tag:www.naturalawakeningsnj.com,2005:/categories/community?page=19Community | Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey Page 19Healthy Living Healthy Planet2019-08-15T21:26:52-07:00urn:uuid:14cf5abb-2041-4daf-a07d-ee098bf5b0582019-08-15T21:26:52-07:002019-08-15T21:26:52-07:00Crab Crisis: Valuable Horseshoe Species Going Extinct2015-07-31 08:18:52 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he horseshoe crab, which is not really a crab, but belongs to the taxonomical class <em>Merostomata</em> among arthropods, is about to join the long list of endangered species. Their potential extinction poses a major threat to pharmaceutical, clinical and food industries seeking the secrets to the species’ survival over more than 250 million years with minimal evolution, enduring extreme temperature conditions and salinity. Individuals are able to go without eating for a year.</p>
<p>Commonly found living in warm, shallow coastal waters on the sea floor, horseshoe crabs play an important ecological role. A continuing decrease in their population will affect other species, especially shorebirds that feed on the eggs, destabilizing the food chain. Sea turtles also feed on adult horseshoe crabs.</p>
<p>Scientists worldwide want to include the invertebrate in schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1974, labeling them as an endangered species. Enforcement will include monitoring for improper uses of horseshoe crabs.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://EndangeredSpeciesInternational.org">EndangeredSpeciesInternational.org</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:6f898ec4-0e11-49d2-9fe4-6f2f36d0a2182019-08-15T21:01:25-07:002019-08-15T21:01:25-07:00Pistachio Power: The Nuttiest Biogas Around2015-07-31 08:18:51 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>urkey, one of the world’s largest producers of pistachios, has begun using tons of the shells to produce biogas (methane) as an alternative energy source instead of dumping them in landfills. The country even plans to power its first eco-city using this unconventional fuel.</p>
<p>The planned 7,900-acre metropolis is expected to house 200,000 people in Gaziantep Province. This southern region near the Syrian border is the heart of Turkey’s pistachio production, yielding more than 50 percent of the country’s nuts. “When you plan such environmentally friendly systems, you take a look at the natural resources you have,” explains Seda Muftuoglu Gulec, a Turkish green building expert. “If the region was abundant in wind power, we would use wind energy.”</p>
<p>If the project goes forward, construction will start within two years and be completed within two decades. A pilot phase will focus on a 135-acre piece of land and, if successful, expand into the entire city. It may inspire other agricultural regions to look at what they typically consider waste as an energy source.</p>
<p><br>
<em>For more information, visit <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/PistachioPoweredCity">Tinyurl.com/PistachioPoweredCity</a>.</em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:087ef218-d0ad-4de8-a964-6007d83db7c42019-08-15T21:46:45-07:002021-08-31T13:15:29-07:00Diaper Discovery: Mushrooms Grow on Disposables2015-07-31 08:18:49 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>isposable diapers are mostly indestructible, but a group of researchers led by Rosa María Espinosa Valdemar, at Mexico’s Autonomous Metropolitan University, Azcapotzalco, has found a way to degrade the soiled garments by growing mushrooms on them.</p>
<p>Disposable diapers can last for hundreds of years in landfills because they contain not only the plant-based material cellulose that mushrooms consume, but also non-biodegradable materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene and the superabsorbent gel sodium polyacrylate.</p>
<p>The scientists grew the oyster mushroom, <em>Pleurotus ostreatus</em>, on a substance made from used diapers and were able to reduce the diaper’s weight and volume by up to 80 percent. For the experiment, the researchers only used diapers containing liquid waste. They sterilized and ground up the garments; mixed them with lignin from the remains of pressed grapes, coffee or pineapple tops; covered the mixture with commercially available fungus spores; and kept it in a plastic bag for three weeks.</p>
