Dear Tucson Green Times Readers,

As you might have surmised by the front page of our August issue (which is being distributed on area news racks this week), we are in the process of changing our name from Tucson Green Times to The New Southwest.

Why, you ask? Partially because many of you have asked if “Green Times” is really the best choice to describe what’s inside the pages of this community newspaper.

The data we’ve studied and the extensive market research we’ve done show us that, while over 80 percent of Americans are now actively concerned with issues of sustainability and our planet’s future, they do not necessarily consider themselves to be “green.” Even while seeing tremendous growth, recognition and brand equity in the name “green,” we acknowledge that values related to a green lifestyle have rapidly become the “norm” among the mainstream population.  And this is what we have all been hoping to see responsible living and conscious stewardship in every segment of our culture.  Therefore, we feel the opportunity is at hand for us to grow with this cultural evolution in a broader way, with a broader name, and reach a significantly broader group of people who share these common values.

Today, Tucson is just one city in the middle of a global cultural renaissance. The “green” movement – encompassing everything from energy availability to global warming concerns, natural resource depletion and re-use, conservation, health issues, toxic poisoning of our air, water, land and food – has become a rallying point for change from nearly every part of our society. A rally point for nearly everything we do and how we plan our daily lives. The “green” movement has gently nudged a majority of us to the inevitable place where we look past ourselves to the community we live with, and then back again to our place within that community.

This cultural renaissance is far more than just “green.” It’s really about re-building a vibrant community structure in a new way that fits the times in which we now live. We’re re-discovering a common language that includes the future, the past and today – while leaving the less productive chatter to those who will eventually come to the same conclusions. Like most of the world, Tucson is moving forward toward a more sustainable future, confidently and with a common purpose. And we are moving ahead with it.

When we asked if “Green Times” fit many of your daily lives, you said it was part of a bigger outlook rather than the only focus. A direction that’s now obvious and well accepted, but expanding into a bigger picture of contemporary living, is the real message you’ve drawn from our pages.

We’ve gathered opinions from readers, business people and community leaders over the past year and reviewed several possible new name ideas. We ultimately chose The New Southwest because it received high points as being more reflective of our evolving local culture and outlook. We hope you like it as much as we do.

Rest assured, it’s only the name that’s changed. Ownership hasn’t changed one bit. Our focus on high quality editorial content isn’t changing. And our stability and commitment to you and to a sustainable future remain the same!

We will continue to hold a focus on green, contemporary living and encourage a free, vigorous and diverse news media through leadership and innovative thinking within the Tucson community.

As we approach the completion of our third year this fall as Tucson’s largest monthly community newspaper, we now serve over 150,000 readers in the Tucson metro area each and every month. We believe Tucson Green Times has been a beneficial addition to our community and you have helped make that possible through your loyal support. We value your relationship with us and appreciate your commitment to helping us grow with you and achieve many goals together in shifting our community into a healthier, more livable, more vibrant future for all.

Thanks, Tucson, for making Tucson Green Times – and now The New Southwest – a part of your life. We always look for your comments, suggestions and news of great (and small but still important) things happening around the town.  We have a new website – www.thenewsouthwest.com — and the Tucson Green Times website will automatically forward to the new one, so you won’t miss a thing.  The August issue in print will be distributed on news racks today – so watch for it and be sure to pick one up!

Tell us what you think and get ready for The New Southwest!

Sincerely,

Mikaela Quinn and Jim Ricker

Publishers, Founders and Independent Owners of The New Southwest (formerly the Tucson Green Times)

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Think of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel combustion probably comes to mind immediately. The burning of fossils fuels is naturally a major player in creating a higher carbon footprint, but so is soil.

Members of Tucson Organic Gardeners, Rich Johnson (kneeling in front), Victor Gutierrez (standing on the left) and Liz Marascio apply a fresh layer of rich compost to their community garden. PHOTO by James Patrick

Soil is the Earth’s carbon sequestering modus operandi. More than twice as much carbon is stored in the Earth’s soil as is stored in live vegetation or in the atmosphere. However, urbanization, conventional agriculture, open pit mining and other poor land use practices are degrading the soil, reducing the amount of stored carbon and resulting in more carbon entering the atmosphere.

These destructive land practices are responsible for nearly one-third of the increase in CO2 emissions over the past 150 years. The drastic increase of chemicals, synthetic fertilizers and excessive tilling in place of compost, manure and crop rotation have contributed to a 50 percent reduction of organic carbon in agricultural soils over the past 20 years.

Three national nonprofits – GrassRoots Recycling Network, BioCycle and EcoCycle – are working to change this through spearheading the Cool 2012 Campaign.

Cool 2012 is a “national initiative to inspire and educate state and local jurisdictions on the importance of getting compostable organics out of the landfill” by 2012. Education, public policy suggestions and presentation materials are the cornerstones of the campaign.

Organic (carbon-based) materials make up two-thirds of landfill waste. You may be wondering, “What’s the problem if those items are going to break down anyway?” When deposited in a landfill, those biodegradable materials – paper, food scraps, yard trimmings – produce methane, a greenhouse gas and major contributor to global warming.

Methane is much more potent than CO2. Studies show that over a 20-year period every ton of methane traps as much heat as 72 tons of CO2, and landfills are one of the top sources of methane.

The Cool 2012 Campaign aims to eliminate this source of methane by ending the practice of landfilling organic materials and composting them instead. The campaign’s website states: “Methane reductions could have an immediate beneficial effect on our climate, much faster than comparable reductions to CO2.”

Just because something is biodegradable or labeled “compostable” doesn’t guarantee that its going to break down in a beneficial way. Tossing that corn-based compostable fork in the trash doesn’t do a whole lot of good if it’s being sent to a landfill. The absence of oxygen in today’s landfills creates anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions, which is the culprit of the production of methane in landfills. Composting, the actively managed process of the decomposition of organic materials, is the solution to reducing landfill-induced methane gas production.

While we don’t yet have a municipal composting program like Seattle, San Francisco and other forward-thinking cities, Tucson is environmentally conscious so we can keep our fingers crossed that one day we each might have a third plastic bin to roll to the curb for compostables along with recyclables and trash. In the meantime, many local individuals and organizations have taken the initiative to encourage composting.

The Tucson Organic Gardeners (TOG) is one example. In addition to classes and extensive information on their website, TOG hosts the compost demonstration at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. There you can see various types of composting in action and TOG volunteers are available to answer questions.

Composting can be a little intimidating at first, especially in the desert. But as TOG President Rich Johnson says, “One of the best things about composting is that you can’t do it totally wrong. Nature will claim everything in time. The benefit to doing it with a composting bin and with a little bit of education is that you can do it much quicker.”

TOG also has found a clever way to combine recycling with affordable composting. Along with other volunteers, Johnson collects old City of Tucson plastic trash toters and converts them into “BioBins.” Virtually indestructible, these composting bins give new life to something that would have ended up in the landfill. Sales of the BioBins to the public benefit TOG programs.

Once you’ve acquired your compost bin, it’s time to fill it – and Sunflower Farmer’s Market can help in that department. Store manager Desi May pioneered the Green Waste Program, which offers compostable material to the public free of charge.

“Our landfills are precious space and a precious commodity. We don’t want to fill them up with something that could be easily repurposed to put nutrients back in the soil,” says May.

Grocery store produce departments generate a significant amount of “trim,” fruit and veggie scraps on a daily basis. May doesn’t want to see that going into a landfill so she initiated the Green Waste Program. Still in a pilot phase, the program is offered at the First Avenue location. Every day at 2:00 p.m. Sunflower Market’s staff roll out a plastic bin full of the day’s trim and make it free for anyone who can put it to good use.

May is working to get the word out about the program and encourages residents to make use of the free green waste. “It’s not yet as grand as I had hoped but it’s still making a difference and that’s what it’s all about,” she says. “One step at a time, one day at a time, one push at a time, one reusable grocery bag, one trip not made in a car, right?”

Right indeed.

Author: Gretel Hakanson is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Two different streams of consciousness are combining to produce a new wave of thrift store shoppers here in Tucson and across the country.

Thrift stores have always served the poor; today there are far more people experiencing financial need than at any other time in the past decade. Simultaneously, the growing ‘green’ sector, a demographic that cuts across every economic level, is re-evaluating consumption habits. Few activities accomplish the “reuse/reduce/recycle motto as well as thrift store shopping.

Giselle Ruiz shops for a purse at a Goodwill store in Tucson. PHOTO by Karen R. Smith.

Any thrift store purchase is an act of post-consumer recycling. An item of clothing or furniture that’s no longer needed would normally end up in the landfill; eco-conscious folks donate such things to thrift stores instead. Many are the retail outpost of charitable organizations, hospitals and foundations: donations to these stores are tax deductible.

In some organizations, the donated items create job opportunities for the population served, whether in the store itself (sales and stock person positions) or behind the scenes (washing donated clothing, testing appliances, etc.). Donating at these establishments truly represents an investment in our community at the grassroots level. And do consider donation as an alternative to disposal, even for items past their prime: many organizations use unwearable textiles to make stuffing for mattresses and toys. Even a shirt riddled with holes can have a productive new life.

Shopping at a charitable organization’s thrift store helps keep local programs and services running. Many are facing reductions in federal, state and municipal funding as well as diminishing private bequests.

