There's an article in this month's British Marie Claire about women survivors of rape in the Congo. It was one of those articles that I had to read in bits and pieces because the stories are so graphic. A photo they included stays in my mind--a woman whose skin is so mutilated with burns that she can't use her arms to do work anymore.
As I compare that article, in a fashion magazine of all places, to news stories of consumer spending and the economy, it strikes me that we are not really sane. If we were, the entire media and all government efforts worldwide would be put towards this problem of preventing further brutal rape. And then toward other pressing global and domestic issues, like violence and hunger. In a truly healthy society, I think we'd hit these problems with everything we've got--all the love in our hearts and all of our taxes. We'd move from the most devastating problems to the least, until mass genocides and rapes were unheard of. Nonprofits are doing work the government should, and sensitive editors in fashion magazines are putting forth stories that should be on the evening news.
There is a nonprofit I found that is dedicated to helping women in countries of war rebuild their lives, and one of those countries is the Congo. Women for Women International has received many accolades--CNN, Oprah, 60 Minutes, so it is trustworthy. They offer a woman-to-woman sponsorship program through which you can build a relationship with one of the women from these countries. I think you need to be female to be a sponsor, but men can make one (or several)-time donations. And for a really beautiful audio look at what is going on, here is Alice Walker's take.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
An Inconvenient Reminder
Last night as I paid my electric bill, I happened to read the enclosed pamphlet about how to save water. Southern California is in the middle of a water shortage, nothing new, and the pamphlet advocated taking five-minute showers, washing dishes only when the dishwasher is full, and other simple but easy-to-forget things. A little drawing of a water supply gauge showed our water supply dangerously close to the crisis level.
And so the water crisis reminded me of an even larger and easy-to-forget crisis, that of global warming. I went to Blockbuster last night and rented "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's compelling documentary, which I had seen when it first came out. I remember the facts and figures being upsetting to the point where it felt like trying to fix anything was pointless. Ice caps melting and Florida, Shanghai and San Francisco going half underwater. Hurricanes doubling in the past ten or twenty years. Human population alarmingly growing.
But I decided to watch it more closely this time. The first time, I saw it in the theater. But this time, I had it on DVD and so I could rewind every time I missed something. And one thing I missed the first time was that Gore says that my reaction is common, people go from a state of denial to resignment, without concentrating on the crucial middle step of action. More pointedly, he says that we already have the science and tools at our disposal to solve the crisis. We don't need to wait for anyone to save us--we can do it by changing our lifestyles and becoming politically active. One thing that had bothered me was that even if the U.S. makes strides toward solving the crisis, there is still China and other populous countries that we can't control, that could contribute more as they develop. But in the movie, it shows that Americans have the highest carbon footprint, and have the highest influence on global warming percentage-wise. So really a lot can be done just by changing what happens in this country.
"An Inconvenient Truth" is very worth putting on the Netflix cue. So you can rewind, pay closer attention, and get active.
And so the water crisis reminded me of an even larger and easy-to-forget crisis, that of global warming. I went to Blockbuster last night and rented "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's compelling documentary, which I had seen when it first came out. I remember the facts and figures being upsetting to the point where it felt like trying to fix anything was pointless. Ice caps melting and Florida, Shanghai and San Francisco going half underwater. Hurricanes doubling in the past ten or twenty years. Human population alarmingly growing.
But I decided to watch it more closely this time. The first time, I saw it in the theater. But this time, I had it on DVD and so I could rewind every time I missed something. And one thing I missed the first time was that Gore says that my reaction is common, people go from a state of denial to resignment, without concentrating on the crucial middle step of action. More pointedly, he says that we already have the science and tools at our disposal to solve the crisis. We don't need to wait for anyone to save us--we can do it by changing our lifestyles and becoming politically active. One thing that had bothered me was that even if the U.S. makes strides toward solving the crisis, there is still China and other populous countries that we can't control, that could contribute more as they develop. But in the movie, it shows that Americans have the highest carbon footprint, and have the highest influence on global warming percentage-wise. So really a lot can be done just by changing what happens in this country.
"An Inconvenient Truth" is very worth putting on the Netflix cue. So you can rewind, pay closer attention, and get active.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Nothing is certain except death, taxes, and needing a new toothbrush.
