Ask EcoGirl - Standing up for the EPA

Standing Up for the EPA

Dear EcoGirl: Some presidential candidates have said that, if elected, they’d abolish the EPA. Do you think that’s a good idea? Signed, Concerned Voter

Dear Concerned Voter: Thank you for your question. Well, generally I don’t comment on candidates during an election, because I want my eco-information to serve folks with a wide range of beliefs. However, I will comment on the environmental aspect of your question, because I want to encourage our support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a unique and crucial ally for protecting our health and well-being.

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Ask Eco Girl - December 2011

From Gratitude to Action

Some years ago, I celebrated Christmas Day with a small family at their beautiful Marin home, which I enjoyed.  However, during the gift-giving segment of the day, I was quietly astonished to see the two young boys rapidly opening their presents at the same time, devouring each one in a flurry of desire, an orgy of consumerism, until all that was left were random piles of wrapping paper, ribbons, toys, and children immobilized as if in a drunken stupor. Throughout this, the parents largely talked with each other, paying little attention to what gift had been given to which child and by whom.

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Ask Eco Girl - October 2011

Encouraging Sane Group Dynamics

Dear EcoGirl: I want to work with other folks on eco-issues, but community groups can be so fraught with difficult personal dynamics. Does it just have to be that way? Or how can we create more enjoyable and productive experiences? Signed, Agitated

Dear Agitated: Thanks for your great question. I too have wrestled with this issue, and certainly don’t have all the answers.

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Ask EcoGirl - August 2011

Reclaiming the Sun as Our Ally

Dear EcoGirl: I’m concerned about the evidence that climate change is increasing. How can I meet my energy needs in eco-friendly ways? Signed, Earth Lover

Dear Earth Lover: Thank you for your question. Yes, our culture’s use of
fossil fuels to generate energy is causing
extensive health and environmental harm, which we see in everything from escalating weather calamities to increasing illnesses to ongoing wars. Japan’s recent crisis also reminds us that nuclear power brings unacceptably high and uncontrollable threats to all life on earth.

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Ask Eco Girl - July 2011

Is There Hope for the Planet?

Dear EcoGirl: Seeing all the eco-crises in the world makes me feel discouraged. Is there really hope, or is an early death for the earth just inevitable? Signed, Disheartened

Dear Disheartened: Thanks for your great question, which I’m sure others share. My simple answer is that, yes, the situation is dire, but I also see reasons for hope and believe that better outcomes are always possible.

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Ask EcoGirl: Connecting with your EcoPassion

Dear EcoGirl: I’m wondering how I can include nurturing the earth in my New Year’s resolutions — and actually follow through with my good intentions! Signed, Procrastinator

Dear Procrastinator: Thank you for your great question. Yes, the new year often brings both the urge to make life changes and the discouraging inertia of old habits reasserting themselves.

So how do we actually convert our impulses into lasting new realities? For over 15 years, I’ve been exploring that question regarding eco-issues, because I feel that making new habits is a vital part of steering us away from eco-disaster.

Writers often motivate folks on these issues using fear and shame, but I feel that this soon becomes draining. Instead, I’ve been exploring ways to invite people to discover the fun, inspiration, and satisfaction that eco-action can bring.

So here are some specific approaches that I find more effective at eco-motivating both myself and others.

1)  Articulate your deeper reasons for acting for the earth. Let go of the guilt-based feeling that you “should” be doing more for the planet and replace it with an understanding of why you actually do care. Perhaps it’s because you savor the nourishment of being in nature, love the earth’s creatures, want a saner world for your children, or know that our survival depends on the planet. Centering in your personal motivations increases your odds of follow-through!

2)  Connect your eco-mission to your current personal or business goals. This is a quick and easy way to integrate eco-action into your life. Remember that whatever you care about really does depend on the earth’s well-being! Here are some example priorities and ways you might add eco-dimensions to them.

•  Money and work. Look for ways that eco-ideas can help you save or earn money. For example, you can bring eco-principles into your business to cut costs, create new markets, and better serve customers. Or you might trim household expenses by increasing your home’s energy efficiency. (Sonoma County’s SCEIP program can help with financing; see www.sonomacountyenergy.org.)

•  Health. Eco-information can offer you great techniques for improving your health. For instance, you might reduce toxics in your home, eat local and lower on the food chain, and take nature walks with family and friends.

•  Children. Parents and other caregivers can cultivate a lifelong love of nature in children, thus nurturing both the children’s individual lives and the earth they’ll inhabit. So look for ways to include kids in everyday eco-activities, from setting up a home recycling system to helping with a beach cleanup event.

•  Friends and social life. A fun way to bring more relationship vitality into your life is to connect with others who also love the earth. So consider checking out eco-events or volunteering your time and skills to support local nonprofits.

3)  Explore how eco-action can help you achieve your bigger-picture life objectives. For instance, it can help you:

•  Feel empowered instead of hopeless. Action truly is the best antidote for
despair. Some people only complain about the world and consider change impossible, but others roll up their sleeves and start making things better. I notice that hanging out with the latter folks really cheers me up!

• Increase your passion, creativity, and aliveness. Beyond our culture’s cynical boredom and busyness, there’s a world of people creating delightful new ideas, technologies, and projects for a better future. By learning about and supporting their work, you can find your own passion and creativity stirred.

•  Embody being a responsible and caring person. There’s something magical that happens when we actually walk our talk by treating the earth and other cultures with respect. It makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives! One wonderful resource to assist on this path is www.ARCworld.org, a network of world religions taking environmental action to preserve sacred creation.

So I hope that this gets you excited about the many ways you can joyfully integrate the earth into your everyday life. To get started, consider where you are now. What do you already do and care about, and how can you bring (more) eco-action into that? What do you want more of in your life and how can eco-ideas help with that? There are lots of ways to make a difference — and have fun doing it!

For more specific action ideas, see my column archive on my website. Also, I’m excited to announce that my helpful eco-booklets are now at Santa Rosa’s Community Market. For other locations, booklet titles, and ordering information, see  www.askecogirl.info/booklets.html.

© Patricia Dines 2011

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ASK ECOGIRL: Nurturing Holiday Green by Patricia Dines

Nurturing Authentic Holiday Green

Dear EcoGirl: I want to be eco-respectful this holiday season, but with so many companies claiming to be green, how do I choose products that are truly better for the earth? Signed, Confused


Dear Confused: Thank you for your great question. Yes, it’s been fascinating for me to watch over the years as green has been moved from the “wacky” fringes to the everyday mainstream.

On the one hand, it’s wonderful to see the increased participation that’s so essential to steer us away from destruction. However, this popularity has also attracted folks who slap on fake green façades and make it confusing for us to know how to really make a difference.

So here are some suggested ways you can take actions that really do serve our beautiful and precious earth, this holiday season and all year ’round.

