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You know that commercial “Sweet Surprise” about the “truth” behing high fructose corn syrup? Believe me, the first time I saw it, I was in a surprise myself, but not so much of a “sweet surprise” as how they put it. It is a fact that high fructose corn syrup is not simply a corn syrup, but it has been enzymatically processed to highten the fructose level (making it sweeter.) Unfortunately, not organic, and unhealthy.
But then of course, any type of sugar is okay in moderation, right? This is true, but there are much more options out there than sweetening your food with high fructose corn syrup and/or even regular white sugar. Try organic cane sugar, that “sugar in the raw” stuff, or honey, or maple syrup. There are much less processing to those products, and since there isn’t much need for shipping, it is more nutritious (no need for extra preservatives).
Sure, the FDA stated that it is “Generally Recognized as Safe” and the American Medical Association concluded that it does not contribute to the increasing level of obesity in America… This is because high fructose corn syrup is not deadly / poisonous (we all know that), and of course, the increasing level of obesity is not because of high fructose corn syrup itself, but the products that it is in. When is it that you see an organic healthy food containing high fructose corn syrup. Although it may not be as unhealthy by itself, healthier foods often opt for healthier sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup isn’t it.
A recent reading in the Washington Post, “High Fructose Corn Syrup: Not so Sweet for the Planet” also concluded that the production of high fructose corn syrup is not environmentally friendly. Ouch. Since the production of corn requires large amounts of land specifically for corn, there is no diversity. Also, corn production requires extra fertilization and insecticides causing the top soil to “die” and become nutrion-less and leads to erosion. An area in the Gulf of Mexico the size of New Jersey already is a dead zone, because there is a soil runoff from Mississippi and therefore nothing could grow there.
So, I’m sorry “Sweet Surprise”. Your high-fructose-corn-syrup-is-healthy advertisement is not completely true.
Save the Earth. No. Save Ourselves.
Global warming swarms a panic. Environmentalists screams for help. The government is stressing out. Who are we kidding here? After watching and reading various documentations, studies and theories, I have come to a conclusion that it is not Earth we should be saving, instead it is ourselves and our fellow living organisms that live on Earth.
One of National Geography’s most treasured show (in my opinion) would be Earth: The Biography, among many others. The show premiered just last month and it took my breath away! Truly an amazing way of showcasing the history and biography of Earth, the planet us humans are living in. There are so many interesting facts that are shown in this documentary, and the one fact from a study that I found most intriguing is how Earth has gone through so many throughout its history of development.
Funny how we think that humans are destroying Earth. In fact, Earth is so strong and such a unique survivor that it withstand the attack of various meteors and soaring heat. Yes, humans are destroying Earth now, but Earth will survive, and Earth will return to its original form once humans are no longer capable of surviving in it.
Link this to another showcase from National Geography, Aftermath: Life After Humans which focuses on how the Earth will take over everything that humans have created and destroyed and return to its original true form. Mother nature will let pollution breathe itself out, leaving only clean air within merely 100 years. Imagine unpolluted air; oxygen that current humans never even naturally breathe.
Every civilization has an end, and so will the human civilization as well. We can only survive for so long in this weather and conditions. The Earth is changing so much, unfortunately much too fast for humans to keep up. Let’s face it, humans are not evolving as fast as we would like us to be. We are unable to live in sweltering heat, with not enough vegetation, harsh weather and short supply of other resources. Unfortunately, the end to humanity is not too far and the human civilization is short lived not by any other factor but humans themselves.
Well, there is no turning back now. The Earth will move forward with its course, changing and being changed, surviving every step of the way. But will the humans survive? Nope. What to do? Nothing.
There is only so much that the green living idea can do to our own survival. It is a way for us to slow down our own extinction. A way to slow down and let our later generations live on this Earth that we love so much. A chance to breathe some air, a chance to survive before the end of humanity. Thinking green day today will not undo the environmental harm that humans have done, but it will give humans the time.
Live your live to your fullest, said a good friend of mine, Ann Tran. It wouldn’t be long until our later generations would simply be wiped out by natural disasters triggered by human actions. Our time on Earth is coming to an end. Not in my lifetime or your children’s, but maybe your later generations. You only live once, and don’t take that to advantage because you have no idea how lucky you are to still be able to breathe the oxygen, here on Earth.
As we all just might already be aware of, gasoline prices has gone up to a painful $4 per gallon. Ouch. My mom just complained the other night how she’s spending almost $20 more per week in gas, spending close to $200 per month. Ouch. Well, I suppose it won’t be too long until people are leaving their cars in their garage, or might as well sell it and start looking into alternative transportation system. Is this what it really takes to get people to really ditch the non-renewable fuels and go look for something else?
1. Cycling, Walking, or just Run!
Really, not only will you burn fat and look SO good, you will not spend more than $10 / month with biking/cycling. And the money spent usually goes to maintenance of bicycle or if you’re a walker, well, safety pepper spray, an umbrella and one pair of extremely comfy shoes. Imagine the amount of money you will safe. A LOT. You will definitely won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on insurance, gas and maintenance.
