I hear this a lot from people, but honestly - Not All Soya Products Damage the Environment

There has been a lot of controversy in the news about the effect soya bean production has on the accelerated deforestation of the Amazon. When soya bean farmers buy up land for cultivation, they force out the cattle ranchers into the rainforest. The ranchers slash and burn, consequently releasing countless tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

soya beans

For those of us who love soya products and care about the state of our planet, this destructive byproduct of soya farming is highly distressing. We need our vegetable soya protein, but we donâ??t want to contribute to the devastation of the planet. What do we do?

Check out Alpro® soya products!

Alpro® goes out of the way to make sure their soya beans do not come from farms that have been reclaimed or deforested. Their beans come from China, Brazil (outside the Amazon), and Canada.

But thatâ??s not all Alpro® is doing to help the planet. Alpro® is involved in a lot of planet-friendly projects from packaging their products in recyclable Tetra Pak®, to financing zero emission research in Antarctica.

Other environmentally-respectful projects include Vitagoat, a soya production facility in Africa that is powered completely by bicycle pedals. Villagers make soya products to eat and sell by pedaling. Wow! Think about that the next time you see a bicycle!

Alpro® is also involved in helping educate people in Parana, Brazil to help them increase their employment potential.

Last, but not least, Alpro® is a key contributor to UFB, the United Fund for Belgium. This organization supports humanitarian projects throughout the country.

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, the next time you shop for soya products, buy Alpro® . At least you know your money is going somewhere where it is making a difference towards sustainability.

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Is Dog Food Really Filled With Euthanized Companion Animals Like Cats and Dogs?

What really is in that can of dog food? You know itâ??s some kind of meat. It looks like meat. Smells kind of almost meaty. But what kind of meat is it?

How about the kibble? What is in a cup of those cute little shaped dry food? Itâ??s mystery meat, otherwise known as â??meat meal.â?�

The next time you buy your dog some food â?? be it dry or canned â?? read the ingredients. Youâ??ll find â??meat mealâ?� in there. What is it?

whats in your dogs food

If you have a weak stomach and tend to get nauseated easily from reading about really gross things, stop reading now. If youâ??re masochistically curious like me, read on. Donâ??t say I didnâ??t warn you though.

Meat meal is a major ingredient in dry dog (and cat) food. It contains (among other things): urine, feces, body parts normally not eaten like hair, intestines, and bones. Should I keep going? Meat meal also has spoiled meat from the supermarket (packaging included), road kill, diseased animalsâ?¦the list goes on and on and on. I canâ??t anymore â?? Iâ??m going to get sick.

Now you and I know that the companies who make pet food are not going to admit that they put dog and cat meat in dog and cat food â?? essentially turning our pets into cannibals. They would never own up to it because that would be bad for business. But the evidence is just too hard for them to hide all the time.

John Eckhouse quoted an employee of the Sacramento Rendering plant (where pet food comes from) â??Thousands and thousands of pounds of dogs and cats are picked up and brought here every day.â?�

When your pet dies at the vet, the vet sends the body to the rendering plant. And yes, they are legally allowed to do this. Disgusting, but true.

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I think this speaks for itself

1) Palin offered a bounty of $150 for each left front leg of freshly killed wolves

2) Palin promotes aerial hunting of wolves even though Alaskans voted twice to ban it (VIDEO)

3) Palin used $400,000 of state money to fund a propaganda campaign in support of aerial hunting

4) Palin believes man-made global warming is a farce

5) Palin strongly supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

6) Palin is a champion for big oil and her slogan has become “Drill, baby, drill!”

7) Palin is suing the federal government to prevent listing the polar bear as an endangered species

Palin sues the federal government over listing Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species

For just the price of a weekly shop … you can protect an area of Rainforest from deforestation

Why do we need to save rainforests?

Because in the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much CO₂ into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York. Thatâ??s about 100 acres cleared every minute to create farmland for crops such as soya or palm oil, or for cattle ranching.

By buying up an affordable piece of land, you are securing 130 tons of CO2 within the trees that would otherwise be cut down by illegal loggers. You will also be protecting the local wildlife such as, the puma, the brown toed sloth and the jaguar.

The Peruvian Amazon is experiencing rapid deforestation. As you read, illegal loggers are devastating the rainforest resources of many tribal communities. Cool Earth’s project with the Ashaninka tribe at Cutivireni prevents loggers from entering the community’s forests and the neighbouring Ashaninka Communal Reserve which form a buffer zone for Otishi National Park. In collaboration with our local partners Ecotribal, the Ashaninka chiefs at Cutivireni have offered their land for sponsorship through Cool Earth, allowing them to keep their forests in tact and continue to live sustainably from their own land.

All you have to do is donate to www.coolearth.org and select which area of rainforest you would like to preserve. I chose the Ashaninka region, where people from Coolearth are helping the Ashaninka trabe to protect their forests with bio-diversity management, giving them and the animals around them a brighter future.

Here is our little piece of the Peruvian Amazon saved rainforest:

If you want to read about the work that these guys do out there, go to their amazon rainforest projects or call them on 0800 093 0624.

Cool Earth is a UK based international charity that is super-charging everyone’s efforts to halt climate change. By donating funds you give us the tools to protect the world’s most endangered pieces of rainforest, acre by acre we will help to halt climate change.

Buy some land… its worth it and it helps the people of the rainforest get their lives back as well as protecting the planet.

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I love the Innocent company and look forward to their quirky newsletters arriving every month, eagerly scrolling down to the bottom to see what amusing link delights await me. I love the cute marketing, the colourful bottles of lovely juices, the funky little knitted hats and the fun blog where everything about the company it totally transparent.