How to Choose Truly Earth-Friendly Products
1) Look for products and services that indicate the specific green criteria they meet, with evidence. Look under the surface. Don’t just accept unsupported vagaries such as a nature scene on a label or the word “earth” in a brand name.
2) Learn the definitions of common eco-words, to know what they mean and don’t mean. Some words have strong legal definitions, such as “organic,” while others have no definition in law, such as “green” and “sustainable,” and thus mean different things to different people. Identify the criteria that are most important to you. You can learn more at www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels.
3) Recognize that no company or product in our modern world is completely ecological, because our culture is so complex and interwoven. Instead, items can be just more or less green, based on specific measures.
4) Go beyond buying replacement green products to greening your activities. For example, you might start by buying recycled paper towels, then later swap to reusable dish towels that avoid the waste of disposables

Ideas for Greening Your Holidays
• Look for authentically eco-gifts, including those that are energy-efficient, minimally-packaged, locally-made, sustainably-harvested, less-toxic, natural, organic, fair-trade, “previously-owned,” recycled, and recyclable. 

• Trim your giftee’s everyday eco-footprint and expenses. For instance, they might appreciate a refillable Thermos for coffee or tea (to replace Styrofoam cups); a battery charger and rechargeable batteries (to save the cost of new batteries and reduce toxic waste); cloth napkins (instead of paper ones); or a pretty cloth grocery bag (the best answer to the paper-or-plastic debate!).

• Support local organic food and wine, as gifts and at your events. This nurtures both our local eco-allies and healthier local ecosystems. Find leads at www.farmtrails.org.

• Buy less-toxic toys. See PIRG’s “Trouble In Toyland” toy safety survey, plus easy ways you can help keep toxics out of toys, at www.uspirg.org/issues/toy-safety. Also, speak up for the long-needed action finally being taken to reform our key federal toxics law, TSCA, at www.saferchemicals.org.

• Avoid cheap throwaway items. They’re inexpensive to buy because of our short-sighted economic system, but costly to the earth in resources extracted, energy used, and landfill space.

• Discard responsibly. Setup an easy system for guests to help recycle holiday trash. Also, recycle your old techno-toys, to keep toxics out of landfills and ecosystems. More recycling information is at www.recyclenow.org.

• Share your love of nature with others. Take nature walks and watch nature videos to learn about and be inspired by the beauty and vitality that are the foundation supporting all life on earth.

Finding Out More
You can explore more ideas for showing your affection for Mother Earth on my website, including past columns that can help you buy green on a budget, choose truly eco-gifts, reduce holiday waste, and savor eco-wine and bubbly.

I also invite you to give folks my “insanely useful” Ask EcoGirl booklets, titled Healthier Housekeeping and Detoxing Your Life. They’re an easy, affordable way to inform and nurture your loved ones. Quantity discounts are available, and all proceeds support my eco-work.

So I hope you find this information helpful, and that everyone has the very happiest of holiday seasons!

Become an Ask EcoGirl Facebook fan to show your support and receive my ongoing eco-information. See www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

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ASK ECOGIRL: Earth-Friendly Holiday Cheer by Patricia Dines

Dear EcoGirl: I’m planning my holiday gatherings and wondering if it really matters if I choose eco-wines. Also, how do I find ones that are tasty and truly benefit the earth? Signed, Holiday Sipper

Dear Sipper: Thanks for your great questions. Luckily, I can help! Because one of my self-sworn duties as an eco-writer is to check out our local organic food and wine offerings. Oh, how I suffer! So let’s walk through your questions:

1) Does it really matter if you buy an eco-wine? Absolutely! Folks often forget that wine is an agricultural product, just like food. Thus, growing wine grapes ecologically reduces the toxics in both our environment and our glass.
 
David Steinman, author of Diet for a Poisoned Planet, says that mainstream wine “has too many pesticides to qualify as a top-quality product.” He reports that multiple pesticide residues have been found in wines at high concentrations, and that wine drinkers report fewer headaches after going organic. (Of course, moderation still counts.)
 
2) Do quality eco-friendly wines exist? The answer is also an emphatic, Yes! In fact, winemakers often seek ecologically-grown grapes for their flavor.
 
Veronique Raskin of the Organic Wine Company, a Marin importer, says that she finds “a clear difference” with organic wine. “You feel the essence of the wine, the terroir,” she explains. “You have a much stronger experience of the country and the winemaker with organic wines than you do with other wines.”
 
3) OK, so how do you choose wines that are right for you and the planet? Understanding some key words can help.

For instance, what’s the difference between “organically-grown” and “organic” wines? Both are made with grapes grown using certified organic methods, but “organic” wines are also produced according to the organic winemaking standards of each country.

U.S. organic winemaking rules are different in that they disallow not only toxic processing aids but also the pure natural sulfur dioxide preservative permitted in international organic wines. Thus, some U.S. “organic” wines can have a shorter shelf life; ask producers for their storage advice. It also means that you’ll find fewer “organic” U.S. wines than “organically-grown”ones.

Another delightful option to consider is biodynamic wine, which has even higher standards than organic and can offer richly dimensional flavors.

However, be careful with two other eco-wine identifiers, “sustainable” and “natural,” because neither has a legal definition or regulation. Sometimes such wines use less-toxic growing or processing practices, but the specifics and commitment vary by producer.

4) So what are some of my favorite local eco-wines? My first choice for holiday bubbly is Jeriko Estate’s award-winning, organically-grown sparkling wine, one of the few from California. Hand-crafted and estate-grown, it tastes charmingly subtle and inspiring. www.jerikoestate.com, 707 744-1140

I’ve also enjoyed the luscious and complex organically-grown wines of Frog’s Leap Winery, produced in their 100% solar-operated facility. www.frogs leap.com, 707 963-4704, 800 959-4704

Another of my favorite wineries is Napa’s Robert Sinskey Vineyards. They use estate-sourced grapes that are both organically-grown and biodynamic, and they say that their winemaking is “driven by the fruit, with minimal manipulation.” Behind the scenes of their beautifully-dramatic tasting room, solar power helps run their winery, biodiesel powers their trucks and tractors, and sheep mow their cover crops. www.robertsinskey.com, 707 944-9090, 800 869-2030

Folks wanting a delicious natural wine, with no manipulation or additives including sulfites, can sample Coturri Winery’s full-bodied organically-grown selections. All are traditionally handcrafted in small lots and bottled by hand in Glen Ellen. www.coturriwinery.com, 707 525-9126

These and other luscious eco-wines are available in local stores or by mail order. Or enjoy a holiday tasting room visit, one benefit of our proximity to wine country.
 
You can find more eco-holiday ideas on my website. My past columns there can help you choose truly eco-gifts, buy on a budget, and reduce holiday waste. I also invite you to give folks my “insanely useful” Ask EcoGirl booklets, titled Healthier Housekeeping and Detoxing Your Life. They offer an easy and affordable way to inform and nurture your loved ones. Quantity discounts are available, and all proceeds support my eco-work. And I hope that everyone has the very happiest of holiday seasons!

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Ask EcoGirl: Preventing Future Oil Disasters

Dear EcoGirl: My heart is breaking watching the Gulf oil gusher. How can we help prevent such disasters in the future? Signed, Weeping

Dear Weeping: You're not alone in your response. Many of us are horrified at the unfolding Gulf devastation, and hope to never see anything like it again. Unfortunately, though, our demand for oil is pushing drilling into riskier regions, so we'll likely see increasing eco-calamities until we solve the underlying problems.