<p>The resulting mushrooms had similar amounts of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals as in commercial yeast. They’re not intended for human consumption, but could be used as a supplement in cattle feed.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://ScienceDaily.com">ScienceDaily.com</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0da9bba2-7e56-46a5-9766-565cc316466a2019-08-15T21:33:01-07:002019-08-15T21:33:01-07:00Air Raid: Carbon Dioxide Levels Go Through the Roof2015-07-31 08:18:48 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that as of March, the global monthly average for carbon dioxide, the most prevalent heat-trapping gas, crossed a threshold of more than 400 parts per million (ppm), the highest in about 2 million years. “It’s both disturbing and daunting from the standpoint of how hard it is to slow this down,” says NOAA chief greenhouse gas scientist Pieter Tans. “Carbon dioxide isn’t just higher, it’s increasing at a record pace, 100 times faster than natural rises in the past.”</p>
<p>In pre-human times, it took about 6,000 years for carbon dioxide to rise 80 ppm, versus 61 ppm in the last 35 years, Tans says. Global carbon dioxide is now 18 percent higher than it was in 1980, when NOAA first calculated a worldwide average.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:1515dd92-ba7c-4ceb-bfdb-b23523324df12019-08-15T21:16:35-07:002021-08-31T13:11:57-07:00Fracking Fallout: Waterways, Soils and Animals Poisoned with EPA Approval2015-06-30 08:14:40 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>urface disposal of water produced by oil and gas drilling is forbidden in the Eastern U.S., but allowed in arid Western states for purposes of agricultural or wildlife propagation. The result: Millions of gallons of water laced with toxic chemicals from oil and gas drilling rigs are pumped for consumption by wildlife and livestock with approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</p>
<p>The EPA is issuing permits at nearly a dozen oil fields on or abutting the Native American Wind River Reservation, in Wyoming, for surface application of drilling wastewater without even identifying the chemicals in fluids used for hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, let alone setting effluent limits for the contaminants contained within them. Also, monitoring requirements allow water to be tested long after fracking outflow, or maintenance flushing, is completed. The EPA maintains Clean Water Act jurisdiction on tribal lands.</p>
<p>Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Executive Director Jeff Ruch states, “Gushers of putrid, grayish water encrusted with chemical crystals flood through Wind River into nearby streams.” PEER is asking the EPA to rewrite the permits to regulate all the chemicals being discharged and to determine whether the produced water is potable for wildlife and livestock.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/WastewaterFrackingUse">Tinyurl.com/WastewaterFrackingUse</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:01ec5c8a-905c-4987-b454-88f74edd9adc2019-08-15T22:11:55-07:002021-08-31T13:09:55-07:00Mushroom Magic: Fungi Clean Up Toxic Wastes2015-06-30 08:14:39 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">F</span>or waterways, soil or even radioactively contaminated areas, the powerful use of mycelium to sequester contaminants is receiving significant attention. Leading American mycologist Paul Stamets, the pioneering founder of Fungi Perfecti, has been working for years with mycore mediation, using mycelium to clean up waste sites. He holds nine patents on the antiviral, pesticidal and remediative properties of mushroom mycelia. Stamets even has an eight-step plan for cleaning up radioactive poisoning and thinks fungi could remediate radiation at the melted reactor sites in Fukushima, Japan.</p>
<p>The Ocean Blue Project (<a href="http://OceanBlueProject.org">OceanBlueProject.org</a>), based in Corvallis, Texas, uses locally grown oyster mushroom spores lodged in a coffee grounds mixture. Then they create a “bunker spawn” that’s put into a river to restore polluted aquatic habitat. As the mushrooms grow, they break down toxins and remove pollutants from the river. Mycore mediation also helps with weed control.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://Permaculture.co.uk">Permaculture.co.uk</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:70cadcd2-1be1-47fe-b995-6cd5c57ae70e2019-08-15T22:16:19-07:002021-08-31T13:11:36-07:00Protest Songs: Rocker Neil Young Celebrates Food Democracy with New Album Tour2015-06-30 08:14:39 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>egendary musician Neil Young and his new band, Promise of the Real, featuring Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson, are calling out agribusiness giant Monsanto’s practices with a new album and summer concert tour. The band’s Rebel Content tour to support their new album <em>The Monsanto Years</em> will kick off on July 5 in Milwaukee and includes Young’s first-ever concert in Vermont, in Essex Junction, on July 19, a state that passed a law requiring food companies to label products that contain genetically modified ingredients.</p>
