs is not as easy as it should be, and they are definitely not landfill or incinerator-friendly, with their persistent plastic and ugly chemical characteristics. Artist Serghej Petrov has figured out a way to recycle them into art, without turning them into a disco ball or hanging collage over baby's crib. Check out his BitLight LightHitParade lamp; it has about 800 used CDs and creates a very cool ambient light source. He uses both an LED light source, which consumes only eight watts of power, and a cold cathode lamp, which is a little closer to 30 watts, but neither emit enough heat to be dangerous to the lamps artistic shell. This version stands 100 cm (a trifle over three feet), and he also has a suspended smaller version.
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2005 @ 04:55
Hewlett Packard to Remove Bromated Flame Retardant from Product Casings
November 19, 2005 02:15 PM - Jacob Gordon, Los Angeles, CA
Hewlett Packard has announced that it will remove a bromated flame retardant (BFR) from the outer case parts of all new products released after December of 2006. The specific BFR to be removed is tetrabromobisphenol A, one of a family of chemicals used in the plastic components of many electronics, as well as in fabrics and building materials. BFRs have been associated with endocrine disruption and impairment of mental skills, and have been found in women’s breast milk. Bromated flame retardants in electronics can also make e-waste more hazardous. HP announced the goal as part of its Design for the Environment initiative, which has also included the elimination of PVC from external parts, the elimination of mercury from certain products, and e-waste recycling measures.
|
|
| Friday, November 18, 2005 | |
|
|
|
 18 Nov 2005 @ 23:58
ALERT UPDATE: STOP FACTORY FARM DAIRY FEEDLOTS FROM LABELING THEIR PRODUCTS AS ORGANIC
We'd like to thank all of you who responded to our action alert two weeks ago to write or call the USDA to stop factory farm feedlots, such as those operated by Horizon and Aurora Organic, from labeling their dairy products as "organic." OCA supporters have already generated over 30,000 letters to the USDA on this issue in the past few weeks. We still have a few more days before the November 16 meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in Washington, D.C. to take action on this issue. If you haven't done so already, please tell the USDA to stop allowing this blatant violation of organic standards and inhumane treatment of dairy cows. [link]
|
|
| Friday, November 11, 2005 | |
|
|
|
11 Nov 2005 @ 00:01
Hybrid Taxis Finally Arrive in New York City
November 10, 2005 04:24 PM - Michael G. Richard, Ottawa
We've written about hybrid taxis many times (Grist Chats With Hybrid Taxi Driver, Popular Support for Hybrid Cabs in NYC & Hybrid Taxi Bill Passed by NY City Council), but now the speculation over whether they will be used in NYC is over and the first hybrid cabs have hit the streets. "New York City’s first hybrid taxis—a mini-fleet of six Ford Escape hybrids—officially entered operation today with a ceremony in midtown Manhattan where officials from government, advocacy groups and industry gathered for the send off. [...] According to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, each New York taxi averages nearly 100,000 miles of driving annually. Thus, the fuel savings for drivers and operators could reach the thousands of dollars every year, and enable hybrid taxi owners to recover the premium cost of the technology within the first year on the road."
The hybrids approved for taxi service by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission are:
* Ford Escape / Mercury Mariner Hybrid
* Toyota Highlander
* Toyota Prius
* Honda Accord
* Honda Civic
* Lexus Rx 400h
A potential addition to the list is the Toyota Camry hybrid which should come out in about a year, along with the Nissan Altima hybrid.
|
|
| Friday, November 4, 2005 | |
|
|
|
4 Nov 2005 @ 18:36
I've been here in San Francisco at the Green Business Conference all week. It's hosted by Coop America Amzing networking, visioning and good eats too. I'm here assisting my friends at Zhena's Gypsy Tea who are one of the sponsors and providing the tea service for the conference. This weekend we will also be at Green Fest, the public expo for green lving. My personal intention, greatly fulfilled, was to learn more about the feasibility of EcoSpirit, a Fair Trade gallery and folk craft store and educational center, meet potential investors, do market research, and create relationships within the Green Business community. There have been some really informative keynotes, such as Aveda, Patagonia, Organic Valley and break out sessions.
At events like this I always look forward to the synchronistic and serendipitous that occurs. I've met some composers and video production folks and we are speaking about offering services to the Green Community for their promotional campaigns. My role of course would be producing music and jingles (which I see like musical Haikus). I also offered my services to balance the heady information saturation with my cedar flute and have played several times during the conference.
