January 2011

GREETINGS
 

Happy New Year! And welcome to the seventeenth year of this rag’s continual publication.

Jody and I did brave the snow on December 4 to table at a Green Fair in Muskego. The weather conspired to keep attendance relatively sparse, but as often happens in such situations we did have some great conversations and made some nice contacts.

Our next event, as I mentioned in the last issue, will be the Great American Meat-Out around the beginning of Spring – and it is absolutely NOT too early to start discussing what we might do for that occasion, which is only 12 weeks away – those weeks will go fast! Any activity that would require arrangements with a host facility, or getting hold of materials, will need some time in advance to arrange, and the more time we have, the more we would be able to do.

In the last few years, we have tabled at Alverno College, and sometimes at UWM as well. Do we want to do that again? Do we want to do something more public? Instead or as well? See if we can get interviewed on radio or TV? Serve a vegan meal to Mayor Barrett? Get veg-promoting displays at every library in town? Try to connect with people interested in water resources and water conservation regarding animal-raising and its water consumption and pollution?

M.A.R.V. ACTIVITIES

Sunday, Jan. 2, 5 PM, regular potluck at the Friends’ Meeting House, 3224 N. Gordon Pl. in Riverwest (from Humboldt Blvd. go east on Auer a few short blocks to the parking lot). Theme is Warming Winter Stews, Etc.

Other veg-friendly potlucks

It looks like there will not be a macrobiotic potluck in January.

The Urban Ecology Center’s vegetarian potluck will be on Thurs., Jan. 20 at 6:30 PM at 1500 E. Park Pl. – bring plate and fork as well as your meatless dish. Phone is 414-964-8505.

QUOTES OF THE MONTH

“[A]s environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future – deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease.”

-- Worldwatch Institute

“Animal husbandry practices that accommodate the natural ways of animals tend to be much more in tune with sustainable and non-polluting farm practices.”

NEWS

There are still problems with eating animal foods. Wisconsin State Farmer ran an article suggesting that people ditch some favorite old holiday foods like various ethnic raw beef dishes and eggnog made from raw eggs, due to the danger of salmonella, listeria, and e. coli that might lurk in them. And Consumers Union is now warning pregnant women to avoid tuna altogether and young children to be given little or none, due to mercury contamination of the big fishes. (The National Fisheries Institute of course disagreed, citing the value of fish’s omega-3 fatty acids- -- but we do know that there are other and safer ways to get those omega-3s).

Regarding food safety, the Center for Disease Control announced that refining its methods of how to define food poisoning has resulted in lower numbers than previously thought – but this does not alter the fact that those numbers are indeed climbing. And in a major development, Congress has passed a bill giving the FDA greater authority over food production, aimed at increasing food safety by, among other things, increasing inspections and giving the FDA the power to require food recalls instead of just suggest them as before. Good news about the bill include the exemption of small farmers and processors from burdensome costs; bad news is that animal agriculture is still under the aegis of the Dept. of Agriculture and so will not be governed by these new more stringent rules.

A different concern regarding fish was the ongoing effort to convince the FDA not to permit genetically engineered salmon; a good deal of science suggests that there are many serious reasons why such permitting should not happen, including the endangerment of wild Atlantic salmon as a result of the inevitable escapes. Stay tuned.

Fish swim in water, and water issues regarding California, and the supply of water to San Francisco Bay, were in the news in December. The problem is that agribusinesses and cities in southern California want diversions of water that would normally go into the Bay area and its delta where it is needed to support endangered fishes as well as the general Bay ecosystem. At the present, no mutually satisfactory plan has surfaced. And meanwhile, the state of Florida has sued the EPA on the grounds that the Agency’s rules for water quality and nutrient pollution (from agribusiness) place too great a burden on taxpayers and farms.

In the face of such quandaries, it is very nice to be able to report some good news – which I only know because I read the publications of the organizations I send money too. According to the magazine of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a lawsuit against the EPA has been settled with the EPA’s agreement to start identifying and investigating thousands of factory farms that have been avoiding government regulation of animal waste pollution. (And could these last two items possibly be about the same thing?)

Alcoholic beverages are vegan liquids like water, only different – and an item in the NY Times Science and Health section reported on findings that the health effect of alcohol depends less on how much you drink than on how you drink it: a study found that French participants consumed more alcohol on average than Irish ones, but generally drank it as part of meals and not in binges, and after 10 years, the regular drinkers had less heart problems than either bingers or teetotalers.

Another worrisome liquid is cola drinks, regarding which a different study found that too many cola drinks can interfere with getting enough sleep – especially (though not exclusively) a concern with children under 12. And yet another problem with soft drinks, as well as many breads and cookies and even yogurts, is the large amount of sugars, specifically sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, that is found in them and which may contribute to high blood pressure.

