A Solution to Deforestation- Saving the Amazon Rainforest by Producing a Useful Product

Over the past 40 years more than 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down- more than in all the previous 450 years since European colonization began. In 2008 the government of Brazil began a new program to sustain the forest by the traditional tapping of the native rubber trees to make condoms given free to the populace.

The Amazon rainforest provides more than 20% of the world’s oxygen (the “world’s lungs” as some call it), has unparalleled biodiversity, and supports numerous indigenous cultures. The indigenous tribes of the forest live off and with the land as their ancestors have. Cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, along with soybean cultivation, subsistence farming, logging, and mining.

The Natex company established a condom manufacturing facility which can produce 100 million condoms a year from local rubber in western Brazil. “This product will allow people to make love with security and to better plan their futures,” said Raimundo Barros, vice president of the local agricultural association. And it can provide income for 700 rubber tappers and 150 factory employees and their families. Apart from earnings for the collected rubber, the tappers receive a payment for “environmental services” to acknowledge their important role in maintaining the forest.

Sebastiao Mendes, a third generation rubber tapper, explained that “the forest has been a source of income for my people for a very long time. In recent times there have been threats to our way of life, but these have been overcome. The condom factory has enabled us to improve our standard of living without destroying our surroundings which we are happy about.” Marina Silva, Brazil’s Environment Minister at the time, said the Natex condom would help create “a new pattern of production and a new process of inclusion that would value the forest being left standing.”

The Xapuri people who have knowledge of traditional rubber tapping live on the Chico Mendes reserve. Chico Mendes saw the rubber tappers as natural custodians of the forest as an “extractive reserve.” He took up a position of leadership within their community and was killed by ranchers in 1988. He is quoted as saying, “At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees. Then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I am fighting for humanity.”

A movie ‘The Burning Season’ and book of the same title written by Andrew Revkin were done about Mendes, as well as a documentary called ‘Rubber Jungle.’ Paul McCartney dedicated the song ‘How Many People?’ from his 1989 album ‘Flowers in the Dirt’ to the memory of Mendes.Rubber trees are one of the main forms of vegetation in tropical rain forests. Harvesting natural rubber can be as profitable and more beneficial in the long run than raising cattle on deforested land. And rubber is used in everything from tires to flooring to handbags!

Other products like Brazil nuts, acai berries, bananas, coffee, cocoa, mangos, avocados, babassu oil, bananas, herbal tea, and zmedicinal herbs are native to the rainforest and can be sustainably harvested and sold as well. This market-driven conservation benefits everyone involved because communities can profit from the forest without annihilating it, and provide excellent products to consumers at the same time.

LA Hair Just Got Hotter

I cannot rave enough about my experience at Fred Segal Salon with the owner Matthew Preece and the Formula LA shampoo and conditioner I was gifted! I had my hair cut and colored on February 23rd, yes February 23rd, and it still looks amazing 14 weeks later – incredible!

When I walked into Fred Segal Salon in Santa Monica, I was immediately taken in by the zen energy and ambiance. They actually have a yoga studio there, so you can take a yoga class, get a blowout after and be on with the rest of your day looking fab – pretty incredible right? As a Los Angeles native for the past eight years I’m all about making one stop, getting a lot done and avoiding that little thing we call traffic.

Mr. Preece is a yogi himself, so when I asked why he decided to put a yoga studio in his salon he responded, “Yoga and hair just go together” – well said sir! Then he proceeded to give me the most beautiful caramel colored highlights that brightened up my whole face and a killer cut that I’ve been rockin ever since.

A huge part of the longevity of my color and health of my hair is thanks to Formula LA’s shampoo and conditioner! Formula LA is a shampoo specifically made for Angelenos living and dealing with the harsh Los Angeles climate. Between the sun, dry air, smog and hard water – we can get some seriously stressed out, unhappy hair.

“Yoga and hair just go together”

Luckily both the shampoo and conditioner contain extra moisturizers and even sunscreen to fight back against LA, so that your hair can stay soft and shiny despite the weather. They even contain ingredients that prevent the minerals found in Los Angeles’ water from binding to your hair, so your hair is cleaner than ever! And did I mention it smells great? Light and citrusy!

I highly recommend getting your hair “did’ at Fred Segal Salon Santa Monica: www.fredsegalbeauty.com/spa and keeping your hair looking fabulous with Formula LA: www.formulacosmetics.com

Review by Stuart Brazell

For the Children

From her home in Australia, to the slums of Bangladesh, Amanda Ryan is an earth angel who is proving that age and experience mean little when it comes to making a big difference.

