Greener buying, green entrepreneurs

Robin's new Eco Simple column in the San Francisco and Wash DC Examiner newspapers.

How soybeans fight disease

Soybeans contain high levels of health-beneficial compounds like tocopherols, which contain antioxidants. Thesy can be used in the development of functional foods for treating and preventing diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular. A type called α-tocopherol has the greatest antioxidant activity, and is the form converted to vitamin E in the human body, reports the American Society of Agronomy.

Best buds: Hound and Orangutan

Amelia Island Zen-cation with wildlife rehabbers

Amelia Island animal-friendly zen-cations... and wildlife rehabbers. Story here.

Coronado California dreamin'

Robin's travel piece in the 9/27 editions of the Examiner newspapers here.

Dancing genius dog

Flu hysteria: waste in every way

The consequences of Egypt's knee-jerk and all-around wrong reaction to swine flu fears include garbage-flooded streets and schooll problems. Covered in the NY Times here.

Super chefs' garden secrets

Robin's piece featuring tips from great restaurant chefs who have organic gardens. Here in the Examiner.

Woofstock? Go Mobile for fun and food

A couple of Robin's recent Mobile travel pieces in print and online. Examiner article here. Prime article here.

Canine mind-reading & mind-readers

TIME article about a new Canine Cognition Center. Visits the old debate: does cowering mean a dog feels “guilty” or is this, as we believe, a learned ability to act submissive when an owner gets angry?

Truth about eggs

Cholesterol's not the only reason to stop eating eggs...and if you do eat them, it helps to choose humane-raised.

Just Say No to Antibacterial Burgers

Writes Wash Post's Ezra Klein: "There's also the argument that the pennies we're saving on each burger are being spent in our hospitals. A 2005 study out of Tufts University estimated that antibiotic-resistant infections add $50 billion to the annual cost of American health care. On the other side of the coin, a National Academy of Sciences study found that eliminating non-therapeutic antibiotics from animals would cost only about $5 to $10 per person per year. I'd pay that for a lower risk of super-staphylococcus." See the story here.

Like canaries in the coal mine....

Body malformations found among wildlife add to evidence against EDCs - endocrine disrupting compounds - found in things from bisphenol-A/BPA plastics to pesticides. Miller-McCune's excellent news team has the story here. Today's Washington Post has another piece about surveys showing widespread mutations in fish and other aquatic life (males with egg cells, etc.) here.

Star view from Hubble

NASA - Hubble view into Omega Centauri's cluster of nearly 10 million stars.

Counterpunch/solutions to egg hatchery chick grinding

Interesting solution posed here and another thoughtful insight here Hatchery Horrors The video from the Iowa chick hatchery appears in KNOW early September...wire report here.

Natural flea control - excellent free guides!

I've switched to a non-toxic anti-flea product called Only Natural Pet All in One Flea Remedy for dogs and cats. Basically, it's diatomaceous earth, or DE, a mineral from prehistoric algae fossils. Has apparently been used for pest control in agriculture and gardening for centuries. It seems to work, though haven't tested it in the coastal south where beach fleas swarm. Some articles about natural flea control appear here and here and here. PLUS here are links to NRDC's very good Simple Steps backgrounder and excellent Green Paws Pocket Guide about commercial flea and tick products - what to avoid, what to look for.

Fatty foods trick your brain

Your brain may sabotage your efforts to recover from that ice cream or burger splurge. UT Southwestern Medical Center research suggests that fat molecules from certain foods makes their way to the brain and cause the brain to send messages to the body’s cells, warning them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from leptin and insulin, the hormones involved in weight regulation.

