We are what we eat

If the title of post is true, Americans in big cities may be shocked at what they see in the proverbial mirror. The fact "fast food" is bad for you, and a steady diet of it could ruin your health, is a no-brainer. You can see examples of it at work, on the streets, and at home. The struggle to eat healthy, clean foods in a urban environment is one that many of us face daily. The fight to keep American food free of chemicals started around the time of the 20th century mechanical revolution that launched the USA into extraordinary economic prosperity and poised us as one of the worlds strongest superpowers. The American compulsion to mass produce and sell exponentially has served us well in many industries with the big exception of the food business.

Most people in cities either buy their foods from markets(Safeway,Ralphs,QFC,etc), or eat meals that are prepared for them buy some other source(restaurant,grocery store,etc). People concerned with the quality and social/political aspects of food chose to shop at co-ops or stores synonymous with "organic" goods like Whole Foods. The people who have access too and who can afford to shop at high end markets take pride in knowing that the food they feed to their friends and family is safe, and wont have any harmful side effects. Fat used to be the most serious side affect of eating the wrong foods, but as more chemicals are being introduced into the production of our foods, the long term effect of eating processed food is a topic of national debate. Most people would agree that a diet primarily of "organic" fruits and vegetables is the healthiest way to eat. Most people don't realize that the food at the burger joint and the produce at the market not only come from the same place, they go through the same production process in order to be sold.
When I heard the word 'irradiation' or the term 'dose effect', I thought of nuclear science and plant meltdowns like the recent one in japan. I was surprised to learn that these terms are some of the biggest concerns facing the big city food delihma. The urban need for massive amounts of food to sit on shelves, not age, and look its best indefinitely, has taken Americans on a slippery chemical slope over the past eighty years. Chemicals used to suppress pests and disease before and after food production has had deadly affects on our environment and ourselves, and some have been banned over time. Currently, food production is using a method that does not involve chemicals , but a method with just as much question about toxicity.

Let me give you a few definitions:
-Organic Foods:Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States, Canada, and Australia) and any non-organically produced ingredients are subject to various agricultural requirements. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as chemical ripening, food irradiation, and genetically modified ingredients. Pesticides are allowed so long as they are not synthetic.
-Irradiation:Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation[1] to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of re-hydration. Irradiated food does not become radioactive, but in some cases there may be subtle chemical changes.Irradiation is a more general term of the exposure of materials to radiation to achieve a technical goal (in this context "ionizing radiation" is implied). As such it is also used on non-food items, such as medical devices, plastics, tubes for gas pipelines, hoses for floor heating, shrink-foils for food packaging, automobile parts, wires and cables (isolation), tires, and even gemstones.
Food irradiation acts by damaging the target organism's DNA beyond its ability to repair. Microorganisms can no longer proliferate and continue their malignant or pathogenic activities. Spoilage-causing microorganisms cannot continue their activities. Insects do not survive, or become incapable of reproduction. Plants cannot continue their natural ripening processes.
The energy density per atomic transition of ionizing radiation is very high; it can break apart molecules and induce ionization, which is not achieved by mere heating. This is the reason for both new effects and new concerns. The treatment of solid food by ionizing radiation can provide an effect similar to heat pasteurization of liquids, such as milk. The use of the term "cold pasteurization" to describe irradiated foods is controversial, since pasteurization and irradiation are fundamentally different processes.
Food irradiation is currently permitted by over 40 countries, and the volume of food treated is estimated to exceed 500,000 metric tons annually worldwide

From hamburger patties to spinach, nukeing our food a little before we sell it is the latest way to keep food fit for consumption. The problem isn't just a pesticide or a microwave, its the cumulative damage over time or the 'dose effect' that is harmful. If you start tracking the history of the food you eat and processes the food goes through, you realize that nothing we eat is hazard free. One food item could have a combination of chemical and radioactive processes done to it before you get it in the raw. A few of these foods together could become a toxic salad of chemicals designed to kill. Its tragically ironic that many people are exposed to these chemicals in an honest effort to escape them. You eat the salad instead of the big mac only to find out they both have been treated with radiation. Sure at different levels, but if you eat irradiated veggies 5 times a week, and steak once, it would seem the dose effect might be the same.

< I'm not one of those preachy doom and gloom environmentalist, I just want people to investigate and be pro-active about what they eat. REALLY eating healthy is difficult now days, and sometimes we feel like there is nothing we can do about it. I know I feel that way at times and I suspect I'm not the only one.

Waste not, Want not?

Human beings waste so much, that animal species have evolved to live off our waste. Squirrels, rats, and crows are the most visible, but their are plenty of animals that thrive on the waste we create. Recently I have started to notice the humans that thrive on the things we throw away or cast aside as "waste". I'm not talking about the homeless man rummaging through the trash to find something to eat, or the dumpster divers looking for a rare treasure someone tosses to get rid of, I'm talking about the people who make a living from our waste.

