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The cruel truth about organic and free-range

meat and dairy products

By Becci Gindin-Clarke 

When I first learned about factory farming, I was disgusted. The extreme confinement, the routinemutilations, the horrors of transport, and the cruelty of slaughter—they all got to me in a big way.I decided that there had to be another option.

I began purchasing what I hoped were more humane alternatives, like free-range and organicproducts. Then I did more research into what it all meant, and I was troubled by what I learned.

The first thing I discovered was that words like “free range” and “free run” don’t mean very much.In Canada, the labels aren’t regulated at all. Typically, free-run animals are kept indoors for their

entire lives, and, while free-range farms generally allow access to the outdoors, that “access” canbe as laughable as a tiny door leading to a little gravel lot. The mutilations common on factory

farms—debeaking, detoeing, dehorning, castration—are perfectly legal, and performed without

anaesthesia. What’s more, free-range animals die just as young and in the same slaughterhousesas their factory-farmed counterparts.

When a farm calls itself free range or free run, it might consist of a few dozen happy animals

wandering around outside, but it’s much more likely to consist of a few enormous sheds crowdedwith hundreds of thousands of animals who almost never see daylight until en route to the

slaughterhouse. I found it disturbing that both types of farms qualify as free range.

Organic farms, I learned, tend to be superior. To qualify as organic, farms must adhere to a

specific set of rules. Animals must be provided with a certain amount of daylight and outdooraccess, and their shelters must be clean. Most importantly, there are third-party verifiers who are

expected to monitor farms and ensure that they qualify as organic. Looks good, right?

Perhaps not good enough, since there are some things that didn’t change regardless of what kind

of farm I examined. Even when one assumes that all the rules of organic farming are adhered to,

there are certain unavoidable unpleasantries. For example, even organic animals—whether raisedfor meat or dairy or eggs—are sent to slaughter at a fraction of their natural lifespans. Chickens

can live for 10 years or more, but when raised for meat, the organic ones die just as young as

free-range and factory-farmed chickens—usually at around 45 days old, sometimes as late as 81days. And cows can live into their 20s, but when raised for meat they are slaughtered at only a

few years old. Egg-laying chickens are still slaughtered when they aren’t producing enough eggs,usually when they are about two, and dairy cows and goats are held up to a similar standard.

I also found out that, in B.C., there are no special hatcheries for organic egg-laying chickens. Thatmeans that they come from the same hatcheries as factory-farmed and free-range chickens,

where male chicks are slaughtered soon after birth—typically, by being ground up in trashcompactors or simply thrown live into dumpsters. And just as in conventional farming, any males

born to ever-pregnant dairy cows and goats are usually taken from their mothers almostimmediately and either slaughtered or raised for meat—and not necessarily on an organic farm.

And then we come to the end of it all. Both free-range and organic animals must be transportedto slaughter. Organic rules allow no more than 24 hours without food or water. There are no rules

for free-range animals, so they can travel more than 36 hours, exposed to the elements, to get tothe same slaughterhouse as any factory-farmed animal. In B.C., organic animals are either taken

to an exclusively organic slaughterhouse (there are two in the province) or a qualified

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conventional slaughterhouse, where they are killed before or after all the non-organic animals, so

that the equipment can be sterilized. There does not appear to be any special “humane” slaughterfor organic animals, though, so I can only assume that they die in the same manner as all the

others.

In the end, I decided that, for me, “humane” isn’t humane enough.

Becci Gindin-Clarke is a director of Liberation B.C. 

http://www.straight.com/article-203802/becci-gindinclarke-cruel-truth-about-organic-and-freerange-meat-and-dairy-products

The Myth Behind the Green

Green Consumerism and the Impact of Eco-Friendly Buying

Jul 3, 2007 April Michelle Garza 

Critics of the Green Movement address concerns over the trendiness and false claims of productmanufacturers.

In today’s consumer industry, green is the new black.