<p>Young, a longtime critic of big agribusiness, has sharply criticized efforts by the Grocery Manufacturers Association to block the Vermont GMO labeling law. “Whatever you think of GMOs,” he maintains, “corporations should not be using massive lawsuits to overturn legitimate, democratic decisions that have strong public backing.”</p>
<p>The tour also encompasses Denver, July 8 and 9; Lincoln, Nebraska, July 11; Cincinnati, July 13; Clarkston, Michigan, July 14; Camden, New Jersey, July 16; Bethel, New York, July 17; Wantagh, New York, July 21; Great Woods, Massachusetts, July 22; and Oro-Medonte, Ontario, July 24. Other dates may be added.</p>
<p><br>
<em>For more information, visit <a href="http://NeilYoung.com">NeilYoung.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:601f8c7d-2d2c-435a-b507-5572ec7855e92019-08-15T22:01:36-07:002019-08-15T22:01:36-07:00Vermont’s Victory: Court Rules GMO Labeling Constitutional2015-06-30 08:14:36 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n April, a federal court denied a request by powerful food industry groups to block Vermont’s landmark law requiring the labeling of genetically modified foods (GMO).The plaintiffs, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association, had sought a preliminary injunction to stop implementation of Act 120, which passed in May 2014 and will take effect a year from now.</p>
<p>U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss’ ruling said that the plaintiffs failed to show that they would suffer “irreparable harm” to warrant an injunction, and that the state had established that the act’s GMO disclosure requirement is constitutional.</p>
<p>“This important ruling affirms the constitutionality of genetically engineered food labeling, as well as the rights of Vermonters and U.S. citizens across the country,” states George Kimbrell, senior attorney for the Center for Food Safety and counsel in the case.</p>
<p>The ruling came shortly after an analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that industry groups spent $63.6 million last year—triple the amount spent in 2013—to defeat GMO-labeling measures. The general consensus is the Vermont case is likely to go to trial.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:ab3ede0d-fec9-4adc-93be-e54a651852a22019-08-15T21:09:05-07:002019-08-15T21:09:06-07:00Food Democracy: By the People, for the People and Toward a Stronger Nation2015-06-30 08:14:33 -0700Melinda Hemmelgarn<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>o more fully understand the concept of democracy, we can look to some past U.S. presidents. Abraham Lincoln defined it as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Thomas Jefferson said, “An informed citizenry is at the heart of a dynamic democracy.” Harry S. Truman further recognized that “secrecy and a free, democratic government don’t mix.”</p>
<p>By extension, “food democracy” describes a fair and transparent food system in which people have informed choices and control in determining what and how they eat. It’s what happens when we view people as citizens, rather than consumers, and treat food as a human right, reports the Oakland, California-based Pesticide Action Network (PAN).</p>
<p>Kelly Moltzen, a registered dietitian in Bronx, New York, and member of the Franciscan Earth Corps, defines it as having the freedom to make choices about the integrity of our food from farm to plate, so that we can support the health and well-being of ourselves, the Earth and all organisms that inhabit the ecosystem.</p>
<h3>Food Sovereignty Feeds Independence</h3>
<p>A PAN report on food democracy describes food sovereignty as the international equivalent of the U.S. movement to re-localize control over our food and farming. It’s rooted in regenerating historically autonomous food systems with, for and by the people.</p>
<p>John Peck, Ph.D., executive director of Family Farm Defenders, in Madison, Wisconsin, explains that the term “food sovereignty” was coined about two decades ago by the globally active La Via Campesina, comprised of family farmers, farm workers, fishing folks, hunters, gatherers and indigenous communities around the world.</p>
<p>“At its most basic,” Peck says, “Food sovereignty is about reclaiming local democratic control over our food/ farm system from corporate agribusiness.” This way, “Everyone has the right to decide what is grown or raised in their community, whether animals are treated humanely, if family farmers and other food workers are paid a living wage and can collectively bargain and whether people have access to safe, healthy food—as well as the right to know what is in their food, how it is produced and where it comes from.”</p>
<p>Peck believes that if we want a cleaner environment, healthier people and more vibrant communities, “We need to be citizens that care about bringing democratic accountability, social justice and ecological integrity to all aspects of our food/farm system.”</p>
