Our Tainted Meat Supply

I want to share with you this important article about our meat supply published by the Environmental Working Group.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, they are the leading environmental health research and watchdog organization.   Their mission is to “see that Americans get straight facts, unfiltered and unspun, so they can make healthier choices and enjoy a cleaner environment.”  They offer extensive consumer guides to safe cosmetics, healthy cleaning products, pesticides in produce and safe sunscreens, to name a few.

Below is a portion of their report.

Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets

For the PDF version of this report, click here.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now common in the meat aisles of American supermarkets. These so-called superbugs can trigger foodborne illness and infections that are hard to treat.

An analysis by the Environmental Working Group has determined that government tests of raw supermarket meat published last February 5 detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria in:

These little-noticed tests, the most recent in a series conducted by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, a joint project of the federal Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that supermarket meat samples collected in 2011 harbored significant amounts of the superbug versions of salmonella and Campylobacter, which together cause 3.6 million cases of food poisoning a year.

Moreover, the researchers found that some 53 percent of raw chicken samples collected in 2011 were tainted with an antibiotic-resistant form of Escherichia coli, or E. coli, a microbe that normally inhabits feces. Certain strains of E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. The extent of antibiotic-resistant E. coli on chicken is alarming because bacteria readily share antibiotic-resistance genes.

Not surprisingly, superbugs spawned by antibiotic misuse — and now pervasive in the meat Americans buy — have become a direct source of foodborne illness. Even more ominously, antibiotic misuse threatens to make important antibiotics ineffective in treating human disease. In the past, people who became ill because of contact with harmful microbes on raw meat usually recovered quickly when treated with antibiotics. But today, the chances are increasing that a person can suffer serious illness, complications or death because of a bacterial infection that doctors must struggle to control.

The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses special dangers to young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

This is scary stuff!  I’m not suggesting you have to become vegetarian to avoid these foodborne illnesses – after all vegetables can be contaminated too, especially when coming from long distances. (It is a good idea to go meatless a couple of days a week at least!)  Instead, be a smart meat consumer and opt for organic or grass-fed, grass- finished meats.  They are usually raised without unnecessary antibiotics and in a more humane and sanitary environment.  Ask your butcher or supermarket how the meat was raised and buy local meat when you can.  And always make sure you meat is cooked thoroughly.

Information compiled from ewg.org.

 

 

 

 

 

LED Light Bulbs – Their Time Has Come

Just as we all have made the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs (I hope!), along come LED light bulbs, which are now the most energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and long-lasting.  And they are affordable!

LED bulbs last about 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and 3 times longer than CFLs. LED bulbs and diodes have a life time operational expectation of about 30,000 hours, or 11 years of continuous operation or 22 years of 50%.  Imagine not changing a light bulb but once every 20 years or more!

What’s more, you can cut your electric bill by 80 – 90%.  With a LED bulb, at least 60% of the electrical energy is converted to light.  Conventional incandescent bulbs convert 20% or less into light and the rest is lost as heat, which is why they are so hot to touch.

There are also more advantages.   CFL bulbs take a few minutes to brighten.  LEDs are bright immediately.  The color of the LED lights has improved immensely too – you can choose either whiter or warmer bulbs. And they are durable and dimmable.

Unlike CFLs, which contain toxic mercury, LED lights are free of toxic chemicals with zero UV emissions.

I just bought the CREE home LED bulb from Home Depot.  It looks almost exactly like a conventional bulb and only cost $10. CFL bulbs were a great interim energy-saving bulb, but now it’s time to make the switch to the eco-friendly LED light bulb.  You will pollute less and save money – you and the earth have everything to gain!

Information compiled from The New York Times New Reasons to Change Light Bulbs,By DAVID POGUE Published: March 20, 2013,

http://www.ledluxor.com/top-10-benefits-of-led-lighting,

http://www.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/led-light-bulb2.htm

 

 

Greener Garden Accessories

 

We’ve spent the last few days happily planting vegetable seeds on our farm.  As every gardener does, we are hoping for a prolific harvest.  To achieve that of course you need a combination of sun and rain; in dry spells you have to water.

