The Heart and the Fist

Image from here.

Alright folks, this book was A-MA-ZING and so right up my alley currently. Eric Greitens presents different parts of his journey through life. He discusses becoming a boxer while at Duke, participating in humanitarian projects across the world, attending Oxford, and then at the same time as when he had offers to teach and contract, he discusses his choice to become an officer/Navy SEAL. I loved many things about this book but one of the major reasons that it struck a cord with me was Greitens personal journey from idealist humanitarian to realist soldier----and somehow I feel that this mimics my own journey from lofty social worker to public health advocate to military spouse and veteran sympathizer. Greitens argument is that there is a need for both idealist/realist or warrior/humanitarian to exist in the world however and I couldn't agree with him more.

The first chapter left me in tears (mainly as I am currently so intertwined with so many veterans who have served overseas), but the rest of the book kept me nodding my head and earmarking pages. I learned more about the military and about current efforts overseas. I heard my heart speaking and I heart Greiten just get so many of the things that do weigh on my heart and mind. I also was reminded of the strength that each of us does carry inside and was asked to take a hard look at my own commitment and journey in the larger world. And I would honestly recommend this book to everyone and really wish we had read it this time for book club.

So here are some of my favorite passages so I can unfold the pages and pass the book on for hub and housemate #1 to read next. :)

"Across the globe, even in the world's "worst places," people found ways to turn pain into wisdom and suffering into strength. They made their own actions, their own lives, into a memorial that honored the people they had lost......On the frontlines---in humanitarian crises, in wars overseas, and around some kitchen tables here at home---I'd seen that peace is more than the absence of war, and that a good life entails more than the absence of suffering. A good peace, a solid peace, a peace in which communities can flourish, can only be built when we ask ourselves and each other to be more than just good, and better than just strong. And a good life, a meaningful life, a life in which we can enjoy the world and live with purpose, can only be built if we do more than live for ourselves."----pg 11.

"God, in Earl's view, had invested every person with strength, and it was our duty to develop that strength.....duty to use their strength in the service of God.....Earl rarely used the word, but his whole system of teaching and his whole way of living was built around the concept of honor. You honored God by using your time wisely, and you honored your fellow man by treating him with respect....."-----pg 38-39

"Bruce was both compassionate and demanding. Compassion was primary. He thought it criminal that people could grow up oblivious and unresponsive to the suffering of others. These are your neighbors, he would say. But he was hardheaded enough to know that having a loving, wide-open heart was only a start."---pg 75

"Here in Bolivia most of the kids played in bare feet, and they had as much fun as we ever had. Alone, human beings can feel hunger. Alone, we can feel cold. Alone, we can feel pain. To feel poor, however, is something we do in comparison to others."--pg 92

"If we want to change something, we must begin with understanding. But if we want to love something, we must begin with acceptance. ....Their love was built on patience, and their faith helped them to know that they couldn't do everything, but they did have to do what they could.....I admired their intentions but...there are some things---like civil society, like character, like a child's belief in the future---that cannot be achieved overnight. Humanitarians, warriors, scholars, and diplomats all do best when we recognize the difference between what we can fight for and what we must accept, between change that can be catalyzed and change that must be built over time, from within."--pg 106

"I learned how difficult it can be to stay focused when you're worried about someone that you love, and for that learning I am grateful......Of course, just like life doesn't stop at home, the mission overseas doesn't stop either, and those same men had to wake up the next day and get back to dangerous work. Emerson once wrote that concentration is the secret of strength. You can't chase two rabbits at once. And for men to perform overseas while their lives kept running at home, absolute concentration on the task at hand is essential."---pg 158 & speaking of the difficulty of "issues" happening at home during deployments

"I love American idealism. I love the hopeful spirit of Americans endeavoring to shape the world for the better. A lot of times, though, many Americans.....who have never spent a day working with people who suffer, can be blinded by the bright shining light of their own hopes. You cruise through a town where you don't speak the language and offer someone a conversation about freedom or fifty bucks, most people will take the cash, thank you very much. I'd learned.....the very simple lesson that people were smart enough to know what they needed, and if we wanted to have credibility with them, we had to be able to help them directly." ---pg 224

"The world, I believe, is not constructed so that is presents us with perfect choices. I'd joined the military in part, because I saw that to protect the innocent, we have to be willing to fight. It is also true, however, that for all the warrior's discipline, when we pick up the sword, innocents will suffer. ....The Greeks often talked about phronesis, practical wisdom...Phronesis is the ability to figure out what to do, while at the same time knowing what is worth doing. 

