The Costs of The Iraq War

Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded:
1,112,745+
Visit this website for continual updates:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html

U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed:
3,868+
Visit this website for continual updates:
http://icasualties.org/oif/

Taxpayer Money Spent On War in Iraq:
$469,730,973,016+
See the cost in your community:
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&

Governor George Bush Advises President George Bush

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." —Texas Governor George W. Bush

April 9, 1999, on the US intervention in Kosovo

White House Admits Climate Change "A Scientific Certainty"

Last October the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a comprehensive 550-page, 5-year report on the health of the planet. Unsustainable development and population growth are threatening species extinction, water crises, and disastrous climate change. UNEP called for world reductions of greenhouse gases of 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with developed nations slashing emissions 60 to 80 percent. "The need couldn't be more urgent and the time couldn't be more opportune, with our enhanced understanding of the challenges we face, to act now to safeguard our own survival and that of future generations," the report said.

The UN report is important because it is adopted by consensus, meaning that countries accept the underlying science and cannot disavow its conclusions. While it does not commit governments to a specific course of action, it provides a common scientific baseline for the political talks. "What's changed since 2001 is the scientific certainty that this is happening," said Sharon Hays, a White House science official.

What's needed, say the Europeans, Japanese, and most of the rest of the world, is a stronger, broader level of global cooperation to stem the release of greenhouse gases in transportation and industry.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said climate change imperils "the most precious treasures of our planet" and called on the United States and China — the world's two biggest polluters — to do more to fight it.

"There are real and affordable ways to deal with climate change," Ban said. He said a new agreement should provide funding to help poor countries adopt clean energy and to adapt to changing climates.

The Bush administration, however, continues to oppose any global treaty which mandates reductions in greenhouse gases, favoring voluntary cooperation instead. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions are setting new world records.

SOURCES:
ABC News, 11/17/2007.
www.grist.com, 10/26/2007.
www.metro.co.uk, 11/5/2007.
San Francisco Chronicle, 10/14/2007.

	DOCTORS AND CLIMATE EXPERTS AGREE: Walking instead of driving, and eating less red meat, will both stem global warming and improve your personal health! You'll look great, too!

Experts Promote Global Warming Exercise

What do combatting obesity and global warming have in common? Exercise! Walking can cut calories and carbon dioxide at the same time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering public promotion of the "co-benefits" of fighting global warming and obesity-related illnesses through everyday exercise, like walking to school or work, said Dr. Howard Frumkin, director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health.

SOURCE: CNN, 11/12/2007.

The Global Warming Diet

Ever have to roll up your windows near a cattle herd? Livestock produces 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, more than the entire transportation sector.

As quoted from The Lancet in the LA Times, a recent report led by Australian National University professor Anthony J. McMichael suggests a fringe approach that has long been embraced by dietitians and vegans: "[What] all Americans can do to fight global warming, and at the very top of that list — way ahead of more commonly mentioned approaches such as buying fluorescent lightbulbs or energy-efficient appliances — would be eating less red meat."

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, 11/06/2007.

Out On A Lamb... The Locavore Controversy

Recognizing the popularity of the local foods movement, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose "locavore" as its word of the year for 2007. What better way to reduce one's carbon footprint than to consume locally produced edibles? Turns out, even the locavore movement is not without controversy. On August 6, 2007, the New York Times published an op-ed by James E. McWilliams, who argued that local food is not necessarily better for the environment than its globally sourced equivalent:

"Researchers at Lincoln University in New Zealand... recently published a study challenging the premise that more food miles automatically mean greater fossil fuel consumption.... [T]hey found that lamb raised on New Zealand's clover-choked pastures and shipped 11,000 miles by boat to Britain produced 1,520 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per ton while British lamb produced 6,280 pounds of carbon dioxide per ton, in part because poorer British pastures force farmers to use feed. In other words, it is four times more energy-efficient for Londoners to buy lamb imported from the other side of the world than to buy it from a producer in their backyard."

But wait! Michael H. Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition and Going Local, offered this stinging online rebuttal:

"Congratulations to the New Zealand lamb-export industry for getting a gullible New York Times to publish an op-ed recycling its claim that its product is better for the global environment than locally produced lamb.

