tagged w/ Cotton
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Demonstrators staged an event showing “Obama” cutting cotton subsidies. They also delivered a letter asking Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to raise the issue with the President. It marks the start of Traidcraft’s campaign to end the US subsidies which are crippling the livelihoods of farmers in developing countries. In the past nine years alone the US government has given its farmers over $24 billion in subsidies, which has been shared between just 3,500 farmers. These payments lower the price of cotton on the world market and make it almost impossible for farmers from developing countries to compete with their rich American counterparts.
Traidcraft spokesperson, Jayde Bradley says; "I am delighted by the support we have received today. I hope President Obama listens to the voice of the people and acts immediately to end these illegal subsidies. These payments continue to devastate the lives of African farmers who can produce cotton more efficiently and more cheaply than US cotton farmers. However, due to US cotton subsidies, they are unable to get a fair price for their crops. Removing US subsidies could increase the price they get by 12 percent."
Visit www.traidcraft.co.uk/cottonsubsidies to find out more and support the campaign.Demonstrators staged an event showing “Obama” cutting cotton subsidies.... more
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At 30% off here: http://www.ecobold.com/products/1147-greener-teether-3-ring-ecofriendly-crochet-in-organic-cotton-earth-tones
Is your baby teething? Will he or she begin teething sometime soon? Make sure to get something that you don't have to worry about when they put it in their mouth! This is an organic teether made with 100% organic cotton. Others may contain chemicals such as BPA or other ingredients that are related to developmental toxicity, Here are some quick facts from Wikipedia on BPA
Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body's own hormones and may lead to negative health effects.[27][28][29][30] Early development appears to be the period of greatest sensitivity to its effects,[31] and some studies have linked prenatal exposure to later neurological difficulties.
Scary hugh? Well now you know! So let's move forward with this colorful and handmade teether, made with 100% organic cotton. If you have a friend who's having a baby this is also a great gift shower idea, and for only $7!At 30% off here:... more
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As more crops fail in India, the rate of suicides among farmers is climbing.
More than 17,368 Indian farmers killed themselves in 2009, the worst figure for farm suicides in six years, data from the National Crime Records Bureau indicate.
The suicides increased by 1,172 over the 2008 count of 16,196, bringing the total farm suicides since 1997 to 216,500.
"Poverty has assaulted rural India," journalist Palagummi Sainath, an expert on rural poverty in India, told Britain's The Independent newspaper. "Farmers who used to be able to send their children to college now can't send them to school."
Nearly all of the bereaved families of those who have committed suicide, he said, had problems with debts and land loss due to failing crops.
While the causes of poverty are complex, Sainath points to the long-term collapse of markets for farmers' produce. The price of cotton, for example, is 1-12th of the amount it was 30 years ago, in real terms. About half of the suicides are occurring in the four states of the country's Cotton Belt.
Vandana Shiva, a scientist-turned-activist, notes that the problem of farmer suicides started in 1997 when the Indian government removed cotton subsidies and genetically modified varieties of cotton were also introduced.
"Every suicide can be linked to Monsanto," Shiva told The Independent, saying that the biotech firm's modified Bt Cotton caused crop failure and poverty because it requires the use of pesticide and fertilizers.
India's increasingly erratic climate is taking a toll on Indian farmers as well.
In the past, farmers could prepare for droughts when they came every four years or so. Rajasthan, in northwestern India, only emerged from a 10-year drought this summer. And monsoons, which used to arrive once a year, have failed three times in the last 10 years across much of the country.
M.S. Swaminathan, chairman of the National Commission on Farmers, has called for a restructuring of the country's policies to help agriculture, saying the sector is entering a state of serious crisis, The Hindu newspaper reports.
Noting that 45 percent farmers in a national survey said they want to quit farming, Swaminathan said farming has become nonviable.
"Unless we revitalize farming and make our farmers enthusiastic, it is difficult to feed 1 billion people and 1 billion farm animals. It is going to be a difficult period."As more crops fail in India, the rate of suicides among farmers is climbing.
More... more
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Warner Robins City Council member Daron Lee says remarks made by other council members turned racial for the second meeting in a row.
Lee says Tom Simms Jr. referred to him as "boy" during a closed meeting two weeks ago.
Monday night, council member John Williams said Lee should be working in a cotton field.
The exchange happened during a motion by Daron Lee. He wanted to clarify a contract for an investigation by former city clerk Stan Martin into city business.
Lee and three other council members voted for Martin to continue the inquiry, but John Williams, Mayor Chuck Shaheen and Tom Simms Jr. oppose his hiring.
The disagreement prompted Williams to interrupt Lee.
