IS YOUR BABY PART OF A RISKY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT? NATIONAL COALITION CALLS ON BIG 3 INFANT FORMULA BRANDS TO REMOVE GMO INGREDIENTS AND PROTECT AMERICAN BABIES

Mounting Concerns About The Health Effects of Genetically Modified Ingredients And The Herbicides Used In Production Incite Consumer Action On Top-Selling Formula Companies to Remove GMOs

WASHINGTON, DC//May 1, 2013// Similac, Enfamil, and Gerber Good Start – which combined account for more than 90 percent of all infant formula sales in the US – are exposing American and Canadian babies to potentially grave health risks by using genetically modified ingredients. Commonly referred to as GMOs (genetically modified organisms), these ingredients have been banned or at least require a packaging label in more than 60 other countries including China, Mexico, Russia, and the entire European Union.

GMO Inside, a national, non-GMO coalition led by Green America, is calling on these brands’ parent companies (Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Nestlé), via an online petition, to remove GMO ingredients immediately as infants face particular health risks when it comes to consuming GMOs.

GMOs have never been proven safe for human consumption and a growing number of peer?reviewed studies show the negative health impacts of consuming GMOs on laboratory animals over their life span. Inadequate research has been conducted on the health impacts of GMOs on humans and infants; however, an increasing number of concerned parents and pediatricians have voiced that using GMOs in infant formula is far too large of a risk to take. Babies are particularly vulnerable when it comes to consuming GMOs as their digestive and immune systems are not fully developed and GMO crops have very high exposure to dangerous pesticides and herbicides such as Roundup. Infant livers do not reach maturity for about two years and therefore are less equipped to process toxins in the body, such as the high levels of chemicals used on genetically modified foods.

“For the infant that is unable to nurse I insist upon an organic commercial formula,” says pediatrician Michelle Perro. “Because of the toxic effects of herbicides, particularly glyphosate (due to its prolific usage) as well as other organophosphates and genetically engineered foods in non-organic commercial formulas, these are not an option for infant feeding. In order to ensure the health of our infants and children, there is no amount of acceptable herbicide or GMO that should be in their diets.”

Adding insult to injury, these companies all spent money to oppose GMO labeling in California last year, thus obstructing a parent’s right to know whether or not the first food they are feeding their newborns contains GMOs.

Unlike more than 60 countries around the world, the United States and Canada do not require companies to label and reveal their GMO ingredients to consumers. This means that American and Canadian babies are exposed to ingredients that parents in Europe, China, and elsewhere would never feed their children. In fact, due to these labeling requirements, all three companies offer non-GMO formula options to their consumers in Europe.

“It’s infuriating that parents in the United States are not given the same assurances as citizens in more than 60 other countries including China, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, when it comes to GM ingredients,” says Green America President Alisa Gravitz, “All parents have a right to healthy food options for their children.”

So who are these companies peddling these unhealthy infant formulas?

Throughout May, GMO Inside will call on Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Nestlé to remove their GMO ingredients, while also offering consumers suggestions for non-GMO choices.

Consumers can sign our petition to the companies here or take action with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GmoInside

ABOUT GMO INSIDE:
GMO Inside is a coalition of businesses, organizations, and individuals that support a healthy, GMO-free food system. The GMO Inside steering committee is made up of the following organizations and individuals and convened by Green America:

Food Democracy Now! is a grassroots community dedicated to building a sustainable food system that protects our natural environment, sustains farmers and nourishes families. Food Democracy Now! members know we can build a food system that gives our communities equal access to healthy food, and respects the dignity of the farmers who produce it. We believe in recreating regional food systems, supporting the growth of humane, natural and organic farms, and protecting the environment.

GMO Free USA works to harness education, advocacy, and bold action to foster consumer rejection of genetically modified organisms, until they are proven safe. They support the labeling of GMO foods with the ultimate goal of getting GMOs out of the food supply and environment. Their current campaign focuses on engaging Kellogg’s to get GMOs out of their entire product line.

Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses, investors, and individuals to solve today’s social and environmental problems. www.GreenAmerica.org

Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) is a world leader in educating policy makers and the public about the documented risks of GM foods and crops, as well as the problems associated with current research, regulation, corporate practices, and reporting. IRT’s founder, Jeffrey M. Smith, is an international bestselling author, filmmaker, and the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. He documents how the world’s most powerful Ag biotech companies bluff and mislead critics, and put the health of society at risk.

Label GMOs advocates for transparency in the food supply and for clear and concise labeling of genetically modified organisms. They are the California grassroots network that helped to lay the groundwork for Proposition 37. Label GMOs continues to educate in California and provide support for other on the ground grassroots GMO labeling efforts throughout the US.

Nutiva® is dedicated to a healthy and sustainable world, demonstrating its mission to nourish people and planet by using delicious organic ingredients, enriching the soil, and donating 1 percent of sales to sustainable-agriculture groups. Founded in 1999, Nutiva is the world’s best-selling brand of nutritious organic hemp foods, extra-virgin coconut oil, and chia seeds. Fifteen thousand retailers in the United States, Canada, and the European Union offer Nutiva products, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Publix, Safeway, Loblaws, and Amazon.com. Nutiva is located in Richmond, California. For more information, visit www.nutiva.com.

Vani Hari is a management consultant, food activist writer and a two time elected North Carolina delegate, endorsed by President Obama. Vani started foodbabe.com in April 2011 to spread information about what is really in the American food supply. She teaches people how to make the right purchasing decisions at the grocery store, how to live an organic lifestyle, and how to travel healthfully around the world. The success in her writing and investigative work can be seen in the way food companies react to her uncanny ability to find and expose the truth. She been featured in the Washington Times, NY Times, Lawyers Weekly, Prevention.com, NBC WCNC, ABC – WLOS, and profiled in Charlotte Observer.

Harrison and Agromin’s Food Waste Program Continues to Grow

Ventura, Calif.–In April 2012, Harrison Industries, a Ventura-based trash and recycling hauler, and strategic partner and organics recycler Agromin launched an innovative pilot program that is designed to one day virtually eliminate food waste from local landfills. In less than a year, Harrison trucks have collected more than 700 tons of food waste from restaurants, grocery stores, schools and other businesses with Agromin turning the waste into compost.

Albertsons supermarkets in Ventura, Camarillo and Carpinteria were the first Harrison commercial customers to join the food waste program. Previously, food scraps from Albertsons’ meat, produce, deli, dairy, bakery and floral departments ended up in the trash. Now, the food scraps are placed in specially marked recycling barrels that Harrison trucks collect and deliver to Agromin. The Oxnard-based organics recovery company employs a Covered Aerated Static Pile System that mixes organic yard waste with food waste to create enriched compost and alternative fuels.

In the year since it was launched, the food waste recycling program has grown to include over 30 Harrison commercial customers–from restaurants and supermarkets to hospitals, hotels and schools. Ventura County Jail’s Todd Road facility in the Santa Clara Valley has even joined the program.

Participating Harrison customers are:

• Ventura: Albertsons; Community Memorial Hospital; Ventura County Medical Center;   Smart & Final; Brophy Bros. Restaurant & Clam Bar; Andria’s Seafood Restaurant; Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill;  Ventura Beach Marriott; Mimi’s Café; Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach; Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort;  Margarita Villa Mexican Restaurant; Harbor Sushi; The Greek At The Harbor; Christy’s Deli;  Milano’s Italian Restaurant; and Patagonia.
• Camarillo: Albertsons; Marie Callender’s; Smart & Final; California State University, Channel Islands; and Solar World.
• Ojai: Ojai Valley Community Hospital; St. Joseph’s Health and Retirement Center; Westridge Market; and Ojai Valley School.
• Carpinteria: Albertsons and Sly’s.

“It’s been a big success,” said Donald Sealund, food waste program coordinator for Harrison Industries. “Everyone’s been doing a great job, and we hope to keep adding customers to the program.”

According to Natural Resources Defense Council, Americans throw away 40 percent of the food supply each year. “Millions of tons of food end up in landfills,” says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. “If we can transform just a small percentage of this waste into rich compost or biofuel, we can make better use of our resources and create a healthier planet. The participants in the food waste recycling program are at the forefront of these efforts.”