"The argument, however, is more than a little bit woolly. The industry-sponsored study cited turns out to be dressing up an environmentally dreadful product in benign sheep's clothing....

"Who were these esteemed researchers? One, Caroline Saunders, heads The Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit at Lincoln University. Assisting her was Andrew Barber, an Agriculture Engineering Consultant with a private consulting firm called The AgriBusiness Group. I don't begrudge New Zealand's desire to protect its export industries, but these researchers are hardly agenda-free.

"The July 2006 study... showed that New Zealand's agribusiness players are a bit better in their ecological practices than their British counterparts. It's a little like saying that a new SUV contributes less to global warming than an old gas-guzzling Cadillac.

"The explanation of most of the difference in the two country's carbon emissions turns out to be coal. Typical British farmers... are thereby saddled with the emissions from lots of dirty coal plants. New Zealand has lots of hydroelectric dams. [However], as the British move toward renewable energy sources, as they plan to do, the New Zealand carbon advantage will vanish.

"What the New Zealand study really stands for is how awful industrial agriculture is for the environment in both countries...."

One blogger reacted, "the very question of 'which lamb has a smaller carbon footprint' is somewhat misleading because it contains the assumption 'we should be able to eat lamb anytime we want to'.... It seems we should consider eating little to none of it regardless of the source." This raises a bigger question: What do our meats, teas, wines, rainforest nuts, and out-of-season fruits really cost the environment? Should big-footprint imported delicacies be reserved for special occasions, with mostly local foods for everyday fare?

SOURCE:
www.ethicurean.com/2007/08/10/shuman-on-lamb/

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Green Dream Jobs:
"Can Sustainable Jobs Save the American Middle Class?"

With rising costs, outsourced jobs, and a struggling economy, the American middle class is feeling the squeeze. But new green opportunities across every business sector could provide the well-paying manufacturing, management, and entrepreneurial opportunities needed to bring security to American workers, according to E/The Environmental Magazine.

Congress agrees. The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Chaired by Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), listened to expert testimony and concluded that economic security and a clean energy future went hand-in-hand. "A national transition towards large-scale use of clean energy technology would not only reduce heat-trapping pollution, but would create hundreds of thousands of good American jobs and provide underserved communities a pathway out of poverty."

The fate of Congress's Green Jobs Act is dependent on enactment of federal energy legislation, which is stalled as House and Senate conferees attempt to reconcile their versions of the bill, and which also faces a veto threat from President Bush. The Green Jobs Act includes $125 million that would be set aside for job training in renewable energy, energy efficient vehicles and green building, $25 million of which is earmarked specifically for those most difficult to hire, including at-risk youths, former inmates and welfare recipients. Bernie Sanders' (D-VT) and Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) Energy Savings Act of 2007 in the Senate allows for $100 million in training for "green collar jobs," but is not geared specifically toward low-income Americans.

Says Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, "The work of saving the polar bears and poor kids is the same work. If we give the jobs to the people who most need them, we solve two problems."

In the upper tiers of the business world, CEOs and other top-level employees are already "entering the environmental field in droves," says Rona Fried, founder and president of SustainableBusiness.com, which includes a "Green Dream Jobs" online directory.

Existing environmental managers at companies are being upgraded in terms of status, according to Dan Esty, director of the Center for Business and Environment at Yale University. "There are many more jobs today focused at managing the business-environmental interface," he says.

The future of employment in the U.S. is looking increasingly green. Kate Gordon, Program Director for the Apollo Alliance, a nonprofit that strives for American energy independence through an ambitious investment plan for sustainable energy sources over the next decade, says, "There's been a wholesale loss of manufacturing jobs, which are union-protected, high skills jobs. But with wind turbines, solar panels and energy efficient retrofits–there's a whole world of green jobs. It's pretty exciting if you can harness it."