Certainly, the remedies start with holding BP accountable for its actions and improving drilling regulation. However, we also need to recognize that petroleum is inherently harmful to people and ecosystems throughout its life cycle.

And, since we all use petroleum in our lives and our society, we have a responsibility to help stop the damage.

But what can we do? My column last month offered tips for reducing our largest direct use of oil, passenger cars. (See www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl3j.html.)

This month, I'll explore how we can reduce our indirect oil use, and help steer our culture in a wiser direction.

Reducing Our Indirect Oil Impacts

Most consumer products require notable amounts of oil for their production, transport, and disposal. Here are some important ways to trim those impacts:

1) Prioritize local, natural, and durable products. Buying local reduces the fuel needed to transport goods; choosing natural avoids petroleum products, including plastics and petrochemicals; and getting durable items avoids disposables and better uses each product's eco-costs.

2) Buy less, reuse, and recycle, to cut our total oil consumption, get full benefit from the oil we do use, and lighten our net burden on the earth. (More about this is at www.storyofstuff.com.)

Encouraging Wiser Policies

In addition to individual action, we need to insist that our leaders constructively address the escalating eco-collapses that put all our lives at risk. Our current shared frustration can motivate us to make the vitally-needed large-scale changes, but only if we act quickly, intelligently, and in large enough numbers.

Many government actions are being suggested; here are three essential ones:

1) Rapidly ramp up renewable energy sources, while significantly cutting total energy usage to meet that smaller supply. The luxury of the oil age is ending, because of pollution and supply constraints. But we can minimize the pain of hitting these limits by proactively transitioning to wiser ways. We have the technology and community interest; we just need the commitment to change.

Note: This means solar and wind power, not "clean" coal (which isn't) or nuclear (which is too costly and hazardous).

2) Shift government subsidies from fossil fuels to clean energy. The U.S. oil and gas industry receives between $15 and $35 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies, according to Greenpeace. This helps keep oil prices artificially low, tilting our individual decisions towards self-harm. But, instead of funding our own demise, we can invest in our well-being, by adjusting what we reward.

3) Implement a cap-and-dividend program, so that the marketplace reflects the real costs of fossil fuels and we each have the funds to adapt. This approach makes much more sense than the easily-manipulated complexities of cap-and-trade. (See www.capanddividend.org.)

Learning the Key Lessons

To help nurture our cultural shift, I suggest we also receive and pass along these core lessons from this experience:

1) The environment is vital to our everyday survival, and when it's harmed, the ripples often travel far.

2) The expected eco-crises can happen suddenly and irreversibly; they won't necessarily be gradual or fixable.

3) Disaster prevention is cheaper, easier, and more effective than cleanup.

4) We'll all be living with the result of our collective eco-choices.

If we can integrate these insights into our everyday culture, perhaps this painful event can be the wake-up call our country finally hears. But if we keep delaying action, we'll increasingly feel as the Gulf folks do &emdash; desperate, hopeless, and angry about the lives and income lost because of our own foolish actions.

The real bottom line is that we can (and must) meet humanity's needs without disabling nature's precious life-giving ecosystems. We each can help create that better world by what we do today.

For more information and actions, see www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl3k.html.

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to EcoGirl@AskEcoGirl.info for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at www.AskEcoGirl.info.

You can also become a Facebook fan of "Ask EcoGirl", to show your support and stay in touch! Join at www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

"EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone."

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2010. All rights reserved.

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Ask EcoGirl: Reducing Our Transportation Footprint

Reducing Our Transportation Footprint

Dear EcoGirl: My heart is breaking as I watch the impacts of the Gulf oil gusher. How can I help reduce our country’s need to drill in such risky and sensitive ecological areas? Signed, Motivated

Dear Motivated: Yes, I’ve also been frustrated seeing the slow motion devastation of the Gulf’s ecosystems and livelihoods. Unfortunately, this is just one example of the many negative impacts that petroleum use inherently has on our health and the planet. Other harm includes ongoing leaks and spills, worker illness and fatalities, and destructive greenhouse gases causing major climate disruption. (More about this is at www.patriciadines.info/a_PPUproot09.html.)

It’s important for us to see that we’re not separate from this harm. The oil is being drilled to power our cars, make our consumer products, and transport our goods. While the U.S. has only 4% of the world’s population (and only 3% of proven oil reserves), we’re responsible for 25% of the world’s consumption.

Sadly, unless we change our path, these problems will get worse. Experts believe that our global oil supply has peaked, making it progressively harder to obtain sufficient supplies. Also, other nations reasonably aspire to our living standards, further increasing demand for oil and risking more dangerous drilling practices, power politics, price increases, global climate collapse, etc.

The good news is that we can relieve the demand pressure and reduce the harm by cutting our everyday oil use and supporting earth-friendly energy sources. We can create a happier future by shifting from “business as usual.” Let’s use this pain to inspire meaningful action!

Cutting Our Direct Oil Impacts

Passenger cars comprise 40% of U.S. oil use, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, so that’s a good place to start reducing. Here’s some ideas how:

1) Buy a new car? Often the first suggestion we hear is to buy a hybrid. And, if you’re already buying a car, certainly choose a high mileage one, including some hybrids. (Car gas mileage information is at www.fueleconomy.gov.) Also consider an electric car; they should become increasingly available. (Note: The “e-car” strategy must also include greening the U.S. power supply, which is currently half coal, another eco-destroyer.)

2) Reduce the impacts of your current car. (This is usually cheaper and more ecological than buying a new one.) To do this, you can:

• Improve your car’s mileage. For instance, keep your tires filled and engine tuned, avoid idling over 30 seconds, and remove extra weight from your trunk. (More ideas are at www.fueleconomy.gov.)

• Cut your travel miles by combining errands and carpooling to school, work, and events. Carpooling lets you share the driving load, enjoy connecting with others — and use the carpool lane! Plus, if you trim enough miles, you could get a low-mileage insurance discount. Look for carpool buddies at www.511.org.

• Get to know your public transit system, to lower car maintenance costs and transform tense driving time into a chance to relax, read, and connect with new folks. It’s also vital that we support this system, given today’s government cutbacks. To get started, see my column at www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl2f.html.

• Integrate non-car transportation into your regular schedule. For example, once a week take the bus, bike, or walk to work or school. Biking and walking are also great for your health!

• Minimize your commute distance when you get a new job or move to a new house. Also explore doing some work from home, even just a few days a week, to cut car expenses and free up time for family and other pursuits.

• Trim your work travel, by taking just essential business trips and only holding key group meetings. Explore options such as teleconferencing.

• Encourage others to reduce their transportation impacts. For instance, support carpooling to your next event with an online bulletin board. Or setup a reward program for employees who take non-car options to work.

