Top 5 Environmental .Orgs

Episode 114

In Episode 114 we visited with GreenLAGirl, Siel Ju. We asked her to give us her top online resources for environmental issues which impact our health. Here's a recap of those sites. All of them are not-for-profits and they all have something great to offer. Also, be sure to check out Siel's site at www.greenlagirl.com .

Eat Well Guide:

The Eat Well Guide, www.eatwellguide.org , is a free online directory of early 9,000 farms, stores, restaurants and other outlets that offer ustainably-raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs in the United States and Canada. It was developed as a solution to the problems with factory farms and industrially-raised animal products.

Consumers simply enter their zip or postal code, or take advantage of the advanced search feature, to look for animal products free of antibiotics and added hormones,as well as sustainable production methods that include organic,
pasture raised and heritage.

Organic Consumers Association:

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA)  www.organicconsumers.org is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers.

Food and Water Watch

These folks,  www.foodandwaterwatch.org are devoted to watching our food and water (Duh! Hence the name.).

Food

Sustainable and local; chemical free; humanely raised; family farmed; clearly labeled--that's what they want. Factory farms for animals and fish; dangerous practices that lead to diseases like mad cow; and risky technologies like irradiation—
that's what they are fighting to prevent.

Water

The right to water for people and nature; safe, affordable and publicly controlled;citizen participation; investment in infrastructure- that's what they want. Privatization of fresh water and ocean resources; pollution and depletion of water resources by agriculture and industry -that's what they are fighting to prevent.

In a Nutshell...

They are working with grassroots organizations and other allies around the world to stop the corporate control of our food and water. They are committed to creating an economically and environmentally viable future.

Environmental Working Group ( www.ewg.org):

The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.

In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.

Organizational Goals

1. To protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population— children, babies,and infants in the womb—from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants.

2. To replace federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development.

Worldcentric.org

 www.worldcentric.org is a non-profit organization formed in March 2004 with the mission to reduce economic injustice and environmental degradation through education, community networks & sustainable enterprises.

According to them, we have already overshot planet's biocapacity by 20% and would need 5 planets, if everyone on this planet was to live an American lifestyle in terms of consumption and resource use.

This is the thing that makes this group outstanding. Have you ever anguished over the garbage that your take-out food generates? Styrofoam, plastic forks and knives, and plastic bags, all making you a guilty accomplice in this totally irresponsible culture of consumption that is living in America.


Worldcentric has the answer. They make Bagasse take out containers (pictured above), made from sugar cane fiber waste left after juice extraction. Sugarcane is not only a readily renewable resource, but the sugarcane fiber can be turned into products normally made from plastic or paper and avoids pollution from normal burning of sugarcane pulp after juice extraction.

Sugarcane is grown extensively in a number of developing countries and the use of the fiber waste provides a value-added product from what is generally considered a waste product. It provides a far superior environmentally sustainable alternative to both plastic (non-biodegradable, petroleum derived, pollution causing) and paper food service andpackaging disposable products.

Sugarcane fiber also composts readily, as it is similar to any other fibrous garden waste and normally will totally biodegrade within 30-90 days, depending on the compost pile conditions.

In addition, they make bio-plastics. Bioplastics are a new generation of biodegradable & compostable plastics, derived from renewable raw materials such as starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid etc., not hazardous in production and decompose back to carbon dioxide, water, biomass etc. in the environment when discarded.

Corn starch is currently the main raw material being used in the manufacture of bioplastic resins and that is what this cutlery is made of.


This is our challenge to you. Visit their website. Download the pages with prices and info on these products and go to your favorite take-out restaurant and ask them to start using these products instead. With the price of oil going up steadily, these products cost the same amount of money and will soon be cheaper. This is definitely a place where you can make a difference in our world.