How does the after-world connect to the green world? Why pollute when you are dead? Christina Orban-La Salle, Director of Programs, Tours and Visitor Services at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, famous for the tale of the Headless Horseman, is my guest this week, and we talk about a new trend for interment, “green” burials. Most common burials are harmful to the environment, as embalming fluids are toxic, and cement vaults and caskets are not earth friendly. There is now a movement to leave a better legacy by choosing a more natural burial, which is in tune with the harmony of the cycles of life, and is more spiritual, meaningful, and ecologically regenerative. It is a topic that most people shy away from, but it is important to integrate conservation and death care, in order to restore the natural earth. For more information about Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and the River view Natural Burial Ground, go to sleepyhollowcemetery.org
Category: Earth
The Green Stream: Beware of US Food Politics
The need is greater than ever to be involved in the growing sustainability and food movement. The threats that our agriculture industry pose on climate change and human survival are blatantly obvious at this point, yet it seems that many US politicians have forsaken their duty as representatives of the common good of America while instead succumbing to the pressures of politics and corporate interest. For the sake of being concise, I won’t get into the details of the destruction that Monsanto Company and similar operations are causing to humanity and to nature. For a summary of these details, click here.
Today, I am focusing more on the dilemma of Michael R. Taylor slithering his way from atop multiple powerful positions working for Monsanto Company to holding America’s health in the palm of his hand as head honcho of the FDA. And last but not least, I hope to begin to show you all how gravely this affects us all.
To start off I want to ask a question. When did it become acceptable in this country to let someone switch so freely between the position of corporate lobbyist/lawyer and policy maker in the same field? That is what FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food and Veterinary Medicine Michael R.Taylor did. Also, do me a quick favor and google the relationship he has had with King & Spalding, a law firm that has a history of representing Monsanto. This, my friends has been called by Marion Nestle, who wrote Food Politics, “a classic example of the revolving door.”
There are those who argue for Taylor’s innocence however. Bill Marler who wrote Mike Taylor and the Myth of the Monsanto Man, claims that after knowing of him (not directly knowing him) for nearly 20 years, he is convinced Taylor is non-partial to Monsanto. Taylor himself is quoted in the article saying, “The government has clear rules about what a person can and cannot work on under those circumstances (potential partiality to an industry),” Marler then establishes his line that Taylor “follows those rules very carefully.” Marler continues to explain that when Taylor held the Deputy Commissioner for Policy (FDA) in the mid-’90s, the FDA Ethics Counsel said that he could work on general policy matters, such as policies for food labeling, but that he was precluded from any involvement in specific product approvals of interest to Monsanto. HOLD ON!
Seeing as one of the biggest US food policy issues right now is the requirement of food companies to label GMO foods, this seems like an issue that former Monsanto lawyer and VP of public policy at the largest GMO company in the world should not be engaging in! American health is at stake!
Also, according to PF Louis in his article Biotech industry at war over GMOs; millions of dollars funneled to lawmakers, “Monsanto Mike (Taylor) was able to influence the approval of rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), which forces cows to yield more milk while causing infections that require antibiotics. So many milk and other dairy products became contaminated with the synthetic hormone rBGH, antibiotics, and infected cow blood and puss.” If you are unaware of the futility that over antibiotic use in factory farms is causing modern medicine please check out some of these links. I encourage you to explore the topic in more detail.
Long story short, America’s reckless agricultural techniques and lack of quality governmental oversight has created a situation in which Americans are falsely assured by their own government about the safety of their food. It is a situation that still has its solutions though. What we need is mass education which will contribute to a snowballing in consumer awareness about the importance of the local and sustainable food movement. It has started to take hold around the world but with EVERONE’S help, we will begin to change. Their have been sparks of change so far, but we need to keep the passion strong to get the fire roaring. As we eat locally and buy from small farms, food becomes much healthier, less mysterious, and more tasty. While food transportation costs and emissions are reduced, air becomes cleaner in cities and communities become stronger through community farms and other CSA projects. If you take away one thing from this blog, let it be to buy food that comes from within 100 miles of where you live!
I want to end this Green Stream blog with a note of optimism, because although there are many problems with our current food regulatory system and agricultural sector, there is much we all can do.
Buy local and Stay Green!
Find out more info about eating clean and stayed tuned for The Many Shades of Green’s interview with Ashley Spivak from Clean Plates!
