Irradiation, Vanishing Bees, Organic Body Care, and More

[Guest guest]

ORGANIC BYTES #125Health, Justice and Sustainability News Tidbits with an Edge!1/4/2008

Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins

 

 

 

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

 

'USDA ORGANIC' PERSONAL CARE SALES EXPLODE SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK: CARIBOU JOINS STARBUCKS IN PHASING OUT BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE ALMOST THERE! OCA'S DONATION DRIVE GOES INTO OVERTIME PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: SPLENDA GOES TO COURT SUSTAINABILITY NEWS OF THE WEEK: SOLAR POWER GETS AFFORDABLE WEB VIDEOS OF THE WEEK:OCA NATIONAL DIRECTOR SPEAKS OUT ON 'FARMS NOT ARMS' VANISHING OF THE BEESTHE STORY OF STUFF THIS WEEK'S HOT TOPICS IN OCA'S WEB FORUM

 

 

 

 

 

 

image parody

 

'USDA ORGANIC' PERSONAL CARE SALES EXPLODEAlthough the figures for 2007 indicate records sales for "organic" personal care products, the majority of those products were not certified under the USDA's National Organic Program. It has been two years since the OCA and Dr. Bronner's sued the USDA and forced the agency into agreeing to allow personal care products that meet USDA food grade organic standards to bear the 'USDA Organic' seal. USDA organic is still the gold standard for body care products, and OCA anticipates a major expansion of new USDA Organic personal care products in 2008. As a reminder to conscientious consumers, if you don't see the green 'USDA Organic' seal on a personal care product, it may not be as "organic" as it claims to be. If the product holds the USDA seal, it has met the stringent organic standards established for food. If it does not have the seal and claims to be organic, read the ingredient label to be sure you are comfortable with any of the synthetic ingredients that are likely hiding in the product. Learn more at OCA's "Coming Clean Campaign":http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/

_______________________________

 

 

 

 

SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK:CARIBOU JOINS STARBUCKS IN PHASING OUT BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE It's official: This week, the world's largest coffee purveyor, Starbucks, went rBGH-free. The Organic Consumers Association has been pressuring Starbucks to dump rBGH-derived dairy products the past six years. Not to be outdone by its competitor, Caribou Coffee, the second largest coffehourse operator in the U.S. announced it is also beginning to phase out rBGH from its products. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9331.cfm

_

 

 

 

 

ALMOST THERE! OCA'S DONATION DRIVE GOES INTO OVERTIMEThanks to all who took part in OCA's end of the year donation drive. Our goal was to generate $75,000 in December to help support our work in 2008. We've decided to extend the donation drive one more week, as we are just $5,000 short of making our goal. If you haven't already done so, please donate today.http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.cfm

 

 

 

 

 

PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: SPLENDA GOES TO COURTA federal court has rejected a request for summary judgment in a lawsuit launched by the Sugar Association against Splenda. The plaintiff alleges Splenda, a Johnson & Johnson company, is falsely advertising to consumers with its marketing slogan "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar". Splenda is the synthetic compound sucralose, discovered in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. The artificial sweetener is made by replacing hydroxyl groups in the sugar molecule with chlorine. There are no long-term studies of the side effects of Splenda in humans. The manufacturer's own short-term studies showed that sucralose caused shrunken thymus glands and enlarged livers and kidneys in rodents. But in this case, the FDA decided that because these studies weren't based on human test animals, they were not conclusive. As a result, Splenda is now one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in low calorie processed foods.Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9306.cfm

_

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS OF THE WEEK: SOLAR POWER GETS AFFORDABLEA new company in California's Silicon Valley has begun production on a new electricity generating solar cell that many are considering to be revolutionary. The company, Nanosolar, prints the solar cells on aluminum film in an inexpensive process that will supposedly make solar power as affordable as electricity from coal. Nanosolar says its order books are already full until 2009.Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9375.cfm

_

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEB VIDEOS OF THE WEEK:

 

 

 

