Crossing the street is sometimes an intensive experience of passive smoking!

Palm Oil Industry threatens the Rain Forests

Right now palm oil is the second, behind soybean, most produced oil in world. It is estimated that within the next five years, palm oil will surpass soybean oil to become the leading vegetable oil produced.

Because of this huge demand, thousands of acres of rainforest are being cut down every year to make way for new plantations. As a result, hundreds of animals are loosing their habit including the endangered Sumatran Tiger, Asian Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and both the Sumatra and Borneo Orangutan.

Hi-Tech companies take aim at Eco-Tech

Intel and International Business Machines have joined the parade of technology companies making alternative-energy plays, announcing Monday separate efforts to put their manufacturing smarts to work cranking out solar cells.

Solar cells, which convert light to electricity, have long relied on silicon, the same material upon which companies such as IBM and Intel build computer chips.

Carbon Emissions are on the rise

It had been known, but disputed, for a year that China was the new king of carbon, having pumped more of the heat-trapping gas into the atmosphere annually than the United States. Now, with a new analysis from the Netherlands, the rise of China’s polluting power has been confirmed.

For many years we’ve been accustomed to use soaps and shampoos that contain chemicals that damage our skin and damage the environment. These chemicals can be so dangerous sometimes, that most manufactures have to test their products on living animals before they release these products to the market. Countless bunnies have been blinded by soap manufacturers.

However, there are alternatives. Recent years have seen a surge in organic cosmetics. Usually, these soaps, toothpastes, and make-up, are made of herbs, vegetables, and fruits, without being mixed with additional chemicals or color additives.

I want to present a natural shampoo made in Canada from organic hemp. There’s no animal fat in the ingredients — in facts, it’s even suitable for vegans. The delicate smell of the shampoo bar comes from sweet oranges, and it’s both gentle and antiseptic.

This item, along with other hemp products, and even hemp clothes, can be found at Rawganique.

Have a good scrubbing!

It has been published that the European Union is considering to require by law Car Ads to warn consumers of the harm carbon emissions cause the planet. It’s a very progressive stance, and one that should radically change the public atmosphere in Europe if accepted.

Seeing this policy put into action might take several months or even several years, but we at Natural Buy have decided to take on the challenge, and we would like to try and phrase the actual warnings that might eventually find their way onto major billboard ads.

Let’s start with the basic version: “Research indicates that petrol-driven automobiles damage the ozone layer“.

If we desire to be a bit more creative, we can try one of the following: “Driving this vehicle will be useless when the Ice Caps melt” or “This machine harms the future of your children“.

In case you have other neat ideas, feel free to Email ‘em to us, and we shall post the best ones.

Picture by California State University at San Bernardino

Whoever wins the next American presidency will have to face daunting environmental issues. Now, all along the campaign trail, candidates throw promises in the air. But when the time comes, will he or she deliver?

One thing we could do to pressure the next US president to live up to his word — whatever that word may be — is to spread these promises to as many people as possible. Knowledge is power, and promises given to millions of people ain’t the same as promises given to a small group of people in a certain setting.

In short, my aim here is to make the candidates’ environmental policies as publicly known as possible, in order to make this issue a valid deciding factor when facing the ballot.

Today I’ll start with Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has just won the primary at Puerto Rico by a landslide margin. This is what she had to say a few months ago in New Hampshire:

If you want to look into her stance on the issue even further, you may be interested in reading Hillary Clinton’s Official Environmental Policy.

Mercury - that silvery liquid metal that is still found in many thermometers and heating thermostats, is now being linked to increases of autism in infants and children. Autism is a condition that is found in more boys than girls and now strikes an average of one in every 150 live births in America. Although other factors are also instrumental to causing this unfortunate condition, the increased presence of mercury in our environment is now being linked to causing autism, especially in areas where the presence of mercury is higher.

A study made by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center found that rates of autism in infants and young children increases in areas close to higher than normal quantities of mercury being found in either the atmosphere — as a result of industrial air pollution, in the water supply — due largely to dumping of industrial wastes into streams and reservoirs, and in the soil — due to leakage of metallic and chemical pollutants into the soil.

The research was conducted on a group of more than 1,000 Texas school children and found that higher rates of autism occurred in areas where mercury and other industrial pollutants were more prevalent. Some of the causes of this pollution include coal-dependant power plants, medical and chemical waste disposal sites, and the manufacture of concrete. All of these sources involve the used the mercury at one stage or another. The researchers found that for every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by either industrial causes or electrical power facilities, the rate of autism is increased by between 2.5% to 3.5%, depending on the distance from the facility and the source of the pollution. The percentages decrease at distances further away from the source of the pollution.