But, i am stunned that they have given a 30 million stake in their business to the corporate giants of soft drinks Coke. Coke stands for unhealthy drinks so loaded with sugar that when my baby brother drinks it he bouncing off the walls for an hour.

James Quincey, group business unit president for Coca-Cola Europe, said the group was delighted to be investing in Innocent. “We have long admired their brand, their products and their unique approach to business,” he added.

co-founder Richard Reed of Innocent said “every promise that Innocent has made, about making only natural healthy products, pioneering the use of better, socially and environmentally aware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, donating money to charity and having a point of view on the world will remain.We’ll just get to do them even more.”

But i don’t understand, Innocent employs 275 people, has a turnover of more than £100m and sells about two million smoothies per week, why do they need this involvement from Coke, Ok they can do more work for charity but what harm are they doing in the process. I just don’t see how they can up hold their ethical credentials in light of this, after all Coke was recently made to correct its advertising campaign in Australia because its claims that Coke did not make you fat or rot your teeth were deemed “misleading”.

Read the Twitter feed to see just how pissed some of their customers are http://twitter.com/innocentdrinks

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The EIB have just given around 800 million to fund green technology development for Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan’s British factory. This is on top of Jaguars loans from the government expected to be around 500 million. Nissan have been awarded the fund for their work in the development of green technologies which i agree is a good support for their efforts and a significant boost for their UK workforce, but the only thing that’s green about Jaguar Land Rover at the moment is ‘the famous colour’.

Lord Mandelson said that the loans were good news: â??For Nissan, it is recognition of their commitment to a low-carbon future in the UK and is a particular boost for their workforce. For JLR, it is a welcome step forward.

“a welcome step forward…” I won’t even touch upon that fact that while all this money is flying around, the British tax payer is bailing out the banks and helping them get their ‘well deserved million pound bonuses’, we are now bailing out the car industries ‘yipee’, i dont even drive a friggin car. Why are these car factories who have been well aware of the impact of the air pollution they have caused over the past fifty so years, taken steps back in the 1990’s to develop green technology, why have they waited for government hand outs in the middle of a recession, to do these developments. Could it be that before enough people started to shout about it, that it just wasn’t a priority… or is… erm as for the green money and you get over 900 million to play with and .. hey they might look at making a start on that, greener fuel thing. I checked on Jaguars website to see any mention of this great eco cause they are planning and found nothing.  Athough they have just won, What car of the year award, which is nice.

I won’t hold my breath, the adverts for “jaguar are planning… are thinking…. are considering…” are worthless… lets see if they put their green were their mouth is over the next two years huh? or maybe they can leave it until the last minute and turn their hand to land rafts.

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London is being rocked by protestors as the world leaders gather for the G20 summit.

Thousands of protestors, bloggers and Twitterers hit Liverpool street, Bishopsgate and Central London to campaign about Climate change and vent their anger about the economic crisis and the war on terror. Minkbaby werent there but followed the progress through out the day and will be attending the Brighton Climate Camp in April.

Tweeple reported from the scence throughout the day:

1.30pm: @SandraLaville - “Cracked heads from police batons” on Threadneedle Street

@paul__lewis - Riot officer cont 2; “we’ve been told to turf them out. They’re a nuisance. I’m just doing what I’m told” http://twitter.com/paul__lewis

Jessica Reed (@sijeka)- “Capitalism epic fail…” http://twitter.com/sijeka

just now @bethgranter - “still stuck in climate camp. still need a wee. asked police when i can go home. they didn’t know.” http://twitter.com/bethgranter

The unfortunate thing is the Times are promoting the fact that

All police leave has been cancelled on the two days and 2,500 uniformed officers will be deployed in Central London on Wednesday. The combined cost of the public order and security operations is likely to reach £10 million.

Lets not forget that billions have been lost by arrogant bankers and the threat to our planet doesnt really have a figure.

Lets see what happens tomorrow in the East of London when it all moves over to the EXCEL.. eh .. nite Tweeple, Hope Beth managed to get that wee

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Can the Green pound quash the Red recession Blues

In a recent report by Ernst & Young (the London Development Agency), London’s Mayor Boris Johnson is said to be looking at not only improving energy efficiency in buildings, introducing low carbon vehicles and developing new waste and recycling infrastructure in London, but the bi-product of this will be the possible creation of around 15,000 blue collar, or as they have been called ‘green collar’ jobs in the capitol by 2025.

Of the green plans the Major has said: “I see the green economy as an unprecedented opportunity not only to improve our planet and our quality of life, but to develop new industries and create new jobs in an economic climate that is otherwise extremely difficult”.

London already has 80 university departments focused on climate-change research and development, and other projects such as hybrid buses and a massive tree planting scheme go ahead, London could be set to become the ‘low carbon capital’ of Europe.

A tiny dog in a dress, i found it and i love it

This is so cute and made by monamivie from an old 1960’s dress, you can buy it for $20.00 from buy vintage doggie dress.

My dog is now terrified i’m going to buy her one of these..

Sony Bravia Go Green

The sensor detects the movement and body heat of anyone sitting within normal range of the screen. If the viewer falls asleep, the motion sensor can detect this and move the set into ‘picture off’ mode, so reducing its power consumption.

If the last person in the room goes out, the sensor’s body heat detector picks this up and again triggers the ‘picture off’.

Quote from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1164445/Revealing-Eco-TV-Sony-turns-fall-asleep.html

Bravia 'eco TV'