Daily Loaf

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week:

Why does Florida Fish and Wildlife refuse to protect eagles and tortoises?: contributor and green activist Chris Hrabovsky asks why Florida wildlife is allowed to be sacrificed in order for big businesses to take over that land.

The roots of sprawl: Grant Rimbey explores the origins of sprawl in the United States, describes the difference between sprawl and sustainability, and hints at a future strategy for moving beyond sprawl.

Tampa City Council reclaimed water workshop: a post by John Dingfelder on Tampa City Council wanting to “turn the page” towards a new era of common sense water conservation.

An overview of Green Cities Florida in Orlando and hopes for a greener future: Joshua Michael Poll attended last week’s Green Cities Florida event in Orlando and discusses highlights from it, as well as his hopes for Tampa Bay’s green initiatives.

No acupuncture needles needed when it comes to Meridian Therapy: health and wellness contributor Kevin O’ Dunn looks at the use of toothpicks in place of needles in acupuncture and Meridian Therapy.

Help support the Tampa Theatre by shopping at Barnes and Noble this week: Michelle Schenck gives information on helping the Tampa Theatre by purchasing from Barnes and Noble book stores this week.

Steps to becoming greener: Starting a compost or worm bin: Tips and information from Joshua Michael Poll on creating healthier soil by making a compost or worm bin.

360 Vodka: drink in the name of Mother Earth: Jessica McCormick reviews the “eco-responsible” (and very tasty) 360 Vodka.

VP Biden boosts green jobs and training in Denver: Vice President Joe Biden creates 450,000 green jobs in Denver with $500 million from the economic stimulus bill, as reported by Michelle Schenck.

Lose your lawn and get Florida native plants instead; Free native plants tour Sat. (5/30): Joshua Michael Poll gives us more green tips- this time for our lawns and how to use native Florida plants in place of a time- and money-consuming traditional lawn.

Green office tip of the week: Reduce paper in your office: the latest green office tip from contributor Lisa Assetta.

McLibel and Wal-Suit trials: people who fought against these companies and made a difference: Chris Hrabovsky discusses the long McLibel suit in London and compares it to similar local issues and legal battles with Wal-Mart destroying wetlands and wildlife to build, showing what a few everyday people have done to stand up to these big companies.

Don’t forget to check out our Green Community Calendar for green events and workshops in the Bay Area!

the Meridians, photo healingfabrics.com

An acupuncture study conducted in Seattle, released this month by the Archives of Internal Medicine, that substituted acupuncture needles with toothpicks to stimulate the meridian points, has acupuncture physicians and other Natural Health practitioners scratching their heads. The study used pointed toothpicks to stimulate the body’s meridian or acupuncture points and the results in pain relief were nearly identical to the cases where acupuncture needles were used.

“This study missed the point, ” said Acupuncture Physician Dr. Christy Giallourakis of  the Center for Oriental Medicine in Tarpon Springs, Florida. ”The problem with Western studies of traditional Chinese medicine is that the person conducting the study has to use experts on the placement of the meridian stimulus so that any results will be accurate.  There are 26 meridians but there are many, many, extraordinary points and these points can be inadvertently stimulated by someone who does not understand the system.”  What is used to stimulate the points has little effect on the outcome of the stimulation. “If you put any kind of stimulation to the point you will have a reaction.”

Acupuncture is based on the energy meridians of the body: these meridians are pathways of subtle energy that connect and compliment every organ and function in the body. Along these pathways is an interconnected system of subtle energy that can interrupt pain or enhance sensation depending upon the combinations of stimulated points. The interruption of pain is an important factor in healing. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know the coral reefs are being suffocated by tourists’ sunscreen? Going to the tanning bed sets up a controlled environment so you can regulate your light absorption and then have a base tan that will help you avoid sunburn and use less sunscreen, therefore preserving the coral reefs and other oceanic life affected by multitudes of tourist sunscreen!

Raydiance Tanning and Spa (and Wellness Gardens and Tea house) offers a multitude of services to keep your lifestyle “green”, healthy and inexpensive. In light of our new proposals for a universal health care system as well as the one already in place it has become all too obvious we need new ways to stay healthy that integrate into our everyday life, because the health care is way too expensive and only used in dire need. There is now a resource to end this cycle of frustration, and it located so conveniently there is no excuse to make a step to integrating preventive health care into your world.

Read the rest of this entry »