Traditional garden hoses use a lot of water and are manufactured with toxic materials. Fortunately manufacturers understand the importance of and the growing market for “green” household products and are now making eco-friendly hoses with patented water restrictors.  The restrictors control pressure and use at least 50% less water; they also help with puddling and soil erosion.  Earth friendly hoses are made from at least 50% recycled material, usually polyurethane, rubber or a combination, and are generally much lighter than the common rubber hose.  (It is important to choose a hose with UV protective coating to prevent cracking from direct sun exposure.) And on those hot days when you need a drink of water, you can safely drink from an eco-friendly garden hose.  They can be found on-line at greenhome.com.

100% recycled soaker hose

Conserving water is always a concern and using a rain barrel to capture rainwater makes good sense.  The spouts can easily be attached to your garden hose and you can put two or more barrels together for more water!  Check out these rain barrels from Gardener’s Supply.

Rain Barrel

To mark your plants in the garden, here’s a clever upcycling tip.  If you have some old venetian blinds hidden in your attic, cut them in pieces for garden stakes and label them with a sharpie.  It keeps the blinds out of the landfill and saves you a few dollars.

Show off the fruits of your hard labor and spotlight some of your plantings or light up a garden path with solar lighting.  They last for years and work just as well as conventional lighting.

Gardening is naturally a green activity, but make it even more so by using greener garden accessories.

Recipes for Safe Weed Control

Happily spring is here  - trees are flowering, flowers and shrubs are blooming and lawns are turning green.  Oh lawns, we love them and we hate them.  They add beauty to the landscape and are a playground for our kids and pets, but to maintain a “picture-perfect” lawn requires a lot of time, money, energy, and usually toxic chemicals.    A conventional lawn is the largest irrigated “crop” in the country.  With an organic lawn you mow less, water less, thatch less and skip high nitrogen-based fertilizers and herbicides.  Organic lawns are clearly the safer alternative, but you have to be able to tolerate a few weeds as your lawn transitions from a chemical free lawn to an organic one.  

What can you do about those dreaded weeds?  First of all, realize that a monoculture, like a lawn, is not usual in nature.  With the more natural approach, there will be some weeds.   Change your perspective about them.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”  Weeds are a messenger of problems in your soil and will grow where nothing else will. Many are an edible and nutritious food.  If you really can’t stand them, try the simple and safe recipes for weed control I’ve listed below using ingredients right from your kitchen.

VINAIGRETTE “DRESSING” FOR DANDELIONS

A well-placed shot of vinegar right on the plant can thwart dandelions or other broad-leaved weeds.  Be careful not to splash it on the turf or any plants you want to keep, because vinegar will kill grassy plants as well. A section of newspaper or cardboard can act as a shield for desirable plants.

Ingredients

Vinegar (as close to 10% acidity as possible); Dishwashing Liquid (optional); Pump Spray Bottle

Directions

Fill the spray bottle with undiluted vinegar (or mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part dishwashing liquid).  Spray a narrow stream, dousing the weed’s leaves and crown (the area at the base of the plant).   Rinse the sprayer well with water, especially if it has metal parts because vinegar is corrosive.  This is a spot spray only!

ALCOHOL ATTACK

Rubbing alcohol is a simple way to kill a weed.  Mix it with water and it will dehydrate almost any weed.  This also works against spider mites, aphids, and scale, but may require some experimentation to find the right level of effectiveness.  Test spray on one leaf to check for burning.

Ingredients

1-quart water; 1 (or more) tablespoons rubbing alcohol; Pump spray bottle

Directions

Mix water and alcohol in the spray bottle. (Use 1 tablespoon of alcohol for weed seedlings or thin-leaved weeds and 2 tablespoons or more for tougher weeds.)  Spray weed leaves thoroughly but lightly.  (Avoid surrounding plants.)

SORRY, CHARLIE

Creeping Charlie is a low-growing, yellow-flowered perennial weed that can be a real nuisance in lawns.  If you have noticed it in yours, borax can be a very effective weed-killer, particularly in late spring or early summer when weeds are growing most actively.

