The 2011 Great Battle for Organic Alfalfa

If you don't eat alfalfa you might not be too worried about new rules that appear to allow widespread, unregulated use of genetically modified strains of the plant to be produced in the United States.  But alfalfa, or hay, as it is commonly known, is one of the largest overall crops after soybeans, wheat, and corn, and is used to feed the nation's cattle and dairy cows.

Organic food producers and consumers are especially concerned, as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) like the new strains of alfalfa that are set to appear in fields will risk cross fertilization with other crops and, they allege, cause other damages to the environment at large.  Organic alfalfa that has been contaminated with non-GMO strains and fed to cows and cattle will also cause dairy and meat production to lose the ability to be labeled as organic, which cannot contain GMOs.

An advocacy group, the Organic Consumers Association, has recently come out attacking a number of business and trade groups that have been working to oppose the new USDA measures and who support non-GMO and organic food production.  One group, the Organic Trade Association, has published a letter stating its disappointment with the government's move to deregulate alfalfa.   Whole Foods has also responded on its blog.  A variety of organic industry leaders have responded through the Non-GMO nonprofit group website.  Gary Hirshberg, of Stonyfield Farm, defended himself against the Organic Consumers Association attacks stating that the only decision the organic industry had was between accepting total deregulation of alfalfa or deregulation with caveats.  A ban just simply wasn't among the choices that the USDA had on the table, he says.

As for my two cents:  I agree with Gary Hirshberg and others who say that infighting within the environmental movement is really disadvantageous to all of our goals.  We must be willing to listen to each others' arguments without resorting to attacks and exaggerations (see their article "Organic Elites Surrender to Monsanto").  Saving the earth is not a zero-sum game which will be won or lost over a single executive order (although I will grant that the alfalfa decision is a big one, with big winners and losers).  Saving the earth has to be about all the pieces - everything from being a good consumer, voting in elections, being a convincing advocate and activist, doing good work, being a good neighbor and community member, and so on.  It also takes a great amount of skill and technical knowledge, including being able to understand law, policy, science, and conflict resolution.  I think the Organic Consumers Association is wrong to lash out at others in the environmental movement and organic food industry who are trying hard to work for long-term goals in the face of overwhelming odds.

How to Cut Down on Guilt and Regret

Say the thing you need to say, and do the thing you need to do

Great, simple advice from Unclutterer.

Oprah and 378 Staffers Go Vegan: The One-Week Challenge - Oprah.com

Oprah and 378 Staffers Go Vegan: The One-Week Challenge - Oprah.com

Lawsuit argues Taco Bell 'Beef' less than 40% Actual 'Beef'

Yum!

http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef

Taco Bell disputes the claims and argue that they actually use 88% in their beef recipe.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110125/ap_on_bi_ge/us_taco_bell_lawsuit

Portugal's Experience with Drug Legalization

About ten years ago, Portugal decided to address a worsening drug use problem among its population not by enacting a war on drugs, but actually by legalizing the possession of drugs within its borders.  It's had mixed results, although from this article in the Boston Globe I'd say it has been positive overall.  Drug use is up, but drug related deaths are down.  Incarceration rates are down too.  I think the bottom line that countries need to address is what kind of society would they like to create.  Is it a society where drugs are considered a social harm and the use of illicit drugs an illness, or is it a society that considers drugs use to be a morally harmful problem that must be addressed through criminalization?

Mindfulness Medication Changes Brain Structure in 8 Weeks [Study]

There's good news coming out of Massachusetts related to mindfulness meditation as a practice able to promote relaxation and a sense of peacefulness based upon a 16-week-study that looked at brain scans of individuals who used mindfulness medication techniques, including people who had never used them before.  The promising results are being published soon in the upcoming journal issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.  This technique is receiving a lot of buzz with regard to substance abuse treatment and recovery and other types of health and well-being interventions.

Source:  http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-mindfulness-meditation-brain-weeks.html

Eat Some Vegetables Once in a While [Video]

From the funny guys at the Onion:

Senator Franken Now Supporting Nuclear Power

Sen. Franken (MN) is now open to nuclear power, as a way to combat climate change.  He says that Al Gore helped change his mind.

Source: http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1441468

Wal-Mart to Improve Food Quality

I pretty much hate Wal-Mart, but as the country's largest company with over 8,500 stores and $408 Billion in revenue last year I feel like their announcement to sell better quality food comes as good news, especially when the United States has an obesity rate of around 25% and cancer and heart disease are major related public health problems.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Source:  http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/walmart-announces-plan-promote-healthy-foods.php

Americans Won't be Able to Kill Their Inmates for a While

The main drug used in the supposedly more humane method of execution known as 'lethal injection' is no longer going to be produced in the U.S., which will likely delay or cancel executions for a while until an alternative drug combination can be designed.  The U.S. is one of the last developed countries and only western one to use the death penalty, and is the in the top 5 five countries using the practice, behind China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/death-penalty-drug-discontinued/reprieve/

Abortion and Access to Health Care

I am not a fan of abortion, let alone late term abortions, but I believe with all my heart that abortion is a women's health right, as recognized by most countries and by legal precedent in the United States.  However, I feel as though those on the extreme edges of this important issue have been able to frame the debate about abortion in the following way:  One side takes the position that abortion is always wrong, or is almost always wrong.  The other side takes the position abortion is always o.k, and that it is up to the mother.

