Unusual Global Eco-Alliances That You Should Know About!

Even though we are all citizens of the same world, it may not be so obvious to most of us of the ‘names’ of certain orgnizations that have coalesced together in recent years to tackle the problem of protecting our planet – specifically the continual global assault on our environmental resources and the health of all of its inhabitants. Call it “planetary justice” if you like, but behind the scenes these six organizations are transforming the way we live and look at this world as human beings whilst building a more sustainable greener planet. There is much to do to preserve just our own local communities and societal heritage here at home but we at Cherltons Green Guide cannot but help to give a high approbation to these wonderfully inspiring multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary “eco-global alliances”. They are as follows:

1. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves – http://www.cleancookstoves.org/ Being an American, I take for granted my quiet GE electric cooktop stove.  But did you know that 40% of the world’s population in parts of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean still cook over open fires and on rudimentary cookstoves? – And they are using dung, brush, charcoal, and crop residues as their cooking fuel?  The shocking truth is that the smoke from these solid fuels causes a wide range of illnesses from respiratory infections to cardiovascular disease, from lung cancer to child pneumonia, from increased cataracts to low birth-weights.  Another words four million people die each year from household cooking smoke each year.  Hence, the goal of this organization is “to foster the adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels in 100 million households by 2020.

2. Eco Health Alliance – http://www.ecohealthalliance.org/ Being a Texan, I am all too familiar with the recent outbreaks of the West Nile virus being reported in the media in this part of the country, but did you know that 60-75% of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans originate in animals? And that two thirds of these animals are wild animals? Hence, the goal of this global, non-profit organization is to prevent the transmission of these EID’s (Emerging Infectious Diseases) from becoming pandemic. And at the same time, this organization is determined to protect the delicate ecosystems of endangered wildlife species as the link between these two goals is interrelated and can affect both human health as well as global biodiversity.

3. Global Climate Change Alliance – http://www.gcca.eu Living in Texas, I am very aware that 94% of the state is abnormally dry. But did you know that weird weather patterns are also adversely hitting the ‘Least Developed Countries’ (LDC’s) such as Cambodia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Guyana, and the ‘Small Island Developing States’ such as the Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Maldives, and Jamaica? Even though these countries have contributed the least to green house gas emissions? Hence, the goal of this European Union-sponsored organization is to both provide informational exchange and technical and financial support to developing countries on ways to build and integrate a “climate-resilient low-carbon economy”, to incorporate “disaster risk reduction strategies” and to support investments in renewable energies and land resource protection and adaption programs.

4. Trusted Adventures Alliance – http://www.trustedadventures.com/about-us.php Being an experienced world traveler in search of unique one-of-a-kind travel adventures whose touring itineraries typically combine eco-sports such as hiking, biking, walking, rafting and kayaking with cultural anthropological immersions into traditional indigenous communities, I have found it best to partner up with tour operating companies that are internationally known for their responsible travel practices, exceptional guest services, and uncompromising quality. Such is the case with these nine independently operating travel companies –Austin-Lehman Adventures, Wildland Adventures, ROW Adventures, The Wayfarers, Myths and Mountains, American Safari Cruises, Western River Expeditions, Ciclismo Classico, and Great Alaska International Adventure Vacations – all of whom have joined together to “provide authentic, transformational travel experiences” for individuals, families, and groups with the aim of “preserving our planet and its cultural heritage”. To ensure sustainable travel experiences for the future and promote existing local economies, this organization has also been active in funding conservation programs, libraries, and “cleaner” motorized boats – again with the aim of protecting natural resources and world communal heritage throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.

5. Global Human Ecodynamics Alliance – http://www.gheahome.org Being a cultural anthropologist myself by training, I am fascinated by the field of “Human Ecodynamics” which looks at “the past and present global interactions of humans and the natural world, using fields of inquiry and methods of investigation from anthropology, archaeology, sociology, geosciences, climatology, biological sciences, art, history, and political science.” Hence the goal of this organization is to foster – “working groups” – interested researchers from an array of backgrounds and studies who voluntarily collaborate with each other around a particular project and a common purpose – the biological and sociological interactions of humans and their ecosystems over space and time. Two such collective examples of these working groups now under discussion are: 1) “the issue of coastal erosion as it affects human communities past and present” and 2) “global climate change and the attendant serious threats to the global archaeological record”.

