Are Genetically Modified Food proponents being tapped for govt. food safety posts?

According to this article, two "biotech bullies" are being seriously considered by the Obama administration for senior roles in the FDA. Michael Taylor, who ushered in the use of Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone is already on board, as a senior adviser to the FDA on food safety...which is kind of like putting a wolf in charge of the chicken coop.

Speaking of which... Dennis Wolff is the Secretary of Agriculture for the Pennsylvania, and is a champion of agribusinesses, and his being considered to run the USDA's meat inspection. As the AgSec of PA, Wolff tried to ban labeling of dairy products that didn't use rBGH or rBST, and wouldn't allow communities to ban toxic sewage sludge from getting anywhere near their farms.

Go here to sign and send a message to President Obama, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (who oversees the FDA) demanding Taylor's resignation and opposing Wolff's appointment.

Too much packaging waste: An open letter to Costco

Dear Costco,

I am a long-time loyal customer of of yours, but there's something that's been bugging me that I have to get off my chest. It has to do with the environmentally unfriendly amount of excess packaging used on many of your products—especially, surprisingly, some of your produce. Take, for example, the somewhat artsy photo above of a package of six mangos. Was it really necessary to use so much hard plastic?

I have also seen 24-packs of Apples, packed in 2-foot-long plastic monstrosities that will cut you if you're not careful. The thing barely fit in my recycling can, and left room for very little else.

Yes, I know, we can recycle much of your packaging, and my town does pick up separated materials for recycling. But I have news for you: There is a glut of separated recycle materials and a small, dwindling market for it. My town, like too many others, is simply forced to dump our carefully separated and boxed recyclables in the same dump as the rest of our garbage. We're going through the motions so that if, one day, the demand for recyclable plastics and metals returns, we won't forget how to separate our stuff.

Why not simply put your produce in bins and provide thin plastic (or better yet, PLA biodegradable) bags and let your customers bag what they want? It would greatly reduce waste. And since you do such a massive amount of business, you can use your clout to lean on your suppliers to make them come up with more environmentally responsible packaging.

And that brings up another, related bone of contention: bottled water. Your bottled water is clogging up landfill and polluting the landscape. I urge you to consider the packaging approach taken by Glacia, which packs its Icebox water in recyclable, renewable and compostable material. People are carting out your bottled water 36 bottles at a time...imagine how much landfill you can save by using this product instead. (In fact, wouldn't it be great if all bottled water makers followed their packaging lead?)
I hope management at Costco, whose creativity and marketing savvy have made you a retail giant, will take a leading role in reducing wasteful packaging. You can start with Mangos. And water.

Sincerely,
Mason Resnick

Biodegradeable "plastic" cups!

I'm working with a local organization to help them replace their regularly-used food service supplies with more earth-friendly alternatives. In my research, I've found numerous sites that offer biodegradable and compostable versions of plates, cutlery, and cups.

The cold cups are made from PLA (Polylactic Acid), which is derived from corn sugar (dextrose) and although it looks just like plastic, it is completely biodegradeable. A company called NatureWorks, LLC manufactures PLA pellets, which are used to manufacture packaging and food containers as well as cups.

I ordered the cups to try out at home, and they look and feel just like regular plastic cups (use them only for cold liquid, though!) The cups can be recycled, thrown out, or commercially composted. Even in landfill, they will begin to decompose within a few months.

I've snooped around the Internet for these cups (and other utensils) and have found that the cost for PLA cups can be lower than those of traditional plastic cups that the organization I'm helping gets through its supplier. 2,000 7-oz. PLA cups cost around $71, compared to over $90 for the plastic versions. (Check the site to order your supply).

Earth-friendly and saving money? That's a no brainer!

How Big is Your Carbon Footprint?

JNF, the Jewish National Fund, has just posted a GoNeutral Carbon Calculator that, based on your answers to a short survey, determines how big your carbon footprint in, in terms of tons/pounds...and how many trees you need to plant to offset this.

The JNF is a non-profit organization that plants trees in order to raise money to support the state's many infrastructure projects. A tree costs $10. Entire forests have been created this way. Think about it: JNF has been doing this for over 60 years, making it one of the oldest environmental groups in the world!

Turns out Lori and I have a carbon footprint that can be offset by planting 46 trees this year. Try it and let us know how big your carbon footprint is!

http://support.jnf.org/goneutral/carbonCalc.html

Our first post!

Welcome to Lori's Earth Friendly Blog! I'm Lori's Earth-Friendly husband, and both Lori and I plan to post information to help you, your health, and the environment.

Or, to put it in the common lingo, whatup, blogosphere?