Lifestyle Hub
Respectful dialogue and education vs. forcing views on others
| Innocent AnimalsIt feels like we have lost the ability to respectfully disagree. This is occurring on the national and state level as evidenced by the increasingly partisan positions that our political leaders are taking, whether it be in the school furlough negotiations, or in the national health care debate. Even in debates where the people involved are actually close in their outlook and aims, often vitriol and bitter words are reserved for those who have the same general aims and outlook, but who differ in some of their views.
What's wrong with eating animals?
| Innocent AnimalsThis is the first in a series of weekly posts dedicated to our book club selections. Tune in every Tuesday to discuss the pressing issues raised by these authoritative and popular authors. Whether you have the time to read along with me or not, I'd love to hear your two cents. To pick up your copy of "Eating Animals" at amazon.com, follow the link at the end of the post.
Reply to a vegan
| Innocent AnimalsI received an email from a reader of our e-newsletter who expressed concerns about the way cows are treated by the dairy industry. This was in response to my CVO column about Hawaii's Fresh milk which we are selling.
URGENT! Tell the USDA you don't want GMO's by Feb. 16
| GMOsTell the USDA that you care about GMO contamination of organic food. The USDA believes that there is “no consumer evidence” that we care about genetically engineered food intermixing and contaminating organic food. They are about to deregulate GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers or the environment. This, despite the recent report by Nielsen, Co. that 'GMO-free' is the fastest-growing health and wellness claim among store brands, with sales of these items up 67 percent in 2009 to $60.2 million. [2] As usual, the USDA ignores these statistics.
Fish are vegetables?
This is an interesting one, our General Manager forwarded me an email announcing the launch of a new product, fish oil in a vegetarian capsule "making it ideal for fish eating vegetarians (pesco-vegetarians)". First I knew that fish were vegetables!
Another ground beef recall
| Health & WellnessIn current news Reuters [1] reports that, "Some 390 tons of ground beef produced by a California meat packer, some of it nearly two years ago, is being recalled for fear of potentially deadly E.
"Dentist's Chair" banned
Ok, so what exactly is a "dentist's chair" and why would it be banned? Good question. Does it mean that a way to ensure good oral hygiene has been found that avoids visits to the dentist? We wish. No, the "dentist's chair" that has been banned by the British government is something else.
What is Progress?: Lessons from Avatar
| Innocent AnimalsCaitlin Rose, my guest blogger, has sent me another thoughtful blog post based on the movie Avatar. Avatar is set to become the biggest grossing movie of all time, so it must be pretty good (I have not seen it). Caitlin's blog post follows:
Cow manure, a source of green energy
| Environment & SustainabilityThere is a growing trend to use cows as a solution for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Cow dung, or manure, is being used to provide electricity in Kansas, where cows outnumber people two to one. [1] In a demonstration project, manure from a cattle feedlot will be used to power 30 nearby homes. Over the course of a year, just one cow's manure contains the same amount of energy found in 140 gallons of gasoline. The manure can be turned into gasoline, or in other farmland states, chicken and turkey droppings are being directly burned in coal-fired plants.
Down to Earth free vegetarian nutrition seminar a big success
Down to Earth offered a very successful, well attended, and as always free vegetarian nutrition seminar last Saturday at our Honolulu Lifestyle Center.