michelle's blog

Is it more important to have a never-rotting tomato (kind of like Willy Wonka's Everlasting Gobstoppers), or a tomato rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants? Do we want plump, salty chickens, or those which are rich, flavorful and nutritious? Food, Inc., a documentary now in theaters, examines the highly processed and mechanized food industry in America.

This film, directed by Rob Kenner, follows the path of food in America as it has become increasingly less nutritious over the past 50 years through the use of genetic modification, pesticides and artificial additives, and factory farming. The film asserts that the USDA and FDA are ineffectively regulating the industries they govern, and that this is contributing to the increase in food born illness, such as E.coli, as well as obesity, malnutrition, and diabetes. The food we eat is manufactured (according to the film's synopsis and website, it is more a manufacturing industry than an agricultural industry in current times), by a small handful of corporations who are more interested in profit than public health. While food is becoming cheaper, and cheaper for the consumer, health care costs are at an all time high (a coincidence?). ... read more

If you're looking for an environmental role model, Irish rockstar, Bono (born Paul David Hewson, May 10, 1960), of the band U2 is a good place to start.  Bono is well known for his humanitarianism, and has been called, "the face of fusion philanthropy" for his efforts to draw attention to issues such as global poverty, AIDS, and the environment. "I was taught that if my opinion was informed, then I had the right to express it and not be afraid who else was in the room," Bono said in a 2002 60 Minutes interview.

Bono's environmental work includes creating clothing line in 2005, EDUN, which works in developing countries to create sustainable business models, provide fair wages, practice good business ethics, without burdening the local environment.  He also participated in a tree planting ceremony in Tokyo Bay, Japan, in 2008, where efforts are being taken to turn a landfill into an 88 hectare forest.    Bono has also been active in the Greenpeace community  since 1993 when his entire band participated in a protest against a nuclear power plant, Sellafield, in England.   And of course, Bono is self-reported avid recycler and drives a car which runs on ethanol instead of gasoline.... read more

Continuing today with bathroom greening tips, we take a look at our etiquette when brushing our teeth.  Many of us simply leave on the faucet when we clean those pearly whites in the morning and evening.  And I know what most people think; what is the harm?  Well according to the EPA a faucet in an American home uses on average two gallons of water per minute.  If you add up both times you wash your teeth then the you are wasting an estimated 1,460 gallons per year!!  So let's keep this tip simple and say...

TURN OFF THE FAUCET!

See other the daily greening posts here.

Thirty-seven year-old Cameron Diaz is the epitome of the green movement, at least according to new Vogue magazine article. While you may not see her face on ad campaigns across the country promoting recycling or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, this "it" girl leads through example.  Cam drives a Prius, buys carbon off-sets, and is an avid promoter of recycling.  And unlike many celebs, Cameron reports that she takes into account how her purchases impact the environment (no fur coats for Cameron!).... read more

I was super excited when I went to replace on old, broken hair clip recently. I have a favorite product, Scunci claw clips, which I have been using for many years now. And to my surprise, they now make 100% recycled version of my product (and, the recycled version was about one third of the cost of similar non-recycled products) – whoopie!

... read more