6. Global Green Grants Fund – http://www.greengrants.org/ Like most Americans, I do my bit everyday in giving to charities that support animal rights and promote land and ocean conservation efforts right here in the USA – but this association of “changemakers” does a great deal more! It is a public charity that funds eco-related projects primarily in the developing world and emerging economies – projects that address “toxic contamination, destruction of natural resources, disappearance of water, food, and work and displacement from traditional lands”. Their mission in essence is “to mobilize resources for global environmental sustainability and social justice” and since 1993 they have been doing just that – making nearly 6,000 grants to youth groups, tribal councils, and non-governmental organizations who are in need of basic educational resources and infrastructure and “green” leadership.

Are You or Your Child Suffering From Nature-Deficit Disorder? Try a Large Dose of ‘Vitamin N’ or Green Exercise!

You’ve Heard of Spa Breaks, Spring Breaks, Coffee Breaks, and Family Fun Breaks to reduce stress and blood pressure – but are you familiar with the benefits of “Nature Breaks”? With ever increasing big-city development, population density, and not enough backyards, and too little in urban access ways to recreational parks, you or your child may be one of millions of Americans suffering today from “environmental deprivation” – a lack of exposure to nature and the outdoors. That’s right – the healing power of nature in both physically challenging activities and visually experiential observations and self-reflections – has now been proven to have scientific merit.

But before I delve into researchers’ studies and examples of “green prescriptions”, let’s determine if you are suffering from the negative effects of a Nature-Deficit Disorder.

1- How long has it been since you played in the outdoors – i.e. hiked in the mountains, swam in the ocean, paddled on a lake – AND- felt so vibrant and full of life doing it?
2- How long has it been since you planted flowers or vegetables in your own backyard garden or front-side verandah or window box –AND- felt the peaceful inner pleasure of watching something grow under your care?
3- And yes, when was the last time your child voluntarily spent time away from his or her video games, his or her television set, his or her computer monitor or  iPad, and his or her mobile phone –AND INSTEAD- happily volunteered to help out an animal shelter, set up a campsite, build a wildlife sanctuary, or become a map and compass trail instructor?

Whether you are six or 60 – without “enough” exposure to natural settings – illness and behavioral issues can suddenly erupt and spill over into your daily life and workplace. Here then is what researchers have found about the power of ‘Vitamin N’ for Nature in the last 30 years.

– During the 1980s and 1990s, a number of studies demonstrated that just looking at natural landscapes offered a wide range of benefits for post-operative hospital patients, office workers, prison inmates and car commuters: quicker recovery rates, higher work productivity, lowered blood pressure, less headaches and enhanced use of the senses.
– In 2008, University of Michigan researchers demonstrated that memory performance and attention spans were improved by 20 percent after just one hour of interaction with nature.
– University of Kansas researchers have reported a 50 percent boost in creativity for people who were immersed in nature for just a few days.
– And in Japan, Jikei and Nihon University research studies show that stress-buster sleepovers at the Enoshima Aquarium can counteract a bad day at work – specifically watching jellyfish. Apparently watching jellyfish overnight stimulates the production of a compound in the saliva associated with relaxation.
– Recent studies in the USA have also shown that bringing groups of inner city children with behavioral issues on recreational and educational field trips in nature can drastically improve their sense of self-worth and social relations with others.
– As for children brought up in rural areas, two Cornell University environmental psychologists discovered back in 2003, that the amount of green landscapes a rural child is exposed to greatly influences a child’s resilience against stress and adversity – “that life’s stressful events appear not to cause as much psychological distress in children who live in high-nature conditions compared with children who live in low-nature conditions”. Conducted by Professors Nancy Wells and Gary Evans, their innovative behavioral study of rural children and the “naturalness scale” of their residential environments assessed the degree of nature in and around the homes of 337 rural children in grades 3 through 5 (whose family’s socioeconomic status and income were the same) by the number of live indoor plants inside the family home, the amount of window view space of nature itself, and the material texture of the outdoor yard – grass versus dirt or concrete.
– In a separate study, Professor Nancy Wells also found that nature significantly boosted a child’s attention span when children were moved from poor-quality housing to better-quality housing with plenty of green spaces around.