Phronesis allows soldiers to fight well and leaders to rule well, and, as Aristotle argued, it can only be obtained through experience. My own experiences....had not made me a militarist or a pacifist, or any kind of "ist." I knew that the world would continue to require us to make hard decisions about when we draw the sword and I'd seen that the use of force was both necessary and imperfect. There is no school of thought that can save us from the simple fact that the hard decisions are best made by good people, and that the best people can only be shaped by hard experience." ---pg 283 & 284

""Take care of your people" is one of the principal lessons of military leadership, and my people were not just SEALS, or SWCC, or the men in my targeting cell. Serving overseas, everyone in uniform is part of the same team. Everyone is away from their family. Everyone is exposed to danger. Everyone endures the same long, hot days, hears the same bad jokes, reads the same old magazines. Everyone loses friends. If we take care of our people on deployment, why should that change when we come home?"---pg 287 & 288

"Stockdale taught that as a leader, you must embrace reality and be brutally honest about the harsh facts of your situation. At the same time, you must maintain hope." --pg 289

"Our wounded and disable veterans had lost a lot. Some had lost their eyesight. Some their hearing. Some had lost limbs. All of that they could recover from. If they lost their sense of purpose, however, that would be deadly. I also knew that no one was going to be able to give them hope; they were goign to have to create hope through action." --pg 291

"Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, wrote that human beings create meaning in three ways: through their work, through their relationships, and by how they choose to meet unavoidable suffering. Every life brings hardship and trial, and every life also offers deep possibilities for meaningful work and love. 

I've learned that courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin, and that every warrior, every humanitarian, every citizen is built to live with both. In fact, to win a war, to create peace, to save a life, or just to live a good life requires of us--of every one of us---that we be both good and strong."--pg 297

LOVED IT. Please read.

Indoor Air Pollution: Nursery & Chemicals

While it's not a youtube clip so I can't directly link to the video, please take time to watch the following news clip by ABC news: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/testing-chemicals-indoor-air-15393188

The clip is a special report done on indoor air pollution, including chemical exposures by the off-gassing of our homes. During the clip, they measure the air quality inside a new nursery and discover the presence of 300 chemicals in the air. Further analysis of those chemicals, finds that several of them are indeed harmful to human health......

Take a moment to educate.....and hopefully advocate......

Mow-Power

Last week when we were at the family beach house, I got a little bit antsy...

cause the dogs were getting lost in the patch of grass outside the back door ie in some sections it was up to my hip and I didn't want it to fall on my father to have to drive the three hours up to the beach house just to mow the grass. Dad's pretty much the primary caretaker of the place and while it's great that he's so willing and has been able to do so much of it, we're all pretty much capable these days. ;) (Sadly a year round resident down the road used to so kindly mow the neighborhood lawns when she did her own, but she suffered a heart attack earlier this year and passed....)

Since that day the grass was wet and rain showers were intermittent, I waited for a shower break and then went into the garage to see what the lawn cutting options were. I had a choice between an ol' electric mower (with the rain---no thank you!) or the ol' blade lawn mower (you should have seen the weed eater--it's like an ol' sickle). So I got to work using the ol' mower which happens to have a fairly dull blade at the moment---I'm pretty sure this is the original mower dad used as a kid to mow lawns! :)

Needless to say it took multiple short pushes, lots of arm muscle, and a decent amount of laughter to get one tiny section cut, but in the end it got done. The tallest pieces had just been flattened over by the mower, so I actually cut them with a pair of scissors.

Looks pretty decent, eh? ;) But the whole thing got me to thinking about how much we take simple things in life for granted....and how sometimes our health suffers because of it. Mowing with the old mower was a lot of fun, but it definitely took a lot more physical and mental work on this particular day. I started thinking about back when Dad was a kid and how so much more of the normal tasks actually took human power and muscle...and how much lower US obesity and mental disorder rates were. I started thinking about how good it felt to accomplish something basic via my own skills and wondered whether the increase in mental illness and disorder potentially has anything to do with how much of life has been broken down and sold into "ease." I could be reading too much into all this and while I don't agree with everything from the 40s-50s, a more self-sufficient life definitely seemed to have its perks for our population....and has the added bonus of being a more sustainable option for our futures.

And one final picture to leave you with....my lil' helper who laid in the truck bed the entire time just patiently letting me go about my business....although I think really she was hoping we would be going somewhere soon. ;)

We're about to spend an entire day out in the yard, getting it ready and finalized for a BBQ we're having with friends tomorrow. The sun is out today and I'm actually looking forward to pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, and a host of other outdoor activities.

Hope you all have a beautiful, sunny, outdoor, and physically based Friday wherever you are too!

The Hospital By the River

(For some reason, I can't get the picture to rotate correctly)

Two months in the making and I finally sat down to finish this amazing story this afternoon. This is the story that made me think about going back to school, this is the story that melted my heart, this is the story that left me thinking again beyond our nation's borders, this is a story that I hope you too will take the time to enjoy and be moved by.

Taken from the back of the book (British spellings in context and possibly written by John Little):
"Gynaecologists Catherine and Reg Hamlin left Australia in 1959 on a short contract to establish a midwifery school in Ethiopia. Over 40 years later, Catherine is still there, running one of the most outstanding medical programmes in the world. Thousands of women have been able to resume a normal existence after living as outcasts.

