The Blue-Green Marble

The FDA has just proposed rules which would allow the sale of gene-altered milk or meat without requiring any labeling.

Genetically modified plants and animals have genes spliced into their DNA with the goal of producing some particular trait.

In contrast to selective breeding, this method allows scientists to cross species in ways that would not occur naturally (e.g., the splicing of a gene from a flounder into a tomato to make it more frost resistant, or genetic manipulation of cows to cause their cells to produce antibiotics and negate the need to inject them with these same substances).

The safety of these plants and animals for human consumption has not been determined, as appropriate studies have not yet been conducted.

Although the FDA itself admits that they should be tested for health risks, astonishingly they are now proposing that labels not be required on such foods.
 

“One of the key strategies of the large corporate interests has been to refuse to label products that contain GM [Genetically Modified, or Genetically Manipulated] materials, for they know that if people had the choice many would choose to avoid the manipulated foods. But without the choice, consumers have considerably less power. And without labeling, if something goes wrong, it will be hard to put the companies responsible on the legal hook.”^[1]

 
The FDA is still considering the safety of milk from cows genetically engineered to produce antibiotics, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now wants to let GM meat and milk from such animals be sold to you without your knowledge.

Whether your concern is over the health risks of consuming gene-altered food, the potential for ecological damage or contamination of the world’s food supply, or the ethics of animal research, you and consumers everywhere have the right to know what you are purchasing and eating.

Demand Labeling of Gene-Altered Food!

Sign the petition to the FDA demanding that the agency label genetically engineered food.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/314188001?z00m=17539690

Please note: This is a time sensitive issue. Please sign the petition today!
Consumers’ Union needs to receive all responses today in order to have them in time to present to the FDA.^[*]

---

 

 

The 2008 Wild Horse and Burro Summit is to be held this weekend in Nevada. (Want to attend? Click here.)

The gathering of wild horse advocates hosted by the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, a non-profit group, will meet to discuss what can be done to prevent horses and burros from being killed by lethal injections.

The summit is intended to be a learning experience and will bring together leading experts in the world of equine behavior, genetics, research, and range management. Equine scientists, range experts, and wild horse advocacy groups will discuss and bring forth proposed solutions to the problems facing wild horses in America. Focus will be on the current crisis facing America’s wild horses’ threatened existence on public lands.

However, the main goal is to address solutions for the present and
very urgent wild horse emergency - the impending euthanasia of approximately 33,000 wild horses now in federal holding facilities.

Officials from the BLM will also be attending the summit.

During the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting this June, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced its potential inability to financially support over 30,000 wild horses the agency currently has in its short- and long-term holding facilities due to a “budget crisis”. The BLM proposed a plan to “euthanize” many of these horses as a “solution”.

If a viable plan is not found and implemented soon, this situation could result in the euthanasia of thousands of wild horses.

 

---

---

 
For further information:
 
Go to www.wildhorsesummit.com

or contact Karen Sussman (president of the ISPMB) at (605) 964-6866.
 

---

 
Related links:
 
Animal Welfare Institute Press Release
Willie Nelson’s Peace Research Institute
WildHorsePreservation.org
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign Petition
The Cloud Foundation
The American Horse Defense Fund
The Humane Society of the United States
The BLM’s feedback form
 
Related Posts:
 
Wild Horses & The BLM - a selection of videos about wild horses and the current crisis.
Save the Wild Mustangs - important petition to stop the BLM from killing America’s wild horses

 
 

The new school year is fast approaching (now already here for most).
This year we have a handful of selections for green choices for back to school.

Remember that one of the most eco-friendly things to do is to reuse whatever items you already have - such as backpacks & binders from last year - that are still in good condition.

For eco-friendly products - Check this list before you shop for your school supplies.
 
Read the rest of this entry »

If you own a website, you should be aware that the energy consumed by the data centers where web servers reside is consequential. ^*

Fortunately, there are a handful of hosting companies that have made significant efforts to go “green”.

We recently came across a new (to us) eco-friendly, solar-powered web host named GlowHost.

Read the rest of this entry »

See our post “Save the Wild Mustangs - important petition” for more information and please sign the petition to stop the BLM’s outrageous plan to kill these wild beauties.

