December '16 Tip Talks Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
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**LIB TALKS: Much Good News to Counter Electoral Blues, Concerns, Strategies & Actions for Now & After the Holidays, Nice News for Nut Lovers! New RI Notes, Clever Consumer Continues…
**(NEW): RHODE ISLAND NOTES; New Year’s Eve – Free Fun!
**GOOD NEWS: Washington State Sues Monsanto over PCB Pollution; Communities In Action: Residents Block Company From Turning, City Hall Into Fracked Gas Power Plant; Other New Englanders Stop a Fracked Gas Pipeline; Hundreds More Victories Reported By Food & Water Watch**ACTIONS: Tell Banks to Stop Financing Dakota Pipeline; Petition for A Pesticide-Free Community (from Beyond Pesticides) & Put Your City on the Map (from Organic Consumers Assoc.)
**RESOURCES: Video on Healing by choosing Non-GMO Diets,; Nuts vs. Disease, Organic Cashews Cheap for Christmas
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LIB TALKS
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** AN ABUNDANCE OF GOOD NEWS? NOW? Folks around the country have been achieving success in the struggle to stop fracking! What an encouraging sign for the New Year that approaches!
**STRATEGIES & ACTIONS FOR NOW & AFTER THE HOLIDAYS: See our action section, and look forward to more coming in 2017. We’ll focus mainly on education – especially via our Clever Consumer Campaign (updated flyer coming in January with basics of less toxic living). We’ll also provide important info for our legislators about concerns such as health effects from pesticides, fluoridation, vaccine injuries and overuse, EMFs (Electro-magnetic fields) and more. They need to be informed in order to act for our protection.
**NUTS VS> DISEASE: Isn’t it great when something you love to eat turns out to be really healthful? Last month we talked about Terrific Turmeric. Now, we have for you an article about how nuts can help prevent heart & kidney problems, etc. And, there is a really inexpensive offer right now online for organic cashews! Happy Holidays!
**NEW RI AREA NOTES: I’ve divided my contacts for this list to include local info for folks in RI, nearby MA & CT. This will allow sharing of legislative & other actions and events. Those not in our area will just receive the usual newsletter.
CLEVER CONSUMER CAMPAIGN REMINDER
That’s the person reading this newsletter! Like all TIP TALKS, it will increase your consumer IQ and abilities. Remember, if you tell the supplier/retailer/producer what you will or won’t BUY – they care.
Blessings, Liberty G
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RHODE ISLAND AREA NOTES:
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**NEW YEAR’S EVE: SUNDAY NIGHT JAMMERS CONTRA DANCE,
8 p.m. to Midnight Library, Goff Memorial Hall (Library), 124 Bay State Rd, , Rehobeth MA. Also, don’t miss the free monthly Pot Luck & Contra Dance, 6-9 p.m., same locale. Next one is Jan 22. And, every Sun, 7-9pm; the Jammers play dance music from sheet music. If you play an instrument, or just want to listen, you are welcome to attend (Please be "fragrance free for any of these gatherings) For info or cancellations,508-669-5656 or www.contradancelinks.com/jammers.html.***********************************************
GOOD NEWS
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WASHINGTON STATE SUES MONSANTO
OVER PCB POLLUTION
www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-state-sues-monsanto-over-pcb-pollution/
SEATTLE - Washington has become the first U.S. state to sue the agrochemical giant Monsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs, the toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated in plants, fish and people around the globe for decades.
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FOOD & WATER WATCH END OF YEAR LETTER REPORTS:
The recent election will have a profound affect on our issues ahead, but we know that when we work to bring people together in local communities, we can win big. Now more than ever, these local organizing efforts will be crucial to building a brighter future for our communities and country. I want to highlight a few examples of what can happen when we stand together
In Monterey, California, local activists delivered a huge blow to Big Oil & Gas when they successfully led a ballot initiative to make Monterey the first major oil producing county to ban fracking in the country. In July, more than 10,000 people came together for the March for a Clean Energy Revolution to demand our national leadership take action for a just transition to 100% clean renewable energy. Volunteers from around the country hit the phone lines and spent countless hours planning to make the march in Philadelphia a success. From winning fracking bans in Maryland towns, to successfully stalling pipelines in New York, and submitting thousands of public comments against pipelines in Michigan and Ohio, Food & Water Watch supporters are turning the tide against the oil and gas industry.
