Peppermint leaves and oil contain the therapeutic ingredient menthol which can ease nausea & vomiting, improve digestion & reduce heartburn, dissolve gallstones, stop bad breath, control muscles aches & chronic pain, clear congestion & coughs

U.S. Supermarket Trader Joes Ranked Worst Nationally (Again)

In the third edition of Greenpeace’s seafood sustainability scorecard Carting Away the Oceans, more than half of the leading supermarket chains in the U.S. have  made some sign of progress in increasing the sustainability of their seafood operations.

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Skip the chemical-laden (cancer-causing) sunblock. Up your intake of antioxidant-rich spirulina, which is a natural UV protector.

A Guide to Getting Unstuck

Ever thought about why you get stuck? I’m sure you have. There are entire industries built around productivity. There are multitudes of books, seminars, webinars, podcasts, blog posts, desktop apps, email apps, mobile apps, and physical products centered around helping you get things done. They are supposed to help you get unstuck, right? Because if you weren’t stuck, you wouldn’t need any of those things to keep you going.

But what if you didn’t need any of those things? What if you could solve all of your “problems” with getting things done with one simple question?

So the question is: Do I care?

Sure, sometimes you may have to do things you don’t really care to do. You probably don’t care much for cleaning litter boxes and filing your taxes. That’s a given. But we’re talking about the big things here, like the work you devote your life to.

Do you care about it? Be honest with yourself. Do you really care?

If you don’t care, allow that to be okay. At least you’re acknowledging the fact that you don’t care. Now you know that it’s not a water-tight productivity system you need to get you motivated. What you need is work that you give a damn about.

The first step is allowing yourself to not care and being honest with what you do care about it. That’s where most people get stuck. A lot of people spend their lives working on things they don’t care about, because they think it doesn’t matter that they don’t care. They think they’re supposed to suck it up and deal with it. Are you one of these people that believes it doesn’t matter if you don’t care about your work? It’s okay if you are. I used to be this way, too.

Then I realized something.

I discovered that not only is it valid to care about the work you do, it’s absolutely necessary. I used to think that you didn’t have a choice, or that doing work you love was some kind of luxury for the retired or gifted. And you know why? Because we’re taught that we can’t get paid to be ourselves. We’re taught that we need to become something in order to earn a paycheck.

Here’s some refreshing news: That’s an assumption.

More refreshing still: Just because a huge number of people believe in an assumption, doesn’t mean it’s true.

A lot of people once assumed the world was flat. And a lot of people now assume that work and play are not meant to coexist, that life must be a struggle. But the simple fact is, your life is a gift. To spend that gift in drudgery and grim duty is a waste.

So here’s the question you might want to ask now: How can I do what I care about?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Do something amazing.
• Start a revolution.
• Learn to give up caring about all the unimportant things.
• Pull out all the mental weeds to allow room for the things you care about to grow.
• Create a legacy project.
• Do something Epic.
• If you allow yourself to stop caring about the things you don’t really care about, something amazing will start to happen. Once you move out all that attentional garbage, you finally create room for the things you love to take up residence in your life.

This article was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind.  Photo: whatmegsaid Flickr Creative Commons.

Insulating Paints No Miracle Energy Saver

Do insulating paints actually insulate and save energy? If they do, are they environmentally friendly to use? — Bob Dibrindisi, Easthampton, MA

Paint additives that claim insulating qualities have been marketed since the late 1990s, but energy research organizations have not confirmed their insulating value. For its part, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not recommend using paints or coatings in place of traditional bulk insulation. “We haven’t seen any independent studies that can verify their insulating qualities,” the agency reports. The federal government does rate roofing paint for its energy efficiency, but such findings only take into account a substance’s ability to reflect heat off the roof—not its insulating properties per se—to keep the building cooler.

According to the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the use of so-called insulated paints is in most cases “difficult to justify on the basis of savings in energy costs alone.” Meanwhile, the non-profit EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse, a partnership between Washington State University and the nonprofit Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, found that under ideal circumstances insulating paints can achieve a “reduction in heat gain” of around 20 percent on freshly-painted sun-exposed walls, but notes that such walls will only face direct sunlight for a limited part of even the clearest summer day. Also, the clearinghouse reports that “heat gain reductions…are significant only for sun-bathed surfaces” and that the “reflectivity of the painted surface generally declines considerably with time.”