The reality is that most decisions about abortion do not come down to these two viewpoints.  Even if abortion were completely illegal or completely legal, social policies would still need to be created in order to address the effects and consequences of either contingency.  If it is illegal, should doctors be tried and jailed for providing them?  If it is legal, should anyone be able to have an abortion on demand, such as coming in to an emergency room and wishing to terminate a pregnancy?  If abortion were made illegal in the U.S. it would still be legal in Canada, Europe,parts of Mexico, etc.

In light of recent events, such as the decision of UW-Health to not provide late term abortions in Madison, as well as the uncovering of a Dr. in Pennsylvania who has been charged with murder for his involvement in illegally providing late term abortions, and today's House vote to repeal the 2009 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, I think that we need more thoughtful discussion and attempts at reaching some consensus among the majority of U.S. voters who support women's health rights.

Item 1:  There is widespread agreement that late-term abortions should only be available in certain situations, such as in the cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother would be in danger.  President Obama affirmed these views in an executive order following the passing of the 2009 health care bill, which is available for you to read here:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-patient-protection-and-affordable-care-acts-consistency-with-longst

Item 2:  Failing to provide abortion services, including third trimester abortions, is directly linked with lots of supporting evidence to the practice of illegal abortions being performed.  Illegal abortions are by definitely dangerous since the medical staff performing them are not licensed to perform these types of procedures.

Item 3:  Abortion is a difficult decision for any mother to make, but it is not a wrong decision in itself.  The idea that personhood or 'life' begins at conception is a religious concept that should not be forced on anyone.  It is a fact that about 50% of all pregnancies unfortunately end with miscarriage, which would also mean that if abortion is wrong then so is miscarriage.  This doesn't make sense.  There are also situations where the fetus cannot survive outside of the womb and that the termination of the pregnancy is the best choice. 

Item 4:  Abortion is a women's access to health care issue, and it should not be decided by government, courts, or providers that are for the most part male-dominated institutions.  Men vote, and men share their opinions, but men alone should not decide what women should or should not have access to with regard to their health.  I think women need to take up more decision-making positions and get more involved in politics and advocacy, in order to have a larger voice as a group.  It is extremely heartening that the new newest members of the U.S. Supreme Court are women, and are likely to be big supporters of women's access to health care.

In conclusion, I think that the abortion issue is a long way from being closed.  It is literally a life or death issue for many women, if not a determinant of their economic or social circumstances.  I hope that some agreement may be made around areas that we can find agreement, and then on the areas where agreement is impossible, be ready to stand up for what you feel is right and to be able to explain why. 

There is No Way to Peace, Peace is the Way: Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Over forty years since his death and another Martin Luther King Jr. Day is here.  His legacy continues to be about race and there certainly is a long way to go in reaching social justice for people of color.  But in my study of Martin Luther King, I found his message to be much bigger.  It is about love.  It is about caring for others.  Essentially, it is about nonviolence in all of our thoughts and deeds.

His truth was that nonviolence (nonharm) is the solution to our problems.  Violence (harmful actions or thoughts) is the cause of them.  This is the message that we are missing or somehow not hearing.  We continue to hate and to fear.

So as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. during this annual celebration of his life and work, I'd simply like to share the link to the Wikipedia entry for 'non-violence' in hopes that you, the reader, will take a few minutes to learn what this amazing philosophy has to offer if you have not read about it before:

Nonviolence (ahimsa/non-injury) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-violence

Urban theorist and author suggests gun safety laws may prevent gun deaths

This information in an article in the Atlantic was sent to me by a friend relating to correlations among variables such as poverty, stress, and gun laws and gun deaths point to some interesting observations.  The author, Richard Florida, is careful to note that its impossible to say a single variable or group of variables causes more gun deaths.  But if you look at the actual data collected from 2007, it points to a relationship between these data and gun deaths, and their, "analysis shows fatal gun violence is less likely to occur in richer states with more post-industrial knowledge economies, higher levels of college graduates, and tighter gun laws."   Here's a graph of the correlations Florida found:

Note that, "Though the sample sizes are small, we find substantial negative correlations between firearm deaths and states that ban assault weapons (-.45), require trigger locks (-.42), and mandate safe storage requirements for guns (-.48)."

These facts, despite the inability to find causation, do seem to speak for themselves.  Even if gun laws are marginally effective and prevent unnecessary loss of life and injury, like the people who were recently shot in Arizona, why wouldn't gun safety and some gun restrictions be a good idea?  Isn't there a way for gun advocates to understand that there out to be some common sense limitations on some of the freedoms they enjoy?