Savers thrift stores pioneered the retail thrift store/charity partner concept more than 50 years ago. The organization calls their complete process ‘The Savers Cycle’. Nationally, Savers forms alliances with local charities in each store’s community, so that donors and shoppers help fund organizations in their own neighborhood at both ends of each transaction. In 2009, Savers paid more than $117 million to their nonprofit partners. In addition, unsold donated items are sent to areas of need around the globe through philanthropic and retail channels. This stream of used goods has helped establish retail market places in developing nations. Value Village is part of Savers, so a purchase at any of the local outlets of either one helps programs here in Tucson. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson are Savers’ charity alliance partner. Visit Savers at 290 W. Fort Lowell or 5845 E. Broadway for a large selection of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing; the new Value Village store at 2700 N. Stone Avenue is a terrific source for home furnishings and small appliances.

There are 166 independent Goodwill Industries branches throughout the US. These locally governed enterprises receive funding from their retail stores, which is used to provide job training and other services to Tucsonans in need. There are more than a dozen Goodwill stores in the greater Tucson area; visit the website (www.goodwill.org/get-involved/shop) to find the one nearest you. Goodwill also offers a variety of outsource contractor services to local business, government and industry. These services employ many individuals enrolled in Goodwill’s job programs. They run the gamut from packaging and assembly to document shredding. “More than 155,000 people obtained employment in 2009 through their participation in Goodwill programs,” said Carol Taylor, Goodwill Tucson’s Marketing Director.

Here in Tucson, Goodwill operates two Job Connection Centers (one at the First Avenue store, the other at Midvale). Anyone can visit the Center and receive help with their resume, and can view job postings on the Center’s computers. The organization’s Ready to Earn program trains would-be job applicants in basic computer skills, business phone manners, and internet use. After graduation, these workers go on to call center jobs paying from $8-$12 hour. Goodwill also offers GED classes here in Tucson, and at the Silverlake location, a sheltered workforce of physically and developmentally disabled adults work on contracted projects ranging from box assembly to scanning in books for sale on Amazon.com. “People who might have needed public assistance are earning their own living instead – happily self-supporting. It’s truly a wonderful program,” Taylor explained.

The Salvation Army might be best known for its Christmas funding efforts. Bell ringers around town draw attention to a red kettle waiting for contributions. Few are familiar with the broad range of humanitarian services the organization provides year round. These include disaster relief, prisoner rehabilitation and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. William and Catherine Booth founded the now-international organization in 1865; it still operates on the 11 articles of faith established at that time by the two Christian evangelists. Retail store sales help fund all Salvation Army programs, both in our local community and around the world.

There are more than a dozen other thrift stores in Tucson that benefit local charities and community organizations. Each has a particular ‘flavor’, perhaps because the donor demographic varies widely. Space limits how many we can describe here, so be sure to check the Yellow Pages for others in your neighborhood.

Tucson’s best selection of used books is at St. Mary’s Auxiliary Thrift Shop (1543 W. St. Mary’s Road). That’s because lots of hospital patients donate the books received during their stay. Members of the hospital’s Auxiliary volunteer their time to staff all positions at this store.

Volunteers are also the core work force at the Assistance League of Tucson’s Thrift Store (1307 N. Alvernon Way). Classic clothing, gently used furniture and housewares are the bulk of the offerings. Sales help fund the League’s programs for disadvantaged people of all ages here in Tucson.

The Casa de los Ninos thrift store (1302 E. Prince Road) is the first place to look for used furniture and housewares. Volunteers and paid staff work together to keep this large store humming. Sales help fund advocacy work on behalf of children in crisis.

Miracle Center Thrift Store funds a shelter for abused women and their children here in Tucson. The store (5527 E. Pima) has a good selection of bric-a-brac, clothing and decorative accessories, all of it artfully presented thanks to dedicated volunteers.

Besides the good feelings of making a more sustainable choice, fashion-wise, thrift store shopping is the ultimate treasure hunt, which can be a motivation all by itself! This week’s finds included a ladies’ Armani shirt, men’s Cole Haan shoes and Petit Bateau sunsuits for toddlers. A teen search garnered 7 For All Mankind jeans, two House of Dereon dresses, a Nike SB hoodie and Doc Marten shoes. Home goods ranged from a Krupp coffee maker to a 1960s Henredon nightstand. Antique and vintage finds included a 1950s KitchenAid mixer, a 1920s dining room set and a hair brooch from the 1870s. Never would have found this assortment at affordable prices anywhere else!

Author: Karen Smith is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Does the phrase “green consumer” sound like an oxymoron?

It is possible to have a sustainable consumer lifestyle by finding a happy middle ground between dumpster-diving and mindless consumption.

Green consumers can learn to resist impulsive shopping and, instead, carefully determine which items they really need – then find the most responsible manufacturer and vendor to purchase from. The goal is to decrease the amount of energy used to create and ship products, eliminate waste from one-use, throwaway products and excess packaging, as well as support local businesses before national chains.

It can sometimes be difficult to evaluate a purchase based on the label and product information alone. Thankfully, there are many online resources including websites, e-newsletters and Twitter feeds, that can keep us up-to-date on which products are safe and sustainable and where to find local Tucson or Arizona vendors.

To get started on your way to making greener purchases, check out this list of resources:

Find Local Businesses

Local First Arizona – www.localfirstaz.com/ Local First Arizona is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening local communities and economies by supporting locally-owned businesses. Its website (www.localfirstaz.com) is a great place to educate yourself about the benefits of shopping at local businesses. The site features a directory of statewide and local businesses, and there’s also a separate directory for Tucson. Businesses are divided into helpful categories like Home and Garden, Apparel and Footwear, Food and Dining, and more. Check out the Green and Eco-Friendly category for shops that are both locally owned and offer environmentally-friendly products or services. Some businesses (denoted by a blue check-mark on the site) offer a special deal when customers mention Local First Arizona.

Stay Informed on Product Recalls

Government Recalls – www.recalls.gov To stay informed about product recalls and safety visit www.recalls.gov, where you can sign up for e-mail updates based on specific areas of interest. This umbrella site includes safety and recall information about consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics and environmental products. Some of the agencies included are the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Many of these government organizations also have Twitter feeds you can access using the URLs shown below, or by signing up for Twitter and following the feeds in one place using your Twitter account.

For each of the twitter handles below simply type www.twitter.com/ and add the extension after the backslash:

USDAgov; FDAWomen; FDArecalls; FDA_Drug_Info; USDAFoodSafety, CPSC_Recalls; OnSafety.

Give and Receive Used Items

FreeCycle – www.freecycle.org Freecycle is a volunteer-run global network of websites giving members the ability to offer or request free items within local communities. The Freecycle mission is to grow a gifting movement to reduce waste and encourage a sense of community. The site is similar to Craigslist.org, except all items are free, there is no bartering, and local groups are managed by volunteer moderators. Freecycle.org is a great way to recycle household items which may be discarded prematurely due to a move or spring cleaning. The goal is to prevent perfectly functional goods from winding up in the landfill, and foster a sense of charity among people. To view or add posts, you’ll need to become a member. Posts are searchable and users contact each other through freecycle.org to arrange pick-up of an item. A survey of recent offers in the Tucson group included a coffee maker, 25” TV, clothing and a humidifier.

Eat Local and Healthy Foods

Sustainable Tucson – www.sustainabletucson.org Sustainable Tucson is a non-profit organization promoting a more resilient, sustainable community through research, awareness and engagement. The website is a great resource for Tucsonans who wish to buy more local, sustainable food products. Sustainabletucson.org/affinity/food is a good starting place to find the organizations of your choice, including local farmer’s markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), and Food Co-ops.

Non-GMO Shopping Guide – www.nongmoshoppingugide.com When you do need to shop in a regular super market you can use two downloadable pocket guides available online to avoid purchasing Genetically Modified (GMO) foods and produce covered with dangerous pesticides.

Food News - www.foodnews.org For the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, visit the www.foodnews.org, where you’ll see an option to download the guide.

Play it Safe With Kid’s Toys

Healthy Stuff – www.healthystuff.org Some of the scariest product recalls involve children’s toys. For example, the recent McDonald’s recall of 12 million Shrek-themed collectible glasses due to high levels of cadmium found in the paint. To avoid toxic toys for your young family members and friends, visit healthystuff.org/departments/toys and find a complete database of children’s products with ratings of low, medium, and high toxicity. Product listings also contain detailed information on the amounts of lead, chlorine, cadmium, arsenic, mercury or bromine present.

Moms Rising – www.momsrising.org For parents on the go, momrising.org has an ingenious text-messaging system where you can text the name or manufacturer of a toy and receive an instant text message reply indicating whether the toy has a low, medium or high level of harmful chemicals. Visit www.momsrising.org/NoToxicToys for more instructions and information.

Detox your Home

Good Guide – www.goodguide.com It’s tough to shop for household cleaning products and building supplies that are truly green. Some companies greenwash their packaging with imagery and claims that make the product seem environmentally friendly even when it’s not. For a reality-check on products, visit www.goodguide.com and see a product’s safety rated from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). Search by brand name or product name, or click on a category, like “laundry” to view a list of the safest and most harmful products in that category.

