Sinking Reptiles World Turtle Day Sounds Alarm
Since 2000, people around the globe have celebrated World Turtle Day, held this year on May 23, to increase respect for and knowledge of the world’s oldest creatures. Susan Tellem, co-founder with Marshall Thompson of American Turtle Rescue
(ATR), states, “These gentle animals have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of the exotic food industry, habitat de- struction and the cruel pet trade.” They believe that turtles may be extinct within 50 years and suggest ways to increase their chances for survival for future generations:
n Never buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop; it increases demand from the wild. n Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
n If a tortoise is crossing a street, pick it up and gently place it on the other side in the same direction it was headed.
n Write legislators about keeping sensitive habitats preserved. n Report cruelty or illegal sales to a local animal control shelter.
n Report the sale of any turtle or tortoise less than four inches long, which is illegal throughout the U.S. For more information, visit
Tortoise.com or
Facebook.com/AmericanTortoiseRescue.
Greening Garbage Activist Turns City Food Waste into
Rural Soil
Jeremy Brosowsky had an epiphany at a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, greenhouse a few years ago that set him on a more sustainable path: “What if we could take our garbage and grow food in it?” He was in the Midwest to learn about urban agriculture at Growing
Power, the pioneering urban farm of McArthur Genius Fellow Will Allen, and was considering starting a rooftop agriculture business. Allen’s emphasis on the impor- tance and elusiveness of fertile soil intrigued him. “If you don’t dramatically improve the soil, you cannot grow food in cities,”
Brosowsky realized. His solution was to create Compost Cab (
CompostCab.com), a Washington, D.C.-based service that picks up and delivers urban food waste to local farms for composting. Nearly 100 cities already divert food waste from land- fills, but Brosowsky emphasizes, “Composting is not just about waste reduction. It’s about food production, education, jobs and creating social benefits.” He hopes to roll out Compost Cabs in other cities.
Information Overload Organic Food Labeling Causes Confusion
A recent Harris Poll of 2,276 U.S. adults showed that concern for the environment is growing, but Americans may not be ready to spend more for organic food. More than half think that labeling food or other products as organic is just an excuse to charge more. Yet more than half of respondents also
be-
lieve that organic foods are healthier than non-organic. At the same time, only 23 percent know what the term “dirty dozen” means in regard to organic food; it’s the Environmental Working Group’s annual list of foods consumers should always buy in organic form due to high pesticide levels in conventional farming.
Radical Fuel Three Automakers Roll Out
Hydrogen Models
Toyota has announced that it will market a hydrogen-powered car begin- ning with the 2015 model year, and Hyundai has also committed to roll- ing out its fuel-cell Tucson model next year. Honda has already begun leasing its hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity to customers in California. Each of these vehicles can travel about 300 miles without a refill (three times the range of the hybrid Chevy Volt in battery mode), and reach a top speed of about 100 miles per hour. A refill takes just a few minutes, and because the hydrogen is used to produce electric- ity, the cars drive without the roar of an internal combustion engine. The cost of hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles is expected to continue to fall and eventually match that of conventional cars by 2023.
natural awakenings May 2014 27
Forests Preserve Trees Rescue Urbanites
from Dirty Air
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, poor air quality can irritate the respira- tory system, reduce lung function, in- flame and damage the cells that line the lungs, make lungs more susceptible to infection, aggravate asthma, aggravate other chronic lung diseases and cause permanent lung damage.
U.S. Forest Service researchers have
discovered that the urban forests in 10 cities across the country save on average one person a year from pollution-related death. In New York City alone, that num- ber increases to eight people per year. The scientists recommend that people everywhere plant more trees.
Source:
AmericanForests.org
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