ECOTONE World

Bamboo:
Depending on who you ask, bamboo is the new, eco-friendly product of the season. Used to make everything from blankets to shoes to flooring, bamboo is a versatile and, more importantly, fast-growing and replenishable plant.

Biodegradable:
The ability of a material to decompose through natural processes and eventually be reabsorbed by the natural environment. Biodegradable products include all plant and animal material, paper, food waste and fibers. Plastic, glass and metals are not biodegradable. However, even biodegradable materials will not break down once they are buried in a landfill because they are deprived of oxygen, which is necessary for decomposition. Composting provides optimal conditions for biodegradation. The “Biodegradable” label on products like cosmetics, cleaning supplies, packaging or household items is not necessarily reliable because it is not verified and follows no uniform standards.

Conflict-Free Diamonds:
Diamonds produced without the involvement of violence, human rights violations or environmental degradation. The Conflict-Free Diamond Council examines the entire supply chain—from mine to consumer—before certifying that a diamond is conflict-free.

Cork:
It may come as a surprise to wine aficionados, but cork is able to do more than keep bottles sealed tight. Found in Ugg boots, floor tiles, jewelry and everything in between, cork is fully recyclable, flexible and repels water.

Eco-friendly:
Also known as “environmentally friendly” or “nature-friendly,” eco-friendly refers to goods and services that inflict minimal harm on the environment.

Fair Labor:
A code of conduct by which participating companies—mostly in the clothing and shoe industries—agree to provide factory workers with fair wages, reasonable work hours, the right to collective bargaining, a safe and healthy workplace free from abuse and discrimination and fair overtime compensation. Forced and child labor are not allowed.

Fair Trade:
Crops produced according to principles in which poor farmers in developing countries receive fair prices for their products, workers enjoy safe working conditions and fair wages, communities receive development assistance and investment in social programs and crops are grown with sustainable farming methods and without the use of pesticides or genetically modified organisms. Products labeled as “Fair Trade Certified” are verified and audited by an independent certifier. Fair Trade Certification is currently available in the United States for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice and vanilla.

Green:
The adjective used to describe people, behaviors, products, policies, standards, processes, places, movements or ideas that promote, protect, restore or minimize damage to the environment.

Hemp:
Long a favorite accessory and jewelry piece, hemp is one of the most versatile fibers available. Hemp can now be found in books and paper products, bags, pet supplies, face creams and flour and has long outgrown its hippy roots.

Natural:
Purely defined, natural means anything found in nature or derived directly from plants, animals or minerals. Natural products do not contain any man-made (synthetic) ingredients. On food, “Natural” or “All Natural” labels are not meaningful because the federal standard is weak. The USDA will allow a product to be labeled “natural” if it is free from artificial ingredients, added coloring and heavy processing. Natural does not mean organic.

Natural dyes:
Sometimes known as “organic” dyes, natural dyes come from natural sources. These dyes are different than man-made, synthetic dyes—which, to confuse matters, can also be organic—that often use toxic, non-natural sources and ingredients. Natural dyes typically cost more than synthetic dyes but are generally considered more eco-friendly overall.

Organic fabrics and textiles:
Plant and animal fibers like cotton, wool, hemp, linen, cashmere, silk, jute, soy and bamboo can be certified organic if they are produced according to organic standards set by the USDA. However, the organic label does not guarantee that the finished fabric or textile product is free of synthetic chemicals, bleaches or heavy dyes. The Organic Trade Association certifies finished textiles and garments in the United States.

Organic meat, dairy, poultry, eggs and other livestock products:
Organic animal products come from livestock that are fed organic feed and forage throughout their lives, beginning in at least the last third of gestation before birth. Synthetic hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and genetic engineering are prohibited. The living environment must be stress-free and promote the health and well-being of the animals, as well as prevent the contamination of air, land and water. For a livestock product sold in the United States to be labeled organic, it must meet USDA standards and be certified by third-party accredited inspectors.

Organic produce:
Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, lentils, etc. produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and with farming techniques that protect soil quality, minimize erosion and actively prevent the contamination of air, land and water. For an agricultural product sold in the United States to be labeled organic, it must meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards and be certified by third-party accredited inspectors.

Ovo-lacto vegetarian:
A diet, recipe or product that involves no meat, poultry or seafood, yet may contain eggs, dairy products, honey, gelatin or other animal-derived ingredient. Followers of this diet are often considered vegetarians.

Pesticide-free:
Plants or crops grown without the use of chemical pesticides for controlling weeds, insects, slugs, grubs or rodents. This label is not equivalent to organic and is not verified by an independent or government standard.

Reclaimed:
Materials destined for the garbage dump but were, instead, rescued and refurbished as a new product. The floor of an old bowling alley can be reclaimed and turned into a dining room table, or bricks from a demolished structure can be used to build a fireplace hearth. The use of glass shards in ceramic tiles is another example of the use of reclaimed material.

