Eco-Movie: Earthlings

Synopsis:

"EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. Initially ignored by distributors, today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”

The film Earthlings contains
images of graphic violence to animals.
Viewer discretion is advised.

Source:
www. Earthlings.com

Thank you Katherine, an Ecodeaf member, for recommending the film.

Creating Art and being Eco-Friendly

As I have integrated eco-living into my life, I have faced an interesting dilemma in how to be earth-friendly as I create art.

I recently created New Year's cards, something that I have never done before, and I felt inclined to do so because I was trying out a new art technique. Of course, I wanted to share these cards with friends and I opted to do it the old-fashioned way to revive the lost art of letter writing. I sent them out via snail mail.

To compensate for creating carbon footprints by having them copied and sent out, I had them copied on 100% recycled paper. I did not feel satisfied with how I was trying to offset my footprint, but they went out in the mail nevertheless. I hope when recipients were ready to discard their card (I'd be flattered if they wanted to keep them tacked to the fridge), it went into their recycle bin or is shredded and put in the compost bin.

I've questioned myself about how an artist can be "green" without sacrificing quality, or paying lots of money. I deal with that question as I work with oil paint, turpentine, and other art materials laced with ingredients impossible to spell.

Do I switch to art materials created with natural ingredients? What may be the best way to dispose of them or to switch over to natural ingredients without losing quality? Over the next couple of months, I will try to find out more about this and how I can feel content both with what I create, and how I dispose of waste products, and I will post what I find.

If any of you have insight on this - feel free to share!

Volunteer Registration is Open for the 2009 DC Green Festival!

Washington, DC Green Festival
October 10-11, 2009
WDC Convention Center

REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER:

www.greenfestivalvolunteers.org/dc

*Please note: if you volunteered last year you will have to re-register for an account on our website. You may use the same account information from the previous year, but you must re-register because all accounts are cleared from the system each year. Thank you!

The sixth year of the DC Green Festival is shaping up to be amazing! We invite you to volunteer with us this year and help make the Green Festival another success!

Green Festival relies on the support of over 1,000 volunteers! Volunteers not only receive great benefits, like free admission, an exclusive organic cotton staff t-shirt, and free memberships-volunteers become a part of a huge community of people that utilize civic involvement to make an impact on social and environmental justice. Join the Green Festivals volunteer team and you’ll really make a difference!

Volunteers must complete one 4.5-5 hour shift, but are encouraged to volunteer for two or three shifts. Volunteers receive free admission to the event for both days, an exclusive staff organic cotton t-shirt, optional free one-year membership to Global Exchange and Green America, and 10% off at the Global Exchange and Green Festivals Stores!

If you have a group that would like to volunteer, please contact Alesha Reardon, volunteer@greenfestivals.org, to arrange for a group time slot. Group slots tend to fill up quickly, so please consider contacting us early!

Please note that our age restrictions have changed this year. We are only allowing volunteers 14 or older to volunteer. Volunteers between the ages 14-16 must volunteer with an adult. If you have any questions or concerns, please email
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Join us on Facebook! We now have a DC Green Festival volunteer page on Facebook-join us year round as we collaborate, communicate and organize: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59392583472

If you have any questions about volunteering, or are interested in joining our pre-event volunteer Street Team to help get the word out about the festival and volunteering please contact Alesha Reardon at volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Looking forward to my fourth DC Green Festival and working with all of you!

Green regards,

Alesha Reardon
National Volunteer Director
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Still not sure about volunteering?
Read about Anthony's positive Green Festival 2008 volunteer experience here

EcoShowering

From Sixwise.com:

When you step into your hot shower, you are inadvertently exposing your body to a slew of toxins that can damage your health, inside and out.

These toxins stem from a chemical that is added to the water supply on purpose, ironically to kill bacteria. The chemical is chlorine, and it's added to all public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria in the transport pipes and the water itself.

By taking a hot shower you end up absorbing over 600 percent more chlorine and other chemicals than you would from drinking the same un-filtered water all day!