Better body and health with animal-free eating

Met Olympic and world bodybuilding champ Kenneth Williams at VegFest at GWU in D.C. yesterday. This longtime vegan proves animal-derived food is not needed for athletic performance. There are plenty of super-athletes who are vegetarian/near-vegetarian, and some who are vegan, but they don't share their performance diet secrets as generous Kenneth does. BTW, wish folks who think vegans have few food choices would've been there - mouthwatering main dishes and desserts (and you thought we just ate salads...though the salads we make are generally great). Kenneth made many intelligent points yesterday during his talk at the festival, including the sad fact that animals are being used in scientific research in pursuit of treatments for human diseases caused by eating animal-derived foods. Check out Vegan Muscle Power here.

Floating over and around Albuquerque

Robin's Albuquerque travel piece in the Examiner newspapers here.

Lida Moser: photography vérité

Lenny Campello's excellent post about amazing photographer Lida Moser, whose name should be better-known. Street scenes and portraits that burrow into the mind.

Fire and Brimstone: Art by Wm Blake

Go see it in NYC or here: William Blake's Firm & Brimstone ...

Big Food and health care

My sky-high health insurance premiums are an incentive for others to make unhealthy choices. Michael Pollan makes some good points here about Big Food and health care costs.

Hubble Kaleidoscope scoop

"Despite excitement over the discovery that space is all crazy-looking, a number of legislators have threatened to cut funding for NASA's kaleidoscopic program. An outspoken critic of the agency, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she hopes NASA scientists don't just use the kaleidoscope a few times and then lose interest and never touch it again, like they did with the Brookhaven Neutrino Spirograph, Fermilab's Particle Slingshot, and the Very Large Slip 'n Slide Array in New Mexico." Onion scoop here.

Pet Tabs alert

Click title above.

Ben’s Cruise for Compassion

4th Annual Ben’s Cruise for Compassion takes place Friday, September 18, from 7 – 10 p.m. Location: Watermarks’ Harbor Queen at the Annapolis City Dock. The cruise is after Ben, a dog rescued as a result of the 2007 Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) v. Woodley trial. The cruise - just $55 per ticket - includes an evening of food and entertainment...and well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard. Tickets via credit card at 410-263-8683. There will also be a raffle for VIP tickets to see Dancing With The Stars in LA, including airfare and hotel. Details at http://www.pawspetboutique.com under “News & Events.” All proceeds from the raffle and cruise donated to ALDF.

Flea control - legit vs. counterfeit

Many scientiests and animal health care professionals such as Dr. Michael Fox advise not to use chemical and pharmaceutical anti-flea and tick products except as a last resort. Though these products offer a convenient quick fix, due to a growing number of consumer complaints, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently conducting reviews.

Many anti-flea product ingredients are excreted from people's companion animals, thus posing an environmental health hazard. Already we know this is the case with chemicals applied to animals used in agriculture - livestock - that people eat. Also, some reports suggest that the target bugs build tolerance, making the products less effective.

Visit the insightful Flea Control Secrets blog maintained by the author of a new book, “Flea Control Secrets,” which is available on the web as an e-book. I’ll be reviewing the book and posting a Dog Tips review in the coming weeks. The blog features visual comparisons of legitimate vs. counterfeit packaging for Frontline. Fake versions of Frontline and other popular products is yet another problem, and some legitimate mail order companies have stocked and shipped the fakes.

Two articles worth reading...but note that there are many others equally worth reading. My personal tip: add organic apple cider vinegar to water bowls and wipe your animals down with apple cider vinegar. My Dog Tips contain some other tips as well.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124329165300152331.html

http://www.greenpaws.org

Green your spa: Amelia Island eco resort

Amelia Island eco spa resort in Florida - Robin's article here.

Winter Park: head over wheels

Robin's Sept. 6 "Worth the Trip" feature in the Examiner newspapers here.

A Golden Rule for God's Green Earth

Clark Strand writes on Washingtonpost.com: "The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") is the foundation of Christian moral teaching. But lately I've begun to wonder if that gold standard of ethical behavior really equips us for an age of global environmental concerns. Jesus teaches us to include other people in our prayers--even our enemies. But what about other species of plant and animal life? What about the atmosphere? What about the Earth?" Read on.

