☆ Why Buying Local Is Worth Every Cent (Infographic)☆

Big box retailers are taking over in even the smallest cities these days--our own Wal-Mart wiggled it's way into our small town many many years ago. The impact big chain stores has on a local city, big or small, is bigger than you'd think. 

When thinking of our economy and environment, here’s something to consider:  Buying from a local business generates 3.5 times more money for the local economy compared to dollars spent at a chain-owned business. 

Check out this infographic for more financial and environmental facts.

Click to Enlarge Image

Why Buying Local is Worth Every Cent Infographic by CustomMade

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Victory! Harvard to Close Primate Prison

For decades, the more than 2,000 primates imprisoned at Harvard's New England Primate Research Centre have been subject to cruel and irrelevant experiments. Now, following years of campaigning, largely impart thanks to PETA, Harvard will reportedly close its notorious primate prison by 2015!

Victory! EU Ban is upheld for Seals! 

Canada's embattled sealing industry was dealt another blow Thursday when a European Union court upheld the EU's three-year-old ban on seal products. It's the second time the group has lost a challenge before the European court.  

The ban has hurt Canada's 300-year-old commercial sealing industry, the number of seals killed in commercial hunting in Canada (where most seal hunting occurs) falling to 40,000 seals killed in 2011, a significant drop from the 354,000 in 2006.

Keep up the pressure and we'll see this hunt over soon! 

Success! Animal Cruelty is Finally a Felony in North Dakota

The North Dakota legislature passed S.B. 2211, a bill that establishes some felony-level penalties for incidents of malicious animal cruelty within the state.

This is a huge victory for animals and animal welfare advocates everywhere, and especially good news to the thousands of Care2 community members who signed the petition asking North Dakota to classify animal cruelty as a felony rather than a low-level misdemeanor. 

California Kills Ag-Gag Bill

The California Cattlemen’s Association introduced an ag-gag bill to the state legislature that would have required investigators to turn over any evidence of crimes at agricultural facilities to authorities within just 48 hours. It also would have criminalized undercover photography and videography at farms and slaughterhouses and exempted farms from turning over footage of animal cruelty captured on surveillance cameras.

The ASPCA reported that the sponsoring legislator had to withdraw the bill in the face of overwhelming opposition. IDA's California supporters responded to IDA's alert by sending almost 3,000 emails and faxes in just 3 days. Over 26,000 Care2 members signed their petition saying “No” to the California ag-gag proposal and to similar bills in other states. 

If you haven’t signed these petitions yet, please do! This has been a success in California and other states, with petitions and public emails and support that will rise up to oppose these bills in every state that considers them--so stay in the loop! ;) 

A Major Fracking Victory

Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity won a landmark victory on April 8 when a federal judge ruled that federal authorities broke the law when they failed to consider the environmental impacts of fracking before they leased 2,700 acres of public land in Monterey and Fresno counties to oil and gas drillers. 

Scotland is on its way to 100% renewable energy 

… and part of the transition will be powered by whiskey. Of course. ;) Helius Energy has officially opened its new biomass power plant in Rothes, Scotland. The biomass plant will create energy using by-products from the local distillery that produces the world famous single malt Glenrothes whiskey. The Helius CoRDe Ltd biomass plant is capable of supplying 9,000 homes with clean power. 

Campaign achieved $30,000 for Community Gardens across the US

On Earth Day, a campaign on Causes.com launched by Odwalla asked people to “Spread the Goodness” for Earth Day by doing something environmentally sound for the planet. For each pledge, $1 was donated to Kitchen Gardener’s International to help fund their Sow It Forward grants program, which is helping more than 60 communities across the country to start and sustain garden projects that provide healthy food, recreation and learning opportunities for their members. On April 24th, the campaign surpassed its goal of 30,000 pledges, translating to $30,000 for community gardens across the country.

Keep spreading the goodness! And don't forget to start your own garden! 

SumOfUs.org reaches 1 million members!

The SumOfUs.org community just reached one million people fighting together around the world to hold corporations accountable. I felt this was worth mentioning in our weekly news to show that people do care and are making a difference. This is just One organization doing good as well and there are so many others! Feel good about change and that more and more people are "waking up."

