November - Ban Products From China

 In these modern times it's hard to walk into a store and find a product that doesn't say Made In China (Or the fancy code name they created: P.R.C.- Peoples Republic of China). From Kitchen products to children's toys to clothing, nearly everything sold in stores have been shipped overseas and came from Chinese factories. A day in the life of one of these workers  would probably seem a nightmare to us pampered Americans. Here is an excerpt from an independent lens documentary called China Blue.

Sugar Exposed

 When we think of the word addiction, pictures of drugs and alcohol usually come up, we never suspect anything as innocent as sugar could be an addictive substance as well. According to one website, "Sugar is eight times as addictive as cocaine", while this statistic may or may not be true, it is certain that some people get really hooked on sugar. To help understand how sugar could possible be addictive, here is an excerpt of an article from livescience.

Food Coloring, A Colorful Mistake

 Bright yellow, neon orange, blood red; none of these colors would be possible without the use of synthetic food coloring. Food dye is something that will show up on food labels, but no one ever thinks "Well what could this be made out of?", but you can tell just by looking that these colors are not natural. In fact, most food dyes are derived from petroleum! There are other things that can be used though. If you ever read the back of a product and stumble across the names of three food dyes: cochineal, carmine, or carmanic acid, these dyes are made from the crushed up bodies of a female South American insect called a cochineal insect.

Not only is this absolutely disgusting to think that we could be eating crushed up insects, but it's infuriating to know that this information isn't included on the label! If this isn't enough to make you run screaming away from the very thought of synthetic food coloring, here are some more reasons to quit the colors. There have been at least three studies on the link between the consumption of food dyes and ADHD in children. Despite these studies and bans on 5 food dyes (tartrazine, yellow 6, food red 17, FD&C blue No. 2, and FD&C No. 1)  that were linked to ADHD and cancer in Europe, the FDA continues to allow foods with artificial coloring to be sold without any kind of warning! But wait it get's even worse! According to Wikipedia a food dye banned in Europe called Tartrazine or yellow #5 is allowed in organic food! Despite being a synthetic dye, tartrazine may be legally included in organic foods, because the USDA allows processed foods to be certified organic if they are 95% organic by weight.  Talk about scary! To think that those organic chips you love that are USDA certified could only be 95% organic, the other 5% could literally be anything!

Resources

• http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf 
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine
• http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp
• http://csglobe.com/europe-bans-food-dyes-due-to-adhd-cancer-links/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartrazine

October-Ban Corporate Candy

 With Halloween at the end of this month, people have already started planning for the big night. Halloween is a holiday filled with spooky decorations, costumes, and don't forget the candy! Earlier in the 20th century Halloween wasn't such a big thing, and cookies and apples were common treats (if anything was handed out at all). This quaint idea to celebrate a holiday has morphed into a corporate holiday, I mean what better way to sell so much chemical-laden candy! Three big companies own practically all the candy produced, these three corporations are Mars, Nestle, and Monelez International. Take a look at some of the candy brands that each of them own in the US and Canada.

What's Behind the Pink Ribbon?

 With October approaching, the breast cancer awareness month, everyone is getting ready to put on those pink ribbons and raise money to find the cure for breast cancer. You would never guess it, but there's something sinister lurking behind that cheerful pink ribbon. Companies who sell products with the pink ribbon on it, are mostly just trying to cash in on other's misfortune, or worse yet contribute to the cause of the disease. You have to read the fine print to find out how much these companies claim to be donating, it could sometimes even be as small as a penny! To add to the irony, cosmetic companies who sell products with the pink ribbons on them often contain ingredients that can cause cancer! (For example, cosmetic companies offer makeovers at the hospital to cancer patients  using their cancer causing products!) There's a whole hidden history behind this pink ribbon that the industry wants to hide. Here is an amazing video called Pink Ribbons, Inc. which tells the true history behind this pink ribbon. So next month instead of buying a product with a pink ribbon on it, make it your business to stop supporting the very companies who help create this awful disease, and raise awareness about the despicable pinkwashing!   