Vax by puff or patch

Vaccination innovations - Robin's latest in the Examiner newspaper here.

Chicks thrown into grinder - is cruelty worth cheap food?

Chicago animal welfare group has released a new video shot at an Iowa chicken "processing" plant in which unwanted chicks are ground up alive. More proof of cruelty supported by most consumers ... standard op procedure in animal agriculture. BTW, most reporters ignorantly label animal welfare as rights. AP newswire report here.

Veg diets win marathons, beat disease

Vegan diets make great athletes - more proof here.

Killer onions...dog and cat alert

Onions are among several foods toxic to dogs and cats...see Dr. Yin's article here.

Caring for soldier's pets

Check out this program that helps soldiers and their companion animals.

NYC sight-seeing & saving with CityPass

Robin's travel piece on New York City icons...sight-seeing with new CityPass savings. In Aug. 30 editions of the Examiner newspaper. DC edition here.

VegFest DC Sept. 12

Finally there's a vegetarian fest in DC. Free booklets, cool talks, facts to counter food profiteer propaganda.

Fate of racehorses

Run for the money, many are disposed as if trash. Good sports article here.

Cooking 101 for the young and hungry

Robin's piece about Freshman in the Kitchen author Max Sussman, who is sous chef at Ann Arbor's hot restaurant named eve (yes, lower case). The article's in the Examiner print and web newspapers...here's one edition.

Junk instruments

Recycling debris into music instruments - Robin's article in various editions of the Examiner. Here's one.

Health care reform - good read

Good concise article addressing myths and realities about health care and insurance in the U.S. and worldwide.

Enlightened fighters

Good piece about former dogfighters and others happily enlightened.

Fixing the cheap, immoral food system

The U.S. agricultural industry can now produce unlimited quantities of meat and grains at remarkably cheap prices. But it does so at a high cost to the environment, animals and humans. Read the article here. By the way, most animal agriculture takes place in horrid factory-like conditions, not like the farm shown in this photo.

Throwaway economy's high cost

Facts and figures on the high cost of our throwaway economy here.

Farm Sanctuary: saved from the slaughterhouse

"Rescued from slaughterhouses, stockyards and other “food animal” production facilities, these creatures find themselves in a bucolic idyll run by vegan activists.... They are more interested in improving the appalling conditions under which animals become food." Good folks running an interesting alternative farm - read on.

Spiritual vs. material gospel - great book

In "American Gospel: On Family, History, and the Kingdom of God," Erik Reece offers a more sensible interpretation of scripture, one that compels acting like Jesus on earth instead of banking on a free ticket to heaven. From another review: "Reece, author of the award-winning Lost Mountain, is the son and grandson of Baptist preachers. His own religious world-view, however, comes not from traditional Protestant Christianity, but from American thinkers such as Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson, William James and the lesser-known scientist Lynn Margulis.... He is searching for a form of Christianity that he can live with, since he believes that the usual sources are unhelpfully dogmatic. The primary tension is a classic one: the struggle between the material and spiritual worlds...." Details here.

Babies smarter than you think

Babies are smarter than you think - evidence here.

Science breakthroughs podcast

We discovered this resource at the American Chemical Society's national conference. Bytesize Science was conceived for smart kids, but adults will be able to understand it too. Dogs' companionship, super-floating boats, paper stronger than iron...podcasts and vids about energy and other science topics. Check it out here.

Energy vs. nature

Thought-provoking Newsweek article on animal casualties from new energy technologies and ways to reduce the carnage. Companies and govt can take more steps to protect wildlife and ecosystems...and each individual can help by trying to reduce their energy consumption (which will save you money too). Article here.