Earth Easy - www.eartheasy.com Another solution is to make your own household cleaners using basic and affordable ingredients. Visit eartheasy.com/ live_nontoxic_solutions.htm for a comprehensive guide to creating homemade substitutions for common cleaning agents.

Eco Haus - www.ecohaus.com If you are making improvements to your home and need to source green building supplies, paints, finishes and other materials look no further than www.ecohaus.com for environmentally-friendly and non-toxic flooring, heating and cooling products, paints, sealants and other supplies.

Become a Wiser Consumer

Greener Choices – www.greenerchoices.org Greenerchoices.org is Consumer Reports’ portal for green consumers. The site contains factual information on products billed as environmentally friendly. For example, find out if your skincare product is actually “all natural,” or see which portable cell phone chargers save the most energy. There is a free e-mail newsletter signup on the site and useful tools like an appliance energy efficiency calculator tool.

The Daily Green – www.thedailygreen.com and Grist -  www.grist.org Two more sources for staying abreast of green consumer trends are www.thedailygreen.com and www.grist.org. These sites deconstruct green product developments and news stories to let you know which products and services are truly green. Both sites feature tips and advice for making greener purchases and lifestyle changes.

Author: Britt Brouse lives in Tucson and writes about sustainability and marketing.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Downtown Tucson neighborhoods are united against plans to run a new power line across residential areas.

Tucson Electric Power (TEP) plans to run a new transmission line of a 138 kV between the DeMoss Petrie substation at Grant Ave. and I-10 and the downtown Tucson substation at 11th Ave. and 4th St. TEP spokesman Joe Salkowski says expects the transmission line to be in service by the end of 2012.

According to Salkowski, by the end of this month (July 2010) TEP will apply for the required Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee.

Three routes are being considered by TEP. The cheapest – $4.2 million – runs straight through the downtown neighborhood Dunbar/Springs along 11th Ave. where TEP has the right-of-way and two 46 kV lines are already up and running. The other two routes that circumvent most residences have more expensive price tags of over $6 million.

Since April 2009, residents of the neighborhoods Barrio Anita, Dunbar/Springs, Blue Moon, Barrio Kroeger Lane, El Presidio and the San Ignacio Yaqui have fought against the 11th Ave. route. They do not want a heavy-duty power line a few feet from their homes. Supported by Vice Mayor Regina Romero, Council Member Karin Uhlich and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, residents have publically voiced their concerns about aesthetics, safety, health and property values.

A138 Kv transmission line running next to your home does not look pretty and is a potential danger. The health concerns, on the other hand, are less straightforward. Do power lines directly affect our health?

Power lines emit electric forces (measured in volt per meter) and magnetic waves (measured in units of Gauss). Together, those form an electric magnetic field (EMF). The strength of EMF is different in every location. You are exposed to a much greater amount of EMF when strolling down 42nd Street in New York than when hiking Mount Lemmon.

For more than 25 years, numerous studies have been conducted to understand how EMF exposure impacts health, but researchers show contradicting results. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) existing studies “do not provide sufficient evidence to support an association between extremely-low-frequency magnetic-field exposure and adult cancers, pregnancy outcome, or neurobehavioral disorders.”

But studies conducted by the National Cancer Institute, the Children’s Oncology Group, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the WHO have all reported an increase in childhood leukemia cases in areas with high EMF exposure.

According to John Peterson of NIEHS, research shows a two- to three-fold increase of childhood leukemia; instead of one in 14,000 children affected in a lifetime, three in 14,000 are affected. “Every investigator has found a weak correlation and therefore this small statistical increase in childhood leukemia cannot be ignored,” says Peterson.

This worries local residents. “I plan to have children, but I am not raising children under a 138 kV power line,” says Dunbar/Springs resident Ian Johnson.

Aesthetic, safety and health concerns also impact property value. A high-voltage power line running overhead may cause a residence to become “stigmatized property.” According to Bruce Greenberg, an appraiser and specialist in stigmatized property, this means that “the property value is psychologically affected in addition to physically affected.”

Susie DeConcini, vice president of Long Realty Company and a realtor for 35 years, is concerned about her son’s property located along the proposed 11th Ave. power line route. She once showed a property at Continental Ranch. “It was the most wonderful house,” she says. “But what do you see when you walk outside? Power lines. That was the end of it. There is always a price for which buyers will take the risk, but that will not be the market value.”

To assess a property’s value, the central question for Greenberg is: “What is in the mind of the typical buyer and seller?” Greenberg sketches the scenario of two identical houses up for sale; house A without an overhead power line and house B with an overhead power line. “House A most probably would sell before house B and most likely house A will sell for more than house B, everything else being equal,” he says.

For more than a year, downtown residents have fought against a 138 kV power line right outside their front door, but TEP is still proposing this route to the Line Siting Committee.

“The 11th Avenue route has the least support from the public and we are going to make sure that the Line Siting Committee is aware of that,” says TEP’s Salkowski. “The bottom line, however, is that the 11th Avenue route remains on the table and Tucson residents will continue their fight.”

Dunbar/Springs resident Ian Johnson says, “A transmission line does not serve the neighborhood directly. There are other options and in this case there are perfectly good options. I think that it makes sense to not increase the burden of this heavy-industrial infrastructure in a neighborhood, when you don’t have to, and in this case they don’t.”

Author: Kirsten Boele is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at the UofA.

Washington D.C. July 2010 - The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution at its recent 78th Annual Meeting calling on the federal government to accelerate its support for natural gas vehicles.

Passage of current federal natural gas vehicle legislation would stimulate market expansion, economic growth, and support the buying and using natural gas vehicles over a short time period so that national economies of scale will develop, the resolution stated.

Furthermore, legislation should be focused on the high fuel use and high pollution vehicle fleets such as trash trucks, transit buses, semi-trucks, school buses, urban delivery and distribution vehicles, and shuttle buses.

The “Frowny Face” of Success

By James MacAdam

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

What causes us to behave the way we do? One of the fundamental assumptions of environmental and social movements in the past few decades has been that people behave according to their level of awareness and knowledge of a given topic. For instance, the belief is, if someone really understands the potential consequences of global warming, he will change his behavior to help prevent it.

Massive amounts of education in the form of books, articles, advertisements and even movies have been created in service of this rational approach to change. Some of it has even been helpful – the film documentary An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore performed an invaluable service in bringing global warming into the public eye. But if it really worked, why are we, as a society, back to deciding which energy-hog flat screen TV we’re going to watch it on?

The problem is, we do not act rationally. We learn the facts, consider them, and most often do whatever the hell we want. Witness the phenomena of cigarettes. Could there be any more scientific consensus that smoking a cigarette will shorten your life span (and make your living years more unpleasant)? Yet their use persists, abundantly – even despite years of heavy taxation (also dispelling the myth that all people care about is money).

Regarding energy and global warming, is it any wonder that – in response to the facts on global warming – everybody isn’t selling their homes in the suburbs, moving into multi-generational family apartments downtown and biking, walking and busing everywhere?

The facts are not enough. We are multi-faceted beings with internal desires, fears, feelings, and closely-held beliefs, not robots that respond only to the objective truth. This is why I am always excited to hear about any initiative that takes this reality into account. I recently learned of a campaign in which a California utility company, charged with reducing its customer’s energy consumption, began issuing bills that showed the customer’s monthly energy consumption in comparison with the average use of their neighbors, as well as with the average of the most efficient customers (“Utilities Turn Their Customers Green, with Envy.” New York Times, 1/30/09).

Those customers whose consumption was lower than the average received images of smiley faces on their bills, while those who consumed more received frowny faces.

The result? First, people complained about getting frowny faces (we are a proud and fragile people). Secondly, the campaign worked. Customers who received the new bills conserved more energy than those who didn’t. They conserved more than when they were offered rebates on installing energy-saving appliances. The campaign was successful enough that it has now spread to several other major cities (in a new, ego-friendlier system that awards smiley faces only).

Why did this work? The campaign takes advantage of the fact that people exist on many different levels. Specifically:

! The comparison bills appeal to people’s competitive sides. As the New York Times put it, it’s about “keeping up with the Joneses.” Face it – in each of us, there is a person who likes to win. The beauty of this competition is that when you “win,” you benefit everybody else.

! The campaign utilizes healthy shame. From what we know of the few healthy communities that exist (particularly indigenous ones), shame, taboos and community norms can help reinforce behaviors that support the well-being of the group, and discourage those that don’t. In our nuclear family-segregated, TV-dominated world, those bonds are broken. The frowny face bill uses a fresh, surprising method to re-tie one of those lost community bonds, to remind us that there are others outside our tidy suburban walls. Feel bad about how much energy you consume? Good. Do something about it.

! This initiative even takes the old “give ‘em the facts” green strategy and improves on it. In this case, the facts (one’s energy consumption) are given in a personalized, relevant context – what are my neighbors doing? Where do I stand? How can I improve?

When education campaigns achieve minimal success, it is common to capitulate to the belief that people must only respond to the power of money. The corporate bottom line versus the world.

This story shows that we are tuned in to more than one channel on the dial of being. Yes, we respond to money. Sometimes, we respond to rational thought, or even altruism. But we also respond to shame, competition, sex, gratitude, fear, creativity, and spiritual urges (to name just a few). A new wave of environmental action that takes the whole person into account? It’s got a frowny face on it.

