I’m sitting in Wyoming Inn in Jackson,Wyoming about to head into Yellowstone National Park for five days. I’ve packed my long thermal undies and my wool socks — it gets c-o-l-d at 7,000 feet! I’m here on assignment for NBC travel editor Peter’s Greenberg’s site (www.petergreenberg.com), for whom I write a sustainable travel initiatives (see my Virtuous Traveler page on this site).
It’s – so far – a spectacular place. Across from the airport is an elk preserve, where dozens and dozens roamed — except for one unfortunate guy whose carcass was being picked at by three ravens and the most enormous bald eagle I’ve ever seen. A lone coyote – again, they seem to grow them big in these parts – wandered looking for food. And this is before even getting into the park, which boasts a large population of wolves, thanks to a protected status which has let their population thrive once again. Bison, once numbered in the tens of millions, dwindled to about two dozen before their population also bounced back. Today Yellowstone boasts about 3,000 of the hairy giants.
The purpose of this trip is to take a first-hand look at why it’s so important for countries to protect their natural resources. Documentary film-maker Ken Burns (Civil War, History of Baseball, Jazz, etc.) has spent six years filming America’s national parks and will be unveiling clips in a few days, something I’m thrilled to be able to preview.
In the meantime, I’ll do my best to keep warm and keep my camera ready.

The triclo-what? While triclosan is not exactly a household word, “anti-bacterial” is. Marketers have done an incredible job of making us terrified of bacteria – overlooking the fact that our bodies are teeming with it, both the good bacteria and the bad guys. Unfortunately, we’ve become convinced that our first line of defense (our own immune system) simply isn’t up to the task and we wipe our homes and bodies clean of the enemy. How? By using antibacterial everything. Yet many of these antibacterial soaps and gels rely on a chemical called triclosan. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, triclosan is a carcinogen and developmental/reproductive toxin. Researchers at Virginia Tech revealed that triclosan, when exposed to tap water, decomposes into chloroform and chlorine byproducts.
Plain old olive oil or hemp soap and water do the job!
Check out these sites for more info:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=706623&nothanks=1

http://www.bodyecology.com/07/09/20/avoid_dangerous_triclosan.php

Well, yes. Worry seems to have become my constant companion. Admittedly, I come from a long line of worriers. My paternal grandmother worried about her daughter, who had Down’s Syndrome – that she would die before Donna and no-one would take care of her; that Donna would die first and she would have to carry on without her.
My father inherited this predilection for worry. If he’s planning a visit, he starts worrying that the weather will be bad. That his car will break down. That he’ll forget his medication.
But I had stopped the cycle, I believed. I was happy-go-lucky. Laissez-faire. I completely trusted this world to provide what I needed, if not what I wanted. I felt safe in the conviction that my life would unfold as it should.
And then? Well…then I became a parent and around the same time, I started reading about climate change. At first, I looked at it as a social justice issue – aware that the world’s poor and oppressed would be the most negatively affected. But the more I read, the more I realized it wasn’t some far-off problem, it was my children’s problem. And t herefore MY problem.
I hung on every word uttered by James Hansen – the renowned and revered climate scientist who studied climate change for NASA since the 80s.
My trust in the universe evaporated. I worried that it’s too late to truly deliver a habitable planet to my children and to-be-born grandchildren. I worried about the people in developing countries who will see the effects of climate change before we privileged people. I worried that it won’t make any difference – that we’re all screwed no matter our geography or our economic status.
These days, however, I’m trying to recapture my faith and my hope. I’ve always talked the talk that all we ever have is today – it’s our gift, our “present”. Now I’m doing my best to live that.
There are days when I succeed. When I get a whiff of promise and am buoyed by my long-lost optimism.
But then there are days – bleak, grey January days – when I wring my hands with guilt, with despair.
It’s those days that I remind myself of the words of Paul Hawken, brilliant environmentalist and proponent of the green wave of the future who says, “What a great time to be alive…because this generation gets to completely reimagine the world.”
Hopeful thinking…but please. Hurry.

I’m taking some heat from those who do visit my site (thanks to all five of you!) that I’ve been a bit lax in my blogging. Actually, I’ve been blogging up a storm, but have been lured by two great sites — http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/author/lesliegarrett/ and http://www.healthharmony.ca/Leslie-Garrett — to blog for them, leaving my brain utterly depleted of thoughts worth sharing on my own blog. And I subscribe to the adage: Better to keep your mouth shut and have the world think you an idiot, then open your mouth and remove all doubt. Hence, my silence.
So…I invite you all to check out what I and many others have to say on either — or both — of these other sites. And I resolve to think harder in the new year so that I have something of interest to share on my own site.

I did an appearance on London’s A Channel this morning to talk about toy shopping for the upcoming holiday season. After last year’s staggering 25 million toys recalled for various hazards — lead in the paint or vinyl, the “date-rape drug”, batteries that were small enough to cause choking — the U.S. Congress passed a law on July 30, 2008 that promised to clean up the toy aisles of America…and Canada since most companies sell toys on both sides of the border. The catch?? The law doesn’t go into effect until February 10, 2009, leaving a potentially dangerous window of opportunity for any unscrupulous toy companies to unload their toxic toys. My advice? Make sure you’re on top of recalls so that you don’t fall prey to any auction sites or “second-hand” sites passing off dangerous toys (visit Health Canada’s site at hc-sc.g.ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/child-enfant/index_e.html or go to www.notinmycart.org). Look for toys that are simple: unpainted wooden blocks, LEGO (which has a long history of being safe), puzzles and so on. If you’re unsure about a toy’s safety, check it out with www.healthytoys.org. Just key in the brand name and get a report card. If the site doesn’t have one on the brand you’re curious about, let them know.
With due diligence on the part of all of us parents, we can ensure that our kids’ toys are not only fun, but safe.

