12) Interview with Julian Howland from Rising Tide MY OPINION!!!!

I agreed with most of what Julian said during the interview. I found it very interesting that a large population of people 'going green' are families with kids and younger adults. It is good that these people are finding 'green' important because they will help impact the future of Eco-Friendliness. I had never really thought about the fact that organic/natural foods are probably going to have similar nutrients. It makes perfect sense, but I guess I had just assumed that organic/natural foods had less fat, sodium and more good stuff. I guess that was a generalization. I am glad I talked with Julian about Eco-Friendliness/organic/natural because it opened my eyes to how the label with 'organic' on it can be a seller and how some food is going to be unhealthy even if it is organic.
Julian was a good person to interview because he works at Rising Tide Co-op in Damariscotta. He has first-hand experience about the marketing and selling of organic/natural foods and products. Thanks Julian!

12) Interview with Julian Howland from Rising Tide NOTES!!!!

1) What are the basics of Eco-Friendliness?
Julian Howland: Creating no waste, using post production waste, comes from the Earth and then goes back to the Earth.

2) Who is going green?
JH: Families with young children, younger people (adolescents, teens, young adults)

3) Are organic and natural foods better for people to consume?
JH: That depends. Organic/natural can be just as unhealthy (as conventional)

4) Is green a trend right now?
JH: Yes. Organic labels can mean more sales (for those who want to be healthier/Eco-Friendly)

5) How is the economic crisis affecting the organic and natural business?
JH: People have been buying less, watching what they buy/eat more than they used to

6) Are there many imitation organics on the market these days?
JH: No. Organics have to be approved by the government before getting to use the label.

7) How can you tell real organics from ‘organics’?
JH: Same as 6. You need to read if it is 100% organic to really know the difference.

8) Do organic and other Eco-Friendly practices tend to support each other?
JH: Usually. Most people who are health-conscience are Earth-conscience, too.

11) Color them Green MY OPINION!!!!!

I really liked this article. It sort of said that Eco-Friendliness was becoming more of a trend and that it was being accepted. It told how it was becoming more popular and that people were willing to be a part of this kind of restaurant. I think it is good that public places like restaurants are taking a stand to be better for the environment. They can have a big impact on how we eat, (organic, local, etc.), and can be more than just business. It is also very good that the community and eater-outers are supportive of the 'greenness.' It is important that the public becomes aware of the global situation and incorporate that awareness into their fun/social lives. I am glad I found this article.

11) Color them Green NOTES!!

Notes
~Beach Pea Baking Co. in Kittery Maine is going green for the environment, money and energy-saving, and attention
~2009 National Restaurant Association survey said that 4/10 restaurants wanted to be become greener soon
~energy makes up about 3-4% of a restaurant's cost
~NRA survey 44% of people who eat out would prefer an Eco-friendly practices
~the greatest supporters of Eco-friendly restaurants were people between the ages of 18-34
~Owners of Beach Pea Baking Co. have been Eco-friendly since the beginning, it is something they both believe in.
~the Eco-restaurants appeal to the people between the ages 18 and 34
~the owners say it is important to them and has always been part of their business.
~Beach Pea Bakery Co. has receptacles for the many things that they recycle, compost, and trash
~about 24 Maine restaurants have been certified "Eco-friendly"
~"Eco-friendly" restaurants also get help reducing their carbon footprint
~awards can be given to places that use local foods
~food travels (on average) about 1,500 miles from growing land to your mouth
~energy efficiency helps save the restaurants money...money they need because of the recession
~food waste=approx. 1/2 of restaurant's trash (composting saves a lot of $ and trash-space)
~"pre-rinse spray valve that cuts water flow from 2.5 gallons per minute to just over a gallon per minute can save a 100-seat restaurant about 90,000 gallons of water a year"
~Beach Pea Baker Co. reduces, reuses, recycles, and conserves to the max.
~corn cups can cost 3-5 cents less than traditional plastic cups per cup
~people understand when something is a little more expensive if it is explained and is helping the environment

It's Organic, But does that mean it is Safer? MY OPINION!!!

