Has all of this access led to apathy?

It is easier to throw something away rather then recycle it. It’s easier to keep our heat @ 75 in the winter rather than put on a sweater or a robe. It’s easier to watch TV rather than read a good book. It’s easier to drive 5 miles to work rather than ride our bike. It’s easier to stay out of shape rather than become physically fit. I'll be honest, in my kitchen right now there is a stack of steel cans and several bottles waiting to be brought to the recycling center – on bad days when a big meal has been cooked, and my counter is overflowing with dishes, there are times I want to throw all of those recyclables in the trash because that is the easy thing to do.

A recent article says, “Consumers have good intentions - but not very good follow-through. Surveys over the past five years, including this year, show consistently large
discrepancies between intentions and actions. Every year, for example, around 20
percent or more consumers say they`re planning to get an energy audit, yet the
percentage of U.S. homeowners who've actually gotten one has languished in the
10-15 percent range.”

In our world many tasks have become simple, easy, and instant – the internet can answer almost any question we have, cell phones allow us to talk to anyone at anytime we choose, Facebook keeps us connected to everyone we have ever known, 24hr fast food feeds our late night cravings, Wal-Mart is open 24 hrs a day every day, twitter keeps us closely connected with our favorite celebrities, etc… we are becoming more and more demanding of our products and now more than ever we expect what we want when we want it. The mere fact that we live in a society that can provide us with our demands is an astounding accomplishment – and something to be very proud of. We live in the most advanced civilization to walk the earth with amenities unfathomable a mere 50 years ago! The question is, has all this access made us apathetic? Do we have the patience not to opt for the easy out?

Living an environmentally responsible life is not easy, but if we are to curb climate change and conquer the environmental issues facing us today we must turn our intentions into consistent actions, we must make better choices in our daily lives, and we must demand a better future for ourselves, our kids, and our planet. Here’s to action!

I Pledge Eco - Green Fest Highlights

Here is a video with some highlights from our booth at the Chicago green festival:

The benefits of organic cotton

Here is a great article from the organic trade association on the benefits of organic cotton.

The original article can be found here: 

http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html

Cotton and the Environment

Benefit of Organic
Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with health consequences, from asthma to cancer. Because organic agriculture doesn't use toxic and persistent pesticides, choosing organic products is an easy way to help protect yourself.
 
Acreage estimates for the 2006 U.S. cotton crop show approximately 5,971 acres of certified organic cotton were planted in the United States and in 2007, farmers planed 7,473 acres. Internationally, Turkey and the United States are the largest organic cotton producers.

Demand is being driven by apparel and textile companies that are expanding their 100% organic cotton program and developing programs that blend small percentages of organic cotton with their conventional cotton products.
 
Here are some reasons why organic cotton production is important to the long-term health of the planet.
   €    Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants.). (Allan Woodburn)
    €    Approximately 10% of all pesticides sold for use in U. S. agriculture were applied to cotton in 1997, the most recent year for which such data is publicly available. (ACPA)
    €    Fifty-five million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 12.8 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2003 (4.3 pounds/ acre), ranking cotton third behind corn and soybeans in total amount of pesticides sprayed. (USDA)
    €    Over 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional cotton in 2000 (142 pounds/acre), making cotton the fourth most heavily fertilized crop behind corn, winter wheat, and soybeans. (USDA)
    €    The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens (acephate, dichloropropene, diuron, fluometuron, pendimethalin, tribufos, and trifluralin). (EPA)
    €    In 1999, a work crew re-entered a cotton field about five hours after it was treated with tribufos and sodium chlorate (re-entry should have been prohibited for 24 hours). Seven workers subsequently sought medical treatment and five have had ongoing health problems. (California DPR)

Sources

OTA's "2006 U.S. Organic Production & Marketing Trends" report.

Allen Woodburn Associates Ltd./Managing Resources Ltd., "Cotton: The Crop and its Agrochemicals Market," 1995.
 
American Crop Protection Association, "1997 Total U. S. Sales by Crop Protection Product Type and Market," 1998 ACPA Industry Profile.
 
California Department of Pesticide Regulation, "DPR Releases Data on 1999 Pesticide Injuries," 2001.
 
U. S. Department of Agriculture, "Agricultural Chemical Usage: 2003 Field Crop Summary."
 
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, "List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential," 2001.
 
©2008, Organic Trade Association