The Hamlins, both active Christians, dedicated their lives to women suffering catastrophic effects of obstructed labour. The awful injuries that such labour produces are called fistulae, and until the Hamlins began their work in Ethiopia, fistula sufferers were neglected and forgotten--a vast group of women facing a lifetime of incapacity and degradation.

Catherine and Reg, with their team of dedicated surgeons, have successfully operated on over 25,000 women, and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the hospital they opened in 1974, has become a major teaching institution for gynaecologists from all over Ethiopia and the developing world. Since Reg's death, Catherine and her team have continued the work...."

Catherine and Reg were two incredibly self-less individuals who devoted their lives to women living in Ethiopia. These women frequently were married off and producing babies by 15 years of age, before their bodies were entirely developed for childbirth. These women who frequently live in rural areas without access to medical facilities nor professionals, who birth alone or with a few family members in dirt-floored huts, and who frequently face days of difficult labor. The women who do develop vaginal area fistulas (leading to incontinence) are frequently abandoned by husbands and family, moved into huts on the edges of town, and left to suffer and survive in isolation.

The book is an incredibly easy read, and while it includes Christian views which may dissuade a few of you, the reality that these women experience is one that I feel all of us should be exposed to and do what we can to help, while the story of Reg & Catherine's amazing outreach and repair work will warm your heart. You may also find additional information (and donate to the cause) via the Fistula Foundation.

Pollan's Words of Food Wisdom

As much as I have mixed feelings about my undergrad institution, I have to admit that the education and many of the exposures it granted me were pretty phenomenal. As a college student, I was lucky to be offered free tickets to hear both Jane Goodall and Maya Angelou speak, and this evening my alma mater hosted the prestigious and well-loved foodie Michael Pollan (although my free ticket tonight was provided by my current employment/institution). Pollan always gives us food for thought (pun intended!) and tonight was no exception. Having read several of his works, tonight was a wonderful reminder of the food tenements that I should be keeping.

Here are some of the notes that I took from his presentation/speech this evening (some paraphrasing included):

Last month Oregon had 240,000 people receive food boxes with 22% of those recipients being children. (Actually presented by our representative Earl Blumenauer.)

"You can't have a healthy population without a healthy diet, and you can't have a healthy diet without healthy agriculture."

Pollan had purchased two bags of groceries from our local grocery stores prior to the talk. The groceries included many food items which he terms "edible food-like substances."
--There are 17,000 new products added to the supermarket every year, which one example was a fruit pizza with cheese.
--Most common cereals (such as chocolate cheerios) are 40-44% sugar.
--20% of eating in the US is done in our cars
--Generally low-fat foods actually have more sugar and calories (here he had the example of low-fat Tillamook yogurt having 33g sugar and regular Dannon yogurt having less calories and 25g sugar)
--Putting health claims on soda is an example of "nutritionism" hitting a new low (ginger ale w/ ginseng and green tea extracts)
--$69 billion dollars last year was spent on food packaging (which was more than the amount actually paid to farmers)

He discussed the new concept of nutritionism which includes America's fascination and obsession with nutrients rather than of food itself. Nutrients rule the food market and we frequently see nutrient claims on all sorts of packaging, even in foods where they have no business making the migration (ex bread with calcium, fiber in milk). We don't see food, instead we obsess on nutrients, leading to an unhealthy obsession with "healthy eating." Since we don't receive real guidance and there isn't much regulation on food/nutrition, we instead try to figure it out ourselves. Since nutrients are invisible however (and when we look at an apple we don't see the apple but rather the nutrient components we worry about...), then we feel we need "experts" to explain the hidden reality of all the good vs evil nutrients that exist. We view eating's purpose to be protection of our health...rather than enjoyment, community, culture, etc.

The regulation/guidance has been skewed by industry. In the 70s regulators tried to come out and say "eat less red meat," a very simple to understand statement. However meat industry was upset and was allowed to enter the conversation, skewing the message to state "choose meats with less saturated fats," which is a less easy to understand statement. From that point on, industry was a part of the "nutritional guidance" conversation, and it set the precedent that the government can't tell the public to actually eat less of any FOOD but it can tell it to eat less of any NUTRIENT. It also set the stage for us to get fat on low-fat, ie we ate more because it was low-fat, and it allowed us to feel that when one nutrient is demonized it allows a free pass for another nutrient.

Industry thus loves nutritionism, which is evidenced by the fact that corn and soy can be found in a large percentage of our processed foods. Corn is used in various sweetners, soy is used in fats and fillers. Two-thirds of our calories tend to come from four plants with 30% of our calories estimated to be from corn and/or soy.

The Western diet is based on a radical change in human eating and has lead to the development of our common Western diseases. Approximately 1 trillion dollars of our health care spending is estimated to be going toward prevention and treatment of chronic disease due to our dietary choices. 80% of heart disease, 30% of cancers, and the majority of Type 2 diabetes is estimated to be from dietary choices. Whereas our current low-fat, nutrient-focused diet has lead to enormous negative disease outcomes, the traditional human diets did not. The irony of this fact is that traditional diets are/were incredibly diverse (ex Inuit diets were limited and based on high fats, Mexican diet was based in beans and corn among many other items), but our nutrient-focused culture would view their diets as lacking via balanced nutrition. This demonstrates that there is NOT one way to eat for all even as we try to develop one diet.

