...Here's a continuation of our useful urban survival articles.
Put 'article' in the subject line...many thanks to previous contributors!
Freedom Worldwide is Eroding
#1 The days of the free and open Internet are slowly coming to an end. Many nations around the world have implemented strict Internet censorship and many other nations are moving in that direction. With each passing year the level of freedom on the Internet diminishes.
Regulation of the Internet has even become a primary topic of discussion at G-8 meetings. According to The New York Times, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading the charge for a more "civilized Internet".... Leaders of the Group of 8 industrialized countries are set to issue a provocative call for stronger Internet regulation, a cause championed by the host of the meeting, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, but fiercely opposed by some Internet companies and free-speech groups.
Why are free speech groups strongly opposing what Sarkozy is trying to do?
It is because western governments want to kill liberty and freedom on the Internet just like China is doing. The Internet has been a great tool for waking people up and distributing information, and the control freaks that want to run all of our lives do not like that one bit.
#2 Internet censorship in China, the largest nation on earth, is absolutely brutal. The Chinese government blocks any websites that talk about such topics as the Dalai Lama, the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters and Falun Gong. Even web searches for the English word "freedom" are blocked.
#3 Starting next year, all new cellphones will be required to contain a chip that will allow the president to broadcast "emergency alerts" to the cellphones whenever the president wants. Cellphone users will not be allowed to opt out of the presidential messages.
The following is how a CBS news report describes the new system.... A new national alert system is set to begin in New York City that will alert the public to emergencies via cell phones.
It’s called the Personal Localized Alert Network or PLAN. Presidential and local emergency messages as well as Amber Alerts would appear on cell phones equipped with special chips and software.
#4 The U.K. has more surveillance cameras per citizen than anywhere else in the world. In fact, according to one estimate, there are 4.8 million video cameras constantly watching every move citizens make.
#5 A "certified TSA official" was brought in to oversee student searches at the Santa Fe High School prom last weekend. Will this kind of thing soon be happening at every high school in America?
#6 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending huge amounts of money to install surveillance cameras in the cafeterias of public schools so that government control freaks can closely monitor what our children are eating.
The following is how a recent article posted on Infowars.com describes this new program.... Billed as part of an effort to reduce obesity and improve eating habits, small cameras are programmed to take snapshots of lunch trays before and after each student eats. Each child is uniquely identifiable via a barcode attached to the tray. The amount of calories and nutrients that each child has consumed is then calculated via a database containing 7,500 different varieties of food.
#7 The EU is spending hundreds of millions of euros on propaganda campaigns in an attempt to convince the citizens of Europe that the EU is good for them.
#8 Today, FBI surveillance teams regularly employ warrantless GPS tracking to monitor the movements of peaceful activists - even if they are not suspected of ever committing a crime. The Obama administration is fighting in court to keep this practice legal.
#9 According to FBI Director Robert Mueller, "homegrown terrorists" represent as big a threat to American national security as al-Qaeda does.
#10 Federal VIPR teams are establishing a series of "internal checkpoints" all across the United States. The following is how a recent article by Paul Joseph Watson described these VIPR team activities....
The TSA has announced its intention to expand the VIPR program to include roadside inspections of commercial vehicles, setting up a network of internal checkpoints and rolling out security procedures already active in airports, bus terminals and subway stations to roads and highways across the United States.
By the way, who in the world decided that it would be a good idea to call them "VIPR teams"?
What is next? Are we going to find out that the TSA has hired Cobra Commander and Destro as consultants?
#11 Thousands of "dysfunctional" families in the U.K. are being subjected to intensive 24-hour surveillance to make sure that their children attend school, go to bed on time and eat proper meals.
#12 U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer says that Amtrak should have a "no ride list" similar to the "no fly list" used at U.S. airports. Before you can get on an airplane today, your name is checked to make sure that it is not on any international watch lists.
So what do you have to do to get on an international watch list?
Nobody really knows.
What is next?
A "no breathe list"?