A Good Week for Marriage Equality! 

• Rhode Island Senate Says Yes to Marriage Equality, approving, in a 7-4 vote, a marriage equality bill on Tuesday. 
• Nevada Senate Says Yes to Gay Marriage, passing a resolution late on Monday in a first step to repealing the state’s ban on marriage equality. The resolution now heads to the Assembly. If passed, and then once again passed by both chambers in 2015, the measure will go before voters for ratification in 2016.
• Delaware House Passes Marriage Equality Bill, narrowly with a vote of 23-18. The measure now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate where another close vote is expected.
• Lawmaker Who Holds Swing-Vote in Minnesota Announces Support for Marriage Equality. Meaning the bill hasn't yet passed but if it reaches the floor it has a good chance with growing support behind it. 
• French National Assembly Says ‘Oui’ to Marriage Equality, which will also include adoption rights for same-sex married couples!

CISPA rejected by the Senate!

The controversial cybersecurity bill known as the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which passed the House of Representatives last week, is dead, for now.

The bill would have allowed the federal government to share classified "cyber threat" information with companies, but it also provided provisions that would have allowed companies to share information about specific users with the government. Privacy advocates also worried that the National Security Administration would have gotten involved.

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Humpback Whale Nursery and the Kimberley Saved!

Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority put industrial interests before the whales and other wildlife when, back in July 2012, it gave approval to Woodside Petroleum to build such a build a liquid natural gas processing plant in a region that houses the world’s largest humpback whale nursery, at James Price Point. As of April 12, the company is dropping plans for the $4.5 billion project that would have created one of the biggest industrial complexes on the planet and led to drilling and dredging some six kilometers out to sea. 

This is all thanks to the Goolarabooloo Aboriginal people and nonprofit organization Sea Shepherd, undertaking “operation Kimberley Miinimbi” to bring the creation of Woodside Petroleum’s plant to public attention with support from the Australian Greens and a former Greens Senator, Bob Brown. At least 700 people participated in a Sydney demonstration against the project and contacted local and federal officials, says ENS.

Goods News for the Arctic and Polar Bears!

ConocoPhillips announced last week that it will be cancelling its 2014 Arctic drilling plans.

New Zealand legalizes same-sex Marriage

New Zealand has just become the 13th country to legalize the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. offer marriage in parts of the country. 

Antibiotic Tetracycline no longer allowed in Apple Production

Last week, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) decided that it will not allow the antibiotic, tetracycline, to be used in the production of organic apples and pears beyond the original 2014 deadline.

This was a hard fought victory, one that you made possible. Nearly 32,000 of you signed our petition asking the NOSB to get antibiotics out of organic fruit production. The OCA’s Alexis Baden-Mayer delivered the petitions in person at the NOSB meeting in Portland, Ore. She testified along with activists from other groups about the threat these antibiotics pose to public health, and to the organic industry.

Earth Day Deeds!

In Pakistan, Earth Day Pakistan is in the process of planting 50,000 trees today.

In the Cayman Islands, 1,500 people are participating in a beach and reef clean-up.

In Columbus, Ohio, volunteers are pulling invasive plants, cleaning up neighborhoods, and preparing gardens at over 1000 sites in the region.

Check out more Earth Day Deeds here http://www.earthday.org/highlights-submissions

Success! U.K. Saves Wild Animals from Kidnapping and Circus Life

The United Kingdom has finally banned circuses from using wild animals in their shows. Over 13,500 Care2 members urged them to do so.

(Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/success-u-k-saves-wild-animals-from-kidnapping-and-circus-life.html#ixzz2RP0v5b5q)

Success! New York Wildlife Rehab Center Will Remain Open

A critically important wildlife rehabilitation operation in Long Island called Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) was in danger of losing their animals. Robin Lynn created a petition on Care2 to keep them open and it worked, allowing WINORR to continue rescuing and caring for wildlife at their current location.

It was the collective force of your support that pressured the town to negotiate and reach a compromise that works for both sides and sees all charges against the Horvaths dropped. 