Majestic wild mustangs have roamed the American West with a history that predates modern land use. They are part of our national heritage symbolizing our country’s freedom and independent spirit. Today, there are less than 30,000 wild horses on the range.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced an outrageous plan to kill these wild horses, potentially driving them to extinction, claiming that it can no longer afford to round up wild horses and confine them until it finds people to adopt them. The government agency wants to euthanize or sell these wild beauties to the highest bidder “without limitation” - i.e., sell them to anyone, even if the bidder also plans to kill these horses.

Why do they need to round them up in the first place? Good question. The BLM states that it can’t “allow horses to multiply unchecked on the range without causing an environmental disaster.” But, there are at least 3 million grazing cattle vs. 30,000 wild horses.

These wild horses have a right to inhabit the public lands they have roamed for centuries. The BLM should manage the land effectively to preserve these free-roaming beauties, rather than killing them. Instead, the BLM would seemingly rather placate corporate cattle ranchers who view these horses as foraging competition - despite the environmental damage being caused by cattle overgrazing.

Please oppose this outrageous plan and stand up for our wild horses today. Remind the government to abide by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act of 1971.

- You can make a difference. -

Send a comment to the BLM today, call or write your government representatives, &
« Sign the petition to save our wild horses! »^*

---

[*] - Thus far, Care2’s petition has garnered 7,141 35,443 signatures with a goal of 50,000.

---

 

Related links:

Animal Welfare Institute Press Release
Willie Nelson’s Peace Research Institute
WildHorsePreservation.org
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign Petition
The Cloud Foundation
The American Horse Defense Fund
The Humane Society of the United States
The BLM’s feedback form

Related Posts:

Wild Horses & The BLM - a selection of videos about wild horses and the current crisis.

Read the rest of this entry »

LUSH Cosmetics has decided to replace palm oil as an ingredient in their products in light of the habitat destruction taking place in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Borneo.

Rain forest is being cut down to make way for palm oil plantations. This conversion of habitat is putting the Sumatran orangutan at serious risk.

The Sumatran orangutan is currently listed as critically endangered. At present, there are less than 7,300 in the world; and, if their numbers continue to decline at the present rate, it is projected that the orangutan could be extinct in as little as five years, which would make it the first Great Ape to become extinct in the wild.

Besides the harm to orangutans and other various animals (including Sumatran elephants & tigers, and as-yet-undiscovered species), the palm oil industry is also negatively impacting indigeneous peoples. Further deforestation is a serious problem in itself and a major contributor to global warming.

Palm oil is used in food products, but is widely used in cosmetics - particularly in soap-making.

The videos selected below cover Lush’s insight on the Palm oil situation as well as info on their Palm Oil Campaign.

---

 
 
 
 

---

For more information on LUSH Cosmetics, their natural skin care product line, and other charitable projects & governing principles, visit.

The Sumatran orangutan is listed as critically endangered. Currently there are less than 7,300 in the world. If their numbers continue to decline at the present rate, it is projected that the orangutan could be extinct in as little as five years - making it the first Great Ape to become extinct in the wild.

The primary threat to the orangutan is habitat destruction. The rain forests of Indonesia are being cut down in illegal logging operations and to make way for palm oil plantations. This conversion of habitat has dire consequences for the native wildlife, as well as for the indigeneous peoples. Further, the deforestation contributes to global warming.

Palm oil is used in food, but also widely in the cosmetics industry. It is a main ingredient in many soaps, including some of those produced by natural skin care companies. (Click here to read about the “Palm Oil Campaign” being sponsored and promoted by LUSH Cosmetics.)

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil met recently in Singapore to address these issues relating to the palm oil industry.

---

The World Wildlife Fund has projects in Borneo and Sumatra aimed at “effectively manag[ing] a network of protected areas, productive forests and other sustainable land uses to maintain the biodiversity and natural resources for the prosperity of the people who rely on them.” (Click here to read more about their work there.)

You can also “adopt” an orangutan through their website.

Looking for a special eco-friendly gift for Dad?

Send him a free E-card from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) There are 19 different cards to choose from, each capturing the beauty of wildlife.