OCA NATIONAL DIRECTOR SPEAKS OUT ON 'FARMS NOT ARMS'Ronnie Cummins is the Director of the Organic Consumers Association. Here he speaks at a Farms not Arms press conference in New York about the need to understand how the war is impacting the environment, social justice, organics and the sustainability movements. In this excerpt, Cummins focuses on the necessity for these various movements to join together into a united coalition. Watch: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9317.cfm

______________

 

 

 

VANISHING OF THE BEESWow! We receive a lot of submissions of that would like their work to be featured in Organic Bytes, but this is honestly one of the best trailers we've seen in a while. As you've probably read about previously in Organic Bytes, vast numbers of bees are literally disappearing all around the world. This movie analyzes why this mysterious phenomenon is taking place and how dramatically it could impact the world's food supply in the short term. As a note, the producers are also seeking donations to bring the movie to a wider audience. View this breath-taking trailer here:Watch: http://www.vanishingbees.com/

______________

 

 

THE STORY OF STUFFThis is one of those life-changing web videos that you finish watching and just want to forward to everyone you know. Whether you are eight years old or 80 years old --- whether you are an environmentalist or a skeptic --- this entertaining 20 minute video will give you a holistic perspective on how hyper-consumerism is accelerating just about every global problem you can think of. Watch: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

_

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS WEEK'S HOT TOPICS IN OCA'S WEB FORUMOCA's new web forum now has over 1,500 members! Have you joined the action yet? If not, here is a ranking of the hottest topics in the forum this week.

 

Vaccines (Poll): Are They Good? Are They Bad? Should They Be Required By Law?

Synthetic-free Vitamins

Do You Believe Al Gore?

Chemtrails

Electromagnetic Radiation (emr)

Click here to read more and join in the discussions: http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php (to join in discussion with one of the specific topics above, simply cut and paste the words into the search box at the top of the forum web page).

_

 

 

 

 

FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR STATEOnly the OCA provides a nationwide network with health, justice and sustainability news on global, national, and local levels. Check out the new state pages on our website to find news and events near you. We want your help in keeping the state pages as relevant and up to date as possible. We are striving to organize or publicize 50 new state campaigns each month, but we can't do that without your help. You can help by becoming a writer for OCA. Please email us campaign updates. You can also send us ideas for campaigns if you are not sure how to write them up for the site, and we will work with you to develop a campaign update. Email your ideas to volunteer Please visit your local OCA webpage today by choosing your state in the dropdown menu in the left-hand navigation bar and clicking on the "Become a news scout" link on your state page. http://www.organicconsumers.org

_______________________________

******** support our supporters*********

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORGANIC GARLIC SPREAD, OLIVE OIL & TOASTED NUGGETSSavor mouthwatering, chef-inspired gourmet garlic condiments, handmade with love from the freshest organic ingredients, on all of your dishes. Appreciate "real garlic flavor, not a stored one, with a wonderful crispy crunch," as world renowned foodie, David Rosengarten, describes us. Experience the delicious health benefits of garlic with your meals. Learn more about Garlic Gold's special offer here.

For a limited time, Garlic Gold is making an exceptional online-only offer. You can get a gift basket of our celebrated gourmet garlic product line at a 20% discount, and free shipping if you order two! Learn more here.

___________________

 

 

 

 

 

HIMALAYAN SALT CRYSTAL LAMPS

Three hundred million years ago, a vast primordial ocean covered the area that would become the Himalayan mountain range. The salt of that unpolluted ocean was preserved as large crystal formations, which now yield the purest salt on earth. Aloha Bay's Himalayan Salt lamps emit negative ions. These ions cleanse the air by removing dust, pollen, dander, and cigarette smoke. They also offset the harmful radiation produced by computer monitors, TVs, and other electrical devices.

Learn more: http://www.alohabay.com/salt_crystal_lights/index.html

 

 

 

Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on websites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!

 

NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm_________________________________

ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION 6771 South Silver Hill DriveFinland, Minnesota 55603Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652