One more successful petition and to show that your actions do count for the greater good!

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

I know we really need some good news this week, so here it is; lots of inspiring amazing wonderful stories to feel good about! ;)

Boston Marathon Disaster Sparks Immediate Outpouring of Compassion

"It is this solidarity, this resilience, this compassion for one another that people who perpetrate these crimes find threatening. It’s easy and advantageous to control people through fear, whether it’s the threat of real violence or imagined. A population crippled by fear withdraws and hides. We allow connections to erode. We grow suspicious.

But to remain strong, to love, to share and to embrace each other in a time of crisis as well as peace, THAT is true power. To remember our common bonds, to treat each other with respect and compassion, this is the most perfect way to fight back against those who would keep us terrified and isolated.

We are too strong, too smart and too human to be controlled by such a cheap tactic. Find a way to reach out in love to someone affected by this disaster, whether you know them or not. Only together can we heal the sickness that causes these atrocities to occur."

(Read more here)

Piglet Rescued

Recently, MFA had a special opportunity to help in the rescue of a very lucky piglet named Lucy, who was found running through the streets of Riverside, California. After a kind person rescued her from a local animal shelter and provided a temporary home for her, MFA jumped at the chance to help this piglet by bringing her to Animal Place, a wonderful farmed animal sanctuary in northern California. 

One more piggy saved! (You can watch the video here)

Cruelty Investigations and Ag-Gag Make Front Page of the New York Times

Public awareness of ag-gag legislation--laws that seek to put an end to undercover investigations inside factory farms--got a major boost this past weekend when the New York Times ran an article on the front page of its Sunday edition. 

While these laws have been passed in some states, others aren't on board just yet, so the more awareness and campaigning done, the better a chance of shutting them down will be. 

New Mexico's 'Ag- Gag' Bill is Dead, so that's a start as well. 

Australia Opens All-Vegan Grocery Store!

Another vegan win! Kym & Kelly are the hardworking folks behind Australian-based online vegan business Vegan Online. They have now just opened their doors for retail business under the name Everything Vegan. Everything Vegan is a VEGAN grocery store that will be stocking a wide range of premium vegan products, including groceries, meat/dairy food substitutes, chocolate and sweets, pet care, household cleaning products, cosmetics, healthcare, skin and baby care, gifts and much more.

So if you're in Australia, be sure to visit this place for me! ;) 

Federal Judge Rules That Government Can’t Just Ignore Environmental Concerns

Anti-fracking advocates in California are marking a big victory as a judge has ruled that no, you can’t just go drilling around willy-nilly without sufficient environmental impact reports. The ruling, made in response to a suit from environmental organizations, doesn’t cancel the oil leases originally issued for the land, but it does mandate that the groups reach a resolution with the government, which illegally granted the leases in the first place. That provides some wiggle-room for fighting fracking in the Monterey Shale, and it sent a clear message to the Obama Administration: fracking is not popular in the United States.

(Read more here) 

Greenland’s First Female Prime Minister Says ‘No’ To Arctic Drilling

The new government of Greenland will not grant any fresh offshore oil and gas drilling licenses in the country’s Arctic waters and will also place existing licenses under greater scrutiny. The moratorium is a result of concerns raised by Greenpeace about the risk of oil spills and the fear that offshore oil and gas operations will increase climate change.

In March 2013, Shell also “screwed up” drilling for oil in Arctic waters and will not be allowed back without a comprehensive overhaul of its plans. So drilling in the Arctic has some good news lately. Progress!

(Read more here)

Eight-year-old's Determination shuts down Bill

Eight-year-old Aamira Fetuga greeted Republican Sen. Stacey Campfield Thursday with a petition asking him to withdraw his bill tying welfare benefits to children's grades. She then proceeded to follow him around the TN State Capitol Building shaming him for writing the legislation. Shortly before the vote, Campfield withdrew the bill! 

