After working for Jo Malone on London’s Bond Street, studying to become an aromatherapist, and setting up her very own organic treatment room in Sussex, Lucy Russell specialises in handmade, organic skin care and beauty products – and has so for over a decade!

Reportedly spending hours in her kitchen cooking up treatments that use only the finest natural facials, whilst mixing her notebooks with years of experience in the beauty industry, Lucy Russell has won awards for Miss Eco Glam’s Best Cleanser in 2008, and this year has received Winner of Best Organic Facial Skincare Product from the Natural & Organic Awards 2009. Which is no easy feat.

The Lucy Russell Organic product range are handmade by Lucy herself. And her products come with two great seals of approval: first of all, the products are all 98% organic and one of the only skin care sellers to be certified by the Soil Association; and Lucy Russell products also make sure they use FSC Mixed Sources to produce their paper for receipts, labels and brochures – which is a fantastic touch of eco-awareness.

And their ingrediant’s policy is really something to take a look at too:

“The highest quality organic ingredients in real amounts!
The highest quality natural-source Vitamin E
No animal derived ingredients (except organic beeswax)
No genetically engineered or modified ingredients
No animal testing
No parabens
No petrol-chemicals
No alcohol”

As you can see, you can be sure when you’re putting this stuff on your face that there are no chemical nasties in it. For instance, parabens are often used synthetically in beauty products to reduce the effects of bacteria and spoilage but can cause skin reactions, and, quite worryingly, have been found in traces in several studies concerned with breast cancer. So with her hands-on, only natural approach, you can be sure to trust Lucy.

So much so, in fact, that her Rose Toner has been raised to eco-acclaim and awarded the Winner of Best Organic Facial Skincare 2009. The toner, which is 100% organically produced, is designed to cool and soothe mature and delicate skin. A mix of pure Organic Rosewater and Organic Persian Rose essential oil, it is an effective alternative to synthetic and commercial products, and comes with an eco-approval rather than a boutique price-tag. Lucy’s website says:

“The Rose Toner is such a versatile product. It tones, cools and calms your skin. It is wonderful to use during pregnancy because of its gentle soothing properties and beautiful feminine fragrance which also make it great to use during the menopause if you suffer with hot flushes – I have clients who swear by it!” She continues:

“It is extremely gentle and fine to use on children and babies over 6 months especially during the hot weather when you’re trying to keep them cool. You can keep it in the fridge to enhance it’s cooling properties.”

Lucy Russell Organics offers beauty in every sense of the word – subtle, orignal and environmentally aware – they’re a must have for your bathroom cabinet this year.

Click here to see a full listing of Lucy Russel Organics prices and products.

Posted under Articles, Health, Lifestyle & Fashion

Located in the heart of Oxfordshire, home of the famous Buttercross in market square, and represented by Conservative Leader, David Cameron, Witney now has something more to be proud about – Beanbag Natural Health, Winners of Best Independent Retailer at the Natural and Organic Awards 2009!

This ‘truly independent health food shop’, established in 1975, is located near the River Windrush, Witney. Witney is a quiet, charming little market town, full of character (and characters!) who seem to make each visit anew. Which is why it is definitely fitting that a shop like Beanbag Natural Health, with all its quirks and characteristics, should receive a Best Independent Retailer award.

In these times of economic claustrophobia it is true to say that the Independents are the first to be squeezed out of the picture. Retail is struggling. And, for most of us, it is not a real concern. We can still go about our business, spending where it is we think we receive the best ‘value’ for our time and money. But these perceptions are often miss-guided.

Is it our fault? Arguably, it is. The information we need to find out What it is we’re buying, Where it has been sourced from and Why the company chooses to sell their product, has been available for us to understand for years. These days most firms even use their mission statements and collective policies (Environmental, Ethical, Financial etc.) to advertise and promote their form of ‘good business’.

These larger corporations have also found ways to integrate environmental and ethical activities into marketing campaigns. And, increasingly, we’re being shown how such industries are “cutting out waste”, “reducing carbon footprints” or “implementing aggressive recycling programmes”. But what remains at the centre of all this eco-activity or faux-green gallantry is the fact that corporate chains demand a stronghold over their market: they seek to monopolise their industry and, therefore, begin to extinguish diversity, locality and choice.

