The Vanishing of the Bees

"They're just that messenger that's saying 'Where is your food coming from?'"

What does life without bees mean? No bee pollination, no fruits, no vegetables. If the bees go away, get ready for rice, corn, and wheat.

Enter Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Last year, billions of bees died, and most of them just disappeared. Bees are dying faster than they can be replaced.

The cause? Unknown. But all fingers point to modern agriculture. Honey bees are severely stressed as they are shipped around the country, denied their natural habitat, and confronting genetically modified food and pesticides.

Dead bee bodies reveal pathogens and disease.

To learn more, check out the trailer of The Vanishing of the Bees

the politics of cafeteria lunches

Take the 6 1/2 minutes to watch this.


There's more. The USDA's nutrition standards were developed before food science realized the dangers involved in saturated and trans fat, salt, and calories. Created in the 1970s, these standards are so behind that candy bars, french fries, sugary drinks, and snack cakes are not considered junk food.

Congress is currently considering legislation that can improve foods in school. Let your representatives know that the USDA should update its nutrition standard and bring schools up to speed. Take action here

what's lurking in school cafeterias

I really enjoyed playing with this interactive school cafeteria from Food Inc.

Pesticides, irradiation, artificial growth hormones...it's all very delicious. Keep browsing for ways to get involved.

check out the most amazing (and vegan) smore on earth

I pretty much reached a state of ecstasy when I sunk my chompers into a Sweet & Sara vegan smore. I had already gone nutso over the coconut covered marshmallows--but the smore just took it to a whole new level.

You can peruse other Sweet & Sarah scrum-diddly-umptious vegan delights and order them online here. (You can also buy oddly shaped ones that can't be sent to stores for a discounted price)

Or go to Whole Foods

It does pain me that these little slices of heaven are individually wrapped in plastic...but you can't win them all.

MY BODY IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, part II

In a recent post, MY BODY IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, I described the way in which a man violated my boundaries through criticizing (and attempting to police) my body based on its physical appearance.

(Note: I normally avoid making descriptions of people sex/gender-specific, but since I believe that the sex/gender relationship of the violator in question contributed to his feelings of male privilege and subsequently granted him perceived permission to violate my boundaries, I do find "maleness" to be relevant in this post.)

However, due to recent events, I find it appropriate to continue this discussion. In the past week, I have been very alarmed to be the recipient of two unwarranted and aggressive verbal attacks, resulting in a concern for my own physical well-being. So now I must push the point: it is not just the physical appearance of my body that is none of your business, it is my body in the overall sense of my being.

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime (as compared to 1 in 33 men. I do not have statistics regarding non-sexual assault). I have had the fortune of never being scared for my physical safety.

Last week, a man forcefully followed me to my cab and pushed his head through the open window and violently yelled "You stank white bitch" after I politely dismissed myself from an invitation to call him so that he could have my number. I was shaken not only by his unabashed anger, but by the fact that he followed me and violated my personal space and sense of safety by putting a part of his body through the car.

Fast forward to earlier this evening. I had parked my car on a busy street (Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks), and was on a phone call while putting coins in the meter. I was then approached by a man whole loudly and rudely demanded to know with whom I was speaking (I'm not even embellishing. Perhaps this person was not all there). In response, I gave him the one-moment hand gesture and continued on what was an important phone call. This only fueled his anger; he proceeded to walk closer to me, become louder and more angry, and demanded to know what was wrong with me, why I had an attitude, and what was with my scowl. I was scared he was going to touch me or hit me in some way.

At this moment I ended my phone conversation, and though for a quick instant I wondered if I would be provoking more aggression, I walked up to this person and asked in an equally elevated tone sprinkled with hostility (I had previously been reserved and calm), "Sir, what is the problem? I am on an important phone call."

Although he was still vehemently yelling at me, he did so while walking away.

One of the issues at hand is the false sense of security people--particularly women--are prone to feel during the daylight and in busy areas. But let me tell you, nothing was scarier than the fact that on an empty sidewalk with cars driving by quickly, there was nothing in between a hostile man coming closer, and my own body.