Because Babies Care...

 Who doesn't love a baby? With their soft and chubby skin and such innocents, who could not care about them? Well it turns out there are people who hate babies, these people work for corporations who sell you your baby care products! Many products you would never have suspected, are actually loaded with toxic chemicals. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bubble bath could all contain cancer causing chemicals. Just think, you could be bathing your baby in a soup of toxins! The argument of the corporations is there is such a small amount of these chemicals that it couldn't possibly harm them, plus it's only getting put on the skin! In case you didn't know, our skin is our largest organ and anything put on it can easily be soaked into the blood stream. Here are some products to be wary of.

September-Ban Unsafe Personal Care Products

 It probably has never crossed your mind what might actually be in the beauty care products that you put on your body every day such as deodorant, make-up, and even soap and shampoo. If you have thought of this you most probably pushed it away immediately, because who wants to think about safety when that new blush or perfume is calling your name? The dangers of personal care products is an issue not many people want to talk about, let alone listen too, but it is of such importance that everyone is informed about it. The sad truth  is that we pay so little attention to what's actually in these products that the companies that make them could put almost anything in them, and they do! No one wants cancer or any other horrible sickness, so how come more people aren't angry about the chemicals added to these products? Now is the time to face your fears and look this problem in the eye instead of ignoring it!

E. Coli 0157:H7

There are many strains of E. coli (Escherichia coli) most of which are harmless, but there are a few that can cause serious illness, even death! E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the more dangerous E. coli bacteria and is a mutated version of the harmless E. coli bacteria. Infection of E. coli 0157:H7 may lead to hemorrhagic diarrhea and, more rarely, kidney failure. For the most part, people who have healthy immune systems are relatively safe from this bacteria and it will leave their bodies in 5-10 days. But in some people, particularly the very young and the elderly, this infection can cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), in which red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. About 2-7% of E. coli 0157:H7 infections lead to this complication which usually ends in death. Of the children who are infected by this strain of E. coli 5% get HUS and die. Those who survive are often left with permanent disabilities, such as blindness or brain damage. This is a common contaminate found mainly in ground beef which most probably came from factory farm raised cows who were slaughtered in an unhygienic processing plant. Why are dangerous E. coli outbreaks mainly linked to factory farm raised animals? All you have to do is see how these animals are treated their whole lives, living in feedlots, wallowing in their own and others feces, and eating the remains of other animals! No wonder these animals very flesh would be unhealthy for us to eat! If living unhealthily isn't enough, at meat processing plants the animals are killed in an awful way, and handled in a completely unhygienic way. Oftentimes, the meat is infected by the stomach contents spilling onto the meat, afterwards it is simply packaged and sent off to be sold with little to no decontamination.
 Right now if you are a vegetarian (like me) you are probably heaving a sigh of relief because you don't eat that stuff anyway! Well, I have some bad news for you, E. coli 0157:H7 and other harmful strains can infect you as well! How would this be possible? Well, the feces produced by factory farm animals is usually pumped into a special "lagoon", these "lagoons" in storms will sometimes spill over and contaminate much of the land surrounding it. Also, sometimes farmers will spray the contents of the "lagoon" onto crops as a fertilizer, when in truth what they are doing is contaminating the crops with whatever diseases were in the lagoon of animal waste. Fruits and veggies will often be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 because they were either watered with contaminated water, or fertilized with factory farm "lagoon" contents. This is why it is extremely important to buy organic produce (USDA certified) and to know your farmer!
 There are many people who are trying to take on factory farms and meat processing plants on their disgusting treatment of animals both alive and dead. One woman, whose son was killed by E. coli contaminated meat, created a law called "Kevin's Law" (named after her son) which would allow the government to shut down food processing facilities that had failed multiple inspections. This law has yet to be passed because of the enormous opposition expressed by the food industry. So even though this months ban is coming to a close, I beg all of you to not go back and have fast food as often as you used to, and to not purchase any foods that could have come from a factory farm. Not only would this help our health, but the animal's as well.

