AlternativesMagazine

We've allowed big corporate agri factories, and others, dictate what we eat, drink and basically how we should live our lives. They've accomplished that end through massive 24/7 TV ad campaigns, spending billions junking up America. And it's worked. As a result we rank dead last in health care, we have the highest rate of cancer, heart disease, obesity and abuse more alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. Nearly 49 million Americans live in poverty and struggle to put food on the table, but yet we throw away 165 billion dollars worth of food every year! Consumers are Starting to Get It Inspite of the corporate and political propaganda machine protecting and promoting the antiquated toxic fossil fuel based economy -- consumers are starting to get it. They want to know what's in their food, their water, even the building materials going into their house. Going Green is now dominating businesses. Growth rates of "green" segments are outpa

The American food system is nearing a state of crisis. Ingredients is a documentary that is sweeping the US. It explores the failings of the industrial food model, and how the local food movement is gaining momentum as a far better alternative. The film presents a refreshing look at food from the standpoint of sustainability, safety, flavor, nutrition, culture, and community. By shifting to locally grown foods, you improve your health and lower your risk of illness, while benefitting the environment and your local economy As a culture, Americans have lost their primal connection to their food and to the earth. Consuming local foods helps reestablish this connection America’s addiction to cheap foods is taking a heavy toll on their health, as well as wasting resources and adversely impacting the planet “Cheap food” is actually quite expensive when you factor in hidden costs such as subsidies, health care, fossil fuel usage, and environmental cleanup. Read complete article .

When your doctor tells you your prescription is approved by the American Medical Association (AMA), it's intended to give you confidence. But what it really means is that the drug or procedure is endorsed and funded by the same corporations that endorse and fund Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and other products that are harmful to your health and is directly related to causing some forms of cancer.  In fact, the AMA is in part financed by Pfizer, which owns Monsanto, the company that manufactured controversial and proven-to-be-dangerous products such as the insecticide DDT, PCBs, Agent Orange, and recombinant bovine somatotropin (a.k.a. bovine growth hormone) and is now the largest manufacturer of genetically modified seeds and the herbicide glyphosate, which GMO's require.  This is only one of the insidious connections between the AMA and corporations that cause, and prosper from, your ill health. By Kimberly Carter Gamble with Erin Breech

The season is just about here and the event calendar is starting to take shape.  We're still waiting confirmation for many events, but here's a couple to get you started. If you're promoting a bike event, fitness related or supporting activity, list it the Chain of Events calendar. MAY 3 BIKE SATURDAYS Kick Off Ride Cleanup, Greenup Downtown Kalispell 10:00 - 2:00 pm See calendar for details and contact info MAY 17 BIKE SATURDAYS with the Flathead Valley Trust Bike and Bird in the lower valley 10 miles 9:00 am - 12:00 noon See calendar for details and contact info JUNE 24 Begin every Tuesday night concerts in the park Depot Park, Kalispell A BIKE SATURDAYS ride will proceed the concert Everyone welcome. Information booth See calendar for details and contact info

As we speak there are over 7000 oil spills happening world wide. Most going unchecked. Killing millions of birds and other animals. Never reported by mainstream media.   Your Support is Appreciated.Subscribe to the Alternatives Magazine weekly email newsletter. ONLY $15 per year! Safe subscribe through PayPal . 

  Just for fun, I asked 12 people  if they ever heard of the Alberta Tar Sands? One out of the 12 heard about it, but didn't know what or where it was. I then asked if they ever heard of Keystone Pipeline? Five heard about it, but again didn't know exactly where it was. Two of the five heard it would provide jobs and none knew what kind of sludge it would be transporting or where.  I continued with my probing questions and asked if they ever heard of Dancing With the Stars, the Kardashians? It's always amazing to me, how little we know about the stuff we should, and how much we know about the mindless and the useless. So much for my survey. Here's some more fun stuff to think about   The Athabasca River in Canada was one the cleanest rivers in the world, but due to the run off from Alberta's oil sands hardly anything lives in it now because of acidification. The growing levels of acid rain consequentially leading to an increase in water contami

If you’re a fan of organic food options, here’s cause to celebrate: the organic market is simply exploding! We recently reported that one assessment of the organic food market projected growth of 14 percent through 2018.  Now, another report, titled Organic Food & Beverages Market Analysis and Segment Forecasts to 2020, projects even more of a growth — a nearly 16 percent skyrocket of the organic food and beverages market by 2020 — meaning organic food sales will reach an estimated U.S. $211.44 billion by that time! Grand View Research, the originators of the new report, writes, “Growing adoption of organic food & beverages owing to associated health benefits and eco-friendly characteristics is expected to drive demand over the next six years.” The firm also asserts that “regulatory support for organic farming” is also projected to have a positive impact on the organic food market because both supply and product quality will see gains. The report posts that all areas of or