I’ve always been very clear that I’m no expert on the environment. I pretty much glazed over during high school chemistry class, was mildly entertained by the notion of genetics in biology and remain convinced that much of my life defies the laws of physics. That, however, was then. I was recently quoted by The Sierra Club in its “The Green Life” daily tip that arrives in my in-box so that I may learn from them. Instead, they offered up my advice on buying less. It seems I have “arrived”…on a green horse.
So…from now on, just do as I say and we’ll all be fine.
To read my words of wisdom, visit this link: http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/09/green-your-sh-2.html

While I try to approach eco-living with a smile and a giggle — and encourage my readers to do the same — the latest research from climate scientists is anything but amusing. I hate to be the messenger of bad news…but read this (click on link below) before you head to the voting booths. Strong leadership by someone who recognizes that the environment is THE most important issue on the agenda (and, of course, affects healthcare, the economy, poverty, etc. etc.) is critical.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14872.cfm

Kim Wiley of Larga Vista Ranch & Dairy (www.largavistaranch.com) recently read my blog and had this to say about “Give Peas a Chance”. There is much wisdom in her words:

Unfortunately, the UN data on meat eating is based on stats from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) aka feedlots and confinement barns. Have you ever seen photos on PETA’s site of confinement hog and chicken operations? They are abhorrent!!!! There is a whole other world of grass-based animal husbandry that is actually good for the environment. Have you read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan? It is an excellent eye-opening account of food production in this country and the difference between CAFO meat and grass-fed/finished meat. Pollan profiles farmer-advocate Joel Salatin (Google Polyface Farm) who explains just how amazing grass-based farming is in terms of large amount of food raised on a small amount of land (careful rotational grazing of many species,) how it builds soil, and is the best carbon sink there is! Also, Allan Savory and Holistic Management International are recovering thousands and thousands of acres (improving vegetative cover/carbon sink and effective rainfall) in dessicated areas of Africa with CATTLE properly grazed in a rotational pattern. They have great photos on this site.
Soy is now being grown on slashed and burned land in the Amazon. National Geographic put out an article on this about two years ago. Additionally, if non-organic soy is being consumed, it is most likely genetically modified soy grown in huge monoculture. This is not good for the land for many reasons. Furthermore, soy is packed full of anti-digestive nutrients (phytates) that block mineral absorption in the colon (see www.westonaprice.org). Fermented soy (tempeh, miso, natto) does not pose this problem.
As a grass farmer, I become frustrated that there isn’t often a differentiation made between feedlot meat animals and meat animals that come from a farm like ours that eat grass their entire lives. The UN stats are so prevalent in the dialogue of the green movement. I feel as though we who know about the vast difference between the feedlot and the grass farm, should try to do what we can to further understanding of a different way with other people who care about the environment. There are more choices than being a vegetarian and downing all of that soy or consuming CAFO meat. That subtle difference is what, I think, is the cutting edge of the conservation/environmental movement.

I do obtain my family’s meat from a farmer – Angela Wisnoski – who raises grassfed cows and pasture-raised pigs. As well, her eggs are from truly free-range hens (I recall one memorable day when she couldn’t deliver me any eggs because her hens had all flown the coop, so to speak, and were nesting in nearby trees). Animals that are raised on their natural feed are also more nutrient rich for us and more easily digested by us. However, for many people just getting their feet wet in the “green” waters, the distinctions can be confusing. However, it’s worth noting that there are alternatives to becoming a vegetarian for those carnivores loath to give up their burgers…even one day a week.

I recently appeared on an episode of BNN’s MoneyTalk.

You can watch the segment here.

We might not be famous. Or rich. Or even particularly interesting. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to be in rehab, just like so many of those Hollywood (sorta) stars. Our rehab, however, involves a consumer detox. As in, no spending money on useless crap. As in, no buying anything that isn’t vital to our survival. If necessary, we can barter, beg or borrow for anything we need (which I already did – thank-you to those who answered my SOS for glue sticks for my children’s back-to-school arsenal). So far, I’ve gone 9 days without aspartame (I haven’t bought any Diet Pepsi) and ju jubes (nary a one has passed my lips) – both of which I rely on to get me through the lonely, nap-inducing days of a freelance writer. My husband has used up all the remaining money on his Starbucks gift card and has resorted to brewing his own. My five-year-old is taking matters into her own hands and has requested her own credit card. And I, noting that our wine cellar in suspiciously devoid of red, am seriously considering stomping my own grapes.
Why are we doing this? It’s one of those “seemed like a good idea at the time” notions that I frequently enthuse about. I get so disgusted with the mindless consumerism and despairing for the toll it’s taking on the planet. I pitched the idea to editors at Canadian Living magazine, who succumbed to my enthusiasm and have asked me to write about it for an upcoming issue.
So far, I’ve learned that even I, who take great pride in NOT buying whole heaps of Made in China stuff that I don’t need, purchase more than I realize. I’ve learned that there’s a HUGE difference between needing something and wanting something. But, with 20 days left in our detox, I’ve learned mostly that I don’t like white wine…even with nothing else in the house.