Check out Coop America's website. They have been leaders for several decades in creating a healthier world. More >
|
|
|
|
4 Nov 2005 @ 07:50
This is a wonderful site I just was made aware of Tree Hugger
|
|
| Saturday, October 22, 2005 | |
|
|
|
22 Oct 2005 @ 06:25
Java becomes star in war on unfair trade
By Joyce KingFri Oct 21, 6:57 AM ET
British actor Colin Firth is best known for his deliciously arrogant role as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. But of late, he may be recognized more as the guy in an ad having buckets of coffee dumped on his head.
Firth's willingness to take on this role is intended to highlight his passionate campaign to assist Oxfam, a humanitarian agency, in helping impoverished farmers in several coffee-producing countries earn living wages. Before his coffee bath, Firth had invested in a new chain of London coffee shops named Progreso fair trade coffee bars. The operative words here are "fair trade." Those two words sent me, an ignorant American, on a guilt trip.
At the heart of the fair trade issue are products that are overproduced in crop-subsidized parts of the world, including the United States and Europe. The surplus is then dumped on other countries. This "unfair" practice undercuts prices and puts poor, indigenous farmers out of business. Other commodities that take a similar path: cotton, sugar, rice and wheat.
What Firth and Oxfam want is for the World Trade Organization, at its next meeting in Hong Kong later this year, to work out a new agriculture agreement that would end these dumping practices and open up the markets of richer nations to these poorer farmers.
Until then, change must take root on a smaller scale.
Progreso shops share their profits with poor farm workers who pick the beans in Ethiopia, Honduras and Indonesia. Progreso customers can savor a premium quality blend from co-ops in those three countries, thereby allowing the outlet to do something extraordinary - make poor farmers part owners in the venture.
The fair trade movement seems to be catching on elsewhere, too. Fair trade coffee in the United Kingdom is a hot commodity. According to Oxfam, in 2003 British consumers were credited with buying 67% more fair trade coffee in coffee shops than the year before.
After plopping down $3.90 for a Grande Non-fat Caramel Macchiato, I asked my neighborhood Starbucks manager whether the company sold fair trade products. Starbucks has been selling fair trade coffee since 2000. The manager also said Starbucks earmarks profits to build schools for these farmers' children.
Also, more than 400 other U.S. companies sell fair trade certified coffee. In fact, Dunkin' Donuts is one of the first nationally recognized American brands to sell espresso beverages exclusively made with fair trade certified coffee.
Co-ops with producers are rapidly becoming a global way for citizens to "do the right thing" by poor farmers - at least until the WTO sees fit to do the same.
Joyce King is a freelance writer in Dallas. More >
|
|
| Saturday, October 15, 2005 | |
|
|
|
15 Oct 2005 @ 19:59
African Food for Africa's Starving Is Roadblocked in Congress
The New York Times ------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 12, 2005 Poverty Memo
African Food for Africa's Starving Is Roadblocked in Congress By CELIA W. DUGGER
It seemed like a no-brainer: changing the law to allow the federal government to buy food in Africa for Africans facing starvation instead of paying enormous sums to ship it from the American heartland, halfway around the world. Not only would the food get to the hungry in weeks instead of months, the government would save money and help African farmers at the same time.
The new approach had an impeccable sponsor in Republican-dominated Washington. The Bush administration, famous for its go-it-alone style, was trying to move the United States - by far the world's biggest food donor - into the international mainstream with a proposal to take a step in just this direction. A lot of rich countries had already done so, most recently Canada
So why is this seemingly sensible, cost-effective proposal near death in Congress?
Fundamentally, because the proposal challenges the political bargain that has formed the basis for food aid over the past half century: that American generosity must be good not just for the world's hungry but also for American agriculture. That is why current law stipulates that all food aid provided by the United States Agency for International Development be grown by American farmers and mostly shipped on United States-flag vessels. More practically, however, it is because the administration's proposal has run into opposition from three interests some critics call the Iron Triangle of food aid: agribusiness, the shipping industry and charitable organizations.
Just four companies and their subsidiaries, led by Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, sold more than half the $700 million in food commodities provided through the United States Agency for International Development's food aid program in 2004, government records show. Just five shipping companies received over half the more than $300 million spent to ship that food, records show.
Members of Congress often applaud the benefits of food aid for American farmers, but that is not really how it works, as Christopher B. Barrett, a Cornell University economist and co-author of "Food Aid After Fifty
Years: Recasting its Role," noted. "It's the middlemen who enjoy most of the gains," he said, "not the farmers."