Why is it so difficult? Yes, I understand how hard it can get during the tough seasons. But, raining boots usually help as well as a reliable public transportation. Or Taxis once in a while. And really warm weather and a decent pair of boots in the winter will make your walk more than bearable.
A little extra information:
Bicycle sales has actually gone up to almost double their last year’s sales. Strangely, people who are ditching their cars are usually those of older/senior citizens. Apparently college students through 30 year olds are still opting to drive instead of cycling. Even with their better physique.
2. Public Transportation
As a committed public transportation user, some states / cities actually offer really reliable systems. For example, while living in Montgomery County, getting to even the most remote places is never a problem. Thanks to the RideOn and Metro system that really helps me getting around.
Plus, most of the buses are hybrid which, of course, are very environmentally friendly. And the quality of the service as well as the buses are often quite acceptable. Some of the newer RideOn buses are actually really nice too. Comfy, safe ride that will get you to places.
3. Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars have actually been around longer than I had expected. Plus, I have just come to understand what the term “Hybrid” really means: combining two or more power resources in powering the car engine. Choices ranges from gasoline, electricity, compressed hydrogen, soybean, corn or other bio-fuels. I will post a separate entry on the details of one of my most desired hybrid car: the Honda Clarity which says to be released this summer. The Clarity uses compressed hydrogen which powers electricity to run the car. Zero emissions, only water. How cool is that? I am still doing some further research on how it actually works, but I think that’s really cool! Honda is even planning to use the energy station, using hydrogen to power not the only car, but the whole house as well. Even cooler!
Point is, there are so many other alternatives to driving high-mileage gasoline cars. Plus the prices of Hybrid cars are lowering! And bicycles are always out there for you to buy. It is a fact that many people who have cars has grown so accustomed to driving 1-2 miles down the street to grab a thing or two instead of opting for walking or cycling. What a waste. And you would think that along with the current economic downfall you will be able to afford a gasoline car by a couple more years? Maybe not.
Set an example, walk and ride 
As requested, here is one of the articles I found on using eco-friendly materials in cleaning your home. You’ll save money, and it’s really cool! This article is taken from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine about “[helping] the planet and get squeaky-clean home with these easy (and inexpensive) formulas for eco-friendly cleaning.”
The Basic Ingredients
This works best on proteins, grease, and animal messes. Because it’s slightly abrasive, it can be used for scouring — and, of course, it’s a natural deodorizer.
This mild acid works on alkaline substances, dissolving scale, inhibiting mold, and cutting soap scum. It’s terrific for stains such as coffee, rust, and tea.
Try castile soap, made with olive oil, or a vegetable-based soap. Both attach to soil at the molecular level, so you can rinse dirt away with water.
Soft Scrub
Add enough soap to 1/8 cup baking soda to make a creamy mixture. Apply with sponge to clean; rinse the surface well. Use and discard.
Appliance Cleaner
Dry baking soda shines up small appliances and even removes bread wrappers burned onto the toaster. Try rubbing a teaspoon onto your grubby blender or food processor with a clean flannel cloth.
Toilet Cleaner/Deodorizer
Sprinkle toilet bowl with 1/4 cup baking soda. Drizzle with 1/4 cup vinegar, then scour with a toilet brush.
Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle oven with 1/2 cup baking soda (more if needed) and spray with water. Let sit for several hours or overnight before scraping up stains and spills. Rinse thoroughly with water.
Hardwood Floor Cleaner
In a pail or bucket, mix 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar in one gallon warm water. Mop wood or linoleum floors, then rinse with water, making sure not to leave large pools to dry.
Commercial Green Cleaners
Polish Wood
Choose a vegetable-based soap to polish wood floors and furniture to a glow. Murphy’s Oil Soap, 32 fl. oz., about $5; most grocery stores.
Wash Dishes
Choose detergents free of chlorine, phosphates, and synthetic chemicals. Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Powder, 48 oz., $5.55; shopnatural.com. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap, 16 oz., $4.99; mrsmeyers.com.
Clean Surfaces
An all-purpose, plant-based cleaner removes grime from almost everywhere — walls, windows, countertops, and appliances. Shaklee Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate, 64 oz., $42.97; shaklee.com.
Scour Grime
Biodegradable scouring powder with mineral abrasives cleans countertops, grout, outdoor furniture, grills, microwave ovens, showers, sinks, and stoves. Bon Ami, 14 oz., about $1.50; most grocery stores.
Whiten Surfaces
A nonchlorine oxygen bleach cleanser tackles stains on grout, sinks, bath tubs, and toilets. Jason Heather’s Oxygen Bleach Cleanser, 14 oz., $2.39; vitacost.com.
Linda Mason Hunter is a publishing professional specializing in home ecology, residential design, and the art of living in the 21st century. She is also the co-author of Green Clean. Visit her Web site at www.hunterink.com.
Recipes from Green Clean, by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin (Melcher Media, 2005; $16.95).
I hope this article has found some good use for your home!
