Environemntal Science in the News!

Image from:http://www.mixerplanet.com/allarme-spreco-alimentare/
One thing that really rubs me the wrong way is when I see perfectly good food being thrown out.
When my siblings are about to throw out a lot of food still on their plate I make them feel guilty by saying "Think of the people starving in Africa!", That usually makes them shove down a few more spoonfuls and it makes me feel better even if it makes them feel sick from being too full!  As for me I have a bad habit of eating far more than I should because I hate to see a lot of food that my mom cooks get thrown away, and as much as I hate wasted food, it doesn't make much sense for me to become overweight because of this guilt of wasting food so I've learned to marginally control this eating behavior. For our assignment in class, we are to choose an online news article that pertains to an environmental science-related topic and I'm choosing an article on waste disposal, specifically food. This assignment is now 3-4 days late I'm not sure. I don't know why I always procrastinate on these posts since I actually enjoy writing them. I must have a problem with deadlines... but back to the topic!  Here is a summarization of the article I chose:

A new report states that up to HALF of the world's food is WASTED. To be more clear, of the annual 4.4 billion tons of food that is produced only half of it is actually eaten. This report is by the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers. If we want to meet future food demands, this type of wastage cannot continue. Food is wasted by harvesters, storage, transportation, markets, and consumers. Food production and consumption practices were studied in Europe, China and Africa. Waste occurs on a global scale but in less developed areas the waste happens at the farmer producer end while in more developed areas the waste happens at the wholesale and retail levels. Consumers throw away as much as half of what is bought to eat. Entire crops are rejected by supermarkets because they do not meet their standards of size and appearance. Promotions are constantly persuading consumers to buy more than what they really need which they end up not eating but why not? 2 for 1 is better than 1 right?

Here is a link to the article:http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/world/world-food-waste/
(the link to the report by the Engineers does not work on the CNN website, but if you google "institution of mechanical engineers food waste pdf" the first link that appears is the actual waste report)

I do believe this is a reliable information source because it is a "news" website. "CNN.com is among the world's leaders in online news and information delivery. Staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by a dedicated staff in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and in bureaus worldwide, CNN.com relies heavily on CNN's global team of almost 4,000 news professionals." It is also updated continuously throughout the day. I found this statement at http://www.cnn.com/about/ . I believe the information presented is reliable because it is presented objectively without the reporter's opinion. There is a LONG list of who runs the site which can be found here http://www.cnn.com/about/dotcom_executives.html . Extensive bios of the CNN Digital executive team are included on the page as well!

A claim made by the article is, "Up to half of the world's food is wasted, according to a new report that found production inefficiencies in developing countries and market and consumer waste in more advanced societies." I certainly was convinced by the claim because of the continuous evidence and facts that were provided in the article. The only logical fallacy I can find is in the last sentence of the article, "Moreover, sales promotions "frequently encourage customers to purchase excessive quantities," which they don't eat, the study said." It seems like a generalization, I'm sure not ALL consumers throw away food when they have excess.

My initial reaction to the article was "aha! I was right!" but I would have much preferred to be wrong than to have my suspicions of food waste validated. It seems almost hard to think you can make an impact on this when half the world is wasting food! But fortunately you can help! You can volunteer or donate to a Food Bank near you! "Food banks acquire donated food, much of which would otherwise be wasted, from farms, manufacturers, distributors, retail stores, consumers, and other sources, and make it available to those in need through a network of community agencies. These agencies include school feeding programs, food pantries, soup kitchens, AIDS and TB hospices, substance abuse clinics, after-school programs, and other nonprofit programs that provide food to the hungry."



Chemical Hazards & Human Health For The Modern (eco-friendly) Woman

image courtesy of: Rachel Carter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/raggle/

For this week's assignment, we are blogging about potential risks associated with chemicals found in common personal and household products. Before I let you know what household product to be wary of, I want to inform you of two chemicals to be more aware of. Maybe you've heard the word Methylparaben tossed around in conversations but never really knew what it was. Methylparaben is a chemical that destroys fungus and is an antibacterial agent so naturally is used in products to extend shelf-life. There are plenty of risks associated with this chemical that is commonly found in cosmetics products. The scary thing about this chemical is that it seeps through the skin when applied on the surface, and escapes out of our intestinal tract spreading into our bodies. This chemical has actually been found whole within breast cancer tissues. Researchers even "suggest that Methylparaben may increase risk of breast cancer, or accelerate the growth of these tumors." It has been suggested that because Methylparaben behaves like estrogen in the body, the "parabens can cause decreased sperm production and motility"(motility meaning the ability for sperm to swim properly toward an egg.) So maybe if you and your partner are trying to conceive, you might want to try staying away from products that list this chemical as an ingredient!
Source:http://www.livestrong.com/article/21581-dangers-methylparaben/

Paraffins (a by-product of petroleum) are also chemicals that should be checked for on labels. Parrafins have multiple uses such as coolants, lubricants, plasticizers, and as flame retardants. What's concerning about this chemical is the growing alarm "over the prevalence and health risks of short-chain chlorinated paraffins" so much that Paraffins now hold "a prominent spot on the Environmental Protection Agency’s short list of chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk to our health and the environment." The use of Parrafins is widespread and at high volumes, so much so, that it's found in "human livers and breast milk, plastic and rubber products, the fat tissue of freshwater fish and marine mammals, and the water and wastewater of four continents: North America, Asia, Europe and Antarctica". Scientists have found that the chemical is toxic to some aquatic animals and that it "can cause cancer and liver, thyroid and kidney damage in some mammals. Paraffins accumulate in tissues, prolonging our exposure and worsening the effects."
source:http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/epa-investigates-paraffin-risks.aspx

I took a look at the ingredients in my Aveeno Shave Gel (which I l-o-v-e) and unfortunately for me, it contains Methylparaben!All is not lost! You can still have the silky smooth legs you desire because there is an alternative to using harmful chemical laden shaving creams! The easiest option would be to switch to a natural ingredient shaving cream like "Crave Your Shave". You could also make your own homemade shaving cream:
http://everydayroots.com/homemade-shaving-cream
You would think waxing would be one solution but common wax used in hair removal actually contains the chemical Paraffin as I talked about earlier but there are a few natural ingredient waxes to be found. Some salons actually offer a more eco-friendly wax consisting of only sugar, lemon, and honey. You could even make the wax at home!:
http://tipnut.com/body-sugaring/
The process of using this wax with cloth strips is called "sugaring", I have yet to try it but my sister has made her own and says its not as painful as regular waxing. Of all the alternatives the one I'm most excited to try is the homemade shaving cream.