Chronic disease is in fact becoming a lifestyle factor for us (ex Diabetes Today magazine in check-out aisle), especially when 1 in 3 kids is likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. We really have two choices:
1) Surrender to the Western diet and hope for evolution to eventually adapt humans.
2) We can change backward in both eating AND lifestyle toward the choices of our ancestors.
The difficulty is that as Americans we prefer whatever is cheap and easy. Currently we spend less on food today compared to other developed nations and compared to our own history (currently 9.5% of our income).

Really we need to remind ourselves that we CAN "feed ourselves without nutritionism." We had a food "culture" long before we ever had a food "science." Culture is routinely passed down through the generations (ex via grandma and mom) but science in this case undermined mom/culture. We need to relearn. So what do we do?!

---Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants.
--Make sure you recognize the ingredients in what you're eating. Give it the grandma (or great-great grandma test), would she recognize it?!
--Shop the perimeter in the grocery store.
--Don't eat foods that make health claims or that advertise on TV.
--Eat meals with people. (Healthier families are those that cook and eat together.)
--Remember the meal as a sacred institution.
--Eat til you are 80% full. (Language difference: we ask if we're full, other countries/languages ask if one is satisfied or no longer hungry.)
--Put your money where your mouth is. (By buying local, basic foods we promote agriculture change, funding, and regulation. Diverse diet leads to diversified growing (rather than monocultures), which decreases pesticide, water, and fossil fuel usage. For every calorie based on the industrial food model (monoculture), 10 calories are spent on oil/fossil fuel for energy. Industrial food=fossil fuel. Local food increases the experience of community.)

What's best for our health is also what's best of agriculture.


Definitely some food for thought....if you have never read any of Pollan's works, I encourage you to do so--always insightful.

Of Recent Links & (Re)Sources

Yahoo via Prevention: 9 Signs You're Happier Than You Think

Treehugger's Do Your Kids Walk to School? October is Walk-to-School Month

If you haven't heard about this horrible ecological and public health disaster, via the New York Times: Toxic Sludge Engulfs Several Hungarian Towns

Collaborative on Health & The Environment (CHE) is one of my favorite resources and environment health organizations. Tons of information available. Powerpoints from recent presentations available, and if you've never read any of Sandra Steingraber's books I definitely recommend them....For Hand-Outs & Resources from their recent conference: Children First: Promoting Ecological Health for the Whole Child.

Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Tips to Green Your Halloween

Portland, Oregon specific:
1)  Taste Your Oregon — Oregon Environmental Council: Eat at Bamboo Sushi on October 12, and your $$ will be donated to OEC! If you can't make it on the benefit night, go any time between now and the 12th and order their drink special, the "Gin Henson." Bamboo will make a donation to OEC.  (Upcoming dates: Nov 10th at Lincoln Restaurant and Dec 8 Thyme at FivePine

2) Headed out to Dinner in PDX on Oct 21? Choose one of the restaurants contributing funds to end DV....Dine 4 DV Locations


And a Natural Make-up deal....Honeybee Gardens, Inc: In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is offering special savings all through the month of October. Enter Coupon Code PINK at check out and get 10% off your entire order OR enter code LIPS4CURE and get any one of their Truly Natural Lipsticks at HALF PRICE ($...5.00 savings). Save the Tatas!!

National Prescription Med Take-Back on Saturday

Have a bunch of left over prescription medication in your cupboards? Well this Saturday, September 25th the Drug Enforcement Agency is coordinating a National Take-Back Initiative. Between 10am and 2pm sites across the nation will be collecting old prescription medication for incineration. To find the collection site nearest you, please visit this site with the DEA.

While incineration might not be the best disposal option (????), it will decrease the likelihood of used medications from being flushed, which recent research has found chemicals and hormones from prescription medications measurable in tap water in many municipalities across the nation. Additionally, research demonstrates that prescription medication abuse is one of the highest rates of teenage drug ab/use. When our nation is over prescribed and left over medications are prevalent in family homes, prescription drug access is highly accessible for teenagers (and many others) looking for an easy escape.

Why leave those medications laying around if you do have them in your home? Dispose of them at the site nearest you! ;)

Please help get the word out about this resource---it doesn't seem like its been heavily marketed nor advertised and it'd be great to see more individuals participating to clear out their homes of access, prevent misuse, and allow for a more proper disposal than many across the nation are used to putting into practice.

Have You Seen the Face of Domestic Violence?

You may have been expecting another home post, but I wanted to share something else that is special to my heart and mind right now. Last week it came to my attention that a female I once attended school with had been stabbed to death in her shared home by her boyfriend. This particular individual was someone I didn't interact with much as a kid, but the reality of her death still disturbed me. She was a strong female (captain of a city rugby league), with a smile for the world, and the type of individual who does not fit what many would picture as a woman suffering from domestic violence.

