Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

• Bad news for plastic army men, the United States military is switching compostable bio-plastic. In Iraq, the 135,000 U.S. troops leave behind 446 million pounds of plastic waste each year. Bio-plastic decomposes and can be made from weeds, sugar and even cow poop, and can be used for MRE’s and other food packaging; via CleanTechnica.

• Colleges are ditching plastic too. Many universities are taking plastic food trays out of cafeterias and officials claim it helps reduce waste, saving schools 10% on food spending and with no trays to wash, cutting water bills too. And some colleges have started using biodegradable containers and planting community gardens; The New York Times reports.

• Disney is also going green, in a big way! The house that Mickey built pledged to plant one tree for every ticket sold for its eco-documentary “Earth” during the first week of release. Last week, the movie took in $16.1 million, with 2.7 million viewers, meaning 2.7 new trees are headed to the Brazilian rainforest; from Green Inc.

• FedEx has announced its aiming to run on 30% biofuel by 2030, calling it the 30 by 30 plan. The delivery company wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cutback air-transportation costs, focusing on biodiesel made from shrubs and ethanol and moving away from existing petroleum-based fuels; SustainableBusiness.com News explains.

• Speaking of alternative fuel, New York City is getting 40 brand new Nissan Altima Hybrid patrol cars, to further Manhattan’s bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2017. Currently there are 3,300 hybrid vehicles in service throughout New York, but most are designated for sanitation, buildings, parks and transportation; from Red Green and Blue.

• Now, despite New York’s seedy reputation, it’s actually quite clean. According to the American Lung Association, New York City is not among the worst air-polluters in the country, with Los Angeles, California, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and Bakersfield, California having the worst air quality. New York didn’t even make the top ten; via The Daily Green.

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• New findings in the journal Environmental Science & Technology reveal melting sea ice may be related to mercury build up in local ringed seal populations. Warmer temperatures melt the ice, which extends the growth period for cod, enabling seals to gorge themselves. Cod fish is heavily contaminated with mercury, causing higher than usual mercury levels in seals; ENN reports.

• Ocean researchers have discovered a New Jersey-sized dead zone and no, it’s not New Jersey. Each year, animal poop and agricultural fertilizers trickle down the Mississippi River and end up in the Gulf of Mexico, creating a dead zone. All this poop and fertilizer robs the water of oxygen and floods it with nutrients, i.e. carbon, resulting in huge algae blooms and loss of aquatic life; via GreenBiz.

• But this works both ways. All the excess carbon we’re pumping into the air is causing increased plant growth in rainforests flora and sugar beet crops in the United Kingdom. Plants thrive on carbon dioxide and release oxygen. So some scientists believe this environmental irony may give humans extra time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; The Times Online investigates.

• Some U.S. cities are already doing their part. Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California were named the top two greenest cities in America. Sacramento, California has the greenest economy and Los Angeles, California is the number one Energy Star City in the United States; from Fresh Greens.

• Only 14% of plastic bottles end up getting recycled and Americans add another 30 million empty bottles to landfills each day. So, could boxed water be better? The packaging is much more eco-friendly than plastic and the company selling it donates 20% of profits to water relief charities, but some people worry the process of manufacturing and shipping is still environmentally taxing; via Inhabitat.

• Baby formula might not be a wise drink choice either. Scientists from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have discovered trace amounts of a chemical used in rocket fuel in samples of powdered baby formula. The compound, perchlorate, can interfere with thyroid function and has previously turned up in the drinking water of several U.S. cities; the Associated Press reports.

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New findings in the journal of Human Reproduction suggest perfluorinated compounds, fluorine-containing chemicals used to make products non-stick and found in shampoo, dental floss and denture cleaners, may cause infertility in women. Researchers studied 1,240 pregnant women, whose levels of the perfluorinated chemicals had been measured, concluding that higher levels of chemicals were associated with longer pregnancies and 26% to 33% reduced chance of getting pregnant; Reuters reports.

Moms aren’t the only ones at risk! Plastic toys and medical devices may be exposing babies to phthalates, a chemical used to make plastics flexible, and even eating certain fish, like tuna and shark, is a danger, risking mercury exposure, leading to birth defects.

And in 2007, it was discovered a chemical found in rocket fuel and explosives, called perchlorate, was turning up in women’s breast milk. Egad!

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• The economy is suffering. And unemployment is rising. But green jobs are expected to boom, such as farmers, CSA coordinators, recyclers, conservation biologists and solar power installers. Currently, the solar industry employs over 25,000 workers, but it could leap to 110,000 by 2016; via FastCompany.

