Post Script

"Natural" label doesn't hold up under scrutiny

The Chicago Tribune picked up the story about Dean Foods and their new "natural" product line. 

According to the story: 

Dean's announcement last week alarmed advocates of organic food, who say the burgeoning market for less expensive "natural" foods reaps billions from consumers while guaranteeing little or nothing in exchange.

Certified organic food products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and produced by farmers and manufacturers under a strict set of rules. But the agency defines the term "natural" only for meat and poultry. In the rest of the food industry, the meaning is largely up to the producer.

Adding to advocates' concerns, a new study shows wide confusion among American consumers about products aimed at the green market. Many mistakenly believe "natural" is a greener term than "organic."

As one Outpost staffer put it: "It's good to see this coming out in the mainstream media." 

We can only hope that increased public awareness will help lift the lid on industry greenwashing. Not to mention big companies promoting their products as "local" fare.

Remember, your co-op helps filter out the bad guys, stocking the shelves with organic and local whenever possible. (And no, it's not always possible... imagine trying to get local, organic bananas in Wisconsin!)

Man of the Times

Milwaukee's Will Allen of Growing Power is profiled in the New York Times. Go, Will!

Food Inc. serves wake-up call

The movie Food Inc. is being slowly digested by the American public, and like Al Gore's famous documentary before it, it is changing the way people see things; we can no longer deny what's on our grocery store shelves... or where it came from. 

Shown at Discovery World in Milwaukee this spring, the documentary is returning to town; showing at the Downer Theatre, starting Friday July 17.

And we're hoping the people over at Milwaukee Film will pick it up for their film festival this fall. We have written to ask them about it, but they are still up to their eyeballs in films, making their selections. Watch this space, as they say.

In the meantime, one blogger over at Mother Nature Network took her husband to see Food Inc, and writes about the effect it had on her former burger-loving spouse here.

Read your milk label carefully!

While the rest of us were prepping for the 4th, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) was sending out press releases about a recent decision by Dean Foods to abandon their popular organic milk (Horizon, Silk labels) for a "natural" alternative.

Savvy consumers know the difference, because organic is certified and monitored and "natural" is not.

But many consumers do not know the difference, and the word "natural" is misleading and attractive.

According to the press release,  "it was reported that the agribusiness giant intended to create an entirely new, lower-priced product category, "natural dairy," aimed squarely at pirating away organic customers. If successful,  Dean, the largest milk processor in the United States, will add to the pain many organic farmers are feeling due to slowing sales caused by the economic downturn."

Full release here.

Worms in the big apple

Mother Nature Network reports on an ecologist working to bring worm-composting to every kitchen in New York City. Kate Zidar, of the Lower East Side Ecology Center says "Composting is perfect for high-density urban living, and it's critical because of New York's poor soil quality and waste management problems."

We can see the classifieds now: Desres, SoHo, studio, heat/worm bin incl. $1,850/mnth.

Full story here.

Beauty is more than skin deep

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is hosting a book club webinar to discuss a book about the toxins in beauty products. Titled Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, the book (New Society Publishers, 2007) takes a look at the toxins in toiletries and personal items used by men, women, teenagers and children.

Author Stacy Malkan talks about the activists who approached personal care companies with some tough questions. Stuff like: Why do beauty companies market themselves as pink ribbon leaders in the fight against breast cancer, yet use chemicals that contribute to that very disease? Why do companies use ingredients known to cause reproductive harm?

Go to notjustaprettyface.org for a closer look at the book, and at what might be going on your skin.

How sweet it is ...

There are a few downsides to a chocolate habit, but we can't think of any. No, seriously, apart from the obvious sugar-intake, there's the social guilt twinge you may feel when you read the latest headline about child labor, fair trade practices being ignored by the big companies, etc. It's enough to slow your sugar rush.

So this is a welcome headline: Rainforest Alliance Partners with North America's Largest Cocoa Processor.

Via Treehugger.

Lowdown on Waxman-Markey

So the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed the U.S. House by a 219 to 212 vote Friday evening, making headlines, earning praise, and inviting scorn.

Is it a good bill? It is enough? Does it measure up to Obama's campaign promises? 

"The importance of this bill cannot be understated," said Ryan Schryver, clean energy advocate at Clean Wisconsin. "We are proud both of our representatives who stood up for clean energy by voting for this bill, as well as for the role that Wisconsin played in passing this historic legislation."

Advocates call the bill to cut global warming pollution and increase the nation's commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency the most important piece of federal environmental legislation in over thirty years.

But MoveOn has circulated a poll, asking its members if they should fight the bill and demand it be fixed. MoveOn organizers claim "Big Oil and Coal lobbyists ... weakened the bill terribly - it now falls far short of President Obama's campaign vision to transition America's economy to clean energy and create millions of new jobs.

"In fact, the bill repeals a key part of the Clean Air Act and doesn't do nearly enough to shift America to renewable energy - so instead of a boom in solar and wind, the bill locks us into dirty coal power for another generation."

So what's the truth? Yale Environment 360 (a publication of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies) tried to find out. Yale 360 interviewed 11 prominent energy and environment experts and asked them for their version of the Waxman-Markey lowdown.

Read the results here.

Fish fry and a flick ... at the lake!

Beginning July 10, Milwaukee's lakefront will become host to what organizers hope will become a go-to event: The inaugural Fish Fry and a Flick combines a genre-spanning film series with a fish fry at the lakefront.

Brought to you by the Pabst Theater, Bartolotta Restaurants and Discovery World, the event will offer a fish fry, lobster boil, burgers and brats. Complimenting the food will be a full beer and sprits selection with a Point Ale special at each event. 

Not hungry? Not a problem; admission to the movies is completely free.

Movies on the list include The Big Lebowski, Old School and the unique pairing of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz. There will be eight different events, including double features.

Location is Discovery World, 500 North Harbor Drive. Price for the fish fry is $9.95, lobster boil is $17.95. Limited free parking available underneath. For details go to the Pabst site. 

Saving the planet, one burp at a time

When you think global warming, climate change and emissions... the gas you think of is usually coming out of a tailpipe or chimney. But, apparently, the gas that comes from a cow's burp is full of intestinal methane and is the dairy industry's biggest, baddest contribution to global warming.

No, really.

And some dairy farmers are doing something about it by altering their cows' diets, switching to grasses and sprouts that produce less gas.

You can read about a Vermont dairy farm that did just that here.