When you read Amanda’s resume, its hard to believe she was in high school just four years ago. The Bachhara company director, founder of JAAGO Australia and fair-trade fashion designer has never let her age or lack of formal experience stop her from achieving what most others could only dream of.

She left her hometown of Wollongong, Australia, at 16 to live and study in Japan. This led her to work for an international non-profit organization and later to travel through India volunteering for charitable organisations. Amanda discovered while the need and chaos of India overwhelmed many people, it balanced her out. So, she began searching for new opportunities to live and work in Asia – a quest which led her to the slums of Bangladesh and the people of JAAGO.

Describe yourself when you were young… did you always know you wanted to make a difference?
When I was young I guess you could say I was the class clown and constantly in trouble. But I was always extremely interested in international politics and what was going on in the world. In high school I would often attend events on human rights, making the long trek by myself on a train from Wollongong
to Sydney.

Ive always known I would do something along the lines of what I am doing now. My current path a been shaped and molded along the way as I have learnt more about myself, the world and what I can do in it. There was never really a point where I said “okay now Im going to be a charity worker or philanthropist”. Its more the fact that Im choosing to be a human being who sees all other human beings as my equal and they deserve my respect and as much assistance as I have within my power to give.

What is it about JAAGO and Bangladesh that speaks to you?
My first international volunteer stint was to India. As soon as I arrived in Delhi I felt like I had returned home. I think the chaos of countries like India and Bangladesh level out the chaos of my personality and I feel a real sense of peace being there.

After volunteering at a leprosy colony and girls orphanage in India I realized this is what I wanted to do with myself and I set about trying to research how I could open up and school that would allow children to have the basic right of being able to dream of a bright future. I was deeply saddened in India when I saw that the dreams I had as a child of being a teacher or a doctor or a dancer. Is not a luxury these children have. For me if I could not pursue my dreams I would not be me. Because I can pursue my dreams I am making a contribution to the advancement of our world. Just thinking about all the wasted potential of these beautiful children is heart breaking for them and unfortunate for the whole world.

When doing research about organizations that had a similar ideal to my own about non discriminative assistance, I came across Korvi Rakshand and the Jaago foundation. Two weeks after introducing myself to Jaago founder Korvi over email I quit my job was on a plane and arriving in Bangladesh with my life savings to volunteer for two months.

How has the work youve done so far made a difference?
I dont really know what we measure making a difference on. But I know that 320 children who never had a chance to go to school now have a chance to because of Jaago. This will grow to around 600 by next year with the development of two new schools being built. I think the real difference is the difference.

What is your day-to-day life like?
At the moment my day-to-day life is pretty crazy. A week feels like a day and a month feels like a week. Natalie (Bachhara business partner) and I are extremely passionate about our vision and live and breathe Bachhara constantly. On top of that I am also working on getting Jaago Australia the charity established and trying to help out a school for autistic children in Bangladesh. Im just extremely thankful I have an amazingly supportive partner and family surrounding me.

How can others help?
The thing I really love about Bachhara is that it is so easy to help. Since I have started my work in Bangladesh so many people have contacted me wanting to know how they can help and up until now I have not had an easy way to give people the “how” to help. Women especially always want to look beautiful and as Westerners we will always shop and consume. Bachhara gives you a chance to still do those things without the guilt. You know that youre supporting an intuitive cause that is providing ��real change in the lives of so many disadvantaged people in Bangladesh.

When are you next off to Bangladesh?
Natalie and I will both be heading to Bangladesh in January to start production of our summer 2011 line. We both love being in Bangladesh very much. Our sewing centre is just off the Jaago Foundation school in the Rayer Bazar slum. We have become familiar faces in the slum area, much to the amusement of the locals. Two tall white women with kids hanging off us constantly provides quiet a show for the local slum dwellers.

How are you helping autistic kids in Bangladesh?
I assist at a school that autistic students. In Bangladesh, autism is something most people know nothing about. Most autistic children are given to an orphanage at birth or they spend their lives indoors in their family home to avoid public embarrassment. I came across a school that happened to keep receiving a large number of students who were autistic yet not diagnosed. I have been doing my best to introduce them to people who know more about autism and provide as much awareness and education on the disability they are dealing with.

The Little Things

From ruby red raspberries to earthy dumplings with a difference, raw vegan chef Ani Phyo shows small treats can have a big impact. Ani shares two of her favourite recipes with Diary of a Vegan from her new bestseller: Anis Raw Food Essentials (see book for full recipe details).