Mr. Barrett's research has established a third side to the triangle of interests with a deep stake in the status quo: nonprofit aid organizations. He and his co-author, Daniel Maxwell, a CARE official, found that at least seven of them, including Catholic Relief Services and CARE itself, depended on food aid for a quarter to half their budgets in 2001. Those groups distribute food in poor countries. But what is less well known is that they have also become grain traders, selling substantial amounts of the donated food on local markets in poor countries to generate tens of millions of dollars for their antipoverty programs. Given that at least 50 cents of each dollar's worth of food aid is spent on transport, storage and administrative costs, selling food to raise money in, say, Africa, is an exceedingly inefficient way to finance long-term development, Mr. Barrett said. Better to just give nonprofit groups the money directly.
Had the Agency for International Development had the authority to buy food in Ethiopia
He pushed within the administration for a proposal that would allow up to a quarter of his agency's food aid budget to be spent in developing
countries. President Bush approved the idea, he said, and it was included in the proposed 2006 budget introduced in February.
Ed Fox, the agency's assistant administrator for legislative and public affairs, said the issue was deliberately given a low profile. Little was to be gained from putting members of Congress in the position of choosing between agricultural constituencies and starving children, he said.
But if the proposal was little noticed by the general public, it did not escape the attention of groups representing the so-called Iron Triangle, who argued that cash used to buy food was more likely to be misused or stolen than were in-kind food donations. They maintained that the administration's proposal should not come at the expense of a program "upon which American producers, processors and shipping companies rely," as a statement from an ad hoc coalition of 17 companies and associations put it.
The Coalition for Food Aid, which represents 16 nonprofit groups, also opposed it. While supporting the idea of buying food in poor countries, said Ellen Levinson, the coalition's lobbyist, its members favored a more limited pilot program paid for only with additional appropriations, not money from the agency's core budget.
Ms. Levinson criticized the administration for failing to spell out how its plan would work, and said a carefully monitored pilot was needed to ensure that food bought in poor countries was safe and that the purchases did not drive up food prices for the poor. She also cautioned that food bought near a crisis would not necessarily be quicker to arrive, noting that the European Union has been very slow to release cash for food in some cases.
But Oxfam, which accepts no direct American food aid and is not part of the coalition, has actively supported the administration's proposal. In testimony submitted to Congress, it pointedly noted that the current system offered too many opportunities "for a variety of private interests to skim off benefits in the procurement, packaging, transportation and distribution of commodities."
And CARE, the second largest distributor of United States food aid and a member of the coalition, had a change of heart. It has now given unconditional support to food purchases in developing countries.
The food aid debate will flare again later this year as global trade talks approach, with the European Union proposing that rich countries give a growing portion of their food aid as cash. But, for now, the administration's proposal is going nowhere. Senator Mike DeWine, Republican of Ohio
But opposition remains strong. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia
DeWine's modest compromise "would break a coalition that has resulted in one of the most successful food aid programs in world history."
In Canada this year, the politics of food aid has unfolded in a starkly different way, with the leading nonprofit group, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the country's main umbrella organization of farm groups, supporting a sharp reduction of the amount of food bought in Canada. "Canadian farmers are not going to say you have to source food in Canada regardless of whether starving people are waiting for it," said the federation's president, Robert Friesen.
|
|
|
|
15 Oct 2005 @ 19:57
Bill Banning "Organic" Claims on Seafood
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tracy Fairchild
October 11, 2005 (916) 651-4008
GOV. SIGNS SPEIER BILL BANNING
“ORGANIC” CLAIMS ON SEAFOOD
SACRAMENTO—Deceptive labeling on seafood will be put to a halt in California by January now that Gov. Schwarzenegger has signed SB 730 by State Senator Jackie Speier.
There are currently no federal or state organic certification standards in place for fish and seafood. This has not stopped producers and merchants, however, from slapping labels onto fish and seafood products proclaiming them to be “organic.” “California consumers deserve to know the truth about what they are eating and I am delighted that the Governor agrees,” said Speier (D-San Mateo/San Francisco). “Labeling seafood as ‘organic’ in the absence of any state or federal certification standards is misleading, confusing and soon will be illegal,” Speier added.
Seafood and fish are being sold under the ‘organic’ label in California today, including several farmed varieties from Scotland and British Columbia where increasing numbers of so-called ‘organic’ seafood are raised. What many consumers fail to realize is that these products do not necessarily conform to the definition of organic that they have come to expect when purchasing meat and produce.
