How a fast-food sign changes your day

How a fast-food sign changes your day - Healthzone.ca

Calorie reporting, possible taxation and other regulations have been following fast food in the last few years. A recent study shows that seeing fast food signs trigger the need to rush. An interesting study that could have wider implications on fast food advertising and other regulations. We know more about the health impacts of products than ever and we are slowing figuring out the impacts of marketing in convincing us to buy. The two elements are related and either the advertising or the products will need to be tightly regulated.

Fish Farming

Some people feel that fish farming, particularly for salmon, create environmental problems.  In British Columbia, a court has recently ruled that the government must release information about sea lice and other data gathered on fish farming.  You can read about it here.

This is a good thing for so many reasons.  Information gathered by government authorities about practices that impact the population at large should be made public. Since we have so many regulations and administrative bodies governing many areas of our society the more open the better.  If we are all aware of what is going on and complete information is available to everyone better decisions can be made.

Great News!!! We're Getting More Nuclear Plants!!

I'm not serious about the headline but the reality is the Obama administration is planning to offer loan guarantees to fund the construction of nuclear plants.  If the plants are going to be such a boon and savior why do they need the guarantees?  Probably because they are only able to get funding if the federal government guranatees it.  I'm sure there exists a minimum price that consumers will pay for the power too.  To make the deal even sweeter the government will find a cheap/free way for the companies to get rid of the waste.  What an awesome deal for the taxpayer.  We subsidize the construction, guarantee a minimum return, take out the garbage and let somebody else enjoy the profit. 

The problem lies in the business as usual approach to policy that supports private profits and shifts all the risk to the public.  It seems like nothing can be done without a government guarantee or subsidy.  If that is the case maybe we need to revisit the "free market" concept and decide if we want it free or just pretend.

Can Bankruptcy Save the Planet?

In light of the recent news about Greece's economic troubles and possible default I started thinking about the impact of a U.S. bankruptcy. The debt and deficit are growing rapidly and some people feel that it is expanding beyond the economic capacity of the country's ability to repay.  It would be safe to say that this would be economic Armageddon.  However, if the economic model that causes many environmental problems were to collapse would it save the planet?  Consumption, waste and pollution would drop dramatically around the world.  Resource extraction would slow down and help reduce the environmental damage in many parts of the world.  Some would argue that it wouldn't matter much since most of us would be starving because we're broke and have no way to do anything to get money.  I'm not really sure what would happen although I think the buildup to such an event would be long enough that some could prepare.  An interesting scenario to contemplate and maybe one we will experience sooner than we hope. 

"Climategate" is no Big Deal

While I was at the grocery store recently I heard two people debating the merits of climate change and how climate scientists allegedly faked data.  One of the people sounded like they obtained their opinion from talk radio and was going on and on about how the "phony" data proved that climate change is not real.  Oddly enough they managed to convince the other person that climate change is not legitimate nor has a scientific consensus.  I'm not going to use the multiple sources argument to negate this opinion.   I will use tobacco company science as the basis for my argument.  It has come out over the years that tobacco studies minimized the risks of tobacco use.  However, despite finding this out tobacco products are still widely available.  So, if faking scientific data can keep unhealthy products available in the marketplace there is no reason that we should not continue to pursue ways to minimize climate change.

Seafood Sources

Many people eat seafood whether it is fish for Omega-3 or a fancy lobster dinner.  A lot times we pick things up at the grocery store without thinking.  In the past I wrote about the Seafood Watch program and how you could use that to help you pick seafood.  Now, Greenpeace has launched a survey (PDF)that monitors the grocery stores to determine which ones are mindful of where they get their inventory.  Another section let's you search grocery stores by state along with other information.

Seafood is not excluded from the industrial food system and just like the rest of it we don't know where anything is coming from or how it gets to us.  Tools like this help consumers stay informed and make better choices.

Filter Your Tap Water

There are several reasons that you should filter your tap water.  I think it is a good idea so that you actually drink it and avoid bottled water.  We use a tap mounted model that works well in our area and takes out a lot of the chlorine.  Some kitchen faucet systems have an undersink filter that can be installed.  I found that system expensive and I couldn't gauge how long the filters would last.  Using the filtered water in reusable water bottles has made carrying something to drink a lot easier and cheaper for us.  Follow this link for information on filtering your tap water.

The odd thing about water is that we spend so much money on water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure we have a clean water supply yet millions drink bottled water. 

Green Power

Yesterday, the Canadian province of Ontario announced a deal with a Korean consortium led by Samsung to produce renewable electricity and manufacture the equipment.  The idea is to create new generating capacity and build an industrial infrastructure for the production of renewable energy equipment.  Sounds like a good idea but only time will tell if the investment materializes and the power is produced.  According to the reports 16,000 jobswill be created.  Also a positive goal but I am always skeptical of these job creation announcements because you never really know how they calculate that number.  It could be a positive development for a North American renewable energy industry as we may see the establishment of a major industrial hub for the production of the equipment.  I'm sure the government is hoping to create something akin to what Detroit is (was) for the automotive industry.  On the surface it is a positive but the true costs of the  job subsidies that always come with these large projects and the cost of renewable electricity subsidies will determine if this works. 

Eating Healthy vs. The Environment

Most people want to eat healthy.  Some people include organic fruits and vegetables as part of their diet to achieve that.  What about the carbon footprint of that food?  If you live in a norther climate it is pretty tough to find produce in January.  Does getting your fresh, organic spinach shipped in from California or Mexico negate the positive aspect of it being organic?  Do you trade your health for the environment?  In my opinion, this is one of the toughest aspects of environmentalism for consumers.  What do you think and what choices do you make?

Privatizing Profits and Socializing Losses

I heard this phrase on the radio or somewhere and it really made me think. Privatizing profits and socializing losses was used to refer to the banking situation in the United States but I think it is a good slogan for the types of regulations employed. When something is lucrative it stays private but if there is risk of loss we share. It made me wonder about environmental regulations and how it might apply. Any ideas?

Athletes and Fast Food

With the Olympics less than a month away I'm sure you've noticed the ads for everything. The ones that I find the strangest are for fast food. I don't get the connection between athletes and fast food. While I realize that the company wants to enhance their image I find something wrong with elite athletes hocking food that is generally unhealthy. In my view it is getting revolting. I don't like the food in the first place but using Olympic athletes to sell it is a bigger turn off. It's not like they are eating salads in the commercials either. Maybe I'm too picky about this stuff.

I know I've said this before

I will be posting more regularly soon. There is a Facebook page now and Twitter too. Everything will be back on track shortly with all the good stuff you've come to expect.