<h3>Local Food Strengthens Communities</h3>
<p>In their report, <em>Deepening Food Democracy</em>, the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), in Minneapolis, describes how U.S. food and farming has increasingly become concentrated, consolidated and controlled by the few. Local food enthusiasts want to take back their food system from industrial, corporate masters that lobby for legislation which denies citizens the right to know how their food is produced or if it contains genetically modified ingredients (GMO). The growing local food movement is as much about returning power to communities, food workers, farmers and farm workers as it is about producing and distributing healthy, sustainably grown food, reports IATP.</p>
<p>Anthony Flaccavento, an organic farmer in the Appalachian region of southwestern Virginia, has been working on national food and sustainable farming initiatives for nearly 30 years. In a recent <em>Food Sleuth Radio</em> interview, he described the resulting tremendous, multiple positive impacts of strong local economies, noting that a strong local food system is usually at their center.</p>
<p>“Once you have vibrant, diverse local economies,” says Flaccavento, “you have better health, lower crime and incarceration rates—and more civic participation.” Basically, a more democratic food system could help fix many of the maladies ailing our nation today. The steady growth of farmers’ markets, farm to school programs and food policy councils prove that Americans are hungry both for clean food and an enhanced sense of community.</p>
<p>While Flaccavento appreciates conscious consumers that support local food providers, he emphasizes, “Just acting locally isn’t enough. We need to re-engage with bigger social and political debates, as well.”</p>
<h3>Growing Vegetables and Democracy</h3>
<p>After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Jenga Mwendo knew she had to leave her high-powered job in New York City and return to her hometown in the devastated Lower Ninth Ward. “My parents raised me to contribute,” Mwendo explains. “My first name means ‘to build’ and my last name means ‘always progressing’.”</p>
<p class="pullquote">In a food democracy, everyone is a stakeholder. Not only do people have equal access to food, but they’re informed, active, engaged and participating.<br>
~Rose Hayden-Smith, author, <em>Sowing the Seeds of Victory</em>
</p>
<p>In 2009, Mwendo founded the Backyard Gardeners Network (BGN), a local nonprofit organization that restores and strengthens what had once been a thriving, closely knit, self-reliant community, rich with backyard gardens and citizen engagement. Residents went to work, recognizing the potential of community gardens to revitalize their neighborhood and bring affordable healthful food to residents, many of them suffering from obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The BGN both revitalized a community garden and converted a blighted lot into a Guerrilla Garden, where people of all ages gather to grow food, share stories, embrace their cultural heritage and learn how to become responsible citizens.</p>
<p>“We bring people together and make decisions collectively,” says Mwendo. “The garden is for our community, by our community.” Understanding the value of involving children and teens, she adds, “Kids know they will be loved here. This is a nurturing environment.”</p>
<p>Like Mwendo, Stephen Ritz, a top 10 finalist in the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize, is reaching youth through food. Based in New York City’s South Bronx, one of the country’s poorest school districts, he and his students are growing vegetables in school, thereby improving children’s diets, health, school performance and future potential. “We are contributing to food democracy by making sure every child we touch, regardless of income, zip code and skin color, faith or nation of origin, has access to fresh, healthy, nutritious food that they help grow,” says Ritz.</p>
<p>So far, his Green Bronx Machine community has raised 30,000 pounds of vegetables. “We’re growing justice,” Ritz announced in his March 2015 <em>TED Talk</em>. “My favorite crop is organically grown citizens—graduates, voters and students who are eating [better] and living healthier lives!”</p>
<h3>Kitchen Gardens Nourish the World</h3>
<p>Roger Doiron is the founder and director of Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), an online global community of some 30,000 people in 100 countries that are growing some of their own food. He spearheaded First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House Garden. Doiron’s campaign to bring a food garden back to the White House (presidents John Adams, Jefferson and Jackson all had edible gardens) began in 2008, went viral, took root and the rest is history. Today, the first lady continues to champion garden-fresh food to improve children’s health.</p>