Author: James MacAdam  writes and works on sustainability issues in Tucson.

By Melanie Lenart

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

One drink too many. The last straw that broke the camel’s back. We’re all familiar with tipping points, even if we don’t call them that.

Soon we may need to add another ultimate to the list: The final ton of carbon dioxide that thawed the Arctic.

This month, news reports suggested we’re closer than we think to an Arctic meltdown. The carbon dioxide in our modern air is roughly the same as the levels that pushed Arctic summer temperatures above freezing during the Pliocene age some three to five million years ago.

If global warming builds up enough to tip the scales toward an Arctic meltdown, we’ll feel the heat even in the subtropical, landlocked Southwest. Hotter summers here will be part of the package.

During the warmer Pliocene age, frogs, beavers and an ancestor to the black bear lived among larch and northern white cedar trees on Ellesmere Island – which is located well within the Arctic Circle.

In modern times, the island is frozen tundra supporting a bonsai version of willows but no sizable trees. The animals that live there now, such as wolves and caribou, are well adapted to cold climate, where even summer temperatures average below freezing.

As in the ancient Arctic, forests and wetlands tended to expand during past hothouses – including to the poles. That’s partly because a few degrees of global change translates into a world of difference at the poles.

During that hotter Pliocene, Arctic temperatures averaged about 34 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they do today, as Ashley Ballantyne of the University of Colorado and her colleagues concluded. Yet the global average then was only about four or five degrees Fahrenheit higher than in recent times – that is, before we started burning coal, oil and gas.

Already our planet is about one degree Fahrenheit warmer than before we started burning the fossil fuels that release heat-trapping carbon dioxide. We’re on track to add another four or five degrees or more this century unless we dramatically change our fuel use. Even with that, we’ll need to promote forest growth to pull existing carbon dioxide from the air.

We’re already seeing a more extreme temperature rise around the poles compared to other parts of the planet. The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic is one warning sign.

In early July, the extent of Arctic Sea ice hit a record low for that time of year. It was even smaller than during early July of 2007 – the year ships traveled in late summer through the Arctic’s Northwest Passage for the first time in recorded history.

The melting of sea ice doesn’t raise sea levels, just as the melting of ice cubes in a Marguerita doesn’t flood the salted rim. But a meltdown does remove some of the ice cover that helps reflect the sun’s rays.

Without its reflective cloak, the Arctic sea absorbs more heat – encouraging the spiral toward warmer temperatures. A complete meltdown of land-based ice in the Arctic, including Greenland, would raise sea levels by some 20 feet.

Sure, it takes time for the extra greenhouse gases to trap enough heat to thaw out the Arctic – much as, on a smaller scale, it takes time for the ice in the cooler to melt down, leaving that one last beer too warm to enjoy. Still, we’ve all observed that the ice will melt faster on a hot day than a cool one.

Any way you slice it, we’ve got hotter days ahead. Just how hot will depend in part on whether the Arctic reaches an unfortunate tipping point.

Like my drinks, I prefer my planet with ice.

Author: Melanie Lenart is an environmental scientist and writer based in Tucson and author of Life in the Hothouse: How a Living Planet Survives Climate Change.

By Kimberly Creagan

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

It’s that time of the year again when the hot summer weather starts to make us all act a little batty. Well, we aren’t the only ones! Tiny winged mammals in the form of, you guessed it, bats, are quite active this time of year. And lucky for us, there are many of these little guys right in town.

Before you go asking yourself, “Did she really just say lucky?” let me explain.

Those bats have gotten a bat rap. They aren’t the blood thirsty disease carriers that folklore so often leads us to believe. The risk of contracting rabies from a bat is actually quite rare; you are more likely to be struck by lightning. In actuality, these little furry guys are amazing creatures that do a lot for us and the Sonoran Desert we call home!

Bats are very important to our desert ecosystem because many are vigorous pollinators (the main source of pollination for the Saguaro cacti) and also help to disperse seeds. Those that aren’t busy pollinating are working hard to keep our insect pests under control. You can thank these furry fellows for reducing the number of mosquitoes (the true blood-suckers) that bite you this summer. The insectivore bats also help to reduce the population of insects that damage crops.

Impressively, bats have been occupying this Earth in nearly the same form for about 50 million years and occupy every continent except for Antarctica. One in four mammals on our planet is a bat. Bats are unique in the mammal world because they are the only to have developed true flight.

Sadly, bats are also one of the most

threatened land mammals in North America, with roughly half of the 45 species listed as threatened or endangered. Habitat loss and pesticide use are among the main threats to these important animals.

Also, public misconception about the danger of these animals often means removal of bats from areas where they have set up residence. Because they live in large groups and most bat mothers give birth to only one pup per year –one act of vandalism can destroy thousands of bats.

If you have a hummingbird feeder you may have already been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the two nectar feeding bat species that reside in Tucson. The Lesser Long-nosed bat and the Mexican Long-tongued bat both have long tongues perfect for sipping nectar from tight places. Typically, these species live in mines and caves, but will journey out at night to find food. When they aren’t drinking from Saguaros and Agaves, they may be draining your hummingbird feeder in a feasting frenzy. Typically, you will see them in the late summer and early fall.

Luckily in Tucson we still have many opportunities for viewing bats and summer

is one of the best times

to see them here.

The Mexican Free-tailed bats, which live in colonies of great numbers, are migratory and live in Tucson spring through fall. One large colony lives under the Campbell Ave. bridge at the Rillito River. You can watch thousands of bats take flight around sunset every night as they chase their insect dinner off into the sky. It’s a pretty incredible sight!

Of course, with any wildlife, it’s important to keep your distance for the health of the animal and yourself. If you see a bat crawling on the ground or acting strange, do not touch it as it could be a sign that it is sick. Watch them from a distance, listen to their unique squeaks of echolocation, and be amazed by their incredible ability to maneuver in the dark as they take ownership of the night skies.

Author: Kimberly Creagan holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona where she focused her studies on native plants and urban wildlife habitat. She is creator of Tucson’s Urban Wildlife Walk website (tucsonurbanwildlife.com) and blogs on The Spadefoot Toad (kimmus122blogspot.com)

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Often, the first thing people hear upon waking is the sound of birds welcoming the sun. But they might not realize how important trees can be in generating that variety of bird songs.

Creating habitat by planting trees can increase species diversity as well as the number of individual birds.

“If you promote native plants, you create more of a habitat for (native) birds,” says Matt Brooks, an outreach specialist for Tucson Audubon Society. Basically, most birds need trees to hold their nests. “There’s an absence in nesting correlation with trees if they aren’t around.”

The importance of trees as bird habitat has inspired Tucson Audubon Society members to plant trees, shrubs and flowers in the city, especially around sources of water. For example, they created several sites near the Santa Cruz River, where they also do research on how landscaping affects bird populations.

“It’s really hard to associate individual birds with certain trees,” sys Kendall Kroesen, the society’s restoration program manager. Also, trees and shrubs can function differently, providing different benefits. Kroesen recommends a mix of both to create diversity at a site.

Doves, for example, tend to nest high in trees, while roadrunners and quails nest on the ground, under shrubs. Some birds, such as the white-winged dove, use trees to forage food, especially during the summer when there are a lot of fruits and insects. Taller trees, such as eucalyptus and pines, can attract owls and raptors, including red-tailed hawks.

Kroesen said vegetation is also important for providing shade and protection for some species. Like others, he recommends planting native trees.

“Many of our native desert birds are well adapted to our thorny native desert trees – velvet mesquite, two species of palo verde, ironwood, certain acacias – and less well adapted to non-native trees that are often used in landscaping,” he added in a follow-up email.

“Size and width are important as well,” says Kroesen, referring to the canopy. “We recommend landscapes in which plantings are denser and overlap each other.”

For instance, when trees overlap, they tend to provide more shade and keep the shrubs and ground cooler.

Like the Tucson Audubon Society, Trees for Tucson has programs to promote wildlife habitat. Supported by funding from the Tucson Electric Power Company, the urban forestry program at Trees for Tucson promotes native tree planting to improve shading of homes and businesses in order to reduce energy costs.

“The program has been running for 20 years and really tries to get the community involved in native tree planting,” says Doug Koppinger of Trees for Tucson.

Trees for Tucson offers a wide variety of native trees, such as mesquite and palo verde, which can be ordered for $8 each. Homeowners who are TEP customers can purchase up to four trees each, depending on the year of their home. Because reducing cooling costs is the goal, trees must be planted where they create shade – on the east, west or south side of homes.

Trees for Tucson recommends planting a variety of trees, shrubs and groundcover to attract birds and the insects they eat. The group recommends against planting palm trees because they attract non-native birds such as pigeons.

Kroesen pointed out that landscaping can begin at home, but may have wildlife benefits that extend well beyond it if the trees provides a connection between other nearby habitat areas. A lack of plants means a lack of habitat. Kroesen says he has seen some homes that contain a bunch of gravel and one small cactus in their front yard.

“Those types of landscapes really bother us,” said Kroesen. “It tends to heat up a lot and doesn’t have very much protection for wildlife.”

Author: Jessica Canchola is a journalism student at the University of Arizona.