Without choice we’re back where we started, and the Greener pastures of economies will cease to exist. That is why local, independant businesses like Beanbag Natural Health are so vital. And we can see why this is in three points:

A Healthy Local Economy
Imagine throwing a pebble into a small pond, and picture the ripple effect. Independent local businesses rely on a wide range of supporting services. For their construction alone, they will employ architects, designers, sign makers, carpenters, electricians, shop workers etc., to come into business. And once they’re operational, it is true to say that local retailers also stock a higher percentage of locally sourced goods. So without them, the effects of the pebble in the small pond are reversed – and the benefits taken away.

Diversity
Unlike large chain outlets, Independents rely on offering the widest selection of choice for the specified niche market. They will compete by delivering exactly what their client base is looking for rather than compromising their corporate policies in order to attract new consumers. This is why, for instance, local books sellers will sell books aligned to their reader’s tastes; why fish mongers will be able to tell you where your fish was caught; and this is why Beanbag Natural Health bring Fair Trade, Gluten Free and Organic food products to their shelves.

Character
It is no coincidence that when we’re asked to give an example of our favourite shops, we often name a local or specialised outlet. Local character is something that cannot be begged, stolen or borrowed. It is the one thing that franchises and large corporation will forever be without.

Lucky for us, the True Independents are not yet extinct. But they do rely on your support. The Beanbag Natural Health Food Shop is a wonderful store with a great team to help you with any health food quandary or query and offer, what we consider here at EcoSwitch, the very ‘best’ products to choose from.

Click here to visit the Beanbag Natural Health website and see a full list of product and prices today.

Posted under Articles, Health

To most of us the thought of putting handfuls of mud or working our salt-slicked fingers into our skin should seem like punishment rather than a therapeutic treat. But at Dead Sea Spa Magik, they have developed a range of beauty products that will help the balance our skin needs to battle the beating it takes from our stressful lifestyles. Whether its lotions, potions, mud or salt, Dead Sea Spa Magik have the solution to rid imbalances and help the body find the minerals and vitamins it needs to give it back that youthful, healthy glow.

Winner of Best New Natural Beauty Product at the Natural and Organic Awards, in partnership with the Soil Association, Dead Sea Spa Magik (DSSM) has been making waves in and outside the health & beauty markets. Sold in over 8000 health shops, department stores and pharmacies worldwide, DSSM is without a doubt a market leader.

So what’s all the fuss about? For a start DSSM are using some of the world’s natural processes for what might be considered one of the first beauty products in, arguably, the birthplace of health & beauty. The Dead Sea is truly unique. It has seen wave after wave of visitors come and go to lap up the geological beauty benefits it has offered for thousands of years. With a mineral salt content 10 times more concentrated than any ocean in the world, one might wonder why it’s called the Dead Sea and not the Sea of Life!

These inherent vitamins and minerals are scientifically proven to be essential in the maintenance of healthy skin. As skin cells are constantly being replaced and regenerated, dead cells can accumulate and slow down the epidermal function – which provides the skin’s natural defence – so it is important to cleanse the skin by removing dead cells and stimulate its new outer layer with minerals that, sometimes, we can miss out on due to a hectic lifestyle.

Dead Sea Spa Magik have combined the time old traditions of beauty care with a modern application to help fight the signs of unhealthy skin. And they’re doing this by harnessing the benefits of four new organic ingredients:

Roobis is a naturally caffeine free tea leaf full of anti-oxidants.
Linden Blossom is an anti-inflammatory known for its natural protective properties and is great in the fight against oily and greasy skins.
Matricaria Flower works with a soothing action on the skin and calms skin with its anti-irritant components.
Lemon Balm Leaf helps to combat skin irritations and soothes skin with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory.

These natural earth-given ingredients are just some of the benefits that DSSM products utilize. They are a great way to combat anti-ageing, skin dryness and blemishes, as well as being a soothing way to relax and detox sensitive skin. Their website has a full list of stockists and products, so now that you know What and Why, you can quickly find out Where to pick some up without having to fly to the West Banks of Israel.

Click here for Dead Sea Spa Magik’s website and a full listing of products and services.

Posted under Articles, Health, Lifestyle & Fashion

Endorsed by celebrities, loved by his audiences, winner of Best New Food Product at The Natural and Organic Awards 2009, the magical mind of Jason Vale seems to have the perfect ingredients for something really special. Known to his customers across the country as The Juice Master, Vale delivers a cocktail of the right stuff. Taking a handful of venues, a selection of punch lines, a working knowledge of power-foods, he has undeniably discovered a recipe for success – and boy does he want to share it with you!