Veggies for longer, healthier life

If you want to live longer -- avoid heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer -- then pick and choose your foods with care to quiet down parts of your immune system. Meaning mostly plant-based foods. LA Times story here: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-anti-inflammation17-2009aug17,0,3196484.story

Detroit's latest remodels

Robin's latest travel piece in various print and online editions of the Examiner newspapers. Here's the Washington DC edition.

Crunch: feel hungry yet?

Do chips taste better when an ad describes their crunch? Is popcorn more flavorful if its aroma is featured in an ad? Yes, says U of Michigan researchers with a tasty assignment. They report that multisensory advertising - ads that describe taste, smell, texture, sight and sound - enhance consumers' taste perception. Why? Because taste is generated from multiple senses.

Dog Tip: Teaching beats jerking

Force-based corrections are popular because they can yield instant results. But most often, the instant results are confusion, a temporary end to the behavior, possible fear-based aggression, and fear of your approach. In her Your Dog article, "Teach Instead of Correct," Pat Miller offers expert guidance, including some of the tips noted here.

Art fair fare - found in Ann Arbor

Robin's Ann Arbor Art Fair finds - in Campello's Daily Art News.

Superhero snuggies, mystic vases at Renwick Invitational

Staged Stories: The 2009 Renwick Invitational in D.C. Robin's latest review in various editions of the Monday Aug 10 Examiner. Click here.

Pit Bull Blues

Same song, 2 videos. One from Happy Tails Rescue; the other features the Eugene, OR singer/sw John Shipe.

Public Lands Day...Rocky Mountain High

Robin's latest in the Examiner's print and web editions in San Francisco, Oakland, Northern Virginia, suburban Md. and Washington DC.

Off grid with goats at Funky Butte

"I've spent the past three years trying to get petroleum out of my life and live locally. Where I differ from many locavore cruncholas is in my determination to do these things without giving up digital-age comforts..." More here. And here. From this funny smart guy's blog: " For most of human history, this poop-to-pasture method of fertilizing worked just great for everyone. I wonder who the first farmer was who said, “Hey, lay some of those carcinogenic chemicals on me. That sounds like a good plan”? My guess it had something to do with a skilled carcinogenic chemical salesman offering free samples."

Healthier, humane meat from the lab

A pioneering group of scientists are working to grow real animal protein in the laboratory, which they not only claim is better for animal welfare, but actually healthier, both for people and the planet. It may sound like science fiction, but this technology to create in-vitro meat could be changing global diets within ten years.

Please shop with compassion: dollars are votes; vote vs. cruelty

Slaughter of factory farm animals is not humane. If you won't go veg, please buy only from sources that treat and slaughter humanely.

Agriprocessors 2004 @ Yahoo! Video

Dogs at least as smart as 2-year-old children

Dogs can count. They can also understand more than 150 words and intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats, according to psychologist Stanley Coren, PhD, of the University of British Columbia. He spoke Saturday on “How Dogs Think” at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention.
Coren has reviewed numerous studies to conclude that dogs have the ability to solve complex problems and are more like humans and other higher primates than previously assumed. He says dogs’ mental abilities are close to a human child age 2.5 years.
The intelligence of various types of dogs does differ and the dog’s breed determines some of these differences, Coren says. “There are three types of dog intelligence: instinctive (what the dog is bred to do), adaptive (how well the dog learns from his environment to solve problems) and working and obedience (the equivalent of ‘school learning’).”
Data from 208 dog obedience judges from the United States and Canada showed the differences in working and obedience intelligence of dog breeds, according to Coren. “Border collies are number one; poodles are second, followed by German shepherds. Fourth on the list is golden retrievers; fifth, dobermans; sixth, Shetland sheepdogs; and finally, Labrador retrievers,” said Coren.
As for language, the average dog can learn 165 words, including signals, and the “super dogs” can learn 250 words. “The upper limit of dogs’ ability to learn language is partly based on a study of a border collie named Rico who showed knowledge of 200 spoken words and demonstrated ’fast-track learning,’ which scientists believed to be found only in humans and language learning apes,” Coren said.
Dogs can also count up to four or five, said Coren. And they have a basic understanding of arithmetic and will notice errors in simple computations, such as 1+1=1 or 1+1=3.
Four studies he examined looked how dogs solve spatial problems by modeling human or other dogs’ behavior using a barrier type problem. Through observation, Coren said, dogs can learn the location of valued items (treats), better routes in the environment (the fastest way to a favorite chair), how to operate mechanisms (such as latches and simple machines) and the meaning of words and symbolic concepts (by listening to people speak and watching their actions).