Environmentalism and Earth-friendly living has suddenly taken a turn toward the trendy as more

and more corporations roll out their lines of supposedly eco-conscious products. From organic jeans and cutlery to hybrid cars and sustainable bamboo flooring, green consumerism has

emerged as the hottest way to save the planet. Embraced by celebrities and CEO’s who grace thecover of magazines and red carpets touting the green chic, the new movement has critics

questioning just how good is going green.

The problem, they say, lies in the fact that buying these products promotes a false sense of 

security. Instead of purchasing more items, we should be using less.

 “Green consumerism is an oxymoronic phrase,” said long time environmentalist activist, Paul

Hawken in an article for the New York Times. “We tend not to look at the ‘less’ part. So you getthese anomalies like 10,000-foot ‘green’ homes being built by a hedge fund manager in Aspen.” 

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Other environmentalists compare green consumerism to fat-free fad diets, where one over-

indulges in a treat that’s low on fat, without regard for the calories. In other words, instead of loading up new products that claim to be better for the environment, buying less of your normal

products can be just as effective.

Another problem consumers should be aware of with so-called green products is an advertisinggimmick known as ‘greenwashing’. Greenwashing happens when companies make false claims

about their product’s environmental friendliness. Often a company will stretch the truth aboutwhere their product came from or how it was manufactured. To avoid being reeled in by

greenwashers, consider these tips:

1) True Green Products Will Be Certified. Check these certifiers’ websites to make sure the

product's name is listed. If it’s not, chances are it’s a fake.

-Energy Star

-Forest Stewardship Council

-Greenguard Indoor Air Quality

-LEED

-Scientific Certification Systems

-Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certification

2) Buy From A Trusted Source. Be smart about who and where products are purchased from. If 

the business seems shady or too good to be true, then beware. It probably is.

3) Think It Through. Ask important questions before purchasing. Eric Corey Freed , author of 

Green Building for Dummies puts forth these suggestions:

- Where did this material come from?

- What are the byproducts of the manufacturer?

- How is the material maintained and operated?

- What do we do with it once we’re done with it?

- Is the material healthy?

4) Decide What’s Most Important. Sometimes one might have to decide between two negative

choices. Try to take the lesser of the evils and make a list of priorities when it comes to buyinggreen. On the list could be qualities like biodegradable, local, durable, and non-toxic.

Green consumers should keep in mind that buying these products is only the first step. The key isto limit the use and waste of any product, no matter what is printed on the label.

http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_myth_behind_the_green

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16November

Simple Steps to Start a Life of Green Living

Posted by Green Life Staff  

Our carbon footprints today will affect the lives of future generations. As such, it is important to

cut back on our carbon footprint in whatever ways possible. You can adopt simple steps to start alife of green living with littler effort than you may think.

Energy Consumption

When and where possible, make use of solar energy to power your homes, be it in heating up

your water to lighting your path. The solar water heater and solar lights are the best examples of such a good use of the sun’s power. You can purchase these appliances in many stores

nowadays, with the assurance of easy installation. Check Lowe’s or Home Depot to get started.

You should also shift to eco-friendly and economical LED or fluorescent lights. Together with solarpower, you ought to enjoy lower electricity bills, too. And do turn off the lights when nobody is in

the room, this will save you money and help you go green at the same time!

Furthermore, you can lessen energy consumption in the kitchen, laundry area and bathrooms byadopting the following measures:

- Use tap water when operating the dishwasher and only do so at full loads

- Wash clothes with tap water instead of hot water. Lessen stubborn dirt by soaking clothes for

15 minutes before washing in the appliance

- Take more cold showers instead of hot tub baths during the hot seasons. During winter, use aprogrammable thermostat that will turn on the heat only when you need hot water

- Purchase appliances that have the Energy Star Label, which can lessen energy use by as much

as 50 percent

Resource Conservation

In the home, water is probably the most wasted of all resources. You can reverse wastefulpractices by adopting small measures like brushing your teeth with a glass of water instead of 

letting it run, watering the plants only when necessary, installing a water-saving device in yourtoilets and using high-efficiency faucet heads.