Click here to go directly to the Sixwise.com Source

------------------------------

From Raychelle:

The good news is that chlorine and other chemicals can be easily removed from your family's shower with many, many different types of filters currently on the market. Just google showerhead filters and/or tub filters and you'll find plenty, quite possibly at your local home store.

Click here to check my showerhead filter and my tub filter.

Old EcoDeaf posts:

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

More Tidbits on Water

Do You Really Know What's in Your Water?

Eco-Product Review: Water Crock

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

Click the below link to view a PowerPoint about Water Bottles and how very dangerous they are for us as humans and for earth.

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Humane Meats, Milk & Eggs

If "humane meats, milk & eggs" is new to you, basically humane foods means the animals were raised with freedom of movement, sunlight, grass and so on. The basic right of every human.

Most animals nowadays are put in cages where their feet grow fused with the metal cages on bottom of their cages, they never walk or run, see the sun and they're given many chemical shots to make them grow faster and fatter. They get their food through a hose that sprays on their face. Then when they need to be taken out to be killed for food, their legs are cut off from the cage (remember their feet grew into the cage platform). There are a lot more disgusting things about this scenario, such as how all the cages are piled on top of each other, so when one defecates or urinates, it goes all the way down on top of other animals. This is a horrible way to live and die.

How do we as powerful consumers put a stop to that? Buy meats, milk and eggs that say:

GOOD Start

“Cage free”

“Free range”

“Grass fed”

Even BETTER

“Free range”

“Pasture raised”

“USDA organic”

The BEST Options

“American Humane Certified”

“Animal Welfare Approved”

“Certified Humane”

To read more about humane foods or animal-friendly foods, click here.

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Real People Use Reel Lawn Mower

Yup, this is the reel deal! Forget gasoline! No more stinky hands from pouring gas into the gas tank of the lawn mower. Forget cranking up the engine. Forget the nasty smell as you burn gas. Forget disturbing the peace with excessive noises coming from the lawn mower.

See how the dude in the video push the reel lawn mower in bare feet? Reel lawn mowers are relatively safer than gas-powered lawn mower. When you stop pushing the reel lawn mower, the blades stop spinning abruptly. It does not continue spinning for another three minutes or so like with the gas-powered lawn mower.

I love using reel lawn mower! I save gas money every time I use it! I do not have to take a trip to the gas station to fill up the gas tank, so I curb emissions from not driving my car! I like pushing the reel lawn mower in bare feet so that I can feel Earth as I do the job. I reckon it sure is the reel deal!!

Go Green! Get a Reel Lawn Mower!

DISCLAIMER:
To be safe, wear sneakers while cutting the grass with a lawn mower at all times.

Thank you sarafranchesca for sharing this video with the world.
Much Eco-preciated!

Namaste!

Book Review: Planetwalker

Feel like reading an inspirational book over the summer?

Read Planetwalker.

Planetwalker is a life story about John Francis, PhD who gave up his car to walk around for the next 22 years. After John witnessed the oil spill in the ocean not too far from his hometown, he became disgusted with the increasing negative impacts on the environment from modern human endeavors which caused him to drop out of the petroleum society. He saw how birds and fishes were soaked in oil and how local people were rescuing them from death. Without a car, he walked across the town to see his doctor. He walked to the bar to see his friends. Before long, he trekked across North America and South America by feet.

Eventually, people in his town realized John was walking everywhere with a banjo and they thought he was crazy. Some people offered him car rides and he refused. John became tired of arguing with people about why he would not ride the car again when he knew their arguments would not go anywhere at all, so he became silent for 17 years. He looked up to ancient thinkers and philosophers on the reasons to stay silent and followed their ways. To communicate without voicing, he pantomimed with people. Then, he became familiar with Indian Sign Language, Signed Exact English, and American Sign Language. (Right on, John!)

When John Francis walked across the country from the west coast to the east coast, he stopped at universities to pick up his degrees. He met many interesting people including deaf folks and sign language interpreters along the way. For instance, King Jordan from Gallaudet University was mentioned in the book. Besides meeting inspirational people, he experienced eye-opening and life threatening moments while footing across America.