Lee stopped Williams, saying, "I was disrespected last Monday. I'm getting about tired of you all, talking to me any kind of way. I'm not working in a cotton field."
Williams replied, "You should be."
Lee said, "Oh, I should be? OK."
Mayor Chuck Shaheen banged his gavel to end the disagreement. Then, Lee walked out. He returned a few minutes later.
The tension spilled over to comments from the audience. Warner Robins resident Louise McBride said, "A diversity class should be required for council members. "
Another resident, Mike McGraw, blamed Lee for the problem. He said, "Mr. Lee, you're setting this country, I mean city, back."
Lee later referred to Tom Simms Jr. allegedly calling him "boy" two weeks ago and Williams' words, during his closing comments of the meeting.
Lee said, "No white man can speak for a black man. 'Boy' may not mean may not carry that much weight with you, but it's the same weight carried for many years for a black man."
He believes his disagreements on city issues, such as hiring Martin to perform an internal investigation, prompted Simms' and Williams' comments. Referring to Williams, Lee said, "He smiles in your face, and then makes racial remarks. I had it last council meeting and again tonight. It's a poor representation of the council and International City."
Williams said his remark wasn't racial. He said, "Absolutely not, I worked in a cotton field. I drug a basket many a mile. It's not a racial remark at all."
Lee said Mayor Chuck Shaheen should have stepped-in both times, and made it clear that those type of comments would not be allowed.
When asked about Williams' comment after the meeting, Shaheen said, "I didn't hear it." He did not want to talk on camera, but said the discord between the mayor and council "is what it is."
The group agreed on the location for a new law enforcement center, but not on who will be in charge of the plans.
Shaheen authorized the Warner Robins Building Authority to start looking at options, a few weeks ago. The majority of council members said they didn't know that, until they found out through news reports.
Two of the five positions on the Building Authority were up for re-election. So, council voted to appoint two new members.
They replaced former city council member Bill Douglas and former mayor John Havrilla, with current council members Paul Shealy and Daron Lee.
Williams, who voted against the move, called it a power play by the "famous four". He was referring to Daron Lee, Bob Wilbanks, Mike Daley and Paul Shealy. Those four council members often vote the same way on city issues.
Williams said, "It's an effort to further take control of city government, take it out of the hands of the mayor."
Wilbanks refuted that statement, saying, "The council didn't know the Building Authority was working on a law enforcement center. We caught that on the news."
The group also could not agree on the contract for the architect and builder, for the law enforcement center. Wilbanks said there's still a valid contract with JMA and ICB, two local firms.
Williams and Shaheen said they want to do away with those contracts and "start from scratch." They want to re-bid the project.
Shaheen said the city has paid about $150,000 to JMA, for their services on the project since 2008.
Williams has been in the headlines all year. Last month, a tenant accused him of pointing a gun at him and threatening him.
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=95548Warner Robins City Council member Daron Lee says remarks made by other council members... more
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More info and 25% off coupon code here: http://www.ecobold.com/organic-cotton-shirt-by-mother-tongues/
Mother Tongues is a great company selling organic cotton shirts. They have all kinds of sizes, colors, shapes and they even sell organic cotton aprons, scarfs, bags and socks. The founder, Michelle Hamman, was born and raised in South Africa and decided to create a company that showed that one culture can teach another, hence the idea of placing words that can't really be translated on the shirts. On the back of the shirt there's an explanation to what the word means, the first printed tee was the "ubuntu" which is a Zulu or Xhosa word from South Africa. Ubuntu is a term for humaneness, for caring, sharing and being in harmony with all of creation. She truly believes that one culture can educate another in a positive manner. Ditto!
Interesting fact about organic cotton fabric: each t-shirt made from 100% organic cotton saves 1/3 of a pound of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Not only that, organic tshirts are soft and very comfortable on the skin, I can say confidently that I can tell the difference.
They were also the winners of our first annual "EcoBold Awards" where they competed against several other green clothing companies and won for the things that they do above and beyond green.
Mother Tongues is a company that not only makes amazing things to sell, they do amazing things themselves!
Here's a little quote from her: "Now, with every T-shirt we add, we draw on the wisdom within various cultures as they speak to community, social justice and ecological awareness. We continue to search cultures for interesting words, whether on our travels, by reading lots of books or by asking people who can speak languages other than English whether they have more wisdom to share."