Climate Change Introduced to U.S. Science Curriculum

U.S. students will for the first time receive instruction on climate change following the adoption last Tuesday of new science education guidelines. The guidelines also take a firm stand that children must learn about evolution, the central organizing idea in the biological sciences for more than a century. (Even though some extreme right-wingers choose to deny that reality.)

Unfortunately, states are not required to adopt these standards, even though 26 states, including Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas and New York, have committed to seriously considering them. However, still good news and a step in the right direction. 

Village in India Plants 111 Trees Every Time a Girl is Born

When it comes to the environment, an increase in human population almost always means a costly toll. Not in a village in India. They celebrate the birth of every female child (in a country where most want boys) by the community coming together and planting 111 fruit trees in her honor in the village common.

But planting trees isn't the only way that the community is ensuring a brighter future for their daughters. According to a report in The Hindu, villagers also pool together around $380 dollars for every new baby girl and deposited in an account for her. The girl’s parents are required to contribute $180, and to make a pledge to be considerate guardians.

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ International Polar Bear Day! (and how you can help) ☆

That's right, February 27th is International Polar Bear Day! Why is this so important? Well because there are fewer than Polar Bears left in the wild and their numbers are dwindling thanks to global climate change, and pollution. 

Take Part in the Thermostat Challenge! 

This Challenge is thanks to Polar Bears Internatonal! Take part by simply adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees (depending on where in the world you live) to lower carbon emissions and help save polar bears. Share a photo and inspire others with their "My Planet. My Part" actions to help save polar bears and improve the health of the planet. Even better: make every day a polar bear day by installing a programmable thermostat, insulating your home, or taking other steps to save energy. It's all part of PBI's SOS campaign!

Tips from Scientists to Help Polar Bears:

The polar bear's survival is linked to the arctic sea ice, a habitat greatly affected by climate change. Research shows, however, that it's not too late to take action to save sea ice and polar bears by greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"PBI scientists have put together a list of which individual actions have the most impact. We suggest you look through these tips, find out what you're already doing—and then challenge yourself to add two or three more to help the bears. These simple steps will soon become habits and, eventually, part of a stewardship ethic that guides your daily choices and informs your everyday decisions."

Social Interactions

• Vote for political representatives who recognize that our carbon-based society isn't sustainable and who will work to establish an appropriate price for carbon
• Interpret the facts about global warming to your friends and relatives
• Encourage members of your social circles to adopt sustainable lifestyles—and lead by example
• To help create a stewardship ethic in your community and raise awareness of how lifestyle changes can make a difference, take part in local green initiatives like planting trees, recycling drives, or ride-your-bike to work days—or start your own.

Transportation

• Walk or ride a bike
• Use public transportation
• Drive the most fuel-efficient vehicle for your needed task and drive at the most efficient speed for your vehicle
• Avoid drive-through businesses; don't idle for more than 30 seconds
• Keep your car tuned up and maintain proper tire inflation

Home & Work

• Insulate buildings and heat/cool with efficient systems (e.g., rated by Energy Star)
• Generate your own power with wind and solar
• Let your utility company know that you want to subscribe to green power
• Use energy-efficient (e.g. Energy Star) appliances and equipment. Turn appliances off when not in use. Use low-tech methods when possible (e.g., line-dry clothes)
• Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent or other energy-efficient bulbs (see Energy Star)
• Use no more water than needed 

Dining Table

• Buy and cook only what you'll eat. Don't waste food.
• Consume foods that are minimally processed and packaged (e.g., potatoes vs. potato chips)
• Purchase fruits and vegetables grown locally on small-scale farms
• Avoid products that result from tropical deforestation (e.g., palm oil, coffee that isn't shade-grown, South American beef)
• Consume less meat and animal products. Eat three meatless meals per week. (or even better go vegetarian and/or vegan)
• (And if you are going to consume meat then choose products like pasture-fed beef, free-range poultry, and wild salmon rather than CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) meats.) 

Marketplace

• Minimize consumption: reduce, reuse, and recycle
• Research vendors and buy from those with sustainable business models
• Avoid products with excess packaging
• Buy products created closer to home: for example, if you live in the U.S. or Canada, purchase goods made in North America instead of those shipped from far away.