Resources 

• Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escherichia_coli_O157:H7 
• http://www.factory-farming.com/infectious_organisms.html
• http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2014/O157H7-05-14/index.html
• http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/e_coli/

Factory Fresh Foods

 Ever wonder what hell would actually look like? You can get some idea by checking out a factory farm, a farm animal's hell on Earth! There are many reasons that factory farms are so horrible, namely: inhumane treatment of the animals, the uncleanliness of the whole farm, and the massive amounts of chemicals pumped into the animals to avoid diseases produced by the uncleanliness. The treatment of these animals who make up your burger or sandwich is enough to make you lose your lunch! Fast food is one of the factory farm industry's biggest costumers. There are a very few companies that actually own most of all meat production. 80% of all beef is produced by Tyson, Cargill, Swift, and National Beef. The same thing is happening for pork and chicken, pork being mostly controlled by Tyson, Cargill, Swift, and Smithfield and chicken is mostly controlled by Tyson.

Ingredients Revealed

 Ever wonder what exactly is in your Taco Bell burrito, or why your McDonald's burger will last 14 years with no signs of aging? The simple answer is chemicals, lots and lots of chemicals! Not only does fast food contain tons of sugar, salt, and fat that causes obesity, but also harmful chemicals that these companies list as "seasonings" or "preservatives".

August - Ban Fast Food

 Between trans-fats, calorie counts, and E.coli infected meats, fast food is anything but desirable. Fast food fuels minimum wage and the world's growing obesity. There have been many studies linking fast food to health problems, and many people have attempted to take a few of the fast food giants to court. So if we all know that fast food is terrible for us, why do we continue to eat the crap? The answer to that lies in the ingredients list. Many fast foods may contain addictive chemicals in their ingredients to keep you hooked on their food. Some of these ingredients include: MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), Cassein (referred to as the nicotine of fast food), and over doses of sugar, fat, and salt. Fast food companies have committed greater crimes than just addicting you to their food. Let's explore some top fast food companies' criminal record starting off with McDonald's.

A Simplicity Guide To Cleaning

 Believe it or not there is a way to keep your house sparkly clean while not only saving yourself money, but by giving the environment a break as well. In previous articles I've said how bad commercial products, such as Windex and Bleach, really are. Adding it up cleaning products can be expensive, plus they might cost you even more money in the long run! Cleaning doesn't need to be so complicated with a different product for different jobs, you only need a few basic ingredients that are nontoxic for you, the environment, and your family.

The Life Cycle of a Windex Bottle

We'll begin our journey in the factories where the plastic Windex bottles are made. PETE plastic or Polyethylene terephthalate, identified by the number one, is known to leach harmful chemicals into most any liquid if stored at a warm temperature. One chemical, DEHA (Diethylhydroxylamine), has been shown to cause liver problems, reproductive issues, and is suspected to cause cancer. PET, or PETE plastic is used for soft drink bottles, water bottles, some juice containers, sports drinks, mouthwash, ketchup, and salad dressing. It can also be found in some food jars such as peanut butter, jelly, and pickles as well as in microwavable food trays. This plastic is made in oil refineries, workers are surrounded by the toxic fumes causing serious health problems for them. The people living in the vicinity of these plants also suffer, about as much as the workers inside do.  

 This is a small video on plastic bottles by How It's Made.    

   

 After the plastic bottles are made they are shipped to one of S.C. Johnson's 70 factories, which are spread world wide. In these factories ingredients such as Water, Isopropyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, 2-Hexoxyethanol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Mirapol® Surf S-210, Videt EGM,  Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonate, Fragrance from SC Johnson Fragrance Palette, and Liquitint® Sky Blue Dye are mixed together. S.C Johnson is very secretive about how any of their products are actually made, how their factory workers are actually treated, and what is even in their products. Since S.C. Johnson is such a huge company they are the only ones talking about how their employees are treated, being a multimillion corporation, they sugar coat everything! Ammonia gas is toxic if breathed in, sometimes even fatal. It also has a corrosive effect on the skin and eyes, and being exposed to it over time can harm the respiratory system. So for the factory workers to be safe they would pretty much need to be dressed like astronauts! But since big companies are so worried about expenses, the workers are probably around these toxic chemicals with little to no protective equipment on! The fragrance added to Windex, or any S.C. Johnson company, could even be more dangerous than the ammonia! We can't be sure since they keep their fragrance ingredients proprietary.
 This is a great spoof video by Women's Voices For The Earth that really makes fun of S.C. Johnson and their "proprietary" fragrances.

