Who would have thought that air-quality issues would ever be an issue at an Olympic venue? But in fact, there looms a huge smog problem front and center during this year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Right up to this week (and counting), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is wondering if Beijing, the mega city that boasts 17 million people (many of whom, having left their farms, commute into the city for a chance for better pay and a better life), will follow through on its commitment for improved city air quality in time for the games. (Now the IOC has concerns about this?)
The plan was to enforce time restrictions on smog-producing traffic and factory emissions for the two months leading up to the games. But this proposal, which promised uncertain results at best, appears to be an insufficient solution. That a more comprehensive and definitive plan was not in place prior to the IOC granting the 2008 Games to Beijing baffles me. Obviously, it's far too late now, as the final details are falling into place and many athletes have begun their trek to Beijing for pre-Olympic acclimation training. Knowing that these world-class athletes train and compete most of their lives, often with the goal of achieving elite-level status and the opportunity to represent their countries in the prestigious Olympic Games, you would think that choosing the most optimal location would be a priority for the IOC. In the current scenario, there are no guarantees, and it appears that there are no checks and balances, just a promise and a prayer.
This is truly a lost opportunity for Beijing to secure its place on the global map as a visible mega city leader of clean air quality, self-sustainable industry and innovative organic farming. What a shame the cost of not doing so is so high and affects so many.
Let the Games begin!
While on vacation recently, my daughter and I decided we needed some relief from the sun, so we snuck away for an afternoon film about a trash compactor. I was hesitant, though, wondering of all things, what Hollywood would come up with next. However I was completely charmed! Two hours later and despite the fact that the first half of the film is silent, I didn't want it to end. My heart was touched as I was thrown into the world of WALL-E, a futuristic glimpse at a passionate, dutiful, savior-of-the-last-green-thing-on-the-planet trash compactor who was the last one on earth left to clean up the humans' mess. To say the least, I was riveted!
An Eery Similarity
Hats off to Pixar! Kids and adults alike were thrown messages that were easily digested. I pondered and used my imagination without being beaten over the head to "get it." From the looks of it in that theatre, we were all drawn in and taken away to a world that, interestingly enough, was not too far away from where we live today: personal high-tech devices in overdrive; fewer and fewer personal connections giving way to TV watching; epidemic nutritional concerns fueled by fast food at every meal; robot-like powerful and omnipresent characters; an environment (or lack thereof) in peril; computers running the world; and so on. Eerily, the similarities between film and real life continued to match up.
WALL-E grabbed me with his commitment to save the last bit of green life at all costs, even if his motivation was for the love of his life. During a skirmish between good and evil and when given the choice to save himself or the green plant, WALL-E chose to save the planet for the sake of humanity. Such selflessness is endearing in a character that doesn’t even have a real heart. The environment, incredible waste, choices we make in the name of love, lack of mindfulness, and standing up for something meaningful are just a few of the general themes fueling this sweet yet sadly reflective tale.
Time to Reboot
I walked away with a refreshed commitment to the environment. I will remind myself to walk or bike ride instead of driving the car to the store, and to run back into the house for my reusable cloth grocery bags when I forget them. I want to make these small efforts and more before our environmental problems spin further out of control. I hate needing to learn a lesson more than once. Do we need a major catastrophe or apocalypse as in WALL-E to change our current behavior?
For further validation, ask a child about the film and really listen to the response. When we were leaving the theater, my 6-year-old said, "We've really got to do something, Mom!" "You are absolutely right!" I replied emphatically. Since then, I have noticed a piqued awareness on her part. She has dutifully reminded me to turn off my car when idling for under a minute, turn off the water immediately when washing dishes and brushing teeth, and to roll down the car windows instead of turning on the AC. She and her friends are thinking, so why can't we? What is going to take to wake us up?
Without question, WALL-E is a must-see for those who need a reboot in order to reset their innate green button!
PLUS: See what iVillagers are saying about the movie!
A Food Fight of Epic Proportions
Before making a purchase at the market, do you ever stop to think about how it was grown or what quality assurances are in place? Well, I certainly have. Can it really be true that big business gets away with making record profits even at the cost of the consumer's health? How could this be?
Ever since my cancer diagnosis last year, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, listening and reading about all of this. Most recently, after a conversation with concerned mom Robyn O’Brien (AllergyKids.com), who's fighting to make food safer for our children and families, I was left slack-jawed by the information I was hearing. Here’s a mother of four allergy-ridden children who is right smack dab in the middle of a food fight of epic proportions that's only getting messier.
