extra virgin olive oil

the reason for this post:
2/3 of the extra virgin olive oile sold in the US is fraudulent.
it's more processed than extra virgin standards allow, and/or mixed w/ other oils, diluting the quality, health benefits, taste, and lowering the smoke point.

google real extra virgin olive oil for all the recent press, from npr, to la times and ny times, 2 major research studies, this guy's research and book.



the US is not a member of the int'l olive oil council, so there's no regulation on using the extra virgin label, which otherwise is a certified status, based on things like cold pressing, acidity, actually being from olives instead of soy beans, etc.

if it ain't real evoo, you're paying too much for it, it won't taste good, and it'll smoke and be carcinogenic at a lower temperature. a real good evoo has a smoke point ranging from 375F to 405F.

to find legit evoo...
i had doubts on whole foods, but this is promising:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/faq/olive-oil-faq.php

i prefer 4th street food coop, they have good stuff from lebanon and palestine. the lebanese one is totally affordable.

otherwise, you'd have to trust what you read on the bottle's label and/or website.

other info:
spain, italy, and greece are the largest producers of olive oil, in that order.
but 80% of what comes from greece is extra virgin quality,
only 45% from italy is extra virgin, and only 30% from spain is extra virgin.
italy is also the world's largest importer of olive oil, which they bottle & label as italian olive oil.
the US is the 2nd largest consumer of olive oil, with italy as its largest supplier.

they investigate this stuff in europe, cause it's a huge multimillion dollar (guestimate) scam.
i imagine there's good stuff made in california, but pricey.
georgia state is working on some east coast olive growing and oil producing.
maybe texas and new mexico as well.

real evoo is one of the best choices for cooking and eating.
organic goes without saying.

sunscreen

typical commercial sunscreens can have ingredients worse for your skin than the sun, can be detected in human breast milk, disrupt hormones, damage coral, and who knows what else.

if you're skeptical of organic virgin coconut oil as a sunscreen,
you can make your own, (scroll to end of post for brief info on making your own)

but if you want really natural, well tested, effective, for over $13-14 for a 2.9oz tube,
badger sunscreen is looking like the most the natural choice, addressing every issue with toxic and natural sunscreens.
spf 15 is probably good enough, you might want some healthy sun to get vitamin D.
most of the other "natural" options still have questionable "inactive" ingredients.
even biodegradable paraben and pthalate free ones might have alcohols, acids, and ambiguous hard to pronounce -ides or -ates.
badger has a short clean list of "inactive" certified organic
ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E, seabuckthorn extract.

their active ingredient is non-nano uncoated zinc oxide.
titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are natural minerals that physically block sun and absorb UV rays.
they can be naturally or synthetically produced, and one site said they naturally have <1% lead and other metals. - badger just assured me that their zinc oxide and all sunscreens are lead and metal free.
zinc oxide does a better job of blocking a wide spectrum of UV rays.
and is less photo reactive - less likely to generate carcinogenic free radicals.
uncoated zinc oxide is less reactive than even coated titanium dioxide.
coconut and olive oils, and cocoa and shea butters, have antioxidants that absorb free radicals.
micronized nano particles, under a certain size, can get in your skin or blood.
some less natural brands will coat them with an inert substance to make them harmless, but buying non nano makes more sense.

sunscreens come packaged in plastic.
badger uses BPA and Phthalate-free packaging made from >50% Post-Consumer Recycled #2 plastic.
recycled plastic is a step, but i'm really not down for plastic, and 2.9oz is really small, meaning more plastic disposed. - badger just assured me their caps and tubes are both #2 and recyclable, after i mentioned usually bottle caps are not recyclable.

badger sunscreens are made in the US.

vivesana sunscreen comes in an aluminum tube, with a plastic top, so it's less plastic.
$29 / 2.25oz tube - but supposedly pretty concentrated.
they address most of the various issues, but you'll have to read their website for more info.

you could make your own for much cheaper, something like this video:
http://www.korduroy.tv/2009/diy-organic-sunblock

though i'd probably not let the actual mixture boil.

i'd also consider buying non nano uncoated zinc oxide, maybe in its natural powder form, and powdering up after applying organic extra virgin coconut oil.

packaging tape

 
#1 environmental choice for packaging tape:

I just picked up a roll of paper packaging tape made in the US from just kraft paper and starch based adhesive. it's easiest to repulp, recycle, and biodegrade. the starch comes from plants, potato, corn, etc.