 Then, after we use Windex and spray it around and breathe it in a bit, the plastic spray bottle heads right to the landfill to sit there for a thousand or so years. And though Windex claims to use 50% post consumer recycled material, that's impossible since reprocessed polythelene terephthalate loses some of it's properties when recycled so the amount of recycled content can't exceed 10%. Also the plastic used for recycling is mostly leftovers from the factory, not the bottles that you put in the recycling bin due to impurities.
 I for one don't believe that small children (or anyone) should breath this stuff in! Next time you think about spritzing any S.C. Johnson product in your home, think twice before you breathe those potential cancer causing chemicals in!

Resources 

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate
• http://www.medicinenet.com/plastic/page2.htm
• Tapped The Movie 
• https://www.scjohnson.com/en/company/locations.aspx 
• http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/en-us/products-by-brand/windex/windex-original-glass-cleaner.aspx 
• https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=health+effects+of+ammonia    

  

The Story Of Bleach

 It was a dark and stormy night in 1789, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and in a small village called Javelle located in Paris a chemist was busy at work. This chemist's name was Claude Louis Berthollet, and he was on the verge of a great scientific breakthrough! This man was favored by Napoleon, and at this moment Claude was perfecting a new form of evil. "Ha ha!" he thunders allowed, "I have done it! A poison no one will expect, and everyone will want to use it!" He throws his head back and laughs maniacally before continuing his rant. "I will now be able to sit back and enjoy myself as humans kill themselves!" As he turns around and removes his protective mask we can see that this man is no human being, but an alien! "I call this masterpiece, Chlorine bleach!"

 Alright maybe I fabricated a bit of that story, but some of it is true! Chlorine bleach (or more technically sodium hypochlorite) was invented by Claude Louis Berthollet in 1789, but he definitely was not an alien! Claude Louis Berthollet was an Italian born French chemist favored by Napoleon around the time of the French Revolution. And though chlorine bleach was invented in Javelle (Now called Javel), there is no proof that it was invented on a dark and stormy night. And no, the inventor did not mean for chlorine bleach to be a poison, but that pretty much is what it has become today!
 Many companies today sell chlorine bleach, but the ingredients aren't just chlorine and water! Let's take a look at Clorox, and the chemicals they have in their bleach.

July - Ban Unsafe Cleaning Products

 Everyone has cleaning products that they use at home, but barely anyone ever questions the safety of these products. If you've ever turned these bottles over and read the label, they don't offer much information. Often times there's nothing further than a "Keep out of reach of children" label. We all take for granted that industry and government regulators have our best interest in mind, but that couldn't be farther from the truth! Companies aren't required to disclose all there ingredients if they claim that the recipe is proprietary (which nearly all companies do). I mean who would want to use their products, if the consumers found out that the main ingredient caused cancer? They would go out of business because no one would want to buy it! But we, the consumer, continue to blindly spritz about our poison air freshener, because it smells good! It is time to take our blind fold off and realize that what we're using is poisonous garbage that only harms us and makes the corporation's wallets fatter!

The Truth Behind Commercial Food

 I think that now would be a good time to show the movie Food Inc again. For those of you who didn't watch it in March (and those of you who did), I think that right now under the subject of unsafe kitchen products it would be a good idea to watch, or re-watch, it. Click here for the movie. Remember any requests, comments, or questions please comment below.

GMO Labeling Now!

 GMOs are at best a controversial subject, and at worst enough to cause a fight. GMOs go under the subject of unsafe kitchen products, because, quite frankly, they aren't safe! The creators of GMOs have spent millions of dollars to convince us of their safety, but independent studies are proving the exact opposite.

