Via the Beeb:

Supermarkets ‘push fatty foods’

Supermarkets are offering too many promotions for fatty or sugary foods, campaigners say.

The National Consumer Council went into all eight major chains and found over half of promotions were for unhealthy foods - double the level seen in 2006.

It said the increase showed how far supermarkets would go to attract customers during the credit crunch.

But the British Retail Consortium said the snapshot survey carried out in March was unrepresentative.

The NCC went into Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose stores in Sheffield and assessed how much they were doing to help their customers eat healthily.

It rated each on promotions, the salt content of own-brand foods, nutrition labelling, the prevalence of sweets at check-outs and the healthy eating information and advice available.

‘Sadly disappointed’

The number of promotions, such as two-for-one deals, had risen to 4,300, up 17% since the NCC’s 2006 report.

But only 12% for were for fruit and vegetables, far below the 33% the NCC recommends. It also says health advice suggests just 7% of a person’s diet should be made up of unhealthy foods, compared to the 54% found.

Morrisons were deemed the worst offenders, with 63% of their promotions featuring sugary and fatty foods, up from 39% from 2006.

Sainsbury’s came top overall for the second time in a row, gaining praise for its progress on labelling and nutrition, and scoring highly on customer information.

Tesco, despite having the biggest share of the market, was ranked joint fifth place, while Morrisons comes last for the fourth time in a row.

Lucy Yates, who compiled the NCC report, said: “The volume of in-house promotions for fatty and sugary foods the supermarkets are all offering is staggering.

“We expected to see evidence of big improvements since our last investigation, but we’ve been sadly disappointed.

“With so many of us buying our food in these supermarkets, their collective behaviour can heavily influence the nation’s eating habits.

“Despite their claims, the supermarkets all still have a long way to go to help customers choose and enjoy a healthier diet.”

» Full article

Via the Daily Post:

Sad end for a beautiful animal as whale washes up on Formby beach

Sep 2 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

A Dead whale, washed up on Formby beach over the weekend, was still waiting to be removed last night.

The whale, found opposite the Albert Road track on Saturday night, is thought to be a Minke whale. It is about seven metres long and two metres wide.

Sefton Rangers are organising removal of the carcass.

» Full article

It’s well known that Gordon Ramsay is a foul mouthed idiot who has no tolerance of vegetarians. In an interview with Sainsbury’s magazine Sir Paul hit out at the chef for his comments:

Via the Press Association:

Sir Paul slams chef veggie comments

Sir Paul McCartney has criticised Gordon Ramsay - calling the TV chef “stupid”.

Ramsay, 41, has angered the ex-Beatle, 66, with his outspoken comments against vegetarians.

The foul-mouthed chef has annoyed the music legend by saying he could not tolerate it if one of his three daughters came home with a vegetarian boyfriend.

Kitchen Nightmares star Ramsay said recently: “If one of my daughters’ boyfriends turns out to be vegetarian I swear to God I’d never forgive them.”

In another tirade, he said: “My biggest nightmare would be if the kids ever came up to me and said ‘Dad, I’m a vegetarian’. Then I would sit them on the fence and electrocute them.”

Sir Paul, who has not eaten meat for 30 years, told Sainsbury’s Magazine: “I think it’s a case of live and let live. I will talk to people about the advantages of vegetarianism, and it will upset me if we’ve had a good conversation and they turn around and say something stupid.

“I just read a quote from Gordon Ramsay… ‘If my daughter ever grew up and married a vegetarian, I’d never forgive her.’ But even that I would forgive because it’s not my affair, it’s not up to me if he talks stupid or not.”

The music legend, whose youngest daughter Beatrice, four, is vegan, said: “I’d be happier if everyone was vegetarian. The planet would be better off for it.”

He said of the nation’s changing eating habits: “We pretty much used to eat whatever we were provided with, and there were no ingredients on the packet. One of the first things I do, like most people now, is to look at the ingredients.

“My youngest daughter is vegan, so I’m often looking for vegan food and I need to know if there’s any dairy products… It’s a good thing, you do it for the right reasons.”

» Full article

- Additionally I found this via thisisSwansea.co.uk:

Sir Paul defends Bea’s veganism

Sir Paul McCartney has defended the fact that his youngest daughter Beatrice is a vegan.

Sir Paul’s daughter with his ex-wife Heather Mills is nearly five and, having a vegetarian father and a vegan mother, is not given meat or diary to eat.

In an interview with Sainsbury’s Magazine, Sir Paul said he liked to think of it as “careful” parenting.

“My youngest daughter is vegan, so I’m often looking for vegan food and I need to know if there’s any dairy products. I prefer to think of it as caring; it’s a good thing, you do it for the right reasons,” he said.

Sir Paul, who is relaunching his late wife Linda’s veggie food range *, added that he can get upset if people are dismissive of his views.

“I will talk to people about the advantages of vegetarianism, and it will upset me if we’ve had a good conversation and then they turn around and say something stupid.”
» Full article

* It’s great that you are helping to promote the Linda McCartney veggie range but I would like to draw your attention Sir Paul, to the comments left by lots of people about the newly relaunched Linda McCartney products. It’s a big thumbs down from nearly everybody. Tell the manufacturers - Hane Celestial that the new recipes are a failure.

The Grauniad asks…

How closely do you follow the green news ?

I hope you’ll join me in wishing Blanche a happy 103rd Birthday.

Via the Bridlington Free Press:

Birthday girl Blanche, 103, says vegetarian diet is key
By Alexa Copeland

IN 1905 Einstein published his theories on relativity, the Russian revolution began, and Blanche Mannix was born.

Canadian-born Blanche turned an incredible 103-years-old yesterday (August 20th) and enjoyed celebrating the special occasion with close friends.