Old cars make up only 25% of vehicles on the road in the U.S., but did you know that 25% contributes to 75% of all harmful emissions? The answer to this problem? Car donation and recycling. By offering Americans who are looking to be rid of their clunkers curbside pickup and tax credits, organizations like Kars4Kids are making a serious dent in this disturbing statistic.

Millions of cars are now recycled every year in the United States, the metal, plastics, tires, glass, and other materials going to create thousands of new products. Did you ever wonder how many cars are recycled every year, what materials are recycled, and what can be made out of those materials? This handy Infographic created by the nation’s leading car donation charity, Kars4Kids, is all you need to learn everything you ever wanted to know about car recycling.

Originally posted in June 2011, this article is worth reading.

The reproductive fitness of mammals and changes to sexuality in amphibians, is a common thread in the Atrazine pollution story and this story on BPA. Often these chemicals seem beneficial but the long term consequences and our limited ability to remove chemicals from our environment…. is something we must think about and take action on. Step One: Pay Attention, please read this article.  -the editor

“The BPA-exposed deer mice in our study look normal; there is nothing obviously wrong with them. Yet, they are clearly different,” said Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor in biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center. “Females do not want to mate with BPA-exposed male deer mice, and BPA-exposed males perform worse on spatial navigation tasks that assess their ability to find female partners in the wild. This study sets the stage for BPA researchers to examine how BPA might differentially impact the behavioral and cognitive patterns of boys versus girls. Investigators looking for obvious BPA-induced differences, such as chromosome deletions or DNA mutations, could be missing subtle behavioral differences that eventually lead to long-term adverse outcomes, including demasculinization of male behaviors with ensuing decreased reproductive fitness.”

‘BPA-Exposed Male Deer Mice are Demasculinized and Undesirable to Females, New MU Study Finds’

Story Contact
Christian Basi, BasiC@missouri.edu, 573-882-4430

NOTE: A more detailed article on Rosenfeld’s and Geary’s work can be found at: http://bondlsc.missouri.edu/news/story/46/1

COLUMBIA, Mo. –While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes “some concern” with the controversial chemical BPA, and many other countries, such as Japan and Canada, have considered BPA product bans, disagreement exists amongst scientists in this field on the effects of BPA in animals and humans. The latest research from the University of Missouri shows that BPA causes male deer mice to become demasculinized and behave more like females in their spatial navigational abilities, leading scientists to conclude that exposure to BPA during human development could be damaging to behavioral and cognitive traits that are unique to each sex and important in reproduction.

Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor in biomedical sciences and Bond Life Sciences investigator, found BPA-exposed male deer mice are demasculinized and undesirable to females.

“The BPA-exposed deer mice in our study look normal; there is nothing obviously wrong with them. Yet, they are clearly different,” said Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor in biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center. “Females do not want to mate with BPA-exposed male deer mice, and BPA-exposed males perform worse on spatial navigation tasks that assess their ability to find female partners in the wild. This study sets the stage for BPA researchers to examine how BPA might differentially impact the behavioral and cognitive patterns of boys versus girls. Investigators looking for obvious BPA-induced differences, such as chromosome deletions or DNA mutations, could be missing subtle behavioral differences that eventually lead to long-term adverse outcomes, including demasculinization of male behaviors with ensuing decreased reproductive fitness.”

In the study, female deer mice were fed BPA-supplemented diets two weeks prior to breeding and throughout lactation. The mothers were given a dosage equivalent to what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers a non-toxic dose and safe for mothers to ingest. At weaning (25 days of age), the deer mice offspring were placed on a non-supplemented BPA diet and their behavior tested when they matured into adults.