Since I lost the original magazine copy, I found this article online:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1188589521879.xml
Taken on 2/22/2008 02:35pm.
Enjoy!
I was watching “Six Degrees Could Change the World,” a special by National Geographic Channel. This is by far one of the most touching prediction anyone could have ever made. Most of the talking is done by Mark Lynas, author of the book “Six Degrees.” The focus of the argumentation is of course global warming, and what a difference it could make to this world when the Earth reaches six degrees.
One of the most touching videos was one that they made on Amazon river during its dry season. Yes, we all know that during the dry season, some of the water will surely dry up. But this:
This is certainly only a faint example of what global warming has done to our darling Amazon river. The sad thing is that we could have stopped this. We could have cut some of our carbon emissions, we could have saved more trees, we could have… we could have… Unfortunately this sad event has already happened and there is nothing we could do but watch our Earth becomes dust.
Mark Lynas stated how the Inergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already outlined that the Earth’s temperature is going to rise between 1.4 degrees and 5.8 celcius by the end of the century. That is only about 90 years from now, guess what? Our children are going to have to through it, and we will going to go through the beginning of it as well.
With the IPCC’s report, Mark Lynas lays out the expectations with every celcius degree rise. Imagine at 3 degrees, no more amazon, and the whole sheet of ice atop of Greenland will melt. This is only half way. By the 6 degrees rise, the heat would wipe out most of the Earth and basically a big chunk of humanity. Us. Our children.
It’s sad that we are not looking into this more now while we worry more about other things such as war and politics. So many countries suffer of economic deprivation. Yet only a few of the human race recognize the danger that’s about to approach within a century from now. Is this how we want our next generation to live? A life in bare heat, constant changing climate (dust storms, formation of more deserts and loss of winter weather?) How about the hurricanes and tornados thats going to appear in affect to the changing water’s temperature?
I certainly would not like my children to go through this. Everyday I keep thinking: There’s gotta be a way that we could let the world know of what really is going on. We really need to make this our main focus. Why? Whatever’s going to happen the human race? Whatever’s going to happen to our children? Sure homo sapiens has adapted many climate change in the past and so did our ancestors, but it happened within thousands of years. This ever EMERGENCY change is going to happen within 100 years. 100 years is not a long time, our children will live through that 100 years and so will their children. Would you like that?
Please everyone, do whatever you can to help us make this Earth better. We still have a chance to make a change.
Picture taken from:
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2005/20051024_amazontrickle.jpg
Mark Lynas’ “Six Degrees” can be found in major bookstores.
* Facts are taken from Editorial Reviews of “Six Degrees”
Well, as we all probably have known, global warming is one of the biggest issue that currently threatens the lives on Earth. It is evident today that living green is becoming more than just a necessity, it is becoming a trend. People are spending thousands and accumulate even to millions in the attempt to save this dreadful Earth. But will it all be worth it?
I am by no means against a lot of the “green-trends.” For example, hybrid cars, saving energy, recycling and the such are easy to do. But if you ask me to redo my whole house to make it “green”, I think I’d be broke by now! Thumbs up to those out there who succeeded in this attempt. However, I am not looking at the small scale expenses (by this I mean family homes and such), instead I am looking at big industries and the government as a whole.
It is evident that the government spent millions and millions and dollars trying to cut greenhouse gas emissions. I’m sorry that I have no exact statistics to show you, but you can request one if you’d like, I wrote a whole research paper on this…:) And really, what better things could all those money be spent on, right? Just how sad it is to see all of those money being wasted, yes, WASTED to nothing.
Face it, global warming is inevitable. It is part of nature and from the way it looks, there is no way we could stop it now. We are already entering the “lag” between the beginning and the climax to global warming and we are now just waiting for the big “boom” to happen. Yes, when hurricanes are going to come one after another, threatening every living organism on Earth. That includes us, sad, sad homo-sapiens.
When we look at the big picture, we can see that preparing for those days actually cost less. Also, helping countries in need would be useful. More than 2 thirds of the Earth is covered with developing countries and these countries are unable to recover from a lot of the natural disasters that global warming has brought. Compare that to the natural disaster here in the U.S.: Hurricane Katrina. Sure, it was devastating and there are lots of people who died and lost their homes. But so did those people in India and Indonesia! Even worse, the government’s economy are so bad that they couldn’t rebuild until this very day. Compare that to New Orleans which from how I see it has seen a lot of recoveries lately.
What I’m trying to say here is, why don’t we spend our efforts and money helping those countries in need and stop wasting our time trying to reverse what mother nature has brought upon us? Global warming and all of its effects are inevitable. That is a fact. It is simply impossible for every single individual on Earth to reverse their lifestyle in order to become this Earth more “green”. It costs too much and it requires too much time. And time is what we don’t have.
We are now waiting for another hurricane to hit another developing countries who are already battling their days with other economic problems. So why don’t we do that? How? Go ahead and open up Google and search for a lot of donation-page helping those in need. Trust me, helping the current people in need and prepare for the future is all we can do. It is ALL we can do.