Because you really can't keep the same toothbrush forever, that's gross. Buying a new toothbrush every few months is as predictable as getting an oil change or a haircut. In order to function in polite society, you need all three of those things.
Which is a roundabout way of saying that human beings throw away massive amounts of toothbrushes every year. Plastic takes a long time to biodegrade, and it is already killing off life in the ocean.
So I present to you one of my favorite granola-crunchy companies, Preserve. The company makes several products, but my favorite is the toothbrush, which has a handle made from 100% recycled yogurt cups. Such a simple, elegant thing. Not only is it recycled, but it's recyclable--you can send it back to the company when you're done with it, and they'll recycle it again. Think about all the plastic that cuts down on!
Preserve also does razors, kitchenware and tableware. The products can be found at Target, Whole Foods and other health food stores.
Which is a roundabout way of saying that human beings throw away massive amounts of toothbrushes every year. Plastic takes a long time to biodegrade, and it is already killing off life in the ocean.
So I present to you one of my favorite granola-crunchy companies, Preserve. The company makes several products, but my favorite is the toothbrush, which has a handle made from 100% recycled yogurt cups. Such a simple, elegant thing. Not only is it recycled, but it's recyclable--you can send it back to the company when you're done with it, and they'll recycle it again. Think about all the plastic that cuts down on!
Preserve also does razors, kitchenware and tableware. The products can be found at Target, Whole Foods and other health food stores.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Vegetarian Lifers
This posting is not about a cool new thing we can consume, but rather things we can avoid consuming--specifically meat and other animal products. The vegetarian diet has been around forever, at least since people have been aware that animals feel pain.
I joined PETA recently (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), an extremely effective nonprofit that does its work by putting animal abuses right in your face, through photos and stories. A large part of their work is convincing everyday consumers to eat less meat and animal products. Their work is so dangerous to the meat industry that photographers are not allowed into the farms or slaughterhouses where meat is produced--all PETA's photos are from hidden cameras. Their publications worked for me--the Vegetarian Starter Kit that they sent me turned my stomach from the industry and I have not touched meat since reading it.
I was vegetarian for all of high school and then went back to eating meat. I toyed on and off for many years with going back, and it was only a week or two ago that I was able to do it. I hope it sticks. I only regret all the years I was eating meat.
In reading all the PETA literature, I remembered my cousins, Hope and Hannah, two conscientious sisters who chose vegetarianism when they were little and are carrying it into adulthood. Hannah is an active high-schooler in Chicago, and Hope is a passionate college student at Oberlin in Ohio. During Christmases at their house in Chicago, there would always be a tray of pasta shells for the girls, next to the turkey and brisket, that served as a quiet reminder of how holidays could be without all the excess.
I interviewed Hope and Hannah about their chosen lifestyle, and will present their answers here, in their own words.
At what age did you become vegetarian?
Hannah-I became a vegetarian in first grade, so I think I was about seven.
Hope-I first tried it in fourth grade at the age of 9, broke down once or twice, and have consistently avoided meat entirely now since September of 1999 (I was ten and in fifth grade).
Why did you become vegetarian?
Hannah-Initially my dreams to be as cool as my older sister inspired my
decision, but ultimately I've continued to be vegetarian for a couple
of reasons. The truth is that the meat market is sadly characterized
by brutality towards animals and what i would call a complete
disregard for their well-being. Also, the industry puts out a lot of
toxic wastes and pollution.
Hope-My very cool cousin Carol became a vegetarian at college and I admired her enough to want to try it myself (author's note-I did not put her up to this! :)). She was also the first person to explain to me why someone would want to avoid eating meat. It was persuasive. I also have a very weak stomach and the more I knew about meat and how it gets on my plate, the easier it was to avoid it at all costs.
Have you ever gone back to meat?
Hannah-Nope, never intentionally.
Hope-No, although recently I ate fish three times while studying abroad in Denmark. It wasn't really worth it, but I didn't want to offend the Danish woman I lived with. I have no intention to go back, ever.
Have you ever been tempted to eat meat, and what do you do then?
Hannah-Yes of course. Every Thanksgiving! And for some reason whenever I
smell pot stickers from my local Chinese restaurant. But yeah, I
usually just remind myself of the process the meat went through to get
to my plate and the appeal soon dissipates!