Some Safe Choices, And Key Words to Look For

  When you walk into a store, sometimes you have to wonder what hidden ingredients are lurking in your food and how these "secret" ingredients effect your health. I've come up with a very basic list of some commonly purchased foods, some of which are considered healthy choices. I realize that I haven't done much specifying this month as to which brands are good to buy from but I plan to make up for that here. I will list a common kitchen product, key words to look for when shopping, and an explanation of why something without the key words is bad.  

Skim Dairy - A Big Fat Lie

 People who are still stuck in the mind set that less calories make you skinnier, should open their minds really wide and digest this information. First off, according to Wikipedia " Historically, skimmed milk was used for fattening pigs, and was recommended as "not only the very best supplement for growing pigs, but is of almost equal value for fattening purposes" as it "furnishes a complete protein" and makes the feed "more palatable."", if this isn't enough of a shocker further down it says "Skimmed milk contains less fat than whole milk, and as such many^[who?] nutritionists and doctors recommend it for people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight". If this isn't a paradox I don't know what is! Now some of you are thinking, But we aren't pigs, it doesn't apply to us in the same way! Well, do I have some unfortunate news for you! While it may not fatten us exactly like pigs, it does have some rather bad health repercussions. To learn the whole truth read Six Secrets You Don't Know About Skim Milk.  And for those of you who won't believe anything that's not from a "credited" source, Fox News does have a decent article on the subject.

June- Ban Unsafe Kitchen Products

 Kitchen products might seem safe, but there are hidden dangers lurking in your food as well as in the cookware you use to prepare your food with. From aluminum to bromine, your kitchen could be stock full of dangerous chemicals without you even knowing! In this article and over this month, I'll help you clean up your cookware as well as your pantry. We'll start things off with pots, pans, and utensils.

Potting Soil

When it comes to potting soil, or any bagged soil, not many people give much thought to what they're buying. Potting soil seems like a safe item that doesn't require much thought. It turns out that it contains other ingredients besides dirt, depending on what brand you buy. Main brand products, such as Miracle-Gro, are companies that cannot be trusted no matter what the label might say.

Weeds and What They Tell Us

 I have recently been asked by someone when explaining unsustainable gardening practices to them, "But without the chemicals how do you get rid of the weeds?" This is a many layered question, even if the person asking had no idea that it was. First off, perfection is an illusion. Your lawn might look good and weed free with the application of pesticides but the truth is, your lawn is dead and is only kept alive by the constant spraying of chemicals. There are other ways to keep your lawn and garden weed free, an obvious one is to 'get down and dirty' and weed by hand, or you can purchase alternatives to herbicides, such as a flame weeder. There is another, lesser known reason why weeds are so darn hard to get rid of... They're trying to get a message through to you probably about the condition of your soil.  I'll start by listing a few common families, some plants that are in that family, how to get rid of them, and what they indicate about your soil.

Biodynamics, Uniting Science and Spirituality

 Not everyone is familiar with the term biodynamics, but it is something more people should know about. Biodynamics is a growing practice created by Rudolf Steiner that unites science and spirituality into one. It is a rather complex agricultural technique, but it is well worth the extra work. Planting, harvesting, and the application of biodynamic preparations are all done in conjunction to the planets and other celestial bodies. There are biodynamic calenders that tell what can and can't be done on any day. There is a free online biodynamic calender that you can use here. There are also many biodynamic preparations that can be bought (instead of being made), to stimulate growth. They can be bought from the Josephine Porter Institute as well as other smaller businesses where you have to call them to order. (There are many other places to buy preps from in other countries, but here I'm only talking in regard to the U.S.)  

The Poison You're Spraying...

 Ever think of what might be in that pesticide you spray all over your lawn to get rid of those pesty pests? Probably not other than, This will kill all those nasty bugs! Well it turns out it will kill much more than that! Everyone loves butterflies don't they, and all those pretty birds? Well the use of toxic pesticides not only will kill the bugs you had in mind, but may eventually lead to a silent spring where it kills all up and down the food chain. After you get over that horror you might ask, but than what can I use, and what makes what I'm using so bad? 