#13 U.K. authorities are now admitting that every phone call, text message, email and website visit made by private citizens will be stored for one year and will be available for monitoring by government agencies.
#14 The amount of cell phone surveillance that goes on is absolutely staggering. For example, one German politician named Malte Spitz recently went to court to force Deutsche Telekom to reveal how often his cell phone was being tracked. What he found out was absolutely amazing. It turns out that in just one 6 month period, Deutsche Telekom recorded the longitude and latitude coordinates of his cell phone 35,000 times.
#15 DARPA has now developed new video surveillance technology that many are warning will bring about the end of public anonymity. The following is how the ExtremeTech blog is describing this new technology.... To be in public is to be on camera, but most video footage is discarded, as only so much can be sorted and analyzed -- until now. DARPA has created a technology that can index and analyze video in real-time, marking the end of anonymity in public places.
#16 In the U.K., it is now illegal to photograph the police for any reason whatsoever.
#17 Police in the U.K. have purchased software that will enable them to easily follow the "digital footprints" of virtually anyone. The following is how one recent news report in the U.K. described this new software.... The Metropolitan Police has bought Geotime, a security programme used by the U.S. military which tracks suspects' movements and communications and displays them on a three-dimensional graphic.
The software aggregates information gathered from social networking sites, GPS devices like the iPhone, mobile phones, financial transactions and IP network logs to build a detailed picture of an individual's movements.
#18 In Tacoma, Washington a seventh grade student was recently questioned by the Secret Service about a message that he posted on his Facebook page.
Be very careful about what you put up on Facebook or Twitter. The entire world can see it.
#19 According to the ACLU, state police in Michigan are using "extraction devices" to download data from the cellphones of motorists that they pull over. This is taking place even if those pulled over are not accused of doing anything wrong. The following is how an article on CNET News describes the capabilities of these "extraction devices".... The devices, sold by a company called Cellebrite, can download text messages, photos, video, and even GPS data from most brands of cell phones. The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information.
#20 Last year, one shocking poll found that 51 percent of Americans agree with this statement: "It is necessary to give up some civil liberties in order to make the country safe from terrorism."
#21 The MPAA and RIAA have submitted their master plan for enforcing copyright rights to the new Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement and it includes installing spyware on everyone's computers that would detect and delete any infringing materials.
#22 The U.K.'s new Internet law includes a "three strikes" rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the Internet if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement - without proof or evidence or trial.
#23 Would you like to have your face scanned and your ID recorded every time you attend a public event? Don't laugh. The San Francisco Entertainment Commission is actually proposing a new rule which "would require all venues with an occupancy of over 100 people to record the faces of all patrons and employees and scan their ID’s for storage in a database which they must hand over to law enforcement on request."
#24 Today, the U.S. government and governments all over the industrialized world have become so obsessed with reducing carbon emissions that now they even tell us what kinds of light bulbs we are allowed to buy.
#25 The Obama administration is developing a universal "Internet ID" program that would watch, track, monitor and potentially control your activity on the Internet. These "trusted identities" are being touted as a way to increase safety and security on the Internet and as a way to eliminate the need for dozens of different usernames and passwords.
#26 As I have written about previously, the "Internet kill switch" is rapidly becoming one of the favorite new tools of tyrannical governments all over the globe.... Once upon a time, the Internet was a bastion of liberty and freedom, but now nation after nation is cracking down on it. In fact, legislation has been introduced once again in Congress that would give the president of the United States an "Internet kill switch" that he would be able to use in the event of war or emergency. Of course there would be a whole lot of wiggle room in determining what actually constitutes a true "emergency". The members of Congress that are pushing this "Internet kill switch" bill want the U.S. to become more like China in this regard.
#27 A shocking document released by Wikileaks proves that high level U.S. government officials have been pushing for North American integration. According to the document, some of the goals of this integration would be to turn North America into an economic zone similar to the EU, to have one common currency for the entire continent and to have one common "security perimeter" for the entire continent. Let us hope that a plan like this never comes to pass.
