AlternativesMagazine

By Josephine Marcotty Star Tribune MARCH 28, 2017 Despite its cold winters, Minnesota — and the Twin Cities in particular — has long been recognized as one of the country’s biking-est places. Minneapolis leads the nation in the concentration of bike lanes and paths (5.8 per square mile), the number of regular commuters (4 percent, according to the U.S. census), and has the second-lowest biking fatality rate among the top 50 largest cities. Additionally, a new report released that the state’s bike industry also produces $780 million in annual economic activity, 5,519 jobs and millions of dollars in health care savings because of reduced obesity, diabetes and heart disease. And 13.6 percent of Twin Cities residents commute by bike. Biking to work three times a week was associated with a 32 percent lower likelihood of obesity and 28 percent lower risk of high blood pressure — which produce substantial health savings and result in fewer premature deaths. READ complete article here

By Mark Hyman , MD Type 2 diabetes in America has tripled since the 1980s, and  researchers estimate one in three Americans will have diabetes by mid-century. More than one-third of American adults are obese1. And one in three Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes making it the biggest driver of our federal debt. Sadly, these numbers continue to increase. Overall, it’s not a pretty picture, and experts predict things will only become worse. I use the term “diabesity” to describe the continuum of health problems ranging from mild insulin resistance and overweight to obesity and diabetes. Diabesity is the underlying cause of most heart disease, cancer, and premature death in the world. Tragically, these conditions are also 100% preventable and reversible. Most people believe diabetes is not reversible. That’s unfortunate,considering its numerous complications including kidney failure, amputation, stroke, and dementia. I’ve also heard experts claim obesity is difficult to treat an

The Problem of Plastic Water Bottles… What seems like a harmless plastic water bottle contains hormone disrupting chemicals like BPA and Phthalates. BPA has been shown to cause hormone imbalance in the body and has even been linked to various types of cancers, obesity, miscarriage, infertility and neurological disorders.  Phthalates have been banned in many parts of the world and are especially concerning for men and boys as they have been linked to lower testosterone and male infertility. The Price of Convenience As harmful as plastics are to us individually, we are all facing unwanted exposure from worldwide plastic pollution. Sure, plastic water bottles are inexpensive, disposable and convenient, but they are also terrible for our ecosystem. In fact, many of the negative health effects attributed to the harmful components in plastic may come from our planet’s growing plastic burden. Many tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean each year . The combinati

"What the Senate did should outrage the conscience of every animal lover in America." Sarah V. Schweig March 22, 2017   The U.S. Senate just voted 52-47 to allow barbaric hunting tactics such as killing hibernating bear families in their dens — and now the lives of countless animals on 76 million acres of federal wildlife refuges in Alaska are in President Donald Trump's hands. Now the government is set to overturn previous U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulations that were put in place to protect our wildlife, allowing hunters to lure grizzly bears with food to shoot them at point-blank range. They will be able to legally enter bear and wolf dens to kill mothers and their young cubs and pups. Hunters will also be allowed to shoot bears from airplanes. Steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares will be allowed on these national lands. READ entire story here. Post your comments. Sow (female bear) and cubs back in the den after being tagged.

I had never been so fit. Never smoked. Drank socially. Cycled a lot for the past 13 years. And the lump I had found in my left breast while taking shower didn’t even look like a tumor, according to my doctor. Plus, I was young, just 39 years old. But it was cancer. Do you know anyone who takes the common advice of “live each day like it’s your last” seriously? If you do, you’ve probably been inspired by the many ways that they live life to the fullest. Because cycling is a big part of our format, we hear stories and receive articles about how cycling changed their life, or saved it. "Cycling was the Force that Kept Me Alive" is one of those articles. It's about Erika Sallum a São Paulo, Brazil based journalist, who was given the news, "yes, it's cancer." Cycling didn't prevent her from getting cancer, but, as she said, it was what kept her alive. It's a great inspirational article, especially if your battling cancer, or someone you

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipe6CMvW0Dg from Educate - Inspire - Change --- "If we all look at our inner most desire, we will see our dreams are not so different. We share a common goal – Happiness. We tear apart the world looking for joy, without ever looking within ourselves”   This is a short documentary film made by Spencer Cathcart questioning our freedom, the education system, corporations, money, the American capitalist system, the US government, world collapse, the environment, climate change, genetically modified food, and our treatment of animals. I urge you to listen to it the whole way through. If everyone in the world would hear every word in this video and then act upon their feelings the world would change overnight… At this moment you can be anywhere, doing anything. Instead we sit alone before a screen.  So what is stopping us from doing what we want, being where we wanna be? Each day we wake up in the same room, following the same path to live the same day