Ingredients

5 Teaspoons borax, like 20 mule Team Borax, for every 25 square feet of lawn; 1-quart water; Pump spray bottle

Directions

Mix borax in water.  Measure exactly: Too little and it won’t kill the weeds, too much and you could kill the grass too.  Spray to cover a 25-square foot area.  Water and fertilize your turf after the treatment so that it rapidly fills in the space left by the dead weeds.

SPRAY AWAY BROWN PATCH IN LAWNS

Brown or yellow rings that die out in your lawn, caused by rhizoctonia fungi, which comes from poor drainage, too much rain and/or too much nitrogen fertilizer, can be treated with this simple solution.

Ingredients

1 rounded tablespoon baking soda or potassium bicarbonate  (a better choice since it has less salt); 1-tablespoon horticultural oil; 1-gallon water

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Spray lightly on your lawn.  Avoid overuse or drenching the soil.

DELUXE BAKING SODA SPRAY

For a very effective disease and insect fighter, go no further than your kitchen.  This concoction works best as a preventative, so spray susceptible plants before disease  symptoms start and continue at weekly intervals.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons baking soda; 1-tablespoon canola oil; 1 cup plus 1 gallon water; 1-tablespoon vinegar; Backpack or pump sprayer

Directions

Mix the baking soda, soap and oil with 1 cup of water.  Add the vinegar.  Don’t mix the  vinegar in until last or the mixture may bubble over.  Pour the mixture into the sprayer and  add 1 gallon of water.  Shake or stir to combine the ingredients.  Spray plants, covering the bottoms and tops of the leaves.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE GARLIC JUICE

If you are a garlic lover, you may want to use this simple recipe to fight diseases and insects on your plants.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves; A blender; Pump Spray Bottle; Molasses (optional)

Directions

Liquefy 3 garlic cloves in a blender that is half-filled with water.  Strain out the garlic, then mix the remaining liquid with enough water to make 1 gallon of  spicy concentrate.  Two tablespoons of molasses will help the mixture adhere to the leaves.

CITRUS KILLER FOR APHIDS

Aphids and other leaf-sucking insects can cause considerable damage if you don’t control them.  This mixture neutralizes aphids and can also act as a deterrent to ants!

Ingredients

1-pint water; Rind from 1 lemon, grated  (or orange or grapefruit rind); Cheesecloth; Pump Spray Bottle

Directions

Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat and add the grated lemon rind.  Allow the mixture to steep overnight.  Strain the mixture through cheesecloth, and pour into the spray bottle. Apply the mixture to plant leaves that are under attack.  (This mixture must come in contact with the insects’ bodies to be effective.)

WEEDS IN HOT WATER

Use boiling water to eliminate weeds from sidewalk or driveway cracks.  Be careful not to splash it on to neighboring plants or turf.

Ingredients

Teakettle or pan

Directions

Boil a full kettle of water.  Pour slowly and carefully, dousing both the weeds and the soil immediately surrounding them.

For more recipes, email me at greenwithbetsy.com.

Recipes for organic weed, insect pests and disease controls compiled from Great Garden Formulas, 1998 Rodale Press, Inc.

 

Information compiled from: lawncare.about.com/od/lawncarebasics/a/historyoflawn.htm

 

Green Candles (and I don’t mean the color!)

An aside: On a quintessential Patriot’s day, the face of the historic and prestigious Boston Marathon was changed yesterday by a horrific act of terrorism.  My heart goes out to the three people who were killed, those who were wounded, their families and all the runners who trained so hard and long and were unable to finish the race.   This tragedy, this shock, will not break the spirit of the hearty and resilient New England people.

I love candles – the light they cast, the ambiance they create, their ability to make an ordinary event special.  But – conventional paraffin wax candles contain toxic chemicals.  Paraffin is actually a petroleum byproduct, the sludge from the bottom of an oil barrel.  It’s then bleached with 100% industrial grade bleach, dyed, and often scented with synthetic fragrances, all of which contain microscopic particles that can cause cancer and respiratory problems when inhaled.  What’s more, 40% of candles on the market contain lead wires inside their wicks.*  According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “a candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air.”  Most often, the candles with lead wicks are scented candles. We all are aware of the problems associated with high levels of lead exposure – hormone disruption, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and health problems.  Additionally, soot from paraffin wax candles can damage computers, electrical appliances and your home.