#28 One of the most liberty-killing pieces of legislation in recent years was the Patriot Act. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Republicans and the vast majority of Democrats will never vote against the renewal of the Patriot Act because they don't want to look "soft" on terrorism.
About the only U.S. Senator to stand up against the Patriot Act is Rand Paul. He is doing all he can to fight a one man battle against the Patriot Act but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is doing his best to extend the Patriot Act without any debate taking place.
Top Democrats are attempting to claim that even debating the renewal of Patriot Act provisions would "endanger" national security.
Of course most Republicans are not going to stand in the way because they absolutely love the Patriot Act.
If you still believe that the Patriot Act is a good idea, you should watch this video, and you should read this recent article.
#29 If you display the wrong political message on your car, you may find law enforcement officials cracking down on you.
A 73-year-old Virginia resident was recently kicked out of a national park for displaying a sticker promoting "Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty" on his car.
The following is an excerpt from a recent Rutherford Institute report about this incident.... The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a 73-year-old Virginia resident who was allegedly ordered by a park ranger to remove his car from a national military park in South Carolina because of political messages attached to his vehicle. Jack Faw, whose ancestors fought in the historic battle memorialized at Kings Mountain National Military Park, contacted The Rutherford Institute after being told by a park ranger that the decal promoting a political organization associated with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), which was displayed on the back window of Faw's car, was not allowed in the park.
#30 Brutal crowd control techniques are not just for major events anymore. Recently, riot police in Illinois used tear gas, LRAD sound weapons and crowd suppression tactics against a bunch of college students that were just blowing off some steam at a year-end block party at Western Illinois University. #31 The U.S. government is gathering more information on all of us than ever before. According to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, every six hours the volume of information that the NSA gathers is equivalent to the entire Library of Congress.
Nobody is anonymous anymore. The truth is that the U.S. government, governments across the globe and major international corporations have more information about you than you probably ever dared to imagine.
The entire globe is moving in the direction of totalitarianism. Our world is literally becoming a prison grid. Of course those in power say that we need more regulation and more control "for the good of humanity", but that has never worked out too well in the past, now has it?
http://endoftheamericandream.com/
Beating the Cartels-why we urge you to support local farmers and businesses!
Most American consumers today only have the illusion of choice thanks to consolidation efforts of multi-national conglomerates and virtually no government oversight.
Readers already know that I frequently rail against the Washington-Wall Street Cartel as they have virtually eliminated competition and small business in this country. Over the years our government leaders have virtually eliminated usury laws, monopolies on media ownership and anti-trust laws.
Before Ronald Reagan was in office, the government was targeting A&P grocery stores with its anti-trust laws. Now, Wal-Mart dwarfs A&P several times over and no one in Congress says a thing about it. Nearly 80% of the household goods, toiletries and the like sold in this country, are from this mega-giant retailer.
The government, bought and paid for, has allowed a handful of multi-national firms to rule just about everything we view, buy and consume. As these multi-national monopolies gobbled up more companies, they became more powerful as to how many politicians they could buy off, quietly rigging the vote and circumventing any laws which might protect consumers.
You may recall the pet food scare of a few years ago where tainted foods, coming from China, poisoned or outright killed family pets. These foods, marketed under more than 150 brand names through Wal-Mart, Kroger and others were found to contain ALL essentially the same crap…even those so-called high priced or gourmet pet food brands costing two or three times as much.
Hate to tell you, but this essentially holds true for the beer you drink (even Budweiser is owned by a foreign firm and still tastes like carbonated dishwater), the cosmetics and toiletries you use, and even canned soup. These cartels hold virtual monopolies on just about everything we consume. Further, their only goal is more profit, even if it is at the expense of American jobs.
There is no such thing, any longer, as the free market system and Obama (he’s busy in Brazil promoting oil drilling; something he won’t here) and Congress haven’t seen fit to exercise our anti-trust laws on anyone…because they’re bought and for by the cartels. I’ll bet you a pizza, the FTC turns a blind eye to the coming cell phone merger that I reported on in the last issue!