I've never been one with the right words to discuss domestic violence and its one area of social work I've always known I could never effectively work in. Thus I turned to one of my dearest friends and asked if she would so kindly write a guest piece for me. Not only is Nancy an amazing friend but she has fairly self-lessly and passionately worked in the field of domestic violence for almost six years. Graciously she wrote the following and wrote it as if she was speaking to a fellow friend:

A definition of domestic violence is probably a good place to start. I'm often surprised by what imagery the term conjures for different folks. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and emotional abuse, perpetrated by one person against an intimate partner with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control (Oregon Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

Before going further I feel I need to make the obligatory statements, you may have heard it before, but if I don't do it, people will accuse me of being sexist and/or a man hater... Domestic violence happens to men and women (although 85% of the time violence in perpetrated by men against women and because of this I may use the word she for a survivor and he for an abuser). I call them survivors because in or out of an abusive relationship they are definitely surviving. Abuse occurs across all racial, ethnic, socio-economic, age, and religious groups. However, as a service provider we usually see the most economically disadvantaged folks, because they do not have the same kinds of resources to achieve safety.

Domestic violence comes in many shapes and forms, though through the lens of pop culture and the sensationalization of the news media, many think of it in terms of physical violence only. The Duluth Model Power & Control Wheel does a really good job of illustrating what abuse can look like. Abuse usually starts out small and can seem insignificant. Sometimes the jealousy a partner uses as an excuse for their behavior can even flatter us and make us feel protected or cared for, but abuse often escalates over time in both frequency and severity.

The question people most often ask is "why doesn't she leave?" While I'll attempt to do this question justice, my caveat is that it is not the victims responsibility to end the abuse, but it is the responibility of the perpetrator. The answer to the question however is complex. Leaving is the single most dangerous time for a survivor. In Oregon we have had what seems like an outbreak of homicides connected to domestic violence. In most of those cases, the victims (victims, when they are no longer surviving) had left or attempted to leave the relationship. Given the danger, it is amazing how many survivors do leave. When someone leaves an abusive relationship they don't just leave their partner, they often have to cut ties with friends, family, and communities in order to attain safety. Leaving an abusive relationship prompts many difficult decisions. Survivors must attain housing, employment, childcare, transportation, and it all must be done away from the abusers network and community in order to try and maintain safety. Survivors face incredible barriers when leaving, including the complexity and sacrifice of making a new life, and the difficulty in actually achieving safety.


There are many "red flags" or "warning signs" of an abusive relationship. Although the presence of one sign does not necessarily indicate an abuser, the more signs there are the more likely a person is an abuser and some of the warning signs are abuse in and of themselves:
1. Jealousy
2. Controlling behavior
3. Push for quick involvement or committment to the relationship
4. Unrealistic expectations
5. Isolation
6. Past battering
7. Blames others for problems
8. Rigid gender roles
9. Cruelty to animals or children
10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality
11. Verbal abuse
12. Threats of violence
13. Breaking or striking objects
14. Force in sex
15. Any force during an argument
16. Stalking behavior

If you have questions or concerns about your partners' behavior and want to talk to someone, you should feel free to contact your local hotline. Don't know your local hotline number? You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. They can connect you to local programs and have translators available.

Finally, a lot of people feel at a loss when someone they care about finds themselves in an abusive relationship. If you know someone who is being abused the best thing you can do is to believe them. Don't minimize or try to explain away abusive behavior, as chances are the person is already doing that and it will only reinforce the idea that s/he is somehow responsible for the violence. Let them know you are concerned for their safety and tell them it is not their fault. Many survivors turn to family and friends before they reach out to agencies, so ask what you can do to support them and respect their decisions. They know their partner and situation best, and are the best judge of what will be safe for them. If they do decide to leave, continue to offer whatever support you can. It may mean accompanying them as they seek out assistance from the legal system, seek financial assistance from a state agency, or reach out to a domestic violence agency.
 
MANY THANKS TO NANCY! Domestic violence is such a sad and sensitive topic, and she covered it much better and professionally than I would have been able to do. Please if you know of someone in an abusive relationship, offer to help them in any way you can and let's continue to combat the stigmas and stereotypes that exist in the world.

Community Conversations on Toxic Chemicals and Health

For the last two nights CNN has been airing a TOXIC AMERICA series. I was able to catch the last 15 minutes of the initial special on Weds and then last night I watched the one on Toxic Childhood. So amazing to see CNN covering these topics in depth and trying to raise national awareness of how the unregulated chemical industry impacts human health.

Conversations on toxic chemicals and health are happening all over the nation, including formalized events. If you're able to attend one of the following conversations in Oregon then I highly suggest it---get involved and show your support.  Join the conversation!