When sexually mature, researchers tested each mouse’s ability to navigate a maze to safety. This enhanced spatial navigational ability of male deer mice is important because it allows them to find mates that are dispersed throughout the environment. Females do not have to search to find mates and thus their navigational abilities have not been enhanced by evolution. It was these navigational skills, among others, that were tested in the laboratory setting. Each animal had two five-minute opportunities per day, for seven days, to try to find its way into a home cage through one of several holes placed around the edge of an open maze which was marked with a set of visible navigational cues. Many male mice that had been exposed to BPA early in their development never found the correct exit. By comparison, male mice that had not been exposed to BPA consistently found the hole leading to their home cage within the time limit, some on the first day. In addition, the untreated mice quickly learned the most direct approach to finding the correct hole, while the exposed males appeared to employ a random, inefficient trial and error strategy, Rosenfeld said.

In addition, male deer mice exposed to BPA were less desirable to female deer mice. Females primed to breed were tested in a so-called mate choice experiment. The females’ level of interest in a stranger male was measured by observing specific preferential behaviors, such as nose-to-nose sniffing and the amount of time the female spent evaluating her potential partner. These behaviors assess a potential mate’s genetic fitness. Rosenfeld said that both non-exposed and BPA-exposed females favored control males over BPA-exposed males on a two-to-one basis.

“These findings presumably have broad implications to other species, including humans, where there are also innate differences between males and females in cognitive and behavioral patterns,” Rosenfeld said. “In the wide scheme of things, these behavioral deficits could, in the long term, undermine the ability of a species such as the deer mouse to reproduce in the wild. Whether there are comparable health threats to humans remains unclear, but there clearly must be a concern.”

“We can use this evolutionary approach to the study of BPA to determine the best way to assess differences in the risks to boys and girls to early exposure to this chemical,” said David Geary MU Curators’ Professor of Psychological Sciences.

This research will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Rosenfeld collaborated with Geary and Todd Schachtman, Professor from the Department of Psychological Sciences. The primary author was a graduate student in the MU Interdiscplinary Neurosciences Program, Eldin Jašarevi?, who conducted most of the experiments.

View this news release on the Web at:

http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2011/0627-bpa-exposed-male-deer-mice-are-demasculinized-and-undesirable-to-females-new-mu-study-finds/

For more news, visit:

http://munews.missouri.edu/

Coeus Technology in Anderson is home to the patented Monofoil technology. Monofoil is changing the game when it comes to how we fight germs and how you clean disinfect your home. The secret is in the science. Monofoil kills germs as soon as it touches the surface just like most cleaners, but it goes one major step further. Monofoil is not chemical- no alcohol, bleach or ammonia, no toxins and no smell.
At around $30 per product, it is affordable and lasts between cleanings. The company is looking to locate its production facilities in the USA – central Indiana. View the film to see more information.

Since the standard methods, (ex: wipes, alcohol swabs, bleach and other cleaning agents) don’t last very long, this may be a breakthrough for gyms, hospitals, schools, and colleges. It seems to be especially useful in fighting staph infections and cold viruses.

New Documentary by Veronica Grey

Movie Explores Floating Garbage Islands

Veronica Grey’s new documentary, “Aqua Seafoam Shame,” (www.Pacific-TV.com), examines the huge islands of plastic trash floating in the Pacific Ocean.

Grey first noticed a mushy, plastic-like substance sliding through her fingers while paddling around in the Pacific. After some research, she learned man’s throwaways have turned the ocean into a lethal dumping ground.

“There is a collection – a vortex – of these ‘islands’ floating in the Pacific,” says Grey, a.k.a. the “Surf Lady.” “Fifteen years ago it was the size Texas, but now it’s the size of the continental United States.”

Plastic in the ocean has far-reaching implications that, if not addressed within 20 years, could change life on this planet, Grey says. To date, 177 species of sea life are known to ingest plastic; other species feed on those creatures, extending the chain of damage.

“People eat the seafood that eats plastic, and the planet gets its rain from the oceans, which are being polluted at an exponential rate,” she says.

“Aqua Seafoam Shame” is available to view in its entirety at www.imdb.com/title/tt2304483. It is currently being edited to meet criteria necessary for a 2014 Academy Award nomination.

To begin addressing plastics pollution, Grey encourages people to use alternatives:

• Americans buy 2 million bottles of water every five minutes; ditch plastic bottles and use glass or recyclable cans.

• Carry a cost-effective canvas bag instead getting disposable plastic bags at the grocery store. We waste 10 billion plastic bags every week!