Food is another resource that lends itself well to conservation. You can cook just the right amount

of food and freeze the rest for use in the future. You can store fresh fruits and vegetablesaccording to the best temperatures so as to prevent rotting and, hence, wastage. You can eat all

the food on your plate, pure and simple.

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Recycle, Reduce and Reuse

You can lessen your carbon footprint when you know how to recycle, reduce and reuse, not to

mention save a little money and even earn it, too. When you reduce your consumption of Earth’sresources by buying less at the supermarket, you save money on unnecessary things.

When you reuse an old thing by donating it, you make somebody happy and you also reduce the

trash in the landfills. When you recycle your trash and old stuff, you can earn money from sellingthem. Indeed, the saying that there is gold is trash comes true when you become more eco-friendly.

In conclusion, green living is a possibility no matter your station in life. It will take carefulthought, yes, but it will generate rewards that your children and children’s children will reap.

http://agreenliving.net/simple-steps-to-start-a-life-of-green-living/#more-565

10

November

Carbon Footprints 101: What Is It and How to Reduce Yours

Posted by Green Life Staff  

Our existence on Earth generates its own set of carbon footprints by virtue of our use of naturalresources, even in the times of the hunter-gatherer society. As time went on and tools were

introduced into society, ostensibly to make life easier on humans, humanity’s carbon footprint increased proportionately. Thus, we now experience troubling events like climate change brought

by human activities.

Carbon Footprint Defined

What exactly is a carbon footprint? The accepted definition is the total set of greenhouse gasemissions caused by the activities of individuals and organizations as well as their consumption of 

natural and manmade products. It is expressed in terms of the quantity of carbon dioxide andother greenhouse gases emitted. At present, global warming can be attributed to more than 90

percent of human activities and products. As such, the need to lessen one’s carbon footprinttakes on more meaning and urgency.

Causes of Our Harmful Carbon Footprints

There are many causes to the increase of our harmful carbon footprints. For one thing, we cause

so much land, air and water pollution by our excessive use of natural and manmade products aswell as our activities like dumping garbage without thought to recycling and reusing them. For

another thing, we steadfastly refuse to embrace alternative sources of energy and ways of living.We stick to fossil fuel when we have water to power our cars. We use commercial personal

hygiene products containing environmentally harmful ingredients when we can make our ownhomemade products.

Solutions to Lessening Your Carbon Footprint

Fortunately, you can reverse this deplorable trend by adopting green living habits. These are very

practical tips that only need careful consideration and thoughtful execution until you do them

almost automatically in your daily life.

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- Reduce your use of natural and manmade products by sticking to the basics of modern life. Buy

new things only when you have to and only when you are assured these are eco-friendly. Reuseyour old things to make new things. You will be lessening one less garbage on the landfills and

incinerators. Recycle your junk and maybe even make money out of them by re-selling them.

- Get moving by walking to your destinations, using the stairs and riding your bicycle, all of whichwill also make you healthier in mind and body.

- Use solar power to provide energy and light to your home. If solar panels are too expensive foryou now, start with solar lights for the garden and pathways as well as portable solar water

heaters.

- Choose organic and natural products f or the home and office as well as personal hygiene and

foods.

- Be mindful of your food consumption and waste - can fruits and vegetables, reheat leftovers and

cook only what you can eat.

- Switch to energy-efficient home and kitchen appliances as well as make your home more eco-

friendly like planting deciduous trees near windows receiving the most sunlight.

Of course, you must also know of the latest in conserving the environment. As time goes on,

more and more knowledge toward this end is being discovered and it is up to each one of us toadopt them as we see fit.

http://agreenliving.net/carbon-footprints-101-what-is-it-and-how-to-reduce-yours/#more-563

Simple Steps to Start a Life of Green Living

Posted by Green Life Staff  

Our carbon footprints today will affect the lives of future generations. As such, it is important tocut back on our carbon footprint in whatever ways possible. You can adopt simple steps to start a

life of green living with littler effort than you may think.