All of this gives credence to the popular “Attention Restoration Theory” first developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in their 1989 book, “The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective” – which asserts that “people can concentrate better after spending time in nature, or even looking at scenes of nature.” So with the importance of this in mind, let’s take a look at how you or your child might engage with nature and enhance your physical, emotional, and spiritual capacity to live good quality lives.

1-Plant a garden or “schoolyard habitat”. The National Wildlife Federation assists schools in developing and “certifying” outdoor classrooms where educators and students learn how to attract and support wildlife. These mini-outdoor environments then become places where students not only learn about specific wildlife species and ecosystems but they allow children to hone their academic skills and nurture their innate creativity and curiosity. Thus far, the NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat program has certified 4000 schoolyards in all 50 states of the United States plus two territories.
2-Become a “Nature Mentor” to your children or grandchildren. Establish a “green hour” in your household – sanctioned time for contact with nature be it a television program on nature, a lunch-hour picnic in the park or on your own backyard deck, or perhaps even encouraging your youngster with an outdoor DIY project of their own making – building a wooden bird house, creating a ceramic waterfall fountain or crafting a wreath from acorns, pinecones, shell, leaves, and straw.
3-Plan a “Nature-themed” vacation or “Eco-weekend” trip. Whether your destination is an expensive eco-friendly island resort or an inexpensive bed-and-breakfast in the rural countryside, keep in mind the healthful benefits of having locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs – knowing the eco-historical and cultural legacy of the region – and seeing the eco-vibrant practices, amenities, and recycling efforts being used to protect and preserve the ecological balance of the area.

So melt away all your family’s chaotic energy and rejuvenate your senses by tapping into and reconnecting with Nature! And make sure your child’s stress reduction routine and improved attention span is sprinkled with a large dose of Vitamin N treats!

On the 12th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me….Counting Down the Eco-Wellness ABC’S of Medicinal Rainforest Plants!

BACKGROUND FACTS:

-Rainforests make up less than 2% of the earth’s surface and 6% of its land mass yet contain 50% of the total world’s animals and plant species
-Rainforests exist on every continent except Antarctica – some are temperate – some are tropical
-Rainforests help to regulate both global temperatures and weather patterns as well as the water levels of rivers whilst maintaining the supply of fresh drinking water around the world
-Rainforests supply 20% of the Earth’s oxygen
-Rainforests are also a major source of new medicines. The total number of medicines derived from rainforest plants is over 7000 which is about 25% of the total usage of medicines used by people worldwide
-At present less than 1 % of rainforest plants have been tested for their medicinal properties
-Of these, over 2000 tropical rainforest plants have potential anti-cancer fighting properties
-Currently, 40% of all pharmaceuticals used in the USA are derived from rainforest resources

Now let us test your eco-wellness knowledge of today’s medicinal Rainforest Plants – Here are but a few examples:

ANNATTO TREE – OIL EXTRACT USED EXTERNALLY TO PREVENT UV RAY BURNS AND REPEL INSECTS AND USED INTERNALLY TO TREAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

ARAROBA TREE – POWDER EXTRACT USED EXTERNALLY TO TREAT PSORIASIS AND CHRONIC ECZEMA

CINCHONA/QUINA TREE – BARK EXTRACT IS USED AS A POTENT ANTI-MALARIAL AGENT KNOWN AS QUININE

CLAVILLIA HERB – USED TO TREAT INFECTIONS CAUSED BY VIRUSES, BACTERIA, FUNGI AND PARASITES

COCOA TREE – ALL PARTS OF THE TREE ARE USED TO TREAT ANXIETY, FATIGUE, FEVER, COUGHS, KIDNEY STONES, AND EXTERNAL CUTS AND BRUISES