Hope-It's less and less tempting every year I've stayed away. Every new thing I learn makes it easier and easier to stay far away from meat. I think as a kid, it was partially about animal rights and partially about being cool, and the older I get, the more good reasons I find. College students at my school often argue the environmental and human costs of meat consumption, especially in the United States, so that galvanizes my personal resolve even more.
Describe a situation which was really challenging as a vegetarian, and what you did to cope?
Hannah-I went to France with my seventh grade class and really wanted to try
all the food and experiment and taste such foreign dishes, but sadly a
lot contained fish and other meats so I wasn't able to. Still, that
was my most challenging experience, so so far all has been rather
smooth sailing.
Hope-I think any time one goes into another culture or another country, it's difficult to justify one's particular reasons for being vegetarian. Dietary choices are made in specific contexts, and once removed from that context, they become harder to qualify. For instance, Denmark is a country that lies between the North and Baltic Seas, and they eat a lot of fish. There's a lot of culture and history around eating a lot of fish. It was difficult not to eat fish when trying to live as a local for four months there at the end of 2009. So I didn't avoid it altogether. I tried to embrace it on the few occasions when to ask for an alternative would have been rude and ungrateful.
What are your favorite meat substitutes?
Hannah-I love Grillers Prime by Morning Star and tofu (but only in Asian food).
Hope-I think that soy substitutes are another thing that gets better with time. Most meat substitutes are better once you stop comparing them to the meat product they're supposed to be and taste them for what they are. I happen to like MorningStar brand "chick nuggets," "bacon," and Boca Burger "Grillers Prime." Ultimately, though, I don't think a vegetarian diet should be about replacing meat meals but rather eating entirely different, plant-or-carbohydrate-based meals, like pasta with roasted vegetables and garlic.
How do you feel about vegetarianism vs. veganism?
Hannah-Honestly, my reasons for vegetarianism is mostly the mistreatment of
animals and somehow eating a carrot feels a lot more humane than
eating a pig. So no, I've never seriously considered veganism.
Hope-I used to be a little bit rude and intolerant about veganism. I think that unfortunately, it can often become obnoxious to demand that everyone accommodate a dietary choice as restrictive as veganism. However, I think there are many great reasons (health and otherwise) to become a vegan, and if vegans themselves were universally polite and flexible, it would doubtlessly be a more popular/popularly legitimized lifestyle. I certainly go days where I'm eating entirely vegan, but I think I personally enjoy food that's bad for me way too much to go fully vegan anytime in the near future.
Are you a part of any vegetarian communities?
Hannah-Nope.
Hope-My college, Oberlin, is pretty much a vegetarian community.
What are the nutritional challenges you face, and how do you get over them?
Hannah-I don't have any problems per say or anything that I've ever had to
directly face but I do take a multi-vitamin daily to ensure I get what
I need.
Hope-I really don't face any nutritional challenges. The overemphasis on protein gained from meat and dairy is largely, if not entirely, a fabrication of the meat and dairy industries of the world. It's a capitalist lie. I get plenty of protein, fiber, and calcium from vegetables like spinach, nuts like walnuts, and the occasional cheese binge.
Do you actively urge others to become vegetarian, or do you keep quiet?
Hannah-I typically keep quiet because few of my friends are vegetarian and I
don't want to make them feel bad. But i definitely jump on
opportunities to point out what they're eating if they ever poke fun
at my veggy burgers! OR when even the slightest interest shows in an
acquaintance or friend I go into my whole reasoning and experiences.
Hope-It depends on the context. I think it's most productive to be quiet 99% of the time, and reserve "active urging" for the occasions when it becomes hypocritical not to speak up. Specifically, if someone begins taunting me about my vegetarianism, that's an okay time to lay in with how very many facts and figures, not to mention logic, compassion, and intelligent arguments, are on my side. And if a person has extremely liberal views regarding politics and/or the environment, yet eats meat, it's usually appropriate to bring up the many ways in which going vegetarian would be "walking the walk" of their talk, etc.
Has being vegetarian made you more aware of any political, global,
social or ethical issues and if so, in what way?