<p>From his own 1,500-square-foot garden in Scarborough, Maine, Doiron and his wife harvested 900 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables worth $2,200 in a single season. “Talented gardeners with more generous soils and climates are able to produce even more food in less space,” he says, “but maximizing production is not our only goal. We’re also trying to maximize pleasure and health.”</p>
<p>Doiron believes, “Quality food is central to well-being and is one of the best ways to unite people of different countries and cultures around a common, positive agenda.” He’s convinced that kitchen gardens will play a critical role in feeding a growing population faced with climate challenges. On July 4, his organization celebrates Food Independence Day as a way to recognize the role of home and community gardens in achieving self-sufficiency.</p>
<h3>Saving Seeds, Saving Democracy</h3>
<p>Jim Gerritsen operates Wood Prairie Farm with his family in Bridgewater, Maine. He’s dedicated to using organic farming methods to protect the environment and food quality, provide ample harvests and foster good jobs for the next generation of young farmers.</p>
<p>As president of the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, Gerritsen led a lawsuit against Monsanto in 2011, challenging the validity of seed patents. In a <em>Food Sleuth Radio</em> interview, he explains, “Patented seeds cannot be saved and replanted. To take that right away from farmers was a terrible mistake on the part of the Supreme Court.” Seed ownership belongs to the people; our seed resource is part of our common heritage. “Genetic engineering was an invention to take away from the commons the ownership of seeds,” he continues. “Regaining control of the seed supply is one of the most pressing battles we have in agriculture.” Gerritsen encourages everyone to plant an organic garden using organic seeds and to advocate GMO labeling.</p>
<p>“Let’s let transparency reign, which is a hallmark of a democratic system,” he proclaims.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Melinda Hemmelgarn is a registered dietitian and award-winning writer and nationally syndicated radio host at <a href="http://KOPN.org">KOPN.org</a>, in Columbia, MO (<a href="mailto:FoodSleuth@gmail.com">FoodSleuth@gmail.com</a>). She advocates for organic farmers at <a href="http://Enduring-Image.blogspot.com">Enduring-Image.blogspot.com</a>.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>National Count of Farmers’ Market Directory Listings</strong></h3>
<p><img alt="Farmers' Markets Growth Chart" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574063/Farmers-Markets-Chart.jpg"></p>
<p>Nationwide tracking of farmers’ markets that listed fewer than 1,800 in 1994 now numbers nearly 8,300 20 years later.</p>
<p><em>Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture</em></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>Food Independence Resources</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Bioscience Research Project</strong> <a href="http://BioscienceResource.org">BioscienceResource.org</a><br>
<strong>Corporate Accountability International</strong> <a href="http://StopCorporateAbuse.org">StopCorporateAbuse.org</a><br>
<strong>Fair Food Network</strong> <a href="http://FairFoodNetwork.org">FairFoodNetwork.org</a><br>
<strong>Food Co-op Initiative</strong> <a href="http://FoodCoopInitiative.coop">FoodCoopInitiative.coop</a><br>
<strong>Food First</strong> <a href="http://FoodFirst.org">FoodFirst.org</a><br>
<strong>Food & Water Watch</strong> <a href="http://FoodAndWaterWatch.org">FoodAndWaterWatch.org</a><br>
<strong>Food Policy Councils</strong> <a href="http://MarkWinne.com/resource-materials">MarkWinne.com/resource-materials</a><br>
<strong>Food Sleuth Radio</strong> <a href="http://KOPN.org">KOPN.org</a><br>
<strong>Food Voices: Stories from the People Who Feed Us</strong> <a href="http://FoodVoices.org">FoodVoices.org</a><br>
<strong>Kitchen Gardeners International</strong> <a href="http://kgi.org">kgi.org</a><br>
<strong>National Family Farm Coalition</strong> <a href="http://nffc.net">nffc.net</a><br>
<strong>National Farm to School Network</strong> <a href="http://FarmToSchool.org">FarmToSchool.org</a><br>
<strong>Oxfam America “Behind the Brands”</strong> <a href="http://BehindTheBrands.org/en-us">BehindTheBrands.org/en-us</a><br>
<strong>The Seed Library Social Network</strong> <a href="http://SeedLibraries.org">SeedLibraries.org</a><br>
<strong>Seed Savers Exchange</strong> <a href="http://SeedSavers.org">SeedSavers.org</a><br>
<strong>Table of the Earth</strong> <a href="http://tableoftheearth.com/eat-local-simple-steps/">TableOfTheEarth.com/eat-local-simple-steps/</a><br>