A March 2005 nationwide online survey of 1,200 U.S. adults conducted by Consumers Union found that nearly half of consumers buy organic food. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed expect fish and seafood products sold as organic to be free of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs.
Within the past year, the United States Department of Agriculture formed two aquaculture task forces to begin to develop organic standards for aquaculture but has yet to propose or finalize formal certification standards. As a result of this federal delay, "organic" seafood and fish are not required to meet any standards, have not been evaluated for toxic contaminant levels, and continue to be sold to consumers at a premium price. "Until a national organic standard is set, any organic label on seafood is meaningless. I’m thankful that the Governor signed this bill so that California can remain a leader in producing organic foods, and the integrity of the organic label is protected.” A fact sheet on SB 730 follows this release.
###
SB 730 FACT SHEET
· The USDA has yet to adopt organic certification standards for seafood and fish products, as it has for produce, meat and poultry.
· If enacted, California would become the first state in the nation to place a ban on the use of the “organic” label on all seafood and fish products sold in the state until a federal or state standard is set.
· The lack of standards has prompted some retailers, most notably Whole Foods, to discontinue the sale of so called “organic seafood” until the USDA establishes organic certification standards.
· Most “organic seafood” products currently sold in California are imported from Canada, Europe, and Southeast Asia and include farmed varieties of salmon and shrimp which researchers have shown pose a significant health risk due to the high levels of contaminants and pesticides (i.e. PCB’s, dioxins, mercury) that have been found in these products.
· Canned tuna, which is required to carry a Proposition 65 warning for mercury levels, could also be labeled as "organic" and consumers could be easily misled to believe it is safer.
· A recent nationwide online survey conducted by Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, found that nearly half of all consumers buy organic food and almost two-thirds of respondents said that they do not expect contaminants in seafood and fish that are labeled “organic.” More >
|
|
|
|
15 Oct 2005 @ 19:55
Fair Trade Coffee Leader Questions Nestlé Entry Into Market
Contact: Rodney North Equal Exchange 774 776 7398
rnorth@equalexchange.com
FAIR TRADE COFFEE PIONEER QUESTIONS NESTLé ENTRY INTO MARKET
Equal Exchange Cites Multinational's 'Credibility Gap'
West Bridgewater, MA—Equal Exchange, Inc., who began importing and marketing fairly traded coffee from small farmers in 1986, expressed grave doubts about the entry of the Nestlé Corporation into the Fair Trade system, as announced earlier today.
Equal Exchange co-founder and co-director Rink Dickinson said "Fair Trade to us means open and honest relationships with producers and with consumers. Nestlé has failed on both fronts for decades."
Nestlé S.A., the world’s largest food conglomerate, continues to be the object of an ongoing boycott over its marketing techniques of infant formula to third world mothers, as well as the target of other boycotts.
Citing the food giant's appalling track record on a number of ethical fronts over the years Dickinson added, "For generations, Nestlé has been anything but a friend to small farmers. A token gesture of this scale will only serve to mislead consumers that the company has suddenly reformed itself."
A worker-owned cooperative, Equal Exchange this year will import 100% of its 4 million pounds of high quality coffee on Fair Trade terms from small farmer cooperatives throughout the developing world. The business has for years encouraged larger companies to join them in building secure markets for marginalized farmers. However, the company believes that few farmers will in fact be helped by Nestlé's meager commitment to Fair Trade.
Equal Exchange's co-director, Rob Everts said, "We understand what it takes to commit to more equitable relationships with small coffee farmers. We have long recommended that for large corporations the Fair Trade starting point should be 5% of their total imports. Given Nestlé's dismal track record on many fronts in the developing world, they have an even steeper credibility hill to climb than most, and should in fact begin even higher than 5%. Large companies tend to subsidize their modest Fair Trade purchases by paying farmers much lower prices on the rest of their coffee imports."
Equal Exchange, a market leader in Fair Trade coffee and other foods since 1986, is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and sugar to retailers and food service establishments. Major customers include Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Hannaford supermarkets, natural food stores, consumer food cooperatives, cafés, and thousands of places of worship nationwide. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting over 30 small farmer cooperatives in 16 countries around the world. In keeping with its Fair Trade mission Equal Exchange is a worker cooperative, owned and democratically controlled by its employees.
Contact: Rodney North
774 776 7398
rnorth@equalexchange.com
50 United Drive, West Bridgewater, MA 02379 USA
www.equalexchange.com
|
|
<< Newer entries Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Older entries >> |
|
Sounding Circle - Category: Permaculture