To date, 539 communities have passed measures
to stop fracking — incredibl
For more encouragement at the Food & Water Watch site, see their Victories page at: www.foodandwaterwatch.org/impact/victories
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TWO MORE EXAMPLES OF
VICTORIES OVER FRACKING
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COMMUNITIES IN ACTION: RESIDENTS BLOCK COMPANY FROM TURNING ROCKLAND, MAINE, CITY HALL INTO FRACKED GAS POWER PLANT: http://toxicsaction.org/resources/tac/residents-block-company-turning-rockland-maine-city-hall-fracked-gas-power-plant Last year, residents of Rockland, Maine, alerted Toxics Action Center that a large energy corporation from Massachusetts was proposing to buy their town’s City Hall and turn it into a fossil fuel power plant. This threat led to the founding of a new community environmental organization called Renew Rockland. Renew Rockland is led by first-time activists Amy Files, Nate Davis and Zander Shaw. The group successfully navigated a difficult local political climate and eventually passed a groundbreaking energy ordinance. The new regulations set stringent standards for gas infrastructure, and raise the bar for the sustainability of future energy proposals in their community. The new rules also stopped the fossil fuel plant in its tracks. Renew Rockland is now building on their victory by promoting a 100 percent renewable energy plan for the City ofRockland. SMALL BUT MIGHTY PIPELINE FIGHTERS HALT FRACKED GAS, WIN BIG GAINS FOR SOLAR AND WIND: Grassroots victory against Kinder Morgan http://toxicsaction.org/resources/tac/small-mighty-pipeline-fighters-halt-fracked-gas-win-big-gains-solar-and-wind-1 Last spring, local leaders from more than 50 towns in New England won a grassroots victory that echoed across the country when Texas gas company Kinder Morgan withdrew its application for a fracked gas pipeline project. Thanks to your support, Toxics Action Center helped community members along the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline pour themselves into revealing the project for what it was: an irresponsible, expensive plan to take public and private lands to export fracked gas for corporate profit.*******************************************
ACTIONS
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SIGN THE PETITION TO ALL 17 BANKS FINANCING THE
DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE: STOP SUPPORTING DAPL.
http://petitions.signforgood.com/NoDAPLbanks?code=NativeOrganizing
We — as customers and account holders — can pressure the lending banks to take a stand. Petition to the 17 banks on the project loan for the Dakota Access Pipeline (Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, BayernLB, BBVA, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Crédit Agricole, DNB ASA, ICBC, ING, Intesa Sanpaolo, Mizuho Bank, Natixis, SMBC, Société Générale, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, TD Bank, Wells Fargo): Note: It is not necessary to give any info about your current bank situation and I do not encourage anyone to do that – just sign to take a stand on the concern.
TELL US YOU’RE READY TO FIGHT FOR A PESTICIDE-FREE COMMUNITY! SIGN THE PETITION TODAY!
http://action.beyondpesticides.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=23760 The Map of U.S. Pesticide Reform Policies released by Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Assoc. See: www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VLpVWvifO2JOrgxf1-d1DLyDruE&ll=39.03573413957713%2C-94.19459570507814&z=5
The map shows strong demand in the United States for pesticide policies that eliminate hazardous pesticides from public and private spaces. Is there a pesticide reform policy in your community? Let’s work together to fill the map with local laws that protect health and the environment in favor of safer, organic practices. If you’re interested in getting active in your local government around pesticide reform, sign the petition below.
As the map reveals, this is a fight we can win. Take the passage of Montgomery County’s (Maryland) lawn care Bill 52-14, and a similar law passed in South Portland, Maine, in both cases pushed forward by a grassroots coalition of business leaders, and local and national health and environmental advocates. These broad alliances succeeded in creating the largest communities in the country to stop hazardous pesticide use on public and private property, and advance organic alternative practices and products in its place.
This is an important moment. Chemical industry lobbyists fear that growing recognition of pesticide hazards, and the availability of organic alternatives will inspire other localities to enact similar legislation. There is no question that a transition to ecologically friendly land management is taking hold. Let's work together to help make the conversion to organic lawn care spread to localities throughout the U.S. If you want to see similar pesticide reform policy enacted in your community, let us know by signing your name below to say: “I support measures that protect public health and the environment” f
http://action.beyondpesticides.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=23760
PUT YOUR CITY ON THE MAP!
