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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
America’s Top Snowboarders Want You To Drink Water
Monday, January 9th, 2012Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster Energy and Rockstar have become popular among fans of snowboarding in the United States, with drink companies advertising at events and sponsoring athletes. After professional snowboarders Bryan Fox and Austin Smith were approached by a company about promoting their product, the duo decided to do something about their concerns that the added sugar, stimulants and other ingredients in those drinks weren’t just a bad substitute for water but might actually be dangerous.
Drink Water Gives Voice to Energy Drink Wary Snowboarders
Fox and Smith began sporting their own “drink water” logo on their boards and apparel. Before long, they found themselves leading a campaign. “It’s been crazy to see the overwhelming support since we started this, that we’re not the only ones,” Smith told the New York Times.
The Drink Water campaign now sells t-shirts, stickers and hoodies with the following explanation: “Drink Water is a friendly reminder to drink water.”
“If you love snowboarding or some other healthy activity that defines many decisions in your life, you are likely a choice target-consumer for companies that sell ‘energy drinks.’ Maybe you, like us, started to feel uncomfortable about how effective these companies have become at encouraging young people to consume their product: beverages of caffeine, sodium, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and even some mystery chemicals about which little is known.”
Energy Drinks Marketed to Kids
Fox and Smith are not the only ones raising concerns about energy drinks. Parents and doctors around the country have raised the alarm about the host of sugary drinks marketed to kids that contribute to obesity, diabetes, even ailments like kidney stones, once unheard of in kids. According to SugaryDrinkFacts.org, “from 2008 to 2010 ad exposure for regular soda doubled for children and teens, and energy drink exposure increased by 20 to 50%.”
The New York Times last year reported on an emerging trend of kidney stones showing up in in kindergarteners, in part because they were drinking high-sodium sports drinks instead of water. Sports drinks were designed to replenish nutrients lost by top athletes during hard exercise, but they are now marketed in lunch-box size packages and found as an alternative to soda in school vending machines.
The big difference between sodas or sports drinks and the kind of energy drinks that inspired the Drink Water campaign is that, by labeling energy drinks as dietary supplements instead of food, companies avoid a host of Food & Drug Administration regulations about truth in advertising. The companies are not required to substantiate the claims on its packaging.
Drink Water Campaign Touches a Nerve
SugaryDrinkFacts.org reports that 5 Hour Energy ranked among the top 3 beverages most advertised to kids and the #1 most advertised to teens. While energy drinks are considered safe in reasonable quantities by the generally healthy adult population, Fox and Smith are hearing anecdotal evidence that overdoses are more and more common. On their blog they recount a conversation with a fellow postal customer after explaining their campaign:
“Lady: Oh my God, thank God! I work at the county Poison Control Center, and for years, when we got calls on caffeine overdoses, we never asked a follow up question for specifics. Now, we have a separate option for “Energy Drink Overdoses.” I just had a mom call in last week, and her 8 year old had drunk a 6 pack of *******. She called because the kid was light headed, was sick to his stomach and his heart was racing, and you know what I told her? Give him a lots of water to flush out his system. We get calls every week on this stuff. Crazy.”
The campaign donates 10 percent of their profits to Water.org, a nonprofit co-founded by the actor Matt Damon that provides clean water and sanitation in Africa, southern Asia and Central America. (BigBerkeyWaterFilters.com also supports and donates to Water.Org)
If you are looking for a water filtration solution while you are on the go, we encourage you to check out the Sport Berkey.
Buying Bottled Water - Do You Know What You’re Getting?
Thursday, October 27th, 2011When reaching out for a bottle of water in a supermarket you expect to get a safe, high value drink that replenishes your bodily fluids and supplies the organism with valuable minerals. But is this always the case? The truth may surprise you.
Nowadays, consumers have become more and more aware of their rights and have requested manufacturers to provide information that enable them to make good choices. Surprisingly, the bottled water industry finds this already established trend difficult to accept and follow.
As bottled water can cost up to 1,900 times more than tap water, is it too much too expect to be well-informed on the product? What is the water’s origin? Has it been purified? If so, what techniques have been used in this process? Has it been tested for quality? Have the tests found any contaminants? In many cases this basic information is difficult to find on the label or on the producer’s website.
EWG’s Bottled Water Study
Environmental Working Group (EWG) carries out an annual survey on the level of transparency of information among the bottled water brands in the United States. In 2011 the group has reviewed 173 bottled water products and compared the results with those from the previous year.
