Press Conference and Earth Day Event Scheduled for 12:45 p.m. April 22

On Earth Day, April 22, the walls and the roof will go up on Maharishi University of Management’s new Sustainable Living Center — a building that will set a new standard for green building in America by being completely off the grid with respect to electricity, heating and cooling, water, and waste.

The Sustainable Living Center has been designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, the highest standard for sustainable design and green building in the world. It will be one of the first three to achieve this. And it will be unique because it will be the first to combine that standard with the standards of LEED Platinum certification, Building Biology, and Maharishi Vedic Architecture.

“There’s no other building like this going up in the nation, or in the world for that matter, that we know of,” said nationally known green building expert Mike Nicklas, who co-designed the building and whose company Innovative Design has designed over 4000 buildings that use renewable energy solutions.

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Green Marketing Mavens Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler

From the April 2010 issue of The Iowa Source. By Linda Egenes

Last spring while setting up a series of book talks around Iowa, I started to question this fossil-fuel extravagant way to sell a few books—not to mention the cost of gas. Then my publisher fired off an email, “Create an online presence and market your book that way.”

Gulp. Even though I wrote website copy for a living, learning how to set up my own site felt daunting. But determined to finally enter the digital age, I attended a free Internet marketing seminar by three consultants based in Fairfield: Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler.

From the tools and strategies they shared, I was able to create a blog and social media campaign to market my books—without driving my car or printing…

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Note: Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler will be giving Marketing Make-Over Sessions in Fairfield, Iowa on April 20 – click for details.

Image linked from the April 2010 issue of the Iowa Source

The Iowa Source just issued its special Green issue for April. “Cut Flowers, Locally Grown,” “”Sustainable Repairs: The Barhdyt Pipe Organ Gets New Life,” “You Too Can Go Green!” “An Alternative to Bovine Submission” and more. Pick up a copy in the state of Iowa, or check it out online at the Iowa Source website.

Held on the Maharishi University of Management campus, this year’s EcoFair will feature Diana Leafe Christian, the author of Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, speaking on Spiritually Oriented Ecovillages. Also, you will hear Mark Lakeman and Micahel Cook on City Repair and the Power of Placemaking. Meet Mike Nicklas, president and co-founder of Innovative Design, Inc., who will talk about Key Strategies for Green Development. And more. Speaker’s list. Schedule.

On Sunday May 2, the Ecofair will become an Unconference using Open Space Technology. Open Space Technology is a highly participatory process that has been successfully employed in multiple situations all over the world. Learn more.

Leanne is a student in the Sustainable Living Program at a university in the Mid-West. This website is part her life-long desire to help the environment and help people.

Click this picture to see The Story of Cap & Trade

]]> http://leeleffler.com/sustainable-energy-video-the-story-of-cap-trade/feed/ 1 http://leeleffler.com/save-polar-bears-the-ultimate-sustainable-christmaholiday-gift/ http://leeleffler.com/save-polar-bears-the-ultimate-sustainable-christmaholiday-gift/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:49:43 +0000 admin http://leeleffler.com/?p=82 My daughter and I will have a booth at the Holiday Trade Fair in Fairfield, Iowa on Saturday, with a totally sustainable gift: Polar Bear Donation Certificates. Customers can make a donation in their friend’s name and get a certificate to give to them. This booth is for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the polar bears, whose habitat is greatly threatened by global warming. Did you know some are drowning because there is too much distance between icebergs? I hope you can come! Please tell your friends. If you cannot come, you can still make a donation and get a certificate online.

On Saturday December 5, the Dharma Foundation will hold a Holiday Trade Fair at the Field House on the MUM campus, next to MSAE, from 10-4. Admission is free. There will be local artisans, local companies and lots of incredible food!

We think of the skin as an impervious outer layer that protects us. However, the pores in your skin are like a million tiny little mouths, absorbing lotions, shampoos, and soaps,1 which can promote or adversely affect your health.

The scalp and underarms absorb more readily than other areas of your skin. You can view your skin as the largest organ that you have and thus it can absorb more toxins than anywhere else in your body.

Did you know that if 70% of the ingredients are organic, personal care products can be labeled as such? So if 70% of the product is water and the rest of the ingredients are chemicals, you can see an organic label on the product. In the shower, your shampoo and conditioner are mixed with hot water and can be breathed into your lungs as well. That is why shampoos and conditioners should only contain healthy ingredients that are really organic.

Many ingredients labeled as natural and that are in products labeled as organic can be harmful. Let’s look at some of these harmful ingredients. Cocoamide DEA, diethanolamine, TEA, triethanolamine, MEA is used as a shampoo thickener and foam stabilizer. This is a surfactant, which helps clean skin, textiles and other surfaces by loosening dirt, grease and oil and is derived from coconut oil.