Energy Consumption

When and where possible, make use of solar energy to power your homes, be it in heating upyour water to lighting your path. The solar water heater and solar lights are the best examples of 

such a good use of the sun’s power. You can purchase these appliances in many storesnowadays, with the assurance of easy installation. Check Lowe’s or Home Depot to get started.

You should also shift to eco-friendly and economical LED or fluorescent lights. Together with solar

power, you ought to enjoy lower electricity bills, too. And do turn off the lights when nobody is inthe room, this will save you money and help you go green at the same time!

Furthermore, you can lessen energy consumption in the kitchen, laundry area and bathrooms by

adopting the following measures:

- Use tap water when operating the dishwasher and only do so at full loads

- Wash clothes with tap water instead of hot water. Lessen stubborn dirt by soaking clothes for15 minutes before washing in the appliance

8/8/2019 The Cruel Truth About Organic and Fre...

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-cruel-truth-about-organic-and-fre 7/11

- Take more cold showers instead of hot tub baths during the hot seasons. During winter, use a

programmable thermostat that will turn on the heat only when you need hot water

- Purchase appliances that have the Energy Star Label, which can lessen energy use by as muchas 50 percent

Resource Conservation

In the home, water is probably the most wasted of all resources. You can reverse wasteful

practices by adopting small measures like brushing your teeth with a glass of water instead of letting it run, watering the plants only when necessary, installing a water-saving device in your

toilets and using high-efficiency faucet heads.

Food is another resource that lends itself well to conservation. You can cook just the right amountof food and freeze the rest for use in the future. You can store fresh fruits and vegetables

according to the best temperatures so as to prevent rotting and, hence, wastage. You can eat all

the food on your plate, pure and simple.

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse

You can lessen your carbon footprint when you know how to recycle, reduce and reuse, not tomention save a little money and even earn it, too. When you reduce your consumption of Earth’s

resources by buying less at the supermarket, you save money on unnecessary things.

When you reuse an old thing by donating it, you make somebody happy and you also reduce the

trash in the landfills. When you recycle your trash and old stuff, you can earn money from sellingthem. Indeed, the saying that there is gold is trash comes true when you become more eco-

friendly.

In conclusion, green living is a possibility no matter your station in life. It will take careful

thought, yes, but it will generate rewards that your children and children’s children will reap.

http://agreenliving.net/simple-steps-to-start-a-life-of-green-living/

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Green Myth 3: Organic Is Always Better

Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesOrganic food is great when it will be eaten locally -- the case for this San Francisco City Hall

garden. But it isn't the environmentally friendly default many believe it to be.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? These days, it seems that's not the only chicken riddle

we have to solve while food shopping. Were the chickens treated humanely? Were they kept free-

range? Are these eggs from organic, cage-free birds?

Choosing organic fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats is smart. While there's no definitive evidencethat organic foods have any significant nutritional benefits over conventional foods, they must be

produced without antibiotics, growth hormones, and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. This

lowers your exposure to potentially toxic substances. And because organics are grown andproduced using sustainable, regenerative farming methods, they're good for the soil and good forthe planet.

Except when they aren't.

Organic foods are only good for the planet when they're not trucked, shipped or flown around the

world before landing at their final destination. Food miles are the distance your food has traveledfrom farm to store. The idea is the higher number of food miles traveled, the greater amount of 

energy consumed and pollution released -- both of which contribute to the problem of global

warming. On average, most of our meals have traveled about 1,300 miles (2,092 km) before theyarrive on our table [source: ATTRA]. Think about it: How did fresh strawberries get to your local

store in the middle of winter? In 2005, the total amount of fruits and vegetables that were flowninto California alone released more than 70,000 tons of CO2, the same amount of pollution

produced by 12,000 cars on the road [source: National Resources Defense Council].

What to do? Choose locally grown foods -- and, even better: locally grown organic foods. Visityour farmers' market or join a local CSA (community supported agriculture) group, and you're

guaranteed to get foods that have taken the road less traveled.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/5-green-myths3.htm

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Myth No.10: There's always one 'right' answer to your eco-dilemma.