it's a water activated adhesive, as in you have to wet it to get it to stick.
the roll doesn't stick to itself.

these are usually known as gummed paper tape,
the adhesives could be made from starch, or animal, or who knows what else if the company doesn't specify.

intertape brand (which also makes central brand) was one of the only brands i found that could specify starch based adhesive, and makes it in the US.
dick blick art supply was the only store i could find that carried this line of intertape.

it was $4.99 + tax for a 2" wide x 600' long roll. 

other notes:
kraft paper is the general name for the brown paper used, not specific to anything else about the tape.
kraft paper is also sold in rolls for packaging wrapping or padding.

packing houses that use water activated tapes have a dispenser that wets the tape as it'd dispensed.
for home office use, it's a tiny inconvenience, a water spray bottle or bowl of water to dip fingers in, works.

most packaging tapes these days are the clear petroleum plastic kind. the tape industry is making a move towards less chemical and plastic options. they're looking into different technologies, but what also makes sense is looking back to what was used before plastic and petrochemicals. 

click here to expand post, to see self adhesive and cellulose tape info.

PHOTO PRINTING

researched and explained.
this is the result of figuring out way too many options for photo printing in 2011,
in terms of quality, photography tradition, and the environment. 

SUMMARY

I'm backing ARCHIVAL INKJET printing for various reasons:
1) it has more color dynamic range than digital C prints,
2) it's slightly more archival than C prints.
3) it involves less toxic chemistry, the inks are water based.
4) it gives the option to print on 100% cotton paper.
5) cotton paper is stronger and naturally acid free and lignin free.
6) it's made from a biproduct of cotton textile production.
I'd also pick a paper that's made in the US without optical brighteners,
and that isn't resin coated (polyethylene, petroleum)

the brands and paper lines
that meet these requirements are:

museo
silver rag (glossy, slight texture?)
portfolio rag (matte, extra smooth)
museo max (matte)

moab (by legion)
entrada rag natural (not entrada rag bright) (matte)
I havent had a chance to see samples yet.


RESEARCH LEADING TO DECISION:
click here to expand post

staying cool without AC

air conditioning is way overused.
aside from taking hella electricity, driving up bills,
i dont trust the chemicals in them,
or the exhaust from them.

window box fans work great.

and one of the best methods for staying cool that i remember reading about,
is the egyptian method.
which is basically dampening your bed.

to sleep cool, before going to bed, take a shower.
obviously not hot, but not cold either, your body would react to the cold and heat up.
so take a medium temp shower.
then don't towel dry, go to bed wet.
your skin will feel cool when wet, the sheets will absorb water and feel cool as well.
it's really comfortable.

another method for cool sleeping is using a straw or bamboo mat, like a beach mat.
most other sleeping pads, foam pads, and mattresses, insulate a lot of heat.
just lay a cheap clean straw beach mat down and sleep on it.
maybe put 1 sheet over it, it'll still breathe.
i put these straight ont he mattress, and then the fitted sheet over it.

bar soap update

4th st. food coop sells various bar soaps without being wrapped in plastic.
they have ones made with organic, and conventional vegetable oils.
negligible price difference from the previously selected 365 brand bar soap,
and i think it's lasting longer.

images and details to come.

4th st. food coop

4th st. food coop is the jam!
http://www.4thstreetfoodcoop.org/
4th st. b/t 2nd and 3rd ave in manhattan.
anyone can shop, discounts are available for working and non working members.
open til 10pm almost everyday, key for those that can't make it to a farmers market that closes at 3pm or 6pm.

i've been shopping in this bodega size store for at least a year, and am still constantly finding new products.

they find things as local as organic as possible.
though some things i think could be more local.

but i'm repeatedly impressed with their selection of food available in bulk, as in without packaging.

some more obvious stuff like rices from down south, beans from ny state, flours, nuts, cereals, produce.

but also honey, sucanat and raw cane sugars, ny maple syrup, ny tofu, northeast pickles, ny soy sauce, miso, olive oil, dry pasta, teas, spices, the list goes on.

also a variety of natural liquid and bar soaps available w/o packaging, including dr. bronner's.

all these things can be taken home in reusable compostable biobags, glass jars, and fair trade organic cotton bags, that they sell at very reasonable prices. pretty much everything in there is reasonably priced.

there are more packaging free products than park slope food coop, which is a full grocery store size, and requires a working membership.