Hannah-Yeah, actually I was reading an article about feminism and
vegetarianism and the way the two actually coincide because women are
expected to feed the family and usually decide what the family eats.
The article also mentioned the numerous ads and commercials that
create puns and slogans that compare meats with women. Things like
"Look at the breasts on that one!" or "Whatta chick!" Basically, it
really brought to my attention the underlying effects of the meat
industry. And like I already mentioned, the environmental issues with
the meat undustry. Of course ethics as well, but I suppose that sort
of goes without saying.
Hope-Yes, absolutely. Generally, vegetarians (especially loud ones) are a liberal breed, so anytime you're in a group of us, political and ethical issues are discussed. I think environmental and economic issues are the ones focused on most often at my college campus.
What would you say to people who are thinking of becoming vegetarian?
Hannah-I would say DO IT! If you're thinking about it, then you know you can
and it's really just a matter of your own self-control and motivation.
Turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of animals is purposefully
keeping yourself ignorant, which I think most people are above. In my
experience, if you think about it enough, vegetarianism will a very
sensible and ethical choice.
Hope-Make a pro and con list, and make sure to include both selfish and selfless reasons on both sides. I think, if people are honest with themselves, the pros of vegetarianism always outweigh and outnumber the cons, but they have to be willing to confront that reality. I wouldn't say I'm a vegetarian for entirely selfless reasons any more than a meat-eater would say he or she ate meat for entirely selfish ones.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Hope-
1. I have never read or listened to an argument against vegetarianism that was thoroughly philosophically sound.
2. Being vegetarian helps me stay at a reasonable weight for my height, and I have exceptionally good cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
3. The knee-jerk reaction against vegetarianism often comes from the superior or condescending attitude vegetarians can sometimes adopt. I hope anyone considering becoming a vegetarian would make a point to separate the possibly obnoxious vegetarians they've interacted with from the logic and compassion of the dietary choice itself.
I joined PETA recently (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), an extremely effective nonprofit that does its work by putting animal abuses right in your face, through photos and stories. A large part of their work is convincing everyday consumers to eat less meat and animal products. Their work is so dangerous to the meat industry that photographers are not allowed into the farms or slaughterhouses where meat is produced--all PETA's photos are from hidden cameras. Their publications worked for me--the Vegetarian Starter Kit that they sent me turned my stomach from the industry and I have not touched meat since reading it.
I was vegetarian for all of high school and then went back to eating meat. I toyed on and off for many years with going back, and it was only a week or two ago that I was able to do it. I hope it sticks. I only regret all the years I was eating meat.
In reading all the PETA literature, I remembered my cousins, Hope and Hannah, two conscientious sisters who chose vegetarianism when they were little and are carrying it into adulthood. Hannah is an active high-schooler in Chicago, and Hope is a passionate college student at Oberlin in Ohio. During Christmases at their house in Chicago, there would always be a tray of pasta shells for the girls, next to the turkey and brisket, that served as a quiet reminder of how holidays could be without all the excess.
I interviewed Hope and Hannah about their chosen lifestyle, and will present their answers here, in their own words.
At what age did you become vegetarian?
Hannah-I became a vegetarian in first grade, so I think I was about seven.
Hope-I first tried it in fourth grade at the age of 9, broke down once or twice, and have consistently avoided meat entirely now since September of 1999 (I was ten and in fifth grade).
Why did you become vegetarian?
Hannah-Initially my dreams to be as cool as my older sister inspired my
decision, but ultimately I've continued to be vegetarian for a couple
of reasons. The truth is that the meat market is sadly characterized
by brutality towards animals and what i would call a complete
disregard for their well-being. Also, the industry puts out a lot of
toxic wastes and pollution.
Hope-My very cool cousin Carol became a vegetarian at college and I admired her enough to want to try it myself (author's note-I did not put her up to this! :)). She was also the first person to explain to me why someone would want to avoid eating meat. It was persuasive. I also have a very weak stomach and the more I knew about meat and how it gets on my plate, the easier it was to avoid it at all costs.
Have you ever gone back to meat?
Hannah-Nope, never intentionally.
Hope-No, although recently I ate fish three times while studying abroad in Denmark. It wasn't really worth it, but I didn't want to offend the Danish woman I lived with. I have no intention to go back, ever.