Ten Industries with Great Green Potential:

1. Green Tourism and Travel
2. Green Building
3. Alternative Health Care
4. Renewable Energy
5. Environmental Law
6. Environmental Education
7. Information Technology
8. Planning and Land Use
9. Corporate Social Responsibility
10. Organic Food and Farming
    

SOURCE:
E/The Environmental Magazine, Nov-Dec. 2007.

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Corporate Greenwash:
The Seven Deadly Enviro-Sins

A study of 1,018 "green" products from big-box stores has found that all but one were marketed with false or misleading eco-claims.

Researchers from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing called out products for committing the "Six Sins of Greenwashing": (1) a hidden tradeoff (e.g., toxin-loaded electronics touting their energy efficiency); (2) no certifiable verification of green claims; (3) flat-out lying about certification; (4) vagueness (e.g., products claiming "all natural" status, but include hazardous substances that occur naturally); (5) irrelevance (e.g., products claiming to be CFC-free even though CFCs have long been banned); (6) a lesser-of-two-evils situation (e.g., organic cigarettes).

Cascade paper towels were the big — and only — winner, with claims of being chlorine-free, having recycled content, and having legitimate logos checking out as accurate.

Add to the list our seventh sin, enviro-hypocrisy. Toyota Motors recently felt the wrath of enviros for touting its fuel efficient Prius line (48 mpg) while quietly fighting against tough new gas mileage laws that might impact profits from its big SUV's and trucks such as Tundra (14 mpg). Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) comments, "They're saying they can't meet the 35 mpg standard by 2020, and the American people are asking Toyota, 'Why not?'"

SOURCES: Newsweek, 11/19/2007
http://lists.grist.org/t?ctl=15DA9:F8A1905EB1580841FF8F6A11BC422D8C
http://lists.grist.org/t?ctl=15DB1:F8A1905EB1580841FF8F6A11BC422D8C

Healthy Living Bookshelf

HEALTHY AT 100
How You Can—at any age—Dramatically Increase Your Life Span and Your Health Span
By John Robbins
Ballantine Books, $14.95

In this follow-up to his ground-breaking Diet for a New America, John Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life. He explores four very different cultures that have produced some of the world's healthiest, oldest people, finding commonality in their diets and lifestyles. Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins isolates the characteristics that will enable us to live long and joyous lives.

Of particular interest to us was Robbins' take on long-lived omnivores. Robbins, an avowed vegan, doesn't shy away from the fact that traditional Okinawans, Hunzans, and other groups noted for their longevity supplement their plant-based diets with small amounts of dairy, meat, and fish. Weighing the evidence he writes:

"The debate about how much, if any, animal foods are optimum to include in one's diet will no doubt continue for some time. It is hard to argue, however, against the reality that most people eating the standard Western diet would benefit considerably by moving in a more plant-based direction.... If you eat any kind of meat, purchase products that you know to be truly range-free and organic."

THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA
A Natural History of Four Meals
By Michael Pollan
Penguin Books, $16.00

The question about what to have for dinner has confronted us since man first discovered fire. Unlike the koala bear, genetically programmed to eat only eucalyptus leaves, humans face "the omnivore's dilemma," uncertainty about how much of which foods should be consumed or avoided. Michael Pollan's eye-opening account of how we produce, market, and agonize about what we eat soon becomes a searing indictment of modern food industry practices.

Following the life of a steer in the chemical stew of a cramped American feedlot might turn anyone vegetarian. "How could it come to pass that a fast-food burger produced from corn and fossil fuel actually costs less than a burger produced from grass and sunlight?"

Unfortunately, the organic foods movement, now big business, doesn't fare much better. From "organic beef raised in 'organic feedlots' and organic high-fructose corn syrup," Pollan wonders if the industry hasn't lost its soul. If salvation is to be found, it is where chefs like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse have helped rebuild local food economies, sourcing much of their food from organic growers, and cooking only what is in season.

Pollan urges us to be wary of the meal which seems "a bargain but fails to cover its true cost, charging it instead to nature, to the public health and purse, and to the future."

Brain Foods

Which foods best fuel thought? Scientific American Mind surveyed current research and came up with some fast facts:

The brain operates best when blood glucose levels are stable. Consuming complex carbohydrates rather than simple sugars help stabilize glucose and guard against mental lapses. Fish oil and iron-rich foods help, too.