• Speaking of community supported agriculture. There are plenty of reasons to eat local! Locally grown food tastes better, retains more nutrients, contains no genetically modified organisms, promotes genetic diversity, and is better for the environment and preserves open spaces; from Green Living Review.

• Now, despite out obvious recession, interest in green products continues to grow. A new survey of 9,000 consumers revealed shoppers deliberately bought more green products in 2008 than any year before. In 2007, 32% of people sought green products, but in 2008 it increased to 34%; ENN reports.

• Electricity usage from the internet doubled between 2000 and 2006. But don’t feel guilty. According to data, the internet’s energy efficiency is improving. Old dial-up connections sap 3.56 kWh per GB, but new stuff, like DSL and cable, only consume .17 kWh/GB and .72 kWh/GB, respectively; via earth2tech.

• Under the new administration, government officials are hopeful the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill" has its first real shot at becoming law. The legislation would impose a nickel deposit on non-carbonated beverage containers and invest unredeemed deposits into state cleanup programs; The Post-Standard explains.

• The European Union seeks to tighten environmental standards for ships, striving for zero waste and zero emissions, by strengthening existing laws surrounding ship waste disposal at port facilities and setting up an environmental management system to oversee the maritime shipping sector; from ENN.

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Your rubber ducky may be more dangerous than you think. According to a new study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine a chemical called 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), commonly used in rubber products, may heighten cancer risk. Researchers examined data on plant workers from 1955 to 1984 and 1971 to 1984 and determined those exposed to fumes during the manufacturing process were twice as likely to develop colon cancer and 4 times as likely to get bone marrow cancer; Reuters reports.

Great, another chemical to worry about! If you recall, Bisphenol-A (BPA) was all over the news last year. BPA is used to make hard plastic and has been linked to learning impairments and depression and prostate cancer and breast cancer.

So, be mindful of your environment, especially if you have kids!

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• Plants are an important part of medicine. And not just to eat! Many drugs are derived from plants, like yew tree, hoodia, autumn crocus and magnolia, all of which help treat cancer. But pollution, over-harvesting, and habitat destruction are threatening 15,000 species of medicinal plants; via DiscoBlog.

• The rainforest houses the world’s largest collection of plants and animals. Scientists call it our heart and lungs, but the Brazilian Amazon has suffered major deforestation, more and more land is being cleared for cattle pastures. In some areas, deforestation has increased by 50% in 1 year; from LiveScience.

• Maybe old people can replant the rainforest! A new study suggests gardening helps older men and women feel better. Researchers claim on most days gardeners meet the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity and in the spring many people spent an hour gardening; Reuters reports.

• A Berkeley, California company wants to farm rooftop vegetables. It involves building hydroponic greenhouses on top of local supermarkets to grow fruits and vegetables and then sell them to the customers below. This could cut transportation and production costs by 80%; via GreenUpgrader.

• And a Japanese firm plans to manufacturer CD and DVD cases with rice-plastic. The composite material is 10% rice and consumes significantly less fossil fuel during production and emits 10% less carbon dioxide than traditional materials, but the hybrid cases are more expensive; from CleanTechnia.

• To cut costs, and save the environment, many schools are going paperless, using digital filing systems and online fliers. No paper allowed. It’s going well! Some school districts claim 95% of students are subscribing to school newsletters online. And, it’s keeping junk out of kids’ heavy backpacks; via ENN.

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• Rain might be a drag. But it’s an untapped source of energy, until now. Designer Sang-Kyun Park has invented an LED umbrella, powered by falling rain. The drops react with the umbrella made out of polyvinylidene fluoride (PDVF), energizing a series of LED lights; inhabitat investigates.

• NY is cracking down on bags. Starting to January 1, 2009 a new law will require stores with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space or are part of a chain with 5 or more locations to collect and recycle plastic bags and provide bins for bag recycling; SustainableBusiness News explains.

• Junk mail is a waste. I hate it! So here’s a cool idea. For $20, GreenDimes makes it easy to opt out of big mailing lists. And, to sweeten the deal, when you join, they plant 5 trees, claiming that combined effort of planting and saving trees is like growing your own tiny forest; from GreenDaily.

• Some people doubt climate change is real. But Rence Sore, the Permanent Secretary of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology, believes the writing is on the wall. Saying our coasts are eroding, seas are yielding less fish and gardens grow less food; via The Solomon Star.