#1442: Annie Hauck-Lawson, Founder of Mompost
My guest this week is Annie Hauck-Lawson, author, nutritionist, master composter and the current Greening Director at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. Annie co-edited the book Gastropolis: Food and New York City, and founded Brooklyn Mompost. She created the term “Food Voice,” and her recollections of her upbringing in Brooklyn, foraging for edibles in Prospect Park, fishing off the Brooklyn Coast, and starting one of the first Natural Food pushcarts in Brooklyn gives us great insight into her upbringing, which shaped her vision of the importance and connection we all have to food and nature. To get more information go to www.brooklynmompost.com
1435: Peter Olmsted; Vote Solar
The sun is free, the sun is strong, the sun can power the planet. Join me and my guest Peter Olmsted, Solar Policy Advocate for Vote Solar, as we discuss how grassroot campaigns and communities can bring solar to the people. Peter works to promote energy independence and reduce the effects of climate change by making solar a mainstream energy source across the US. New York is quickly becoming a lead solar state via the NY Sun Initiative. Tomorrow may rain, but we’ll follow the sun. For more info on Vote Solar initiatives and how you can help solarize your community, go to votesolar.org
1419: Mike Bond, The Last Savanna
Mike Bond, author of The Last Savanna, is my guest this week. The book is based on many of his personal experiences in Africa. Mike is working to raise awareness of the very real possibility that our grandchildren will never share the earth with a living elephant. Poachers in Africa and Asia are killing these majestic and emotional creatures in vast numbers, and they are on the brink of extinction. Mike is working to stop this madness. His role as a journalist, environmental activist, and human rights advocate has taken him all over the world, where he has witnessed the toll of poaching on both wildlife and humans. He is also working to bring awareness to the plight of wolves in North America. We will no longer be dancing with wolves, if the current policies in the US continue to permit the shooting of these amazing animals. You can get more information by going to www.mikebondbooks.com to find out how you can help save paradise.
1418: June Stoyer, The Organic View
My guest this week is June Stoyer, radio host of The Organic View and bee advocate. Our discussion focuses on why bees are dying by the millions. One of the major culprits in this horrific scenario is the chemical neonicotinoids, a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. It is used to as a pesticide to kill insects on crops, and the residue is entering nectar and pollen which is fatal to bees. Neonicotinoids are present in the nursery plants you buy, so you must be very prudent in picking plants that are organically grown.
Organic produce is the way to go. In addition, we discuss another alarming practice called “Canned or Trophy Hunting,” which is decimating the Big Cat population in Africa. On a brighter note, June is a master composter and volunteers her time to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, a most beautiful and sustainable place. For more info go to www.theorganicview.com
#1409: Leon Kolankiewicz
Immigration and over population are topics that intertwine, and are somewhat under the radar. Those two issues will have long lasting negative effects on our natural resources and carbon emissions. Join me and my guest Leon Kolankiewicz. environmental scientist, natural resources planner, and author, as we discuss those topics. We also talk about the greening of the current generation of millennials, and what their thoughts are about issues of sustainability. Will they save the planet? Tune in to find out. For more information, visit the Population Media Center www.populationmedia.org or The Population Institute at www.populationinstitute.or
#1401: Brooklyn Grange Farm
Learn what you can grow Up On The Roof, as Bradley Fleming, Farm Manager at Brooklyn Grange Farm explains how urban agriculture is taking hold on a tall building near you. Find out what grows best on a city roof, and how it helps both the environment and adds to the sustainability of NYC. Go to www.brooklyngrangefarm.com for more info.
#1404: Emellie O’Brien, Founder of Earth Angel
Meet Emellie O’Brien, founder of Earth Angel, a company that provides sustainability management of film and TV productions. Emellie is a pioneer in this burgeoning field, as she coaxes everyone on the set, from directors to grips, to be more eco-conscious. She has worked on the films Noah and The Amazing Spiderman 2, as well as the hit HBO show Girls. To find out more about Earth Angel visit www.earthangelnyc.com
#1343: Dr. Susan Rubin, on Tar Sands and the Keystone Pipeline
Oh, CANADUH! What’s gloopy, leaky,toxic and endangers trees, birds, humans, water, land and air? Answer: Tar Sands and the Keystone Pipeline. Dr. Susan Rubin explains why this pipeline, which runs from Alberta, Canada through the mid section of the US, ending in the refineries of Texas on the Gulf Coast, is an environmental disaster in the making. It encroaches on Native American lands, runs through the Ogallala aquifer, which is a major water supply to millions of people, and has already leaked into the Kalamazoo River, and caused damage to homes in Mayflower, AK and Colorado. DIL BIT might sound like a cartoon name, but what it is made of is no laughing matter. Tune in to find out what you can do to raise your voice to stop the Keystone project. For more information go to www.nokxl.org
#1343: Dr. Susan Rubin, on Tar Sands and the Keystone Pipeline
#1405: Adele Stan, RH Reality Check Reporter
Our guest this week is Adele Stan, Washington Bureau chief for RH Reality Check. She is an author and investigative reporter who covers reproductive rights, the modern feminist movement, as well as voters rights, environmental topics and issues of overpopulation. Find out why “things don’t go better with Koch”, and how Citizens United has wreaked havoc on the foundation of our political system. To find out more go to www.rhrealitycheck.org/
#1350: Rick Ulfik, We, The World
Rick Ulfik, founder of We, The World, and friend of the show, gives us insight into all the great work We.net is doing to promote peace and sustainability throughout the world. There are numerous programs that promote peace, sustainability and humanity, as the world needs to move away from the me, me, me mentality, to the WE mentality. Sustainable Earth 2020, 11 Days of Global Unity, 11 Ways to Change the World are just some of the initiatives that promote a better society. Jane Goodall, Nobel Prize Laureate Rev Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra and many others, are on the Board of We, The World, and they know that compassion and working together leads to environmental stewardship, sustainability, and transformation of communities. Go to www.We.net and/or www.wetheworld.org to get involved.