Most Americans are now essentially sharecroppers. Entrepreneurship is discouraged with bankers and the SBA only willing to look at those interested in a franchised style business. Small business ownership is going the way of the dinosaur and the US is now the 2nd lowest of 22 rich nations in its percentage of workers that are self-employed. This wasn’t always the case, but small businesses have been squeezed out.
As a worker, you’re a numbered consumption machine. Multi-national firms have long wanted our government to initiate a national health care plan so they wouldn’t need to fund anything like that for employees. These employers were happy to stop offering pensions and convert employees to their own 401(k) plan as corporations do not need contribute or guarantee any portion of those retirement plans.
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Life on the plantation, just say ‘yes suh, massah!”
please don' hits me. massah. i goina be good from naw on…
The Middle Class -- Merely plantation slaves, sharecroppers on the Kings Land.
We can’t say it too often -- the U.S. middle class faces daunting challenges, and must change the way it works, thinks, and plans. Income has stagnated for decades (see this recent CNN piece, among many others), while educational and medical costs surge by the year. Job security is a distant memory.
But that’s old news. More jarringly, the very concept of “employment” is being redefined as we speak. Every worker -- not just temps and freelancers -- is becoming “contingent,” if not in name, in function. A company may call you an “employee,” but with diminishing benefits and nothing to count on, your job is like 12-step sobriety -- you have it one day at a time.
Multinational corporations have become incredibly skilled at avoiding taxes. It has become routine for big companies to shift profitable operations to divisions in other countries where tax rates are lower. It has also become routine for big companies to set up "sham headquarters" in tax havens around the world. Many U.S. corporations have even renounced their status as American companies in order to avoid paying taxes.
According to Forbes, the United States has lost an average of 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
We’ve become a nation of sharecroppers. Plantation slaves. We never truly ever own anything, our government does. Don’t pay your property tax and the states takes away your home. Fall behind on child support and the state will take away your licenses, home or other property or your freedom. Forget to renew any government issued permits in regard to your automobile, the state will impound your vehicle. Hunt a deer without a permit, the King will fine you. Don’t pay your annual tribute, face fines and/or imprisonment.
In the US you can longer do what you want on ‘your property’ without permission from the overseer! Whether Americans want to admit it or not, it's the single greatest fear in their lives: fear of the government. Americans who don’t obey are coerced at the end of a gun barrel. The US has the most armed agents in the world.
Who really controls our country…
Free markets do not set interest rates in this country - the Federal Reserve does.
In addition, the Federal Reserve has a tremendous amount of regulatory power over U.S. banks and the entire financial system. Most Americans simply do not realize how much power the Federal Reserve has over our banks. Just last year Federal Reserve officials walked into one bank in Oklahoma and demanded that they take down all the Bible verses and the Christmas buttons that the bank had been displaying.
Like the communist Chinese, the Federal Reserve is not elected and it is essentially accountable to no one.
Our politicians and our business leaders have pursued economic policies that are so self-destructive that it defies explanation. We have no free trade policies left in this country.
According to the Federal Reserve, more than two-thirds of Americans have seen their net worth decline during this economic downturn. In fact, the Fed says that between 2007 and 2009, the wealth of the average American family declined by 23%.
Perhaps it is time for Americans to read…
Animal Farm by George Orwell-worth re-reading…
How a revolutionary government could be worse than its monarchist predecessor, but it also could apply to many political organizations, labor unions, and the like. The key lesson is that the organization's bosses often manipulate the organization for their own benefit, and end up being as bad, if not worse, than the real or imaginary evils from which they are protecting their followers. The sheep will only bleat.
How the government spies on its citizens
Step out of line, the man come and take you away.-Buffalo Springfield
The Poor Man has written extensively on how our government monitors every financial move you make. From the New Hire Database, your medical files, your financial records, etc. The government has setup a large network of institutions which spy on you…the post office, the bank and more. The government maintains roughly 44 files on every adult in the US, effectively gutting the Bill of Rights.