It all starts with the man himself: Jason Vale. Once the out-of-shape, heavy drinking, 3 packets of cigarettes a day regular to the world of couch-ville, the now transformed Juice Master claims to be the living proof that we can all ‘Juice ourselves thin’. It seems that after a strict course of raw food dieting, Vale has unlocked his true potentials; and all thanks to the mantra of Juice, Juice, Juice!

Now a best selling author, a media authority on health and addiction, the global face of juicing for Philips, and, as you’ll soon discover, a life-loving, general enthusiast for just about anything (especially juice), Jason Vale has without a doubt turned his bad ways into good habits. And how has he done all this? If it has to be spelled out…J-U-I-C-E.

Okay, maybe just drinking the good-stuff will not bring you to the media acclaim that Vale has reached. But the voice of his own campaigns Jason Vale, aka the Juice Master, promises that he’ll take you to new summits of mental and physical vibrancy by following the steps he’s laid out for you in any one of his books. The Juice Master: Turbo-charge Your Life in 14 Days, and The Juice Master Keeping it Simple: Over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies are just two of his publications that have been followed through on major athletes, top CEOs and high-profile celebrities – the last face of which was glamour model Katie Price.

However, the Juice Master hasn’t ‘invented’ raw food and juice dieting. It is just a good example of what has slipped out of common knowledge. But thanks to media-minds like his, we are starting to see it comeback into our daily menus.

Raw food and juices are rich in nutrients, high in fibres and loaded with all-round-goodness. Diets like the Juice Master’s programmes are a great way to clear up bad skin, re-energise your body’s reserves, increase the nutritional value of each meal, and start to cut out those heavy saturated fats. But what makes Vale’s approach different to simply sprinting down to your local fruit & veg each morning and plowing through a basket of goods is all in his inventive recipes and his thought-out steps to help you stay committed.

And with the emergence of his very own franchise of Juice Bars – the first store launched in Waterford, Ireland – Juicy Vans, and Juice in a Bar (the winner of Best New Food Product at The Natural and Organic Awards 2009) Jason Vale has done very well indeed to turn himself into his super-hero, alter-ego the Juice Master, and is just as eager to show you the flight path of his success.

Posted under Articles, Health

It’s been said time and time again, but it’s true: what we want most of all for our children is a brighter, better tomorrow. And more than ever, we are being confronted with the difficulties of these dreams for such a tomorrow to be realised. Global warming, mass pollution, consumerism, there really seems to be no escape! But it is also fair to say that an escape from today is not what we need. What we need are sustainable alternatives to the throw-away culture we’ve gotten disturbingly used to. That’s definitely something we can agree on. But is agreeing enough? Even within the most innocent of circles, can we afford to be one of the many who keep on with our bad habits?

According to the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), nearly 3 billion disposable nappies are being thrown away in the UK every year. Around 90% of these difficult-to-decompose plastics end up being sent to landfill. Without mentioning the costs local authorities incur disposing plastic nappies, or highlighting the fact that landfill space is running out, or even needing to stress the impact that 8 million nappies a day being thrown away, in the UK alone, can have on the environment – surely this is one alternative that shouldn’t need re-emphasising…Unfortunately, that is not the case.

The majority of parents, guardians and carers are still preoccupied with supermarket solutions to child care; and it is doubtful that many realise that there was a time before disposables. However, this is not a naming and shaming. After all, we’re all guilty of a few faux pas that would land us in trouble with the Green Police. So what’s to be done? Lucky for us there is a group who do remember I time when reusable was the status quo, at time too when your baby would be clothed in nothing but natural fibres. And what’s best about these eco-outfitters? They’re modern just like you…

Little ECO Warriors

Little ECO Warriors (LEW) is a UK based eco-outfitter, supplying a handpicked selection of nappies in bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton. As well as selling a full range of baby accessories to help make your life easier and your little one’s future brighter, LEW also offer free delivery on all orders – even on items as small as natural & organic toiletries. Little ECO Warrior say:

There really is a friendly, family atmosphere coming from this eco-group. Their website (found below) details all the benefits you’ll get from using cloth nappies instead of disposables; benefits for you, you baby, your budget and your environment. They also provide helpful starter tips:

Visit their store online today and you’ll see how they change your mind about paying-out for disposables next time you go shopping.

