The Dark Side Of Greek Yogurt

The latest in “healthy” foods that are not actually good for us is Greek yogurt.  Every three to four ounces of milk produces only one ounce of the creamy snack,  and what’s left becomes acid whey, “a thin, runny waste product” too toxic to dump because whey decomposition could potentially turn waterways into aquatic-life-destroying “dead seas.”

There are endless choices of non-dairy yogurts that are not loaded with fat, sugar or animal proteins - none of which are associated with negative environmental impacts.

The Problem With Palm Oil

Palm oil is a globally traded commodity that is used in 50 percent of all consumer goods, from lipstick and packaged food to body lotion and biofuels.  Used in about half of the products on supermarket shelves, palm oil imports to the U.S. have jumped 485% in the last decade.

This has resulted in severe negative impacts on the environment, the climate, and local populations.

• Palm oil destroys rainforests:  Rainforests provide critical habitat to endangered species including Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and orangutans. One government, Indonesia, has announced plans to convert approximately 18 million more hectares of rainforests, an area the size of Missouri, into palm oil plantations by 2020.
• Palm oil causes climate change:  Rainforests are destroyed to create industrial palm oil plantations, releasing massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  Deforestation causes eighty percent of Indonesia’s CO2 emissions, making the tropical nation the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
• Palm oil threatens forest peoples:  Millions of Indonesians rely directly on rainforests for their livelihoods.  A single palm oil plantation can destroy the forests, watersheds, and forest resources of thousands of Indonesians, leaving entire forest communities to face poverty.

For more information, and to find out what you can do to help, visit the Rainforest Action Network.

Radioactive Fish Found In California

Nearly two years after a powerful earthquake triggered a leak at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, the effects of that disaster are still being felt on the other side of the planet.

A report released earlier this month by researchers at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station found that bluefin tuna caught just off the California coast tested positive for radiation stemming from the incident.

UN Study Details Environmental Need for Less Meat

“Unless action is taken, increases in pollution and per capita consumption of energy and animal products will exacerbate nutrient losses, pollution levels and land degradation, further threatening the quality of our water, air and soils, affecting climate and biodiversity.”

Monsanto's Roundup Is The Most Used Herbicide In NYC

Despite piles of research suggesting that Roundup is dangerous, the Big Apple continues to douse its parks with the stuff—potentially exposing millions of New Yorkers to toxic effects.

According to the Department of Health’s report on city pesticide use in 2011, Roundup, the weed-killing key to Monsanto’s agribusiness empire, is the city’s most heavily used liquid herbicide. Roundup is Monsanto’s signature blend of glyphosate—a compound that works by disrupting an enzyme key to plant growth—and other ingredients to destroy weeds.

Many Cleaning Products Said To Contain Toxins

Household cleaning products may contain toxic substances linked to health problems such as asthma, allergic reactions, and cancer, according to a new report by the Environmental Working Group.

The environmental group rated more than 2,000 household cleaners - from laundry soaps and stain removers to bathroom cleaners and floor care products. Products are graded A to F based on the safety of the ingredients and how well the maker discloses those ingredients.

Vegan Daily News highly recommends this as an outstanding, unbiased resource for finding the greenest cleaning products!  For example, EWG rates 49 different glass cleaners…only 3 warrant a grade “A”, while almost half fail with an “F”.