Fake Organic Products

With the growing success of organics and increasing consumer interest in buying foods grown on sustainable farms without toxic chemicals, many food companies are launching new marketing campaigns full of environmental-friendly catchphrases and re-packaging products that lend the appearance of the company “going green” ,even if little or no actual change to the product has occurred.

In February, mega-food company Sara Lee launched the Eco-Grain™ label for its EarthGrains breads with a major marketing campaign that blanketed the Web, Facebook, Twitter and National Public Radio. Sara Lee billed the trademarked product as “environmentally friendly” bread that “will save the earth, one field at a time” because Eco-Grain wheat is grown with “precision agriculture.” Though actually used in small proportions in its EarthGrains brand breads, Eco-Grain is touted by the company as more sustainable than organic grain.

The trouble with calling Eco-Grain environmentally friendly is that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, neither of which are environmentally friendly, are still used in the production of the wheat that is used to produce Eco-Grain. Also, precision agriculture isn’t exactly something new, or something exclusive to Eco-Grain farmers. In fact, more and more conventional farmers of all the major commodity crops are using precision technology in applying chemical fertilizer to their fields. In precision farming, satellite imagery is used to identify various levels of soil nutrients of a given field to determine fertilizer requirements for different areas of that field.

Also known as “variable rate technology” (VRT), this allows the farmer to pinpoint which areas of the field need more or less fertilizer, instead of blanketing the entire field with one big dose. It’s more of a cost-saving practice for farmers, not an environmentally friendly or sustainable method of production. Another point of confusion for consumers is in the term ‘natural’ which splays across the label in bold print: “Eco-Grain 100 % Natural.” How can it be 100% natural when they still use chemicals and pesticides? And there is a growing number of corporations like Sara Lee, who are seeking to profit from consumers’ interest in ecological and healthy food production. But unlike organic companies, these companies are doing practically nothing to ensure that ingredients are truly ecologically produced.

So all I have to say is; til someone stops these selfish, harmful companies from using deceiving "organinc-like" terms on their products, we should all be more careful when shopping and READ THE INGREDIENT LABELS OF ANY FOOD PRODUCTS so we won't be conned by them again.

I want this!

With the onset of summer in Jammu (India), earthen pots are becoming more and more popular.

The pots are widely used by the poor but this year, however, it has been observed that even the middle- class and the elite are readily buying these environment-friendly refrigerators. Only the poor would use earthen pots to cool water but now even the middle class is adapting this trend. Maybe it's because of health concerns and rising number of diseases, or due to recommendations from doctors.

The pots not only keep the water cool but do so in an environment-friendly way. It is also believed that drinking water stored in earthen pots is also much healthier. After one year or one season of use, the earthen pot can be broken and it can be mixed with earth again, which means it is reusable. And if we limit the use of refrigerants like neon and all, they all cause depletion of ozone layer which contributes to global warming. So using these pots would decrease global warming. The water stored in a clay pot has a refreshing flavor and gets cooled to as low as 14-15 degrees Celsius within a few hours naturally. Nice.

Tip of the day: Switch to a corded phone. You'll save energy cos you won't need to recharge the corded phone. Yes, it is not cool nor modern but it will do good for the Earth even if it is in a small way.

Convert your pet to a green one!

With "green" pet food, biscuits and other tasty treats available on many store shelves, pet owners now have a wide range of organic and earth-friendly options from which to choose.

But increasingly, owners are finding they can also make environmentally friendly choices that go beyond the food bowl with several new options available! The Good Dog Company makes leashes, collars, harnesses and toys with organic cotton and sustainable, natural hemp. Hemp is naturally hypoallergenic, anti-microbial so it's resistant to mold and mildew. Bowsers Pet Products manufactures a line of eco-friendly pet bed made out of polar fleece which is made from recycled plastic bottles and the foam is made from soy and is biodegradable. For dogs who want to beat the heat in an earth-friendly way, Gramercy Distribution, based in New York City, markets the Cool Vest. Unlike many other cooling vests, the product is not filled with chemical gels and requires no refrigeration. Maybe we people should get one ourselves! It'll be useful for those who can't stand the heat here!

Heh Heh Heh.. Well I don't feed my cats organic food as they don't like it but i do feed them dolphin safe food, so my conscious would be free from any guilt of accidentally killing a dolphin. So go ahead and try out organic food for your furry loved ones, who knows they might convert to a greener lifestyle ;)

Tips of the day: Try not to use tick and flea meds for your pet. It's bad for your pet's health as it depletes their immune system and we shouldn't be in contact with it anyway cos it is bad for us too.. Try adding Brewer's Yeast or Garlic to your pet's meal or use an essential oil to repel unwanted bugs :)

Let's go back to the future....

