THIS should be required viewing for all people involved in shopping or government in this region. We pride ourselves on our “greenness” yet we sometimes find it hard to take the basic steps. If the city of San Francisco and the nations of China and Rwanda can ban the use of plastic bags, why can’t Ashland, Washburn and Bayfield? Are they really “greener” than us?

CLICK ON THIS TO SEE WHAT I MEAN

Any comments?

UPDATE: Here is a copy of the San Francisco ordinance. Who is ready to draft one for their town or city based on this model? We should note that the SF ban targets only large stores and not small shops. Our will have to cover all sizes, right?
San Francisco Plastic Bag Ordinance

From our friends at the Corny Institute.

Organic Infant Formula Ingredients Processed with Toxic Chemical
FDA Reports Indicate Infants Sickened from Algae/Fungal-Based Nutritional Supplements

CORNUCOPIA, WI. — The Cornucopia Institute filed a legal complaint with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) today, demanding that the agency enforce the organic regulations prohibiting toxic solvents from being used in the production of organic food. The Institute, a nonprofit food and farm policy research group, found that baby formula and other food manufacturers are using hexane-extracted omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA/ARA) derived from algae and soil fungus.

Perhaps more startling, through a Freedom of Information request at the FDA, Cornucopia found algal- and fungal-based DHA/ARA have been linked to serious side effects such as virulent diarrhea and vomiting in infants consuming infant formula, many of whom required medical treatment and hospitalization.

“The federal organic regulations very clearly prohibit these oils in organic foods, so this is not a case of companies finding loopholes in the regulations. What we’re seeing is the latest in a long string of USDA actions that blatantly cater to industry interests at the expense of consumer safety,” said Mark Kastel, Codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, based in Cornucopia, Wisconsin. “USDA officials are simply allowing these companies to freely break the organic rules in their pursuit of profit,” he adds.

Organic products with the prohibited fatty acid supplements include Horizon Organic milk with DHA (Dean Foods) and organic infant formulas, including Similac Organic (Abbott Laboratories), Earth’s Best (Hain Celestial), and Bright Beginnings Organic (PBM Products).

Martek Biosciences Corporation produces these DHA and ARA supplements. They are extracted from fermented algae and soil fungus with the use of a highly explosive neurotoxic petrochemical solvent, hexane. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists hexane as a serious hazard to worker health and safety, and the Environmental Protection Agency classifies it as a hazardous air pollutant. The National Organic Program strictly prohibits its use in the processing of organic foods and ingredients.

“Only a change in the regulations would make these oils legal in organic foods, and a regulation change requires citizen input,” said David Cox, a lawyer with the Columbus, Ohio law firm of Lane, Alton, and Horst. “USDA officials do not have the legal authority to decide on their own that they will not enforce the regulations, no matter how much industry is lobbying or pressuring them.”

The addition of DHA and ARA to organic infant formula is especially troublesome considering that Martek’s oils are linked to serious illness in some infants. “Through a FOIA request, we discovered that scores of parents have notified the FDA that their infants experienced symptoms such as serious cases of diarrhea, vomiting, and extreme gassiness from consuming DHA/ARA formula, often requiring medical intervention. These symptoms commonly disappeared as soon as the infants were given regular formula without these supplements,” said Charlotte Vallaeys, the author of Cornucopia’s comprehensive report Replacing Mother—Imitating Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory (www.cornucopia.org ).

While formula makers claim to add these oils because they “support brain and eye development,” scientific data to corroborate these claims are very weak. “Results of most of the well conducted clinical trials have not shown beneficial effects of DHA and ARA supplementation of formula milk on the physical, visual and neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants born at term,” according to Dr. Karen Simmer, professor in the School of Women’s and Infant’s Health at the University of Western Australia.

Breast-feeding advocates worldwide contend that DHA and ARA appear to be added primarily as marketing tools. DHA and ARA supplementation adds approximately $200 annually to the cost of formula, which is absorbed by parents and publicly funded nutrition programs. Misleading claims that DHA/ARA supplemented formula is now “as close as ever to breast milk” also lead to the impression among many new mothers that formula is now equivalent to breastfeeding, which may contribute to lower rates of breastfeeding and higher formula sales.

“Adding these two fatty acids to formula does not make it ‘close to breast milk,’” said Jennifer Thomas, M.D., a pediatrician practicing in Racine, Wisconsin. “Breast milk has nutrients, live cells, and bioactive compounds that are absent from formula,” she added. “Formula advertisements featuring DHA and ARA make it a lot harder for me, as a pediatrician, to convince new mothers to breastfeed if they have seen advertisements or labels implying that formula is just as good as breast milk.”