This was sent to me by CHE-Oregon (Center for Health and the Environment's Oregon state chapter):

Community Conversations on Toxic Chemicals and Health

The Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Toxics Alliance, and the Oregon Chapter of the Physician’s for Social Responsibility are teaming up to hold forums throughout the state to get public input about how toxic chemicals are affecting people’s health. The forums are part of a two-year project by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen the nation’s approach to protecting the public from chemical exposures in air, water, soil, and consumer products throughout the country.

Upcoming Community Conversations:

Eugene

Monday, June 7, 6:15-7:45 pm

Eugene Public Library Tykeson Room

Contact larkin@oregontoxics.org for more information

Hood River

Thursday, June 10, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm

Hood River County Museum

300 E. Port Marina Drive

Contact maye@oregonpsr.org for more information

Gresham

Sunday, June 13, 12:30-2:30

Gresham Library

Contact reneep@oeconline.org for more information

Astoria

Sunday, June 20, 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Blue Scorcher Bakery Café

1493 Duane Street, Astoria

Contact maye@oregonpsr.org for more information

For more information about the community conversations, go to:http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/nationalconversation/community_conversations.html

Demand a strong Safe Chemicals Act

As received yesterday from Oregon Environmental Council, I encourage you to sign on...

Right now, our nation has the best opportunity in decades to ensure that you and your family are not exposed to toxic chemicals. We have a real, fighting chance to make sure that everyday products are not harming our health.

When our federal lawmakers pass the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, we must get it right.
Your congressional representatives need to hear that Oregon voters care about this issue, we are following it closely, and we want to see common-sense protections included.

Sign our petition today to demand a strong Safe Chemicals Act.

Let your congressional representatives know that we won't settle for less than a law that makes sure chemicals are safe before they reach the shelves, that the most dangerous chemicals are phased out fast, and that safer alternatives replace cancer-causing and other dangerous chemicals.

Thanks for your support.

Resources and Links for Week April 5

This evening I've been thinking that maybe at the end of each week I should just have a Summary Saturday and create links to various interesting reports, articles, and sites I've noticed throughout the week.  I have information coming to me on a routine basis through multiple organizations and a lot of it is worthy information to pass on here.  Although I might not have time to summarize everything, the title that includes the link usually gives you a good idea of the information to be presented.

Better Birth Weight for Babies of Exercisers from the New York Times.  Babies with birth weights over 8lbs 12oz have an increased risk for obesity.  Regular exercise while pregnant can slightly reduce babies birth weight.

18,000 Gallons of Oil Spill Into Louisiana Wildlife Refuge summarized by Treehugger and originally reported via Associated Press.  Since this is local and the gulf and its inhabitants already battle with being a Dead Zone, I find this headline particularly disheartening.

As if you needed another reason to eat non-factory farmed eggs, but here it is: Appalling Cruelties at Nation's Top Egg Producers, shared by the Humane Society.

Bad chemistry: The poison in the plastic that surrounds us. The London Independent offers a summarization of the issues associated with BPA---why and how it's bad for us. Warning: This is a lengthy article.

And the following all apply to the Safer Chemicals Act:
The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act produced by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.  Warning: Length.

The Most Toxic Home Products by Forbes Magazine.

Ask The EPA to Support TSCA Reform.  It just takes a minute and sends an email to Administrator Jackson showing your support of increased regulation on chemicals in our consumer products.  When only a small percentage of the chemicals on the market have been tested for human health effects, reform is needed...

And I'm not sure if I've ever posted this or not, but one of my coworkers and I were talking about this reference sheet this morning.  I have this posted on my fridge: Pollution in People: 10 Things You Can Do compiled by the Oregon Environmental Council.  If you've never read OEC's Pollution in People Report, I would highly suggest it as it measured the chemical body burdens of 10 varied Oregon residents.  While the study was specific to Oregon, many of the findings correspond to most individuals. 

Speak Up and Advocate

First opportunity: I don't think babies should be gulping down a rocket fuel ingredient -- do you? But I just learned from Environmental Working Group that when you mix infant formula that contains perchlorate (a rocket fuel ingredient than can interfere with infant brain development) with water that's also contaminated with perchlorate, you put rocket fuel on baby's menu. We need the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates the nation's water quality, to set a permanent and stringent safe drinking water standard for perchlorate. I just sent an email to newly-appointed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to make that a reality: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26980

Why now?
1) New risk for babies
A new report by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found perchlorate contamination in 15 brands of powdered infant formula.

2) It is in our drinking waterPerchlorate pollution has also been found in the drinking water of 28 states and territories. (Check out Environmental Working Group's tap water quality database to see if yours is one: http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/yourwater/index.php)

3) This is the moment.During her Senate confirmation hearing, EPA head Lisa Jackson promised to act "immediately" to reduce perchlorate contamination in drinking water to protect children and pregnant women. Please join me in calling on EPA Administrator Jackson to make good her pledge. Send her an email today asking to keep perchlorate at safe levels in our drinking water: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26980

Second opportunity: Compact fluorescent bulbs have huge energy savings, but could be made even better if the Energy Star program would push companies to reduce mercury levels.Join me and urge Energy Star to ask for a better mercury standard for bulbs, and while you are at it check out the 7 companies identified by Environmental Working Group that make the lowest mercury, long-life bulbs. That one can be accessed at: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26304

This is one that worries me because so many people don't know that CFLs contain mercury and even those that do know don't dispose of them appropriately. Hopefully everyone realizes that mercury is a pretty harmful substance to human health. I just wish CFLs didn't contain it and that they would reduce the levels since they can. Hence I tailored my message to say so...and as always asked that if they do respond that they do so via email and not waste paper and shipping. (Which I did get a response saying that it's voluntary for industry to choose their levels, but why not apply more pressure?)