RESOURCES

• Trees for Tucson: www.ci.tucson.az.us/tcb/tft/
• Tucson Audubon Society: www.tucsonaudubon.org
• Tucson Electric Power Company: www.tucsonelectric.com
• Backyard Birds of Tucson: www.tolweb.org/treehouses

Tucson Green Magazine – July 2010

Q: I am a bartender in Sacramento and I would love to be able to use some sort of locally made or sustainable version of sugar. What’s out there?    -Ryan Seng, via e-mail

A: It sure would be nice if we could obtain all of our food and drink items from local sources, but sugar provides an excellent example of why such a desire may remain a pipe dream in the United States for a long time to come. The sugar we consume that is produced domestically comes from sugar cane grown in Hawaii and the Southeast and sugar beet from the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and elsewhere. However, it is likely milled and refined hundreds if not thousands of miles from where it is harvested, and then shipped all over the country – causing untold greenhouse gas emissions – in various sized packages for our consumption in our coffee, on our cereal and, for some of us, in our cocktails.

Massive government subsidies and land giveaways to the sugar industry in the American Southeast beginning in the early 18th century established a market for American-grown sugar despite the fact that the region’s climate was not tropical enough to grow cane efficiently. To add insult to injury, the rerouting of south Florida’s fragile water table to irrigate thirsty sugar plantations contributed to the decimation of the Everglades, one of the nation’s most unique and diverse ecosystems – and now the subject of a multi-billion dollar restoration effort.

While you might be hard pressed to find commercially available local sugar anywhere in the U.S., you could make your own. “Years ago, when sugar was an expensive commodity, many people of lesser means made their own sugar from sugar beets,” reports writer Kat Yares on the eHow.com website. “Every farm and every home garden had a spot reserved for beets, and a day was set aside to cook the beets down into sugar.” While very few of us grow our own food these days, growing sugar beets and making sugar from scratch can be a fun, educational and tasty project for parents and kids or for foodies intent on local sourced, preservative-free ingredients. Yares explains the whole process in her “How to Make Sugar from Beets” article on eHow.com.

If that all sounds like too much work, perhaps you can settle for store-bought organic sugar, which may not be local but which is at least produced without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Florida Crystals, Hain, C&H, Domino and others each offer organic sugar varieties in many traditional grocery stores coast-to-coast. There are even more choices at natural foods specialty stores (like Whole Foods). Believe it or not, there are even vegan sugars out there—that is, sugars not processed with animal-derived bone char in the refinement process.

While sugar itself may be a staple item for many cocktails, some interesting alternative natural sweeteners, some of which may be locally sourced in your region, do exist. Honey, Stevia or even maple syrup are some options that might just give that Tom Collins the extra kick it needs to make it stand out from the other bartender’s drinks down the street – or in your breakfast cereal, for that matter.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Q: I heard about a supposed dangerous chemical called “triclosan” that is in many personal care and other consumer products. Can you enlighten?  – Carl Stoneman, Richland, WA

A: Triclosan is a synthetic chemical compound added to many personal and household care products to inhibit illness by preventing bacterial infection. It works by breaking down the biochemical pathways that bacteria use to keep their cell walls intact, and as such kills potentially harmful germs if used in strong enough formulations. First developed as a surgical scrub back in 1972, triclosan is now used in upwards of 700 different consumer-oriented products, many of which people use more than once a day. They include hand soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, kids’ toys, yoga mats and, of course, hand sanitizers.

Whether triclosan is actually as effective as advertised, especially in the small doses found in consumer products, is a topic of much debate. Manufacturers insist that the product helps reduce infections. But researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health found, after surveying 27 different studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 on the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps, that washing hands with products containing triclosan was no more effective in preventing infectious illness—and did not remove any more bacteria – than plain soaps. The analysis, “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky?” was published in 2007 in the peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases. According to lead researcher Allison Aiello, triclosan – because of the way it reacts in living cells – may cause some bacteria exposed to it to become resistant to amoxicillin and other commonly used antibacterial drugs, but she adds that more research is needed to bear out this hypothesis.

Anti-bacterial soaps and other products utilizing triclosan may in fact be doing more harm than good for the people who use it regularly. According to the non-profit Beyond Pesticides, triclosan has been linked to various human health problems. “It is associated with skin irritation, has been shown to interfere with the body’s hormones, and has been linked to an increased risk of developing respiratory illness, or asthma, and cancer, as well as subtle effects on learning ability,” reports the group, adding that 75 percent of Americans are walking around today with trace levels of triclosan in their bloodstreams. Tests using lab animals have verified that exposure to large doses of triclosan can cause irreparable health damage, but industry representatives say that the levels found in consumer products are much too small to do so.

Beyond its potential human health effects, triclosan can also harm the environment. According to Beyond Pesticides, some 96 percent of the triclosan from consumer products is washed down drains where it flows into wastewater treatment plants often ill-equipped to deal with it. Inevitably some of the triclosan escapes treatment and is released into local waterways, where exposure to sunlight can convert it into dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals responsible for contaminating waterways and wreaking havoc on wildlife.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is finally taking a fresh look at triclosan after years of controversy, consumers can do their part by asking the places they shop to stop selling products containing the controversial chemical additive. The Beyond Pesticides website offers a customizable sample letter designed to help consumers convince local retailers to forego stocking items with triclosan.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

When the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) sailed from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, he hoped to find a route to the East Indies in order to trade for spices. He made a total of four trips to the Caribbean and South America during the years 1492-1504.

At that time, spices were among the most valuable of traded commodities. In fact, black peppercorns were considered the first “black gold” and were used as a monetary exchange for commodities.

Although Columbus failed to discover a shorter route to the spices of Asia, what he did find in the Bahamas was profound. He discovered the intense berries of the genus capsicum – chili peppers – a spice that changed the culinary landscape of much of the Old World.

Because of the chili peppers’ spicy-hot similarity to the black pepper (piper nigrum) with which he was familiar, he called the chili peppers “pimento” after the Spanish word for black pepper “pimenta.”

Chilies, along with other New World crops, had profound effects on the food ways of Europe and Asia. Other crops of the Americas, such as potatoes and corn, caught on as staples worldwide as well as one of my favorites, chocolate – which is also native to the Americas. However, it is the chili pepper that may have changed more culinary traditions than any other food item in the entire world.

The culinary history of chilies dates back as early as 7,500 years ago, and there is evidence chili crops were being cultivated 6,000 years ago in Ecuador. However, prior to 1492, chili peppers were completely unknown outside the Americas. It is a fact hard to wrap your mind around when you consider the cultural significance of chilies in so many traditional Old World dishes.

For example, curries in India and Thailand, paprika in Hungarian goulash, spicy Italian sauces and Korean kimchi would not be the same without chilies. But those cuisines are no more than 500 years old!

Why did the chili pepper have such a widespread, dramatic effect on the cuisines of the Old World? For one thing, chili peppers were very easy to transport from the Americas back to Spain as they dry well and their seeds remain viable even after a long sea voyage. In addition, the plants flourish in a variety of regions, so their spread across Eurasia was rapid.

Chilies were, for the most part, an alternative to the same pimenta that Columbus names them after – black pepper. The chili pepper was a wonderful alternative not just because of its relatively low cost but also because of its vibrant flavor profile. Where black pepper is simply hot and tingly in the noise, chilies are fruity, spicy and a whole flavor unto themselves. Milder chilies add dimension to recipes and hotter ones add an insidious bite unmatched by any other food.

Chilies are from the genus Capsicum and are a member of the nightshade family Soanaceae. Technically, the pepper itself is a berry; however, they are often referred to as vegetables or spices depending upon their culinary use.

The heat in the chili comes from the compound Capsaicin, and the heat intensity of the chili peppers has been graded on a scale of Scoville heat unity (SHU) ranging from Bell Peppers (0 HSU) to habaneros (300,000SHU). Pure capsaicin is extracted from chili peppers and used in defensive pepper sprays, which have even been found effective in deterring bear attacks. It is a good idea to wash your hands well after handling chilies and consider wearing gloves when working with the hotter varieties.

Though the chili pepper enjoys blockbuster success throughout the world, there is nothing more quintessentially Southwestern than the chili pepper. Chili plants are a heat resistant and relatively low water crop. Less rainfall keeps plants from developing disease and root rot. Therefore, Arizona agriculture plays a huge part in producing the U.S. chili crop. There are approximately 7,000 acres of chili production in Arizona, half of which is located in Cochise County.

As a beloved spice in the Southwest region of the U.S., I would wager to say it is almost impossible to find a “Southwestern Style Menu” that doesn’t feature chili peppers.

Personally, as a child growing up in Tucson, the challenge of enduring chili pepper heat was a game I enjoyed playing with my father. And, my favorite restaurants were those that offered a variety of sauces and salsas to sample.

I took that spirit with me on my travels around the world, so many of my favorite recipes incorporate the savory flavors and heat of chilies. For example, I quickly learned that if you want your food in Thailand “Thai hot” and not tempered for Westerners, order your meal cooked “pet pet” or “hot hot.” Little did I know at the time that the Thai chili came from my home continent; the Thai cooks were surprised that I could take the heat!

So Christopher Columbus didn’t just discover the New World in 1492, he discovered a new culinary phenomenon, the chili pepper, which would challenge taste buds around the globe forever.