But the serious side effects experienced by some babies remain the most pressing reason for keeping these oils out of organic infant formula. Cornucopia has filed a Freedom of Information request to look into how the USDA appears to have collaborated with lobbyists for Dean Foods and others in secretly allowing these materials, despite their explicit prohibition in the federal organic regulations. “It’s bad enough these materials are being added to conventional infant formula,” said Cornucopia’s Kastel. “This marketing gimmick has no place in organics, where mothers are looking for the safest, most nutritious and natural foods for their families.”

Carpooling anyone?

Chequamegon Bay Communities Conversation on Climate Change: Next Steps

Hosted by Mayors Ed Monroe, Larry MacDonald and
Ralph Brzezinski

Thursday May 22 7:-9:00 pm
AmericInn Conference Center, Ashland

The Mayors of Ashland, Bayfield, and Washburn invite area residents to join in a conversation about how we may address locally the impact of global climate change and the consequence of resource scarcity. Because our bay area has taken the lead, we are recognized statewide as the rural model for sustainable community development. But there is much more work to be done.

What are the next steps that we can take as individuals, communities, and together as the Chequamegon Bay region?

How can we make effective changes that develop our economy, save energy, protect our natural environment, and benefit the well-being of our residents, without sacrificing the well-being of our children and grandchildren?

Please plan to take part in this important conversation, and help guide the future of our Lake Superior region.

The Cities of Ashland, Bayfield and Washburn invite the public to this free special event, which is supported by the Alliance for Sustainability and hte AmericInn of Ashland. For more information call (715) 682-1189.

The Bayfield Green. What image does that bring to mind for you? A few things come to mind when I hear that phrase. First in my mind comes the numerous people in our community who are “green-minded” and mindful of their impacts on the earth as a whole and on our little corner of it as well. They are community minded people who seek to reduce impacts and help others do the same. If they were a sports team they would be the Big Green.

Another thought that comes to mind is less tangible. I think of the landscape we live in and the impact it has on all who live and visit this area. People don’t choose to travel and live here because of the thriving nightlife on Rittenhouse Ave, but because of the thriving nightlife under the thousands of stars visible on a clear night. They live and visit here not because of the chance glimpse or meeting of the rich and famous, but of a chance meeting of a wolf, fisher, eagle or fox - all rich and famous in their own way. The Bayfield Green is the feeling we get when the land impacts us in a deep way.

There is one last meaning conjured up that is more pertinent to this blog. In New England towns, the Green is the common land held by the community in the center of town. Originally a place to pasture animals communally, it has become the place where the community gathers to share with each other. Whether music and arts, politics or education, debate or solidarity, the Green represents the common ground for community interaction.

That is the role I see for this blog. As the Caretaker of the Commons, my role is to tend to the upkeep of the Green, maintain the grounds as a place for community interaction and stimulate interaction in those who come to visit the Green. I will help make this a place where all comers are welcome, all feel they can participate and contribute and all can find something of use.

It is my hope that the Big Green team, feeling the impact of the Green will share their passion here on the Bayfield Green. Or something like that. Bottom line is it will be fun. Lets get going!

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts. 
_____________________________________________________________
Lee Iacocca Says:
‘Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? 
Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. 
We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ’Stay the course’ 
 
Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned ‘Titanic’. I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’ You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. 
 
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom! -poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ‘ America ‘ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you? 
 
I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. 
 
The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
 
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess

So here’s where we stand. We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense?  I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is  everybody so afraid of?  That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?
Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America ’s greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the ’Great Depression’, ‘World War II’, the ‘Korean War’, the ‘Kennedy Assassination’, the ‘Vietnam War’, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this:  ‘You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a call to ‘Action’ for people who, like me, believe in America . It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had ‘enough.’ 

First stage of the KIOSK, which seeks to explain what the Bayfield eco-municipality means, is nearing completion… should be in proofing stage (design and text) at the City by now. This project is being spearheaded by Bruce Moore. Planned to be located near the City Hall.

Bay area Study Circles and other sustain-groups “reported in” at a meeting (Jan 16) at NGLVC. There was an incredible variety of subjects and styles: local food, light bulbs, maple syrup, biodiesel… all linked by the same passionate motivation. It was really inspirational to witness all the energy out there.

From Organic Bytes
WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR OF DRINKING A COLA?

-10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system, which is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake. You’d normally vomit from such an intake, but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

-20 minutes: Your blood sugar skyrockets. Your liver attempts to maximize insulin production in order to turn high levels of sugar into fat.

-40 minutes: As your body finishes absorbing the caffeine, your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver pumps more sugar into the bloodstream.

-45 minutes: Your body increases dopamine production, tricking you into feeling pleasure and adding to the addictiveness of the beverage.

-60 minutes: The sugar crash begins.

Source- Dr. Mercola: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9665.cfm

These “enviro tips” arrived via a Nature Conservancy newsletter.

