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globalbriefs


News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.


School Safeguard How to Build a Bike Train


In 1969, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, 48 percent of kids ages 5 to 14 regularly walked or biked to school. In 2009, it was just 13 percent. One major reason for the change is that parents don’t feel safe letting kids bicycle around town on their own. Bike trains—in which an adult chaperone rides a predetermined route, adding children along the way—can make it easier and safer for kids to get to school. To start a DIY bike train, find a group of interested par-


ents through school and neighborhood message boards and newsletters; assess the area to create routes; distribute flyers and get feedback; determine bike train dates and times; host a com- munity meeting; and post selected routes online.


Source: Yes magazine


Better Cafeterias School Lunches Improving Nationwide


The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 2012 School Lunch Report Card found that public school districts in Florida, Maryland, Ten- nessee and Nebraska rose above federal guidelines for serving healthy school lunches, with some in Georgia and Missouri also receiving good marks. But most schools nationwide can improve. PCRM dietitians analyzed elementary school meals at 22 districts participat-


ing in the National School Lunch Program. The average grade is now a B (84.4) compared with the national C+ average (78.7) in 2008. Schools delivering poor grades still offer chicken-fried steak fingers, breaded catfish, pork nuggets and other high-cholesterol menu items.


To read the complete report, visit HealthySchoolLunches.org.


Food Feelings Restaurant Ambiance Affects Diners’ Appetites


The mood in a restaurant can help din- ers enjoy their meals more and eat less, according to study results published in the journal Psychological Reports. After transforming part of a fast food Hardee’s restaurant in Illinois with milder music and lighting, researchers found that customers ate 18 percent fewer calories than diners in an unmodified seating area. Brian Wan-


sink, Ph.D., a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at Cornell University, in New York, explains, “It didn’t change what people ordered, but what it did do was lead them to eat less and made them more satisfied and happier.” Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, asks, “If softer music and softer lighting seem to get people to eat less in a fast food situa- tion, why not try the same thing at home?”


22 Collier/Lee Counties swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com


Superior Soil Organic Farming Sustains


Earth’s Richness


Famed as the happiest country on Earth, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is now aiming to become 100 percent organic, phasing out artificial chemicals in farming in the next 10 years. Agence France-Presse reports that Bhutan currently sends rare mushrooms to Japan, vegetables to up-market hotels in Thailand, its highly prized apples to India and red rice to the United States. Jurmi Dorji, of southern Bhu-


tan’s 103-member Daga Shingdrey Pshogpa farmers’ association, says their members are in favor of the policy. “More than a decade ago, people realized that the chemicals were not good for farming,” he says. “I cannot say everyone has stopped using chemicals, but almost 90 percent have.”


An international metastudy published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that analyzed 74 studies on soils in fields under organic or conven- tional farming practices has found that over time, the carbon content in the organic fields significantly increased. For farmers everywhere, that means organic agriculture results in a richer, more productive soil, with plenty of humus, which is conducive to higher yields. Peter Melchett, policy director


at Britain’s Organic Soil Associa- tion, says a primary benefit of a country becoming 100 percent organic is an assurance of quality to consumers that creates both an international reputation and associ- ated market advantage.


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