How did he survive while walking across the desert or through a blizzard? How did he communicate when giving a speech to a classroom of people? Did he have sign language interpreters with him during presentations? Did he start talking again? Did he ride the ambulance after he was hit by a car? What did he actually do to convince the federal government and petroleum companies to look at the consequences and costs of oil spills then do something about it? And what is he doing right now?

Find out and read the book my friends!

Thank you, John Francis, for sharing your life journey through your book.

Much Eco-preciated!
NAMASTE!

book review written by an EcoDeaf Contributer, Anthony Brucato

Fear the cul-de-sac

"Forget pollution, deforestation and species extinction.
What we really need to worry about are ... cul-de-sacs"

Why oppose cul-de-sacs?
View the Built to Last video and find out.

I like this Built to Last video because I support the growth of new urbanism and sustainable living. I did not realize how important it was until after I moved to the west side of Buffalo for graduate school. For many years, I lived in the suburbs or within the cities but too far away from stores and popular avenues to walk or bike there. In the west side of Buffalo, I enjoy getting anywhere without a car easily. If I choose not to catch the NFTA-Metro bus, I can walk or bike to the food stores, post office, cafes, pubs, parks, libraries, and visit friends. When I stayed at my parents' house to dog sit for one week, I realized that everything was much further away. It was very hard to get around on my feet and bike that I had to drive to the super market to get my food. After dog sitting, I went back to the west side of Buffalo with more appreciation of the neighborhood.

Support the growth of sustainable neighborhoods to reduce urban sprawls.

Forget cul-de-sacs!

Thank you Mother Nature Network for sharing the Built to Last video.
Much Eco-preciated!

Willia May Wille on Bananas

Willia May Wille refers to Tonya Zavasta's book "BEAUTIFUL ON RAW, unCOOKED CREATIONS" and discusses the benefits of bananas. She also shares a smoothie recipe at the end.

FRUIT FOR THIS MONTH: BANANAS

Tonya Zavasta wrote in her book: BEAUTIFUL ON RAW, unCOOKED CREATIONS about bananas.

Bananas probably originated in Malaysia some 4,000 years ago. The army of Alexander the Great found them in India as early as 327 B.C. Arabian traders took them to Africa, where the Portuguese discovered them in the 15th century. Bananas appeared in seacoast towns of the United States in the 19th century. Until refrigeration was available, they could not be transported inland.

Dr. Douglas N. Graham, author of Nutrition and Athletic Performance and a consultant to professional athletes, considers bananas to be one of the world's finest foods for providing energy. The carbohydrates in bananas are of both simple and complex forms. The complex carbohydrate yields its fuel slowly, thus providing a lasting energy source. He believes that "there is no fruit which will encourage the muscles to refuel themselves more rapidly than bananas." For athletes, his recommendation is ten to fifteen bananas per day. Dr. Graham is so enthusiastic about bananas that each time I re-read his book I start including more bananas in my diet; however, I never was able to eat more than two per day.

Bananas are rich in potassium, which aids in cardiovascular health and helps to promote bone health. Potassium may counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the usually high salt content in the American diet. Slowing calcium loss can slow the rate that bones thin and weaken.

Bananas can replenish the body's stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance after a bout of diarrhea.

Bananas contains vitamin C, one of the strongest defenses against many forms of cancer, including lung, pancreatic, cervical, breast, bladder and stomach. They provide about two grams of cholesterol-reducing fiber. Bananas are nearly perfect. Try to buy organic in the health food stores and eat them only when there are covered with dark spots, an indication that they are fully ripe.

RECIPE with BANANAS:

SMOOTHIE: SCARY CHERRY from the book: HOW WE ALL WENT RAW by THE TOP RAW MEN, CHARLES NUNGESSER and STEPHEN MALACHI

In a blender, add:
2 bananas
1 cup apple juice
1 cup cherries, pitted
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 vanilla bean
Blend until smooth