23 December 2008

double your gift to help animals with farm sanctuary

Now until the end of the year, when you give to animal advocacy group Farm Sanctuary your money will be matched (up to $30K). They've worked really hard and have had some amazing victories this year, including the passing of Proposition 2 in California.

Check out a slide show of this year's success stories:




The momentum we’ve built together in 2008 can’t be stopped now:

  • We pushed for and won the largest ballot measure ever with the passing of Proposition 2 in California! Co-sponsored by Farm Sanctuary, this measure banned the cruelest forms
  • of confinement, affecting 20 million farm animals
  • The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision against the New Jersey Dept. of Agriculture’s assertion that routine husbandry practices, like castration without anesthesia, are “humane” simply because they are common
  • Farm Sanctuary took in more than 476 animals, many through emergency rescues, cruelty cases and natural disaster relief efforts - including 69 pigs saved from the rising floodwaters of the Mississippi River and safely transported to our New York Shelter. We provided care for more than 1,200 rescued animals at our shelters
  • We monitored and worked on legislation in 26 states this year, culminating in new laws passed that will give farm animals greater protection - including downed animal protection in California and anti-confinement law in Colorado!
  • We increased the number of eateries and markets that have pledged to say NO! to foie gras and the inhumane force-feeding of ducks and geese to over 1,000
And, 2009 promises to be an even bigger year. Farm Sanctuary has an ambitious agenda: to push more states to outlaw inhumane treatment of farm animals, to pursue legal action to stop cruelty in its tracks, and to have our farm animal rescue team ready when disaster strikes.


Donate to Farm Sanctuary

kicking a cold in time for the holidays

This past weekend I was waylaid by some kind of illness. Sore throat, achy body, post-nasal drip. Gross. It hit me Friday night. I was reluctant to do it, but I popped a couple of NyQuil and tucked myself in for some restless slumber. In the morning my bf made a run for some Tylenol, herbal teas, and the makings of a grilled cheese sandwich.

He brought back two magical teas that I hadn't tried before. I requested Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat, but he picked up Yogi Tea's Throat Comfort and it worked like a charm. The slightly cherry flavored herbal concoction gets its power from wild cherry bark, slippery elm bark, and mullein, plus lots of delicious herbs and spices. The other soothing tea was Yogi's Breathe Deep. It smells more like a Christmas tree and tastes like I'd imagine one to taste, in a good way. I think it's the eucalyptus. This tea also had mullein in it. I had to know more about this medicinal herb, so I did a little search.

Turns out that mullein is a very useful plant. According to Wildman Steve Brill:

Mullein tea provides vitamins B-2, B-5, B-12, and D, choline, hesperidin, PABA, sulfur, magnesium, mucilage, saponins, and other active substances.

People use the tea as a beverage, but it’s best known as one of the safest, most effective herbal cough remedies. Mullein is an expectorant, and a tonic for the lungs, mucus membranes, and glands. An infusion is good for colds, emphysema, asthma, hay fever, and whooping cough. Strain the infusion through a cloth, or the hairs may get stuck in your throat and make you cough even more. Laboratory tests have shown that it’s anti-inflammatory, with antibiotic activity, and that it inhibits the tuberculosis bacillus. The Indians smoked dried mullein and coltsfoot cigarettes for asthma and bronchitis, and indications are that it’s effective: I’ve observed it working for bronchitis.

The tea is also an astringent and demulcent. It’s good for diarrhea, and it’s been used in compresses for hemorrhoids since it was recommended by Dioscorides centuries ago. It’s also supposed to help other herbs get absorbed through the skin. Pliny of ancient Rome, Gerard in sixteenth century England, the Delaware Indians, and country folk in the South used the heated leaves in poultices for arthritis.

A tincture of the flowers is used for migraine headaches. An oil extract of the flowers, which contains a bactericide, is used for ear infections, although you should consult with a competent practitioner first, to avoid the possibility of permanent hearing loss if the herb doesn’t work.

[Image: Magnus Manske via Wikipedia]

Mullein came over to this continent with settling Europeans. It's considered an invasive alien by the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group (National Parks Service). They suggest eradicating it through various means, but I wonder why they can't harvest it and sell it to herbalists?