The paper or plastic debate is the best example of this. Not even the experts can agree which is amore eco-friendly way to carry home groceries. The better answer, of course, is neither: Bring

your own cloth bags to the store. Another debate rages over carbon offsets -- when one company

minimizes its responsibility for the amount of carbon dioxide it produces by buying or subsidizinganother company's carbon-saving behavior. While many green groups support carbon offsets,others view them only as a solution of last resort. Everyone generally agrees we're poisoning the

planet and ourselves with it. But conflicting information about what constitutes a green choice can

leave many consumers stalled with indecision. The best way to break the logjam is to start bytrying a couple of solutions that are doable and make sense to you.

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/money-guides/10-major-myths-about-living-green-4.aspx

Myth: “Biodegradable” products that return to their natural state save landfill space.

Reality: Modern landfills are designed to keep out sunlight, air and moisture to prevent air and

water pollution, thus inhibiting degradation. The FTC’s definition of a biodegradable product is onethat will completely decompose within a reasonably short period of time under customary

methods of disposal. Because most landfilled garbage won’t pass that test, you’re better off reducing your contribution to solid waste (according to the EPA, the average American generates

almostfive pounds of garbage a day). At the store, look for a claim of “post-consumer recycled” content, then recycle what you can. Also use sites such as Freecycle.org instead of hauling

reusable stuff to the dump

Myth: It’s worth paying 20% to 40% extra to buy organic because the food is healthier.

Reality: A recent and hotly debated British study asserts that organic food is no more nutritious

than conventionally grown food. But this isn’t an all-or-nothing issue: If you want to minimizeyour exposure to pesticides and save money on organics, too, spring for the organic label only onthe Environmental Working Group’s “dirty dozen” -- fruits and vegetables that carry the most

pesticide residue. They are (from most to least residue): peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers,celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (imported), carrots and pears. The

clean 15 (from least to most residue) include onions, avocados, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples,mangos, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), kiwi fruit, cabbages, eggplants, papayas, watermelons,

broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Myth: You can reduce your carbon footprint by eating locally grown foods.

Reality: While locavores often cite “food miles”-- that is, the distance food is shipped to market --

as a reason to eat local, Christopher L. Weber and H. Scott Matthews, professors at CarnegieMellon University, say that transportation accounts for only 11% of total greenhouse-gasemissions associated with food, while 83% is related to production. Produce grown close to home

may be fresher and taste better. But food grown where conditions are most auspicious will requireless fertilizer, pesticides, labor and investment in tools, says Art Carden, who teaches economics

at Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tenn. If you really want to reduce the carbon footprint of yourdiet, cut back on consumption of red meat, which Weber and Matthews say is responsible for

producing 150% more greenhouse gases than chicken or fish.

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http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/09/green-myths2.html?kipad_id=52

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=TwJ&q=green+information+misconceptions&start=30&sa=N

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-

US:official&hs=0je&q=environmentalism+myths&revid=1654435461&ei=NO04S8-IPIealAe5t4mfBw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-

revision&cd=2&ved=0CDIQ1QIoAQ

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=0je&q=going+green+myths&revid=1654435461&ei=NO04S8-

IPIealAe5t4mfBw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-

revision&cd=1&ved=0CDEQ1QIoAA

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-

US:official&hs=vQz&q=green+myths&start=20&sa=N

From a medical standpoint, most agree that human beings can survive for up to four to eight

weeks without food, although some people in history have fasted much longer.

http://www.professorshouse.com/food-beverage/food/how-long-can-a-person-survive-without-

food.aspx

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-

US:official&hs=vjz&q=how+long+can+a+person+survive+without+food&revid=706045781&ei=MvI4S7NOxuKUB4-V4KQH&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-

revision&cd=1&ved=0CEEQ1QIoAA

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_crisis

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jp1Cb5K67FgNlTuImyhdt0JsP9Qg