Alex Wilson of the website BuildingGreen.com is not a fan of insulating paints: “To say that there is a lot of hype about insulating paints…is an understatement,” he tells the website Treehugger.com. “The Internet is rife with claims of paints that dramatically reduce heat transfer—usually based on some technological magic spun off from NASA. While these products may have some relevance in the extreme conditions of outer space, manufacturers of paints containing [insulating additives] are making claims that defy the laws of physics…when they claim they can save significant energy in buildings.”

Nevertheless, for certain applications, especially in concert with traditional forms of insulation underneath, insulating paint can help reduce energy expenditures and air conditioning bills accordingly. For those who want to forge ahead with insulating paint despite the limited benefits, some of the leading brands to look for include Insuladd, Hy-Tech, Therma-Guard and Eagle Coatings’ SuperTherm.

Adding insulating paint should merely be the icing on the cake of an otherwise well-conceived plan to cut heating and cooling costs. Installing a traditional form of insulation would be the first defense. A reflective, radiant barrier on the roof structure in the attic also could offer significant help, according to the Florida Solar Energy Center. Thermal-pane windows and energy-conscious practices will contribute to the effort. Finally, consider trees and other landscape shading, which the U.S. Department of Energy recommends as an effective way of passively cooling your home. For more ideas, visit the “do-it-yourself energy audit tool” on the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Home Energy Saver website.

CONTACTS: U.S. EPA, www.epa.gov; EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse, www.energyideas.org; Insuladd, www.insuladd.com, Hy-Tech, www.hytechsales.com; Eagle Coatings, www.eaglecoatings.net; Therma-Guard, www.befreetech.com/thermaguard.htm; Home Energy Saver, www.hes.lbl.gov.

EarthTalkTM
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.

I’m Gonna Help You Sleep

By Cynthia Morgan

Give Yourself Permission
Each night as you lay your head down to sleep say, “I allow myself to sleep peacefully and restfully.” And believe it. Your subconscious mind can help you sleep but it needs direction.

Balloon Repository
Imagine yourself in a beautiful field, and there’s a hot air balloon with a basket suspended beneath it and tied to the ground. Put everything on your mind into the basket—all worries, concerns, issues, people and things. One by one empty your mind. Now untie the balloon. Lie back on the grass and watch it slowly float away, up higher and higher into the sky. See it move farther from sight until it becomes so small and distant that it disappears.

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Oil Shale No Solution to Global Warming

Are the United States’ vast oil shale resources a potential source of energy? – Larry LeDoux, Honolulu, HI

Oil shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains significant amounts of kerogen, a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds that can be converted into synthetic liquid fuel similar to oil, or into shale gas similar to petroleum-derived natural gas. Geologists believe there is more oil shale out there in the rocks of the world—three trillion barrels worth of fuel—than there is oil in existing reserves globally.

Oil shale has been mined extensively in Brazil, China, Estonia, Germany, Israel and Russia, but up to two-thirds of the world’s supply lies in the Green River basin of the western United States, including parts of Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. To date, these American oil shale resources remain virtually untapped, but an 11th hour executive order by the Bush administration in 2008 put two million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land across Wyoming, Utah and Colorado up for lease to oil shale extractors.

Other nations with oil shale reserves have been mining them for decades for power generation and other uses, but American enthusiasm has run hot and cold, depending on oil prices. The U.S. was bullish on oil shale during the 1970’s oil shocks, but when gas prices fell again, so did the enthusiasm for oil shale.

American companies didn’t look into mining domestic oil shale again until 2003—again, thanks to spiking oil prices. George W. Bush’s Energy Policy Act of 2005 officially opened federal lands to oil shale extraction. But then once again lowered oil prices, along with environmental concerns and growing enthusiasm for renewable energy sources left oil shale’s future in the U.S. again uncertain.

For their part, environmental groups are unequivocally against oil shale extraction. For one, extracting operations destroy affected landscapes, forcing plants and animals out, with regeneration unlikely for decades. Another big issue with oil shale extraction is water usage. The process requires as much as five barrels of water—for dust control, cooling and other purposes—for every barrel of shale oil produced.

Oil shale extraction is also very energy-intensive, and as such is no solution to our global warming woes. Researchers have found that a gallon of shale oil can emit as much as 50 percent more carbon dioxide than a gallon of conventional oil would over its given lifecycle from extraction to tailpipe.

Due to these concerns and others, 13 environmental groups, including the Wilderness Society, Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, teamed up in January 2009 to file suit against the federal government for opening up all that western U.S. land to oil shale development. The suit contends that the BLM failed to properly consider air quality and endangered species impacts in the region. The groups also contend that the development would require the construction of 10 new coal-fired power plants in order to get at and process the oil shale, significantly upping the carbon footprint of the entire region.