For your enjoyment, I am including a spicy chili marinade from Africa, as well as my favorite summer gazpacho soup.

Cheers!

Author: Chef Gen Anderson’s passion for gourmet food, healthy living and a sustainable environment came together in 1994 when she published “HealthMap Manhattan,” a popular guide to healthy living in New York City. Today, she hosts a 30-minute TV series, Gen’s Guiltless Gourmet, on the ION Life and Resort and Residence television networks.

For more eco-friendly recipes visit www.gensguiltlessgourmet.com.

RECIPES

PERI PERI
Peri Peri is a very hot pepper that grows in South Africa.  This flavorful marinade goes great with Tempeh, Soy Chicken, Seafood and Organic Chicken. The marinade can be made the same day, but is even better if made a week in advance!
Note: If you can’t find these specific peppers you can also use a jalapeno or a Thai chili.  And if you are not big on spice them use extra paprika and leave the peppers out altogether.
*Low in Fat
*Vegan (if using Tempeh or Soy Chicken)
*Cholesterol Free (if using a vegan protein)
*No Added Sugar
PERI PERI MARINADE
1/2 Cup fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup chopped Cilantro
3 TBS fresh minced Garlic
4 Peri Peri Peppers Minced (about 1 TBS)
2 TBS Paprika
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well combined.  Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to two weeks to allow the flavors to combine.
PERI PERI SKEWERS
Makes 4 Skewers
1 LB Tempeh (or protein of your choice) cut into bite sized chunks
12 Pearl Onions, cleaned and prepped
2 Zucchini, cut into ½ inch rounds
1 Package of Grape Tomatoes
4 BBQ Skewers
Note: you can use your favorite veggies and whichever are in season!
Skewer your tempeh, onion, zucchini and tomatoes.   Place in a large glass dish.  Pour ¾ of the marinade over the skewers, reserving the remaining marinade to brush on while grilling.  Let marinate for at least two hours.
Place the skewers on a hot grill.  Turn and baste the skewers with marinade until the tempeh and veggies and cooked. Serve with rice or couscous or a large crisp salad.

Gazpacho Soup
This recipe has very little added fat, only a few tablespoons of oil.  It is naturally low in calories and high in anti-oxidants and vitamins.
*Vegan (if you use soy sour cream as a garnish)
*Vegetarian
Ingredients
3 cups Tomato Juice
3 Tomatoes chopped and seeded
1/2 cup Cucumber, peeled, seeded, rough chopped
1/4 cup Onion chopped fine
1/4 cup sweet Yellow Pepper chopped small
1 small Jalapeno seeded and minced (optional)
1 stalk Celery, chopped fine
2 TBS Cilantro chopped
2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
2 TBS freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 TBS Agave nectar (or honey)
1 TBS chopped fresh Chives
1/2 clove Garlic, minced
1 TBS Olive Oil (or oil of your choice)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Garnish with Soy or Low-fat Sour Cream and more cilantro
Cucumber, cilantro and soy sour cream (or low-fat sour cream) to garnish
Preparation:
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender.  Lightly pulse until combined but not smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with soy or low-fat sour cream.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Lipitor is the most profitable drug in history, achieving the highest sales in the world of any drug. Consistently ranking No. 1, Lipitor holds the title by a wide margin. Its annual sales of $16 billion were more than twice that of the next drug on the list in 2005, according to Consumer Reports. Combined statin sales were $25 billion in 2008 according to industry sources. Until last year, when surpassed by the antipsychotics, statins had been the highest selling class of drugs for the previous five years.

The tediously repeated commercial tagline, “When diet and exercise aren’t enough, ask your doctor about (the statin drug),” discourages people from even thinking about the question “Could food changes be as good as statin drugs?”

Yet this question was asked and studied by Canadian researchers several years ago. According to the 2003 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, adding soy protein, viscous fiber, and nuts can be as effective for lowering cholesterol as adding a statin to a low saturated fat diet.

In this four-week study, 46 relatively healthy adults with elevated cholesterol, including 25 men and 21 postmenopausal women (average age, 59 years; average body mass index, 27.6), were randomized to one of three diets. The control diet was very low in saturated fat, based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods, such as skim milk, fat-free cheese, and yogurt. The statin group received the same diet plus lovastatin (Mevacor), and the dietary portfolio group received a diet containing plant sterols (2g or .4 tsp), soy protein (42.8 g or 3 tbsp), viscous fibers (20 g or 4 tsp), and almonds (28 g or 2 tbsp) with 30% calories from fat. All of the groups followed a low-saturated fat vegetarian diet of approximately 2,000 calories with all food provided to the participants except fresh fruit and vegetables.

LDL-Cholesterol decreased by 8 percent in the control group, 30.9 percent in the statin group, and 28.6 percent in the dietary portfolio group. C-reactive protein (an inflammatory blood marker with just as much risk as cholesterol) decreased by 10 percent 33.3 percent, and 28.2 percent, respectively.

Most people lost weight. The significant reductions seen in the statin and dietary portfolio groups were significantly different from changes in the control group, and the efficacy of the dietary portfolio treatment was not significantly different from that of the statin treatment. Of the dietary components, it was the soy protein that had the strongest effect in lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL and preventing inflammation.

The authors concluded that the diet could “provide a potentially valuable dietary option for cardiovascular disease risk reduction in primary prevention,”… “For most patients, dietary intervention should be the first line of therapy … before introducing pharmacotherapy for hyperlipidemia.”

Although the research team reported that adherence to the diet exceeded 90 percent, about 40 percent of participants in the dietary portfolio group criticized the poor food variety and 27 percent thought the food volume was too great. This may be because they were not accustomed to eating a diet of high fiber foods and the increased amounts of vegetables and fruits.

Plant sterols had an additive effect with the fiber and soy in improving the cholesterol profile The FDA has approved the following claim for phytosterols (plant sterols): “Foods containing at least 0.4 gram per serving of plant sterols, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 gram, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Whole grains are rich in plant sterols, rice bran, oat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat and brown rice. Legumes are great sources of plant sterols, dried peas, dried beans, garbanzo beans and lentils. Nuts and seeds (unsalted) contain plant sterols such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Vegetables and fruits also contain plant sterols.

To get the improved cholesterol effects from diet one does not have to follow a vegetarian diet as in the study. The Mediterranean diet – with poultry, fish, lamb and wild game, and all of the foods mentioned above – can also provide the same beneficial effects.

There have been no commercials on TV about this Canadian study saying “Diet and exercise are enough for the vast majority of people.” In a future article I will go into more depth about the limitations of statin drugs.

Author: Hunter Yost M.D. is in private practice in northwest Tucson where he specializes in Functional and Nutritional Medicine.

By Jacqueline Soule, PhD

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Before you say “Yuck, I hate the smell of geraniums,” let me reassure you that “scented geraniums” are not the same as “geraniums.” Common names are so troublesome that way. Scented geraniums or pelargoniums are in the genus Pelargonium while geraniums are in the Geranium genus. Admittedly, both genera are in the Geranium Family, and both have a number of oil producing glands on their leaves. These oils are repel herbivores. The oils of geranium repel me from even growing them, but the oils of pelargonium are a whole different matter. They smell and taste GREAT!

Originally from southern Africa, there are over 280 species of wild Pelagonium. Southern Africa has many various climates, and pelargonium have taken on many various forms. Pelargoniums range from small herbaceous plants, to leafy woody shrubs, to clambering vines, to some with no leaves at all – just green water storage stems covered with spines.

The most popular pelargoniums are the herbaceous (non-woody) ones, which include around 70 species and over 100 named cultivars. All of these have very distinctively different delicious scents. What kind of fragrances do you enjoy? Spicy, minty, lemony, fruity, sweet, musky, citrusy, or nutty? There’s a pelargonium for that —- and more. A partial list includes: almond, apple, apple cider, apple mint, apple, chocolate mint, cinnamon, coconut, ginger, lemon rose, lemon, lime, nutmeg, orange, peach, peppermint, pineapple, rose, and strawberry.

Brought into cultivation in the Seventeenth Century, pelargoniums have long delighted gardeners. Victorian ladies carefully lined their garden paths with pots of pelargoniums. Then, as they strolled with their beaus, their skirts would brush the plants and release wonderful fragrances, thus enchanting the gent of their dreams.

Leaves were harvested all summer long for potpourri. The plants were brought indoors in winter to protect them from frost and provide living potpourri.

Along with potpourri, pelargonium leaves can be used as flavoring in tea, to make herbal vinegars, bath salts, or tasty herb sugars. Some varieties can be baked in cakes, and are used by five star chefs in creating unique desserts.

You can buy scented geranium at most nurseries or get cuttings from friends. My best success is if I allow the bottom of the cuttings to callus (air dry) for 24 hours. I then dip in rooting hormone and place directly into the pots they will live in. Keep them moist but not dripping wet until they are established.

Growing pelagoniums is easy. Just remember their southern African origins. Protect from frost, provide ample light, and make sure the soil is well drained. Use a cactus mix for best growth. This is one third soil, one third sand, and one third perlite or pumice.

Since you must protect from frost, most folks grow pelagonium in pots that can be moved to a sheltered location or indoors in winter. Or you can try growing them in beds that are well sheltered. Southern African heat is not as hot as ours, so you will want to provide shade for part of the summer day, afternoon if you can.

