06 April 2010

How to Fight Fire with Fire

by Eric Kaika

David and Goliath happened in the biblical era. To say that it could easily happen today, drop me line, I have a invisible money-making machine I want to sell you.

Wars are won by who has the most money, machines, technology and power. So when you go up against conglomerates and try to bring them down, you need to fight them on their level to be successful.

I care about our environment and the food I put in my body. I recycle and reuse, I pick up litter, I give smokers the evil eye (cigarette butts are the highest form of litter). I try to do my part in making this world a better place.

There's nothing that pisses me off faster than companies with total disregard for this planet, its animals and plants (sorry humans, you're not on the list). I have ill will towards companies like ConAgra, DuPont, Microsoft, Electric companies, etc.

Unfortunately no one man can go up against these companies and coerce them into dropping their bad habits and becoming a greener company. These companies care about only 1 kind of green, the US Mint.

The question remains: how can consumers, who are often struggling to make ends meet yet deeply care about the environment have such a tremendous impact on these corporate polluters and make them change their ways? My thinking: Wal-Mart.

When Wal-Mart places an order... its huge. Huge enough to make a small company become an overnight sensation. And for those big corporate bullies? Well, all Wal-Mart needs to tell them is: "Hey, our consumers want greener products that are healthy to the environment and free from animal cruelty." You can believe that those companies will heed to the request of Wal-Mart.

Consumers are the most powerful entity. We have pocked lined with cash that we want to spend, and we go to Wal-Mart to spend our money. That's why Wal-Mart is the largest retailer on this planet. Because they want us to continue to spend our money at their stores, they sell affordable products we want. It's not surprising that because so many Americans are now shifting towards organic foods, you can now find numerous of organic products at Wal-Mart.

I'm not saying we should all disband Whole Foods and other grocery chains, but if you want to take a bite out of corporate America, you need to fight them on their ground with the same amount of money and power, which is... Wal-Mart.

As for its "destruction" towards the environment, I haven't been able to find Wal-Mart on any list that states they are destructive to our green earth. Of course I haven't seen one on McDonald's either, but I know they are a huge contributor to unsanitary practices of our food industry. Why does anyone eat at McDonald's, I don't know... lack of values & principles perhaps.


reprinted with permission from Eric Kaika - Thanks Eric!

04 April 2010

Greening my laundry

For laundry, I used to use Seventh Generation's Chlorine-free detergent:


But that was way too much plastic for me, and recycling is not enough for me anymore. After becoming an avid reader of Fake Plastic Fish, I've become much more conscious of plastic. I prefer to focus on the first "r" which is reduce. I switched over to the Seventh Generation powder laundry:

Plastic free packaging. Great. However, when you open it up, there's a plastic scooper. Drats. Also, there's a lot of stuff listed in the ingredients list. I'm not too sure about that. Then I found this:


From Laundry Tree. They are shipped to your home and do not contain any plastic, and soap nuts is just dried fruit. I'm thinking about trying this next when my powder laundry runs out.

25 March 2010

Gallaudet Cafeteria becomes more Green-er



Members of Green Gallaudet environmental organization shares how the Gallaudet cafeteria has gone green-er!

18 March 2010

Book Review: Skinny Bitch

The book Skinny Bitch covers the convincing reasons in starting and maintaining the vegan lifestyle with tons of animal rights information included. Skinny Bitch has the radical tone in its prose so it may not be for the people with language sensitivity.

Read Skinny Bitch Review

Join Skinny Bitch group on Facebook

Thank you Katherine for sharing this book with EcoDeaf.

03 March 2010

Order Living Food Farm DVDs!

We, Ron & Shirley Johnson wanted to let you all know that we accomplished our first DeafNation Expo at Tampa, FL. Now we are enroute to Phoenix, Arizona for the second DeafNation Expo. If you are nearby Phoenix, stop by and see us.

We also are pleased to announce that our LFF's DVD is READY for you to watch and learn about our farming methods, about our history, and health topics! Our DVDs are only for people who use American Sign Language (ASL). It will only costs you $6.00 - you can click the link below and order today!


ORDER LIVING FOOD FARM DVD HERE


Stay warm and healthy,

Living Food Farm


To Ron and Shirley Johnson,
thank you for sharing this information with EcoDeaf!