Highlights:
- Fair trade
- 100% organic cotton
- Green America approved
- Members of One Percent to the Planet (aka 1% for the Planet)
- Donates $1 out of every purchase to a charity called Center for Women in TransitionMore info and 25% off coupon code here:... more
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Hemp grown by Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) ends up on a production line, where it is turned into a composite material that has the impact resistance of fiberglass. But unlike fiberglass, the hemp bio-composite is cheaper to produce and has fewer health risks connected with its manufacture. It is also significantly lighter than glass-based composites traditionally used in racing cars. http://www.grabi.co.cc/index.php/novosti/off/35339-cannabis-carHemp grown by Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) ends up on a production line, where... more
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worrg
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1 year ago
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http://www.hollyhotty.com/?p=8691
Undoubtedly, she looks good, cute and sexy for her appearance and I would like to give my appreciation that she did it again and make me feel so happy. You know what I am saying in the last sentence, she wears pretty nice and very cute lingerie for whom the people who know Miranda much, they will feel happy and very grateful for her performance. She is doing a lot for her sexiness and her cuteness. Look at her, you will take your knees down in front of her, because she just made you as her hostile for one reason she will take a good care of you in her nice hospitality. Well, I want it too, and make some agreement while she is doing it again, I will push my days off because of her cotton attack.http://www.hollyhotty.com/?p=8691
Undoubtedly, she looks good, cute and sexy for her... more
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These reusable produce bags by Blue Lotus are really neat. I always see reusable shopping bags available all over, but never reusable produce bags. And the best thing about this one is that it's made with organic cotton! It's very eco-friendly, made out of cotton and when you're done using it over and over again, you can put it in the composting bin and it will biodegrade! You can use it for all kinds of produces.
They have four different sizes small for nuts and seeds, medium for bulk food: rice, flour, sugar, and large bags for large leafy greens such as salad, kale, collards, you can bring your bags home with your produce in them, moisten them and put it in the refrigerator to keep it moisten and crisp. Don't forget to shop for your produce at your local farmers' market!
Highlights:
- Reusable
- Organic cotton
- BiodegradableThese reusable produce bags by Blue Lotus are really neat. I always see reusable... more
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This is the story of how African fashion entrepreneurs could bring new life to the continents dying cotton production. US cotton Subsidies which began in 2001 have had a huge impact on world prices for cotton in Africa, particularly Mali. This has led to a decline in cotton farming for a country that is dependent on cotton production for growing subsistence crops (food) and social services like schools and housing. The video starts and ends at South Africa Fashion Week.
The women cotton farmers featured in this video are from Bamako, Mali. Mali is one of the largest countries in Africa and also one of the poorest countries in the World. Half the population lives below the international poverty line and a third of the population depend on cotton to survive.This is the story of how African fashion entrepreneurs could bring new life to the... more
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Check it out at the link above! My friend, Joanie, has a line of earth-friendly, hypo-allergenic, soft baby clothes and blankets made from bamboo and cotton. They are incredible, and they do not require petroleum. The factory is in Nepal, run by down-to-earth folks who care about their kids. It is not important that you buy them, but it is important that you check out how they are manufactured in a way that makes healthy sense for people and the planet. if you know of other similar products, please comment. Thanks.Check it out at the link above! My friend, Joanie, has a line of earth-friendly,... more
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We recently discovered an unreleased VHS tape recorded in 2005. Our digital remastering team has touched up the footage and what you see here is what became of all that hard work!
Great Sensations can be found on the upcoming album Sweet Jams from the Variety Picnic.We recently discovered an unreleased VHS tape recorded in 2005. Our digital... more
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Southern lawmakers are pushing back against a proposal in President Barack Obama's budget that ends compensation to cotton and peanut farmers for storage costs when they hold back on selling crops until they can net better market rates.
"The credits allow producers to store their cotton and peanuts at the government's cost until prices rise. Therefore, storage credits have a negative impact on the amount of commodities on the market," said a White House Office of Management and Budget analysis released earlier this month.
"Because storage is covered by the government, producers may store their commodities for longer than necessary," according to the analysis. "There is no reason the government should be paying for the storage of cotton or peanuts, particularly since it does not provide this assistance for other commodities."
Cotton and peanuts — crops that contribute heavily to the Southern economy — are the only commodities that receive such subsidies. Southern lawmakers have long sought to insert the subsidies into federal farm bills, with mixed results.
Storage compensation to cotton and peanut farmers was negotiated as part of the 2008 farm bill.
READ MORE AT LINKSouthern lawmakers are pushing back against a proposal in President Barack... more
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With not only H&M and organic certifier EcoCert caught in an unprecedented organic cotton scandal, courtesy of "organic cotton" suppliers from India, retailers worldwide can't help but brace for their own industry-altering aftermath.