Have you ever been tempted to eat meat, and what do you do then?
Hannah-Yes of course. Every Thanksgiving! And for some reason whenever I
smell pot stickers from my local Chinese restaurant. But yeah, I
usually just remind myself of the process the meat went through to get
to my plate and the appeal soon dissipates!
Hope-It's less and less tempting every year I've stayed away. Every new thing I learn makes it easier and easier to stay far away from meat. I think as a kid, it was partially about animal rights and partially about being cool, and the older I get, the more good reasons I find. College students at my school often argue the environmental and human costs of meat consumption, especially in the United States, so that galvanizes my personal resolve even more.
Describe a situation which was really challenging as a vegetarian, and what you did to cope?
Hannah-I went to France with my seventh grade class and really wanted to try
all the food and experiment and taste such foreign dishes, but sadly a
lot contained fish and other meats so I wasn't able to. Still, that
was my most challenging experience, so so far all has been rather
smooth sailing.
Hope-I think any time one goes into another culture or another country, it's difficult to justify one's particular reasons for being vegetarian. Dietary choices are made in specific contexts, and once removed from that context, they become harder to qualify. For instance, Denmark is a country that lies between the North and Baltic Seas, and they eat a lot of fish. There's a lot of culture and history around eating a lot of fish. It was difficult not to eat fish when trying to live as a local for four months there at the end of 2009. So I didn't avoid it altogether. I tried to embrace it on the few occasions when to ask for an alternative would have been rude and ungrateful.
What are your favorite meat substitutes?
Hannah-I love Grillers Prime by Morning Star and tofu (but only in Asian food).
Hope-I think that soy substitutes are another thing that gets better with time. Most meat substitutes are better once you stop comparing them to the meat product they're supposed to be and taste them for what they are. I happen to like MorningStar brand "chick nuggets," "bacon," and Boca Burger "Grillers Prime." Ultimately, though, I don't think a vegetarian diet should be about replacing meat meals but rather eating entirely different, plant-or-carbohydrate-based meals, like pasta with roasted vegetables and garlic.
How do you feel about vegetarianism vs. veganism?
Hannah-Honestly, my reasons for vegetarianism is mostly the mistreatment of
animals and somehow eating a carrot feels a lot more humane than
eating a pig. So no, I've never seriously considered veganism.
Hope-I used to be a little bit rude and intolerant about veganism. I think that unfortunately, it can often become obnoxious to demand that everyone accommodate a dietary choice as restrictive as veganism. However, I think there are many great reasons (health and otherwise) to become a vegan, and if vegans themselves were universally polite and flexible, it would doubtlessly be a more popular/popularly legitimized lifestyle. I certainly go days where I'm eating entirely vegan, but I think I personally enjoy food that's bad for me way too much to go fully vegan anytime in the near future.
Are you a part of any vegetarian communities?
Hannah-Nope.
Hope-My college, Oberlin, is pretty much a vegetarian community.
What are the nutritional challenges you face, and how do you get over them?
Hannah-I don't have any problems per say or anything that I've ever had to
directly face but I do take a multi-vitamin daily to ensure I get what
I need.
Hope-I really don't face any nutritional challenges. The overemphasis on protein gained from meat and dairy is largely, if not entirely, a fabrication of the meat and dairy industries of the world. It's a capitalist lie. I get plenty of protein, fiber, and calcium from vegetables like spinach, nuts like walnuts, and the occasional cheese binge.
Do you actively urge others to become vegetarian, or do you keep quiet?
Hannah-I typically keep quiet because few of my friends are vegetarian and I
don't want to make them feel bad. But i definitely jump on
opportunities to point out what they're eating if they ever poke fun
at my veggy burgers! OR when even the slightest interest shows in an
acquaintance or friend I go into my whole reasoning and experiences.
Hope-It depends on the context. I think it's most productive to be quiet 99% of the time, and reserve "active urging" for the occasions when it becomes hypocritical not to speak up. Specifically, if someone begins taunting me about my vegetarianism, that's an okay time to lay in with how very many facts and figures, not to mention logic, compassion, and intelligent arguments, are on my side. And if a person has extremely liberal views regarding politics and/or the environment, yet eats meat, it's usually appropriate to bring up the many ways in which going vegetarian would be "walking the walk" of their talk, etc.