100% beeswax candles

As with most things, there are safer and healthier alternatives.  Vegetable-based wax candles with cotton wicks, like soy-based candles, are a non-toxic alternative to paraffin candles.  So are 100% beeswax candles, which are not only non-toxic, but are actually healthy for you.  I recently learned from a bee farmer that beeswax candles release negative ions as they burn.  Negative ions are nature’s air purifiers and are commonly produced in waterfalls, electrical storms and mountain regions.  They attract positive ions, particles that are positively charged like dust, pollen, mold and airborne germs.  The negative ions neutralize the positive ions so they no longer circulate in the air.  People with allergies, sinus problems and asthma have reported significant improvement in their symptoms after burning 100% beeswax candles.  Seems crazy, but honey is an ancient, nutrient-rich, natural healer; therefore it makes sense that beeswax is a healer too.

Get some toxin free candles today – you’ll breathe easier!

*Lead wicks have been officially banned in the United States since 2003, but that does not mean that candles manufactured in China or elsewhere don’t contain lead wicks.  Look for lead-free labels.

Information compiled from http://www.greenamerica.org/livinggreen/candles.cfm, http://www.babybellies.ca, and www,queenbeehoney.com.

 

 

 

Earth Day 2013

   April 22 is the 43^rd annual Earth Day.  According to earthday.org, more than one billion people take part in Earth Day – individuals, communities, organizations and governments from around the world.  This year, earthday.org is collecting and displaying images of people, animals and places directly affected by climate change as well as those helping to do something about it.

I hope you will participate too!  There are lots of easy and meaningful things you can do.  You can:

• It’s spring – plant a tree
• Sow some seeds for your garden
• Visit a local farm
• Change a conventional light bulb to an energy-saving compact fluorescent or LED one
• Pick up litter on the beach
• Take part in a trash pick-up
• Use a travel mug rather than a paper cup for your coffee-to-go
• Drink from a reusable water bottle rather than a plastic one
• Recycle newspapers, bottles and cans
• Start a compost bin in your backyard for kitchen waste
• Make a commitment to drive less and carpool or walk more
• Take public transportation
• Shorten your shower by one minute
• Shut down your computer for one hour
• Attend an Earth Day event in your area or volunteer
• Include your kids and grandkids and teach them about the importance of protecting our beautiful earth

End the day with an Earth Day Dinner Celebration with foods that are grown locally if possible and are gentler to the earth – organic vegetables and fruits, grass-fed, grass finished beef, free-range chicken or sustainably harvested fish and raise awareness about the origins of our food at the same time. You could host a potluck dinner with regional specialties, plan an earth dinner fundraiser for your favorite local organization, and have an earth day party for kids or a simple supper with your family or friends.  If the weather is warm, try an earth day picnic.  Use real cutlery, not plastic, real plates, not paper and cloth napkins.  Seed packets make great place cards.  For a more festive dinner, eat by candlelight and save energy;  wash the dishes with non-toxic detergent.

Check your local newspaper or go online for Earth Day events in your town.  Make Earth Day and Earth Dinner celebrations your new tradition.  Never forget that simple steps really do make a difference!

 

Moving Today!

I’m typing this post in and amongst the movers who are packing my china and prized possessions and loading the van for this much-anticipated moving day.  Everything is going to either our charming, but much smaller apartment, to our Cape house or to storage.   All except my computer that is.  So, what has this experience of selling and moving from a family home of almost 30 years taught me?  Well…

• Go through your house at least every 5 years as if you were moving and get rid of things!
• Keep only things that you love, that are beautiful or that are sentimental.
• Remember, some things have to be a memory.
• And most importantly, reduce consumption – go for quality, not quantity.

It’s a bittersweet time for me – I’m excited about the next chapter of my life, but sad to see the old one close.  Such is life, right?

I’ll be back next week with a new green tip!