tagged w/ Sustainable Agriculture
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Sears Holdings [announced] today the release of its new Sustainable Paper Procurement Policy. The policy is part of a larger effort by the company to increase its sourcing of environmentally-preferred paper for its catalogs, retail circulars, direct mail and internal paper usage. The Sustainable Paper Procurement Policy is Sears Holdings’ commitment that it will phase out fiber from unwanted sources, and procure paper sourced from credibly certified forest sources with verified chain-of-custody and/or recycled sources with a preference for post-consumer recycled paper. The policy also outlines supplier requirements and a preferred sustainable supplier program.
(PRNewswire, 2009, November 13, par.1-2)
In addition, Sears Holdings is announcing today that it is implementing Metafore’s Environmental Paper Assessment Tool (EPAT) to assist it in the procurement of sustainable paper. EPAT will provide the company with data about and transparency into its suppliers’ paper sourcing practices which will facilitate Sears Holdings’ implementation of its new Sustainable Paper Procurement Policy. “We are excited to work with Metafore and begin using EPAT,” said Bruce Johnson, interim CEO and president of Sears Holdings. “We are constantly looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly. Our new policy and EPAT will allow us to raise the standards we have in place for the paper that we procure while measuring our progress toward our sustainability goals in the future.”
(PRNewswire, 2009, November 13, par.3-4)
Sears Holdings will work with suppliers to get a more accurate understanding of the lifecycle costs of paper choices based on grade types and fiber sources available. With EPAT, the company will evaluate suppliers’ paper production processes such as waste, energy efficiency, the health of natural systems, water, air and climate quality, as well as community and human well-being.
(PRNewswire, 2009, November 13, par.5)
Source links:
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20091113-908513.html?mod=wsjcrmain
http://www.retailingtoday.com/
Image:
ibtimes.com
http://theretailsector.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/sears-holdings-announces-sustainable-paper-procurement-policy/Sears Holdings [announced] today the release of its new Sustainable Paper Procurement... more
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jmsrmy
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4 days ago
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Gardeners at a National Trust property in Cambridgeshire are urging people to relieve themselves outdoors to help gardens grow greener.
A three-metre long "pee bale" has been installed at Wimpole Hall.
Head gardener Philip Whaites is urging his male colleagues to pee on the straw bale to activate the composting process on the estate's compost heap.
He said the "pee bale" is only in use out of visitor hours, since "we don't want to scare the public".
He said: "For eight weeks now, male members of our garden and estate teams have been using the outdoor straw bale when nature calls.
"The pee bale is excellent matter to add to our compost heap to stimulate the composting process; and with over 400 acres of gardens and parkland to utilise compost, we need all the help we can get.Gardeners at a National Trust property in Cambridgeshire are urging people to relieve... more
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In Graphic Detail
http://cait.wri.org/figures/World-FlowChart.jpg
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@kpix.dayport.com
Companies Like Top 10 Produce LLC and Harvestmark are putting technology in place to read the small stickers on produce items by using mobile phones. Once Accessed, these stickers can let consumers use social media to communicate directly with the farmer or to leave reviews about the produce. Also, the sustainability of the growing practices can be considered by consumers who are interested in supporting sustainable agriculture. And, because the produce is traceable, consumers can confirm if the produce is locally grown.
Top 10 Produce only licenses independent producers and limits the amount that any single grower can label under the Top 10 label to 1 million dollars or less per year, to even the playing field between small and large farming operations.
Top 10 uses the Databar codes already used by in-store scanners and Harvestmark has 2d codes unique to Harvestmark.