Nothing is private anymore, as a vast spying system, known as Echelon, can intercept everything from your most confidential financial transactions to communications between senators and congressmen to cables between foreign officials.
Technologies and techniques honed for use on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan have migrated into the hands of law enforcement agencies in America writes the Washington Post in its continuing series, “Top Secret America.”
The Post reports:
“Nine years after the terrorist attacks of 2001, the United States is assembling a vast domestic intelligence apparatus to collect information about Americans, using the FBI, local police, state homeland security offices and military criminal investigators.
The US Department of Justice this week released slides from a presentation deck titled Obtaining and Using Evidence from Social Networking Sites. The document was released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
For over fifteen years, the CIA, with assistance from numerous government agencies, conducted a massive illegal domestic covert operation called Operation CHAOS. It was one of the largest and most pervasive domestic surveillance programs in the history of this country. Throughout the duration of CHAOS, the CIA spied on thousands of U.S. citizens. The CIA went to great lengths to conceal this operation from the public while every president from Eisenhower to Nixon exploited CHAOS for his own political ends."
One example is the Defense Department's Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA)
Consider this from William M. Arkin of the Washington Post: "CIFA already has these authorities, has its own agents, and collects information on common American citizens under the guise of "sabotage" and "force protection" threats to the military. Since 9/11, functions that were previously intended to protect U.S. forces overseas from terrorism and protect U.S. secrets from spies have been combined in one super-intelligence function that constitutes the greatest threat to U.S. civil liberties since the domestic spying days of the 1970's."
"On May 2, 2003, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz signed a memorandum directing the military to collect and report "non-validated threat information" relating to U.S. military forces, installations or missions. His memorandum followed from the establishment of the Domestic Threat Working Group after 9/11, the intent of which was to create a mechanism to share low-level domestic "threat information" between the military and intelligence agencies."
Then we have the "Total Information Awareness" program whereby "Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend — all these transactions and communications will go into what the Defense Department describes as "a virtual, centralized grand database."
Under PATRIOT, civil liberties, especially privacy rights, have taken a severe blow:
The law dramatically expands the ability of states and the Federal Government to conduct surveillance of American citizens. The Government can monitor an individual's web surfing records, use roving wiretaps to monitor phone calls made by individuals "proximate" to the primary person being tapped, access Internet Service Provider records, and monitor the private records of people involved in legitimate protests.
PATRIOT is not limited to terrorism. The Government can add samples to DNA databases for individuals convicted of "any crime of violence." Government spying on suspected computer trespassers (not just terrorist suspects) requires no court order. Wiretaps are now allowed for any suspected violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, offering possibilities for Government spying on any computer user.
Foreign and domestic intelligence agencies can more easily spy on Americans. Powers under the existing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) have been broadened to allow for increased surveillance opportunities. FISA standards are lower than the constitutional standard applied by the courts in regular investigations. PATRIOT partially repeals legislation enacted in the 1970s that prohibited pervasive surveillance of Americans.
PATRIOT eliminates Government accountability. While PATRIOT freely eliminates privacy rights for individual Americans, it creates more secrecy for Government activities, making it extremely difficult to know about actions the Government is taking.
PATRIOT authorizes the use of "sneak and peek" search warrants in connection with any federal crime, including misdemeanors. A "sneak and peek" warrant authorizes law enforcement officers to enter private premises without the occupant's permission or knowledge and without informing the occupant that such a search was conducted.
It’s terrifying to watch as so many traitorous politicians and government officials at all levels work so hard at gutting our freedoms...