Go green with scented geraniums for a natural potpourri that is soothing and mellow. The plants act as a natural rabbit repellent for the rest of your garden. The tea is delicious and, since you have grown it locally, much greener to enjoy.

Whether you call them pelargonium or scented geranium, they still smell as sweet, and they make a fantastically fragrant addition to any home or garden.

Jacqueline Soule, PhD has been writing about gardening in the Southwest for close to three decades. She is currently working on a book on growing and using the herbs of Father Kino’s Mission Gardens.den.

By Pamela Portwood

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Fabrics are everywhere in your home – upholstery, window coverings, sheets and towels, not to mention the clothes in your closet. Chances are good that most of those fabrics are not healthy for you or the environment, and it’s not just a question of buying “natural” fabrics.

The best example is cotton, which has a reputation for being a healthy product because it’s natural instead of synthetic. Standard cotton is anything but healthy for people or the environment. Cotton production uses 25 percent of the insecticides and 11 percent of the pesticides used worldwide.

Sleeping under permanent press or standard cotton sheets – even the famed Egyptian cotton ones – means that you are breathing formaldehyde, a carcinogen, every night. Formaldehyde is used as a finish for all sheets, except organic cotton and flannel sheets. Multiple washings will not remove formaldehyde because it persists for years. You don’t have to make your bed, but do change your sheets.

Hemp, bamboo and linen (which is made from flax) are natural fabrics that typically are grown with fewer pesticides than cotton. Some growers use more pesticides than are needed to grow these plants, so the best way to know what you’re getting is to buy certified organic products or to get a fabric that has an eco-label.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one eco-label or green standard for fabrics or textiles, as they’re called in the industry. The best certifications are the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Oeko-Tex, which measure the levels of toxins in textiles. Greenguard certifies the level of indoor pollutants emitted by fabrics.

The World Bank estimates that almost 20 percent of global industrial water pollution comes from treating and dyeing textiles. One T-shirt made from conventional cotton can use over 700 gallons of water and a third of a pound of chemicals to produce.

AZO colorants, antimony, arsenic and heavy metals are some of the chemicals that cause health problems, including cancer, and that are used in standard textile dying. Buying textiles that use “low-impact” dyes and have been certified is the best way to avoid these toxins. Also, avoid toxic fire retardants that contain polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).

Recycling is a big movement in eco-friendly fabric production. Recycled fabrics typically are polyesters made from recycled water and soda bottles as well as from pre- and post-consumer polyester fabrics. Some of them use low-impact dyes. Some carry a MBDC Cradle to Cradle certification, which is a four-level system that assesses toxins, material reuse, corporate social responsibility, and energy and water use.

Despite the health and environmental issues with textiles, there are now many beautiful, green fabrics in materials, weights and patterns that can meet any textile need. Organic cottons are available in everything from a heavy weight for upholstery to brightly colored lightweight fabrics for curtains in kids’ rooms.

Interesting textiles made of rapidly renewable materials like nettles, soy and corn also are available. One virtue of natural fabrics is that they take less energy to produce than petroleum-based textiles.

I’ll let you in on an interior designer’s trick. If the sofa you’ve fallen in love with doesn’t have green fabric alternatives, ask the seller if you can provide your own upholstery fabric. Not every store or manufacturer will use COM (customer’s own material), but you won’t know until you ask.

Author: Pamela Portwood, Allied Member ASID, LEED AP ID+C, is the interior design principal for Greener Lives, LLC, a local interior design firm that specializes in healthy and eco-friendly interiors.

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Informal Student Exhibit

Through July 24

Tuesday-Saturday, noon-4pm

The Drawing Studio

33 S. 6th Ave.

(520) 620-0947

www.thedrawingstudio.org

An informal exhibit of some of artworks by students of all ages at The Drawing Studio. The nonprofit association provides art instruction with a core curriculum of drawing, design, painting and printmaking.

Monthly Open Torch Night

July 25, 6-10pm

Sonoran Art Glass Academy

633 West 18th Street

www.sonoranglass.org

Make your summer evening even hotter and meet local glass artists and enthusiasts at the Sonoran Art Glass Academy where Flame Shop Manager Karl Taylor will give glass-blowing demos and open the flame up to participants for collaboration.

According to Alexandra Berger, the Academy’s assistant director, Open Torch Night is a low-key event where people who have some experience can blow glass affordably and communicate with others involved in the glass arts. “There are a lot of people who have day jobs and aren’t able to do glass full time, so this really allows the students to come together and share their knowledge and share their enthusiasm about the glass arts,” she says.

It costs $5 to participate, and artists need to bring glass materials; some tools will be provided. Children are welcome to attend, and those over 11 who have experience with flame-working can participate. While it’s necessary to have a few hours of experience under your belt to create with glass, there’s no charge to just watch the artists at work. Berger says many people come to open torch night who are new to the glass arts, and then end-up enrolling in beginner classes at the academy.

Memories of Things Past

Through July 31

11am-4pm

ART Gallery

1122 N. Stone Ave.

(520) 624-7099

Artists’ interpretations of this thought-provoking theme – a juried exhibition featuring paintings, sculpture and photography by regional artists.

Summer Art Camp Exhibition

July 31, 2 p.m.

Tucson Museum of Art

140 N. Main Avenue

www.tucsonmuseumofart.org

Celebrate the works of Tucson’s future arts community in this exhibit of works by young participants in the Tucson Museum of Arts’ Summer Art Camp. The exhibition provides children with a unique opportunity to display their works in a museum setting. Light snacks and refreshments provided.

Cultural Creations

Through July 31 & August 4-28

11am – 5pm

Contreras Gallery & Jewelry

110 East 6th Street

www.contrerashousefineart.com

The current exhibit features the work of two local artists, Hector Perez and Miguel Flores Jr. Perez is a recent graduate of UA. Flores is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O’odham Nation, and founder of Tucson’s Holistic Wellness Counseling and Consultant Services, which helps Native American and Latinos. The colorful paintings of both artists resonate with Latin and Native American art styles and traditions. Perez combines Aztec deities with lucha libre faces. Flores uses familiar local symbols such as the San Xavier Mission, a Yaqui dancer and cacti in his work.

The Milagros 2 show, beginning August 4, is a second installment of the original Milagros show from two years ago, with works created in the ex-voto style by dozens of artists including local painters David Tineo, Christina Cardenas and John Salgado and Cecily Garcia of Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop.

The ex-voto style, originally developed in Europe, has since become an artistic tradition in Mexico. Contreras describes it as an Hispanic style of painting depicting a tragic scene with a saint or martyr intervening and a prayer or a thank you. There will be an opening reception for the exhibit on August 7, 6-10 p.m. with light refreshments.

Life Drawing

July 2- 31

Monday-Friday 10am- 5pm

The Florence Quarter Gallery at the Art Center Design College

2538 North Country Club Road

www.theartcenter.edu

Get to know Tucson resident and artist Tim Mosman’s work through “Life Drawings,” an exhibition of his paintings and drawings investigating the human body currently on display.

The 19 works, created between 2008 and 2010, are abstract paintings in gesso, oil, charcoal, and gouache, marked by bold gestures and expressive lines of black, white, and earth-tone reds. John Erwin, chair of the fine arts department at The Art Center Design College says viewing the work is both restful and engaging.

“Mosman distills the figure into its essential forms - line and shape merge to suggest bodily embrace or struggle, and then disappear into empty space - moments of conflict dissolving into submission,” he says. Erwin encourages visitors to come and support a local artist, to help ensure the survival of the creative class of artists and designers who he says enrich Tucson’s culture and commerce.

Mosman has lived in Southern Arizona for 16 years, and is represented by Conrad-Wilde Gallery in Tucson.  Admission to the gallery is free and visitors can also view “MAW/Knee,” a mixed media installation by Art Center Design students Chris Donahue and Adrian Cornejo.

A Grand View: Arizona Landscape Photography 1871-2010

Through August 28

Etherton Gallery

135 South 6th Avenue

www.ethertongallery.com

A sweeping exhibit of Arizona landscape photography ranging from the oldest photograph taken in 1871 to the most recent from 2010. Gallery Owner Terry Etherton calls the show museum-like in its scope and hopes visitors leave with a sense of our state’s history as seen through the lens of photographers who’ve travelled through Arizona.

The show features a selection of 86 images represented by more than 30 artists. Some of the most exciting 19th Century photographs in the show were taken by Timothy O’Sullivan during the 1871 government-sponsored survey of the West. Other artists include Ansel Adams, Linda Connor, Forman Hanna, Eliot Erwitt, Richard Misrach, Frederick Sommer, as well as nationally-known Arizona photographers William Lesch, Jay Dusard, Edward McCain, Jack Dykinga, Jeff Smith and A.T. Willett.

“When you do a show that spans this much time, you get a whole lot of different kinds of photographs,” Etherton says. “You’ll be able to come in here and see at least five different ways of making photos.” Books about the photographers will also be on display for viewers to flip through, along with biographical information and explanations of all the different photography processes represented in the show.

“Because of all the negative press Arizona’s getting, we wanted to do something to really show the state in a beautiful light,” Etherton says. This grand photographic view indeed captures the paradox of Arizona – its cultural history, natural beauty and iconoclastic spirit.