(Original Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/01/the-geography-of-gun-deaths/69354/)

Salvia May Help Treat Addictions

According to a recent article on the website www.sify.com, the semi-legal hallucinogenic drug known as salvia is being looked at by researchers at Johns Hopkins University Medical School for its potential role in treatment of pain, Alzheimer's, and possibly even addiction to other drugs.  Researchers note that although the drug is relatively nontoxic physiologically, it causes powerful and potentially dangerous behavioral changes among its users.

Source: http://www.sify.com/news/psychedelic-drug-salvia-shows-promise-against-addiction-news-international-lbeoEgggehb.html

Guns kill people too

If it weren't for the fact that gun related incidents kill thousands of
innocent people every year, such as those killed in today's attack in
Arizona, I might not be so opposed to them. People who buy or use them are
ultimately at fault, but gun makers, sellers, and those who permit their
availability are at least partially to blame. Having more guns, not less,
will only increase the number of intentional and accidental deaths if gun
mortality statistics are to be taken seriously.

Veganism Becoming More Mainstream

Living here in the city of the world's largest bratfest and the so-called 'Dairy State' you would not think this is the case, but according to the Washington Post, it's a new trend that's taking over the country by storm: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/05/AR2011010503153.html

Good News Coming out about the Dane County Drug Treatment Court

Soon to be published results of a study done by Dr. Randall Brown at the Center for Addictive Disorders at the University of Wisconsin Hospital  shows that Dane County's drug court is producing some very successful outcomes, according to an article in the January 8, 2011, online edition of the Wisconsin State Journal.  Read the full article here: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_d1965df6-1aa6-11e0-b28a-001cc4c03286.html 

On Being Overweight

I've struggled with my weight for many years, and it's been an issue that I've been really ashamed of due to being teased as well as just not feeling good about myself because of how weight is portrayed in society and the media. Being overweight is often portrayed as a moral fault or inability to exert self control, as well as many other things, many of which are even worse. Girls and women are encouraged to be pencil-thin and men are encouraged to be extremely muscular. Rarely are positive images given of people of either sex or age in a variety of body types. For me, a lot of the other bad habits I've picked up has something or another to do with a poor self image from being overweight. I smoked, drank, lazed about watching TV or surfing the internet, while all this just prevented me from doing other things that would have actually helped me lose weight and be able to do more and feel better. One by one, I started taking a look at those habits and addressing them. I gave up smoking. I radically cut down on drinking alcohol. I started exercising. I'm working on improving improving my diet. It has been difficult, but over time the pain started showing benefits. Since my last check up sometime this past summer, I've lost 35 pounds and as of today am back in the normal range for weight at my height and age, at 185 lbs. This is after almost 10 years of being between 200-225 lbs. I feel strong and have a lot of energy. My exercise routine is getting easier. I feel good about accomplishing something that's eluded me for many years, and in the process I am minimizing my risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke. I am going to try not to take any of the progress for granted by keeping a progress log and behavioral modification plan handy. Those things alone have been very helpful so far. Anyway, this is very personal stuff and I'm sharing it because it may possibly be beneficial to other people who are interested in controlling their weight or finding health benefits from weight loss. Here's the BMI tool that I am using frequently, and in the future I hope to write another post with some more specifics about weight management once I decide that I've reached a plateau with my weight. Any advice that you have to share would be very welcome, and I also just want to write that I hope this is not discouraging to anyone. I've read a lot about how men and women lose weight in very different ways, and I'm sure that there are about a million other factors that go into weight loss as well that I haven't considered. But overall, following the very simplest of advice from the Centers for Disease Control, has done me a lot of good: Eat healthily and exercise regularly (source).

BMI For Adults Widget

      

Gov. Walker enlists Heritage Fellow Outsider to run Dept. of Health Services

Despite running part of Medicaid under the Bush administration and having a MPA, Dennis Smith seems totally unqualified to lead Wisconsin's Department of Health Services. His main asset to the Walker administration seems to be that he has said and written on numerous occasions that he is against Medicaid. Why did he work for that program for 7 years then if he's so against it? You can read Dennis' bio here (note that he's not from Wisconsin): http://www.heritage.org/about/staff/s/dennis-smith

Newly Certified

I am now a certified as a Substance Abuse Counselor-In Training (SAC-IT), as of January 3rd. In order to receive this certification I completed 100 hours of educational requirements, passed the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Exam, am working under supervision, and paid a $150 filing fee.

Major Recall of Organic Beef in Wisconsin and other States

According to the Cap Times and Associated Press, "Federal food safety officials have recalled more than 34,000 pounds of organic ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli and were shipped to states across the country, including Wisconsin." (Source: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/health_med_fit/article_e2e57b1e-b075-5e1e-980c-04aba853098e.html)

Food borne illness is a major problem in the United States, and animal agriculture is the main culprit.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that, "foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year." Check out Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals or watch the video below for more information about this important issue.