How many elderly folk in the U.S. depend on Meals on Wheels each day? If you said somewhere between 1.3 and 1.4 million people you wouldn’t be far off the mark. That’s a lot of people who, without the help of Meals on Wheels, wouldn’t be eating a hot meal tonight. Even though my family and I eat modestly, it’s hard for me to imagine what it must be like not to have something warm to eat each night. It must be tough, particularly when you’re older. Unfortunately, things are becoming increasingly challenging for Meals on Wheels. Faced with a sharp upturn in demand for its services, coupled with a shortage in volunteer labor (as a result of record-high gas prices) their task seems almost overwhelming. The good news...

Obesity is already a major problem in much of the Western world. And with levels of morbid obesity predicted to increase ten-fold within the next twenty years, many health professionals are calling for something to be done now to address the problem. One of the culprits fueling high obesity levels is the inclusion of trans fat in many of the foods we commonly eat. What are trans fats? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil - a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats”. Where are they found? Trans fats are a key ingredient in processed foods such as margarine, biscuits, crisps, snacks,...

Ecological Internet, the group responsible for ClimateArk.org and Forests.org announced today their intention to publish a new ezine called New Earth Rising. They’re currently seeking submissions from established and new environmental writers, scholars and activists. Given the length of time Dr Glen Barry and his team has been involved in scholarly discussion on all matter relating to ecological sustainability this is sure to be a well-researched, thoughtful and timely publication. So, what exactly are Ecological Internet looking for in submissions? The following should assist… New Earth Rising’s editorial tone will strongly favor truthful ecological writings regarding global eco-crises, identifying necessary and sufficient...

The Soil Association today announced the appointment of Rob Haward, operations director at Riverford Organic Vegetables, as grower representative on its standards board, following an open recruitment process. This appointment completes the Soil Association’s new, independent standards board. Rob Haward, operations director of Riverford Organic Vegetables, said “I am delighted to have been appointed. I hope my input will be of value to the Soil Association in enabling them to continue to lead the way on standards development. This process is essential in order to protect consumers, while balancing the technical constraints of growers.” The Soil Association Standards Board is responsible for maintaining and developing all of the Association’s...

According to an article appearing in today’s Otago Daily Times, Stu Burt and Lyn Williamson, owners of Destination Organic - an organic superstore in Queenstown New Zealand - are so confident that organic food is cheaper than conventional food that they’re stumping up their own cash to prove it. Essentially, they’re asking the people of Queenstown to try organic food for themselves so that they can realise first hand the associated taste and health benefits. They want to find two families to be an organic test case. They will track their shopping for four weeks, keeping note of their expenditure, and will then subsidise their shopping at Destination Organic by $150 a week for four weeks, to make a comparison between the costs and benefits...