What Will It Take To Keep Plastic Out Of The Oceans? A three-pronged overhaul of our global packaging and recycling systems could potentially raise our plastic recycling rate from 14% to 70%. Ben Schiller 03.03.17 Something like 9 million tons of plastic enter the world's oceans every year, and, at current rates, the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better. As developing countries expand, they tend to consume more packaged goods while failing to implement adequate collection systems. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the water than fish, according to one estimate. Forty years after the first recycling symbol appeared, only about 14% of plastic is currently recycled. But by redesigning packaging along circular economy principles, reusing more plastic bags, and by investing in recycling infrastructure, it should be possible to get that number nearer 70%, a new report estimates. "Businesses and governments are now, for the first time, recognising the need t

We are constantly afraid of the word cancer, as we are surrounded by people who suffer from it, and it seems that no one can defeat this deadly disease. However, what we have to say about it is that it is not a real disease. Cancer is a business, and we are paying its toll. Millions of people suffer from cancer, regardless of their age and sex. However, most of them are still unaware of the fact that they are being manipulated. There is a book titled “World Without Cancer” which has been prevented to be translated into numerous languages. However, our aim today is to persuade you that there is no such a disease as cancer, as it is only a vitamin B17 deficiency (Amygdalin). Therefore, stay away from surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, and other conventional treatments. In the past, while numerous people and seamen were dying of scurvy, and as many people profited from it, it was later discovered that it is not a real disease, but only a deficiency of vitamin C. We believe this is t

 After all the FB, twitter posts, opinions, photo's, jokes, marches, protests, yelling, screaming, fist pumping and bashing one another. After all this dies down, then what? Do we go back go to whatever we were doing before the chaos, saying, "oh well, it's somebody else's problem now?" The political forces are counting on that. All bark -- no bite. Pots and Pans Revolution Or do we do what they did in Iceland? They took to the streets, forced their entire government to resign after a banking fraud scandal, overthrowing the ruling party and creating a citizen’s group tasked with writing a new constitution that offered a solution to prevent corporate greed from destroying the country. Here's the link, check it out. http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/icelanders-overthrow-government-and-rewrite-constitution-after-banking-fraud-no-word-from-us-media/ These events have been going on since 2008, yet there’s been no word from the U.S. mainstream media about any o

The Navajo Generating Station is the seventh largest source of climate pollution in the country. When it closes in 2019, it will be because of economics—not regulation. Despite Trump's promises to "bring back coal," it's unlikely that policy can make much of a difference. The market forces working against coal are huge primariy becasue of  the development of renewables. Wind and solar power are also so cheap now that it makes economic sense to continue to build new renewable power. The Navajo Generating Station, 12 miles from the Grand Canyon near Page, Arizona, is the seventh largest individual source of climate pollution in the country, pumping out more than 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. It's also a major source of air pollution for people living nearby; by some estimates, shutting it down will also save more than $127 million a year in health costs. Coal also mines use a significant amount of clean water that would otherwise

This is not good for sportsman, fisherman, hunters and all other life forms Blowing off a mountain top to extract coal is a common practice in the Eastern states coal mining areas Outdoor recreational sports is huge part o f our economy and plays a big part in our mental and physical well being. They allow us to take roads less traveled and explore backcountry trails and waterways to places we've never heard of. They help us unwind, reconnect, refocus mentally and physically. Most people agree that our health is the most important thing we have, and without a healthy, clean environment there's no point worrying about whatever's next.   However, our new administration doesn't think so. They feel the environment is overrated and not as important as profits. Poisoned stream near coal mine in West Virginia. Dead Coal is the dirtiest, most toxic form of energy. Even a coal industry spokesman has come out and said, "coal is dead" and will not be co

I strongly believe that the majority of the human race would choose clean drinking water, natural farming practices, ethical treatment of animals, fair wages and labor practices, and green and sustainable products — any option which harms neither the planet nor the beings dwelling upon it — if they felt they had a choice in the matter. The good news? You do have a choice. You have the ability to support and promote the type of world you want to live in, right now, at this moment. Every single time you spend money you are casting a vote for the type of world you want to live in. A few weeks ago, Woody Harrelson released a video explaining just why we should support the products and companies which resonate with our values and the planet, using his significant celebrity to share this message with the general public — a message which many people might not have heard otherwise. Here’s what Woody had to say… A Message From Woody Harrelson As he says in the video, there really is no goo

Chromium-6 Was Just Found in 75% of Drinking Water... The Mass Chemical Suicide of America is Under Way A review of government water analysis by an Environmental Working Group study reveals that 75% of drinking water in America is contaminated with cancer-causing hexavalent chromium - also known as chromium-6) .   In a report that has been widely publicized , EWG warns that 200 million Americans are currently being exposed to this toxic chemical in their water.  What is Chromium-6? Chromium-6 or hexavalent chromium, is used in industrial operations such as chrome plating and the manufacturing of plastics and dyes. It has been linked to liver and kidney damage in animals as well as to leukemia, stomach cancer, and other cancers. Hexavalent Chromium has been found in the tap water of thirty-one out of thirty-five cities sampled. Of these cities, twenty-five had levels that exceeded safety standards. Sadly, even if your water is not contaminated with any of these substances, it may st