Compiled from various resources. Get 21 Strategies for Protecting Your Privacy at:
http://cid-d757a63a02992903.office.live.com/self.aspx/Office%20Live%20Documents/21%5E_Cutting%5E_Edge%5E_Strategies.pdf
Watch this related video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s8AaOsULKA
Find Your Dream Homestead
From Mother Earth News magazine, by Dave Wortman
Looking for that perfect place where the sky is vast, the soil is fertile and your neighbors offer genuine small-town friendliness? Good housing deals are available in many areas of the country. To attract residents, some Midwestern towns have turned to drastic measures — such as land giveaways. But even if you can’t find a free land deal, there are many ways to find an affordable homestead.
For some, a dream homestead means secluded rural acreage. But for others, an ideal homestead may be in a small town, where you might find less expensive housing and a lot large enough for a garden, some fruit trees and a few chickens — plus the benefits of nearby community amenities. There are some locations where you can still find your dream homestead without breaking the bank. And with the fallout from the recent mortgage crisis, land prices — at least in some areas — are tumbling, offering an even better reason to jump into the game.
Between July 2005 and July 2006, the population of the nation’s rural areas as a whole grew by just 0.6 percent. In rural parts of the American Plains, many areas have seen a steady decline of population since the early 1900s — and most have been hemorrhaging population for years. To turn the tide, local governments are often eager to entice newcomers to boost their tax base for schools and other essential services.
If you’re simply looking for a low-cost home, many of the same areas of the country where land is affordable offer good housing deals, too. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that home values in the Midwest and Deep South are among the most affordable in the country.
GIVEAWAYS GALORE
To turn the tide of population decline, many Midwestern towns have turned to land giveaways — an option that is hard to pass up. Most of these towns have been flooded with thousands of requests. By November 2006, 74 of the 80 free lots in Marquette, Kan., had been given away. The programs have appealed to a broad cross section of people, from young couples with children to retirees who have come from as far as California and Louisiana.
If a free lot isn’t enough for you, consider that most of these towns also offer other incentives, such as property tax rebates over five to 10 years, building permit fee waivers, down payment assistance, complimentary memberships to local country clubs, and help finding jobs.
Even federal elected officials from Midwest states are hoping to lure newcomers with enticements of land. Several legislators have banded together to co-sponsor a $30 billion “New Homestead Act.” If enacted, it would provide special tax credits for homebuyers and small business startups in rural America (for the current status of the bill, go to thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.1093:).
LOOK BEYOND THE LISTINGS
Even if you can’t find a free land deal that suits your needs, there are many ways to find an affordable homestead.
The first tip is to make your intentions known to as many people as possible, says Gene GeRue, author of “How to Find Your Ideal Country Home.” “Land seekers should contact realtors, banks, lawyers, insurance brokers, appraisers, tax collectors and auctioneers for leads on stressed properties.” If you spot a piece of land you like, find the owner and ask if it’s for sale. They might be more willing to sell than you think.
Land given away by the U.S. government under the 1862 Homestead Act is long gone, but the federal government does occasionally sell public land. Homesteaders will be most interested in public land, most of which is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the 11 Western states. The downside is that the agency must sell the land at no less than fair market value. And most plots are located in areas short on water or with poor soils that have little agricultural potential.
Abandoned farms may provide another enticing and affordable option. Frequently, a small plot of poor soil can be improved with proper management so that it will serve nicely as a garden. If your goals are primarily agricultural, soil surveys are a handy tool to assess the fertility of soil (visit websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov).
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Before you start your search for land, first make a list of criteria to guide you in your decisions. Are you planning to farm the land, and if so, is the plot large enough, and is the soil fertile? Are there any signs of contamination, wetlands or flooding? A quick search of a property’s environmental history through Web sites such as Environmental Data Resources (www.edrnet.com) will help you avoid potentially contaminated well water, leaking underground tanks and other potential hazards.
Think about what you’d like from a community. Is the rural life right for you? How will you support yourself? While today’s small towns have better access than ever before to cable, cell phone and high-speed Internet service (making more room for work-at-home careers), rural life can be isolating at times. You might want to consider the commuting distance to larger communities, where jobs and amenities may be more available. Thorough research is the best guarantee of purchasing land that fits your needs.