Support Conservation

Another tip I will suggest today is to donate to organizations working to help Polar Bears and climate change, such as Polar Bears International, WWF. 

You can also "adopt" a Polar Bear from either of these organizations:

https://www.polarbearsinternational.org/adopt

http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/species/polarbears/

Lastly...

ReLove Plan.et is having a sale on the Polar Bear Necklaces (ending Friday). I already donate every month to WWF, but all proceeds of the Polar Bear Necklace will be going towards a Polar Bear adoption! :)  

Also, remember that no action is too small. Every step, every action accounts to the bigger picture. Your actions also inspire others, so always do what you can no matter how small it may seem! 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ Big Bad Corn (Infographic) ☆

Unless you live under a rock… maybe you do, who am I to know? ;)… then you've at least heard that corn is not so great for you. You've hopefully heard about High Fructose Corn Syrup and it's terrible effects on health and obesity. You've also hopefully heard about the horror of Monsanto and the havoc corn wrecks on the environmental with its monoculture and genetic engineering. 

Well, even if you haven't (which if you haven't you certainly should look into--watch Food Inc.), you'll learn something from this infographic. Interesting information and visually interesting to read, what's not to love about infographics? 

Thanks to our friends over LearnStuff for this informative infographic. 

What bothers me is the huge surge of people getting mad at corporations for producing bad-for-you products. Yes it sucks, but we have tremendous power to do something about such things. You know, put your money where your mouth is. Avoid HFCS and corn, and if you do want to eat some then opt for local and organic. 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ "The Declaration for Change" ☆

Democracy and people's way of life is being challenged all over the globe. Economies are crashing into a debt system that simply doesn't work--and technically isn't even Real! Convenience is getting higher but people are having to work harder and longer hours than ever before. The environment is going to hell while oil companies are still receiving subsidies and taps on the wrist for massive oil spills that will leave the waters and land in ruins for generations. Debt of all sorts is increasing, the education system is lacking, and so many other important parts of our lives are being neglected and slashed. 

Here in Canada, true Democracy is being challenged more than ever with Harper's increasingly shameful government. Especially with the new Bill C-38, it's an even bigger reason for Canadians to start taking action and demanding a true democracy that actually appreciates our values, wants, and needs for a better future and quality of life. 

There are so many ways to get involved, to use our voices and to start caring about what goes on in our government. We Can change the world! 

One non-profit organization I'd like to take some words from is Leadnow.ca, that is trying to change our government for the better and I encourage you to sign their "Declaration for Change:" 

We, the undersigned, call for political cooperation to build a stronger democracy 

that protects our environment, creates economic opportunity while increasing equality, 

and guarantees that everyone receives the care they need.

I also encourage you check out their website and to participate in any way that you can and donate to the cause if you'd like, as they have some good projects and goals they are trying to reach. 

My point is that there are lots of organizations looking to do good in the world that are great for being people-powered and listening and having our voices heard--which, to me, is an important aspect to any organization looking for change. 

While this next bit is also taken from Leadnow's campaign, I think regardless of where you are, these priorites are sound and I think truly reflect what is most important to the people of the world and what needs the biggest changes. So, from Leadnow.ca…

Across geographies and generations, in local communities and online, thousands of Canadians are coming together to create a new kind of politics. This is our agenda for the new Parliament.

We call for political cooperation to build a stronger democracy that protects our environment, creates economic opportunity while increasing equality, and guarantees that everyone receives the care they need.

We commit to support action on the following key priorities and vote for the politicians who will best:

Democracy

• Create an open government plan to increase transparency and accountability
• Initiate a citizen-led process for a referendum on electoral reform
• Make it easier for people to participate directly in government decision-making

Economic Opportunity and Equality

• Establish a plan with clear targets to reduce poverty and provide affordable housing
• Improve access to high quality post-secondary education and reduce student debt
• Ensure access to affordable quality child care and early childhood education

Environment

• Establish climate legislation to meet international and science-based targets
• Invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and home retrofits
• End subsidies to fossil fuel companies

Health

• Ensure universal access to high quality and publicly administered health care
• Invest in programs that prevent illness and promote wellness
• Create a national strategy to increase mental health support

Where there is overlap with provincial jurisdiction, we call for action to be defined in collaboration with the provinces and implemented according to jurisdiction.

