Laura Klein on Going Organic

By Guest Blogger Laura Klein - November 7, 2008

I came across some pretty cool news in the Organic Report’s 2008 Trends in the Organic Sector (that actually came from the Organic Trade Association). I have always believed that organic farming could help alleviate world hunger and help reduce the planet’s co2. The evidence is now beginning to surface to support these hunches.

Research at The Rodale Institute states that organic farming practices can eradicate and seize about 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air in one acre of farm land per year. That’s huge folks! Rodale further estimates that if all 434 million acres of U.S. cropland were converted to organic practices, it would be the equivalent of pulling 217 million automobiles off the road – that is almost 88% of all cars in the United States and one third of all cars in the world. That is huge and a huge reason to go organic! Now this may be a tough one, but this is a great goal to strive for!

In October, the United Nations released a study that supports that organic farming is an effective solution to feeding its people. Results from the U.N. Environment Program support that organic farming raises crop yields, improve soil conditions and boosts an African farmers bottom line. That’s big folks. Now I realize these solutions have a lot of political barriers to cross to succeed, but we can support going organic buy voting with our dollar and buying more organic foods. In these tough economic times, it can be tough to cough up the extra $.50 or $1.00, but there are tips and tricks for buying organic foods on a budget, read Top Tips for Shopping for Organic Foods on a Budget. And remember folks when you eat delicious nutritionally rich foods you are investing in your long term health care, and actively living a preventative lifestyle. Eating organic whole foods, builds a strong immune system and helps ward off serious diseases like cancer.

* Hope for Africa: Study results released by the United Nations (U.N.) in October suggest that organic farming offers Africa the most hope for feeding its people. Findings from research conducted by the U.N. Environment Programme show that organic practices are raising yields, improving the soil, and boosting the income of Africa’s small farmers.

Learn more here.

And if we could educate and train people in third world countries organic farming practices and get water to them, we could make a huge difference.

* Alleviating global warming: Research at The Rodale Institute has shown that organic practices can remove about 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air and sequester it in an acre of farmland per year. Thus, Rodale estimates that if all 434 million acres of U.S. cropland were converted to organic practices, it would be the equivalent of eliminating 217 million cars—nearly 88 percent of all cars in the country today and more than a third of all the automobiles in the world.

Photos courtesy of Laura Klein.  Check out Laura’s video on our Featured Video section!

Laura Klein is currently the web mistress for LauraKlein’sGreenClub.com and is developing her own line of home and car cleaning products called Laura Klein’s Green Cleaning. She is also a regular speaker at green seminars and events. She also shot the television show, Better Living with Laura Klein, is also in development: check out a clip here.

Several years ago, Laura attended the New School of Cooking in Culver City, CA en route to a new career path. The experience ended up making her into one of the nation’s most passionate advocates of how living green positively impacts health. In culinary school, Laura was truly awestruck by the flavor and quality of organically grown produce, pasture-fed meats and sustainably harvested fish (a power-driven career woman with roots in the entertainment field, taking the time to ‘taste test’ different foods was hardly a priority in her past).

Laura’s culinary school experience planted a life-changing seed. She discovered how ‘conventional’ farming, with its herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals, had a deeply destructive impact on the planet – and human health.

If chemicals and toxins impact food so dramatically, Laura began to wonder, what chemicals and toxins lurked in her trusted home care cleaning products? Or her beauty products? Or ‘basics,’ like toothpaste, shampoo and even a bar of soap?

“I began to wonder how all of these ‘invisible’ ingredients impacted my health and my family – and the health of the world around me.”

The answers shocked her. Delving into research with a passion, Laura soon learned that dangerous chemicals lurk in every single area of our lives.  So eager to share her burgeoning knowledge of these invisible toxins, Laura launched OrganicAuthority.com in 2005. A labor of love, Laura’s grass roots online effort soon found a following with over 30,000 members and continues to grow.

Laura regularly teaches Green Living workshops to women and families. She is a sought-after green expert covering topics ranging from the health benefits of a green lifestyle to using DIY home and personal care recipes to saving green by going green and more.  Laura also hosts Better Living with Laura Klein, a lifestyle show that is currently being looked at by several networks.

Laura has been featured as an organic food and green living expert on:

The Food Network
The OC Body Show
Females Uncut radio show
Fine Living’s Shopping with Chefs
Malibu Times Magazine
Woman’s World
Arizona Nutrition

Laura is available for insider advice on how to live a greener, healthier lifestyle for all media outlets. Please contact lbillera@rootforgreen.com to schedule an appointment.