I do not deny that women can be aggressive and violent. I only claim that aggression and violence in men are more systemic and institutionally reinforced. This dynamic, coupled with gendered relations of power, can create feelings of male entitlement and dominance that, in their unchecked forms, create the delusion of authority over women. Yes, yes...men may enter vicious territorial brawls and harm other men to prove a phallic point...but the interaction contains a completely different sexual politic when the other party is socialized to be more passive. Quite frankly, I think women have a problem articulating boundaries and are unable to realize when they are violated on a less severe scale (i.e. "flirting" that is actually sexual harassment).

Okay, I'm starting to ramble. The point is, as a woman, it seems like my being is automatically subjected to some heightened degree of commentary, observation, or interrogation. Let me introduce a small concept called "boundaries."

It doesn't matter if I never want to call you, or if I don't find it appropriate to report with whom I am speaking.

My body and my self are mine, not yours. I am none of your business. Do not violate me, my body, or my personal space.

JAMBA FOR A CAUSE

Want a cold smoothie on a hot summer day? Need a quick wrap or salad? Haven't yet purchased a reusable aluminum water bottle?

I'm hosting an in-store fundraiser at Jamba Juice (Hayvenhurst & Venture location only) this Saturday, August 1st. 20% of your pre-tax sale will be donated to the Eating Disorders Coalition, the only advocacy organization seeking to advance eating disorders as a federal health priority.

You need this flyer for your purchase to count toward my fundraising goal so:

1) I can drop one off at your house
2) I can email you a copy to print
3) You can meet me at Jamba on Saturday! I'll be there at 1, and will be hanging around for the rest of the day (hit me up: 818-516-9532)

Let me know how many flyers you want to give to your friends

If you can't make it, you can also donate directly to my fundraising goal: http://www.yourcause.com/vanessashakib

Want some more info?

Earlier this year, I joined the Junior Board of the Eating Disorders Coalition, the only advocacy organization seeking to advance eating disorders as a federal health priority. An estimated 9 million Americans suffer from bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder. I feel extremely fortunate for my recovery, and would like millions of other people to have this opportunity as well.

Studies have shown that more than 50% of factors that make one vulnerable to eating disorders are hereditary, yet research remains drastically underfunded-- leaving genetic predispositions to eating disorders largely unexplored. In the words of one doctor at a recent EDC congressional briefing, “put someone with an eating disorder on a desert island alone, that person will still have an eating disorder.” Regardless, the stigma surrounding this issue has kept the problem in the closet--hiding the fact that eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness.

This year, the EDC has worked with Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) to introduce the "Federal Response to Eliminating Eating Disorders Act." With co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, FREED is a comprehensive bill that provides federal action for research, treatment, and education/prevention of eating disorders, and includes provisions to determine the prevalence, incidence and correlates of eating disorders, as well as more accurate mortality rates.

While eating disorders may be expensive to treat, the economic burden is even greater when these illnesses go under-treated or ignored. The lack of access to modern, science-based treatment means that thousands of families are spending thousands—and sometimes hundreds of thousands—of dollars on care models that simply do not work. The research portion of the FREED Act includes an economic analysis to determine years of productive life lost, missed days of work, reduced work productivity, costs of medical/psychiatric treatment, prescription medications, hospitalizations, other concurring behavioral disorders, and additional burdens to society and family.

This issue is very close to my heart, and if you would like to get involved, here are some ways you can help:

--Make a tax-deductible donation to my fundraising goal (http://www.yourcause.com/vanessashakib)
--Sign up for EDC updates and newsletters (http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/index.htm)
--Join us on our next lobby day (http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/upcoming-events.htm)
--You can also contact me if you would like to collaborate on fund raising events. For example, you can ask your yoga or ballet studio to hold a donation class.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Vanessa

California agriculture: dealing with drought

Now that the changing climate (regardless of why it's changing) means more frequent and serious droughts, California agriculture needs to cope.