Of course other sources are also linked to mercury pollution and the resulting autism, including eating fish contaminated with mercury (such as mackerel, tuna, and sea bass) as well as the presence of mercury in smoke which may come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Countries such China and India are heavy users of mercury as they are rising industrial countries and have less stringent anti-industrial pollution laws.

Solutions to reduce this growing danger include enacting stricter laws against industrial pollution, increasing testing of fish and sea food for mercury content, and reducing the presence of mercury in all medical equipment and products. While these steps may not eliminate the tragedy of autism, they will at least somewhat reduce the numbers.

Picture by Wikipedia

Indian herbs, including Amaranthus paniculatus (cultiv.), Coccinia indica, and Coriandrum sativum (coriander) may soon be replacing chemical preservatives in many foods. The herbs have high quantities of antioxidants which are known to retard spoilage and “aging” in both foods and human beings as well. Most plants produce some antioxidants, but these herbs appear to have much higher levels and chemicals such as ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolics and tannin.

Tests have shown that the high levels of antioxidants in these herbs have a positive effect in people’s bodies and though not completely proven, can be utilized by people who are interested in a “natural” manner to preserve foods as well as to prevent aging.

One of these herbs, known to Westerners as Coriander and to Asians and Middle Easterners as “Cusbara” is very commonly used in households as a food enhancer and a cooking herb. Although the plant’s pungent, almost bitter, taste is not agreeable with many westerners, people living in the Mediterranean regions love it and use the plant in their foods almost every day.

Synthetic antioxidants used in many foods include butylhydroxytoluene (BHY) and Butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), both of which are very common. By using the Indian ideas of utilizing less synthetic and more natural vitamins, the end result may enable foods to be preserved in a healthier manner by using these herbs. Oxidation is a big factor in what causes food products to spoil so quickly. The Amaranthus plant contains high levels of beta carotene, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and folates, all of which are excellent anti-oxidants.

The demand for natural antioxidants has resulted in a global market for natural antioxidants that now reaches nearly $ 70 million. Indian herbs have been known to have many curative properties, and high antioxidant levels are just some of the many attributes of Indian herbs. These herbs are found in both fresh and dried versions, and those wishing to preserve food items simply have to add certain amounts of these herbs to the foods. In addition to preserving food, many of these herbs, including Coriander and Amaranthus are used extensively in salads to add a unique, zesty flavor.

Source: Natural News; Picture by Gernot Katzer

Latest news in cell phone usage: we are now advised to keep our cell phones away when we go to bed. Cell phones should not be left on near you when you’re sleeping, especially not by your head. If you need to set the time, better use an alarm clock.

Recent studies have shown inconsistent results but still point to some potential danger from over-exposure to wireless technology (it should be noted that some studies that find no such correlation are financed by cell phone companies and are, therefore, naturally bias).

Many health organizations around the world have expressed their growing concern with the common use of cell phones and wireless devices. In response to studies that have shown correlation between exposure to radiation and the development of brain tumors, officials advise to reduce daily exposure to electromagnetic radiation as much a possible.

The great threat in this phenomenon is the invisibility of the danger - we can’t see radiation, and as a result, we do not protect ourselves enough or avoid the dangers. How many of us try to reduce our daily exposure to cell phones or even consider it?

Many people have already developed symptoms due to over-exposure to electromagnetic frequency. Diagnosed as “electrically sensitive”, these people complain about headaches, insomnia and even seizures. Their symptoms began to show when they started to work or study in areas with high levels of radiation. The main concern today is that this invisible enemy modern society so widely embraces might turn up to be the next cancer monster.

Trying to find alternative fuels and improving the chances of our plant has become a growing concern with signs of stress showing all over the planet. We try to bring to light some news and clips that provide some alternatives and are hopeful. The field of Algae Fuel is one of those and we found this great clip.

First car powered by algal Biodiesel to demonstrate real-world driving at Sundance Solazyme, Inc., a synthetic biology company unleashing the power of aquatic microbes … More»to create clean and scalable solutions for biofuel, industrial chemical, and health and wellness markets, today revealed the first ever algae-derived biodiesel fuel (Soladiesel™) to have undergone road testing by successfully powering a factory-standard automobile for long distances under typical driving conditions. The car and fuel will make their public debuts at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where they are also featured in Fields of Fuel, Josh Tickell’s documentary about renewable fuels. Soladiesel biodiesel is clean, renewable, environmentally sustainable and scalable.

30888 Solazyme Unveils Renewable Biodiesel Derived From Algae Vi - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

From extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the “stuff” in our lives affects our world and our communities at home and abroad in ways that are sometimes hard to comprehend. Yet most of this is intentionally hidden from the public view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled, behind-the-scenes look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns in today’s society. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental, health, economic and social issues, and calls us together to create a more just and sustainable world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, it will raise your awareness and it just may change the way you look at all the “stuff” in your life forever.

www.StoryOfStuff.com