Both of these I got in my Take Action Newsletter from Environmental Working Group this morning and wanted to pass on to you.

Another Good Day

Steadily making it down the to-do list.

Today I was dropped off by my mother at the grocery store on her way to run another errand, where I bought the missing ingredients needed in order to make my soup. I filled up my little tote bag, bundled up, and walked home for the return trip. In my jaunts around town, I get lots of strange looks, but I'm getting to the point where I really enjoy the strange looks just because I'm walking. I want to give strange looks just because they are driving. Especially to our neighbor who lives up the street, who I kid you not, we have seen get in his truck and back it out across the road in order to get his mail....

I spent a good portion of the afternoon looking into organizations to donate to for Christmas gifts for my remaining niece and nephews:

I chose a larger donation at Save-a-Manatee for two of my brother's kids. In exchange they will also get a quarterly newsletter throughout the year and a calendar. Something that is both environmentally supportive and educational for two of the boys. Since we used to live in Florida, I figure it makes a nice segway for my brother to also share some of what he knows with his kids.

My brother's other two children and my sister's eldest son sponsored donations via World Vision, which is a Christian organization focused on alleviating poverty and injustice throughout the world via a sustainable development model. My eldest nephew sponsored art & music instruction for kids (he's a musician), my youngest nephew sponsored two ducks for a family, and my niece (just entering that cheerleader/tween fashionable age) sponsored a contribution for clothing and other basic needs for kids in poverty stricken areas of the world.

I had looked into donating via Unicef USA which I feel is a very worthwhile organization, yet I was fairly unimpressed to see how much corporate America has infiltrated the donation process of that agency. I definitely think it's great to raise everyone's standard of living, but I don't know how much corporations need to be hawking their wares on those in poverty either.

Through all my research it appears that 8% of most organizations' expenses go toward fundraising. An annoyance for most of us that already give, yet other research is showing that it's one of the only ways to continue to get donations from individuals...by harping on us to continue to do so. However for World Vision, I specifically sent a follow-up communication asking that they do NOT contact me or my sponsored donors via mail and minimal email if they want to continue to receive donations....we'll see if they follow through. I don't need them spending my donation on postage and on wasting more paper. However an additional nice thing about World Vision and the Save a Manatee organizations was how readily accessible their financial information was in order to see exactly how much money goes where and to who.

While a donation might not be the same as having an actual gift under the tree, I hope my niece and nephews can truly understand the difference they are creating in the world. They are positively impacting other people and the planet, and that is the best gift of all.

In the midst of my donation research, I chatted with my sister online, who pointed out this posting on Down to Earth, which led me to this posting, which led me to this website for Handmade Toy Alliance, which led me to write to Representative Blumenauer, Senator Wyden, Senator-Elect Merkley, and to sign the petition...all to try to save a crafters right to construct healthy toys, clothing, and diapers for infants in the USA without hefty regulation costs. If you read this and live in the US, please look into this! It's really not that hard to send a form email to your elected officials, although I generally try to include a request at the bottom that if they choose to respond they should do so via email and not via a form letter that will just waste more trees and CO2.

After finishing my hemming and hawing and tailoring of donations, I finally got to chopping up vegetables for the soup. I like to think of my soup making as "everything but the kitchen sink." Tonight's soup included: red potatoes, broccoli, peas, celery, onions, garlic, carrots, a bit of white wine, two cans of vegetable broth, and some spices thrown in. Cooked all of the veggies down before adding the wine, seasonings, and then broth......then whirred it up in the blender. Served with some warmed french bread and waa-lah....a nutritious meal! I always make a large batch so I can freeze the rest for future meals.

Last evening I was able to get the hemming of my pants done and one of the shirts fixed. I had found the pants at Goodwill and just needed to re-hem them to the right length. The shirt was one I've had for years and wanted to take the arms off of to create a sleeveless black t for summer. Now tonight I hope to make some decent headway toward finishing up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. So far a pretty decent read! Definitely makes me want to focus on buying local!

Hope everyone has a had a fabulous Hump Day!

Thanksgiving (AFTER) & Advent

It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving. I felt glad that I was able to contribute a variety of dishes for this afternoon's meal, as I truly think it's the first time I've actually prepared something for the day. All of the food was delicious but the time together is always the most rewarding thing about the day. The thing I love the most about Thanksgiving is that for once Americans take time off in order to enjoy the basic things that surround us. We attempt to cook from scratch, we say grace over our meal, and we laugh and love and share moments with those that mean the most to us. We don't work, we relax, and we provide for each other. And for once we are content and feel gratitude for the blessings that we have---instead of "needing" more than what we have.