• Do not line your trash cans with plastic bags. Use paper bags or nothing.

“If Michael Moore were a lady who went after companies who still produce plastic” she would be Veronica Grey, writes an anonymous reviewer on IMDb.com. “We hereby document the process by which conscientious companies, some because of our encouragement, switch from plastic to a more sustainable alternative. This is a David-and-Goliath project by night, and (it’s) Sisyphean by day.”

About Veronica Grey

Veronica Grey is a Renaissance woman who wants to make the world a better place by advocating personal well-being and environmental protection. She received her bachelor’s in English and American Studies from UCLA. She’s a regular guest on TV shows as lifestyle expert “The Surf Lady.” She’s also the founder of the charity Israel-Light, which emphasizes focus techniques, among others, to achieve a youthful body and mind.

Fracking is the process of injecting millions of gallons of chemically laced fluids into underground rock formations to release natural gas or oil.
Robert Redford is launching ads to stop this process and get information out (check the link for more info) on our shale gas reserves.

Oil and Gas shale hold great promise as a safe, clean energy supply that can help prevent climate change and lead the way to American energy independence. Thirty-one states are involved in the battles for safe regulation and use,   there is debate on most claims ranging from amount of energy to safety of fracking.

Take a look at the movie GASLAND and check out the grass-roots organization Catskills for Clean Energy for more information. As we look for alternatives to petroleum energy, the fight over climate change continues, even as Hurricane Sandy barrels down on the East Coast –

“Meteorologists have called this ‘the biggest storm ever to hit the U.S. mainland,’ which is a reminder of how odd our weather has been in this hottest year in American history,” said 350.org founder Bill McKibben.

Visit EcoWatch’s WATER and CLIMATE CHANGE pages for more related news on this topic.

This is a list of products that are low allergen and suitable for all of us that like to breathe!

When celebrity designer Robin Wilson, president and CEO of Robin Wilson Home, bought a new home of her own to accommodate her growing family (she gave birth last month), how did she design the nursery?

For Wilson, a lifetime sufferer of allergies and Asthma, who recently became an ambassador for The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and is focused on eco-friendly design, creating a space that was both beautiful yet healthy for her new baby was important.

What you’ll find in the nursery:

- FLOR carpet tiles in the baby nursery in a checkerboard lavender and green. The tiles are interchangeable if they become stained and can be sent back to the manufacturer for recycling. It is quite beautiful and can be customized to fit in and match the decor!

- Benjamin Moore Aura low-VOC paint which is durable, looks beautiful and won’t off-gas leaving an obnoxious paint odor.

- Argington furniture including a crib, changing table and dresser that are made in America from sustainably harvested woods and non-toxic paints and stains.

- Hypoallergenic linens – One in four children suffer from allergies and seven million kids suffer from Asthma. Hypoallergenic products can make a huge difference in eliminating the “wheezes and sneezes.” They come in blankets, towels, mattress covers and more. (Robin’s line at BedBathBeyond.com) Robin also chose a soy mattress to make sure her baby’s sleep environment was free of toxins.

- Upholstered window shades are better than dust-catching curtains, and another good choice are blinds or shutters. Make sure to vacuum or wash them at least twice each year.

- A family heirloom – her grandfather’s rocketing chair which brings richness and family tradition to the room, and is a green alternative to new merchandise.

Don’t take a chance with your family. Toxic products are everywhere, however, there are great choices that are clean and beautiful.

Dear All,

In honor of my new grandbaby (wow!), and hoping for a cleaner, healthier world for little Bannan, I am posting this article on food dye! With childhood obesity a real threat to a quality life and coupons promoting sales of these high sugar foods all the while kids seeing ads about “real fruit”…. enough is enough. Real fruit is an apple, an orange, a banana! And you don’t need a coupon because they are less expensive than fruit snacks in the first place. Please learn more, make choices with your dollars! Support this crusade buy rethinking your buying choices. Since many kids eat fruit snacks – let’s help the kids in their choices too!  – greeneroo editor

Lifestyle and wellness experts Erica Reid and Latham Thomas join forces with Healthy Child Healthy World in a petition to the Kellogg Company on the risks of food dye in fruit snacks

(October 17, 2012)- Non-profit Healthy Child Healthy World joins parenting and lifestyle experts Erica Reid and Latham Thomas in a petition targeting the Kellogg Company and asking John A. Bryant, President & CEO of Kellogg’s to take the first step in removing artificial food dyes from Kellogg’s children’s fruit snacks. Artificial food dyes have been linked to cancer, hyperactivity and allergies and does not belong in children’s fruit snacks. Many parents are unaware of the risks associated with food dyes and mistakenly assume “fruit snacks” are a healthier snack alternative for their children.