For more information about Top 10 Produce see:
http://top10produce.com/retailerbenefits.aspx
For more information about Harvestmark see:
www.harvestmark.com@kpix.dayport.com
Companies Like Top 10 Produce LLC and Harvestmark are putting... more
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While livestock make up nearly one fifth of all CO2 greenhouse gases, it seems that the media barely ever, if at all, covers the role that livestock play in climate change. This is an interesting article that critiques how the media is playing a huge role in an uninformed public on this issue. With Copenhagen getting closer and closer, it's an interesting read. Makes you wonder what life would be like with lower consumptions of meat!While livestock make up nearly one fifth of all CO2 greenhouse gases, it seems that... more
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BILLINGS, Mont. — Montana this month issued its first license for an industrial hemp-growing operation to a woman who said she wants to develop a domestic market for the plant despite federal law barring its cultivation.
Laura Murphy, of Bozeman, was the first to apply for the two-year license since the state Legislature approved hemp's commercial cultivation in 2001.
Federal law prohibits such activity, but the license issued by the Montana Agriculture Department on Oct. 14 could challenge whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is willing to override the state.
Hemp is similar to illegal marijuana but without the mind-altering ingredient of the drug. It is grown in parts of Canada and Europe and has a range of uses, from fibers for clothing to a source of biofuels.
Murphy called the application process "pretty easy."
"I went in and had a criminal history check and fingerprints and said I had land to grow it on," she said. "They didn't have an official license for me; it's just a letter."
She said she intends to lease 160 acres of unused ranch land near Ennis and is trying to arrange contracts with buyers.BILLINGS, Mont. — Montana this month issued its first license for an industrial... more
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MIHEMP
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24 days ago
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We limit the combined total dollar amount of item-labeled produce that any single grower can sell under our two item labels to less than $1 Million US dollars annually. This is our small effort to even the playing field between larger and smaller farms. Research shows that larger farms, particularly those with annual revenues in excess of $1 Million per year have a significant competitive advantage as compared to small family farms. Top 10 Produce LLC will invite socially conscious consumers to play a role by alerting the consumer that our brand provides a strategic advantage in favor of smaller farms, and by reminding buyers that we only license independent growers. 100% of our items have a transparency enabling barcode.
This item level barcode will be scanned by mobile phones to tell the consumer about the farmer, whether the produce is locally grown (including a map showing the location of the farm as compared to their current location based on their cell phone's GPS ), and anything else the consumer is interested to know about that produce item. Consumer reviews of fresh produce will be available to shoppers and chefs alike.
Suggestions are encouraged and welcome, so please share thoughts, concerns, criticisms and questions. We are listening carefully.We limit the combined total dollar amount of item-labeled produce that any single... more
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This is the start of something big...
http://top10produce.com/retailerbenefits.aspx
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While at Organic Valley headquarters in Wisconsin, the OrganicNation.tv crew got a chance to speak with Tim LaSalle, CEO of the Rodale Institute about the way organic farming can help mitigate global climate change.
Rodale Institute research shows that organically managed soils can store (sequester) more than 1,000 pounds of carbon per acre, while non-organic systems can cause carbon loss. For consumers, this means that the simple act of buying organic products can help to reduce global climate change.
For more information about organic production and carbon sequestration, visit: www.rodaleinstitute.org/global_warming
For more videos visit: http://www.Organicnation.tvWhile at Organic Valley headquarters in Wisconsin, the OrganicNation.tv crew got a... more
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Women’s ‘critical role’ in producing and providing food for their families means that they are most adversely affected by climate change and that they are already developing innovative ways to adapt.Women’s ‘critical role’ in producing and providing food for their families means... more
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Who’s the next green ‘it’ girl? Project Green Search is looking for the woman who wants to be an advocate for the environment, animal welfare, fair trade, and human rights. The next green ‘it’ girl is a model, spokesperson, host, brand ambassador and all around green model citizen, for progressive, sustainable, ethical companies, from fashion & beauty to cars & computers.
We know just the girl… our own Dorothee Royal-Hedinger (http://projectgreensearch.com/dorothee-royal/1554), sustainable food advocate and co-founder of OrganicNation.tv! Dorothee is more than just a (ridiculously) pretty face – she’s got brains and passion for sustainability in spades, just the qualities that a well-rounded green ‘it’ girl should have.