We wish you good luck! Namaste!

10 February 2010

Reviewing Natural Cat Litter: Pros and Cons

I review four different cat litter brands: Feline Pine, Swheat Scoop, Yesterday's News and World's Best Cat Litter and discusses pros and cons for each, and I announce the winner!



In the video, I did not discuss the impact of mass producing each brand (pine, wheat, newspaper and corn) in detail. If you know more about how the company collects and processes each type of litter, please share.

Out of the four, it appears old newspapers makes the least (possibly zero?) impact, however it is known that the company, Purina, that produces Yesterday's News is owned by Nestle, one of the worst companies when it comes to the environment.

Another topic I did not discuss in my vlog: Packaging is also important. Swheat Scoop, Yesterday's News and Feline Pine usually comes in paper (with plastic inner sheath) bags, while World's Best Cat Litter comes in a 100% plastic bag. Since they are natural cat litter companies, I find it very ironic that none of them package their litter in biodegradable paper printed with alternative/natural inks to lessen their impact on earth.

Of course, the best type of litter may simply just be the outdoors. That in itself opens up another package of eco-dilemmas (e.g. impact of cats on bird/reptile/amphibian populations and the food chain).

I think the most ideal solution would be to toilet train cats. This way you cut down on the transportation and manufacturing impact of shipping the litter to the store to your home. You also save a good 5 minutes per day cleaning litter. You also save the little bags that you use to put soiled litter in. You also save your time cleaning the litter boxes out every month or so. The downside is the discussion that bacteria from cat feces can contaminate and kill sea otters!

Stepping off my box. Your thoughts?

P.s. The software I used to edit this movie is called ScreenFlow 2.0. This is my first attempt (not a very good one at that, I haven't learned how to use transitions/action video). User friendly software with plenty of possibilities! Hat tip to Matthew Malzkuhn.

09 February 2010

EarCandling ASL Vlog by Rachel

Rachel describes the process of earcandling and shares some personal stories about earcandling. Check the video out!



07 February 2010

In Honor of SuperBowl: Surprising Stats!



HOW MUCH FOOD WILL BE CONSUMED?

8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.

28 million: Pounds of potato chips consumed.

53.5 million: Pounds of avocados consumed.

222,792: Number of football fields worth of farmland to grow all that
corn, potatoes, and avocados.

11.8: Depth, in feet, of guacamole consumed if it were spread across the football field.

293,000: Number of miles of potato chips, laid end to end, consumed during the game.

1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.

325.5 million: Gallons of beer drank by Americans that day.

493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all that beer.

20%: Increase in ant-acid sales the Monday after the game.

7 million: Number of employees who will not show up to work Monday.

Are you going to work tomorrow? I am :)

06 February 2010

GROWH- A eco-lifestyle coaching firm run by a Deaf woman

http://growh.com/

While checking out Kiss-Fist, an online magazine for the signing community, I came across an article about Shanada Schwartz, a Deaf woman who has set up her own lifestyle coaching firm called "Grow Holistically". I watched her video...

This is the first and only one of its kind to provide consultations in American Sign Language via videophone. Aside from this unique feature, they can also connect you through other methods to provide continuous support as you learn about the nature of your well-being, improve your health, and grow holistically.
She grew up on "Living Food Farm", which is a organic food business operated by a Deaf family in Minnesota.

On her website, Shanada answers the question:

What is the holistic approach to health all about?
And expands on the 5 Holistic Areas:

Nutrition
Fitness
Relationship
Spiritual
Green Living

An example of her eco-advice: Green Living embraces the goodness and healthfulness of natural things and products. Doing so will help you avoid harmful chemicals and toxins that many people use for their hygiene, cleaning supplies, clothes, toys, and food. While it is impossible to avoid all toxic and chemical things, the greener your life is, the better! We offer a wealth of easy and affordable ideas for improving the quality and safety of everything you need to live with!

For some eco-consultation, contact Shanada.

04 February 2010

StillTasty?



Common Questions:
  • Is it okay to store hot soup in the fridge?
  • How to defrost fish safely?
  • How long will homemade lasagna last in the freezer?
  • How long will turmeric powder stay fresh?

"Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide
Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment"


iPhone users can download StillTasty App.

Thank you Laura for sharing this website with EcoDeaf.