These are changes I think that every government should be run by. And listening to the People's voices instead of ignoring clear shouts and signs from us all. 

So, I can't say enough; Get Involved! Support organizations doing good--like Leadnow, and the David Suzuki Foundation, WWF, and so many more! And go way beyond that! Get involved in your democracies, whether you are in Canada or on the other side of the world. Get involved in any and all ways available to you. Now is the time to "wake up" instead of the continuation of brainwashing.  Read up on the truth, stay "in the loop," and try to follow matters going on in your country. Sign petitions, share information through the internet and through word of mouth. Watch documentaries, follow conspiracies (because there is often a lot of truth to them), learn, explore, and care about the place you live.

We live here, so let's make it great for everyone--not just the 1%. ;)

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ Bill C-38 ☆

The Conservative government has passed Bill C-38, proving, once again, that Adolf Harper is ignoring the tens of thousands of Canadians who spoke up against it and that our government does not give a damn about the supposed "Democracy" of our country. The truth is, our voices are not being listened to, even though they are being shouted loud and clear, and the Conservative Government continues to do what they please without Canadian citizen's consent. 

Okay, so what is Bill C-38? 

Bill C-38 is the Budget implementation bill in response to Harper's 2012 Economic Action Plan. This implementation bill is numbered C-38 and is wrongly titled by the government "The Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act." What a joke! The opposition put forward hundreds of practical amendments to stand up for the things we care about most, but all of it was ignored. 

This budget is a whopping 452 pages! If the Conservatives truly believed their changes were good for Canada, then why did they hide them in a 425-page budget bill?

And they are hoping Canadians wouldn't notice. 

Hiding in this bill are:

Changes to the Old Age Security Act by raising the retirement age to 67, making it harder for seniors to retire in dignity and security.

Employment Insurance made more difficult for hard-working Canadians to access when they need it most.

A $31 billion cut in health transfers, chipping away at the health care system. They have also weakened food and drug regulations, risking everyones safety and health. 

Nearly 300, 000 immigration applications are being dumped, so that the government can start off with a "clean slate," robbing those 300, 000 people of all the hope and time they've put into trying to get into Canada. 

Canada’s environmental protections have been gutted! The bill cuts back the environmental assessment of development projects, easing the way for industrial developments (such as pipelines) that could put the future of our land, water and climate at risk. 

There have also been 776 job cuts to Environment Canada. 

Attempts to silence voices of dissent against such developments by making it more difficult for environmental charities and agencies to participate in the public policy process. 

The budget will shut down agencies such as: National Council of Welfare, the Public Appointments Commission, Rights and Democracy, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal and Assisted Human Reproduction Canada.

It also changes the rules about acceptable donations to charities, by reducing the amount of money people can donate to charities that are considered too politically active and allowing the minister to withhold tax receipts from a charity if he or she feels the money is being used for political campaigns.

Meanwhile, while our environment is being slashed, the bill gave oil and gas insiders more authority to go ahead with big pipeline projects. 

(As you read this, a major cleanup operation is underway near Red Deer Alberta. More than 3000 barrels of oil leaked into the river, one of 600 leaks in the last year.)

Stand Up!

Aside from this bill being horrendous and a sneaky 452 pages long, the other problem is that, as well as the opposition, Canadians DID speak out against this bill in numerous ways. The massive "Black Out Speak Out" campaign formed the largest coalition of organizations ever assembled to demonstrate clearly Canadians do NOT support Bill C-38 and that Canadians do Not want it. There were also several petitions and demonstrations with thousands of voices. Parliament heard and they ignored those tens of thousands of voices. 

Canadians are not happy, and if you're not mad about these changes to our beautiful green country yet then you should be. Because this bill affects you and it will affect your children. That is unless something is done about it. Just because this bill has passed does not mean it's over. On the contrary, this is the time to speak out and get involved like never before. Environment charities and organizations are certainly not staying silent and they will be speaking out as well, so let's stand beside them and let the Harper government hear our voices roar!  