“I was absolutely one of those moms that gave both of my children fruit snacks thinking it was better than candy,” says Erica Reid, author of The Thriving Child, “At the time, I was not aware of the potential harm from food dyes and didn’t think twice because the word ‘fruit’ was attached. Now, I know better.”

Erica Reid and Latham Thomas are on a mission to educate parents about the risks of these snacks and implore parents to join them in their crusade to remove these harmful dyes from their children’s everyday snack foods.

“When Erica, Latham and I sat down to talk about this issue, we just knew we had to come together and take action. As mothers, we are concerned and worried about sugar but often don’t realize that it’s not just the sugar in these products that are affecting our children’s health. It’s the artificial food dyes too,” said Gigi Lee Chang, CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World.

Each year in the United States at least 15 million pounds of dyes are used in everything from candy and fruit snacks to pickles, bread, snack foods, sodas and dessert.[1] Since 1955, there has been a five-fold increase in food dye consumption, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

In Britain, a warning label is required on all foods containing artificial food dyes. Kellogg’s Fruit Winders Snacks sold in Britain are made without food dyes, yet the United States’ equivalent still contains artificial colors. Several of the dyes used in the Kellogg Company’s fruit snacks, such as Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1 are known to cause allergy-like effects. Another dye, Red 3, is a known carcinogen and has been linked to cancer.

Latham Thomas, a holistic lifestyle expert and Founder of MamaGlow.com says, “our children are consuming packaged foods and even with proper guidance it’s hard for them to avoid the synthetic dyes, specifically in foods marketed to them. We are asking Kellogg to remove artificial food dyes from their fruit flavored snacks because not only do these products contain food dyes, but all the kids’ favorite cartoon characters and super heroes are on the box, making it that much harder to say no.”

“Artificial food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity, allergies and cancer, yet they are found everywhere from beverages to snack foods. For optimal health, parents would be well-advised to limit the amount of food dyes their children consume,” said Alan Greene, MD, a leading pediatrician and author of Raising Baby Green.

For more information or to sign Erica Reid and Latham Thomas’ petition to John A. Bryant, President & CEO Kellogg Company, please visit healthychild.org/kelloggs.

AND think about sugar: According to a survey funded by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest Canada, a whopping 53 percent of the food products targeted to babies and toddlers analyzed by a team led by University of Calgary professor Charlene Elliott get more than 20 percent of their calories from sugar. The foods included biscuits, cookies, fruit snacks, yogurts, cereals and snack bars. Some of the products marketed to the youngest consumers contained even more sugar than similar products marketed to adults. – PDQ Health

ABOUT ERICA REID
A former schoolteacher, Erica Reid is the author of The Thriving Child, a parenting book with helpful tips and insights on nurturing children both emotionally and physically. Erica is a devoted mother of two and as a result of a health scare with her young son, was jolted into action. Out of necessity, Erica went on a journey to educate herself about healthy and non-toxic choices for the well-being of both her children. Today, Erica is an advocate for bringing awareness about food allergies and helping parents to make better choices so all children can thrive. Erica is the wife of Antonio “LA” Reid and mother to Arianna and Addison, both of whom have ongoing food and environmental sensitivities.