Excerpted from Mother Earth News magazine, the original guide to living wisely. Read the full story at www.MotherEarthNews.com or call (800) 234-3368 to subscribe. Copyright 2008 by Ogden Publications Inc.
Live on Less!
By the MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors
These days, many people are getting inspired by the ideas of simple living, self-reliance and being able to live on less. Not only are more people looking for ways to go green, but in these uncertain economic times, it just makes sense to try to stretch every dollar as far as possible. At MOTHER EARTH NEWS, we believe that saving money, protecting the environment and living a satisfying life all go together. In that spirit, here are a few of our best ideas for how to save money on food.
Starting a garden, or expanding the garden you already have, is a good first step. It’s amazing how much you can grow in even a small gardening space. We recently featured a report from the Dervaes family, who measured the output of their one-tenth of an acre in Pasadena, Calif. When they did the math, they discovered they had raised more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in a single year!
Planting a kitchen garden is a great strategy for greener living because it’s an efficient use of resources. You simply can’t get more local than food from your own backyard. There are other benefits, too — homegrown produce can be picked at the peak of ripeness, for maximum flavor and nutrition. And then there are the money savings. We were amazed when garden writer Rosalind Creasy reported that her 10-by-10-foot garden produced more than $700 worth of organic food in one season!
If you already garden, you know some garden supplies can be pricey, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to grow your own food. One way to save is to forgo commercial fertilizers and use free, homegrown options such as grass clippings, shredded leaves or compost. It pays to start from seeds whenever possible instead of buying transplants, and you can stretch those dollars further by organizing a seed swap with other gardeners. You can even learn how to save your own seeds from plants you grow yourself. Tomatoes are one simple crop to start saving seeds from and beans are another.
You can raise your own meat, eggs and dairy products, too. Even in urban and suburban areas, local ordinances often allow you to keep a few backyard chickens. If you live in a rural area and have more land, you might also consider cattle, goats, sheep, pigs or ducks — whichever animals best fit your available space and resources. The value of the meat and dairy products you produce will usually add up to far more than you’re spending. Homesteader Gwen Roland tracked her expenses for raising a flock of meat chickens and calculated she was spending just $1 per pound for delicious, free-range meat.
Another way to save on your food bills is to change your cooking and grocery shopping habits. These simple steps can help you reduce your food bills:
* Cook at home, from scratch when possible. Make big batches and use leftovers.
* Take your own lunches and snacks to work or school.
* Eat produce that is in season and locally plentiful.
* Buy cooperatively, in bulk or directly from producers.
* At grocery stores, shop the sales and use coupons.
* Build your diet primarily around plants and whole grains, eating meat more sparingly and choosing less expensive cuts when you do.
It’s also a good idea to hone your cooking skills and learn more about brewing and home food preservation. Consider drying, freezing, canning and fermenting your garden harvest. Learn to cook some new foods from scratch to enjoy both terrific flavor and money savings. We’ve found that if you bake your own bread, you’ll only spend about 50 cents per loaf, and homemade cheeses cost about a third of what you’d pay in the grocery store. If you drink alcohol, you can save money by brewing your own wine, beer or cider, and the taste is fabulous, too. Yep, “housework” can pay off very nicely!
Excerpted from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, the Original Guide to Living Wisely. To read more articles from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, please visit www.MotherEarthNews.com or call (800) 234-3368 to subscribe. Copyright 2010 by Ogden Publications Inc.
A Greener Shade of Clean
From Natural Home magazine, by Kim Erickson
Nothing feels as comforting and welcoming as a tidy, well-tended home. But a clean home isn’t necessarily a healthy one. As you peruse the cleaning aisle’s furniture polishes, air fresheners, carpet deodorizers and stain removers, you may realize that a full product arsenal could contain literally hundreds of chemicals and include dozens of safety warnings — not to mention cost a small fortune. Fortunately, you can create nontoxic, inexpensive counterparts to nearly every conventional cleaning product with items found in your pantry.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that conventional cleaning products make a significant contribution to indoor air pollution. In one study conducted at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, researchers found that the chemicals in everyday household cleaners can trigger the onset or worsening of asthma. Children with asthma can experience respiratory symptoms in a newly cleaned home. At least one study also suggests a possible link between prenatal exposure to low doses of common cleaning chemicals and attention deficit disorder or even autism in children.