• Reduce your vacation fuel use. Travel to and at your destination using public transit, bikes, or an eco-rental car. Look for a vacation spot with on-site amenities to minimize driving. Also consider vacationing near home. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the treasures we have, but we’re often too busy to enjoy them. Staying locally also minimizes hassles and expense.

In next month’s column, I’ll discuss ways to reduce our indirect oil use — and how we can use this disaster to help make truly wise policy for the future.

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Ask EcoGirl: Greening Medicine

GREENING MEDICINE

Dear EcoGirl: Thank you for your recent column, "Eco-Remedies for Our Health Care Crisis." Could you say more about the specific ways that we can use environmental knowledge to help care for people and the planet? Signed, A Motivated Healer

Dear Motivated Healer: Thanks for your great question!


Three Key Eco-Objectives

Amidst all the fiery debates about who should pay for health care costs, a more essential question can get lost: How to trim costs (and heartache) by reducing the rates of disease. A vital but often overlooked way to accomplish that goal is for all of us to embrace and prioritize these three key eco-objectives:

1) Drastically reduce our individual and shared exposure to toxics and pollutants. Compelling evidence demonstrates that millions of people annually are being made seriously ill from these materials. We need to "just say no" to involuntary poisoning.

2) Emphasize an eco-healthy diet, both in our lives and our hospitals (please!). We receive the highest nutrition and lowest toxicity by eating food that's fresh, whole, organic, and low on the food chain. Organic agriculture also proves that we can grow our food without poisoning our air and water.

3) Integrate earth-friendly traditional healing as an equal partner with modern medicine. Traditional modalities treat the body and earth gently, reducing the negative impacts on both. These approaches are often better at identifying and adjusting health imbalances early, when they're easier, cheaper, and less traumatic to treat.

Assess Your Priorities

To identify your next desired actions in each of the above areas, ask yourself:

1) "How much do I know about the problems and solutions in each arena?"

2) "How much have I implemented the related solutions in my personal and professional life?", and

3) "How much am I supporting community-level action in these arenas?"

As you consider your answers, notice the issues to which you feel especially drawn. This will help you choose actions most connected to your passions and priorities. Many resources exist to help you find out more, including my past columns at www.askecogirl.info.

Pharms in the Water

Both patients and health professionals can reduce medicine's eco-impacts by disposing of pharmaceuticals properly and using them only when necessary.

While pharmaceuticals can help treat disease, they can also bring negative side effects to patients, and harm wildlife and water supplies through disposal and excretion. Most sewage and water treatment facilities aren't designed to remove these materials.

Actions you can take:

• Dispose of leftover pharmaceuticals responsibly, not in the trash or drain. Local dropoff information is at www.scwa safemeds.org or call 547-1900. Or bring them to the Household Toxics Facility (www.recyclenow.org, 565-3375).

• Minimize your pharmaceutical intake. If you're prescribed a new drug, consider getting a second opinion. Buy drugs in small quantities to limit leftovers. Don't pressure your doctor for medications they're not recommending.

• Doctors can help by prescribing only the amount needed and learning which drugs have the highest eco-toxicity.

• Explore non-pharmaceutical approaches to nurturing your health and addressing problems. Discuss options (such as herbs, acupuncture, and lifestyle changes) with a health care professional experienced with these options. Traditional remedies are often cheaper, more effective, and lower in risk than more drastic measures later on.

For more information about reducing pharmaceutical waste, see www.epa.gov/ppcp and the Teleosis Institute's Green Pharmacy Program (www.teleosis.org, (510) 558-7285).

Greening Operations

Health professionals can also help protect both the earth and our health by avoiding mercury medical devices and not burning waste. This prevents dispersal of toxic mercury, lead, and dioxin into our shared air, water, and food.

Operations staff can make medical facilities healthier for both patients and workers by avoiding toxic cleaners and pesticides, building and remodeling with non-toxic and eco-materials, and serving fresh nutritious organic food instead of depleted mainstream food.

For more about greening medicine, check out Health Care Without Harm (www.noharm.org).

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at .

You can also become a Facebook fan of "Ask EcoGirl", to show your support and stay in touch! Join at www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

"EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone."

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2010. All rights reserved.

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Ask EcoGirl: Eco-Remedies for Our Health Care Crisis

Dear EcoGirl: The health care crisis is such a timely topic right now. Can an environmental perspective help provide solutions?

Signed, A Health Advocate

Dear Health Advocate: Ah, what a great question. Yes, I’ve been amazed that, amidst all the fierce health care debates, the environmental dimension is still largely being ignored, even given the clear connections between our high illness rates and exposure to environmental pollutants and everyday toxics.

Unfortunately, I feel that neglecting this issue has been a key reason that illness and medical costs have been escalating beyond what our culture can afford. However, addressing this harm can help us produce our much-needed breakthroughs in reducing both illness and health care expenses.

The Vital Link Between the Environment & Our Health
A key remedy then is for our mainstream health care system to embrace, in both policy and patient care, these essential truths connecting the environment and our shared health.

1) The environment is not “out there” but intimate with our bodies. It’s the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the products we buy, and the surfaces we touch everywhere in our lives. All the toxics and pollutants that our culture produces travel around the globe, harming people and the planet along the way — including us.

2) Humanity’s pollutants are consistently found in everyone’s bodies, no matter how clean our lifestyle. Did we really imagine that we could pollute the earth and not poison ourselves?

3) Everyday toxics are contributing significantly to high rates of common diseases.
A study by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families (SCHF, www.safer chemicals.org) estimates that toxic chemicals cause 30% of childhood asthma cases, 10% of diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, and 5% of childhood cancer. Chronic diseases such as these affect half our population, generating 75% of health care costs and 70% of deaths.

4) Modest changes could drastically cut illness and costs. The Milken Institute estimates that small environmental and behavioral changes could cut 40 million chronic illness cases by 2023. SCHF calculates that trimming just 0.1% from medical costs would save $5 bilbillion a year. Pam Palitz of Environment California says, “Good chemical reform policy is good fiscal policy. We literally cannot afford the status quo when it comes to toxic chemical exposure.”

True Prevention
When today’s medical system talks about prevention, it usually just means early detection. However, health professionals and individuals can help millions of people actually avoid disease by taking committed action towards these three key eco-objectives.

1) Drastically reduce our individual and shared exposure to toxics and pollutants.
There are many effective (and often cheaper) ways to meet our needs at home, work, and play, without poisoning ourselves, our families, other creatures, and water supplies. (See my past columns for tips plus Health Care Without Harm, http://www.noharm.org/).

It’s also important to take community level action, such as improving toxics laws (see my Nov. 2009 column), encouraging cleaner manufacturing and energy production (including phasing out coal and nuclear power), and supporting health groups that address environmental factors (such as Breast Cancer Action, http://www.bcaction.org/).

2) Prioritize an eco-healthy diet, both in our lives and our hospitals (please!).
Much of what nurtures a healthy environment also nourishes individual health, including eating fresh whole foods, low on the food chain, and organic. Most mainstream food has been depleted and polluted by toxic farming practices. Studies show that choosing organic notably reduces dietary and environmental toxics, increases nutrients, and encourages less-toxic agriculture.