As usual, there are various food and nutrition controversies to report on. A new report claimed that most of us actually do have adequate vitamin D in our blood and calcium in our diet, and that heavy supplementation is not really needed. The committee issuing the report had looked primarily at bone health and considered that published studies on vitamin D and disease were not rigorous enough to be conclusive. A different issue involves honey bee colony collapse, regarding which a government progress report suggested that it may involve a combination of factors. In a pair of outrages, the FDA is allowing the Iowa egg “farm” that brought us hundreds of millions of salmonella eggs to resume selling them, and the Cornucopia Institute filed a lawsuit against the USDA for allowing factory farm dairies to bring conventionally raised cows into their supposedly organic operations.

On the other hand, California almond farmers won an important victory when a federal appeals court ruled that they do have a right to challenge a USDA regulation that required raw almonds to be fumigated or steam heated; the rule had devastated small farmers who could not afford to comply and do not have the same quality control problems as factory farms do.

Along with unfumigated almonds, of course, plant foods are still good for you. A Delicious Living item praised dried fruits: all are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents (though also in calories), with dried apricots providing beta-carotene, blueberries helping improve brain function, cherries helping stave off joint pain, figs providing calcium and potassium, and prunes providing vitamin K; in addition, many, including apricots and raisins, are a good source of iron.

It is also good news that a Soybean Board survey found that most Americans appreciate soy foods’ health benefits, and are eating more of them.

Another Delicious Living article on “power foods for kids” was mostly about plant foods: avocadoes for healthy fats, potassium, and folate; berries for antioxidents to help prevent illness and improve brain function; chia seeds for vitamin C, protein, fiber, magnesium, and iron and also chia, hemp, and flax seeds for omega-3 fatty acids; and quinoa and amaranth for more protein and calcium than commoner grains. Of course, these benefits are not for children only!

Prevention magazine had an item on more good news about dark green leafy vegetables. People who eat them daily lower their risk of type 2 diabetes, perhaps due to the magnesium they get from them along with the antioxidents and ALA (the omega-3 fatty acid from which all the others are made).

Another item discussed nut butters, pointing out that almond butter is full of calcium, cashew butter is high in copper (which helps the immune system, blood vessels, and nerves), hazel nut butter is loaded with vitamin E, and soy-nut butter is high in fiber.

Yet another article pointed out ways to reduce salt by adding flavor to foods with vinegar or lemon juice, tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic, herbs, and spices (herbs and spices are especially rich in antioxidents as well as taste).

CONNECTIONS

Alliance For Animals is a Madison-based group working for animal rights. They will be holding their third annual Vegantines Dinner and Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 PM, at the West Side Club, 437 County Road M in Madison. If you’re interested, contact them at www.allanimals.org or PO Box 1632, Madison, WI 53701.

The Waterkeeper Alliance, mentioned above in the News section, is an international movement of advocates who watch and protect rivers, streams, and coasts from pollution – including pollution from factory farms. It was founded in 1999 by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and has a local affiliate, Milwaukee Riverkeeper. The headquarters of the international group is at 50 S. Buckhoute, Ste 302, Irvington, NY 10533; their website is www.waterkeeper.org and their email is info1@waterkeeper.org

Our local affiliate is Milwaukee Riverkeeper; the contact person is Cheryl Nenn, 1845 N. Farwell, Ste 100, Milwaukee, WI 53202, website www.mkeriverkeeper.org and email cheryl_nenn@milwaukeeriverkeeper.org

I also mentioned (as I have many times in previous issues) the Cornucopia Institute, which works on promoting economic justice for family-scale farming and often watchdogs organic agriculture issues. Their contact information is PO Box 126, Cornucopia, WI 54827, cultivate@cornucopia.org www.cornucopia.org

Chuck and I have just discovered a very nice Thai restaurant that we were told has been around for about two years but was previously unknown to us. Mai Thai is on Brady St., and we have now enjoyed two excellent dinners there.

As with all Thai cuisine, Mai Thai is very veg-friendly. Four of the appetizers, all three soups, two or three of the salads, all of the noodles, curries, and stir fries, and three of the specials either are or can be made vegetarian/ vegan: all are cooked to order, and for many of the dishes the menu instructs you to choose your preferred protein or filling, with tofu and vegetables being among the choices. So far we have dined on their spring rolls, volcano special, and cashew nut stir-fry; each was different and all were delicious. Heat ratings vary from 1 to 4; since we were sharing dishes we ordered number 1 and it was about as hot as I (Louise) could enjoy. Chuck availed himself of the hot sauces that were supplied on the side and found the result hot enough even for him.

We found the waitstaff most friendly and helpful. Décor is comfortable and pretty. Prices are noticeably moderate. Wine, beer, and cocktails are available and you can get refills on selected items during happy hour.