Saving civilization – free book

Thumbs up: “Entering a New World,” in Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008), available for free download at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm. Get it, read it, do something good each day.

Manon Cleary's amazing pastels on view

An art show not to be missed if you're in DC. Here's what artist Anne Marchand says about Manon Cleary's amazing exhibition. On view Tues.-Sat. through Aug. 22 at Addison/Ripley in Georgetown at 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Meat of the problem

Meat production is harder on the planet than is driving gas-guzzlers. Excellent report on the effect of diet on the climate, land, civilizationin the Washington Post. Read it here.

If your pet could talk

Check out "If Your Pet Could Talk" at Pets.com. Dr. Suzanne Hetts, who has commented in some of Robin's Dog Tips, helped PETsMART create this interactive guide consisting of a quiz, videos, and interactive exercises to help pet parents interpret behavior and better understand what our furkids.

"Skin Trade" film event; Circus cruelty caught on tape

The Open the Cages Alliance will screen “Skin Trade," a new documentary about the fur industry on Saturday, August 8, from 1 to 9 pm, at St. Stephens Church in Washington, D.C. 1525 Newton Street, NW. Mobius Strip and Ryan Harvey will perform at the benefit; admission's on a sliding scale starting at $10 Details here.

The doc exposes the scope of the global fur trade and cruelties occurring at fur farms, seal hunts and Asian animal markets. Fur industry advocates get their say – and so do people of conscience including clothing designers, models, and rock stars who know that skinning animals is not a cool concept.

On a related note, more proof of the cruel treatment of elephants in circuses: new vid from Ringling Bros.

Visit RinglingBeatsAnimals.com

Tullio sculptures: Sensual meets spiritual

Check out Robin's review of the amazing new exhibition of Renaissance sculpture on view at the National Gallery of Art. It's in the Monday editions of the Examiner newspapers; click here. Also on the online editions.

Green Beer and Food: Eco lessons from the brewpub

Robin's Eco Simple column in this Sunday's Examiner newspapers looks at an Ann Arbor brewpub that has greened its operation from beer-making to food sourcing. Results include local, healthy and tastier food and award-winning beer. In the Washington DC and San Francisco/Oakland regional print editions of the Examiner and in the paper's online and e-dition.

Red meat and poultry boost body burden

People who eat meat and poultry have significantly higher levels of common flame retardants compared to vegetarians. The findings (from a 2009 studyreported in the latest Environmental Health Perspectives) indicate that food may be a more important source of the contaminants, known as PBDEs, than previously thought. PBDEs are omnipresent in the environment This is the first large-scale study to examine the contribution of red meat and poultry to dietary PBDE body burden in the US.

Beer/peer pressure

B/peer pressure. When college students think other undergrads drink a lot of alcohol, they drink more themselves. New research suggests that peers exaggerated about how much they drink, students drink less. Reviewers evaluated 22 studies that involved 7,275 students. The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library

Whale of a story

Fantastic piece of feature-writing in the New York Times Magazine this week from great journalist Charles Siebert. Treat yourself and be sure to read it. He also has a new book out called The Wauchula Woods Accord: Toward a New Understanding of Animals.

Curry and vitamin D may help ward off Alzheimer's

New research involving humans suggests a form of vitamin D, together with a chemical found in turmeric spice called curcumin, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques considered the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.