The Pacific Institute recommends that California use water in smarter ways. Specifically, the use of drip irrigation or micro-irrigation (as opposed to the most commonly used flood irrigation) is the most efficient method to water crops and achieve "maximum crop yield from a unit of water."

How do we switch? Suggestions include:

devoting less land to rice, cotton, alfalfa and other field crops, which now get 80 percent of their water from flooding. They recommend giving more to vegetables, vineyards and orchards, crops for which micro-irrigation is more common.

Check out the full article from DOT EARTH

the ERA is back

Shout outs to Representative Carolyn Maloney for re-introducing the Equal Rights Amendment with fellow Republican Judy Biggert of Illinois. It's nice to see both sides of the aisle come together for the equal application of the Constitution to both men and women.

Not familiar with the history of the ERA? Check out my blog post The Equal Rights Amendment and the Three State Strategy.

sandwich packers unite

My newest step in waste reduction is declaring myself Zip Lock free. I understand that can be a hard goal, so I thought I would focus this blog post on the lunch factor.

That's right. All you lunch-packing sandwich-eaters, I'm talking to you. If you pack 100 sandwiches a year, that is 100 non-biodegradable plastic baggies somewhere around the earth (not to mention, those baggies are not free...).

My solution? Let's go eco- and recession-friendly on lunch. You can make a one-time purchase of a reusable sandwich container for just a couple of bucks. Just check out your local grocery store. I'm sure Target has it as well.

Check out the one I just bought from Hello Kitty for $4.99

elephant neglect: a fiscal issue

As if putting a magnificent animal in solitary confinement at the Los Angeles Zoo isn't heartbreaking enough, the tab LA residents pick up for torture is additionally nauseating.

The LA Zoo is dumping $42 million tax dollars a year on an elephant exhibit that is far below standard (meanwhile, millions of dollars are taken away from state parks, with an estimated 50 parks threatened to the point of closure). It also costs an additional $1.1 million yearly to care for 10 elephants.

Free Billy! reports that "At least 13 elephants have died at LA Zoo since 1975. More than half did not live to age 20. Elephants have a natural lifespan of 60-70 years."

Billy is a 23-year-old Asian elephant that is suffering so severely from his confinement that he exhibits the neurotic behaviors of head bobbing and swaying--actions that are not seen in elephants in their natural habitat. You can watch a clip of this below.

Mayor Villaraigosa has expressed his belief that zoos are too small for elephants: "I've said for a long time that I think we need to take the elephants out of our zoos. I believe that."

Tell Mayor Villaraigosa to stand by his word. Remind him that elephants do not belong in zoos and to send Billy to a sanctuary now.

Call (213) 978-0600

the 350 Teach-In and INTERNATIONAL Day of Action

I've been involved in the environmental movement for 2 years, and I have to say that our actions just keep getting better and better and cooler and cooler.

The latest from 350 is a national teach-in held throughout thousands of campuses across the country. And you, yes you, can sign up to present in your campus community! After the speakers give it a go, there will be an hour for discussion.

Click here to sign up at your local teach-in

But it gets better. The teach-ins will be taking place on the 350 International Day of Action. It all goes down October 24th, before world leaders get together in Copenhagen to discuss the climate.

To get ideas and register an action, click here. I'm sure a list of registered actions will pop up in weeks to come.

So exciting!

rescue elephants from circus abuse

Undercover PETA footage reveals Ringling's abuse of circus elephants--and also reminds us that living creatures are not petty items in existence for our pleasure.

The most painful part of watching the video is that these elephants were not "acting out" or being rowdy. They were calmly standing, yet trainers still felt the need to hit them, even on their sensitive ears. One elephants even sways back and forth out of madness.

You can view the video and sign the PETA petition here. (Note: I have a lot of issues with PETA, but will get on board for an honorable goal of sending these elephants to a sanctuary)

You can also sign an online Facebook petition and invite your friends!