<strong>Union of Concerned Scientists</strong> <a href="http://ucsusa.org">ucsusa.org</a></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>From Food Consumer to Food Citizen</strong></h3>
<p>Now is the time for all good men and women to become food citizens. Making the transition from being a mere consumer to community citizen requires addressing a set of questions geared to lead to food truth and justice for all.</p>
<p>• Where does my food come from?</p>
<p>• Who produced it?</p>
<p>• Under what conditions was this food grown or produced; were workers treated fairly and animals humanely?</p>
<p>• What’s in or on my food; am I eating pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, genetically modified ingredients or additives?</p>
<p>• What might be the unintended consequences of my food choices for farmers competing against big agribusiness and striving to do the right thing?</p>
<p>• How might my choices affect the environment and future generations?</p>
<p>• What local, state and national policies stand in the way of a fair and transparent food system?</p>
<p> </p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:4a829c6f-1cf3-426f-85a8-a94f4069c54b2019-08-15T21:15:57-07:002019-08-15T21:15:57-07:00GMO Gains: Food Supplies Increasingly Under Siege2015-06-30 08:14:28 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>hree hundred farmers recently took over the building and interrupted a meeting where the Brazil National Biosafety Technical Commission was deciding whether or not to introduce genetically engineered (GE/GM/GMO) transgenic eucalyptus trees into their biosphere. These activists and thousands more around the country have halted plans temporarily, but the assault continues by international corporations bent on patenting and controlling the environment itself.</p>
<p>At home, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already approved the first corporate-sponsored, patented, genetically modified tree, ArborGen’s loblolly pine. Despite outspoken public opposition, the USDA approved it with no public oversight nor assessment of the environmental risks it poses.</p>
<p>Grass-fed beef farmers, supplying an alternative that many seek to avoid GMO feed grain, now have to cope with the advent of genetically modified grass. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Monsanto’s exclusive consumer sales agent for RoundUp glyphosate weed killer, intends to conduct field trials at the homes of company employees absent government oversight, because no laws currently prohibit or limit the planting of GMO grass.</p>
<p>In February, the government approved the first genetically modified apple for commercial planting. The Arctic apple is part of a growing list of sanctioned GMO fresh produce, including papaya and sweet corn. A gene within the apple is altered so it resists browning and bruising.</p>
<p>Many people die or go blind from vitamin A deficiency, so the Gates Foundation has funded research by Australia’s Queensland University of Technology to create a vitamin-enhanced, GMO “super banana”. Testing on humans will take place in the U.S. over a six-week period and researchers aim to start growing the fruit in Uganda by 2020.</p>
<p><em>Sign concerned-citizen petitions at <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/Credo-No-GMO-Trees">Tinyurl.com/Credo-No-GMO-Trees</a> and <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/Care2-No-GMO-Grass">Tinyurl.com/Care2-No-GMO-Grass</a>.</em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:99981288-2dea-40fa-b0b6-cc4dbe78bf5b2019-08-15T21:34:55-07:002019-08-15T21:34:55-07:00Hidden Treasures: Neighbors Discover Their Wealth of Resources2015-05-29 08:12:27 -0700John McKnight and Peter Block<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he essential promise of consumerism is that everything fulfilling or needed in life can be purchased—from happiness to healing, from love to laughter and from raising a child to caring for someone at the end of life. What was once the task of relatives and neighbors has been outsourced, costing the family its capacity to manage traditionally provided necessities. The community, which once provided an extended support system, is no longer viable, replaced by paid professionals and technology.</p>
<p>Until the 20th century, the basic philosophy of rearing children was that they become effective grownups by connecting with productive adults and learning the community’s skills, traditions and customs from them. Youth had jobs to do: caring for the elderly and young, doing household chores and helping with food. When they became adults, they were thus equipped to care both for the next generation and for those that had cared for them.</p>
<p>Today, the most effective communities are those in which neighborhoods and residents have reclaimed their traditional roles. The research on this point is decisive. Where there are “thick” community connections, there is positive child development. Health improves, the environment is sustained and people are safer and have a stronger local economy.</p>