(Help from OCA, Organic Consumers Associaton)
Sign up to learn more about how you can make your community pesticide-free - See more at: https://action.organicconsumers.org/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19700#sthash.qG6pphzL.dpuf
and
https://action.organicconsumers.org/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19700
NOTE: The holiday season is hectic – don’t let the ongoing action get lost in the shuffle. Send the info to yourself for later follow-up (after signing the petition now).
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RESOURCES\
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WATCH: AMAZING 4-MINUTE VIDEO OF FAMILY'S HEALING
THROUGH NON-GMO & ORGANIC DIETS
www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Diet/non-gmo_organic_diets_1123160737.html
After watching this 4-minute video of moms describing amazing recoveries when their families switched to non-GMO & organic diets, please SHARE YOUR OWN STORY. Add a comment on our Facebook page with your written or video testimonial or send us an email, info@responsibletechnology.org.
Did you (or someone you know) heal from a health issue after eliminating GMOs or eating organic?
Did health problems return when you reverted to your old diet?
Or, are you still on the standard American diet struggling with chronic conditions? Let’s create a national conversation on healing from GMOs and pesticides.
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NICE NEWS ABOUT NUTS
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PASS THE ALMONDS! ADDING NUTS TO YOUR DIETPROTECTS AGAINST DISEASE!
www.care2.com/greenliving/pass-the-almonds-adding-nuts-to-your-diet-protects-against-disease.html
A new study looked at how tree nut consumption impacted disease rates. Eating just 20g (about three tablespoons) of nuts per day protects us from cancer, heart disease and other diseases. The Imperial College of London study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, was an analysis of 29 studies on nut consumption and health. In all, it looked at data from over 800,000 participants. While there was some variation in results, all populations had reduced disease risk when they added nuts to their diets. The study focused on tree nuts, so if you want to get these benefits, that’s what you should reach for. Common tree nuts include:
Almonds , Brazil Nuts, Cashews Chestnuts Hazelnuts
Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies Conclusions Higher nut intake is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality, and mortality from respiratory disease, diabetes, and infections.
YOU WON’T BELIEVE HOW HEALTHY NUTS ARE FOR YOU
https://foodrevolution.org/blog/nuts-health/
A huge number of studies are finding that nuts are one of the most health-giving foods on the planet. And while the research is new – nuts aren’t. In fact, a recent archeological dig in Israel found evidence that nuts formed a major part of our ancestor’s diet 780,000 years ago. Yet we are only beginning to appreciate the enormous nutritional benefits that nuts give us. They are rich in high-quality protein, fiber, minerals, tocopherols, phytosterols, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, and phenolic compounds. Epidemiologic studies have linked nut consumption with reduced rates of heart disease and gallstones, as well as beneficial effects on hypertension, cancer, and inflammation. Recent studies have also indicated that nut consumption can help to prevent type 2 diabetes.
If YOU EAT CASHEWS…
(This info & resource were mentioned by Ocean Robbins in a recent Food Revolution newsletter. It looks like this might be a good online healthy food option. If you try it, let us know what you think!)
Cashews are one of the unsung heroes of a healthy eating lifestyle.
They’re packed with protein, healthful fats, and vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These include vitamins E, K, and B6, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium, all of which are important for maintaining optimal bodily function. High quality sustainably farmed organic cashews can be a bit pricey. But our friends at Thrive Market are committed to making healthy food affordable to everyone.
They’re an online wholesale source of natural and organic foods, with prices that are 25-50% off retail. And to welcome Food Revolution Network members, for a limited time, they’re offering a FREE 16 ounce bag of Thrive Market’s Premium Raw Organic Cashews (for $1.95 to cover shipping).
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BENEFIT TIP WHILE SURFING THE WEB at: www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=818190
(Uses the Yahoo search engine)
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** SUPPORT TIP WHILE SHOPPING AMAZONJust go to: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/14-1862385 and the
link will take you to the site with TIP already selected as your charity. You then shop on smile.amazon.com the same way you would have shopped on www.amazon.com., but the donation will go to us (at no cost to you).**********************************
**OR MOST OF ALL, MAKE A DONATION:
Mail a check to TIP at the address above.
(We are a tax deductible organization)
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CONTACT: Liberty Goodwin, Director, Toxics Information Project (TIP)
P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940 Tel. 401-351-9193,
E-Mail: liberty@toxicsinfo.org Website: www.toxicsinfo.org ********************************** ***