Here are a few other tools in my cold-fighting arsenal:

Naturade Herbal Expectorant (with Guaifenesin)

Emergen-C (Super Orange flavor)

Himalayan Institute Original Neti Pot (Ceramic)

Ricola (Honey Lemon with Echinacea)


21 December 2008

THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!

THE WINNER IS... Andee! Congratulations!

Tell me why climate change matters and you'll be entered to win 2 tickets to the new Polar Ice Rink at the American Museum of Natural History!

Why does climate change matter to you?
Are you worried about the future of arctic wildlife, like polar bears? Afraid of major floods, storms, and other climate-related catastrophes? Freaked out by early spring blooms and oddly warm winter days? Add a comment to this post (see details below) and you'll be entered to win a spin around the rink for you and a friend.

A visit to the Polar Ice Rink is a festive holiday treat, even if you aren't the lucky winner...

The Polar Rink

Come enjoy the American Museum of Natural History's new state-of-the-art skating rink made from a recyclable synthetic surface, now open through March 1, 2009. Located on the Arthur Ross Terrace on the Museum's north side, The Polar Rink offers magnificent views of the glowing Rose Center for Earth and Space and is surrounded by Theodore Roosevelt Park. Skaters will glide around a 17-foot-tall polar bear festooned with pine boughs and twinkling lights.

Non-skaters will enjoy the splendor of The Polar Rink from surrounding benches on the Terrace under trees adorned with lights, or from the glassed-in North Galleria adjacent to the rink, where hot cocoa and snacks are served.


The ol' rules and regs
1. Entry deadline: Friday, December 19, 2008. Midnight.
2. Entrants will be chosen at random this Saturday, December 20, 2008.
3. The winner will be announced right here on this post on Saturday, December 20, 2008.
4. One entry per person.
5. To enter: Post your response to the question, "Why does climate change matter to you?" to this post and email your name, email, and response to this email.
6. Prize collection details to follow.

19 December 2008

growing and greening ny

Learn all about PlaNYC2030, the city's plan to improve the environmental conditions of NYC while adapting to its growing population at this new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Details below.

Growing and Greening New York
December 11 through April 12
Museum of the City of New York
1220 5th Ave (@103rd St)

Today 8 million New Yorkers daily get up, go out, and live their lives. By the year 2030, there will be a million more people living in New York City. And the city will have undergone a great transformation, becoming cleaner, greener, more responsible, and more robust--if the projections of PlaNYC2030 are correct, and if we take action on them now...

...Growing and Greening New York and PlaNYC will pose vital questions: How must New Yorkers change to make a sustainable future possible? How will the daily lives of all New Yorkers, and those who visit New York, be affected by sustainability initiatives at home, in the workplace, and in many of our public and recreational spaces? What might a more sustainable city actually look like?

Special event tomorrow:
Saturday, December 20, 2:00 PM
Gallery Tour of Growing and Greening New York
FREE (with suggested $9 admission price)
Get tickets

more last minute gift ideas

Still have a few people on your list and not sure what to get them? You'll find unique, locally made pottery at Earthworks on the Upper East Side. There are terrific potters there who make quality, very reasonably priced pottery.



Earthworks
1705 First Ave (btwn 88th and 89th Sts)
212.876.6945

Sale hours:
Now 'til Wed. Dec 24
Weekdays, 3 to 7 pm
Weekends, 1 to 5 pm


Related posts


17 December 2008

another great holiday gift idea

And this one is absolutely free. Give the gift of carbon neutrality! In fact, it's so easy I'm giving it to you right now.

Click below to claim your gift of from Brighter Planet's One Day of Carbon Neutrality:



Don't forget to pass it on to your family and friends!

last minute local shopping

This weekend at the Brooklyn Lyceum (227 4th Ave), get all of your last minute shopping done at their 1st (and hopefully not last) Artisans' Craft Market. Over 65 vendors will be peddling their goods. Plus, there'll be refreshments and tunes to keep you in the holiday spirit. Here are the deets:



DATES: SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 AND 21, 2008

TIMES: 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM

LOCATION: BROOKLYN LYCEUM + CAFE
227 4th Avenue, between Union and President Streets, Park Slope
Click here for a street map, showing subway station too.