Demanding Disclosure
We really need to take control of this formidable situation. We should be reading more labels, demanding more complete disclosure, refusing to buy products that don't measure up, and discussing the "possible" contamination of our food supply for the gains of big business. Food is becoming less of a nutritional substance and more of a fabrication of what we once thought food was. Instead of fortifying us, it is often tearing us down, rendering our families sick—very sick.
So why are children developing autism, cancer and autoimmune disorders in record numbers? Scratch beneath the surface, and I bet you’ll be led right back to food and environmental conditions.
What can help? Eating clean, fresh, nutritious, non-chemically treated food. But not everyone can afford to “go organic” as the cost of food—especially chemical-free food—has skyrocketed. However, eating some organic is better than none, and why not drink RBGH-free milk products, for extra bonus points! One suggestion to keep the costs down is to figure out which foods you eat most frequently and make those your organic choices. Think of this investment as additional health insurance. In the long run, it can prove worth the additional expense when you save on a slew of medical bills!
Big Change
So what then? How can we bring our food back to the way it was a half-century ago? Well, big changes have to occur. Perhaps we need to separate the Food and Drug Administration into two agencies in order to ensure a secure line of checks and balances between the food industry and the drug industry. One should not feed off of the other. Any way you slice it, changes need to be made, and it all begins with a discussion and an acknowledgment of the problem.
To learn more, check out the movie The Future of Food, by Deborah Koons Garcia (2004).
Also on iVillage:
It's ridiculous! Why has it taken me so long to commit to riding my bike more consistently to the store, the gym, my daughter’s school, and our local pool? I’ve always done it on occasion, but I am embarrassed about how mindless I've been.
Knowing that small steps can lead to big and lasting change, it’s better late than never. For those of you who are scratching your heads in reaction to the current astronomical gas prices and the poignant realization of our over-reliance on the slick black stuff, it’s time to get the bicycle out from the back of the garage, pump up your tires, and make use of a fantastic alternate mode of local transportation.
It is definitely my time to step up my commitment to traveling locally by bicycle... but did I have to feel the increased need on the hottest days of the year thus far?! And when I get a passionate idea in my head, there’s no stopping me; I just do what I need to do, sweat and all. So my daughter and I have been gallivanting around town on my bike with the child extender and crocodile horn, encouraging each other to go faster and taking turns singing. We enjoy our time peddling together, have made it fun and have learned that if you go fast enough, you can catch a breeze, no matter how humid it may be. Gifts present themselves when you least expect them!
Happy peddling!
With the rising demand for ethanol and other biofuels in wealthy countries, including the U.S. and Great Britain, and the demand for a more protein-rich diet in developing countries like China, the world is struggling to cope with the enormity of the shift in supply and demand that has gradually been taking place over the past five years. Soaring world food prices have ignited protests and killings in Haiti and prompted violent outbursts in bread lines throughout Egypt. Worldwide international aid is scrambling to help poorer nations cope with the skyrocketing food prices that are now the result of low food reserves, higher energy prices and grain crops being converted to biofuel.
The effects of our living without regard to our gross amount of food waste and fuel consumption is finally catching up with us. Until we address accountability of our actions and realize that what we do over “here” affects people over “there,” the food/fuel crisis will continue to spiral out of control, taking us right down with it into poverty and malnutrition. Can that really happen? Let’s not test the water.
The good news is that because it is a situation we’ve created, we are the ones who can turn it around! It’s time we pick up the slack, tighten our belts and hunker down to some honest soul-searching by asking, “What is my part in all of this, and how can I make a difference?”
So here are some of the things I’ve come up with:
- First, whether making choices as a nation or as individuals, let’s remember Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”
- When it comes to buying food, make sure we buy only what we need in order to reduce spoilage waste.
- Globally, nations that supply the world with grain need to stop driving prices up by hoarding their reserves.
- Let’s support our local farmers with gusto! Farmers who are not government-subsidized need to stay in business in order to help ease the food burden as a whole.
- Globally, grand-scale assistance for small farmers in developing countries needs to be enacted to make sure they have seeds and fertilizer in order to expand production.
- Check in with the businesses and local establishments that you patronize to encourage them to recycle if they are not already doing so. And don’t forget the local schools! I am surprised at how few establishments in my hometown recycle, but I’m working on it. Remember that the adage “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” holds true, so keep at it!
- Last but not least, read all you can to educate yourself about biofuels and the current world hunger crisis. The two are related, and something’s got to give. Make it a priority to educate yourself and act on this important issue.
As a part of your research, you might want to check out WorldBank.org.