Exposure to these everyday products can also affect your heart. Results from the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study, which were recently presented at a scientific session of the American Heart Association, showed that people exposed to pollutants — including household cleaners and air fresheners — experienced a narrowing of blood vessels and an increase in blood pressure.
Even seemingly benign products can cause health problems. Glass cleaners often contain ammonia, an eye irritant that can cause headaches and lung irritation. Disinfectants often harbor phenol and cresol, two petroleum derivatives that can cause dizziness and fainting. The polishes that make our floors and furniture shine include nitrobenzene, a carcinogen and reproductive toxin that can also cause shortness of breath and nausea.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic chemicals released by common cleaning products that can remain suspended in the air for days after use. Able to cross the bloodbrain barrier and placenta, VOCs can depress the central nervous system; irritate the eyes, nose and throat; and reduce pulmonary function. Long-term exposure can contribute to a variety of cancers.
The good news is that you don’t need to rely on these toxic chemicals for a spotless house. You can power through most household dirt with inexpensive and effective homemade cleansers. Plus, you can customize your cleaners with bacteria-busting essential oils.
ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER AND DISINFECTANT
Just as effective as popular antibacterial cleansers, this formula is perfect for kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon washing soda (similar to, but more caustic than, baking soda)
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
Combine all ingredients in a reusable spray bottle and shake well. To use, spray on surfaces, especially cutting boards, countertops and toilets. Wipe with a dry cloth.
LEMONGRASS DUSTCLOTHS
Whether you’re using microfiber cloths or old cloth diapers, these do-it-yourself dusters offer the convenience of disposable furniture wipes without the guilt of contributing to the landfill. Make several dustcloths at a time.
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon lemongrass
essential oil
Dustcloths or rags
Freshly cut lemon peel
Combine water, vinegar and essential oil in large bowl. Soak dustcloths in the solution for 30 minutes. Squeeze out cloths, leaving them slightly damp. Lay cloths flat and place a couple pieces of lemon peel on each one. Fold each cloth in half or thirds and roll up. Place each cloth in a glass jar along with an extra piece of lemon peel. Cap tightly with a screw lid. To use, unfold cloth and discard peel. Dust as usual. Launder dustcloths when dirty and infuse again with essential oil and lemon peel.
CREAMY NONABRASIVE CLEANER
Perfect for acrylic and fiberglass surfaces, this smooth cleanser won’t scratch tubs, stovetops or laminate countertops.
1/4 cup borax
Vegetable oil-based liquid soap (also known as castile soap)
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
In a small bowl, combine borax with just enough liquid soap to create a thick paste. Add essential oil and blend well. To use, scoop a small amount of cleaner onto a damp sponge. Scrub surface and rinse well.
PRE-VACUUM CARPET FRESHENER
This fragrant odor eliminator will leave your home smelling fresh without posing a danger to pets or children.
1 cup dried lavender flowers
2 cups baking soda
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops rose geranium essential oil
Crush lavender flowers and mix with baking soda, breaking up any clumps. Add essential oils and blend well. To use, sprinkle on carpets. Wait 30 minutes, then vacuum as usual. Store leftovers in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Excerpted from Natural Home, a national magazine that provides practical ideas, inspiring examples and expert opinions about healthy, ecologically sound, beautiful homes. To read more articles from Natural Home, please visit www.NaturalHomeMagazine.com or call 800-340-5846 to subscribe. Copyright 2009 by Ogden Publications Inc.
You can also find useful green cleaning products at www.GreenIrene.Com/PoorMan