Source: www.littleecowarriors.co.uk

Posted under Articles, Health, House & Home

Nominated for the Biofach awards 2009, the La Vialla Farm - a family-run organic enterprise based in the heart of Tuscany - is not only renowned for its wine producing, or even its authentic Tuscan gastronomic specialities (and let’s not ignore the idyllic artisan setting of this fantastic refuge) La Vialla is being praised by ecologists for its 30 year marriage of unbeatable food and understood farming – Biodynamic farming, that is!

The famous wine producer Jack Piouse once said: “Every wine is a mirror of its origin, it’s the child of the earth, air and man. It immortalises the life of the area and its rhythms.” And if this be the case, the age old techniques refined at La Vialla are a direct expression of the land, the knowledge, the work and successes of biological biodynamic farming today. But what is biodynamic farming? And what are the benefits?

Rudolf Steiner and the Birth of Biodynamics
Rudolf Steiner, the founder of biodynamic science, taught that the moon’s cycle and movement, and that of other planets in our solar system, influences life on Earth. If we consider the moon and its effects on the tides, and then see the tide as liquids in general, this theory becomes immediately apparent. Water is the fundamental element that serves as nourishment and gives life to organisms on earth. Therefore the moon’s role in fertilisation will clearly determine the outcome of probably the most effected organism on earth – plants.
As early as 1924, ahead of his time, Steiner was trying to encourage farmers to adopt methods that would preserve the environment. His fascination lay within the soil, the rhythms of the earth, and agronomic techniques that would help improve its strength. Steiner often warned farmers against the use of chemicals in modern agriculture. He predicted that consistent use would pollute, erode and weaken our crops, air and water supplies, whilst disturbing the evolution of the soil.

Using 30 years of experience and heritage, La Vialla farm according to the approaches of biological and biodynamic farming, avoiding more ‘modern’ methods of chemical agriculture that have seen farming deteriorate through the last century.

The Science: biodynamic composting at La Vialla
Towards the closing months of Autum, the farmers at La Vialla begin to build the essential tool. Using compost from the stalls, the remains from the oil press, the vegetables, the wine, the mills, and the dairy (basically whatever is left from the farm’s produce) the farmers construct a 70-80m long compost heap. A digger is then used to first compact the mound, to prevent it being washed away by rain, and then cover the heap with an insulating layer of straw – which regulates its temperature throughout the seasons.

By December, it is time to prepare the spray. The cyclical combination of cold weather, rainy days and frost allow a decomposition process, supported by biodynamic techniques, that works on what will turn into the key ingredient for the highly nutritional crop spray. The biodynamic compost is regulated with stimuli and natural catalysts (along with a helping hand from worms and other micro-organisms) to become the centre piece for farming through the oncoming year.

Steiner proclaimed that biodynamics at its fundamental aim is to revitalise the soil, encouraging fertile rotation and the quality of the ground. There were a few but essential guidelines, however; crops most be stimulated on rotation using homeopathic doses, pesticides are excluded from the entire process, and the magic ingredient of dynamized biodynamic compost must be used in order to receive full effects. The dynamization process – that is, the substance’s slow activation in water – is necessary for the farmers to apply the solution to the crops, and spray roots and leaves according to the suitable days of the lunar calender.

Results: the Test is in the Taste
Steiner’s biodynamic procedures may seem out-moded and historic to today’s modern take on proactive farming. However, the organically enriched crop farming has a range of benefits; it improves the overall quality and fertility of the soil, mineral mix, and the absorption ability at the plants roots. And this high-organicity is passed directly through to the fruits themselves; enriching the quality and characteristics of their nature. Once you have seen, smelt and tasted the results at La Vialla, it will be clear why these farmers want to preserve and promote the natural patterns in Tuscan flavouring and continue the tradition of biodynamic farming in generations to come.

Source: www.la-vialla.com

Posted under Articles, Health, Lifestyle & Fashion

In the world of environmental activism, journalism and media, climate change is the fundamental topic; with so much discussion on carbon emissions reduction, global warming, international summits and frameworks, and artworks, it has become one of the dominant topics of the early part of this early part of the 21st century.

Carbon emissions, which are widely blamed for the problem of global warming and climate change, contribute to this problem from a variety of sources. One, which it is argued is not widely enough discussed, is the production of food, and animal farming.