Green groups hope that the Obama administration will overturn Bush’s decision to lease development rights on the land, which is near three national parks in one of the least developed parts of the U.S.

CONTACTS: Bureau of Land Management, www.blm.gov; Wilderness Society, www.wilderness.org; Sierra Club, www.sierraclub.org; Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org.

EarthTalkTM
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.

Celebrating Vegan Earth Day

From celebrity speakers and must-see movies to live music and gourmet food, Vegan Earth Day was celebrated in grand style on longest day of the year today—summer solstice.

The solar-powered event, held in Los Angeles, attracted vegans, as well as those curious about the lifestyle. Veganism omits meat and dairy from the diet (as well as leather products from the wardrobe) and is generally adopted because of its outstanding health benefits, its respect for animals and the positive impact it has on the planet.

Guest speakers included Earthlings’ Shaun Monson, “Peace Mom” Cindy Sheehan, heart specialist Dr Caldwell Esselstyn, professional triathlete Rip Esselstyn, award-winning actor Marianna Tosca, actor Chris DeRose and others.

The Green Dove ventured out for some sunny vitamin D, delicious vegan fare and tons of education.

A rescued rabbit.

Women Unclear on Global Warming Causes: Survey

Results from the America’s first national Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment show that women want the country to move to clean energy sources—but they don’t completely understand the electricity sources used today, the impact of electricity on clean air and what causes global warming.

(Editor’s note: The number one cause of global warming is the raising and production of livestock.)

The nationally representative survey of 801 women 18 years or older, commissioned by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) in collaboration with the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE), shows women want the United States to move toward clean energy sources, and more than half (57%) are even willing to pay $30 more per month for it.

“Women have a huge stake in our nation’s energy future and can play a vital role in moving  our country toward clean sources of electricity, such as wind, solar and nuclear, that do not pollute the air we breathe or contribute to global warming,” said Barbara Kasoff, president of WIPP.  “With so much resting on the energy and environment policy decisions we make today, every woman’s voice counts now more than ever.”

The survey also shows:

• 77 percent of women take primary or equal responsibility for paying their electricity bills, including 9-in-10 (91 percent) of unmarried women and 7 in 10 (70 percent) of married women.

• Virtually all women (97 percent) are conserving electricity, and they are doing so through a broad range of steps such as lowering thermostats; turning off lights and appliances when not in use; purchasing energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs; keeping their homes cooler in winter; and installing energy-efficient appliances, doors, windows, or insulation.

• 91 percent of women, including 86 percent of married women, play a dominant or equal role in conserving electricity at home.

• When it comes to the country’s energy policy, twice as many women (43 percent) cite moving to clean energy over any other issue (reliability or affordability of electricity) as their most important goal.

• Women are enthusiastic about solar and wind energy, both clean energy sources: 90 percent and 89 percent, respectively think they should play a very or somewhat important role in our country’s energy future.

The report also found women are unclear about electricity’s effect on the environment. Electricity-generating power plants are the biggest cause of global warming in this country, more than cars and trucks or any other source.  However, only seven percent of women are aware of this.  So while women believe clean energy is very important, they do not completely understand the connection between electricity and the deterioration of our environment.

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Nature Park Welcomes Tourists, Saves Habitat

Goran Sušić may occasionally hug trees, but beyond that he’s a dedicated conservationist and a former scientist who recognizes there is more to tourism than Monte Carlo-esque six-star hotels.

He founded and runs the Eco Centre Caput Insulae at Beli in Croatia and is saving the rare, white headed Griffon vultures, as well as ponds, Liburnian trails, and forests, while creating magical labyrinths across the Tramuntana forest in the northern part of the island of Cres.

Goran started his quest to get close to the soul and spirit of Cres by throwing in a comfortable office job to follow his heart. He slept in the forests and on the beaches taking time to fully understand the island’s entire biosphere.

The Eco Centre Caput Insulae in Beli is part nature park, part sanctuary for the vultures and the centre is devoted to maintaining the habitat of these rare birds and to an overall holistic approach to the protection of the cultural and natural heritage of Cres together with the preservation of abandoned villages such as Beli. Baby vultures fallen from nests are saved (by boat) from drowning – there’s a hospital for injured ones and a hilltop feeding place.

Clearly marked nature and walking trails guide visitors, while an accompanying brochure explains the history, culture, flora and fauna of Cres, inclduing magical stones and plants used as libido suppressants for priests.

One of the trails, Exhibition of History and Art in Nature, is marked with white stones inscribed with words of local poet Andro vid Mihičić who started to write at 92 (only to die a few years later).

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