Has being vegetarian made you more aware of any political, global,
social or ethical issues and if so, in what way?
Hannah-Yeah, actually I was reading an article about feminism and
vegetarianism and the way the two actually coincide because women are
expected to feed the family and usually decide what the family eats.
The article also mentioned the numerous ads and commercials that
create puns and slogans that compare meats with women. Things like
"Look at the breasts on that one!" or "Whatta chick!" Basically, it
really brought to my attention the underlying effects of the meat
industry. And like I already mentioned, the environmental issues with
the meat undustry. Of course ethics as well, but I suppose that sort
of goes without saying.
Hope-Yes, absolutely. Generally, vegetarians (especially loud ones) are a liberal breed, so anytime you're in a group of us, political and ethical issues are discussed. I think environmental and economic issues are the ones focused on most often at my college campus.
What would you say to people who are thinking of becoming vegetarian?
Hannah-I would say DO IT! If you're thinking about it, then you know you can
and it's really just a matter of your own self-control and motivation.
Turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of animals is purposefully
keeping yourself ignorant, which I think most people are above. In my
experience, if you think about it enough, vegetarianism will a very
sensible and ethical choice.
Hope-Make a pro and con list, and make sure to include both selfish and selfless reasons on both sides. I think, if people are honest with themselves, the pros of vegetarianism always outweigh and outnumber the cons, but they have to be willing to confront that reality. I wouldn't say I'm a vegetarian for entirely selfless reasons any more than a meat-eater would say he or she ate meat for entirely selfish ones.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Hope-
1. I have never read or listened to an argument against vegetarianism that was thoroughly philosophically sound.
2. Being vegetarian helps me stay at a reasonable weight for my height, and I have exceptionally good cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
3. The knee-jerk reaction against vegetarianism often comes from the superior or condescending attitude vegetarians can sometimes adopt. I hope anyone considering becoming a vegetarian would make a point to separate the possibly obnoxious vegetarians they've interacted with from the logic and compassion of the dietary choice itself.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Vitamins for Kids
My most recent post on my other blog, AM Radio, was about vitamins, so I decided to make this one about vitamins, too. Specifically about Vitamin Angels, a U.S. nonnprofit, and some of its corporate sponsors.
Vitamin Angels is a California organization that has worldwide reach. They attempt to turn around the problem of childhood undernutrition and malnutrition around the world, with programs in Latin America, Asia and Africa. They do this by giving out Vitamin A and multivitamin supplements to millions of small children in these continents, and also to new and expecting mothers. Although it's not clear how great their reach is, their administrative expenses are low, and they had a goal of reaching 10 million kids last year.
The organization relies a lot on the contributions of the natural products industry, and I thought I'd share some of their significant sponsors with you, so you can feel good about buying from them. I didn't know all of them, but some of the ones I do know are:
Rainbow Light--a major vitamin company. Donated in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Rainbow Light has great supplements--everything from men's and women's multis to protein powders. Their supplements are sensitively formulated to work with most people's bodies.
Nordic Naturals--the fish oil market leader. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. If you need a really good Omega 3, Nordic Naturals is the purest of the pure.
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy--a Boulder-based natural pharmacy with locations all over the west. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. Unlike many health food stores, Pharmaca has certified nutritionists and homeopaths on staff, so you get more exact information on your allergies, colds, cholesterol, etc.
Organic India--with operations in India and Boulder. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. They sell Ayurvedic supplements and also have a line of holy basil tea, called Tulsi Tea, which is great.
Vitamin Angels is a California organization that has worldwide reach. They attempt to turn around the problem of childhood undernutrition and malnutrition around the world, with programs in Latin America, Asia and Africa. They do this by giving out Vitamin A and multivitamin supplements to millions of small children in these continents, and also to new and expecting mothers. Although it's not clear how great their reach is, their administrative expenses are low, and they had a goal of reaching 10 million kids last year.
The organization relies a lot on the contributions of the natural products industry, and I thought I'd share some of their significant sponsors with you, so you can feel good about buying from them. I didn't know all of them, but some of the ones I do know are:
Rainbow Light--a major vitamin company. Donated in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Rainbow Light has great supplements--everything from men's and women's multis to protein powders. Their supplements are sensitively formulated to work with most people's bodies.