CUSTARD TARTLETS
MAKES ABOUT 6 TARTLETS

To make tartlets, which are traditionally small pastry crusts, divide and press Basic Piecrust into the compartments in a tartlet pan to make individual mini pies. These tiny pies are filled with Whipped Cashew Kream, and topped with a variety of fruits for a beautiful display.

1 recipe Basic Piecrust (page 263), made with almond meal

2 recipes Whipped Cashew Kream (page 266)

Your favorite small fruits for topping each tartlet, such as 1 blackberry, 3 blueberries, 1 raspberry, or cacao nibs

Line the compartments of a tartlet or multiple brioche pan with plastic wrap first, then press the piecrust firmly into the pan. Remove by gently lifting up the plastic wrap.

Next, spoon the whipped kream into each tartlet. Top each tartlet decoratively with one type of fruit or the cacao nibs.

Serve immediately, or keep in the fridge.

Will keep for 2 or 3 days in the fridge.

KOREAN DUMPLINGS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Traditionally, to make dumplings, a shredded vegetable filling is enclosed in a circular wrapper thats folded over the filling. Its easy to make, but making your filling, then stuffing all your wrappers, can take a bit of time. This is a fun thing to do with friends and kids, as extra sets of hands will speed up your process.

WRAPPERS

1 recipe Tomato Wrappers (page 173), dehydrated as directed, cut into 16 squares about 31?2 inches across

FILLING
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1?2 cup Green Cabbage Kimchi (page 131), squeezed dry and sliced finely

(if you dont have kimchi handy, see note below)

3?4 cup finely chopped lettuce, such as iceberg, bok choy, or romaine

11?4 cups finely chopped bean sprouts, or your favorite sprout

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (about 1 whole green onion)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, for flavor, or raw if you prefer

Place all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to mix well. Squeeze out all excess liquid completely before using. Make sure the filling is drained well, otherwise your wrapper will get soggy quickly.

Place a wrapper square in the palm of your hand, shiny side up. (The side that dehydrated against the Paraflexx liner needs to be facing upward.) Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of your wrapper, and fold and seal a pocket in the shape of a triangle. Then fold so that the two far edges of the triangle meet, and pinch together. See Mandu Making, page 238.

Serve with Soy Vinegar Dipping Sauce (page 239).

KIMCHI SUBSTITUTE: If you dont have kimchi on hand, use . cup of shredded napa cabbage tossed with . teaspoon of Nama Shoyu or Bragg Liquid Aminos, a pinch of cayenne (to taste), 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. Set aside to marinate and soften for at least 5 minutes before using. Be sure to squeeze out all excess liquid before using.

Mandu Making

TO MAKE YOUR mandu, follow these easy steps:

• Make sure your wrapper is shiny side up. The side that was against the Paraflexx liner should face upward.
• Squeeze all excess liquid from your filling, the drier the better. Any moisture will damage your wrappers.
• Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of your square wrapper.
• Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle, sealing in the filling, and secure the edges closed by pressing firmly.
• Join the corners of your triangle and secure into a ring shape by squeezing together. A drop of water on the corners will help to hold it together if needed.

Alternatively, instead of using dehydrated wrappers, which can tend to get soggy when filled with moist fillings, use very thinly sliced daikon radish. Set out at room temperature for 30 minutes to wilt and soften, then fill and fold over into a stuffed semicircle.

Find out more at www.aniphyo.com. Buy your own copy of Anis Raw Food Essentials here.

A Chemical-Free Bottle for Baby

Parents now have an alternative to the toxic plastic bottles, which research has shown leaches the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) into food and drink.

Jen Moore, founder of Pura Stainless, has developed an electro-polished stainless steel bottle thats BPA free, hygienic, lightweight and durable. Best of all, it wont leach chemicals into the drink inside.

The product is also the first and only infant and toddler bottle to be designed to work with wide neck nipples.

The Green Dove caught up with Jen to get the lowdown on her new award-winning bottles and to get her thoughts on why the public has only recently been told about the cancer-causing chemical, BPA.

What was the inspiration behind the product?

Pura Stainless was created with a simple vision: to make a difference by responsibly manufacturing a safe, durable, and cost-effective alternative to bottled water and the inadequate reusable bottles available to consumers. While our legacy product is a line of stainless steel adult bottles, we founded the company with a goal of producing the first adaptable and 100% plastic free bottle in the world.

As you know, the Pura Kiki bottle is the first and only infant and toddler bottle to be designed to work with wide neck nipples and spouts from a variety of manufacturers and comprise a stainless steel cap.

Next Page »