The New Tobacco Bill June 12, 2009

Yesterday Congress introduced a new bill legislating more restrictions on the tobacco industry. It was cute to see our legislatures share a warm-fuzzy, but I am waiting for someone to mention that two of the major food manufactures in the US are owned by Phillip Morris and RJ Reynolds.

Isn’t it also noteworthy that nearly as many people die each year from diet-related illnesses as from tobacco use? So when the Associate Press reported that smoking is the largest cause of preventable deaths in the US, too bad they didn’t think it was worth mentioning that the difference is only 35,000 people (In 2004 there were approximately 435,000 tobacco related deaths and 400,000 diet related deaths).

About 20% of Americans smoke.

63% of Americans are overweight.

31% of Americans are obese.

Since 1965 smoking in the US has gone down 40%.

Since 1962 obesity has increased 31%

Health costs related to smoking – $100 Billion

Health costs related to obesity – $99.2 Billions

So tell me again which is killing us – Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or Marlboro Reds? Oh wait, it’s the same company! As well as Miller Beer, General Foods (i.e. Jell-O, Kellogg cereals), Nabisco,(aka RJ Reynolds, i.e. Fig Newtons, Chips Ahoy, Triscuts, Oreos).

Even Coca-Cola has Miller doing most of its bottling for them. Since Miller is owned by Phillip Morris, you could argue that when you buy a Coke you are supporting the tobacco industry.

So thanks Congress, for imposing more stringent marketing regulations on the tobacco industry. America will know you are serious when you declare a cease and desist of little cookie baking elves and talking chocolate chips selling us diabetes.

Sticks and Carrots for Santa Barbara Businesses June 9, 2009

I have declared a war on styrofoam, so as of late I’ve been  giving local business who use it the business.

Sticks to the following pro-styrofoam businesses:

1. Blenders

2. Jack’s Bagels

3. Los Arroyos

4. Joe’s

Carrots to these planet friendly businesses:

1. Crush Cakes

2. Fresco

3. Hummingbird Cafe - also a fair trade business

4. The Burger Bus – These guys get a carrot and a pomegranate for using only local, organic, and/or sustainably raised food

There are more of both, I am sure, but these are the businesses I have noticed in the past few days. After taking my Fresco left-overs home in a cozy, unbleached compost-friendly container made of post-consumer waste, I found the gigantic styrofoam box for a tiny piece of chicken at Joe’s outright offensive. Then, to add insult to injury the waiter   put the styrofoam in a plastic bag!!!!

I’ll tell you one place I will absolutely never go back to, and that’s Jack’s Bagels. I knew in advance that my bagel sandwich was going to get stuffed into styrofoam, so I explicitly asked them to not do that, and please just wrap it in a piece of foil. This was no high maintence order for custom ingredients or sauces on the side, it was a very simple request that probably even would have saved them a few cents. Whether it was spite or benign apathy I will never know, but when my oder came in styrofoam I decided they will not get another dollar of my hard earned money until they change their ways.

For such a fashionable city, I find Santa Barbara’s excessive use of styrafoam suprising since it is so passe. Even McDonald’s got rid of styrafoam nearly two decades ago!