Let's help Canada get back on track! Open your eyes, speak up and speak out! Spread the word! Spread the message! Get involved in anyway that you can.  

"They want us to fail. We will not."

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ BLACK OUT SPEAK OUT! ☆

About BLACK OUT SPEAK OUT (blackoutspeakout.ca):

Launched on May 7, Black Out Speak Out (or Silence, on parle!, in French) invites organizations, businesses and citizens from across Canada to darken their websites on June 4, and speak out against changes introduced in the federal government’s budget act (C-38) by darkening their websites and taking other actions on June 4.

Black Out Speak Out is a joint project of CAPE, CPAWS, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Equiterre, Greenpeace, Nature Canada, Pembina Institute, Sierra Club Canada, West Coast Environmental Law, and WWF Canada. (For a full list of partners, visit http://blackoutspeakout.ca/partners.php)

Please head over to http://blackoutspeakout.ca/ to find out what you can do, sign petitions, and speak out! 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ "The Secret Life of Garbage" ☆

Another info graph I felt worth sharing, because this information is valuable and may encourage greater action. 

I am personally very proud to say that we go through a single almost full black garbage bag a year--that's between two people (and two cats). Even so we're working to reduce that to next to nothing. I'm aware it will take some practice but for now I'm still pretty proud that we have reduced our waste by this much. It is absolutely possible for anyone to do so with a little effort and conscious thinking. We make this possible by…

• Paying attention to packaging and buying things with less or no packaging. 
• Buying in Bulk and reusing our bulk bags. 
• Recycling anything and everything that we can. 
• Composting all our food remains (which, proudly, is usually just veggie and fruit cores and peels). 
• And not over-consuming in general. 

Created by: Business Degree

How much garbage do you go through? Do you recycle? Have a compost? Please consider making some changes, they are really not much work and can make such a huge difference for the world. 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ What's Going On: Why Go Organic? ☆

At the most simply-put basis, Organic is everything you could dream of for a healthy body, wildlife, and planet. 

Natural is NOT Organic

Please remember that "Natural" does Not mean "Organic" in any way shape or form. "Natural" only means that a food product does not have any preservatives, synthetic additives, colors, or flavorings Added. But you are still biting into a mouthful of pesticides and still facing all the horrors of non-organic crops. 

Pesticides:

There are over a thousand chemical pesticides available for use in Canada alone. Depending what country you live in will make a difference on the standards in place. Many pesticides are banned in one country, due to their links to cancer, reproductive disorders, and acute toxicity, yet are still used in other countries. And with so much of our food being imported, things get pretty mucky no matter where you live. 

Pesticides have hormone-mimicking, neurotoxic, reproductive-impairing properties, with about 60% of them being hormone disruptors. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 200, 000 people die every year from pesticide poisoning.  

These nasty pesticides don't just stay on their designated crops either, less than 5% end up where they are supposed to as the winds will carry them hald way across the world. Chems banned 20 years ago, such as DDT, are blowing over from countries where they are still in use! 

Check out http://foodnews.org for the foods with the highest and lowest pestice residue. 

Fertilizers:

Laziness has made it so that crops are no longer rotated to let the land's soil rebuild itself. Now the soil is pumped full of potent petrochemical fertilizers instead. 31% of all fossil fuels used by North American farms goes into fertilizes, much of which ends up in rivers, lakes, and oceans. This is bad because overdoses of nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizer runoff can create massive algae blooms that suffocate aquatic life and create large dead zones. 

Water:

Global agriculture suck up about 70% of all the water we use on this planet. 

What's extra silly is that Canada has some of the most water-intensive crops (grains and cattle) and 60% of that agriculture happens in the Prairies--which just so happens to be the driest part of the country! 

Irradiation:

Is the zapping of our food with gamma rays, x-rays or electron beams to get rid of germs, slows the sprouting, ripening, and moulding processes so that products can sit on shelves longer. This may sound like a good idea, but the process drains some of the vitamins out of food and it also creates radioactive waste. 

