globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Favored Addresses Walkable Cities Provide Urban Paradise
Compact, walkable communities, the op- posite of poorly planned sprawl, are the solution to some of our biggest shared challenges, from childhood obesity to social isolation; vehicle crash deaths to disappearing farmland; and costly fuel to the architectural blight of strip devel- opment. The concept is also a powerful weapon against climate change, because people naturally replace driving with walking when their basic needs are close to their front door. Such cities also are fun, lively and memorable places of human interaction and inspiration.
WalkScore.com ranks the largest 40 U.S. cities and supplies a walkability
score for any U.S. residential address, based on density, mixed use, transit, short blocks, public spaces and pedestrian-friendly design. Most important is the num- ber and kinds of destinations (including schools, workplaces, amenities) near each address, which are the strongest indicators of whether people walk. Fortunately, even the least walkable cities generally have some walkable spaces.
Visit
WalkScore.com to score any home address and pull up a map of what’s within walking distance.
Easter Eggs Don’t Pay More for Fraudulent Labels
“Unlike beef, chicken and other dairy labels that must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, egg labels fall through the cracks,” reports Richard Wood, executive director of Food Animal Concerns
Trust (FACT). “This loophole enables egg producers to freely use any language they choose to describe their products, regardless of accuracy.” The resulting consumer confusion is producing healthy, possibly fraudulent, profits, via steep markups. FACT recommends that people know the farmer that supplies their eggs and inquire about hen care. At the grocery, only trust the USDA Certified Organic seal or labels approved by the American Humane Association, Humane Farm Animal Care or Animal Welfare Institute. “Vegetarian fed,” “grass-fed or pastured” and “omega-3 enriched,” while positive, don’t guarantee the quality of animals’ living conditions. According to FACT, terms such as “free-range,” “cage-free” and “natu- ral” may be loosely interpreted and offset by other inhumane practices, unless one knows the producer.
Source:
FoodAnimalConcerns.org natural awakenings April 2011 9
Action Alert Take a Stand Against Biotech Bullies
Early this year, the United States govern- ment approved three genetically modified organism (GMO) crops— Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa and sugar beets, and Syngenta’s amylase corn developed to produce ethanol. Food Democracy Now, a grassroots community for a sustainable food system, is circulating an online peti- tion objecting to these decisions that support biotech.
Dozens of large food manufac- turers and farm, food and agricul- tural organizations, both conven- tional and organic, are on board in opposing these lab-engineered food products for a variety of reasons, such as unknown health and envi- ronmental consequences, including genetic contamination. Instead, the current administration should be forging progress in making agricul- ture more sustainable and encour- aging farmers to convert to organic farming practices. Join with other organic consum-
ers who daily take a stand for their right to know what is in their food and how it’s produced. Tell President Obama to instruct the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture to ban planting of these GMOs.
Sign the petition at
Action.Food
DemocracyNow.org/go/347?akid= 298.238135.FB4IuF&t=7.
Earth Day 1970 was irrefutable evidence that the American people understood the environmental threat and wanted action to resolve it.
~Barry Commoner
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