May - Ban Unsustainable Gardening Practices

 The time of year is here when everyone starts grooming their yards and starting their vegetable gardens. Before you fall for the lure of home improvement shows, you should know that there are a few dirty little secrets these "perfect" gardens are hiding. The truth about these seemingly picture perfect yards, is that they are such a mine field of toxic chemicals it's a wonder anything is still alive! Not only are they bad for the health of the environment, but they are also bad for your health as well.

The Frankenbean

 It's alive! Mwahahahaha!! Is probably fairly accurate in describing scientists involved with genetic engineering. Now, these numb-skulls just don't learn from their mistakes, and have made yet another attempt at tampering with mother nature. This new experiment, called by some the Frankenbean, was developed at the University of Hawaii to repel pests, control ripening , and grow decaffeinated coffee beans! Genetically engineering coffee beans are not something new; back in 2003, Nara Institute of Science and Technology In Japan developed the first decaffeinated coffee trees. Then, in February 2006, corporate giant Nestle patented a genetically modified coffee tree.        

 

The Dirt On Styrofoam Cups

  Here is an interesting fact you might not have known, there is no such thing as a Styrofoam cup! The cup you always thought of as Styrofoam actually has a different name, polystyrene. Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Company, and is not used to make food products (like cups). Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene-monomer, a derivative of Benzene. Not only does polystyrene make up your coffee cup, but it also makes up 46% of Napalm-B, a jelling agent for gasoline (not Napalm, the chemical weapon). Now this might all just sound like geeky science stuff, but the basic simplification translates to: Polystyrene is not safe! And here is the reason why.  

The Truth About Coffee Flavorings

 Who doesn't love the taste of a vanilla latte or a hazelnut cappuccino? Well there are a few undesirable ingredients that could be lurking in your cup of flavored coffee. Ever heard of an ingredient called castoreum? Probably not. Well, Castoreum is an ingredient that can be found in a product under "Natural Flavors". Natural flavors is a very broad term, defined by the Code of Federal Regulations as:

 “The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

 So for the vegetarians and vegans out there, if there is the phrase "natural flavors" on a package of food (or coffee) chances are it is not meat free, or cruelty free for that matter.
 Now to get back to the ingredient castoreum, watch this video to find out what this odd sounding ingredient is. Now the scary part is that not only is castoreum commonly used in perfumes and sometimes cigarettes, but it has been used in the food industry for the past 80 years!

Commercial Coffee Shops

 I know that all of us love to get our cheap coffees at Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. I am about to break the news none of us really wants to hear; both coffee companies really suck!
We'll start things off with the truth about Starbucks.

 

April - Ban Non-Organic Coffee

 This month I have decided to take on the issue of coffee. So many people drink their much needed pick-me-up without questioning what they are even drinking. I was curious about this fact, so I did some research and was surprised at what I found. But before I even address the evils of non-certified organic coffee, don't even get me started on the waste created by all those disposable cups! Plus the reusable cups sold by both Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts are unsafe, since their lining is usually uncovered plastic which can leach into the hot drinks. 

14 Year Old Activist Rachel Parent Arguing Against GMOs on Live TV

 I only recently heard about Rachel Parent, but she has to be one of the most inspiring and awesome people I have ever heard about! She is founder of Kids Right To Know an anti GMO activist group based in Ontario Canada.
 In this video Rachel Parent takes on Kevin O'Leary on the issue of GMOs on CBC live. Rachel destroyed Kevin's arguments again and again, forcing him to jump from one argument to another.

Lowe's and The Home Depot's Seeds

 I've done a bunch of research about two common stores to buy seeds, Lowe's and The Home Depot. Though they are very large stores and have large areas for garden supply, they provide a relatively small selection of seeds. Also, the starters offered by both stores can not be trusted since the companies do not list where they bought their seeds.