Salvador Corona: Matador to Muralist

Through September 18

Arizona State Museum

1013 E University Boulevard

www.statemuseum.arizona.edu

This exhibition highlights the work of Mexican-born muralist and decorative artist Salvador Corona (1895–1984), who lived and worked in Mexico, Tucson and other parts of southern Arizona. Corona turned from a career as a bullfighter to art after his leg was gored in 1919. His work depicts idyllic pastoral scenes of Mexico’s past in murals, paintings and on furnishings, and still decorates many homes and businesses throughout the region.

Author: Britt Brouse is a local freelance writer.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - July 2010 – With Natural Gas Fuel technology proven to be our only fully developed and viable technology to replace petroleum now in light duty, medium and heavy duty transportation equipment, industry organizations and proponents continue the effort to expand the marketplace by aiming at government regulations which can support expansion or currently hinder efforts to bring NG fuel availability to business and consumers.

While original equipment manufacturers of mostly commercial and industrial vehicles has been rolling for years, the numbers of NG vehicles in use on our nations highways is still well under one percent. With new advances and products now coming available to consumers in the form of new cars and light duty vehicles, market demand and opportunities are growing quickly.

To stay ahead of this demand and to make a conversion to NG fuels nationally, Natural Gas Vehicle America, one of the nations largest industry organizations has sent proposals to the EPA regarding basic regulatory changes that could open faster availability of NG as a replacement fuel to petroleum for America.

EPA’s proposal to streamline the process for certifying natural gas vehicle aftermarket conversions is one of the most important steps government can take to expand the use of non-petroleum fuels, said Jeff Clarke, General Counsel and Director of Regulatory Affairs for NGVAmerica.

“Until there are sufficient numbers of original equipment manufacturers’ products available in the marketplace, our industry will continue to need aftermarket conversions to help us grow, to help us justify the necessary investments in fueling stations, and to help us increase market penetration.

He said in an open letter to the EPA. “Conversions fill a void unmet by original equipment manufacturers and demonstrate consumer demand for new applications.”

Several of the recommended regulatory changes are;

Warranty: EPA should unequivocally state that converting a vehicle does not void the original equipment manufacturers warranty. “The latest guidance gives the impression that the agency has backed away from this,” says Clarke.

Certification fees: The EPA should allow aftermarket manufacturers to pay the certification fees at the end of each quarter or annually based on the total number of vehicles sold. Manufacturers now are required to pay the fees based on expected sales, which ties up capital.

Vehicles two years or older: The agency should specifically state that manufacturers can seek both a Certificate of Conformity for the new vehicle and approval for converting this vehicle after two years.

Bench testing for heavy-duty vehicles. The requirement to use bench testing for heavy duty vehicles is too restrictive and manufacturers should be able to use chassis testing that has been approved by EPA. This would help lower the costs of complying with the regulations.

By Robert Whitaker

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Crown

Review by Mary Ackerley, MD, MDH

Tucson Green Times – July 2010

Robert Whitaker’s brilliant book Anatomy of an Epidemic asks a simple question: Why, if psychiatric drug treatments are so efficacious, has the number of people on disability for mental illness more than tripled in the last 25 years?

Most doctors and researchers answered this question by stating that the numbers have increased simply because we are diagnosing more people with mental illness. In response to this stereotyped dismissal of his data, Whitaker began to do more research on the efficacy of known psychiatric treatments. And then, while poring through the psychiatric scientific literature on treatment effectiveness for the last 50 years, he found an even darker question beginning to emerge. “Is it possible that psychiatric drugs are actually making people much worse?”

Could it be that – far from “fixing broken brains” – the drugs being offered actually are worsening, and even causing, the very illnesses they claim to heal?

The year 1987 can be considered ground zero for the new era of psychopharmacology. Prozac had just been introduced and was being widely advertised to the psychiatric profession, as well as to the general public, as a new and safer antidepressant.

As a young psychiatric resident, I was proudly confident that the treatment of psychiatric illness was being revolutionized and that we could all look forward to a world where severe depression, anxiety and mania no longer crippled and ruined human lives. Wrong.

It should be apparent to many that, despite the incredible profiteering of the pharmaceutical industry off of psychiatric illness, that depression and anxiety are still rampant in this country. At the start of the psychopharmacological “revolution” when it became popular to blame all illness on “imbalanced brain chemistry” the percentage of bipolar patients who could return to work was 85 percent. Today it is less than 30 percent.

Certainly the introduction of the SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) revolutionized the profitability of the pharmaceutical industry. In 1987 about half a billion dollars were spent on psychiatric medications. By 2010 the figure is closer to $40 billion!

Actually, in children the disability figures are far more frightening. In 1987 there were less than 20,000 severely mentally disabled children. Today there are almost 600,000. That is a 30-fold increase. Part of that is due to the diagnosis of autism, while more is due to the even newer diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children, which has increased 40-fold in the last 10 years!

Most frightening are the numbers of children under the age of six receiving SSRI, which have tripled over the last 10 years to more than 65,000. Under six? How can this possibly be? Were psychiatrists 20 years ago oblivious to the plight of these severely disabled children? I can assure you, from my experience that is not true.

Rather, it seems that drug companies have discovered another very profitable market in young children and are busy pushing their drugs, in particular the atypical antipsychotics, onto children with the newly diagnosed pediatric bipolar disorder. How can anyone possibly predict the long-term impact of a major tranquilizer, used to subdue agitated and psychotic adults, on a five-year-old brain? Those studies have not been done.

From these sobering statistics, the author then goes on to answer the following questions about long-term results with psychiatric medicines:

• Does antidepressant usage make it more likely that you will become disabled?
• Are bipolar patients better off than they were 40 years ago?
• When the National Institute of Health studied the long-term outcome of children treated for ADHD did they find that stimulants provided any benefit?
• And, most startlingly of all to anyone who has been indoctrinated in the current medical thinking that psychiatric patients are always better off on medications, he asks an unthinkable question – are recovery rates for schizophrenics better with or without medication?

In addition, Whitaker chronicles the stories of many of the people who have been diagnosed for depression and bipolar disorder and treated with many different types of psychiatric medication. In fact, in some parts of the book where he examines scientific evidence it may seem a bit heavy, he more than makes up for it by interweaving the stories of many psychiatric patients whom he has personally interviewed.

In one of the most interesting parts of the book for me, it seems that if you are schizophrenic and living in India or Nigeria, your chances of a good outcome are far higher than if you live in the U.S. where everyone is medicated. The fact seems astonishing, and the World Health Organization repeated the study, but found the same thing: Living in an undeveloped country where meds are scarce, but patients are cared for by the community, assures a much better prognosis for schizophrenia.

However, Whitaker also quotes several studies done in the U.S. from the late 70s that showed similar results: Young adults suffering a first episode of schizophrenia who were not medicated showed significantly better outcomes in terms of subsequent relapse. Later in the book he details the current treatment of schizophrenia in an experimental clinic where drugs are rarely prescribed. Again, the findings are similar – patients there have much better long term outcomes than other schizophrenics who are routinely medicated.

I admit to having been somewhat naïve as a young doctor. I thought the fact that drug companies paid psychiatric professors to do their research was not a big deal. Again, wrong!

The last chapters of Anatomy of an Epidemic tallies up the enormous profits the drug companies and certain psychiatrists have made off the reinvention of psychiatry as biological psychopharmacology. He details how the growth of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual from DSM 2 to DSM 4 has fueled the growth of diagnosing more and more Americans as having a psychiatric illness which requires pharmacological treatment, and suggests this was a necessary preparation for “building the market” for the drug company’s wares.

Now, most scientists would absolutely bristle at the suggestion that their passion to finally make psychiatry a real science was actually a ploy to help the drug companies remarkably expand their profits. Yet there is no doubt the expansion of the definitions of psychiatric illness, which now has one in every eight Americans taking a psychotropic medication, has been exceedingly profitable.

Drug company sales of psychotropic medication went from about half a billion in 1987 to more than $40 billion in 2008. Atypical antipsychotics, once reserved for the most severely ill patients, are now the top revenue producer for drug companies, helped by the psychiatric professions’ willingness to prescribe these meds even to two-year-olds. Dr. Joseph Biederman, the psychiatrist most associated with leading the way to using antipsychotics for children by popularizing pediatric bipolar illness, personally received $1.6 million from 2000 to 2007, as well as procuring another $2 million for a pediatric pathology department at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a designated KOL by the drug companies, which means a Key Opinion Leader. That means what he writes and says is usually followed by other psychiatrists.

In a recent deposition, he was asked his rank at Harvard Medical School. “Full professor,” he replied. “What’s above that?” asked the attorney. “God,” replied Dr. Biederman. Truly that is a response worthy of a KOL.

This is not the book of a disgruntled patient who is angry at the system. It is the carefully researched and documented expose of a multi-billion dollar industry that affects the lives of at least a quarter of the population. It is also an engrossing read, and an accurate depiction of the lives of people who are afflicted with these illnesses. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever used, or had a family member use, psychiatric services or been given psychiatric medication.

Author: Mary Ackerley MD, MDH, is a classically trained psychiatrist and homeopathic physician in private practice in Tucson.