Filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the lid on the food industry. ‘There is an illusion of diversity in the supermarket’. The film highlight the fact that it’s only a handful of corporations that control the food supply often putting profit ahead of consumer health, the environment and the livelihood of farmers.

Faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper - that’s the attitude of the huge agricultural companies says Food Inc. Bigger breasted chickens and herbicide-resistant soybeans but at what cost? Food Inc examines how regulatory agencies in the US like the USDA and FDA are allowing the big organisations to conceal what’s really going on with our food before it hits the dinner plate. The film also looks at what effect this is having on our health and planet.

‘We’ve never had food companies this powerful, ever, in our history,’ points out Eric Scholosser (Fast Food Nation) one of the experts interviewed in the film. Michael Pollan who wrote ‘In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto’, also features in Food Inc.

‘The average consumer does not feel very powerful. It’s the exact opposite. When we run an item pass the supermarket scanner we’re voting, for local or not, or organic or not.’

Too right we say. How do you vote?

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The 35th National Tree Week will be from 25th of November to the 6th of December. This annual celebration of all things barky begins the season of winter tree planting. There are events being held across the country where you can get involved with local community groups and councils to improve your local treescape.

At least 200 schools and local groups, plus the Tree Councils 8,000 Tree Wardens (volunteers who gather information about local trees and get involved in local tree matters) will be organising tree planting and other activities during the week. If you’d like to set up your own tree inspired activity visit the Tree Councils website to get some useful tips on how to do so, as well as promote your event on their site.

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Let’s look at the farmers and fisherman of Vietnam. For generations those that still follow the traditional ways have been predicting floods, storms and droughts by tracking nature. In the drought prone region of Ninh Thuan farmers take the dragonfly’s opinion on such matters on overhead climatic conditions. If the dragonfly travels low to the ground, rain is sure to be on its way; if it travels high, the sunshine’s will be out for that picnic.

This is just one example of what a group of aid agencies is taking note for a project to find out whether whether the indigenous knowledge passed down the generations through proverbs, folk songs and legends still hold true in this time of climate chaos.

The indigenous people know a lot about disaster adaptation and the aid agencies are looking to collect this information. This will be used to help them create programs to reduce the risk of natural disasters in Vietnam; it’s coastal regions a sitting duck for rising sea levels which will be ruinous for rice production in the country as well as the tens of thousands of families residing there. Climate change is expected to hit Vietnam very hard.

There is strong evidence to support this research project. A UN report found nomads on the coast of Thailand were one of the communities spared during the 2004 tsunami because they used their passed down knowledge to see early changes to the environment and flee to higher ground.

Nature appears to be unleashing its wrath on us. But it’s simply doing its thing, self-preservation and all that. We are fools if we overlook the hand it lends and the clues it gives for our preservation also.

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Gone are the days when Gills sends out its waste onions to fields to decompose naturally into the soil (which is a great idea if it weren’t for the lack of fields around town and the insects that onions attract).

So, Gils has invented the AERS or Advanced Energy Recovery System. The AERS turns all their onion waste into electricity and cattle feed. Basically the system squashes out all the onion juice, which is then goes into an anaerobic digester to turn into methane gas. The gas is pumped into fuel cells and is used to form electricity. The onion solid is what is fed to the cattle.

Gills 300,000 pounds of daily onion waste makes about 600 kilowatts of electricity every day which is enough to run up to 40% of the companies factory. Gills says that it expects to take about US$700,000 off their electricity bills each year and save about US$400,000 in waste disposal costs. That’s a lot of onion mula.

Apparently some of Gill’s neighbours are keen to get in on the action - both a carrot producer and winery are apparently interested in learning more about the system. Everyone plays their part in looking after the earth.

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A UCLA study in 2006 called Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry found that the ecological impact of the Californian film and TV industry lay only behind the petroleum and aviation industries. The Age of Stupid confessed it’s total carbon footprint in its closing credits at 94,270kg of CO2 which is about the amount created by eight Brits per year.

Huge lighting rigs, massive energy consumption from generators required on location, heavy diesel-guzzling trucks for transport and all the excesses that surround the charm of the industry; Hollywood doesn’t tread lightly.

What are they doing about it? Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox are apparently on it. Green Power generators that run on ultra-low sulphur diesel and sustainably sourced soya bean; the world’s first high powered low energy LED lighting system; and an eco digital cine camera that is film and tape free are just some of the ways Hollywood are hoping to green up.

The Best Practices Guide for Green Production created by the Motion Picture Association of America is another initiative that sees the film industry greening up. A new code for the UK film industry, Green Screen, is also aiming to reduce London’s movie footprint by 60%. And it seems it’s been working with Evan Almighty being the first carbon zero comedy.

Film is the perfect vehicle to get the eco message to a wide audience. The higher the standard of quality of production and the more poignant and captivating the script the more likely people will take notice… particularly if its own green credentials are modelling that message.

The more movies that get people to care to the point of acting upon their sensibilities, the healthier our planet will be.

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Sweat the carrot, onion and garlic in the butter until soft (about 20mins), adding the coriander halfway.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the flour until well combined with the butter and juices.

Gently work in the stock, so that you are not left with lumps of flour and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend until smooth, stir in the cream and bring back to simmer if required.

Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves if you have any.

Even my husband, who claims to hate carrots, loves this soup.

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Xenoestrogens do not break down in our water supply. Though the government says they are safe but an increasing amount of studies have been proving otherwise.

The increase levels of foreign oestrogens have coincided with the earlier onset of puberty, a decrease in sperm counts, an increase in the amount of male reproductive problems, and for females an increase in the amount of oestrogen dependant health problems such as breast cancer.