3) Integrate earth-friendly traditional healing as an equal partner. A wide variety of traditional natural modalities have been proven over generations to skillfully assess and adjust body imbalances early, with little or no side effects to ourselves or the planet. This gracefully maintains our wellness at a much lower cost, while avoiding pharmaceuticals’ harm to our environment and water supplies. For more about integrating Western and traditional approaches, plus other key system reforms, see Dr. Weil’s book Why Our Health Matters. I hope that these ideas inspire you to help heal our medical system by reweaving it with the earth again.

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at http://www.askecogirl.info/.

Your can also become a Facebook fan of "Ask EcoGirl", to show your support and stay in touch! Join at www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

"EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone."

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2010. All rights reserved.

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Ask EcoGirl:Sharing your Eco Love

Dear EcoGirl: This Valentine's Day, how can I express my love for both my sweetie and the planet? Signed, An Ardent Eco-Suitor

Dear Ardent: Ah, love, love. And, luckily in this modern era, we can celebrate not just the delights of romantic love, but also our affection and appreciation for our friends, pets, wildlife, community and certainly all life on earth.

So, yes, here are some easy ways you can eco-upgrade your amorous expressions, embodying your values while revealing that oh-so-attractive eco-awareness that so many beloveds admire.

Chocolate kisses

Chocolate, one of our favorite indulgences, also unfortunately (like so many mainstream foods) is often produced in ways that harm people and the planet.

For example, most cacao beans (chocolate's foundation) are grown using toxic pesticides in tropical locales where rainforests were cleared to create monoculture plantations that no longer offer shade habitat to migratory songbirds and other wildlife. Plus, workers typically labor in dangerous conditions for inadequate wages.

Luckily, we have options that are eco-wiser, healthier for workers, and even tastier! So, after you learn your giftee's preferences (e.g., milk chocolate or dark, dietary restrictions, etc.), head to your local health food store and choose from their earth-friendly selection of organic, fair trade, and vegan varieties. Here are two that I recommend:

• Shaman Chocolates. My personal favorite is dark chocolate with raspberries, and all varieties are organic, fair trade, and support the cultural survival of Mexico's indigenous Huichol people. These shamanic natives have long considered chocolate sacred, using it in ceremonies "to show their love for Mother Earth." How cool is that? Look at the store or see www.shamanchocolates.com.

• Sjaaks Organic Chocolates. This local organic fair trade chocolate (made in Eureka) comes in various forms, including bars, truffles, hearts, boxes, and holiday packaging. They even have vegan choices! You can buy Sjaaks in stores, online, and at their Petaluma warehouse (by appointment). More information is at www.sjaaks.com, 775-2434.

Rose blossoms

OK, so now on to the other half of this famed heart duo, roses. But certainly flowers are natural, right? Well, sadly, while they start out that way, they're often doused with toxic pesticides during growing and shipping, and regulations are less-protective than for food.

I discovered this personally many years ago, when a suitor's lovely bouquet gave me terrible headaches, and I reluctantly had to banish it to the porch, only to be viewed from afar.

Of course, whatever toxic dose I received, the workers must've risked worse, and indeed most of our cut flowers come from countries such as Columbia and China where workers have their health compromised by toxics while earning low wages and receiving scant worker protection. Yuck, who wants to encourage that? Plus pesticides are indeed found on the flowers, making them smell much less sweet.

So look for eco-flower options, starting with organic roses, at your health food store or online. See for instance pioneer Organic Bouquet, www.organicbouquet.com, or www.californiaorganicflowers.com.

You'll also see other flower labels touting ecological claims, but look carefully at their specifics. Do they actually say "no toxics allowed"? And do they have third-party certification? For example, VeriFlora and Whole Trade labels speak about the environment and workers, and perhaps they're an improvement, but they don't have strong statements about avoiding toxics. That's why I value, and encourage you to first support, the solid and clear commitments of the organic standard.

For an engaging article about workers in industrial versus organic flower operations, check out http://audubonmagazine.org/features0801/organics.html.

And beyond

From here, who knows where your eco-gifting imagination might go? Perhaps an organic potted flower will fit your vision, say from Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery (www.harmonyfarm.com, 823-1925). Or a romantic meal featuring organic local cuisine. And a walk in nature's freshness can help spark that vibrant snuggly togetherness. (More gift ideas are on my website.)

And, along the way, I encourage you to savor the joy that comes from nurturing that which nourishes us all in oh so many ways.

============================

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at http://www.askecogirl.info/.

Your can also become a Facebook fan of "Ask EcoGirl", to show your support and stay in touch! Join at www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

"EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone."

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2010. All rights reserved.

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Ask EcoGirl - Patricia Dines on Greening Your Resolutions

Dear EcoGirl: How can I include the earth in my New Year's resolutions?

Signed, Making a Plan

Dear Making a Plan: Thank you for your question. Yes, the new year offers us a handy time to step back and identify the changes we want to make in our lives. And it's smart to include caring for the earth among our intentions, because (1) the planet's well-being is key to our survival and the foundation of all we do; and (2) aligning with the earth can help us save money, be healthier, connect with others, and have more fun!

Here some example ways that you can eco-charge your New Year's resolutions. More about these and other useful actions is at www.askecogirl.info.

Resolution: Improve Your Health & Diet
Strategy: What's good for your body is often also good for the planet. Eating fresh whole local organic foods and less meat can help you lose weight, have more energy, avoid disease, and save money. Plus you'll reduce the eco-impacts of pesticides, packaging, industrial agriculture, and food transportation.
Action ideas:
• Explore recipes that get you excited about cooking from scratch with fresh produce and whole grains. You'll soon prefer it to processed products!
• Buy organic foods, to enjoy truly tasty and nutritious goodies grown without toxics. Organic is affordable when you buy direct and lower on the food chain. It's especially important to feed children organic, to reduce their exposure to toxics that can harm their development.
• Plan outings to local farms and farmers' markets. This trims food miles while helping local farms survive. Choose organic farms to reduce local toxics.
• Shop regularly at your local farmers' markets, or sign up for a farm CSA subscription, then savor your steady stream of farm-fresh delights.
• Plant an organic garden, to enjoy tasty healthy food that further trims your food miles.
• Designate one day a week or month as a vegetarian or vegan day, to reduce your livestock eco-impacts. (If you buy meat, choose organic from small farms.)
• Take walks in nature, alone or with others, for exercise that nurtures body, heart, and soul. Bring children along to encourage nature as their lifelong ally.

Resolution: Cut Home Energy Costs & Pollution
Strategy: Trimming home energy use saves money while reducing energy-related pollution and greenhouse gases.
Action ideas:
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically lower heating costs while you're at work or school.
• Get a home energy audit, to identify your best opportunities for cutting energy waste and increasing efficiency. You can avoid up-front improvement costs with funding options such as SCEIP (www.sonomacounty energy.org).
• Consider solar power, after improving your home's efficiency, to reduce your use of polluting fossil fuels.

