Eco Lifestyle for Longer Life, Healthier Planet

article from Yahoo.com

Go Green for a Long Life

by Dr. Maoshing Ni

There are places in the world where a concentrated number of people routinely live to 100.

From the lush valleys of Ecuador to the peaceful island of Okinawa to the pristine hills of the Himalayas, these centenarian clusters all have something in common: an environment conducive to a healthy, long life-clean air, pure water, and nature unspoiled by the modern world.

In our Western world, we have to contend with the toxic by-products of our technological advances. Not only have we made our environment cancerous for ourselves, but we have also made it harder for other organisms in nature to thrive. By living in harmony with nature, we bring health to ourselves and to the planet.

Make Our World Less Plastic
Plastic, lightweight, durable, and versatile is everywhere in our modern world - bad news for the environment and our health. Many plastics release vinyl chloride and other harmful gases or contain phthalates that can lead to cancer, birth defects, and lung and liver disease.

Some plastics are right out in the open, like the ones found in our TVs, computers, telephones, coffeemakers, water bottles, and food containers. But some plastics show up in places where you might least suspect them, in carpeting, chewing gum, cosmetics, mattresses, sanitary napkins, polyester clothing, tissues, toilet paper, and upholstery.

Minimize plastic usage to cut your health risks. Use glass water bottles, wooden toys, personal care products and cosmetics made with natural ingredients, and natural fiber clothing, bedding, and mattresses.

Unbleached Paper for the Planet
Paper products do not come naturally white. All white paper is bleached with chemicals that leave behind harmful residues of dioxin, which is a known carcinogen.

These residues are found in coffee filters, diapers, lunch bags, napkins, paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper. When dioxin enters the landfill as waste, it leaches into the soil, contaminating groundwater. Using unbleached paper products is good for both you and the earth.

Green your Clean Routine
Seeking longevity means protecting ourselves from products that are dangerous to our health. Household cleansers containing bleach or chemicals are harmful to inhale. Instead of these, choose natural cleaning products that have recently come onto the market, which are safe and will not pollute the environment. You can use natural brands sold in your local health food stores.

Look no further than your own kitchen for these simple, homemade cleaners:

• Stovetop: sprinkle baking soda on, let it sit five minutes, then scour with steel wool or scrubber. For stubborn spots, mix dishwashing liquid, borax, and warm water, spray the mixture on, and let it sit for 20 minutes before scouring.

• Diluted vinegar is an effective cleanser in the kitchen and bathroom, and will work for tiles, windows, toilet bowls, mirrors, and even carpets. The acetate acid in vinegar also helps inhibit bacteria and mildew.

Try this formula: mix one cup of distilled white vinegar with one cup of water and use it just like you would use any other cleaning product. For those jobs requiring elbow grease, avoid chlorinated powder and scour with baking soda instead.

Eat with Environmental Edge
Commercially grown produce is filled with pesticides, herbicides and toxic chemical residues. Conventional meat, poultry, and dairy products contain high amounts of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotic drugs that are harmful to your health.

These toxins show up in a variety of places, including the water supply, breast milk, and urine. They cause degenerative changes, hormonal problems, immune system disorders, and cancer in both people and animals.

For your own wellbeing and the health of the planet, search out organic foods; whenever possible, buy only organic and free-range poultry and meat.

I hope you find ways to be in harmony with nature! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you stay healthy, live long, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao



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United Nations says act now or expect worsening impact or warming

Top climate experts say global warming effects already being seen; US and China urged to lead

Peter Gorrie
Environment Reporter, The Star.com

Without urgent, aggressive steps to stop greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will cause devastating heat waves, floods, starvation and disease, says a report written by the world's top climate scientists and endorsed by 140 nations yesterday.

Environment Minister John Baird immediately welcomed the document, from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "Canada, like the rest of the world, needs to take immediate action," he said in a written statement.

But critics said the minister and the rest of the Conservative government still pay lip service to the problem while promoting a plan that would make it worse.

"The government is acting to protect industry and its shareholders instead of the planet and future generations," said John Bennett, of Ottawa-based ClimateforChange.

Impacts have already begun, declares a 23-page summary of thousands of pages of scientific evidence.

Without action, human activity could lead to "abrupt and irreversible changes" that make Earth unrecognizable.

As early as 2020, 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will suffer water shortages, while residents of Asia's megacities will be at great risk of river and coastal flooding.

The new report is the fourth and final statement this year from the panel – the roughly 2,000 scientists who assess research on the rapid increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.

It draws conclusions from the previous three documents and sets the stage for next month's UN conference in Bali, Indonesia, where governments are supposed to resolve how to set targets for emission cuts after 2012, when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

Climate change imperils "the most precious treasures of our planet," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said in Valencia, Spain, where, in five days of often-tense negotiations, governments haggled over the summary's wording.

Ban urged the United States and China – the two biggest greenhouse gas sources – to do more.

Panel reports, issued every five years for the past two decades, tend to be conservative.

This one, though, is stark and urgent.

"If there's no action before 2012, that's too late," said Rajendra Pachauri, a scientist and economist who heads the IPCC.

"What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.''

Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate change official, said what's new is the clarity of the scientific message, adding that, while the report isn't binding, "The politicians have no excuse not to act."

"The timing of this report couldn't be better," Baird said in his statement.

"Canada has been a leader in bringing the world together... and we will continue that work in Bali."

But critics said his plan – which rejects absolute emission caps – would let Canada's greenhouse emissions grow with the economy.

The panel says emissions must fall at least 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 to prevent catastrophic impacts. Canada's target is a 20 per cent cut below 2006 levels by 2020 – which if achieved would still leave us slightly above our 1990 total.

But many say the Conservatives' proposals aren't capable of hitting even that weak target.

"The government is not acting on the science," said Matthew Bramley, of the Pembina Institute.

"They're trumpeting bogus targets as if they're meaningful," said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

"I'd believe John Baird if he came out with a plan that includes things like a carbon tax and a moratorium on growth in (Alberta's) tar sands."

Canadian windpower firm Boralex sees sales rise 56%, profit triples

Boralex profit, sales catch fire

from TheStar.com / Canada Press - Business - Boralex profit, sales catch fire

Second-quarter results unseasonably strong

August 09, 2007

MONTREAL–Alternative-energy producer Boralex Inc. is feeling pretty flush as it develops its first Canadian wind farm, in Ontario, and bids for a massive Quebec project.

"These projects, our first on Canadian soil, will further diversify our income source coming from wind, while providing us better geographical diversification," Boralex chief executive officer Patrick Lemaire said yesterday during a conference call on second-quarter results.

The Montreal-based company recorded an unseasonably stronger second quarter as higher wood-generation power in the United States helped to quadruple earnings and energy sales increased 56 per cent. Last month, Boralex signed a deal to acquire nine wind farms, with an installed capacity of 10 megawatts each, in the Windsor region.

The company is also setting its sights on Quebec's massive wind farm proposal. Lemaire said Boralex and partners Gaz Metro and the Seminaire de Quebec are in a good position to secure 400 megawatts of the total slated to come on stream in 2010.

The 300-employee company has 22 power stations totalling 347 megawatts in Quebec, the northeastern United States and France.

Company revenue grew to $32.4 million from $20.8 million, while earnings more than tripled to $4.8 million, or 15 cents a share, from $1.4 million, or five cents.

Lemaire said Boralex should benefit from strong long-term fundamentals in renewable energy.