Born in Moose Jaw, Canada and raised in Winnipeg, a young Blanche lived in a log cabin with her sister, alongside native Indians who made jewellery for her in return for baked bread.

She moved to Britain aged 32 but is very proud of her roots and puts her longevity down to her meat free diet.

“I am a life-long vegetarian and have never been interested in meat,” said Blanche.

“I have lived 103 years on vegetables so I don’t think I’ve done bad.”

» Full article

- A couple of vegan questions posted on AskMeFi:

Veganize my love affair with dairy products…

“How to veganize my love affair with dairy products? And can I do it in a high-protein manner?”

» Read the responses

From non-vegan to vegan.

“What’s your favorite tasty, filling vegan snack?

When it comes to dinner, I’m strictly small-portion and low-cal. Some lettuce, a handful of nuts, and a few pieces of dried fruit do the trick. But I tend to supplement this with a hot snack, generally a few slices of non-vegan cheese melted on toast. I’m anxious to convert this last dish into a vegan snack.

What filling, satisfying vegan snacks can you recommend as a substitute for the the toast-and-cheese?”

» Read the responses

Slightly related to the Southport Flower Show post - it mentions in the article:

“…The gardeners will be helping visitors wanting to make vegetables and flowers flourish in the smallest places, such as a bucket.”

In case you can’t make it to the show to find out how to grow a flower in a bucket - here’s a website that has a guide on how to grow something wherever you want:

6 Plants That Will Grow (Almost) Anywhere
Wherever You Live, Start Growing Some Green With Nearly Trouble-Free Flora

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

I’ve tried to grow peppers, rosemary, and other greenery in my small New York City one-bedroom apartment, and each has died a quick death.

Is it me? Or is it what I’ve chosen to grow on my microwave-oven-like window ledge?

In hopes of helping others like me - inexperienced but eager planters who don’t live in ideal conditions for growing green - I turned to Leslie Land, blogger for The Daily Green, and lead author of The New York Times 1000 Gardening Questions and Answers.

Land warned me that nothing is completely trouble-free (you still have to water these, guys), and you’re still going to need a safe outdoor spot (no fire escapes, people). She added that these choices wouldn’t exactly impress a seasoned gardener. But that’s ok; they would deliver on what I was looking for - they’d grow almost anywhere.

1. Herbs - While many herbs need sun, Land suggests growing parsley, which tolerates partial shade, and mint, which likes things a bit shadier. Land adds that in addition to being a wonderful fresh herb (don’t forget to use those sweet stems!), giant flat leaf parsley also makes an excellent filler for flower arrangements.

2. Cherry Tomatoes - If you have a sunny spot, enough space for a whiskey barrel-sized container, and a 5-foot support, try planting an “indeterminate” cherry tomato plant. This plant will keep getting bigger all summer. Land points out you’ll get a lot more yield for your space compared to a regular tomato plant.

3. Dwarf Evergreens - Who wouldn’t want a little evergreen forest next to her humble home? Land says you’ll have to go to a specialty nursery to find these little treasures, but that they are far less labor intensive than bonsai trees. Dwarf evergreens need to be in a sheltered location and not in direct sun.

4. Coreopsis - This long blooming perennial does very well in window boxes, according to Land. It’s a sun-loving flower plant. Sign me up.

5. Coral Bells - Land says these are beautiful even when they’re not flowering. They’re a great decorative option and they do best in partial shade. Land emphasized these would grow anywhere. “Even Alaska?,” I asked. “Well,” she answered, “parts of it.”

6. Sedum - There are many different types of sedum in all different sizes. Almost all are drought-resistant, and seldom bothered by insects or disease, which is about as trouble-free as it gets.

» Link to original article

» Link to Leslie Land’s blog on The Daily Green

MAR have given their website a spiffing makeover and it all looks very nice:

They’ve got details on local campaigns, plus information about many other animal rights issues.

They have info about how you can help with things like campaigns and about going vegan.

They have the latest news relating to AR (animal rights) and info about upcoming events.

» Plus of course there’s Fur Free Liverpool

I’ll relay any news and events posted by MAR on here, but don’t forget to bookmark www.merseysideanimalrights.co.uk for yourself though.

Via Think Progress:

Today, the AP reports on new draft rules being proposed by the Bush administration to gut the Endangered Species Act. This would be the biggest change to the groundbreaking legislation since 1988, and would not require the approval of Congress.

Currently, federal agencies are required to consult with an independent agency — the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service — to determine whether a project would harm an endangered species. The AP reports that under the new rules, agencies would simply be able to “decide for themselves”:

‘The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants. New regulations, which don’t require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft obtained by The Associated Press.

The draft rules also would bar federal agencies from assessing the emissions from projects that contribute to global warming and its effect on species and habitats.’

… The Bush administration has been attempting to bypass or kill the Endangered Species Act for years. Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff used his power to waive federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, in order to expedite building the U.S.-Mexico border fence. Unclear if the new rules are the doing of Vice President Cheney, who has been maneuvering increased control over environmental policies.

» Full article

They might bomb Iran before they leave… but take heart in that there’s only:

until the idiot is gone.

Via Contact Music:

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has joined the fight against litter on Britain’s beaches - designing his own surfboard to raise funds for the campaign.

The former Beatle is concerned about the state of seaside resorts in his native U.K. and is backing an initiative by Surfers Against Sewage - aiming to clean up beaches around the country.
MCCartney has designed an eco-friendly surfboard which will go under the hammer at London auction house Bonhams in October.

Other stars to have joined the campaign include British artists Tracey Emin and Gavin Turk.

» Full article

» Surfers Against Sewage