Recycled:
Materials that have been taken from one product and made into a new product. The recycling process generally saves energy and reduces the need to extract additional raw resources from the earth. The most commonly recycled products in the United States include paper, glass, steel and aluminum, all of which can be reincarnated as the products they were recycled from. Plastic is also recyclable, but it goes through a process known as downcycling. When a plastic water bottle is broken down for recycling, the quality of the plastic material is diminished, and it is no longer fit to become another water bottle. Instead, it may become filler for a fleece jacket, carpet fibers or a park bench. Packages with Post-Consumer Recycled Content are made from materials that were recycled instead of being sent to a landfill.

Renewable:
Resources that can be replenished quickly after use so that they are not permanently diminished or depleted. Renewable energy sources include the sun (solar power), wind, flowing water and geothermal heat. Renewable material resources include algae, grasses and some fast-growing trees. Substituting renewable resources for nonrenewable resources (e.g., coal, oil, gasoline and other fossil fuels) is the key to sustainability.

Sustainability:
Meeting the needs of the present without diminishing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability also means that human practices do not result in the permanent damage, alteration or depletion of the environment, ecosystems, species or natural resources.

Scrap fabrics:
Using scrap fabrics is considered more eco-friendly than manufacturing new products and is often called “reuse”. Scrap fabrics have more uses than quilts and costumes, however: Cirque de Soleil uses scraps from its costumes and tents to fill Christmas ornaments, while Goodwill recently released a high-end line of clothes based on “scrap” clothes called William Good. As they say, one man’s scrap is another man’s treasure.

Soy:
The soybean is the food staple of choice for many vegetarians and those with lactose intolerance due to its high protein levels. Soy is useful beyond food, however, and soybean fiber can be used to make everything from baby clothes to sweaters.

Synthetic:
Materials that do not occur naturally but rather are produced artificially through chemical processing. Most synthetic products (plastic, nylon, polyester, polystyrene, etc.) are made from petroleum byproducts, while synthetic components of food, personal care products and pharmaceuticals are produced with chemicals in a laboratory.

Tencel:
Tencel is, in fact, the commercial name for lyocell, a product made by the Lenzing AG as polyester, as easy to care for as acrylic, cool and pleasant like linen, as warm as wool and absorbs more moisture than cotton.” It uses no bleach to manufacture and is fully biodegradable but has come under some criticism for using toxic chemicals in the dyeing process.

“USDA Organic” (label):
Product contains at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients. The remaining 5 percent can be nonorganic or synthetic, as long as they are approved on the national list (http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards/ListReg.html).

“USDA Made with Organic Ingredients” (label):
Product contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The remaining 30 percent must be approved on the national list.

“USDA 100 Percent Organic” (label):
Product contains only organic ingredients.

Vegan lifestyle:
A way of living that avoids products containing animal products or byproducts, involved testing on animals or in any way resulted in animal harm. True vegans do not eat products containing meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, gelatin (derived from hooves), whey, honey or refined sugar (often refined using animal bones). Vegans do not buy or use products (such as clothes, accessories, cosmetics or cleaning products) made with leather, wool, cashmere, silk, suede, fur, animal fats (e.g., lanolin) or any other animal-derived ingredient.

Vegan products:
Products produced without animal ingredients (meat, fur, leather, bones, etc.), animal byproducts (milk, eggs, wool) or animal testing. In many cases, vegan products contain synthetic components, which may be harmful to the environment. Vegan products such as food, cleaning products, clothing and personal care may be certified by an independent organization, but there are no federal standards set for vegan certification.

By: Elizabeth Rogers, Environmentalist –provides definitions of the most common green-related terms.

A Natural Way to Garden Organic

Gardening is taking off around the nation, but there’s nothing new about gardening without synthetic chemicals. In fact, it was the only way people grew food until a few generations ago.

Barbara W. Ellis, a horticulturist and author of The Veggie Gardener’s Answer Book, says the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in gardening only became popular in the ’40s.

“All of our great-grandparents were organic gardeners. Nonorganic gardening only started after the World Wars, when all the chemicals became available,” she says. “We went through a period in the country where we thought we could kill every insect, and then people realized maybe that isn’t a good idea.”

Questions about the harmful effects of synthetic garden, lawn and agricultural chemicals on food, water, insects, animals and humans has taken center stage. Now, more people are buying organic food, and some want to try growing it themselves too. Barbara says you shouldn’t be afraid to try. “It is one thing people can do that they have control over, that they can make the environment a little better,” she says.

As the recession lingers on, food writer Nina Planck tackles this         controversial question.

When I was a kid, my summer job was selling vegetables at roadside stands and farmers’ markets near our Virginia farm. “Is this organic?” customers would ask. “No,” I’d say, “but we don’t use pesticides, our chickens run free on grass, and our produce is fresh and local.” I was barefoot, smudgyfaced, and barely 10 years old, which may or may not have enhanced my credibility. But I usually made the sale.