The issue surrounding methods of farming, then, is not simply a matter of animal cruelty: it is deeply affecting the level of carbon being released daily into the atmosphere.

UK Green Party leader and British MEP produced a report on the subject in April 2009. In it, she called for a drive for greater awareness of the carbon emissions problem in relation to animal farming. She wrote that,

“While climate experts and animal protection organisations know all too well that a staggering 18% of harmful greenhouse gas emissions world-wide are produced by animal farming (according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation), public awareness of the contribution to climate change of animal-based agriculture is low, and political activity almost non-existent.

I believe that the government should work to increase public awareness of the climate impact of our food products, through labelling schemes and publicity campaigns for example, and that measures to reduce consumption of animal products should be vigorously promoted. Rules on the procurement of food by public bodies such as the NHS and local authorities should start to take account of the climate impact of food. I would also like to see support and encouragement for farmers to switch from intensive livestock farming to growing food crops for human consumption“.

In terms of farming and food quality, then, it is not simply from the point of view of animal rights, and even human welfare, but from its dangerous effect and on the environment and its contribution to global warming.

A little under looked, it is a problem that, with the increased political prominence of the Green Party, may rise on the political-environmental agenda.

Undoubtedly, the issue is a difficult one, because food production is a necessity of society, and cheap food – which at current is produced, often through cheap methods – is also a necessity; if food is a basic, fundamental need, then everyone must have the ability to purchase it.

For that to continue, the cost of an energy efficiency change in the industry would have to go to the producer and manufacturers.

A Copy of the ‘Making Tracks Report’ can be found at Caroline Lucas’ personal website.

Posted under Articles, Health

It is that time of year again; the turning of the seasons. Autumn is starting to set itself across the parks and along the avenues, and summer is beginning to seem further and further away. As trees drop their browned leafs and colourful bright blossom begin to close their fists, it’s clear a new palette of Autumnal hues is well on its way. So before the wintry chills roll in, thousands of us annually take note and set about the house with a spot of redecorating and some dirty old dungarees. Summer time minimalism (white walls and beach furniture) will soon be overthrown and padded with winter comfy (deep reds and deep-cushioned armchairs). But this year, before you get out the old sheets, duct tape and overalls, crack open a pot of paint, consider this:

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). If you don’t know what these are, then just start looking around your home. VOC’s can be found in a number of household products. And their emittions are even traced to generally applied products, such as cleaning solvents and paints. Now, this isn’t an over-zealous plea to households everywhere to wipe out any potential threat to the human species. But it is worth considering, especially since VOC’s have been traced to cause the development of ‘sick building syndrome’, asthma, and other allergies.

The potential risks from domestic inhalation alone is not a great threat. However, health experts do warn against modern homes and their ‘sealed’ tendencies when applying products with particularly high VOC counts. Not to mention the amount of time Brits tend to spend indoors at home during these winter periods. So what’s to be done? It’s simple. There is an alternative mix of organic paints available on the market that will help take the edge off any worry and help reduce airborne VOC numbers in your home.

ECOS Organic Paints

ECOS Organic Paints have developed a range of odourless, solvent-free organic paints available for use on, in and around the home. Totally free of pesticides, herbicides and potentially harmful toxins, the ECOS Organic Paint range is endorsed by The British Allergy Foundation (BAF) and in 2007 received their seal of approval award.

Not only are ECOS products VOC free, they truly have an impressive range of colours available to help decorate any room to any specification. There is also an individualised Colour Matching Service (just like those which are used by Dulux and B&Q) to meet any colour mix. Sound good to you? Well, you can order directly through their online store (www.ecospaints.com) or else telephone, fax, or even email through your order to one of their friendly staff.

VOCs are a major contributor to low-level atmospheric pollution and global warming. The majority of paints on sale today contain both solvents and VOCs. ECOS products contain neither. Not a trace! And their odourless qualities lets the nose know that once you’ve experienced the alternative you’ll not go back.

For a full range and listing of products available at ECOS Organic Paints, visit their website – www.ecospaints.com

Posted under Articles, Health, House & Home

In theory, the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) thirsts for dog blood. However unusual incidents have projected its ability to alternate its blood target – to that of human beings. Since 1950, according to Mr. Didier Raoult, a professor at the University of Marseille’s School of Medicine in France, several human victims of tick bites have been recorded, with the occurrence of the bites being juxtaposed with hot temperatures. Consequently, could the progressive Global warming potentially boost a tick bite pandemic?