Irradiated foods are supposed to be clearly marked with an international symbol, and if more than 10% of the ingredients in packaged products have been irradiated the label has to list which ones.

GMO:

Here is a prime example of our attempts at playing God without considering the consequences. Genetically modified organisms are developed in labs when genes from different organisms are spliced into another to create so-called "super-foods," but really there is nothing "super" about it. They are meant to improve hardiness, pesticide resistance, and draught resistance, or any other number of things. But GMOs have not been around long enough to know the long-term health effects and they are hardly tested enough to be put out on the market. We really don't understand their effects in nature and have already disrupted natural species, helped continuously create "super weeds" that evolve and grow more resilient to GMO crops, and create super insects with similar aspects. Plus, once they're exposed to wildlife you can't exactly completely remove those pesky GMOs from the environment, as they are carried by animals, insects, winds, and waterways all over the world. 

There is no labeling for which foods or packaged foods are GMO either--that is unless you're buying Organic.

Pesticide Regulation:

We'd like to think that Pesticides are "safe" for human health but the testing process is a joke, with minimal testing done all-together. Steps are skipped due to pressure, and older pesticides have by-passed the new safety standards, which never put into account the effect of pesticides on children's health. Not to mention that these nasty chemicals are tested on animals which react entirely differently in their bodies than ours (what might be poisonous to us might not be to them and vise versa). 

Pesticide regulations in the U.S. are far behind much of the rest of the industrialized world, largely in part due to corporations like Monsanto having such an influence in Government affairs, and because the U.S. does not adequately account for things like additive and synergetic effects*. The European Union regulates much of their pesticide use with the "precautionary principle," which prioritizes protecting human health when there is significant doubt about the safety of a product. In the U.S. such products are "innocent until proven guilty," which often takes decades to prove whether or not a chemical is guilty or not, and in the meantime can wreck all sorts of environmental damage and health hazards. 

*Synergetic Effects: when one type of pesticide plus another type of pesticide equals a more lethal effect due to their combination. A scary thought when conventional crops use more than one type of pesticide so this dangerous cocktail is very likely. 

Environment, Wildlife, and Human Health:

Organic does not pollute groundwater, rivers, lakes, and oceans with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic reduces soil erosion, improves soil quality, increases biodiversity and wildlife on and near farms. Organic does not expose workers to the health hazards of synthetic pesticides. 

Countless animals die due to the spread of pesticides; 30 registered pesticides are known to kill wild birds, fish, and important beneficial insects. They also weaken animals and create birth-defects. 

Furthermore, the growing consensus among the scientific community is that the consumption of pesticides and other chemicals can possibly cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists are warning of the long-term consequences of ingesting these chemicals and are advising that we minimize our consumption of pesticides. The truth is that we still don't know just how badly these pesticides effect human health.

The impacts of pesticides on human health have been linked to causing ADHD in children, birth defects and childhood cancer in the very young, Parkinsons’ Disease in the elderly, asthma, cause neurotoxicity, hormone disruptors, developmental or reproductive toxins, and are known or probable carcinogens. Not to mention they are toxic to Honeybees and are a probable cause of the growing CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) problem. These chemicals also linger in our systems for years, and there is always pesticide residue left behind on non-organic foods even once they reach the grocery store.

Buying Organic is a Responsibility to the World:

Organic doesn't just mean that the food is pesticide-free, it also means it's grown in soil that has been untouched by chemical fertilizers or pesticides for at least three years. The soil is properly taken care of and is rotated, fostering the soil's nutrients instead of kiling it and rendering it useless like conventional crops. Organic food can not be irradiated or fumigated with synthetic agents. It is free of genetically modified organisms (GMO), hormones, and fake processing aids (such as coloring, preservatives and flavorings). Organic is real, true, un-altered food, packed full of nutrients and vitamins. You don't have to worry about getting sick from chemical pesticides. You don't have to worry about your child developing health problems. Organic harmonizes with Earth instead of poisoning wildlife, workers, waterways, the air, and the ground.

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.