Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Certified Organic, National Resources Defense Council, organic, Organic Food, organically grown, pesticides, Stanford
Stanford University scientists recently published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine comparing the benefits of organic versus non-organic food, concluding that they “did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives.”
Some people may view this study as a reason to not buy organic products. However, in my mind, nutrition was never the reason to buy organic to begin with, and this study just brings us further away from the real reasons to buy and eat organic.
The main reason you should eat organic is so that you and your family consume as little GMOs, pesticides, and other toxins as possible. Even the Stanford researchers concluded that consuming organic food reduces your risk of consuming pesticides by 30%. So while Stanford concluded that there is no difference in nutrients…Ask yourself this: Do I want to consume more toxins, now that I know that they’re just as nutritious as the organic version? That would not be logical.
Beyond our own health and nutrition, buying organic means “to respect the land your food came from,” as the Atlantic wrote in their response to the study. Another crucial reason to buy organic is to encourage environmentally sustainable farming practices, which are more healthy for not only our environment, but for the farm workers who are no longer exposed to the toxic chemicals they otherwise would have sprayed on the food.
As the National Resources Defense Council wrote: “Pesticide or fertilizer laden runoff from farmlands washes into rivers, lakes, and streams, contaminating waterways, and destroying habitat. Many pesticides are also toxic to health, and have been linked to respiratory problems, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer and reproductive problems. Every year, farm workers and people living near conventional farms suffer from poisonings and serious health effects from pesticide spraying.”
So, reduce your consumption of toxins, protect the environment and the farm workers, stop contaminating the waterways and water supply. Eating and wearing organic accomplishes this. You do not have to attend Stanford to excercise common sense.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Stand Up to Cancer | Tags: Brian Williams, Cancer Research, Cindy Crawford, Denzel Washington, Diane Sawyer, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Couric, Lance Armstrong, Laura Ziskin, Neil Diamond, organically grown, pesticides, Reese Witherspoon, Rusty Robertson, Stand Up to Cancer, Stevie Wonder, Sue Schwartz
This past Friday night, Julia and I had the honor of attending the Stand Up to Cancer global telethon. We salute our dear friends Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz, two of the founders of Stand Up to Cancer, along with their co-founders Katie Couric, Noreen Fraser, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulson, Ellen Ziffren, and Laura Ziskin, for accomplishing the impossible: Assembling a dream team of cancer researchers from many of the top notch hospitals, including Johns Hopkins and UCLA, working together to find a cure.
The benefit was hosted by Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and Diane Sawyer, and broadcasted by all the major television networks. Celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Cindy Crawford, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lance Armstrong manned the telephones and accepted donations. 
Adding to the star power of the evening were performances by Neil Diamond and Stevie Wonder. If I were to go to the moon and was only allowed to bring a handful of albums, the music of these two icons would be right there with me. I was fortunate enough to meet Stevie Wonder, and he is as beautiful as his music. 
According to the Organic Trade Association, cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops, with over 450 million pounds of pesticides applied on conventional cotton each year. Seven of these pesticides are on the EPA’s list of known, likely, or probable human carcinogens. Furthermore, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ study “Cancer and the Environment” cites research stating, “Studies of people with high exposures to pesticides, such as farmers, pesticide applicators, crop duster pilots, and manufacturers, have found high rates of blood and lymphatic system cancers, cancers of the lip, stomach, lung, brain, and prostate, as well as melanoma and other skin cancers.”
I am inspired by Rusty and Sue, and everyone at Stand Up to Cancer. The cure to this awful disease is within our reach.
At Organically Grown, we offer affordable products that are made from 100% organic cotton..free of harmful pesticides. I believe that one day we will all be wearing organic clothing as we celebrate the end of cancer.
BY BOB STEIN, CO-FOUNDER OF ORGANICALLY GROWN
Please visit www.standup2cancer.org to donate money or to purchase SUTC gear. 100% of all donations and proceeds go to collaborative cancer research.
Click here to learn more about Organically Grown or shop organic.
For more information, please visit these links:
National Institute of Environmental Health Science’s “Cancer and the Environment”
National Wildlife Foundation’s “Cotton and Pesticides”
Filed under: Cotton Articles | Tags: baby clothes, chinese research, chris wood, conventional cotton, cotton clothing, environmental damage, farm workers, global cotton industr, miller-mccune magazine, organic, organic baby clothes, organic clothing, organic cotton, organic exchnage, organic fabrics, organic farming methods, organic moms, organically grown, organically grown baby, organicallygrownshop, pesticides, shoporganicallygrown, sustainable materials
I just read an fascinating article by Chris Wood that appeared in the February edition of Miller-McCune Magazine ( this is a great magazine). The article cites one Chinese official as conceding that in 2006, the cumulative cost of environmental damage and pollution-related health care had effectively offset all of China’s widely envied 10 percent annual economic growth. Wow!
The Chinese government has essentially acknowledged they no longer can sustain a path of self destruction. This isn’t China’s problem , it’s all of our problem…and do you really think other countries aren’t having the same problem?…They are…And we all have to deal with it.
According to the Organic Exchange, 456 million pounds of toxic pesticides are used in conventional cotton production per year, the water supply and rivers become contaminated, farm workers become sick…7 out of 10 of the pesticides used are known, likely or probable carcinogens according to the EPA.
This would not be a problem if organic farming methods were mandated. Organically Grown’s cotton is made without harmful pesticides and other toxins. The connection between what you wear and the effect it has on our planet…is obvious. This is why we started, Organically Grown.
I strongly urge you to read this article. Please go to http://www.greenerdesign.com/bio/chris-wood and buy our products http://shoporganicallygrown.com and support all organic products.
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