Tag Archives: environment

Is Sustainability Still Possible?

Posted on by

SOW13 CoverFor many years now, I’ve been reviewing the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World annuals in Natural Life Magazine, because they are cogent reports on how environmental, social, and economic factors are impacting each other and our Earth. This year’s report is particularly interesting, I think. State of the World 2013 asks Is Sustainability Still Possible? – i.e. can we get there, and what happens if we fall short?

The word “sustainable” has become practically meaningless and is used mostly as a marketing term. Most “sustainable” products are just less bad than conventional alternatives. Because of the power of what the Worldwatch Institute calls “sustainababble,” the world has largely ignored the rich spectrum of political, cultural, and technological changes that would set us on the path to a truly sustainable future. Although the science of sustainability is clearer than ever, we still face the question of whether transforming our society into one guided by sustainability is even possible – i.e. have we passed the tipping point and if not, is there the will to do what is necessary?

This year’s book features contributions from Worldwatch Institute staff as well as from environmental thought leader David Orr; freshwater expert Sandra Postel, ecological economics pioneer Herman Daly, The Story of Stuff author Annie Leonard, science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson, and others. And, in doing so, it joins a growing chorus of voices suggesting that we do activism differently.

“Environmentalism, first and foremost, continues to be a game of defense – working to reduce overall carbon emissions, chemical releases, and forest loss – rather than a battle to transform the dominant growth-centric economic and cultural paradigm into an ecocentric one that respects planetary boundaries,” says Worldwatch Senior Fellow and State of the World 2013 co-director, Erik Assadourian. “The environmental movement will require a dramatic reboot if it is going to reverse Earth’s rapid transformation and help create a truly sustainable future.” This book points us in that direction.

Grow Up…With Vertical Gardening

Posted on by

green_wall_musee_du_quai_branly_priesnitzMany of the things we’re told to do to deal with environmental issues are negative – stop driving so much, turn off lights and use less power, buy less, etc. Here at Natural Life Magazine, we like to focus on the positives. And in terms of improving both our indoor and outdoor environment, greening (the real kind, using plants) works well.

In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, British researchers recommended more plants at street level to improve air quality in cities. In fact, they found that the creation of “green walls” or vertical gardens in urban areas could cut pollution by up to thirty percent.


I wrote about this in Natural Life Magazine in 2006, noting that vertical gardens save space, create privacy, reduce dust, remove air pollutants, insulate against temperature extremes and noise, and enhance biodiversity. Not bad for a style of planting that’s been popular for centuries!

And the issue is gaining traction. National Geographic recently published a spread of photos of green walls around the world.

But there’s more. As I have also written, vertical farming in the urban environment is also a way to obtain an abundant local food supply without converting any more fragile ecosystems into farmland. As author and social critic James Howard Kunstler has said, “The age of the 3,000 mile Caesar salad is coming to an end.”

So whether it’s to purify the air, grow some food, or just decorate your surroundings, try planting a wall!

Labeling GMOs

Posted on by

labeling gmosGMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This science allows DNA material from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in Nature or result from traditional crossbreeding methods. Doing this provides major financial benefits to biotechnology companies and large-scale farming corporations….for instance, Monsanto’s seed is made resistant to its toxic herbicide Roundup, making farmers dependent on its use. You can learn more about GMOs in this article in Natural Life Magazine’s September/October 2011 issue.

Proponents claim that GE crops benefit the environment through the reduced use of herbicides and insecticides, and increase crop yields, but researchers have found the opposite to be true. If you need further proof that the benefit of GMOs is to Monsanto and the processors using GMOs, rather than to human or environmental health, just check out how much money they are spending to convince consumers and lobby governments that they are safe and to fight labeling in the U.S.

GMOs are banned, restricted, or labeled in about sixty countries, including Australia, Japan, and all of the European Union. Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans (up to ninety percent in the U.S.) would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs. The Non-GMO Project’s verification seal is one voluntary program that provides the North American public an opportunity to make an informed choice. Many (myself included) think mandatory labeling is the best answer.

The upscale Whole Foods chain in North America has taken the lead on informing its customers. Its house brands have been labeled by the Non-GMO Project for some time. And it has recently announced that all products in its U.S. and Canadian stores containing GMOs will be labeled as such by 2018. It’s not yet clear how its suppliers will react to this new policy, or how it will be implemented. But the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the trade group that represents mainstream food companies and retailers, predictably opposes the Whole Foods move, saying, “These labels could mislead consumers into believing that these food products are somehow different or present a special risk or a potential risk.” And yet again, I wonder what, if there isn’t anything to hide, they’re trying so hard to hide!

Consumer groups and most others who have been working on the labeling initiative are pleased with Whole Foods’ announcement. And consumer demand is a strong force for change. Gary Hirshberg, chairman of the Just Label It project (supported by over six hundred companies and organizations), calls the Whole Foods decision a “game changer” in the same way that Walmart’s 2008 decision to stop selling milk from cows treated with bovine growth hormone was probably a tipping point that has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the practice in the U.S.

However, we must not lose focus on the fact that Monsanto and its ilk are still responsible for the vast majority of the world’s food supply and must be stopped from poisoning us and the planet. Nor can we let up on the push for a strong, mandatory labeling program. I’d hate to see “GMO-free” go the way of other terms like “natural,” “eco-friendly,” and even “organic” as just one more greenwashing, feel-good, but meaningless marketing label.

It’s a nasty and expensive, David versus Goliath battle. But I am more hopeful than I’ve been in a long time that we can reverse the trend towards GMO-contaminated food.