Almost All The Truth

Sunday Surf: Reading and Listening

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Brenna @ Almost All The Truth

Sunday Surfing.

It’s Sunday. I am full of pondering and wonderings that make the heart hurt, the world spin, and the skies break open. When there is no right answer, shouldn’t that be easier?

I need to spread a little love around and am going to try that this morning by participating in a little Sunday Surf – what I’ve read this week that I want to share with all of you. Plus, I think I am going to add a new twist just for myself at the end. Because I always like to be a little different. ;)

In no particular order, this is what’s on my mind…

Amateur Activism: Help out Lori (and all of us) and “Tell Tide to Remove a Cancer Causing Chemical from its Detergent.” This is one way we can say we’ve helped change the world this weekend.

Green Living: Why do we perceive certain colors as more natural, even if that is not the case? “Brownwashing: Why Green Consumers Buy Brown Things” is making me wonder just when corporate influence stops and conscious consumer choice begins.

Blogging: Ever wonder how to support the bloggers you read each day (or even each week or month) so we can keep doing what we love to do? “10 Ways to Support Your Favorite Bloggers” sheds some light and reminds me that I want to say thank you to Joanie for the very kind email. :)

Green Mama Activism: Learn why and how to ask your representatives in Congress to “Support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act.” For all the mamas who shouldn’t have to choose between breastfeeding and a job.

Natural Remedies: We have all been felled to varying degrees by a nasty virus. Baby Girl even has a raging ear infection that just wouldn’t go away. I love taking a more natural approach when possible and “32 Natural Remedies for Colds, Congestion, Coughs, and Fevers in Infants (Newborn to 6 Months)” is a great guide for when it can be hard to even see straight from sleep exhaustion!

#CTWW (Change The World Wednesday): Last week’s challenge to change the world was to protect our hearts and protect the earth by experimenting with fruits and veggies while not letting any go to waste. I thought this recipe sounded like the best of those worlds while harnessing the cooking power of the sun! Solar Banana Cranberry Bread

Education: This has to be one of the coolest educational tools I have seen in a long time (once you get past the ad). Share “The Scale of the Universe” with the kids and see whose mind is blown more.

Giveaway: There is one more week left in the giveaway for a copy of Curious Critters!

Music and Reading of the Week.

Books (Adult and Children’s) of the Week.

Song of the Week.

What are you reading and listening to this week?

_________________

I’m joining Authentic Parenting and Hobo Mama for Sunday Surf. Share your best reading of the week, and link up your post at either blog!

For more great reading, visit Hobo Mama or Authentic Parenting for the latest Sunday Surf and linky.

Happy Surfing!

Posted in sunday surf | Tagged music, reading, sunday surf | 1 Comment

Pollution: some interesting facts about our contaminated world.

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Brenna @ Almost All The Truth

Do any of these facts on air pollution surprise you? I have to admit that I was surprised about the CO2 emissions for the top family vehicles… May be time to cut back our driving even more!

Infographic credit

Posted in green living | Tagged air pollution, infographic, pollution, transportation | Leave a comment

Top Ten: Ways Monsanto and Big Ag are Killing You – And the Planet

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Brenna @ Almost All The Truth

Monsanto and Big Agriculture – Partners in Destruction?

photo credit: flickr

Monsanto and Big Ag are not working in harmony with the land to “produce more with less” as the argument goes, but are by their very nature destroying our small farmers and organic and sustainable farms, both in the U.S. and globally. The reliance on increasing the herbicides needed to grow GMO crops is too energy-intensive and harmful to our health to let continue on such a destructive path!

The industrial farm practices are proving to be increasingly more harmful to human health and quickly destroying the land that our growing population is reliant on for survival. Land that has been cultivated for generations is suddenly coming up dry after using the GMO seeds and toxic Roundup. Women are having more miscarriages and seeing more birth defects when living near where Roundup is sprayed.

What can you do?

Top Ten Ways Monsanto and Big Ag Are Trying to Harm You – And the Planet

1. Generating Massive Greenhouse Gas Pollution (CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide) and Global Warming, While Promoting False Solutions Such as Industrial Biofuels, So-Called Drought-Resistant Crops, and Genetically Engineered Trees

2. Polluting the Environment and the Soil-Food Web with Pesticides, Chemical Fertilizers, and Persistent Toxins, Including Dioxin

