A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.
– Ralph Nader
A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
– Ralph Nader
This month…
- Cancer and Consumer Advocacy
- Unnecessary Dangers of Using Microwave Ovens
- Cancer and Our Environment: Two Crusaders
- Upholding Organic Guidelines
Unnecessary Dangers of Using Microwave Ovens
Microwave dangers
Hazards of Microwave Ovens
Microwaves have been a popular consumer product for several decades in this country, with little to no mention of the harm they can do to food and the humans who eat that food. First developed during WWII to cook food for soldiers on the move, they were subsequently banned in Russia in 1976 due to the overwhelming scientific evidence of the harmful effects of eating food prepared by such means.
Unnecessarily Risky
There is an extensive body of research demonstrating the many dangerous effects that microwaving has on food and the people who eat that food. With other means of cooking food quickly and safely, there is absolutely no reason to take such risks with the food you eat. Please click on the picture of the microwave for more documentation on the dangers of using the device.
A Safe, Sensible Alternative: Convection Ovens
A convection oven works by circulating hot air to quickly and evenly heat food as a safe, sensible alternative to microwave ovens. See the link below for more information on the benefits of convection ovens.
Benefits of Convection Ovens..
Cancer and Our Environment: Two Crusaders
Rachel Carson
Work of Rachel Carson
Published in 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring documented the deadly impact of pesticides on all levels of the food chain, from birds and animals to humans. The book is widely recognized as the beginning of environmental health awareness.
Carson’s Legacy
Rachel Carson died at the age of fifty-six from complications arising from cancer treatment. And because of her work, public awareness has been raised to a consciousness of the impact human activity has upon the health of the environment and by extension, the health of those who live in that environment. The popularity of Al Gore and his mission to create public awareness of global warming follows in the wake of the movement of which Carson was an integral part.
Sandra Steingraber
Biologist, author, and cancer survivor, Sandra Steingraber has researched and written several works on how industrial processes and agriculture impact the environment and contribute to the incidence of cancer.
Her latest publication, “Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood” looks at the issue of environmental health with a mother’s passion to protect, nurture, and create the best of all possible worlds for her baby.
Sandra Steingraber’s Website…
Upholding Organic Guidelines
Planting Peace
Growing Popularity of Organic Labelled Products
Americans spend approximately 6 billion per year on organic labelled food and this amount is growing. As an expanding, lucrative market, industrial agriculture corporations are taking advantage of the trust placed in organic labelled products.
As a result, the standards for organic labelling are jeopardized as corporations more interested in immediate profit than sustainable growth flout the standards of organic, sustainable food production at the expense of the environment and the consumer.
Creating and Maintaining Integrity in Organic Guidelines
Organic guidelines in the United States are regulated by the USDA. Like all governmental agencies, the USDA is subject to influence by corporate pressure from lobbyists.
There are also organizations who work to maintain the integrity of organic guidelines to create sustainable, workable ways of maintaining environmental health.
Please visit the link below for more information on Organic Consumers Association, a non-profit entity “campaigning for health, justice, sustainability, peace, and democracy,” and be aware of what “organic” means for the food that you eat.
Organic Consumers Association Website