How ironic then that the day AFTER Thanksgiving is the largest shopping day of the year. I will be avoiding the stores this year; something that is not very difficult for me to do. The consumption that occurs on this one day is astounding, especially since most of the items purchased are far from necessary, far from encouraging health in any form, and generally will be cast aside in just another year's time. Just another notch on the belt of America's gluttened desire for more, although most are never going to gain fulfillment from what these items will bring. The saddest reality for me, is imagining what good COULD come if instead this money that is spent on items was invested in human kind and in doing good for others and the planet. While the global economy will benefit tomorrow, will the current economic model ever really benefit humanity in the long term? I think not.

It's too bad Christmas couldn't just be a repetition of Thanksgiving Day (and not the day after)....just extended into a longer season. Although in reality it is....

Today at our Thanksgiving celebration, I did receive two gifts...one was the plastic tote bag constructed via my sister as this was the first time we'd seen each other since it had been finished. The second was one that has become a tradition between my mother and I, and arrived in the form of my annual chocolate advent calendar. To me, Thanksgiving and the advent season go hand in hand in terms of favorite holidays. The advent season has special meaning as it is based in preparation and remembrance of the coming of Christ. Instead of the "normal" holiday season which is based in mindless consumption, advent is about being mindful of the historical reason we even celebrate this "season." To me, advent truly is the extension of Thanksgiving Day as we focus on the great gift given to all of us that reside on this planet. This year, the first Sunday in advent is this Sunday....and that's something else to be be grateful for...

Regardless of your religious or spiritual connotation, I hope you enter into this holiday season with a gracious heart, a peaceful mind, and a joyous soul! The best to you and yours....

Oh Disney, How You Let Me Down

While I appreciate your reply, I am NOT pleased with your response. Striving for cleanliness in terms of killing most bacteria, while necessary, should not be the only focus when considering the healthy option for cleaning products. You should also be looking at the long term health effects of certain chemicals. When most "safe" levels are based on the adult body, it is incredible to me that your corporation would continue to deem these as appropriate products when you appeal mainly to children. Who knew that a corporation based mainly on the short term happiness of the nation's children (and obviously the short-term health) would not worry about and take into consideration the long-term life of an individual. Safer (and cheaper) alternatives are readily available that would allow your corporation to fully support your claim to care about the health of your clientele.

No need to reply to this again, as you will not change my opinion. When Disney has the financial and marketing capacity to truly step out for the nation's children, it is disheartening to realize that this corporation is just one more example of a "greenwashing" industry.

Please know that until these standards change I will be advocating for my family and friends to avoid taking their children to your locations.

However I do hope you all have an enjoyable day. Differences of opinion aside, we are all still human.

Thanks,
Simply Authentic

--- On Thu, 10/23/08, WDW Guest Communications wrote:
From: WDW Guest Communications WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com
Subject: Email from the Walt Disney World Resort

Dear Ms. Simply Authentic,
We appreciate your interest in how we utilize environmentally-friendly
cleaning products here at the Walt Disney World® Resort.
We are very proud of our ongoing commitment to the environment as well
as our reputation for providing our Guests with a clean, safe
atmosphere. Our first focus is to ensure that the millions of visitors
enjoying our facilities are provided with sanitary guest rooms,
restaurants and restrooms.
We are using only products we consider safe
for our Cast Members and our Guests, including many
environmentally-friendly products. We hope you will be pleased to learn
that we have an entire team dedicated to evaluating the content and
effectiveness of eco-friendly formulas, and when appropriate, these new
products are integrated into our cleaning protocols.
Rest assured we will never compromise the health and safety of our
Guests by using a product that does not meet our sanitizing standards.
Thank you again for taking the time to write. Please know that it is
our intention to provide the safest and cleanest surroundings for all
Guests who visit the Walt Disney World® Resort. If you have additional
questions, please provide a telephone number, and we will be happy to
follow up with you.
Sincerely,
Executive Offices
Walt Disney World® Resort

------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Montgomery,,
I am deeply concerned with growing evidence that toxic chemicals in
everyday products are contributing to serious illnesses in children.
In Disney's Animal Kingdom, unnecessary toxic cleaning products that
would harm the animals are banned. However, those same products are used
around children in your parks, restaurants and hotels. Disney's
environmental policy states that your company follows its environmental
policy with 'significant responsibility in mind', but instead continues
to expose your youngest guests to harmful chemicals through toxic
cleaning products when safer alternatives exist.
Please transition all your parks, hotels, and restaurants to certified
green cleaning products and procedures this year. By making this simple
change, you will protect all your guest's and employee's health, and
become a true environmental and health leader in the tourism industry.
In an effort to decrease un-necessary resource usage, if you are to
reply please do so via email.
Simply Authentic