It has turned out, that nine of the best-selling brands, including Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Nestle, do not answer at least one of the above questions. The survey results have revealed that 18% of the products do not provide the location of water source, 32% of brands do not disclose any information on the treatment or quality of water, and 13% of product are supported by ‘water quality reports’ that lack actual testing results.
Comparing the results with previous year findings, very slow progress was noticed. Over 50% of the surveyed brands did not improve, or even worse, included less information than in 2010. Only 39 brands scored better in information transparency in 2011 versus 2010. Even the best scored brads were not faultless. Believe it or not, some of them provided out dated water tests from 2008!
Bottled Water Vs Tap Water
It may be a surprise, but most companies producing bottled water source it from municipal tap (Food and Water Watch data). Moreover, the plastic material used for making bottles may incorporate chemical substances like BPA (Bisphenol A) that can leach into drinking water.
According to federal regulations bottled water is not much safer than tap water, as the chemical pollution standards are almost the same. As so many bottled water producers keep information on water quality to themselves, it is possible that most of the time you are paying for bottled tap water without even knowing it.
In addition to water quality arguments, there are serious environmental reasons for giving up bottled water. Between 2004 and 2009 the consumption of bottled water in the United States increased by 24%. It is estimated that every 27 hours U.S. citizens drink enough bottled water to circle the equator with empty bottles and each year more than 4 million of plastic containers go to the landfill nationwide. These are not good statistics!
Producing bottled water also has a high carbon footprint price – it takes 20,000 times more energy to produce bottled water than the same amount of tap water. In the United States, the production and transportation of bottled water is responsible for the level of CO2 emission comparable to that produced by two million cars.
Drink Filtered Tap Water
What are EWG’s recommendations then? Their main call is: Drink Filtered Tap Water.
A good quality domestic filter system lasts over 10 years. It can save you money and allow you to do your part in contributing to a cleaner environment. There is a wide variety of water filter systems that can be used indoors, outdoors or even during travelling. Good quality systems successfully remove bacteria, chlorine, organic solvents, VOCs, lead, mercury, nitrates and nitrites as well as other harmful substances. We believe the berkey water filter provides the highest quality filtration for the lowest initial and ongoing maintenance costs. There is also a different berkey water filter model available to accommodate every family size. Here’s a comparison of berkey and other top consumer water filters on the market. Regardless of what model or supplier you choose, they should provide you with detailed system specifications and ongoing maintenance costs estimates, so you will know exactly what you will be paying for.
Wise Food Survival Kits Back in Stock!
Monday, October 24th, 2011After being out of stock for nearly 5 months, the very popular Wise Food survival kits are now again available. Last March, when the Japan earthquake impacted emergency preparedness supplies across the US, these survival kits sold out within days and resulted in a 5 month backlog of orders. Now, the manufacturer has not only caught up on these back orders, but they have also ramped up production operations and increased inventory reserves to better handle the fervent demand that typically follows the occurrence of a natural disaster. Note: We happen to be seeing this currently with the Turkey earthquake and flooding in Thailand.
If you do not have any emergency preparedness items for you or your family, these kits are a great way to get started and cover all the basics in one easy purchase. I personally have a deluxe kit for my home and an essential kit in the trunk of my car. These have already proven to be a great investment over the past couple years as I’ve used the essential kit in two instances while on the road. The product concept is simple; an all-in-one emergency preparedness backpack that contains long term food storage packets and emergency supplies like a flashlight, medical kit, waterproof matches, knife, water bottle filter etc.