According to the MSDS for Cocoamide DEA, this chemical is harmful if swallowed or inhaled and contact with skin, eyes, and clothing should be avoided.2 It is manufactured by a process called ethoxylation, which may leave it contaminated with trace anounts of 1,4 dioxane. Animal studies demonstrate that 1,4 Dioxane is toxic and affects the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and is an irritant to the respiratory tract and eyes. It may also be carcinogenic to humans, it is already known to be so in animals.3 Once released into the environment 1,4 Dioxane contaminates ground water. 

Another popular harmful ingredient is Sodum lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium dodecyl fulfate (SDS), is a molecule with a tail of 12 carbon atoms, attached to a sulfate group, which gives the molecule the amphillic properties of a detergent.4 Even low concentrations of 0.5% could caused irritation and 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation as published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology.5

It is the irritation of the scalp that helps deliver the other ingredients. FDA reports concerning shampoos include eye irritation, scalp irritation, swelling of hands, arms, and face caused by sodium lauryl sulfate. Other research has indicated SLS may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin.

Other harmful ingredients to avoid are: Alkylphenol Ethoxylates, Benzene/Benzoic Acid/Benzyl Benzoate, Formaldehyde, Parabens (Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben), Isopropanol/Isopropyl Alcohol, Methylisothiazoline or MIT, and Phthalates.6

You need to shampoo your hair to remove dirt such as dead skin, and sebum, naturally occurring oils, and also the build up of residues. Let’s consider some healthy shampoo and conditioner ingredients.

Basically, companies that are really concerned about your health and the environment use ingredients derived from natural plant based oils and not synthetic or petroleum based “fake” oils. Healthy ingredients consist of macadamia nut oils, sweet almond oil, and extracts of Angelica and Horsetail, Pure Organic Aloe Vera (not from concentrate), Deionized Water, Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap with Quillaya Bark (Saponin), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein-from organic, non-GMO soybeans, Carrageenan, Organic Shea Butter, Lactalbumin, Organic Evening Primrose Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Balsam Oil, Organic Rosemary Oil, Aubrey’s Preservative of Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E, Algae, Spirulina, Kelp, Marine proteins, Yucca, essential oils of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood.

Many more natural ingredients can be used, there is no shortage of them, and toxic ingredients are not needed for ingredients in hair and scalp products.

Healthy ingredients will help keep your hair and scalp radiant.

Sources:
1 http://www.ewg.org/node/15893
2 http://www.naturalnews.com/025515_chemicals_toxic_chemicals_body_care.html
3 The rodent carcinogens 1,4-dioxane and thiourea induce meiotic non-disjunction in Drosophila melanogaster females.
Muñoz ER, Mazar Barnett B. Mutat Res. 2002 May 27;517(1-2):231-8.
4 http://www.supereco.com/glossary/sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
5 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TOXICOLOGY Volume 2. Number 7, 1983
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
6 http://www.naturalnews.com/024296_shampoo_health_organics.html

Michael A. Scheinbaum is the co-author of Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally.

© 2009 Newsletter Gal. all rights reserved.

Printed in the August 2009 issue of the Iowa Source. 

When I originally wrote “Savoring Sushi” in the Iowa Source 11 years ago, three restaurants offered a limited selection of sushi, all similar. Since then, the Ten-Ten has closed and Bonnie’s China Deli is now the Second Street Cafe with just one style: ginger sushi. The Noodle House’s two sushi selections have been staples in Fairfield for the last 13 years: imitation crab sushi and avocado sushi wrapped in toasted green nori (seaweed).

Sushi Maker Aron Zaragoza 

In June, The Noodle House debuted their new offerings, Simple Sushi: 16 types of Maki sushi and three Nigiri sushi selections.

On a recent visit to the Noodle House, a hush fell over the table as Noodle House cook Aron Zaragoza lowered a tray containing a white rice roll (about the size of a paper towel tube, but thicker) dotted with orange roe, smothered in stripes of spicy mayo, topped with a mountain range of crab salad. I pulled out one of the eight generous two-bite pieces to find an internal strip of green nori and a stuffing of spicy cooked Ahi tuna (shipped fresh from the West Coast), thick deep-fried tempura shrimp the size of a short cigar, white cream cheese, green asparagus, shredded carrots and zesty green onions.

“Appearance is everything,” said Zaragoza. “It starts with having the right atmosphere to bring people in. Then the food has to look amazing. Try it,” encouraged the sushi chef.

My spouse, David, awkwardly tried to spread his chopsticks wide enough to grasp a whole piece, then settled for stabbing it and dipping it in soy sauce. I shyly picked at some crab salad off the top (creamy and delicious), then bit into the jumbo sushi.