Bullock carts have been long forgotten but not in Pradesh, India.

These carts might be outmoded and belong to an era gone by but it is the preferred mode of transport for a school there that is trying to cut down on vehicular emissions for a pollution-free tomorrow. Sandipani Muni, a charitable school in Vrindavan town, which is equipped with modern educational facilities, prefers bullock carts to fuel-driven vehicles for ferrying its students. The school which provides free education for the needy and poor, especially for girls, was set up in 2002 and has been using the bullock cart since then. They also have cycle rickshaws for students that live near the school. One of the downside of this transport is that it is slow but it requires virtually no maintenance as compared to other modes of transport but this fun cart has never been late for school.

I am sure that the students love riding in the cart. If i was a student there, I would be excited and won't miss a class because of the bullock ride :) Plus the bull's dung can be collected and used as natural fertilisers or as fuel :) So it has more than one purpose in life! Cool huh :) Maybe we should have them in Singapore too and I can be the conductor of the cart! hehehe. We can also have horse carriages or carts to ferry us around :) WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I think it is a good initiative of the school to be environmentally friendly and guide their students in the right direction.. Makes me wanna go there and check out their scene.

Tips of the day: Opt for emails rather than snail mail when you sign up for any newsletter or promos from your favourite product companies.

Earth Hour on Orchard Road

Its two more days to Earth Hour.

If you don't know what it is, it is a movement organised by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to demonstrate that with concerted efforts, mankind can make a difference in the fight against carbon emissions and climate change. More than 10 shopping centres, including new malls such as Ion Orchard, 313@Orchard, Orchard Central and Mandarin Gallery will switch off their facade and other non-essential lights for at least an hour starting from 8.30pm. Mrs Sng Ngoi May, Chairman of the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), said 'Switching off our lights is a simple act which sends out a powerful message.

During Earth Hour, our malls, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses on Orchard Road will be united with millions around the globe to demonstrate that in our own little ways, we can all make changes to reduce our total energy consumption. Many of the malls will also hold their own related activities and promotions for example, Wisma Atria will be holding a countdown to Earth Hour as well as star-gazing and polaroid picture-pledging, while capital land will hold an Earth Hour Lights-Out party with live performances at Ion Orchard.

I just hope that they will be using renewable energy for their live performances, if not it will defeat the purpose right.. Ms Amy Ho, Managing Director of WWF Singapore, said 'ORBA's pledge to join the Earth Hour switch-off is a resounding statement for Singapore staying true to it's commitment in joining the fight against climate change. We hope that this marks the first step towards longer term collaboration about educating shoppers on sustainable lifestyle and more environmentally friendly consumption practices.' Well I think Orchard Road should change their street lamps to solar-powered ones with the many street lamps and outdoor lightings they have and use. I'm sure they are able to afford it. I believe they can do more than just switching off their lights for an hour once a year.

Tips of the day: You're not suppose to feed your baby from the same food jar so I keep the old jars and instead of buying bowls for him, I reuse the glass jar as my baby's bowl :)

Using grass to run your car?

No, they are not planning to pluck out grass from the Earth to change it to biofuel.

That wouldn't be environmentally friendly right, using precious land to farm grass. And plus it'll be weird looking at bald patches on the ground. The Carbon Trust is working together with the University of York to research how using microwave technology could turn garden and wood waste into biofuel. The process of using microwave to heat the waste without oxygen is called pyrolysis. The research will look at how this process could be used to produce a biofuel to blend with fossil fuel or as a fuel on its own. The carbon footprint of this new pyrolysis biofuel could potentially save 95% of carbon compared to fossil fuels.

The trust also announced the creation of a new consortium of British businesses led by Axion Energy, which will aim to enhance existing pyrolysis technology to produce biofuels created from organic waste materials en masse. The consortium aims to produce its first biofuel from a pilot plant in 2014 and estimates that this will save seven million tonnes of carbon, the equivalent to the annual emissions of three million cars. If this research goes through then it will be great for Singapore with the many grass cutting days they have here, which is done every other week. Wakes my son up from his sleep and makes my kitties scurry for safety!

Tip of the day: If you have a cold, go old skool and use a handkerchief instead of disposable tissues :) Maybe you'll start a new fashion statement!

The Sustainable Dinner

Hello everyone! How is your Saturday going so far? Mine is just gonna be a chilled out Saturday (I hope).

So I had a really enjoyable Friday night, thanks to the company I had and plus, I attended an event held at the United World College by Dover Rd, which was put together by the students there. The theme was "Sustainable Dinner" and Green Cleaners were invited to attend and put up a stall there to raise awareness of eco-friendly cleaning alternatives. There were a few other stalls up, all concerning the environment and of course our fellow friends, the animals, that we share the Earth with.