3. Draining and Polluting Wetlands and Aquifers, Turning Farmland into Desert

4. Poisoning Wells and Municipal Drinking Water, Lakes, and Rivers

5. Chopping Down the Rainforests for Monoculture GMO Crops, Biofuels and Cattle Grazing

6. Increasing the Cost of Food, While Reducing Nutrition and Biodiversity

7. Spawning Pesticide-Resistant Superbugs and Weeds, and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

8. Generating New and More Virulent Plant, Animal and Human Diseases

9. Utilizing Wasteful Fossil Fuel-Intensive Practices and Encouraging the Expansion of Natural Gas Fracking and Tar Sands Extraction (Which Destroy Forests, Aquifers, and Farmland)

10. Stealing Money From the 99% to Give Huge Subsidies to the 1% Wealthiest, Most Chemical and Energy-Intensive Farms and Food Producers¹

Take Action – Say No to GMOs

The Organic Revolution: How We Can Stop Global Warming

Become One of the Millions Against Monsanto

Join the Movement: Label GMO Now, We Have the Right to Know!

Tell the FDA: Label My Food

Do you think the food we feed our families should be labeled if it contains GMOs?

Information courtesy of the Organic Consumers Association. ↩

Posted in green living, top ten | Tagged farm, GMOs, Monsanto, organic, organic farms, top ten, top ten tuesday | 4 Comments

Curious Critters – Fun With Nature. {Giveaway}

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Brenna @ Almost All The Truth

Curious Critters – Teaching Kids to Love Nature

I adore unusual animals. My absolute favorite animal is the blue whale, in part because it is the largest known animal to have ever existed and they are rarely seen. I have a strange fascination with the colossal squid because of this too. If you can’t go big, go home.

You won’t be finding a blue whale (or a colossal squid) in Curious Critters, the fabulous book by David FitzSimmons, but you will find the amazing creatures that live all around us, some even in our own backyards!

Luckily they all agreed very politely to pose. Actually, all the striking images are a result of some careful handling and patience by the photographer and creative force behind Curious Critters.

Each page is told in the animal’s own voice. The content is highly entertaining, great for engaging kids past the incredible photos, and also has wonderful educational value. The information in Curious Critters address all of the Life Science Standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-8. And it is done with a flourish.

Interview With David FitzSimmons – Author and Photographer for Curious Critters

I had the chance to ask a few questions about the book and the process.

Did you have to travel to get some of these photographs?
While some animals are from my own back yard and nearby locations, I did travel for some animals, although not as far as you might think. The Southern Flying Squirrel, for example, covers almost the entire eastern half of the United States and places in southern Canada. The one in the book was photographed at Brukner Nature Center in Troy, Ohio. And, while the Gila Monster on the title page lives in the desert southwest, this one actually resides at the Toledo Zoo.

If so, what places did you go and which was your favorite?
I really enjoy working with nature centers and rehab facilities. A few of my favorites are nearby my Ohio home: Gorman Nature Center and The Ohio Bird Sanctuary.

What was your favorite photo you got in your own backyard?
I love the Red Flat Bark Beetle. I heat with wood. When I handle my firewood, I often come across the larva form of this insect. The larva is a non-descript cream color. But one afternoon I pulled of a piece of bark to reveal not only this stunningly red beetle but also the six or so mites riding along on its back. The sharpness of my Sigma 180mm macro lens allowed me to capture so much detail that I could reproduce the beetle and its passengers. I love depicting the amazing details in nature.

How many photos per animal did you take to find the “perfect” shot?
Some animals require several dozen shots; other many more. The Chinese Praying Mantis, for example, was particularly difficult to photograph. Two photo sessions and 266 shots later, I had the image that I needed, the one used in “Curious Critters.”

Will there be more Curious Critters?
I am at work on the second “Curious Critters” book, which I hope to have completed in the next year or so.

The Project

It’s not a great book unless it inspires you to create a project. This one will be a work in progress for us and hopefully you will join us!

When we read this book, it was inspiration to discover what kind of curious critters we might harbor in our neighborhood. As we learn, we are going to keep track in this fun accordion book idea from Pinterest.

Source: marthastewart.com via Brenna on Pinterest

Each time a new creature is discovered and observed, then each kid is going to either paste or draw a picture with its name on one of the pages until we have a full nature book. So far we have seen the American Robin and Western Gray Squirrel, although we hope to add a whole lot more as the weather warms and we spend more time outdoors.

The Giveaway

“If we are going to save our environment, we have to teach our kids to appreciate it,” says the acclaimed nature photographer David FitzSimmons. I so agree and now one lucky reader will have the chance to win a copy of Curious Critters and show off the fun side of nature.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special Note: All animals in this exhibit have been handled carefully and not sedated. Some are captive specimens in rehabilitation centers and other educational facilities. Wild animals were returned safely to their habitats.

*I received a copy of Curious Critters to review. All opinions are my own and unbiased. The sponsor is offering one copy as a giveaway.