• More on global warming, researchers have determined glaciers in Greenland are losing ice faster this year than last year. And last year was already a record-setting loss. Experts claim the floating ice coming off the glaciers could cover an area twice the size of Manhattan Island; ENN reports.

• Recently the European Union agreed to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. But Russia may not participate in the plan if it goes against their interests. Russia’s current strategy is to lower emissions 30% below 1990-levels and then reduce them more by 2020; more from ENN.

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• Most historic buildings are dark and grey. But that could change. As air quality improves and more clean fuels are used. Buildings in the U.S. and Europe, like the Empire State Building, might turn yellow, reddish-brown and even green with lichen and moss; NewScientist investigates.

• Regular plastic is non-degradable. That’s why a company is developing a bio-plastic, also called liquid wood, made from trees. It uses lignin, normally thrown out in paper production, combined with natural materials, like wood, hemp, flax and wax, to produce plastic granules; via DiscoBlog.

• Cattle farmers are fuming mad! Federal officials want impose fees on belching and gaseous cows, citing cattle’s effect on air-pollution. If passed, large farms would have pay an annual fee of $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 for beef cattle and $20 for hogs; the Associated Press reports.

• Trees might make plastic, but elephant crap can make paper! A Brooklyn, New York company, called Mr. Ellie Pooh, won Co-op America’s 2008 Green Business Leader Award for turning Sri Lankan elephant dung into stationery and various grades of paper; from SustainableBusiness.

• Nintendo Wii is the hot holiday gift this year, but an environmental group will reevaluate one of its components, claiming it could possess the harmful chemical bromine. The Michigan-based, Ecology Center plans to reexamine the battery cover on the controller; via the Associated Press.

• Piezoelectric crystals produce electricity when stress is applied. This could power things like cell phones with sounds waves. So a Japanese railway company will install piezoelectric elements in subways in order to generate power from people passing through ticket gates; from CleanTechica.

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• The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has pulled more land parcels from the expanded oil and gas leasing program in Utah. The bureau didn’t say why they did it, but conservation groups were enraged over the prospect of drilling near Utah’s scenic wonders; the Associated Press reports.

• Florida stands to lose 70,000 jobs and $5.5 billion if global warming kills coral reefs. Florida has the only shallow-water reefs in the U.S. Many fish, like snapper and angelfish, call these reefs home. And if they die off. So will commercial and recreational fishing; via SustainableBusiness.

• Toronto has gone hardcore against plastic. No more water bottles at city hall and an eventual city-wide ban in 2 years. Then starting in June they’ll be a 5 cent fee on plastic shopping bags. And by 2011, hard plastic takeout food containers will be banned too; GreenSpace investigates.

• Canada’s tar sands are being looked at for oil extraction. The problem is, they’re under Canada’s Boreal forest and getting to them would involve destroying the nesting area for half of America’s migratory birds, killing up to 166 million birds in the next 30 to 50 years; via Green Living Tips.

• Acid rain was big in the 80s. But you don’t hear a lot about it anymore. Well, its back! Researchers have determined the recent wet winters, due to global warming, have hampered the recovery of streams from the damage caused by acid rain decades ago; NewScientist explains.

• Barack Obama plans on making the Whitehouse green. After he takes office he will sit down with the chief usher of the presidential mansion and discuss its energy efficiency. He’s doing it because it wants to show the country that going green is not hard; from the Associated Press. 

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• Say I’m out of loop, but apparently Night Rider is coming back. And this new generation of KITT, the talking super car, is green, fuel efficient and equipped with solar panels; via Ecorazzi.

• Ethanol can’t be transported by pipeline. It’s too corrosive. It must be moved by truck or railways. And since it’s so flammable, experts are urging increased safety standards; from ENN.

• What consumes more resources, steel or paper production? Its paper! Between all the junk mail, printer paper, coffee cups and other stuff. The paper industry contributes about 10% of global carbon emissions; The Guardian reports.

• Pollution has plateaued, following 6 years of growth, says a new report by the United Nations report, but there’s a catch. Data for the previous 2 years has not be announced; via The New York Times.

• Shiny happy solar cells, not really! Researchers have determined in order for solar panels to work most effectively they have to be dull and not shimmering; NewScientist explains.

• New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed charging shoppers 6 cents for every plastic bag used at the cash register, differing slightly from Los Angeles and San Francisco’s outright ban on plastic bags; via inhabitat.

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