ABOUT LATHAM THOMAS
Maternity lifestyle maven, wellness/birth coach, and yoga teacher Latham Thomas is working on transforming the maternal and women’s wellness movement. A graduate of Columbia University and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Latham is the founder of MamaGlow.com, a holistic lifestyle website for women to explore their creative edge through wellbeing. Her practice provides support to pre/postnatal women along their journey to motherhood offering culinary and nutritional services, yoga, and birth coaching services. A sought after nutrition and lifestyle expert, Latham’s television appearances include The Dr. Oz Show, Fox News LIVE, CBS News, ABC Eyewitness News, NBC-LXTV, and Inside Edition. She has been featured in the New York Daily News, New York Post, Time Out New York, Vogue.com, Whole Living, Essence Magazine, the cover of Experience Life Magazine, and VegNews Magazine. She lives in New York City with her son Fulano and their turtle Climby. Her first book, Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy, is due out in November 2012.

ABOUT HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD
Healthy Child Healthy World is a California non-profit public benefit corporation with a mission to empower parents to take action and protect their children from harmful chemicals. By working with manufacturers and supporting policy initiatives, Healthy Child Healthy World has transformed the marketplace into a safer environment for children. By providing access to critical information that encourages smarter lifestyle choices that reduce toxic chemical exposure in homes and communities, Healthy Child Healthy World has solidified itself as a trusted resource for parents for over 20 years. Healthy Child Healthy World’s vision is a world where every child has the opportunity to grow-up in a healthy and safe environment.

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION KICKS OFF “RAPTOBER”

Group Dedicates Entire Month Toward Rising Above Plastics

San Clemente, CA (October 2, 2012) – This week the Surfrider Foundation and Rusty are excited to kick off the 2nd annual “Raptober” celebration. This month-long effort seeks to educate and inspire the public to eliminate plastic waste from our oceans, waves and beaches.

“Each year millions of seabirds, fish and marine mammals die due to ingestion of, or entanglement in plastic,” says Bill Hickman, Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics Program Coordinator. “By dedicating the entire month of October toward educating the public on the effects of marine plastics, we hope to jump start their desire to reduce their own personal plastic footprints and the amount of litter reaching our seas.”

As part of its Raptober celebration the Surfrider Foundation be holding its 2nd Annual “One Foot at a Time” Plastic Cleanup Challenge. This unique contest challenges participants to collect one square foot of trash from their beach or community, then use that material to create a unique mosaic sculpture using any of the five downloadable templates on the Foundation’s Raptober event website. Surfrider Foundation will then judge photo submissions of the sculptures. Top submissions will win a host of cool gear from Rusty, including a new Rusty surfboard.

Surfrider Foundation will also offer a Raptober membership special. From October 15-19th, those who join or renew their Surfrider Foundation membership for $30 will receive a special recycled plastic wallet or pocketbook from The People’s Movement. These designer pieces are handcrafted from up-cycled plastic bags collected off beaches and areas around Bali. Each wallet or pocketbook is a unique one-of-a-kind piece. Supplies are limited, so be sure and order early.

For more information on Surfrider Foundation’s Raptober event, including information on One Foot at a Time and our Raptober membership special, please go to www.raptober.org.

VOTE with your DOLLARS~ what YOU spend money on really counts, with corporations and government. What you spend your ENERGY on, really counts with your community. Get out there and make a difference!   – editor

About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 250,000 supporters, activists and members worldwide. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation, visit www.surfrider.org

About Rusty
Rusty is a brand with its roots firmly planted in the pursuit of the surfing lifestyle. By 1984, Rusty Preisendorfer had already established himself as a young legend in the surfboard-shaping world. When the Rusty brand officially launched in 1985, there were few people who didn’t recognize the R-dot logo on surfboards across the globe. With the initial goal of making the best surfboards on the planet, it soon became clear that the tremendous demand for Rusty boards and recognition of the name would easily translate to apparel. What began with t-shirts quickly grew into a comprehensive collection driven by authentic surf roots, progressive product, edgy style, and the signature R-dot.

Decades later, Rusty continues to be an iconic brand in surf culture, featuring a product mix for guys and girls that includes boardshorts, hoodies, tees, knits, dresses and accessories; all available at leading surf shops worldwide. Inspired by art, fashion, music and design, Rusty delivers surf products that represent the classic, casual beach lifestyle defined by the risk-taking spirit and irreverence of today’s youth. Learn more at www.rusty.com.