<p>We too, can decide to shift our attention toward rebuilding the functions of our family and neighborhood. We have the gifts, structures and capacities to substitute for our habit of consumption. Here’s an example of how it works.</p>
<p>Neighbors Naomi Alessio and Jackie Barton were talking about family challenges when Alessio noted her son Theron’s encouraging turnaround after he met Mr. Thompson, who had a metalworking shop in his garage. The old man invited him in and something clicked. Theron began to stop by every day, proudly bringing home metal pieces he’d learned to make. Alessio could see Theron change and finally stopped worrying about what he was doing after school.</p>
<p>Barton admitted that her son Alvin was in trouble, and asked Alessio if there might be someone in the neighborhood whose skills would interest him. They decided to ask all the men in the neighborhood about their interests and skills. In three weeks, they found men that knew about juggling, barbecuing, bookkeeping, fishing, hunting, haircutting, bowling, investigating crimes, writing poems, fixing cars, weightlifting, choral singing, teaching dogs tricks, mathematics, praying and how to play trumpet, drums and the saxophone. They discovered enough talent for all the kids in the neighborhood to tap into.</p>
<p>Three of the men they met—Charles Wilt, Mark Sutter and Sonny Reed—joined Alessio, Barton and Thompson in finding out what the kids on the block were interested in learning. Also, why not ask the kids what they knew? They found 22 things the young people knew that might be of interest to some adults on the block.</p>
<p>The six neighbors named themselves the Matchmakers and began to connect neighbors that shared the same interests, from gardening to job opportunities. They created a multiuse neighborhood website. Many neighbors formed a band, plus a choir led by Sarah Ensley, an elder who’d been singing all her life. Charles Dawes, a police officer, formed an intergenerational team to make the block a safe haven for everyone.</p>
<p>Then Lenore Manse decided to write family histories with photos and persuaded neighborhood historian Jim Caldwell and her best friend, Lannie Eaton, to help. Wilt suggested that the Matchmakers welcome newcomers by giving them a copy of the block history, and then updating it with information about each new family.</p>
<p>Three years later at the annual block party, Barton summed up the neighborhood’s accomplishment: “All the lines are broken; we’re all connected. We’re a real community now.”</p>
<p>These local connections can give the modern family what the extended family once provided: a functioning community with a strong culture of kin, friends and neighbors. A regenerated community emerges, yielding essential qualities of a satisfying life: kindness, generosity, cooperation, forgiveness and the ability to nurture families that have reclaimed their function.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Adapted from an article by John McKnight and Peter Block for </em>YES! Magazine<em> that appears in its anthology, </em>Sustainable Happiness<em>. They are co-authors of </em>The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods<em> (<a href="http://AbundantCommunity.com">AbundantCommunity.com</a>).</em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:aa76b7c5-d854-418f-8946-f9f9f00c04982019-08-15T21:31:23-07:002019-08-15T21:31:23-07:00Farm Therapy: Veterans Heal Through Agriculture2015-05-29 08:12:21 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>f the 19.6 million veterans in the United States alone, approximately 3.6 million have a service-related disability, 7.6 percent are unemployed and they collectively make up 13 percent of the adult homeless population, according to the Independent Voter Network.</p>
<p>Organizations worldwide are helping veterans heal their wounds through farming and agriculture. The goal is to create a sustainable food system by educating them to be sustainable vegetable producers, providing training and helping families rebuild war-torn lives.</p>
<p>Eat the Yard, in Dallas, Texas, was founded by Iraq War veterans James Jeffers and Steve Smith to cultivate fresh produce in community gardens. The two began organic farming in their own backyards for both therapeutic and financial reasons, and then slowly began to build more gardens in their community. They now sell their produce to local restaurants and businesses.</p>
