Since water is the primary ingredient in many cosmetics, some manufacturers are claiming to use organic hydrosols, or floral water, to green wash their products and make organic label claims whilst using the same synthetic toxic ingredients that would NEVER be allowed in organic food products.
 

Prevention of damage to the environment and humans by the poisonous chemicals used in conventional agriculture.
 

The only way to ensure that products are 'natural' and 'organic' is to look for the International Organic Certification logos.
 

The importance of our soil and the role of organics.

(Excerpts from a new book by Alf Orpen)

"We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot". - Leonardo da Vinci

Many cultures’ creation stories have us coming from the soil. Even the biblical beginning has the first people named Adam (from the Hebrew word adama meaning "earth" or "soil") and Eve (from hava meaning "living"). Together, they hint to us that life comes from soil or the soil is alive. Literally both are true.

EO Wilson, professor of ecology at Harvard University, states that "the soil is a living organism... It’s dynamic. It’s full of life. And it does not produce anything for human beings unless it’s sustained in that living condition."

In one gram of healthy soil there can be more than 10,000 species and over a billion living micro-organisms which decompose organic matter and unlock nutrients and minerals so plants can use them.

All food comes from the earth.

The economy doesn’t produce our food, the earth does, which in turn makes the economy possible. This simple reality has somehow been reversed in our thinking and is the cause of much of the devastation we see today.

The soil is our primary health care system and when healthy, is the source of more than 98% of human nutrition. The soil is the building blocks of life itself.

In the words of a Kayapo leader; PaikanIt "the earth is our supermarket and our drug store"

“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Soil loss, and its associated impacts, is one of the most important, yet probably the least wellknown of today's environmental problems.

According to David Pimentel, Professor of Ecology and Agricultural Sciences at Cornell University "soil erosion is one of the world’s greatest disasters" as "it takes 500 years to form one inch (2.5cm) of topsoil, yet worldwide we are losing 75 billion tons of soil each year".

That’s an estimated 25 times faster than it can be replaced calculates University of Michigan professor of geological sciences Bruce Wilkinson. We have already lost in the vicinity of 30% of the worlds topsoil and much of it caused by human activities such as deforestation, intensive chemical farm practices and development.

Organics, the Soil-ution

In today's world, it is easy to forget that we are as much a part of the environment and as dependent on it as all other living creatures.

Organic advocates have long understood the value of healthy soil, knowing that soil is not simply a physical medium for crop growth but the means by which plant nutrition naturally occurs.

Healthy soils do indeed create healthy plants and that result in healthy people. To support people that understand AND undertake these activities is indeed the solution. It’s that simple, “buy responsibly” knowing that what you choose makes a bigger difference than what you read, talk or protest about.

Knowledge can only be considered power, when acted upon!

"The threat of nuclear weapons and man's ability to destroy the environment are really alarming. And yet there are other almost imperceptible changes - I am thinking of the exhaustion of our natural resources, and especially of soil erosion - and these are perhaps more dangerous still, because once we begin to feel their repercussions it will be too late." - The Dalai Lama
 
Carbon Neutral

In today’s world, it is easy to forget that we are as much a part of the environment and as dependent on it as all other living creatures. We now know that our activities have impacted upon our world in ways that are proving to be detrimental.

Pesticide pollution, deforestation and global warming are among the worlds largest threats.

ONE Group understand knowledge can only be considered power, when acted upon.

We now know that approximately 30% of global warming can be traced back to agriculture, mainly through emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (NO), and that organic agriculture greatly reduces that effect whilst also eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides. That contributes to the health of people and simultaneously the environment.

As of August 2006 our production facilities carbon emissions have been neutralised by paying for renewable energy such as wind and solar to be fed into the grid to replace the fossil fuel energy we once used.

This has been achieved through the accredited green power company Climate Friendly. www.climatefriendly.com.au



Additionally, as we deliver products all around the world, we engaged a team at a non profit organization Green Fleet to calculate our carbon emissions. We have agreed to plant sufficient native trees to offset these carbon emissions and revisit our volume on a quarterly basis, planting an adequate amount of trees to keep us carbon neutral.

Like all things in nature, this has a multiplying effect.

On the one hand we become carbon neutral whilst also tackling the problem of salinity, improving water quality and providing essential habitat for many species.

Green Fleet have a domestic program in Australia to offset each households emission. We encourage each and everyone of you to consider doing the same.
www.greenfleet.com.au