Straight Flush
Some toilets in our houses date back to the 1950s… there’s hardly a cruder vision of waste: Three to five gallons of water disappear with every flush. (Low-flow and dual-flush toilets can use less than two gallons.)
So make your first eco-resolution installing a new, greener toilet. Check out Terry Love’s consumer report
http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm rating the best brands of low-flow. Or consider saving water the old-fashioned way: fill a small milk jug with water and rocks and place it in your toilet tank. It saves the amount of water it displaces with every flush.

Power to the People
“Turn off the light when you leave the room!” our parents gently reminded us… But how much does flipping that switch really matter to the environment? Now you can know to the penny. The Kill-a-Watt Electricity Monitor
http://www.greenandmore.com/kill-a-watt-electricity-monitors.html?itemId=390&navContext=ln_energy_saving tells you the energy consumed by any appliance or electrical device in kilowatt-hours — including how much it’s using when it’s plugged in but not powered on.
http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/kill_a_watt_ez_electricity_usage_monitor

But what about the whole house? Devices such as The Energy Detective display household electrical usage and project your monthly bill — all without using batteries.
http://www.theenergydetective.com/what/overview.html Research has found that real-time energy feedback leads consumers to reduce their electricity consumption by an average of 6.5 percent. Knowledge is power…and less power used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Energy_Detective

Travel choices
Travel by car causes your carbon footprint to skyrocket. But there are times when you just have to drive there…wherever there is.
So consider using a taxi service that uses hybrid vehicles. There are lots more options now than ever before: Cities such as New York, San Francisco, Houston, Denver, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., have all added hybrids to their taxi fleets. And other cities in the United States and Europe — from Charlotte to Barcelona — are greening their taxis and other municipal vehicles through the Green Fleets initiative. http://www.greenfleets.org/

See the Light
Sure, candles are romantic and fun. But they’re often as bad for the environment as they are good for your mood — made from paraffin wax derived from crude oil, and releasing carbon into the atmosphere as they burn.
Two alternatives are the Sun Jar and Smart Candles:
• http://www.neaco.com/catalog/item/3990343/4965348.htm
The Sun Jar works well for outdoor parties — it’s a frosted, waterproof Mason jar with a solar cell, rechargeable battery and three LED lamps inside. You leave it outside in bright sunshine to recharge, and when the sun goes down it automatically lights up for five hours with the brightness of a typical candle.
• http://www.smartcandle.com/
Smart Candles — rechargable, LED candle replicas — come in shapes from tealights to tapers. And they’re not only for home use: Hilton Hotels have started using them for dinner events.

Out of Paper
Just because you e-mail instead of sending letters doesn’t mean you’re more eco-conscious — if your recipients are printing your e-mails. So simply put this phrase at the bottom of your automatic signature: “Please help save the environment: Consider not printing this e-mail.” More and more companies are offering this option on their intranets. (And if you added a link to nature.org, we wouldn’t mind.)

Workin’ at the Car Wash
Good news for people who dread washing the car on a Saturday afternoon: Going to the car wash is actually better for the environment than hand-washing. U.S. regulations require commercial car washes to drain their wastewater properly — which means into the sewer system, where it can get treated before being discharged. Washing in your driveway or on the street means all that soapy, toxin-filled water goes into storm drains and straight out to rivers, creeks and other waterways.
Other perks: Commercial car washes often recycle and reuse rinse water, helping them to save up to 100 gallons per wash. And many use nozzles and pumps that minimize water usage.

This Bag Available
Sick of your old tote? Try a hot, one-of-a-kind purse or messenger bag made of an old billboard. Vy & Elle, Relan and District Cotton make amazingly stylish bags out of the unrecyclable vinyl that makes a billboard. You can get everything from wine totes to laptop cases…even a bowling-ball bag.
http://www.vyandelle.com/
http://www.relanbag.com/mainframe.html
http://www.districtcotton.com/custom_bags.html

In a dramatic turnaround, the U.S. agreed to a compromise that sets a two-year timetable for reviving an ailing, aging treaty on global climate change after two weeks of intense and at times emotional talks among the world’s countries in Bali, Indonesia.

www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

“The Bush administration had earlier made a significant change in policy, ending its long-held objection to formal negotiations on new steps to avoid climate dangers. This time, the United States agreed to set a deadline for an addendum to the original treaty, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was signed by President George H.W. Bush during his final year in office in 1992.
The agreement notes the need for “urgency” in addressing climate change and recognizes that “deep cuts in global emissions will be required.”
Still, it does not bind the United States or any country to commitments on reducing greenhouse pollution…”

This came via Bob at the Park Service.

I read an article on-line about how the majority of our appliances still draw power while in the off position. While this was not new information, I was amazed at how much energy certain things took while not being used. I am attaching a link to a chart which compares some of these appliances. This might help you save a little at home and the office.

standby.lbl.gov/Data/SummaryChart.html

Carmen Chapin
Liaison, Great Lakes Exotic Plant Management Team, National Park Service