With the credit crunch in full swing more of us are using price as a determining factor as to whether we choose organic over non-organic. Be it in your morning cuppa or on your cereal, milk is one daily staple in most of our diets worth writing on the organic side of the shopping list.

Cow's feed that is grown without pesticides will provide more nutrients for the cow, increasing the nutritional value of their milk that is ultimately passed on to us. Grass and clover fed organic cows (as opposed to grain fed, conventionally reared cows) have higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and three carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), according to a study this year from Newcastle University. The fatty acid CLA was found to be 60% higher in organic milk and may protect against cancer and other health problems.

The university study also revealed that nutritionally desirable fatty acids and antioxidants were highest in milk produced during summer, when the cows are eating fresh grass and clover. Though some conventional farms allow their cows to forage for feed this is by far a more common practice of organic dairy farmers.

Organic cows are also not treated with bovine growth hormone (BGH), a hormone which is used to increase the amount of milk a cow produces. It is believed that these hormones could raise the risk of certain cancers. Organic dairy farmers also avoid antibiotics where possible. If a cow does fall ill it is separated from the herd for a period of time so as to avoid contamination of the whole milk supply.

It's comforting to know organic milk doesn't only taste better but is packed with more nutrients than conventional, non-organic milk. One supermarket sells organic milk for just 8p more than regular milk!

In a world first, the people of the South American Republic of Ecuador have voted in favour of a constitution that gives nature - that's rainforests, rivers and air - legal rights akin to those given to humans.

Two thirds of Ecuadorians voted in the new laws which state nature has the "right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution" and mandates that the government take "precaution and restriction measures in all the activities that can lead to the extinction of species, the destruction of the ecosystems or the permanent alteration of the natural cycles."

Under the new system if nature is damaged it will be compensated, just as a person might be if unlawful harm was brought to them. The laws give humans the right to sue on behalf of the natural environment or ecosystem that is damaged even if they themselves have not been hurt. Until now environmental lawsuits were people based where it needed to be proven a human had suffered injury.

Ecuador has many natural and valuable resources beneath its earth. The mineral rich soils and pockets of natural gas have been the target of multi-national companies entering it to exploit its natural resources for years. The country is still fighting US oil company Chevron in the courts. Texaco, a company the oil company bought in 2001, allegedly dumped huge amounts of crude oil and toxic waste in the Amazon over a period of twenty or so years. Heavily contaminating groundwater, the pollution has had devastating effects on the local ecosystem and native people. If Chevron is found guilty they could pay in excess of £8 billion in damages.

Even though the new laws will not help the Chevron case they could aid one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, the Yasuni National Park, where two ‘untouched' Amazonian tribes still live. The land is being pursued by companies wanting to extract the large reserves of untapped crude oil believed to lie beneath it.

As these laws are unprecedented across the globe there's no knowing what may result from them. The entire world is watching to see how they are used, and so we should, our earth's lungs are at stake here.

There's a new washing machine on the European market (but sadly not available in the UK yet) that does not require any detergents to clean your dirty clothes. It's called the WasH2O and is made by Chinese company Haier.How it works is electrical currents are sent through the water turning the water's atoms into acid atoms (H+) and alkaline atoms (OH-). In this form the separated atoms are effective dirt removers. The H+ ions also act like bleach, turning those stained whites into bright whites.

This is great news for our oceans and our pockets, in the long term at least - a WasH2O is available for 700 Euros. Of course once bought you never have to buy detergent again. The chemicals found in many detergents end up in our rivers and oceans via our water systems, so by removing them in our clothes washing routine, we reduce a fair share of water pollution we've created to keep ourselves ‘clean'. Clean clothes do not necessarily translate to clean environment.

Until your machine goes kaput it would be pretty pointless to dump it in washing machine heaven. Using eco friendly detergents until it does die makes a little more sense to our throw away society. Besides, by the time the WasH2O is available to buy in the UK, it may just be time for a new machine.

Four good reasons being a vegetarian is better for the planet and you:

1. Animals contribute significantly to global warming. The vegetarian Society's Silent But Deadly campaign is getting the word out there that farmed animals contribute 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Scary when compared to the entire world's transport system which is believed to emit 13.5% of total gas emissions.

2. Raising cattle is tortuous to our land and uses far more energy and resources than growing fruit, vegetables and grains. You could feed twenty vegetarians on the same piece of land you would need to feed one meat eater. Also animals hard pack the soil, destroying plant species and making it more difficult to grow crops on in future.

3. We now know meat is not essential to a healthy, balanced diet. Complete proteins found in animal products can also be found in foods like soya. Plus nuts, seeds, beans, pulses and grains like quinoa are all good sources of protein. There's strong supporting evidence organically grown produce contains more nutrients and minerals than chemically sprayed crop varieties so you can get even more iron from your organic vegies like spinach.

4. It's trendy. The Food Standards Agency's Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards survey this year found that 2% of people in the UK are now vegetarian. Stella McCartney, Anthony Kiedis and Leona Lewis are but a few well-known vegetarian celebrities paving the way with a greener diet.

If you love meat too much maybe just try cutting down a bit for the sake of our animal friendly earth, and certainly go for organic as it is kinder to the animals and the environment.

For those interested, the London Vegan Festival is on September 7th and will be held from 11am to 8pm at the Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8. Adults cost £1 to ender and kids under 16 are free.

 

The rising cost of energy and animal feed has seen an increase in the price we pay for meats (nearly 14% in the last year). We have also seen a rise in the cost of animal derived products such as butter (up 31% in the past year).

The good news for organic meat eaters, according to Robin Maynard, campaigns director for the Soil Association, is ‘over time the rising costs of oil and fossil-fuel derived inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides should favour the economics of organic farming and production compared to non-organic.' He continues with the fact that 26% less energy is required for organic farming.

Don't assume a diet that includes meat and animal products has to be more expensive in the short term though. Organic British butter for example, is currently cheaper than the well know brand Anchor Spreadable.

Try searching for locally bred animals and weigh up whether indulging in a chemical free plump piece of rump, less frequently is worth it by considering the savings to the environment and your health. Also helping organic farmers to grow and become sustainable in both a business and ecological sense enables them to pass the energy savings on to us consumers.