Resolution: Trim Driving Miles & Costs
Strategy: By cutting your driving miles, you can reduce your car expenses and pollution without buying a new car, plus often enhance relationships and integrate more exercise into your routine.
Action ideas:
• Seek carpool buddies for your trips to work, school, and more.
• Add public transit to your schedule. Get information on your local system and start by exploring a simple route.
• Designate one day a week or month as your "alternative commute day" and get to work or school by walking, biking, or taking public transit.

Resolution: Act at the Community Level
Strategy: By joining our efforts with others, we can help create the community-level changes needed to ensure that both we and the earth flourish.
Action ideas:
• Regularly contribute to groups you value. In addition to donating money, consider offering your time and skills, even for just a few hours monthly. You'll feel good connecting with like-minded souls and being part of the solution.
• Educate yourself and take action on eco-issues. E-mail lists from nonprofits can make that easier.
• Encourage your workplace and church groups to take eco-actions.

I hope these ideas help you enjoy the fun of turning our current challenges into opportunities for a better future!

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns.

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Trimming Your Holiday Waste - from EcoGirl

Trimming Your Holiday Waste

By Patricia Dines
Published in the Sonoma County Gazette, December 2009
(c) Patricia Dines, 2009. All rights reserved.

Dear EcoGirl: How can our family reduce the trash we generate during the holidays?
Signed, Overflowing

Dear Overflowing: Thanks for your great question. Yes, America's waste stream is 25% higher between Thanksgiving and New Year's, so this is a vital and fruitful time for us to cut back.
Did you know that since 2005 Sonoma County has been hauling 6,000 tons of garbage weekly to out-of-county sites? The recent and ongoing drama over how to reopen our county's dump is just one example of the many problems we can avoid by creating less trash.


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The easiest way to trim your trash (and overall eco-impact) is to practice the 3 Rs in everything you do.

So remember: Reduce what you buy, Reuse/Repair what you can, then Recycle responsibly. Also buy recycled and used items to complete the loop and support the reuse market.

Seasonal Tips
Here are some specific ways you can cut your holiday waste.

Entertaining & food
• Buy a potted Christmas tree. After the holidays are done, you can plant it outside to enhance your property.

• Label your recycling container with what goes in there, so that guests can help recycle and lighten your load.

• Buy food from bulk bins to reduce packaging waste, save money, and get only what you need.

• Set your table with washable plates, cups, silverware, and napkins. If you use plastics, wash them for later reuse.

• Compost food scraps in your home pile or via your green can. Most foods can go in, except meat, bones, cheese, and oil. Don't put in plastic or bio-bags.

Greeting cards

• Choose recycled paper cards. Avoid glitter and foil, as these aren't recyclable.

• Create unique and personalized cards by cutting images from magazines or last year's cards, then pasting them onto blank cards. Even add embellishments!

• Email online "e-cards" when possible.

Gift giving

• Offer experiences rather than products, such as: A massage gift certificate, a pre-paid class registration, theater tickets, a coupon for babysitting, cookie-making lessons, or a day helping clean out the garage.

• Bring your own bag for shopping, or accumulate purchases into one bag.

• Buy gifts that are: Durable, minimally packaged, used, recycled, and recyclable. Also help your giftees trim waste by giving them a commuting mug, battery recharger, or attractive cloth bag.

Gift wrapping

• Buy wrapping paper that's recycled and chlorine-free. Avoid metallics as they can't be recycled.

• Purchase and reuse holiday-themed cloth and paper gift bags.

• Reuse ribbon and bows; most can't be recycled.

• Wrap creatively, for instance with magazines, comics, sports pages, maps, fabrics, even paper bags. Kids can help decorate with stamps and drawings. Tie packages and bags with compostable raffia, twine, twigs, leaves, or flowers.

• Choose wrapping alternatives. For instance, tie sewing supplies with measuring tape, wrap kitchen utensils in a kitchen towel, and gather bath treats in a pretty storage basket.

After the festivities

• Save wrapping paper, ribbons, and cards for reuse next year.

• Recycle foam "peanuts" at a private mail center.

• Drop unneeded shopping bags at a thrift store for reuse.

• Recycle non-metallic holiday cards and wrapping paper in your blue recycling can, along with glass, cans, cardboard, paper, and most plastic.

• Put your Christmas tree in the green can, after removing decorations and cutting it to fit fully inside. Or call the Eco-Desk (565-3375) for more about their tree recycling options during the first half of January.

• Donate old toys, clothes, and more, to brighten someone's day while making better use of the embedded resource costs. Quality discards can go to a consignment store, netting a little cash.

• Donate and recycle electronic items, including phones, computers, TVs, and other gadgets. Keep these out of the trash as their toxics leach from landfills and poison people, wildlife, and ecosystems. A great place to donate is the Computer Recycling Center (Santa Rosa, www.crc.org, 570-1600). You can also recycle through some curbside services and household toxics centers.

For more information

• Sonoma County Eco-Desk. Find local recycling, donation, and disposal details on their website and the recycling section of the AT&T Yellow Pages (under "R"). www.recyclenow.org, 565-3375

• Book: Choose to Reuse, by Nikki & David Goldbeck. Wonderful ideas and resources for repair and reuse.

• Online: The Story of Stuff. This popular video engagingly illuminates the eco-cost built into every product we buy, inspiring responsible action. Share it with friends! www.storyofstuff.com

• Projects: Zero waste. Encourage cultural redesign that avoids waste by designing materials either for reuse or to harmlessly return to the earth. www. crra.com/grc/articles/zwc.html

• My online copy of this article has more tips and specifics for reducing waste, giving green gifts, finding used goods locally, consigning items locally, and composting at home. www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl3d.html.

I hope these ideas help you walk gently on the earth this holiday season.

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at
Your can also become a Facebook fan of "Ask EcoGirl", to show your support and stay in touch! Join at www.facebook.com/AskEcoGirl.

"EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone."
© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2009. All rights reserved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
OTHER WEBSITES OF INTEREST
Environmental activists seek green Black Friday, Nov. 27, 2009
http://networkedblogs.com/p19256648

A recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report found that nonfood products and packaging are associated with 37 percent of America's greenhouse gas emissions - making them the largest source of greenhouse gases. A similar analysis by PPI puts that number closer to 44 percent when the emissions used to produce imported products are included.
Waste stats, http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html

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What Does Green Mean? Ask EcoGirl Patricia Dines

Dear EcoGirl: With so many companies claiming to be green nowadays, does this word even mean anything any more? How do I know which actions really make a difference for the planet? Signed, Greenwashed

Dear Greenwashed: Congratulations for wanting to help steer our culture in a truly positive eco-direction.

And, yes, while it’s great that earth values have become more popular, it does mean that we need to look beneath claims to recognize the more committed offerings and effective approaches. Here are some tips on how you can do this.

Ways to be Wisely Green
1) Understand the criteria underneath a product’s green claims. What are the specifics? How do these elements compare with others in the same category? Common valuable criteria include: organic, less-toxic, biodegradable, used, recycled, recyclable, energy-efficient, natural, durable, minimally-packaged, locally-made, and sustainably-harvested.