The notion to recycle has been in the American mainstream conscience since that native American guy shed a tear and told us to keep America beautiful in that commercial back in the 70's. Now days most people who live in cities have a sophisticated system of recycling that makes them sort the recyclables from the perishable waste. We have come a long way over the past 40 years and many products we use have a percentage or is 100 percent recycled material. Environmentalists today are focused on reducing the production and use of materials, like banning plastic bottles and grocery bags. This progressive view is not just about keeping America beautiful, but reducing climate change and cleaning up the atmosphere. The people on the front line of this movement are often invisible and marginalized in the US. In other countries like Brazil and South Africa, they are becoming part of their countries economy and environmental movements.
In Brazil they are called Catadores and in Uruguay they are called clasificadores. They are the men and woman who roam

the streets collecting glass and metal objects to recycle for money. For many people this is their job. They work it from whenever to whenever like the average working stiff. They don't get the credit or respect others do, and are often mistaken for "homeless" or "beggars" or the label we put on the people we consider "less than" in this society. The fear of poverty is strong in this economy, but the stigma is crumbling and falling to the rise of the idea of waste becoming big business. The people you see collecting cans or bottles in trucks and shopping carts, may be on the cusp of the next economic revolution.
I was walking down 8th avenue on the upper west side of Manhattan with a empty water bottle in my hand , and this well kept looking woman walked up to me and asked me for the bottle. I gave it to her and she thanked me and proceeded to rummage through a trash bin looking for more plastic. After my experience with this woman I started to notice just how many people collect "waste" for money, and how easy the picken's are. I'm currently living in the San Fernando Valley which is a text book example of the ills of suburban sprawl. I see countless people roaming the streets hauling carts and filling pickups with recyclable items they collect and exchange for money. They don't have to dig in dumpsters or cans to get them, they can just pick things up off the ground or ask strangers walking by. They remind me of the urban wildlife we call pests, living off the things we through away. Just like these animals, they are becoming a very important part of our society and becoming more visible. Some people look at these people the same way they look at crows in their garbage. I don't look at them as pests, but pioneers that may be leading us to a new economic prosperity in the future.

Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly Hills CA.

Welcome to world famous Beverly Hills were the rich and famous work and play. One of the most beautiful parts of this community is Franklin Canyon Park. Most people in LA have no Idea where FCP is because finding the entrances are tricky. One entrance is located at the top of Mulholland DR. and Coldwater Cyn tucked down a windy road littered with small houses, and the other entrance is on Beverly drive at the bottom of Coldwater Cyn tucked down a windy road littered with mansions. Once you enter the park you are greeted by sweeping views of Beverly Hills and the mega mansions it is famous for. It literally is like being on the set of "The Beverly Hillbillies" with Granny and Jethro out by the cement pond. Speaking of film sets, FCP has a long history with the motion picture industry. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed their, way to many to mention. One show in particular illustrates the uniqueness of FCP and what sets it apart from the countless canyons in greater Los Angeles.

Remember the opening of the "Andy Griffith Show" with Andy and Opie skipping rocks and fishing in a lake surrounded by mature evergreen trees? That's Franklin Canyon! One of the very few places in LA with a greenbelt filled with mature pines, and cedars of many varieties; most notably Atlas Cedar's and mature Coast Redwoods that are a rare site in most big cities( even Seattle ). Because of the environmental problems that plague southern California( drought,pests, smog), and the overall effects of global warming, The evergreens at FCP are fading fast. The trees that were once the main attraction in FCP have died due primarily to pest infestation, and have been removed to adhere to strict fire codes. FCP is starting to look like every other Canyon with its brown rolling hills speckled with Live Oaks and sage brush. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the Mediterranean landscape, However, The Evergreens in FCP give the park ecological diversity and it saddens me to see them vanish so fast.

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority operate and maintain FCP, and in my opinion are dropping the ball when it comes to tree conservation. I understand the agency has funding issues and fire prevention is a MAJOR concern for them, but if they let the evergreens diaper from FCP, they not only could potentially be loosing revenue, but they are not living up to their " Conservation" duties. Finding hardy, resistant evergreens to replace the ones thy have removed is well within their means and responsibilities. The first rule of thumb when removing a tree in these situations is figuring out a suitable replacement. They also could loose potential film revenue because a natural evergreen landscape is hard to find in LA and makes FCP attractive to production companies looking to film on location and not look like their in southern California. Ironically, "Tree People", a famous community action agency dedicated to tree conservation in Los Angeles, is located right across the street from FCP on Coldwater and Mulholland, maybe they can help out.

In spite of my frustration with the way the park is maintained, I love FCP. It is truly one of the most beautiful places Los Angeles and will always have a special place in my heart. So hurry up and see FCP because its uniqueness is fading fast and soon it might be just another southern California canyon.

California Here I Come...... Again!

No sooner did I graduate from College when I get a call from the universe making me a offer I cant refuse. So I packed up my car and moved to Los Angeles( again) and excepted a temporary position to work at the parks in Malibu. I lived in los Angeles a few years ago and it was a bitter sweet experience. Moving back to LA is like finishing business with a past lover who almost broke your heart. But I can't say no to the ocean or another chance at love(LOL)! In the meantime I will visit some of my old favorite, and new interesting spots in the City of Angels. Wish me luck! I will keep you posted