Accustomed to an insipid British diet, my mouth was overwhelmed by the incredible mixture of contrasting flavors. I smiled. The second-best part was the textures: starchy sticky rice, mushy tuna and carrots, and lingering pearls of roe that popped when bitten. “Wow, incredible,” mumbled David, who quickly stabbed another piece. The best part: we split the roll, so I got to repeat the experience three more times.

The Noodle House Cali Roll 

Then, over the course of several meals, out came the Crab Cali sushi, the Tempura Shrimp sushi, and more, like the Organic Tempura Tofu Roll. All the sushi is made on the spot, and you can exclude ingredients if you want or ask for less spice.

The majority of the sushi selections are the large 8-piece Maki rolls. The basic Maki Sushi rolls run from $5 for a vegetarian Avocado Cream Cheese Roll to $7.95 for the Spicy Tuna Roll (Ahi Tuna, green onions, cream cheese, cucumber). The more elaborate, thicker Maki Specialty rolls run from $9.95 for a Tiger Roll, to $11.95 for the grand Futo Maki Roll (spicy salmon, tempura shrimp, carrot, asparagus, eel, avocado, cream cheese). If a roll of these big boys does not fill you right up, order a side of cooked veggies.

There are three selections of smaller 2-piece Nigiri sushi portions, which are plain enough for the most finicky eaters: sticky rice with egg, shrimp or crab for $2-$3.

“We have regulars who come for the sushi every day,” said Zaragoza.

Have you seen a baby at the Noodle House? Aron Zaragoza is baby Dominic’s father. Dominic’s mom, Geena Xayavong, also makes the sushi. They hope to get a license to prepare raw fish sushi in the future, and maybe open their own place in Fairfield.

“All the fish is cooked at this time. Of course, everything is fresh,” said Zaragoza. “Nothing is from a can or bottle. The vegetables are crisp. People can taste the difference.”

 The Noodle House is located at 59 North Court Street in Fairfield.

Lee Leffler is TheNewsletterGal.com and writes is a blog on Sustainable Living at www.leeleffler.com.

From the August 2009 issue of the Iowa Source. 

M.U.M. Organic Farm

The Maharishi University of Management Organic Farm in Fairfield, Iowa, has received a $13,750 grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to study growing vegetables in large gutter-connect greenhouses in winter without added heat.

Not heating the greenhouse will reduce the farm’s fossil fuel consumption by about 88%. “This is an innovative study and a significant step in making the M.U.M. Farm and the University more sustainable,” said Steve McLaskey, assistant professor of biology and agriculture and director of the farm.

The method involves placing an extra layer of plastic directly over the plants to retain more heat. The research is innovative due to the large size of the greenhouses, which grow organic vegetables in the ground. Past studies at other institutions have examined this method in smaller greenhouses.

“Most of the large greenhouses in North America are used for ornamental crops, not vegetables,” Dr. McLaskey said. “There are large vegetable greenhouses in Canada, but they mainly use hydroponic [soil-free] techniques. I do not know of any other places, besides Fairfield and Maharishi Vedic City, that grow organic vegetables in the ground in one-acre greenhouses, especially in our very cold winter temperatures.”

The process started in January, when the heat in the greenhouses was switched off. The plastic on the roof of the greenhouse was replaced recently, so the old plastic was reused and placed over the plants in newly-built frames. This saved money and prevented the plastic from going into a landfill. The beds must be covered and uncovered daily.

Now that the grant is secured, the research will begin. The farm workers will measure growth and yield of four crops, measure soil and air temperatures, and estimate heating cost savings.

If this study is successful, Iowa farmers will be able to grow organic vegetables in large greenhouses without spending money on heating fuel. Then this type of farming will be more profitable and thus, more likely to become popular.

The Maharishi University of Management Organic Farm provides fresh produce to the dining halls and Golden Dome Market on the Maharishi University of Management campus.

Written by Lee Leffler. Published in M.U.M. Review March 18 2009.

Follow-up, May 2010: Results of this research were in the May 5th, 2010 issue the M.U.M. Review. Winter Crops Can Grow in an Unheated Greenhouse.

A study, funded by a $13,000 grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, has been completed and has found that winter crops can be successfully grown in an unheated greenhouse.

Steve McLaskey, who runs the campus organic farming operation, experimented with covering the plants with an extra layer of plastic at night to help them survive the extreme cold. He also used a control plot that was heated so that he could compare this energy-saving approach with the conventional. The result was that there was very little loss.

“We saved over $17,000 on energy bills because of this approach,” Dr. McLaskey said.

He presented his research at a special event in April that was held on site at the greenhouse so that growers in the region could learn about this new option.

“About 60 people attended, and they were very interested to see our operation and to hear how this was done,” Dr. McLaskey said.