CURARE LIANAS VINE – USED AS AN ANESTHETIC AGENT AND TO TREAT BRUISES, FEVER, EDEMA AND KIDNEY STONES

LEMONGRASS – ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL AGENT USED TO TREAT FEVERS, COLDS, AND COUGHS

MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE – ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES USED TO TREAT LEUKEMIA AND HODGKIN’S DISEASE

MAMMOSA – USED TO TREAT SINUS INFECTIONS AND LESIONS CAUSED BY VARIOUS SKIN CANCERS

PACIFIC BLEEDING HEART – ROOT EXTRACTS KNOWN AS TINCTURE IS USED TO TREAT EXTERNAL BRUISES AND SPRAINS AND INTERNALLY TO SOOTH DAMAGED NERVES

SAW PALMETTO BERRIES – USED TO TREAT CERTAIN URINARY PROBLEMS

SOROSI VINE – USED EXTERNALLY TO TREAT TICKS OR LICE ON THE SKIN AND INTERNALLY TO TREAT PAIFUL MENSTRUATION AND DYSENTERY

TRUMPET TREE – ALL PARTS OF THE TREE ARE USED TO TREAT RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AND RHEUMATISM

WILD YAMS – TUBER EXTRACTS USED IN BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

In conclusion, as we celebrate this holiday season with tasty chocolate treats – remember its source and its medicinal properties. HAPPY ECO-WELLNESS HOLIDAYS!

Bioprospecting Into the Ocean Deep: Looking For Marine-Derived Medicines, Skin Creams, and Along the Way a Sunburn Protection Pill!

Therapies of the future are now taking on an interesting turn – the ocean is now the most promising frontier for tackling human diseases as a natural source for developing new pharmaceutical drugs. In addition to the fact that the ocean covers 74% of the planet’s surface – it supports the greatest diversity of life on Earth – many of them adapted to extreme environments of pitch black darkness and pressure levels that would kill a human being. And it turns out that marine invertebrates (animals without backbones) produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of organisms on land. Many of them have evolved an arsenal of unique chemical compounds that help them survive in their ocean environment. Below are a few examples of marine organisms doing just that – enhancing our understanding of basic biochemical and physiological processes.

ALGAE – is being looked at for developing anti-inflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative compounds to treat HIV, Arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. SEAWEED (Marine Algae) have various levels of antioxidants which can be isolated and used as food supplements or as part of medical treatments for several conditions including coronary heart disease and cancer. A chemically derived compound known as Kainic acid taken from red algae off the coast of Japan and Taiwan is now being used as an anti-worming agent and being looked at to treat Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also being used as a diagnostic chemical to investigate Huntington’s disease. Sea algae is also being used to create skin creams that promise to boost moisture levels and firm and protect against premature aging i.e. red marine algae, brown algae, and green algae as seen in many beauty product collections.

CONE SNAILS – produce a venom (neurotoxins) that paralyze and kill prey. A chemically- derived medication named “Prialt” is now being used as a powerful pain-killer in AIDS and cancer patients. It is 1000 times more potent than morphine.

CORAL REEFS – One species called ‘Sea whips’ produces substances called ‘Pseudopterosins” that reduce swelling and skin irritation and accelerate wound healing. Two other species of coral that already supply cancer medicine are the Coral ‘Sarcodictyon roseum’ found at a depth of 100 meters in the Mediterranean and the shallow-water ‘Eleutherobia’ species found in western Australia. Another species of coral found near the Bahamas has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which is now in use in a commercial skin-care product to defeat allergic responses in the skin. And Kings College London is in the process of developing a tablet to prevent sunburn derived from the coral reef’s own chemical compound which they plan to market in two years time.

HORSEHOE CRABS – Its blood is used to test intravenous drugs and implants/prosthetics for endotoxins – byproducts of bacterial contamination.