Or in just 2 minutes you can send him one of the best gifts ever from Conservation International:

For $15 you can help protect an acre of tropical forest land in your Dad’s honor. The contribution will support Conservation International’s efforts to protect forests and help end climate change.

Every year, burning & slashing of forests releases as much CO2 as all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world - more than 20% of all the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global climate change.^[1]

Although the forests may be lost far away, the impact is felt here. (Learn more about the program to save tropical forests - thus far 12,863 acres have been protected.)

You can choose one of their stunning Father’s Day E-cards to announce your gift. You can even track Dad’s acre on CI’s website and view information about the animals & living things that inhabit it.

And with your gift you’re keeping tons of climate-changing carbon from entering the atmosphere and helping to end the destruction of forests.

[1] - Conservation International’s Projects Page
(http://conservation.org/learn/forests/Pages/projects.aspx)

---

For anyone in need of web hosting and seeking an environmentally friendly solution…

We have a coupon code available for $25 off any hosting package with ThinkHost.

(See below for coupon code)

Read the rest of this entry »

The Environmental Working Group has recently conducted the most expansive study of its kind published to date on the extent of exposures to contaminants pets face in the home and outdoor environments. This biomonitoring investigation measured the chemical body burden in pets.

The results were alarming: Of the 70 industrial chemicals tested, dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of the 70. 43 of those chemicals occurred at levels higher than those typically found in people.

The study looked for toxic chemicals such as plastics and food packaging chemicals, heavy metals, fire retardants, and stain-proofing chemicals. Among other results, it found that:

(1) Teflon chemicals (PFCs - perfluorochemicals) occurred in dogs at a level 2.4 times that found in people;

(2) Fire retardants (PBDE - polybrominated diphenyl ethers) occurred in cats at levels 23.4 times that found in people;

(3) Mercury occurred in cats at levels 5.9 times that found in people.

For cats there were 46 toxins detected - 96% at higher levels than in people. Dogs had 35 toxins detected - 40% at levels higher than that for people. “For certain fire retardant chemicals, stain and grease resistant chemicals, and plastic chemicals called phthalates, dogs and cats had higher rates than 80-100% of all the humans that have been tested.” These are of particular concern because they are of a class of chemicals that are carcinogenic and have been linked to reproductive and developmental risks, and thyroid problems. Cancer kills 20-25% of dogs making it the second leading cause of death in dogs^[1], with certain types of cancer occurring several times more frequently in dogs than in people^[2]. Hyperthyroidism is a leading cause of illness in older cats.

Pets, much like children, ingest pollutants from tap water, lawns with pesticide residue, and indoor air contaminants. Higher exposure to some contaminants in pets and children may be partially attributed to the fact that they both spend more time closer to the floor where contaminants can exist at higher concentrations. However, pets also develop health problems from exposures much more rapidly due to their physiologically compressed lifespans.

Pets also have some unique sources of exposure. As an example, one source of the PFCs mentioned earlier is the greaseproof lining of dry pet-food bags. Unfortunately, products made specifically for pets are mostly unregulated: the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine lets products go to market with untested ingredients and additives even though they have the authority to require manufacturers to submit their ingredient list beforehand, while the Consumer Product Safety Association isn’t even *allowed* to label products which may pose risks.

As such, the EWG notes that pets are unwittingly acting “as involuntary sentinels of the widespread chemical contamination that scientists increasingly link to a growing array of health problems”.

If you would like to find out more about the study specifics, including further results, you may follow the link below:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/pets

In response to this alarming problem and the lack of requirements that chemicals introduced into pets’ food & toys - as well as our household products - be tested for safety, the Environmental Working Group has started a site called “Pets for the Environment”. It is hosted by a very cute furry crusader named Eddie and posts healthy pet tips, information, and provides a voice for action on behalf of our beloved companions.

We encourage you to check them out at PetsForTheEnvironment.org. There is a “wall of cute” and you can sign up for their pet newsletter, if you so choose.

 

 

 

---

 
Looking for a source for natural pet food, toys, & supplies?
Check out Only Natural Pet Store or Paws Choice:

 

---




---

 
 

Unfortunately, focus on the development of other projects, soon to be launched, has necessitated a break from writing for this blog.

That will change by the end of this week, and Blue-Green Marble’s blog will return to full speed!