Johnny's Seeds

 I have recently contacted Johnny's Seeds. I asked them if they sold Seminis seeds, and they replied that, yes, they sell Seminis and DeRuiter seed brands, but they are not genetically modified. They provided me with a list of the seed varieties that they buy from Seminis and DeRuiter, out of 600+ varieties only 25 are from those two companies. Here is a copy of the list:

Food Inc.

 This is the official trailer for the Food Inc. movie. My family owns this movie and I encourage you to watch it. I promise you, you will never see your food the same way again! To watch the full movie click here. (Not for children under 16.)

March - Ban GMO Seeds!

 I'm sure the serious gardeners among you have started thinking about what you want to do with your garden this year. As GMOs are a very big topic to cover, I have decided to focus on just one element of it. GM seeds. I will probably cover additional elements in following months.

So, what even is GMO?  

GMOs ,or Genetically Modified Organisms, are plants or animals that have had a gene from another organism spliced into their genetic makeup. At this point in time we have cabbage with scorpion venom genes, oranges with pig genes, and corn with bacteria genes. Despite claims that GM crops are drought resistant and fine for your health, there is growing evidence of the exact opposite.  

  

Fluoride Video

 Here is an amazing video by Natural News. Natural News is an independent news network giving you the truth on many different issues occurring now. If you have children I'd advise you the parent to watch this first before showing it to them.

Whole Foods

 I have been contacting many companies about their fluoride content in food. Whole Foods so far stands out as a possible source of fluoride. I am unable to give an exact copy of the emails due to legality and I have no wish of being sued. The summary of the emails is that I asked if they used fluoridated water in their processing facilities as well as a full list of farms with their contact information. I also asked for a list of their processing facilities with their locations. They claimed that the volume of the requests were too great to answer. I emailed again telling them that their unwillingness to answer my questions show that they're hiding something. They finally revealed to me they have no rules regarding the use of fluoridated water in production of their products, but they are unable to share any vendor names or contact information. Obviously I am dissatisfied with this answer and frustrated that this large company is not required to disclose information about their food to us the consumers.

Products Containing High Levels Of Fluoride

 Here are two reports for you: one from 1998 and one from today. These were written by educated people and you can trust these numbers. Click here for the report from 1998 of all foods and beverages that contain fluoride and which we are exposed to everyday. For the most current list press here. I recommend you look at both links and compare the numbers. I'm sure you're wondering how to cut down on your fluoride intake when fluoride is in so many things. My advice to you is to follow Fluoride Action Network's Store Guide: 7 Ways To Avoid Fluoride In Beverages And Food.   

February - Ban Fluoride

 Alright, everyone. Right now would be a good time to take a deep breath and maybe sit down, this article may be extremely shocking to a lot of you. I admit I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but this is a major issue that I'm surprised I didn't give more thought to before.

The Life Cycle Of A Plastic Water Bottle

Tapped the Trailer

This is the trailer for Tapped The Movie taken off of YouTube. My family owns this film and to view the full movie I encourage you to buy it, it's worth the money spent!

January - Ban Bottled Water

This January say no to bottled water! 

Why ban bottled water? 

1. Because plastic water bottles actually have very dangerous chemicals in it, like BPA. It's scientifically proven that when water sits in these bottles some of those chemicals leach into our water! Chemical water anyone? 

2. Big corporations such as Nestle and Pepsi Cola own all of the commercially sold water brands such as Poland Spring, Dasani, and Aquafina to just name a few. 

3. The water in these handy bottles isn't as "pure" as they make it out to be, in fact one third of bottled water actually comes from the tap! 

4. 90% of water in the U.S. is fit to drink, so why are bottled water companies charging 2,000 times more for something we can get from our own sinks virtually for free?! 

Another helpful tip, don't freeze your water bottles! It releases toxins into your water poisoning us all the faster!

This New Year...

 Happy new year everyone! To get 2014 off to great start I am having a monthly product protest, every month I'm going to list one item or type of item that is banned (meaning no buying, you can use it if you have it but no buying any other.) for one month. The monthly banned product can be anything from cleaning products to a specific brand of clothing depending on what the most pressing current issues are. What might the reason be behind this overwhelming idea?