Please vote for Dorothee so she can continue her work in spreading the message of sustainability. Voting is really easy, and every single vote counts… just click this link: http://projectgreensearch.com/dorothee-royal/1554 & select 5 stars under her photo, and leave a note at the bottom of the page if you like. Hurry – voting ends TODAY!Who’s the next green ‘it’ girl? Project Green Search is looking for the woman... more
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On our trip through Maine, one of our most exciting destinations was the Common Ground Country Fair, a super eco-friendly event which is run by the Maine Organic Farmers Association (MOFGA), THE oldest organic organization in the country! It was a great place to check out the area's local food, crafts and some delicious fried seafood...
READ MORE here: http://www.organicnation.tv/blog/seafood-iiamas-compost-sampling-local-flavor-at-the-common-g.htmlOn our trip through Maine, one of our most exciting destinations was the Common Ground... more
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AP LONDON -- The North Pole will turn into an open sea during summer within a decade, according to data released Wednesday by a team of explorers who trekked through the Arctic for three months.
The Catlin Arctic Survey team, led by explorer Pen Hadow, measured the thickness of the ice as it sledged and hiked through the northern part of the Beaufort Sea in the north Pole earlier this year during a research project. Their findings show that most of the ice in the region is first-year ice that is only around 1.8 meters (six feet) deep and will melt next summer. The region has traditionally contained, thicker multiyear ice which does not melt as rapidly.
"With a larger part of the region now first-year ice, it is clearly more vulnerable," said Professor Peter Wadhams, part of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at the University of Cambridge which analyzed the data. "The area is now more likely to become open water each summer, bringing forward the potential date when the summer sea ice will be completely gone."
Wadhams said the Catlin Arctic Survey data supports the new consensus that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within 20 years, and that much of the decrease will happen within 10 years.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/north-pole-summers-will-b_n_321778.htmlAP LONDON -- The North Pole will turn into an open sea during summer within a decade,... more
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Colorado: Thought your land was your land?
A Look at Fracking: Documentary Explores Environmental Consequences of Gas Extraction Method
by Mark Collins
If you own land in Colorado, your rights could end a few feet from the surface.
"Split Estate," a new documentary by filmmaker Debra Anderson, explores the boom in drilling by oil and gas companies on privately owned land in the Rocky Mountain states in recent years. Anderson discovered U.S. law favors those who hold mineral rights over landowners.
"I could not believe that an energy company could come in on land that you own and drill at will without your permission, as close as 150 feet from your front door," said Anderson, a Santa Fe, N.M.-based filmmaker who grew up in Boulder and graduated from Fairview High School in 1982.
In Colorado, state law gives power of use to mineral rights owners, too.
"As long as someone has the mineral interest, then Colorado common law gives them the right to the reasonable use of the surface," said Kim Sanchez, planning division manager for Boulder County. "That's where we get into issues because oftentimes, when the (oil and gas company) owns the mineral interests the surface owner may not even be aware that someone else has those rights on their property."
More specifically, "Split Estate" details the oil and gas industry's controversial method of extracting minerals, called "fracking," and the adverse health effects many people claim they have suffered because of the drilling method.
Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing, a process that includes injecting a mixture of sand, water and chemicals underground in order to release the desired oil or gas. According to the film, fracking was first developed in the 1940s by Haliburton, the energy-services company whose former CEO was Dick Cheney.
"Split Estate" premieres at 6 p.m. Saturday during Discovery's Reel Impact series on Planet Green. It will repeat at 9 p.m. Oct. 22.
The film includes several interviews with people who have suffered significant health problems after oil and gas companies began drilling on or near their land. The affected families speculate that toxic chemicals used in fracking, or natural gas released during the drilling, leaked into their water supply and led to their illnesses. Oil and gas firms say such assertions are unproven.
Amy Mall, senior policy analyst with the Natural Resource Defense Council, said air quality has been negatively affected due to increased drilling in recent years, too.
"In the Denver-metro area it's become an issue with ozone which is harmful to human health," Mall said.