<p>The Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) is working with veterans across the U.S. to transition them into agriculture. The coalition partners veterans with mentors experienced in farming and business, matches them with agriculture-related job opportunities and organizes equipment donations in Iowa and California. FVC is helping former members of the armed forces in 48 states.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://FoodTank.com/news/2014/11/veterans-day">FoodTank.com/news/2014/11/veterans-day</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:4c35df17-1608-4f6b-b855-525e373f8b9e2019-08-15T21:26:31-07:002019-08-15T21:26:31-07:00Lost Lands: Salinity is Eating Away Farmland Worldwide2015-05-29 08:12:20 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">E</span>very day for more than 20 years, an average of almost eight square miles of irrigated land in arid and semiarid areas across 75 countries have been degraded by salt, according to the study <em>Economics of Salt-Induced Land Degradation and Restoration</em>, by United Nations University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health.</p>
<p>Salt degradation occurs in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is too low to maintain regular percolation of rainwater through the soil and where irrigation is practiced without a natural or artificial drainage system, which triggers the accumulation of salt in the root zone, affecting soil quality and reducing productivity. In the Colorado River Basin alone, studies peg the annual economic impact of salt-induced land degradation in irrigated areas at $750 million.</p>
<p>The cost of investing in preventing and reversing land degradation and restoring it to productive land would be far lower than letting degradation continue and intensify. Methods successfully used to facilitate drainage and reverse soil degradation include tree planting, deep plowing, cultivation of salt-tolerant varieties of crops, mixing harvested plant residues into topsoil and digging a drain or deep ditch around salt-affected land.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:e450ec28-c8d5-47be-bca7-4828da69d1232019-08-15T21:06:41-07:002019-08-15T21:06:41-07:00Euro Space: Forty Percent of Hamburg Will Be Green Space2015-05-29 08:12:19 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">H</span>amburg, Germany, named Europe’s 2011 Green Capital by the European Union, is implementing an ambitious plan to create and link 27 square miles of new and existing green space, comprising 40 percent of its land area. The result will put nature within easy reach of every resident, provide connectivity for walking and bicycling to eliminate automobile traffic by 2035 and make the city more resilient to flooding caused by global warming. The metro area population currently numbers 4.3 million as Europe’s 10th-largest city.</p>
<p>Since 2000, Germany has converted 25 percent of its power grid to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. The architects of the clean energy movement <em>energiewende</em>, which translates as “energy transformation”, estimate that 80 percent to 100 percent of Germany’s electricity will come from renewable sources by 2050.</p>
<p>Angelika Fritsch, a spokeswoman for the Department of Urban Planning and the Environment, says, “The more important result may be the provision of green infrastructure to absorb rain and flood waters.” Sea levels in the port city have risen by 20 centimeters over the past 60 years and are expected to rise another 30 centimeters by 2100.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://Inhabitat.com">Inhabitat.com</a></em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:86ed5462-91df-4a18-955b-45e501e62c0d2019-08-15T21:51:14-07:002019-08-15T21:51:14-07:00Plastics Ping-Pong: China Reverses Its Recycling Policy2015-05-29 08:12:17 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">P</span>lastic items we carefully separate from the rest of the trash and put in a distinct container may have a dubious fate, according to environmental watchdog Quartz. U.S. recycling companies have largely stayed away from accepting plastic, and most of it has been shipped to China, where it can be processed more cheaply. But China has announced a new Green Fence policy (<a href="http://Tinyurl.com/ChinaGreenFence">Tinyurl.com/ChinaGreenFence</a>), prohibiting importation of much of the plastic for recycling that it once received.</p>
<p>Plastic categories #3 through #7 (shampoo bottles to butter tubs) may go into domestic landfills again until a solution is found, says David Kaplan, CEO of Maine Plastics, a post-industrial recycler.</p>
<p>China controls a large portion of the recycling market, importing about 70 percent of the world’s 500 million tons of electronic waste and 12 million tons of plastic waste each year. These Chinese policy changes will put pressure on Western countries to reconsider their reliance on this formerly cost-effective practice of exporting waste and the necessity for increasing their domestic recycling infrastructure.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>