The Organic Apple Debate

I understand the trend of buying organic food. But for a couple of different reasons, I think that non-organic apples are the better option. First of all, organic apples are usually much more expensive.* At the local QFC here in Seattle an organic Gala from New Zealand or an organic Fuji from Japan can cost up to $2.49 per pound. Considering the economic climate I think that everyone could stand to save at the grocery store. I will take a Washington Red Delicious for $0.88 per pound any day of the week. Not only are you saving a buck, you're supporting the local economy. Eating local has a ton of advantages, and I personally feel better about supporting local farmers than I do about not eating pesticides, which is another alleged drawback to non-organic fruit. On the topic of pesticides, Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health says that "keeping herbicide and pesticide levels as low as possible does make sense, although there is no clear evidence that these increase health risks at the levels consumed currently in the US." I think that it's more important to increase the level of fruit consumption in general rather than concentrate on how much pesticide we intake.

*My uncle that works in the fruit industry once told me that he has seen the price of organic apples actually fall below the price of regular apples due to their not-so-appealing appearance.

GOE: Best Green Blog?

Well...probably not.  At least, not yet.  But Green Over Everything is now listed on www.bestgreenblogs.com.  You can see the page here: http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/green-over-everything/.  Feel free to give GOE a high ranking on the page if you want to help us out.  Thanks for all the support over the last few months and we will try to keep the green flowing!

A Green Stock Ready To Make You Some Green

One "green" stock I really think is well positioned for the future is Broadwind Energy Inc (BWEN). Broadwind supplies products and services to North American wind energy companies. They manufacture many parts used in wind turbines including the towers. They also have a fleet of trucks to transport and install turbines. As solar continues to struggle a bit, we can expect larger investments in wind energy in the near future. Here in Washington State, there have been large investments in wind turbines and they can be seen throughout the central and southern parts of the state. BWEN is currently trading at $5.58 a share, with a 52-week high of $12.49. I expect this stock to really take off as new legislation forces the need for more clean energy. Now should be a fairly good entry point for long term investors, but there is a chance for it to fall if the economy struggles emerging from the recession.

Coral Reefs, Antibiotic Resistance, & the Precautionary Principle

Some researchers at North Carolina State University are currently working with a natural compound found in coral that is able to fight off diseases that antibiotics cannot. The significance? This compound could be used to fight off bacterial infections such as chlorea and staph. It may also be used to fight off future potentially disastrous diseases that may arise.

Coral reefs have been severely damaged by humans over the past century. If it were not for awareness and proactive solutions to conserving these reefs, there is a chance they could have been nearly lost altogether by now. This is just another example of why we need to follow the precautionary principle. That is, human actions must be proven to not be harmful to ecosystems. We cannot simply destroy natural areas because there is no obvious benefit to conserving the areas. Organisms such as coral reefs may prove to someday save human-kind, and we need to preserve biodiversity as much as possible so that we don't lose something that ends up being invaluable.

Saving Trees With Ali G

Seeing previews for the new Bruno movie reminded me of one of my favorite Ali G clips. You can watch it here. A little before two minutes into the video he talks to some real funny hippies; my personal favorite is Whisper, but Grasshopper is pretty cool too.

Is bison meat better for you and the environment?

Could bison meat (buffalo) be nature's wonder meat? It seems so. Buffalo meat has less calories, fat, and cholesterol than skinless chicken, beef, pork, and even sockeye salmon. It also has more iron than all the aforementioned meats and more vitamin B12 than all but salmon. I just had a bison burrito a few days ago, and it was delicious. It tastes similart to beef, but a little more lean and tender. Not gamey tasting at all. It sounds almost too good to be true, but check this link out for the actual nutritional info.

http://www.beechhillbison.com/buffalo_nutrition.html

Not so concerned about your health but concerned about the planet? Bison offers a great source of protein without many of the negative effects of cattle. First of all, buffalo are native to our country and live off natural land very efficeintly. Unlike cows who were brought here from overseas, buffalo need very little water (cows use about half of the US's water supply). They also do not release the enormous amount of methane that cows do through their breathing. The majority of bison meat producers use natural techniques to raise the bison, and the animals are free to range and grass fed. So next time you feel like some red meat, be sure to check out the bison meat if it's available at the grocery store. There are also many online dealers; just Google bison meat and look for a dealer in your region.

AIDS, Nile Perch, Mass Extinctions, Prostitution, and Pilots from the Ukraine

What's the connection?  Well, if you eat Nile Perch, you are contributing to AIDS, mass extinctions, prostitution, and grimy Ukrainian pilots (no offense to all the Ukranian readers).  The Nile Perch was introduced to Lake Victoria (this is apparently the birthplace of mankind) in Africa about 50 years ago.  Since then, the species has caused the extinction of 100's of fish species.  It is a huge predator and is the sole source of income for many fishing villages in Tanzania.  Unfortunately, these villages are extremely poor and the fishermen get close to nothing for their hard work.  

The documentary Darwin's Nightmare showcases the tragedies in the region.  Nearly all the women and girls are subject to prostitution, AIDS spreads quicker than butter, and dirty, fat Ukrainian pilots who fly out the fish get to bang any Tanzanian woman they want.  It is a really depressing documentary, but definitely worth checking out.  See http://www.darwinsnightmare.com/darwin/html/startset.htm for more, and don't eat Nile Perch unless it's on sale for at least 25% off.