Much of "Split Estate" was shot in Rifle, Colo., and Garfield County commissioners there delayed a decision on proposed fracking legislation last month so they could view the film and take more time to explore the issue.
Closer to home, Weld County, east of Boulder County, is the second-busiest county in Colorado for drilling nowadays, according to statistics from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. More than 3,200 permits for new drilling in Weld County were filed during the past 20 months.
In Boulder County, there are roughly 270 currently producing wells, according to the COGCC. Most are in the northeastern part of the county. That's because the Wattenberg Field, the country's sixth-largest underground deposit of natural gas, stretches into that corner of the county.
Roughly 115 oil and gas wells are currently operating on Boulder County Open Space.
more at link....Colorado: Thought your land was your land?
A Look at Fracking: Documentary... more
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This past weekend, the OrganicNation.tv crew had the pleasure of attending Farm Aid 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. The concert is a massive fundraiser that aims to help struggling family farmers stay on their land and features music by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews.
At the concert, Dorothee got a chance to talk with farmers attending the event about the importance of family farms, educating the public about healthy food and which musician they like the best!This past weekend, the OrganicNation.tv crew had the pleasure of attending Farm Aid... more
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After seeing our recent interview with Colin Beavan about his No Impact Project, my friend Dara sent me an email link from gourmet magazine (of all places) about W. Hodding Carter’s extreme frugality series. (she told me she thought his initiative was way cooler in her humble opinion). In the intro to the series Carter confesses the state of his finances and how he and his family have been living outside of their means. As a result, they are forced to return to a “little house on the prairy” existence, where they are making their own candles, canning Cod, and other back to earth activities that you do when you are saving money.
Now is the moment when I should step in and mock this, right?
Truth be told, I have no desire to. (I’m secretly craving a dose of this experience myself.) When the green movement began the media mantra was to show people there was a way to care for the environment and address sustainability issues without giving up the creature comforts of their current life style. And so the great green spending spree began. The message was, “you can keep spending, but use your dollar to vote for the sustainability practices that support your belief system.”
But is “extreme frugality” the latest emerging trend? Have we come to a place where we understand that (gasp) resources are limited: and the limited reources in our wallet could be the best metaphor to understand the limited resources on the planet?
As it turns out, while in the middle of writing this post I hopped on over to my personal email account to check in how many love letters I have received today (the answer is none btw), but what I did encounter was an email from my sister-in-law about a new initiative that launched today called “slow money.” Frankly, after spending 10 minutes on their site I wasn’t entirely sure of what they are up to but it has something to do with a grass roots effort to create a new economy and support sustainable agriculture and involves donatting $5. Here’s what they have to say:
"The perfect combo about slow food, slow money and local sustainable foodsystems, this “Thrive, Don’t Just Survive” set is a loaded, how-to guide on destressing, eating healthier with less, the missing links to achieving healthy immune and eco-systems, personal and planetary transformation, and Feeding Ourselves, No Matter What!"
Ok…so they say things come in threes….what do you think? Has “green” turned a new corner? Are we entering into the age of self reliance and frugality? (Meanwhile, I’m going to head on over to the library and check out a few of the Little House on Prairie books, and start studying…)
(this is the full post: but if you want links to everything mentioned: hop on over to the blog)After seeing our recent interview with Colin Beavan about his No Impact Project, my... more
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leahl
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1 month ago
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On the way from New York to Maine, we stopped off for a couple of days in Connecticut earlier this week, and we paid a visit to Yale University's organic farm in New Haven. I don't normally think of Yale as an ag school, but the Sustainable Food program is one of the best in the country.
The Yale Sustainable Food Project was founded in 2001 by Alice Waters and members of the Yale faculty, and the Project now operates a one-acre organic farm in New Haven and directs a sustainable dining program at the university.
Read more here: http://www.organicnation.tv/blog/visiting-yales-organic-farm-in-new-haven.htmlOn the way from New York to Maine, we stopped off for a couple of days in Connecticut... more
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