It was my first ever event that I attended which was held in a school and I must say they did a very good job at it. Natural products, e.g leaves and plants, were used as the main decor, vegetarian food was served and we were encouraged to eat with our hands, which in some Asian culture is a very natural thing to do and environmentally friendly as well. You just need to wash your hands and thats it. No utensils required. And no, it is not a barbaric thing to do. It is making use of what you already have as a tool. But of course this is mainly for rice dishes.

I really thought it was nice that the teachers are emphasizing on the need to be mindful of the environment and the animals to their students because I, for one, strongly believe that we should start teaching children at a young age and they in turn can educate their parents on it and make their parents change their ways especially in recycling, eating organic food, supporting organic farmers and using Earth friendly products.

It's always easy changing an "old" mind when children are the ones educating the older generation. It's amazing how children can influence and change an adult mind. Even I became much more concerned once I became a mom, because as a parent you need to know what goes in your baby's lil tummy and plus they just love putting things into their mouth and of course you what to make sure that whatever it is, it'll be safe for your lil one; as we all know that they are highly sensitive individuals.

I think it's time the local schools make themselves more involved in educating students on environmental concerns because it will (or it has) affect each and every one of us once we all are no longer in denial....

Tip of the day: If you're still using the old flush system where there is only the full flush available, you can put a big plastic bottle (with water inside to weigh it down) and put it inside the flush tank, so it will refill with half the amount of water thinking that it is full.

How quitting the soda will be good for the environment

So what is in a can of soda? Lets have a breakdown of it and use my dearest friend, the diet coke, as an example.

These highly addictive drinks are made up of soy and corn which is two of the biggest GM crops so it's likely that the soda companies are using these Genetically Modified crops. The artificial sweeteners used is not only polluting our bodies but may be contaminating our drinking water since sewage treatment plants don't seem to be effective at removing them from waste water. This study was done by German researchers. The bottles are not so innocent as well.

Only 25% is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the rest of the 75% is made from fossil fuel based plastic and these bottled water industry uses 17 million barrels of oil a year to produce its plastic bottles. Naughty naughty. The more you should carry your own water bottle which you can reuse over and over again. The can is made from half virgin aluminum which is an abundant resource but unfortunately is environmentally destructive to mine. The aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire African continent! and a ton of toxic chemicals is left behind for every ton of metal produced, The can lining contains packaging additive bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical that's been linked to cancer, sexual development abnormalities, and heart disease, among other serious health conditions, and is present in most plastic.

A Health Canada study last year found BPA levels in soda to be below what's been deemed a "safe limit," but other studies have found even extremely low doses of the chemical to spur cancer cell growth in test animals. Plus they are planning to ban the use of BPA in baby's bottle and products. Diet coke is made from 99% waterwhich coca cola is proud of, but all the water has to come from somewhere and guess where it all comes from. From areas severely afflicted by water shortages, most notably drought-stricken India, and continuing their bottling operations there. And don't forget the energy cost of manufacturing, distribution and refrigeration. The equipment used in retail outlets just to refrigerate its drinks account for over 70% of the company's carbon emissions!

I'm sure there are other greener ways to curb your soda cravings.. Treat yourself to a fountain-dispensed glass of soda at a restaurant or purchase your own home soda maker (yes there is such an invention, its the Sodastream :) )

Tip of the day: From what I've written, I hope you can cut down on your soda drinks and soon ban it from your life forever :) It will not only help the environment but also your health....

Singapore Govt. pledges S$1b on green sustainable projects

S$1 billion has been earmarked for greening Singapore's infrastructure over the next five years. Experts said the real challenge lies not in new developments, but in retrofitting existing buildings. Lee Siew Eang, head, Energy Sustainability Unit, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, said: "That forms approximately about 80 per cent of our existing building stocks and these lots of buildings will be operating for a long time to come, perhaps for the next 20, 30 years... we really should look into making sure that they are more energy efficient, more sustainable."

One area to target is air conditioning systems, which consume about 60 per cent of energy in most buildings. For buildings that are inefficient, this number can go up to 80 per cent.A government subsidy for landlords to become more energy efficient will certainly help to reduce the nation's carbon footprint.

Other initiatives to consider include more solar-powered public lighting, or motion sensor lights that remain off when no one is around. But one problem that Singapore faces in the implementation of clean or renewable energy projects is the lack of local expertise. Many of these projects currently rely on foreign consultants. But the government hopes to change that by subsidising professional conversion courses, so that a mechanical engineer retrenched in the manufacturing sector, for example, can undergo training, and then play a part in greening Singapore.

The Building and Construction Authority plans to train at least 8,000 specialists in areas like sustainable building design and energy management, over the next five years.