Nordic Naturals--the fish oil market leader. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. If you need a really good Omega 3, Nordic Naturals is the purest of the pure.
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy--a Boulder-based natural pharmacy with locations all over the west. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. Unlike many health food stores, Pharmaca has certified nutritionists and homeopaths on staff, so you get more exact information on your allergies, colds, cholesterol, etc.
Organic India--with operations in India and Boulder. Donated in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. They sell Ayurvedic supplements and also have a line of holy basil tea, called Tulsi Tea, which is great.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Haiti
I was going to write about how if you want to donate to Haiti, you should go directly to a known nonprofit's website (American Red Cross, etc.) and donate there to avoid scams, but it seems everyone probably knows this already. (I don't have TV, and miss major trends and stories.)
However, I thought this was a good time to introduce the nonprofit Doctors Without Borders, an organization that began 40 or so years ago in France that now reaches out to impoverished countries worldwide. The organization concentrates on providing quality medical services during times of crisis--war and natural disasters, and ongoing problems--epidemics, malnutrition, and medical exclusion. They rely heavily on the talents of highly trained doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts and administrators to do their work, meaning that those working in such situations as the Haiti earthquake are prepared to hit the ground running. The link I provided is an article generated by Doctors Without Borders which will give you an idea of how bad things are in Haiti. The nonprofit had three permanent hospitals in Haiti, all of which have been so badly damaged by the quake that doctors are doing all their work in tents.
If you are thinking of donating to the Haiti earthquake, this is a good website to consider.
However, I thought this was a good time to introduce the nonprofit Doctors Without Borders, an organization that began 40 or so years ago in France that now reaches out to impoverished countries worldwide. The organization concentrates on providing quality medical services during times of crisis--war and natural disasters, and ongoing problems--epidemics, malnutrition, and medical exclusion. They rely heavily on the talents of highly trained doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts and administrators to do their work, meaning that those working in such situations as the Haiti earthquake are prepared to hit the ground running. The link I provided is an article generated by Doctors Without Borders which will give you an idea of how bad things are in Haiti. The nonprofit had three permanent hospitals in Haiti, all of which have been so badly damaged by the quake that doctors are doing all their work in tents.
If you are thinking of donating to the Haiti earthquake, this is a good website to consider.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Who Likes Coffee?
I like coffee! And so do most adult Americans. While the purist devotees of social responsibility drink only intensely scrutinized fair trade, most of us find ourselves at Starbuck's at least a couple of times a month. (I think they do have some fair trade options, but not all their coffee is fair trade.)
Which is why, if you find yourself at the little green oasis any time soon, you should invest in a RED card. Sold alongside the rest of the merchandise, it is a red credit card-looking thing that you can load up with whatever amount you want, and then every time you use it to buy a drink, five cents is donated to support AIDS-fighting measures in Africa. Your drink doesn't cost anything extra, and the card itself doesn't cost anything. And you can reload it as many times as you want. The project has already "generated contributions equaling more than 7,000,000 days of medicine," according to its website. I don't know how many people that is, but that's a lot of medicine.
You might be one of those people that has a guilty feeling that you should be doing volunteer work in Africa instead of watching game shows, or you might think "gee, I really should have signed that petition." That's a lot of us. This is a simple, fairly effortless way to enjoy what money can buy while doing something for others.
Which is why, if you find yourself at the little green oasis any time soon, you should invest in a RED card. Sold alongside the rest of the merchandise, it is a red credit card-looking thing that you can load up with whatever amount you want, and then every time you use it to buy a drink, five cents is donated to support AIDS-fighting measures in Africa. Your drink doesn't cost anything extra, and the card itself doesn't cost anything. And you can reload it as many times as you want. The project has already "generated contributions equaling more than 7,000,000 days of medicine," according to its website. I don't know how many people that is, but that's a lot of medicine.
You might be one of those people that has a guilty feeling that you should be doing volunteer work in Africa instead of watching game shows, or you might think "gee, I really should have signed that petition." That's a lot of us. This is a simple, fairly effortless way to enjoy what money can buy while doing something for others.
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