When we eat is also important. To stay mentally sharp, eat breakfast and snack often throughout the day. But skip the sugar donuts and go for whole grains and fruits instead.

Studies confirm these conclusions. A research team led by cognitive psychologist Keith A. Wesnes of Northumbria University in England gave one group of grade-schoolers a very sugary breakfast, and a second group a fiber-rich, whole grain morning fare. Memory tests for both groups declined as the morning wore on, but the decline was minimal for children who had breakfasted on whole foods.

SOURCE:
Scientific American Mind, October/November 2007.

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How Toxic Chemicals Got Into Your Blood

Until the recent China product recalls, Americans presumed that if a product is on the market it's safe. Investigative reporter Mark Shapiro has documented the extent to which the public has been misled, and not just with a handful of Asian goods. His new book, Exposed: The Toxic chemistry of Everyday Products, tells a story of corporate secrecy and government complicity that permeates our entire culture, from frying pans to pajamas, couches to cosmetics.

Reporting for Harpers, Shapiro explains how cancer-causing, endocrine disrupting, and gene-mutating chemicals end up in virtually all of us. The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 granted the government the power to restrict the dissemination of industrial chemicals, but it also grandfathered over 62,000 chemical compounds in current use. Of these, 95 percent have never undergone any testing for toxicity or their impact on the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency is allowed to place restrictions on chemicals grandfathered onto the market but is required to weigh the "costs to the industry" of any regulation and obligated to impose the "least burdensome" restrictions. Shapiro explains, "One result of this industry-friendly screening is that the EPA has banned only five chemicals since its inception in 1970." Why such lax regulations? Chemical companies have contributed $47 million to federal election campaigns and pay about $30 million each year to Washington lobbyists.

In Europe the burden of proof is on manufacturers to demonstrate the safety of the chemicals they use in their products. Moreover, The European Union even demands that its industries take responsibility of the collateral health damages that its products may cause. Shapiro notes, "Indeed, Europe is now compelling other nations' manufacturers to conform to regulations that are far more protective of people's health than those in the United States. Europe has emerged not only as the world's leading economic power but also as one of its moral leaders. Those roles were once filled by the United States."

Ironically, our nation's retreat from environmental leadership may make us the dumping ground for chemicals deemed too hazardous by more progressive countries.

What is the price of protecting citizens' health? The European Union estimated that their stricter standards costs less than one percent of their combined yearly revenue, and that even these expenses would be repaid many times over by the resulting health benefits.

Why doesn't Congress pass stricter legislation regulating chemicals? Shapiro concludes that our government "puts business interests ahead of the safety of its own—and the world's—citizens." We can do better!

SOURCE: Harper's Magazine, October 2007.

FEEDBACK: CLICK HERE to email comments and feedback. Please note the title of the article or the author's name. Include your own name or type "name withheld" by request. Thoughtful responses will be published in our next edition.

Crazy—Or Just Sleepy?

Before you make that next big decision or have to deal with a particularly emotional confrontation, you might want to "sleep on it" first.

A new study published in Current Biology says that people who don't get enough sleep act as if they're mentally ill, falling prey to wild mood swings, panic, and hysteria. "It is almost as though, without sleep, the brain reverts back to a more primitive pattern of activity, becoming unable to put emotional experiences into context," says University of California at Berkeley neuroscientist Matthew Walker.

Previous research had implied that mental illness was a primary cause of disturbed sleep. Now it looks as if the reverse could be the case. Our fast-paced, multitasking, sleep-deprived culture could actually be the cause of much of our crazy-making behavior.

Sleep is not just an option, but a requirement for psychological as well as physical well-being. Decaf, anybody?

SOURCES:
www.eurekalert.org
USA Today.
Current Biology, 10/23/2007.

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New Alcatraz For A New Age

Da Vid, MD, founder of The Global Peace Foundation and longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, has envisioned converting Alcatraz Island into a "Global Peace Center" for over 20 years. Having amassed over 20,000 signatures, Da Vid now puts his proposal before San Francisco voters. Passage of Proposition C would facilitate the acquisition of Alcatraz Island for the express purpose of developing a Global Peace Center.