2) Learn the eco-labels. While eco-terms do help us make purchase decisions, the quality of their definitions and enforcement does vary. So, for instance, “organic” food has a strong definition and is enforced by law with third-party verification. Other terms, such as “natural,” generally don’t have legally-backed specifics so you’ll need to look further to clarify the producer’s meaning. Discover more about these labels at www.eco-labels.org.

3) Green your activities beyond products. While a particular product might be greener within its category (e.g., recycled paper towels), an even more earth-nurturing choice might to shift to a different approach (e.g., from disposable to reusable products).

Similarly, while it’s great to include green features if you’re already building a new house, the greener choice is usually to improve an existing home instead, thus leveraging the eco-investments already paid. (For great ideas on this, check out Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House. Also, see the green building criteria at www.usgbc.org.)

And, if you need to buy a car anyway, certainly choose one with higher fuel efficiency. However, you don’t need to buy a new vehicle to reduce your impact. You can save the financial and eco-costs of a new car by looking for ways to reduce the miles you travel in your current car — for instance, by grouping errands together, carpooling, living closer to work, or adding some biking or public transit to your transportation routine.

4) Be guided by “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” This handy mantra helps us address the core problem in our cumulative activities: we’re outstripping the earth’s capacity in the materials we take and the waste and pollution we return. By reducing our consumption throughput, we lower the impacts at all phases of production, including mining, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. We can also often save money and declutter our lives as well!

Therefore, look for ways to reduce what you buy, buy just what you need, and prioritize durable over cheap products. Minimize packaging by buying in bulk. Reuse by buying other people’s used items and selling or donating your own, thus making fuller use of each product’s eco-costs. Seek to repair or update items before discarding them. And, when a product’s usefulness is done, recycle it properly, thus offering the raw materials for new products. See how close to zero waste you can get in your life!

5) Be committed, not perfect. Taking action doesn’t mean that we have to do everything all at once; it’s OK to balance your choices with other priorities. Still, let the urgency of the earth’s current situation motivate you to keep finding opportunities to move in a greener direction.

6) Have fun. Eco-action doesn’t have to be about fear or suffering. Being part of the solution and aligning with the earth’s ways can bring you increased joy, creativity, and personal expression. Constructive action is the antidote to despair!

Make a game out of finding ways to protect the earth’s ecosystems and resources. As more and more of us do this, we’ll see the future become brighter for our children and all creatures on earth.

For more specifics on these ideas, see my other columns at www.askecogirl.info.

Email your questions about going green to (EcoGirl@AskEcoGirl.info) for possible inclusion in future columns. Also see “Ask EcoGirl” on Facebook!

“EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone.”

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Being a Smart Organic Consumer

Dear EcoGirl: I’m a newbie to organic foods, after finding out about my son’s food allergies. How do I know which companies are really upholding organic standards? Also, what does it mean when a product calls itself organic but has no USDA certified seal?
Signed, A Nurturing Mom

Dear A Nurturing Mom: Thank you for your interest in organic. This is an issue that’s personally important to me. I was made ill many years ago by a neighboring farmer’s pesticide spray. This led me to discover just how much harm these toxics do to our health and ecosystems, costing us all physically, emotionally, and financially.

So I’m grateful to have the option of organic — to reduce our toxic load, savor healthy delicious food, and encourage farmers to collaborate with nature again. Organic was created by countless grassroots farmers, consumers, and activists, and its success demonstrates our ability to collectively change the world.

I do also encourage folks to learn more about organic’s rules, to help make informed consumer purchases. Here are some basics to get you started.

Understanding Organic’s Rules

1) Organic food standards are written into law. Unlike other common eco-claims (such as green, natural, and sustainable), organic food specifics are legally defined and enforceable. So any food labeled organic in the U.S. must be grown, processed, and labeled according to USDA standards. This includes third-party certification of growing practices, including no use of toxic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, irradiation, or sewage sludge. (Small farmers selling under $5,000 a year are exempt from certification; their materials can’t be called organic in another’s product.)

Legally defining organic helps assure consumers of the methods used, so that we can know what we’re buying and supporting.

2) Organic produce is easy. Sometimes, in the debate about organic’s details, the bigger picture can get lost. For instance, the standards for organic produce are pretty straightforward and reliable: products need to be grown organically. Period.

3) Organic processed foods get more complicated. Because packaged products often include both organic and non-organic ingredients, they’re grouped into these categories:
• “100% Organic”: All ingredients (except water and salt) must be organically-produced.
• “Organic”: At least 95% of ingredients must be organically-produced. The other 5% can only contain items from the National List, with strict criteria including no GMOs.
• “Made with Organic Ingredients”: At least 70% of ingredients must be organic, with limits on the other ingredients including no GMOs.
• Ingredients list only: For products with less than 70% organic ingredients.

My way of quickly assessing a product is to see if there’s an organic percentage on the front, then read the ingredients label to see what’s organic. The “USDA Organic” seal is allowed only for the first two categories, but is optional.

Note: The 95% category was created to allow ingredients such as processing agents that are considered essential but not available organically. However, I feel that calling the resulting product “organic” is what creates most of the confusion and controversy in this arena. I’d like to see these items simply specify the organic percentage instead. For now, just be aware of this wrinkle.

4) Non-agricultural products jump on the bandwagon. With organic food’s popularity, other product types want to be called organic too. Unfortunately, the regulation hasn’t always caught up with these uses. For instance, organic has been defined for natural clothing fibers, but only in some cases for body care products. (For more regulation specifics, see www.ams.usda.gov/nop.)

Also note that fish and seafood have no legal organic standard. Guidelines have been proposed but called inadequate by consumer and environmental groups. So these items can be labeled organic, but it’s not tied to any official standard. (More on this is at http://littleurl.net/3f0cca.)

So, there you have it, an outline of organic’s essential rules. I encourage you to both buy organic and help it continue to evolve wisely. Through this, we can help nurture healthier lives for all. Believe me, farmers and businesses are watching our economic votes! (For more organic buying tips, plus other eco-shopping criteria, see the web version of this article at www.askecogirl.info.)

Email your questions about going green to (EcoGirl@AskEcoGirl.info) for possible inclusion in future columns. Also see “Ask EcoGirl” on Facebook!

“EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone.”

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2009. All rights reserved.

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Ask EcoGirl: Remaking the EPA

Remaking the EPA

Dear EcoGirl: The EPA too often seems to put corporate interests over its mission to protect the environment. Will President Obama’s EPA really be any better? Signed, Skeptical

Dear Skeptical: Thank you for your question. The short answer is — yes, I think that real improvement is possible, if we help.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has indeed been seriously compromised by the Bush administration. Thus, many environmental observers were delighted when candidate Barack Obama said that, in his EPA, “the principle of scientific integrity will be an absolute, and I will never sanction any attempt to subvert the work of scientists.” President Obama’s choice for EPA head, Lisa Jackson, affirmed this commitment in her introductory letter to staff, pledging to “uphold the values of scientific integrity, rule of law, and transparency every day.”