Thousands of environmentalists took to California’s state capitol recently to demand Governor Jerry Brown ban hydraulic fracturing, in what was called the largest anti-fracking mobilization the state has ever seen. Fracking is a method of extracting fossil fuels that is coveted for its ability to increase the flow of oil or gas from a well. This is done by injecting high-pressure water and chemicals miles deep into the ground into subsurface rock, effectively “fracturing” the rock and allowing more spaces for oil and gas to come through. The process relies heavily on groundwater by injecting a mixture of chemicals and water into rock formations to release oil and gas deposits. California’s recent drought emergency has prompted some lawmakers to push for a statewide moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, as a recent Ceres report found that 96 percent of California fracking wells are located in the areas experiencing drought and high water stress. The protest, called Don’t Frack Califor

A large, 60-foot electric bus has been running for almost two weeks in Sao Paulo, Brazil where it has transported over 135,000 passengers since hitting the road. The bus joined the city’s already diverse fleet, which includes buses running on biodiesel, ethanol, diesel and electric trolley buses. This is just the latest movement in an international effort to develop electric buses that are quiet, fuel-free, and reducing air and greenhouse gas pollution. The batteries and recharge system in the Sao Paulo bus were made by Japan-based Mitsubishi while the body and motor were built in Brazil. The bus, which can hold 124 passengers and travel 125 miles without recharging, is winning over local approval for its quietness and international approval for being environmentally friendly. The battery-powered buses do not require cables, as is the basis for the electric trolleybuses that use the city’s grid. “The bus is super-healthy for the planet and can do its job almost like diesel-fueled mo

By Jeff Spross SolarCity and Best Buy have announced a deal allowing customers to get low-cost and low-hassle solar power for their homes. It’s what’s called a third party leasing agreement. Rather than purchasing a solar array outright, they lease the system from the provider — SolarCity, in this case. It’s just that the system is installed on the roof of the homeowner. The benefit for the customer is they don’t have to worry about installation and maintenance — the provider handles that — and there are no big upfront costs. The customer just pays the provider a set amount each month for the electricity, and that cost is usually slightly lower than the going market rate. Meanwhile, as the provider, SolarCity gets a guaranteed revenue stream for whatever period of time the lease agreement covers. Partnering with Best Buy allows SolarCity to make use of the chain’s already-existing network of stores to reach as many customers as possible. Upfront costs, maintenance, permits, and in

By Andrew Breiner.  PHOTO CREDIT: Trans Tech/Motiv Power Systems The first-ever electric school bus, introduced in November, started picking up students in Central California’s Kings Canyon Unified school district this week. And three more should be operating soon, according to a press release from developers Trans Tech and Motiv Power Systems. The California Air Resources Board was a major factor in getting the first two electric buses on the road, contributing $400,000 to the pilot program in the form of cost-offsetting vouchers. Similar programs in Chicago and New York could contribute to the availability of electric buses there as well. A federal highway program supplied the funding for the third and fourth buses currently on their way. While the electric buses cost around twice as much as similar gas buses, Jim Castelaz, founder and CEO of Motiv Power Systems, said that was balanced by fuel and maintenance costs. It costs “1/8 as much to fuel and 1/3 as much to maintain,” he sa

By Emily Atkin There is an abandoned house in Alberta, Canada, where Alain Labrecque used to live. Tucked in the farming community of Peace River, it is a place brimming with personal history, rooted to his grandfather’s land where his parents and eight aunts and uncles grew up, and where Alain’s own children were born.  Now, Alain’s property and the surrounding area are primarily home to large, black cylinders of oil. As a family with a rich history of working for and benefiting from the oil industry, never in their wildest dreams did Karla and Alain think they would be the ones fighting this fight. “You’ve gotta understand, I’ve worked for oil sands, I was a contractor,” Alain said in an interview with ThinkProgress. “I’ve never been negative toward oil. Never thought this would happen.”    READ >

If the pipeline is approved and the fuse lit, climate scientist James Hansen says it's: "Game over for climate." Environmental opponents don't mince words on the Keystone XL pipeline. Some call it the "fuse to the biggest carbon bomb on the planet" because of the carbon emissions from the oil it will carry. Backers say the Canada-to-U.S. pipeline could lower U.S. dependence on unstable foreign sources of oil and create thousands of jobs. Yes, it could create jobs — but not as many as some claim. The State Department estimates that during construction, the project would create 3,900 one-year construction jobs and 38,200 indirect ones, but during operation, only about 50 jobs. Keystone's owner, Calgary-based TransCanada, says the pipeline would generate about 9,000 construction jobs. But hardly any permanent jobs in the U.S. The State Department's review says the 1,179-mile pipeline, which would carry heavy oil sands from Hardisty, Alb