Idealistic? Certainly! Unrealistic? Not necessarily. Da Vid says that ferry revenues to Alcatraz would subsidize development. Most importantly, Da Vid believes that Alcatraz could become a new beacon for a new age:

"The question is simple, do we really want an old and decaying prison to continue to be a prominent landmark for the San Francisco Bay Area, or do we want to take this opportunity to create a New Alcatraz, one which signifies a new emerging paradigm committed to progressive, enlightened values?"

San Francisco voters will answer this question on February 5, 2008.

SOURCES:
www.globalpeacefoundation.org
www.lightparty.com

THE ALCATRAZ CONVERSION PROJECT: Passage of San Francisco's Proposition C on February 5 would provide a mandate for transforming Alcatraz from a former penitentiary into a "Global Peace Center."

FEEDBACK: CLICK HERE to email comments and feedback. Please note the title of the article or the author's name. Include your own name or type "name withheld" by request. Thoughtful responses will be published in our next edition.

Message In A Bottle

"Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more. At as much as $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline."

Thirsty? Get a refillable bottle and fill 'er up!

SOURCE: Earth Policy Institute

What, Again? Organic Food Tests Healthier Than Non-Organic!

Organic food is healthier than pesticide-grown food, according to preliminary results of a four-year study funded by the European Union, the largest of its kind to date. But the debate's not quite over yet. Final results are expected to be published over the next year, and the research has yet to be peer-reviewed.

So far, researchers found that organic nosh contained more healthful antioxidants and fewer fatty acids than non-organic. Organic milk was found to have up to 80 percent more antioxidants than conventional cow juice, as well as higher amounts of vitamin E. Organic wheat, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and lettuce had up to 40 percent more antioxidants than their conventional counterparts. And organic potatoes, kiwi fruit, and carrots were found to have higher levels of vitamin C.

Advocates hope the research will sway Britain's Food Standards Agency to reverse its current position that "the balance of current scientific evidence does not support" claims that organic food is more nutritious.

SOURCE: www.grist.com, 10/30/07.

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Hypnosis For Pain Control & Emotional Health

Andrew Weil, MD, reports on a fascinating study that shows how hypnotherapy can benefit women having breast-cancer surgery. "Two hundred women scheduled for a breast biopsy or lumpectomy were randomly assigned to receive either 15 minutes of hypnosis (including suggestions intended to promote relaxation and reduce pain) or a chat with a psychologist shortly before surgery. The hypnotherapy group needed less anesthesia during surgery and reported less pain, nausea, fatigue, and emotional distress afterward." According to Dr. Weil, "There's no reason not to use hypnotic suggestion to reduce complications of any surgical procedure." He recommends working with a hypnotherapist or listening to a self-hypnosis recording well in advance of having surgery.

You'll find a wide selection of local hypnotherapists listed in OPEN EXCHANGE's Hypnotherapy category.

SOURCES:
Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, November 2007.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 9/5/2007.

How To Attract A Mate
How To Keep A Mate, Too...

To land a date the best pickup line may be no line at all: Just make eye contact and smile.

Scottish researchers asked hundreds of university students to rate the attractiveness of people in photos. The photo sets contained images of the same faces, either smiling or looking disgusted, with eyes looking toward the viewer or away. In all cases, especially when viewing photos of the opposite sex (hmmm.... no gays?), the students rated the smiling, forward-looking faces as the most attractive.

Study author Ben Jones says that we usually try to judge beauty based on facial characteristics alone, but this shows that "people are attracted to people who are attracted to them." This makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective, because there's a better chance you'll get to mate with someone who also finds you interesting.

While eye contact and a smile are great to start a romance, relationship experts tell OPEN EXCHANGE that maintaining good communication is how you keep your mate! Learning to listen to your partner and to share your feelings are skills that can be taught and improved upon.

For local resources, check out the many relationship experts listed in OPEN EXCHANGE's Counseling, Singles, Couples, and Sexuality categories.

SOURCE: This Week, 11/17/07.