We didn’t bother to go organic officially because it involved a lot of red tape and extra expense, and at the time, there were multiple standards by multiple certifying bodies. Our food was certainly green, and our little farm thrived. Today, however, the term organic is defined by a strict set of federal regulations. Crops bearing the USDA organic seal of approval are raised without synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge (semisolid leftovers from wastewater plants used as fertilizer). Organic animals consume organic feed and must have access to the outdoors. They are not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. The organic label also means your food was not genetically engineered or treated with radiation to prolong shelf life.

These all seem like admirable standards with the consumer’s best interests in mind. So, understandably, it came as quite a shock to health-minded shoppers when the British government’s Food Standards Agency released a review last year pronouncing organic produce to be no more nutritious than the conventional kind. Organics advocates called the UK review flawed and incomplete, and its authors biased. They contended that the study didn’t include recent data showing that organic food delivers many advantages (less exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, for example), and that the concluding statement buried any pro-organic news the researchers did find (like the fact that organic produce contains more of certain beneficial minerals). They claimed that some of the studies included in the review were poorly designed, others seriously outdated. “These findings are wrong,” Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, Britain’s leading organic organization, says flatly. “Organic food is better for the planet, and it’s better for you.”

Some reasons to buy organics are well known: The French Agency for Food Safety recently confirmed that they contain more antioxidants, heart-healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, iron, and magnesium than nonorganic foods. Even the UK review presented data showing more magnesium and zinc and more antioxidant phytochemicals, such as phenols and flavonoids, in organic crops. And a five-year study by 33 universities, research centers, and companies funded by the European Commission—believed to be the largest study of its kind—determined that organic produce such as cabbage and potatoes contained more vitamin C (another antioxidant); that organic tomatoes contained more nutrients overall; and that organic dairy foods contained more omega-3 fatty acids and cancerfighting conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). This study, which will be published spring 2010, also uncovered lower levels of such contaminants as heavy metals, mycotoxins (by-products of fungal infections), and pesticide residues in organic foods. Several studies have linked pesticides used on conventionally grown produce to the neurological diseases Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

A lack of pesticide exposure is an important reason organic produce has higher levels of beneficial antioxidants like vitamin C, which fight the free radicals implicated in aging, cancer, and heart disease. Antioxidants are actually part of a plant’s own defenses. In fruits and vegetables, these bitter elements help fend off attacks by bugs and fungi. Organic crops contain more of these compounds because they have to work harder to protect themselves—no man-made pesticides to the rescue, says Holden.

In addition, organic produce is free of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which can also weaken plants’ health. “Nitrogen produces a watery, sugary cell sap that compromises the plant’s ability to build its immune system,” says Holden. Plants that come to rely on the chemical can no longer fend off pests naturally. Crops that are treated with the synthetic fertilizer also have overly leafy growth and poor flavor, as farmers have long known. That’s because the plants’ natural immune system of antioxidants is what makes produce aromatic and savory. In other words, a healthy plant makes a healthy meal—and a tastier one.

The same could be said about animals. You are what they eat. In 2006 the Journal of Dairy Science published the results of a British study showing a direct link between organic farming and higher levels of omega-3 fats in cow’s milk. According to the research, the average pint of (British) organic milk contains 68.2 percent more omega-3 fats than nonorganic milk. That makes sense: Grass (rather than corn and soybeans) is what cows will eat when left to their own devices, and it’s loaded with these essential fatty acids. In one of the unfortunate oversights in U.S. organic regulations, cows on some large-scale organic farms rarely graze on fresh grass, and instead are largely confined to feed lots. But this year a new USDA rule should close the loophole. To find dairy products that are produced from pasture-grazed cows, check the Dairy Scorecard at Cornucopia.org.

While studies have shown that organic food can contain more nutrients, recent data highlights specific benefits to those who eat it. A 2007 Dutch study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that babies who ate organic dairy (and whose nursing mothers did, too) had a 36 percent lower incidence of eczema. A separate 2007 Dutch study found that women who drink organic milk have breast milk with much higher levels of CLA, a fatty acid with significant antioxidant properties.

In the end it’s clear that organic food is worth the premium it commands at the grocery store. As the authors of the UK review put it themselves: “The differences in…nutrients and other substances between organically and conventionally produced crops and livestock products are biologically plausible and most likely relate to differences in crop or animal management, and soil quality.” That’s sciencespeak for precisely what organic farmers have said all along. Organic farming is not merely about eliminating bad things, like weed killer. It’s about raising soil fertility with proven methods, both modern and traditional, such as mulch and compost. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the healthier the soil, the healthier the plants and animals that depend on its nutrients—us included.

Nina Planck is the author of Real Food (Bloomsbury USA) and Real Food for Mother and Baby (Bloomsbury USA)

By Nina Planck  –O, The Oprah Magazine  |  February 24, 2010