SEA SPONGES – The first marine-derived cancer drug ever developed – now known as “Cytosar-U” and used to treat leukemia and lymphoma – was acquired from a species of Caribbean sponges. Another sponge species currently being looked at produces an anti-inflammatory chemical, “Topsentin” which may be helpful in treating diseases like arthritis – a Pacific sponge now being tested may provide potential treatment for asthmatics – and another has antiviral properties which is already being used in the AZT treatment of Aids patients.

SEA URCHINS – provide models for understanding human biology – they are specifically used to demonstrate fertilization and embryo development.

TOADFISH – Blessed with the fastest twitching muscles in the vertebrate world, the toadfish can vibrate its swim bladder muscle an astounding 200 times per second – scientists are hoping to find medicines that will help to treat human muscles of all kinds i.e. heart disease and nerve regeneration.

TUNICATES/SEA SQUIRTS – One tunicate species that lives out in the West Indies coral reefs produces a chemical “Ecteinascidin” which is now being tested in humans for treatment of breast and ovarian cancers and other solid tumors.

Time will only tell whether or not other sea creatures such as sharks, jellyfish, squids, octopuses and cuttlefishes will be the pharmaceutical-sponsored remedies of the future in today’s scientifically-monitored, FDA-approved world.

25 Years Since Chernobyl: Europe’s Radioactive Wild Boars, Reindeer, Mushrooms, Lichen, & Truffles to Name Just a Few

On the evening of April 26,1989 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant located in the Republic of the Ukraine, a devastating accident occurred – the equivalent in toxicity of 400 Hiroshima bombs. Radioactive isotopes, plutonium, strontium-90, iodine-131 and caesium-137, were suddenly released into the air from the melt down of Reactor Number Four. Carried by the winds and deposited by spring rains, much of the caesium-137 travelled westward over southern Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and onto southern Germany and northward to the upper reaches of Scandinavia and across to the north-western sheep farming regions of the United Kingdom.

And today, 25 years later – radioactive levels are still at a high in these particular regions of Europe’s wild plant and game reserves. Today thousands of wild boars shot by Bavarian hunters are still excessively radioactive – unfit for human consumption – only to be thrown by the wayside and set fire to in the hopes of reducing radioactive contamination elsewhere in the forests for wild boars feed on mushroom and truffles which concentrate radioactivity.

And in the Lapland regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, the indigenous Sami people have had to cope with contaminated reindeer meat as well – for reindeer eat lichen which is very sensitive to radioactivity – storing it like a sponge – much the way truffles and mushrooms do. And in parts of Wales, hundreds of Welsh farmers are still living with rigorous safety test restrictions on their sheep herds who graze on radioactive soil. Indeed, there are estimates that it will take a 100 years before the total radioactive levels in the whole of Europe go down to pre-catastrophic levels.

In the meantime, there are certain natural foods and flavorings that do help detoxify radioactive build-up in the human body – in addition to iodine and spirulina supplements – the best foods are seaweed, kelp, miso, brown rice, garlic, ginger, onions, broccoli, beets, olive oil, green and black tea, rosemary, leafy greens, apples, citrus fruits, pumpkins, alfalfa sprouts and bee pollen.

As for our favorite pets, studies have shown that aloe vera reduces radiation sickness in animals and is an effective topical treatment for animal radiation burns.

But for now, the verdict is still out regarding the long-term effects of radiation exposure on humans and animals – indeed the focus for the next few years will be developing new types of technology that will be able to quickly assess the amount of radiation thousands of sufferers will have contracted after a radiological disaster. For no two radiation victims are exactly alike.

Finding America’s Best Natural Mineral Water – Hot Springs, Arkansas?

Known by Native Americans for centuries as the ‘Valley of the Vapors’, the best mineral water in the continental USA originates from the western slope of the Hot Spring Mountain, (part of the Ouachita Mountain Range) in Hot Springs National Park located in the north end of the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. There are two types of this natural mineral water. The first is from the Hottest well head and the second is from the Warm well head. The hottest water has the most mineral content. (This fact is verified from scientific analysis done by USDA scientists.) The great thing about these minerals is that they can be easily absorbed by the body for it is easier for the body to absorb the minerals from water than from most foods. Best of all the water is Free to the Public.