Those heartened by this change in direction include the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which for years has been drawing attention to the Bush administration’s “pattern of suppression, manipulation, and distortion of federal science” in order to advance predetermined policy objectives. This, says the UCS, has significantly hindered policymakers in making informed decisions, decreased agency effectiveness, threatened our ability to respond to our nation’s challenges, risked “demoralizing the federal scientific workforce,” and made “our government less accountable to the citizens it is supposed to serve.”

Among the countless decisions compromised was the EPA’s shocking choice not to set federal limits on toxic perchlorate levels in drinking water. It did this over the objections of its own scientists, removing from its report key scientific evidence of the reasons for concern. (I discuss this topic more in “Toxics & The Thyroid” at www.healthyworld.org/thyroid.html)

So it’s a relief to hear the EPA’s Jackson now call science the “backbone” of the agency’s programs, and speak her commitment to view data objectively and disclose the information supporting their conclusions. She outlined her five priority goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, managing chemical risks, cleaning up hazardous waste sites, and protecting America’s water. She added, “These challenges are indeed immense in scale and urgency. But, as President Obama said [on Inauguration Day], they will be met.” (More about her staff letter is at www.ombwatch.org/node/9639

However, for that promise to be fulfilled, we citizens need to insist on its implementation, because ahead surely lie the pitfalls of vested financial interests, competing budget priorities, and bureaucratic inertia. We need to empower their ability to act.

I was encouraged by one detail I uncovered. It turns out that Jackson in her previous job (head of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection) did support a five parts per billion perchlorate standard, which is within the National Academy of Science’s recommendations.

What You Can Do
I encourage you to learn more about the proposed improvements, then speak for the ones you value, either through the groups taking action or directly to President Obama at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. Also support the non-profits that inform us and coalesce our voices.

Here are some places to start.

• Union of Concerned Scientists. For UCS’s detailed recommendations (based on interviews with EPA scientists), and ways to join their efforts, see www.ucsusa.org/scientific_ integrity

• Pesticide Action Network (PAN). This international group, which works for global reduction of pesticide use, has submitted recommendations endorsed by nearly 100 organizations and thousands of individuals. Its top priorities include scientific integrity, transparency, accountability, public and environmental health, and a green and fair economy. View it and sign on at http://www.panna.org/agenda-for-change

• The Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals. Signed by 70 groups, including PAN, this community-created declaration calls for government leadership in key areas of chemical policy, including restoring scientific integrity in chemical regulation, adopting the precautionary principle to ensure product safety before going to market, and increasing transparency in decision-making. www.louisvillecharter.org

As President Obama said election night, this moment “is not the change we seek; it is only the chance for us to make that change.” We need to take action for the possibilities to become real. But, because these vital intentions are being spoken at government’s highest levels, positive results become more possible and our efforts more effective. What a wonderful time to allow ourselves a glimmer of hope, then join with others in creating a better world. We certainly wouldn’t want to waste this opportunity, then wonder, “What if…?”

Email your questions about going green to (EcoGirl@AskEcoGirl.info) for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at www.AskEcoGirl.info.

“EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone.”

© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2009. All rights reserved.

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ASK ECO GIRL: Pursuing Your Green Job Dreams

Pursuing Your Green Job Dreams

Dear EcoGirl: I want to get a green job, so that my work can help nurture the planet’s well-being. Where do I start? Signed, Job Seeker

Dear Job Seeker: Thank you for your question. Yes, greening our work activities is a vital way for us to be part of the solution. So, it’s wonderful to see eco-jobs being increasingly discussed in books, magazines, websites, courses, and conferences.

Even President Obama’s proposed economic stimulus plan includes provisions for creating green jobs, and encouraging a clean-energy economy, by investing in renewable energy, efficiency, public transit, and the like.

This combination of ecological, economic, and employment objectives has been championed for years by grassroots activists, such as the Apollo Alliance (www.apolloalliance.org) and Van Jones, president of Green for All and author of The Green Collar Economy.

Through this approach, we can address multiple problems at once — reducing fossil fuel use (thus trimming greenhouse gasses and health-harming pollutants); generating good jobs (hence lowering poverty rates and encouraging economic equity); and even saving money.

However, to achieve these outcomes, we need to pay attention to the details. For instance, with so many folks wanting to seem ecological, it’s vital that we ensure that truly earth-friendly approaches are prioritized and funded. To further explore the definitions, claims, and realities of green jobs, check out the articles at (www.alternet.org/environment/123819) and (www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/11/the-truth-about-green-jobs.html).

Steps to success
So how can a job-seeker skillfully align with this trend?

1) Make a realistic plan. Paid jobs in this arena are still just emerging, so this isn’t necessarily a quick way to make money. You’re more likely to succeed if you connect to your passion, plan for the long-term, and develop your ability to produce tangible results.

2) Refine your understanding of green, recognizing that it’s a spectrum not an absolute. Despite our common casual language, jobs aren’t really dividable into green and non-green ones, but rather come in varying shades.

My first criteria in assessing any activity’s green level is: How quickly and meaningfully does it help us shift from a negative to a positive relationship with the planet’s vital systems? With time so short and the tasks so large, it’s vital that we emphasize actions with the most impact.
Viewed from this perspective, earth-nurturing jobs can include not only those making essential new eco-products, but also those repairing old items, selling used ones, implementing energy efficiencies, and more. Especially look for activities that reduce fossil fuel use, resource extraction, habitat destruction, pollution, and waste.

3) Green the job you have. Explore ways to better align your company’s offerings and actions with the planet’s needs, thus reducing your organization’s eco-footprint and positioning it well for the future. Green’s current popularity can improve your proposal’s chances. Also, trim company expenses in ways that are eco-friendly (such as buying select quality products), not earth-harmful (such as purchasing cheap throwaway items). Encourage your field’s industry groups to support governmental ecological targets, recognizing that everyone’s survival depends on a functioning planet. Also, green your personal job activities, for instance by carpooling, biking, or taking public transit to work.

4) Look for green job options that fit you. If you’re seeking a new eco-job, don’t limit yourself to the “green collar” jobs being primarily suggested for blue collar workers. Not everyone would make a great solar installer. Instead, consider the skills you want to offer and the causes and organizations you’d like to serve. Even green companies need accountants and salespeople!

5) Continue developing yourself. Educate yourself about sustainability, to understand the remedies that will really make a difference. Cultivate the skills you’ll need for the roles you want to play. Connect with earth-friendly allies and organizations, to stay informed about this trend as it evolves. Consider volunteering, to gain both experience and credentials.

There are many resources to help you on your chosen path. Here are three to get you started.

• The Feb. 28 Santa Rosa gathering, “Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference Report Back Panel Presentation,” will feature representatives of the Youth Green Jobs Sonoma program (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1746008, 236-7335).

• Hopland’s Solar Living Institute (www.solarliving.org, 744-2017) offers classes on sustainable living.

• I’ve created a webpage with links to green jobs (www.healthyworld.org/jobs.html).
Email your questions about going green to for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at . “EcoGirl: Encouraging the eco-hero in everyone.”


© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2008. All rights reserved.

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