Wise Food Essential Survival Kit
The Wise Food Essential Survival Kit backpack weighs 16 lbs and is designed to support 1 person for 2 weeks, or 2 people for 1 week. It contains:
Pocket Tissue - Qty 6 packages
4-in-1 Dynamo Flashlight - Qty 1
Deck of Playing Cards - Qty 1
Water Proof Matches - Qty 50
Waste Bag - Qty 2
Note Pad - Qty 1
Golf Pencil - Qty 1
Mylar Sleeping Bags - Qty 2
Leather Palm Work Gloves - Qty 1
36 Piece Bandage Kit - Qty 1
Water Filtration Bottle - Qty 1
Portable Stove - Qty 1
Stove Fuel Tablets - Qty 16
Metal Fork Knife and Spoon - Qty 1
Sierra Cup - Qty 1
Wise Emergency Food Storage Included With Backpack (44 Servings):
Stroganoff
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Cheesy Lasagna
Chicken Teriyaki
Chicken Ala King
Southwest Bean and Rice
Beef Teriyaki and Rice
Multi-Grain Cereal
Honey Glazed Granola
Wise Food Essential Survival Kit
Wise Food Deluxe Survival Kit
The Wise Food Deluxe Survival Kit backpack weighs 27 lbs and is designed to support 1 person for 2 weeks, or 2 people for 1 week. It is an upgrade containing everything found in the Wise Food Essential Survival Kit described above in addition to these valuable supplies:
Emergency Duffle Bag on Wheels - Qty 1
Aqua Block Water - Qty 9 at 8.5 oz per container
Swiss Army Knife - Qty 1
Compact Multi-Function Shovel - Qty 1
5-in-1 Survival Whistle - Qty 1
Emergency Ponchos - Qty 2
Deluxe Hygiene Kits - Qty 2
NIOSH N95 Dust Masks - Qty 2
Hand and Body Warmers - Qty 2
2 Person Tube Tent - Qty 1
Deluxe First Aid Kit - Qty 1
12 Hour Bright Stick - Qty 1
30 Hour Emergency Candle - Qty 1
Wise Food Deluxe Survival Kit
Rather than doing hours of research and building your own food and supply kit, save yourself the time and energy with one purchase that’ll provide the essential preparedness supplies that you and your family will need. Both provide a great foundation for emergency preparedness.
Uranium Mine Contaminating Groundwater of Jefferson County, Colorado
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010The Denver Post has recently reported that an abandoned uranium mine located in Jefferson County, Colorado is contaminating both surrounding groundwater and a creek that serves the Denver’s Ralston Water Reservoir. Beneath the Schwartzwalder Mine, Uranium concentrations were found to exceed human health standards by more than 1000 times! Fortunately, the Ralston Reservoir is on temporary leave from serving Denver’s drinking water system, but local residents who are on wells in Jefferson County are rightfully nervous about this new development. However, it’s not such a new development.
Colorado regulators were aware of this contamination at least as early as July 2009, with uranium seepage likely underway for a considerable time beforehand, yet neither local residents nor the Denver water authority was notified of the problem. Negotiations with the owner for the clean-up of the mine and contaminated areas have been underway for some time, but a resolution has yet to be reached. In the meantime, Uranium continues to seep into the surrounding environment.
Home Water Filters Take The Worry Away
Thursday, February 4th, 2010Every time you turn on the tap at home, chances are you find yourself wondering just what is in your water. Unsavory chemicals like chlorine, unwanted additives like fluoride, and a host of microscopic bacteria can seep into every glass. It’s become an all to often event to read frightening headlines about just what has been found in the public water supply.
When it’s time to enjoy peace of mind, home water filters can deliver. When the right system is selected, you will enjoy cleaner, safer water without having to spend a fortune in the process.
The Berkey home water filter system is favored from the British Royal house to Peace Corp camps around the world for very good reasons. Our water filters remove the things in your water that you don’t want without stripping out the vital minerals your body needs.
The gravity water filters we offer are designed to get rid of a number of major concerns in public drinking water. They are highly effective at removing such things as cysts, parasites, and harmful pathogens (to 99.99999%), while also removing many unwanted chemicals and contaminants to undetectable levels. Berkey water filter systems also significantly reduce the fluoride and arsenic levels in your water via the PF line of filters.
When the right home water filter system is used, you can be assured of several things every time you pour a glass of water for a family member. These include:
Enjoying better tasting water – Chlorine and other additives placed into public water supplies can give water a funny flavor that bothers many. When home water filters are used to get rid of the chemicals, the only taste left behind is pure, clean water. In addition to making drinks taste better, the removal of chemicals is also fantastic for the flavors of dishes cooked with water in the mix.
Gaining peace of mind – There is something very comforting about knowing an effective home water filter system is on the job. With harmful bacteria found even in municipal drinking water systems, you can never be too safe. The right water filters will remove any worries and concerns associated with grabbing water straight out of your tap.
Getting your money’s worth – Some home water filters cost a small fortune to put into operation. The Berkey system does not. Our water costs about 1.7 cents a gallon. Plus, the Berkey home water filter system does not depend on electricity to function and it is fully portable. This means it can be counted on to deliver safe, clean water even during power outages. It can also be taken on the road during camping trips and more.
It doesn’t matter whether you are on a well or have city water, turning on the tap can sometimes be a crap-shoot. If you’re ready to stop worrying about what is in your water and start enjoying a cleaner taste, then picking the right home water filter system is a great investment. Berkey water delivers the performance you’re after, at the prices you can afford.