TRAIN: R train at Union St, in Park Slope. We are right atop the station.
15 minutes from Lower Manhattan! So easy. Click here for a subway map

SPECIAL SHOPPING PROMOTION: Shoppers, spend $100 or more at the market, and receive 2 comp tickets to one of a choice of future Lyceum events. Grab a coupon when you enter the market.


More info here!

16 December 2008

save endangered species



You can help stop Bush's last minute attempts to destroy habitat critical to the survival of endangered species.

Donate to the Center for Biological Diversity to help them meet their goal for a grant that will aid them in their efforts to protect animals from extinction.


Read on...

new roads = new pollution


This just in from Friends of the Earth...


President-elect Obama and Congress are working to pass a green-jobs economic stimulus package—but it is in danger of being hijacked by the road-building lobby, which wants billions of dollars for unnecessary new roads that would increase global warming pollution.

Transportation is responsible for 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 70 percent of our oil consumption. By investing in clean transportation solutions including public transportation and smart growth, the stimulus package can create green jobs and reduce our dependence on oil.

Sign the petition to block this new road scheme.

See also
A similar letter from Green for All

sustainable stocking stuffers at let's go green



Get everyone on your list some really useful stocking stuffers -- low-flow shower heads, anyone?
Let's Go Green has all the eco efficient goods.

15 December 2008

for the bees

Q. What do cows, goats, and bees have in common?

A. None of them can be legally kept in NYC.

But you can help change that -- for the bees at least. How? By signing the petition to make beekeeping legal in NYC at the Just Food website. According to Just Food,

Honeybees are garden heroes! Honeybees help gardens grow more fruit and vegetables and produce sweet honey. They are nature’s best pollinators and contribute to productive harvests in community gardens, public parks and nature centers.
So make beekeeping legit and sign today!

save now at nau

Today's the last day to save big time at nau (one of my favorite eco clothing designers). Get 30% off purchases with offer code 'GIVE' and get free shipping on all purchases over $150 -- it's an incentive to get you to ship via ground, a less carbon intensive method versus air. Plus, via their Partners for Change program, they're increasing their donation amount from 2% to 10% on all purchases made today.

Here are the details:

We'd hate to have you miss out, so we're just going to say it one more time:
Order before midnight tonight and you'll save 30% on all our Men's and Women's styles. Just enter promotion code "GIVE" at checkout, and you can save 30% on everything we make.

Take advantage of these savings and you won't just be doing a good thing for yourself: Remember, for the rest of the day, we're donating 10% of every sale - up from our usual 2% - to the Partner For Change of your choice so it's a great opportunity to get a great deal and do a lot of good in the process.

And with free ground shipping on all orders over $150, ordering by December 15th will get that gift there on time with the least impact on the environment. Air shipping isn't only more expensive; it generally uses six times more energy than sending it by ground.

Share the "GIVE" code with your friends! Act now, and you'll enable them to take advantage of significant savings and help generate much needed donations for change.

14 December 2008

make fun: holiday gifts diy



Are you the crafty sort who likes to make gifts instead of buy them? Well here's your chance to put that personal touch into your holiday presents. It's Make Fun, the holiday gift making party. Check it out!


MAKE FUN

This holiday season, don't buy anything. Make everything. Give your loved ones something brilliant and beautiful that you made yourself, from the Make Fun studio.


Make Fun is a creative workshop for anyone who wants to sew, glue, experiment and build with fabric. We provide sewing machines, thread, fabric, scissors, glue and a variety of material to help you make any gift imaginable for anyone and everyone on your list. Please bring food, drink, any specific gifts or materials you wish to use or decorate, half-finished projects, and inspiration.

House of Yes
342 Maujer Street, at Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn
L train Grand Street station
7-11p; $10 covers supplies
kaeburke@gmail.com



[via Nonsense NYC and Brooklyn Based]