The male fish in our rivers aren’t faring too well either. DEFRA research found that a third of all male fish in the UK rivers have developed female sex organs and have produced eggs.

So what can you do about avoiding them?
Read your labels. Nonylphenols are the xenoestrogens often found in plastic, conventional skin creams, detergents, toiletries and lubricants. Bisphenols are xenoestrogens found in polcarbonate plastics that leach out when heated and phthalates are the xenoestrogens found in conventional make-up, nail polish, hair spray and carpets.

Eat organic. Nearly 4,000 fungicides, insecticides and herbicides are approved for us in the UK and many are used to grow the fruit, veg and other food found on the supermarket shelf.

Avoid plastic. Xenoestrogens love fat so don’t store meat and dairy or other high fat foods in plastic wrap. Also avoid microwaving any food in plastic containers. You could also get yourself a good water filter for the home. The reverse osmosis filters are able to remove the oestrogen in water.

Go natural. Use truly natural cleaning products in the home and use natural toiletries and other body care products. It’s estimated that a woman uses on average 12 different toiletry items a day. For someone using conventional products they may be exposing their skin to more than 170 chemical compounds every day.

The affect of the cocktail of these chemicals is virtually unmeasurable but as more research uncovers the influence foreign oestrogens are having on our bodies it’s expected organic and natural products will be receiving an even bigger up.

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But it also has a few good therapeutic properties the skin can take advantage of too.

Derived from pressing Apricot kernels the oil is made up mostly of oleic acid and linoleic acid. In scientific studies, oleic acid is said to improve memory whilst linoleic acid has shown good results in research into cancer prevention, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. When it comes to skin issues it is the linoleic acid aspect of apricot oil we should focus on.

Linoleic acid has anti-inflammatory, acne reduction and moisture retention properties. As we know our skin often indicats illness or deficiencies within our bodies. Dermatitis and eczema can be a sign of an essential fatty acid deficiency. In addition to making adjustments in diet, applying apricot oil with its high linoleic acid content could help relieve these skin issues.

Well known for its moisturising properties, apricot oil is good for all skin types, particularly sensitive skin. Because of its nourishing qualities and the fact that it is quite a light oil means it is often used as a base in massage oils. Apricot and Rosehip Warm-up Massage Oil by Raw Organic is a great oil to use to soothe and de-stress the skin in preparation for exercise. Also, the Apricot and Sea Buckthorn Shampoo by Dr.Hauschka is a good hair product that utilizes the properties of apricot oil to help improve the condition of the scalp.

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But now we also need to consider the impact our food choices are having on the environment. Just as soya, cattle and palm oil (vegetable oil) are now seen by many ecologists as a poor choice when it comes to deciding how we use our land for food, fish may soon be in the same category. The new documentary End of the Line by investigative reporter Charles Clover and film director Rupert Murray brings to light the devastating effect of over fishing.

According to scientists in the film we could see the end of most seafood by 2048 if we continue fishing as we are now. End of the Line investigates fishing in all parts of the world. It looks at the decimation of cod in areas it was once abundant before demand sourced for the oily fish. It looks at the effect of hi-tech fishing boats on our ocean sea floors, fishermen who break quotas and fish illegally and consumers who, without realising, are buying endangered species of fish.

The film also looks at solutions. Farmed fishing is not one say the experts. Protecting our ocean with marine reserves that are off limits to fishing and educating consumers so they will choose fish caught in certified sustainable fisheries are a couple of things the film highlights.

‘We must stop thinking of our oceans as a food factory and realize that they thrive as a huge and complex marine environment,’ says Clover.

The Economist called End of the Line the ‘Inconvenient Truth about the oceans’. The makers say it is a film that will change the way you think about seafood. We say imagine the world without fish. Watch this film, find out what’s really happening in the deep blue and make good fish buying choices - for a healthy diet and a healthy planet.

The film’s website can help with choosing the best ocean-friendly seafood to buy. You can also sign up to the End of the Line campaign to buy sustainably sourced fish and protect the oceans from the commercial fishing industry.

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Yes products are a revolution as far as intimate lubricants go. They are high performance, premium lubricants certified by the Soil Association. They contain no parabens, glycerine, glycols, hormones, silicones and petroleum products often found in traditional lubricants like KY Jelly, Durex Play and Replens. (Glycerine found is in nearly all big brands and can cause thrush as well as irritate and dehydrate the skin. Glycols help pull other chemicals through the skin into the blood stream).

Has powerful moisture retentive properties and is bio-adhesive to mucus membranes (inner skin environment). There are two types. Water based and oil based. The water-based version is scent and taste free. It is made from aloe vera, flax extract (beneficial for the mucous membranes), and plant based gums guar, locust bean and xanthan (to provide the deep velvety texture).

The oil-based version is hypoallergenic and good for water play. It contains cocoa butter and shea butter, sweet almond oil and sunflower oil, organic bees wax and vitamin E to provide an extra sensuous feeling as well as having a skin-nourishing effect.

Not everyone feels the need to use a lubricant but for some it’s essential in order to enjoy sex. Others use it to warm up or enhance pleasure. You just have to take one look at the feedback from those that have used Yes products to get an idea of how amazing this product is.

‘You’re lube is the best thing that ever happened to my post hysterectomy sex life.’

‘I’ve never tried anything like this… I trust people who are concerned about chemicals. I have had breast cancer for 15 years, and I believe I have had better health throughout it by avoiding toxic chemicals and sticking with natural products.’

‘By using your water-based daily for five or six weeks now, I can report a distinct increase in the plumpness and moistness of my labia and vagina. I am as surprised as I am delighted - I didn’t know this was possible, but the difference is impressive. Not just a lubricant - more a rejuvenator!’

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