According to Ecotextile News, Lothar Kruse, a director of the independent testing laboratory Impetus in Bremerhaven, Germany examined the cotton fabrics that came from Indian farms and claimed roughly "30% of the tested samples" contained genetically modified (GM) cotton.
The head of the Indian agricultural authority Apeda, Sanjay Dave, told the newspaper they were dealing with fraud on "a gigantic scale."
Organic Exchange, an organization committed to expanding organic agriculture, is releasing figures any day regarding how much so-called organic cotton India has produced on an international level for retail.
Current figures provided by them include 61% of the total amount of organic cotton produced worldwide in 2008-2009 were from them, with some 107,000 tons of fiber out of the total 175,113 tons grown worldwide.
More at link.With not only H&M and organic certifier EcoCert caught in an unprecedented organic... more
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H&M and other fashion retailers have been selling clothes marked organic that were in fact contaminated with genetically engineered cotton, a story broken by the German edition of the Financial Times and rendered in English by Ecouterre.
The FT's investigation showed that nearly a third of products marked organic contained fiber from genetically engineered plants.
The retailers relied on fraudulent certifications conducted in India, which supplies half the global supply of organic cotton. Yet, it appears that even after the frauds began to be uncovered H&M and C&A continued to buy the cotton. Naughty H&M!
Consumers, however, are not the biggest victims here, as Ecouterre would lead you to believe; Indian cotton farmers are. The Indian government has backed the expansion of GM cotton, but it doesn't live up to promised yields and, at least according to one study, has more rather than less pest infestations.
If you're an organic cotton farmer in a sea of GM cotton, all it takes is one cross-pollinated plant for you to lose the organic price premium on your crop. It's easy to understand the temptation to seek out a lenient certification.
And, yes, the GM cotton in India is patented by Monsanto.
http://environment.change.org/blog/view/does_your_organic_tee_contain_gm_cottonH&M and other fashion retailers have been selling clothes marked organic that were... more
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jmsrmy
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2 years ago
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That "all-natural" cotton T-shirt in your closet? The one with the eco-friendly message brightly printed on the front? Ounce for ounce, it could be the most environmentally toxic item of clothing you own.
From the water and agrichemicals lavished on cotton grown in some of the world's driest regions (approximately one-third of the pesticide and fertilizer produced worldwide gets sprayed or dusted on cotton), through multihued rivers of waste streaming from textile mills to landfills bulging with castoff clothing, the life cycle of the humble cotton tee has left ecological wreckage in its wake.
As both the world's leading producer and biggest importer of raw cotton and its top exporter of cotton fabrics and apparel, China has experienced much of the damage. The expansion of industrial-scale cotton farming in the arid western Xinjiang province has been linked to the advance of the vast Taklamakan Desert, whose dunes have swallowed entire towns.
In China's industrial heartland, untreated dye wastes stain drainage ditches in vibrant synthetic hues, contributing to pollution that renders most Chinese rivers undrinkable and a few even dangerously toxic to the touch. So when China's leaders sought advice from international researchers on how to reduce the ecological cost of their country's trade, it was natural for cotton to be put atop the list for scrutiny.
And perhaps it was no less inevitable that scrutiny would extend to America and other major cotton producers, shedding light on how divergent political and economic cultures can hinder the achievement of greener trade - even when the country at the center of that trade is focused sharply on sustainability.
(more @ link)That "all-natural" cotton T-shirt in your closet? The one with the... more
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This is another beautifully written and produced video about plant research. The lucky plant? This time, it's cotton -- what jeans and t-shirts are made of! This video explores how modern cotton plants came to be, the 50 species of cotton, and how cotton genomic research can improve our lives.This is another beautifully written and produced video about plant research. The lucky... more
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Damn, Miranda Kerr, you look good. And if I had an ass like that....maybe, just maybe, I'd consider a piece of ribbon to wear under my jeans like you are sporting. But truth be told, dammit, I like giant undies. They are comfy as hell........and guess what......you think all ladies are wearing La Perla? Nope. They are buying a 12 pack from Costco! You like the picture of Miranda? Wait until the end of the post to see what a real woman looks like....YEAH!!!! *Warning, might offend young men and women of taste!Damn, Miranda Kerr, you look good. And if I had an ass like that....maybe, just... more
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jrn
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For months this girl has been choosing outfits from her wardrobe that span from nutty and vintage to classic and trendy. This week is a cute, laid back navy ensemble featuring a Topshop top, groovy culottes and really unusual Coach flats. Click on the site to see and leave a comment. Also, go to the side-bar under “Fashion Fridays” to look at past outfits---really fun!For months this girl has been choosing outfits from her wardrobe that span from nutty... more
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jrn
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2 years ago
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