The dog ticks may carry life threatening diseases such as a variety of Rickettsia and pathogens. In the Spring of 2007, a couple of French men were diagnosed with tick bite symptoms after being bitten. Two of them, one aged 25-years-old and the other 30, suffered from symptoms such as rashes, headaches, chronic sweating, spotted fever and shrivelling vision. However, the species of pathogens carried by the two men differed. One embodied the Rickettsia conoii, the cause of Mediterranean spotted fever, whilst the other patient carried the R.massiliae pathogen.

At the site of the incident, 218 ticks were collected by Raoult to be analysed, tested and diagnosed. The outcome unveiled that 30% of infected ticks out of the 133 tested were a portal of the diverse Rickettsia species, a key cause to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the Mediterranean spotted fever as seen in the former case and many more dangerous diseases.

Earlier in 2004, it was an outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever which ravaged in warm Arizona. Again, that incident was an offshoot of tick biting. During an extremely hot summer in 2003, another man succumbed to his approximate 20 tick bites, bitten all at once.

The assumption was that hot climates triggered the brown dog tick to bite human beings. As the dog dies from chronic infection, the ticks embed around the house, hunger creeps in due to the hot climate, before then accosting their next victim…man. Christopher Paddock, a pathologist with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, confirmed that: ”There were lots of ticks, lots of infected ticks, warm temperatures and the dog dying, which is the normal host. All that adds up to ticks feeding on people and transmitting infection.”

Intrigued, an investigation was conceived by Raoult and his colleagues to test the effect of heat on the ticks. The operation conveyed the bisection of ticks, 500 bearing a temperature of 77 degree and the other half, 104 degrees. At first, guinea pigs were used as incubation vessels before the ticks were transferred to Raoult and his colleague’s arms for testing. What followed was that the ticks incubated at 104 degrees were found to be more prone to bite the human flesh than their counterparts heated to 77 degrees. Perhaps reliable, the conclusion of the experiment still needs to show validity on a global scale. With further temperature increases predicted due to Global Warming, we are expected to see more cases of tick-borne diseases amongst humans. Only time will tell if these early cases develop into a true pandemic.

Posted under Climate, Environmental News, Health

CALIFORNIA

The UK is not the only place to worry about a decrease in domestic bee populations. California agriculture is in deep trouble due to honey bee losses. With 88,000 farms and ranches, agriculture is a major industry for the golden state that generates $100 billion a year. For the last 50 years, California has claimed the status of being the most productive agriculture state. The industry is incredibly diverse as well, with up to 350 different types of plants and animals.

But today the industry is in grave danger because of the disappearance of the insects that are responsible for the necessary pollination of the plants. There has been a 35% decline in bee colonies since last winter. According to scientists and bee keepers, the populations of bees, wasps and butterflies are all in a major decline.

At the moment, the cause for the decline is unexplained. However, scientists have some suspected causes. Systemic pesticides disrupt insect neurology causing navigation failure due to memory loss. Another cause could be the loss of habitat and the introduction of pests and diseases. A recent noticeable issue the vast amount of monocultures of single crops that create “floral deserts” when the crops are not in bloom could also be a contributing factor. Whatever the cause, scientists are reiterating the fact that plants need bees and insects to pollinate, and today some of these plants are at an extreme risk of extinction.

The US Congress is attempting to help the situation. Recently they provided a five year farm bill that would spend a few million dollars trying to save the bees. However, they would most likely be spending billions of dollars on farm subsidy policies that contribute their destruction. The Bush administration is trying to divert money towards environmental and nutrition programs in the farm bill. Congressional negotiators want to raise more tax revenue to expand subsidies at the expense of these programs.

Whatever the decision, most scientists and beekeepers agree that something must be done to research the causes and develop a solution as quickly as possible.

Judith Redmond, a partner at Full Belly Farm, an organic produce grower in Capay Valley, north of San Francisco, California, said “We don’t know what all problems are with honeybees, but what we do know is there are 4,000 species of native pollinators. They are very efficient at pollinating specific crops. They need habitat. Very clearly from our farm experience and research done on our farm, the habitats that we’ve installed here have made a difference in the pollinator population.” (Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle”)

Posted under Articles, Companies, Environmental News, Gas & Electricity, Health, House & Home, Product Innovations