Organic Change, Organic Life, Eco-Friendly Water

By GARANCE BURKE California regulators approved a pesticide Wednesday for use by fruit and vegetable growers despite heavy opposition from environmental and farmworker groups that cited its links to cancer. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation will register methyl iodide as a substitute for the pesticide methyl bromide, which is being phased out by international treaty because it depletes the Earth's protective ozone layer. California's $1.6 billion strawberry industry will undoubtedly provide one of the biggest markets for the chemical, as will the Central Valley's nut orchards and the fresh flower nurseries dotting the coast in Ventura and San Diego counties. The pesticide is included on California's official list of cancer-causing chemicals, and the department's own scientific advisory panel has raised concerns that it could poison the air and water. The agency tentatively approved its restricted use in April and Wednesday's decision made it final. Re...

Intestinal gas  is an embarrassing and annoying situation that many people experience on a regular basis. Gas and bloating is, perhaps, one of the main health concerns that human beings living in the Western world complain of. In fact, estimates show that with poor dietary habits we expel gas at least 14 times a day. That adds up to almost 4 pints of air daily! But, while these statistics may be the “norm,” it is certainly not a healthy balance. What can we do about all this excess air? Below is a list of a few of my favorite remedies for gas and bloating. 1. Organic Ginger Drinking ginger tea and eating fresh ginger root are two of the best remedies for gas. Add small amounts of ginger (both dried and fresh) to your food, as desired. You can also take a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger before meals for gas relief. 2. Organic Caraway Seeds Try adding more of this spice to your meals, particularly if they are the foods that are known to cause gas. Caraway seeds help ease gas, indiges...

The Good News: Growth of the Global Grassroots Dolores Hildalgo, Mexico - Sunday November 28  On a beautiful sunny afternoon several hundred campesinos and community activists have gathered in the Alameda or central park of Dolores Hildalgo, Guanajuato. People are assembled here today, in the high desert agricultural heartland of north central Mexico, waiting for the Via Campesina ("The Way of the Small Farmer") Caravan to arrive. Swapping stories, joking, and sharing homemade tamales and tortas (sandwiches) donated by local organic farmers and a natural food store and restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, none of us are surprised that the delegation traveling by buses from the northern state of Aquascalientes is an hour and a half late.   Standing in a semi-circle on the elevated gazebo in the center of the park, several dozen humbly-dressed community and indigenous leaders deliver short but impassioned descriptions of their organizations and their current work, concluding...

OCA and our allies have launched a new global campaign to raise awareness about the negative health and environmental effects of conventional and genetically engineered cotton and the institutionalized exploitation of clothing sweatshops. By uniting organic consumers, anti-genetic engineering activists, trade unionists, religious social justice advocates, progressives in the fashion & apparel industry, and the Fair Trade / anti-sweatshop communities into a potent force we can change the dynamics of the marketplace and fundamentally alter public policy. The Clothes for a Change Campaign Is Demanding that Major Clothing Retailers & Manufacturers: Stop using genetically engineered cotton. Start blending in certified organic or "transition to organic" cotton in their clothing. Guarantee that they meet independently verified Fair Labor (non-sweatshop) standards. Eliminate all production and export cotton subsidies in the U.S. and convert to Green subsidies for organic a...