ecotip


Super Suds Score Healthy and Eco- Friendly Points at Parties


Dignity First Most End-of-Life Care in U.S. Neglects Patient Needs


The U.S. healthcare system is not properly designed to meet the needs of patients nearing the end of life and those of their families, and major changes to the system are necessary, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, Dying in Amer- ica: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life.


A 21-member committee has called for more advanced end-of-life care planning by individuals, im- proved training and credentialing for clinicians, and for governments and private sectors to provide incentives to patients and clinicians to discuss issues, values, preferences and appro- priate services and care. Dr. Philip Pizzo, co-chair of the committee, states, “Patients can and should take control of the quality of their life through their entire lifetime, choosing how they live and how they die, and doctors should help initiate discussions with their patients about such decisions.” Susan Heckerman, former dean of medicine at Stanford University, says, “It’s important that healthcare options available to individuals facing the end of life help relieve pain and discomfort, maximize the individ- ual’s ability to function, alleviate depression and anxiety, and ease the burdens of loved ones in a manner consistent with individual preferences and choices.”


The report is available at Tinyurl.com/ DyingInAmerica.


For healthy eaters, Super Bowl parties’ bent toward rich, cal- orie-laden foods compete with our desire to shed some holiday pounds and return to regular diet regimens. Whether supplying eco-beer selections for guests or bringing re- freshments to a gathering, armchair players can score green points both in terms of natural ingredients and supporting the domestic economy and environment. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s plant in Chico, California, uses 10,000- plus solar panels and a large on-site water treatment facility for recycling and conserving water. “It’s the number one ingredient in brewing,” says Sustain- ability Manager Cheri Chastain. “You can generate more energy, but you can’t make water.” Other American microbrews deploy varied eco-solutions. Dave’s BrewFarm,


in Wilson, Wisconsin, for instance, obtains most of its energy via a wind-powered generator. Goats “mow” the grass outside the Anderson Valley Brewing plant in Boonville, California.


Odell Brewing Company, in Fort Collins, Colorado, practices waste reduction


and recycling and uses renewable energy sources. The 100 percent wind-powered brewery also encourages employees to bike to work and/or carpool, and uses bio-


diesel-powered delivery trucks (the biodegradable fuel emits 78 percent less CO2 than standard fuel). Five of the 2014 Good Food Awards’ winning beers—exceeding the crite-


ria of recycling water, local sourcing and banning genetically modified ingredi- ents—are Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, Virginia; Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon; Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, California; Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, Pennsylvania; and Ninkasi Brewing Co., Eugene, Oregon (Good- FoodAwards.org). ChasingGreen.org offers information on many other U.S. craft breweries that


operate in sustainable ways, including the Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, New York; New Belgium Beer, Fort Collins, Colorado; and the Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, Ohio.


If none of these brews is yet a current favorite, seek them out at a specialty


beverage retailer that stocks from multiple regions in order to score a touchdown for us and the Earth. Some just may become part of local fans’ first-string beverage “team” after the game is over.


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“Revealing and healing the pain of family estrangement”


natural awakenings January 2015 11


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