I really liked this article. I thought it answered my question about how popular organic is becoming and how safe it is for people. I was shocked and sort of disgusted at the thought of birds and rats around peanut butter and other foods that people eat. That is really gross. I think it is very dishonest of companies that put 'organic' on their products when their products aren't really organic. Inspectors of the companies should investigate the sanitary situation of the company as well as the products used in the foods. If they aren't organic, the company should be notified and asked to handle the situation. This article was recent enough to include the latest salmonella outbreak, which I thought was very understandable. I think this article was very helpful.

10) It’s Organic, but Does That Mean It’s Safer? NOTES!

Notes

~Texas and Georgia peanut butter, (the recently recalled stuff) was 'certified' organic

~"organic certification technically has nothing to do with food safety"

~organic food can be up to 50 % more expensive than conventional

~some people think that organic food should be healthier and safer for the land ~in 2002, regulations were made to make sure that organic food is not using pesticides, animal feeds, and agricultural practices
~food is certified 'organic' by people appointed by the Department of Agriculture ~the farm owners have to pay to be inspected by an 'organic' certifier ~a Texas 'organic' certifier was fired because they certified the Peanut Corporation of America, (where the recall was traced to), even though the cooperation did not have a health certificate
~took one certifier seven months to get the 'organic' label away from the Peanut Corporation
~3,000 products were recalled that left nine people dead and around 700 sick ~letters were sent to some organic companies telling them to be more Earth-friendly than just pesticide free
~'Organics has grown from an $11 billion business in the United States in 2001 to one that now generates more than $20 billion in sales, so the stakes for farmers, processors and certifiers can be high.'
~inspectors can't detect viruses, but they can detect animals and their poop
~some people want local, hormone-free food-the organic label does mean that sometimes
~cookies and crackers labeled 'organic' are a little sketchy

Final Focus: Futher Research Needed

After writing my essay, I discovered that there are many things I need to find before I feel completely satisfied with my search. The following questions are variations of what I might ask the person I interview. I hope they will be able to answer them.
~What are the basics of Eco-Friendliness?
~Who is 'going green'?
~Are organics and natural better for people to consume?
~How do you think the economic crisis is affects the organic and natural business?
~Is 'greener' a trend right now?
I hope to interview someone from Rising Tide Co-op. I feel that they could answer my questions with personal experience about how organic/natural/Eco-Friendliness is becoming more popular and who is 'going greener'. The articles that I will look for will be about how to be more Eco-Friendly. My final conclusions will hopefully include all these questions and more.

Turning Cooking Oil into Fuel MY OPINION!!

I like this article. It has almost nothing to do with organic/natural trends, but it is all about Eco-Friendliness and how it is becoming more popular. Eco-Friendliness is going to cars, something that most people use everyday. I think it a great idea to use waste cooking oil for fueling our cars. Something that America makes enough can power our cars and reduce the amount of stuff that ends up in the garbage.
Since the environment is a big issue right now, hopefully the trend about cooking oil fueled cars will grow and more people will get involved. I would love to have a car that ran completely on cooking oil.

9) Turning Cooking Oil Into Fuel for the County NOTES!

Notes
~(In Westchester County) there are 7 vehicles that run on cooking oil only, 125 vehicles that run on a mix of diesel and cooking oil
~Westchester knows that there are 3500 restaurant that cooking oil is collected from so it can be used for fuel
~10,000 gallons of cooking oil could save about $25,000 in fuel costs
~also save the restaurants money, they have to pay to get rid of used cooking grease
~cars and equipment that usually run on diesel work well when they were experimented with a mix of veggie oil and diesel
~It cost $4,500 to make each of the 7 vehicles run on cooking oil.
~The cooking oil and diesel mixture cost very little to fix the car up.
~It is pretty cheap to build places that process cooking oil, about $1,000 per system.
~There are already a bunch of systems around the county that process cooking oil for county-owned factories and homeless shelters.
~One restaurant thinks it is a good idea to have the oil reused because oil is becoming something that restaurants have to change more often.
~to dispose of 5 gallons of oil was about $22.
~"Food service at the MasterCard headquarters in Purchase, one of the 10 businesses already participating in the county program, disposes of about 100 gallons a month."
~some restaurants have to dispose of about 200 gallons of oil every 3 weeks=about $86
~cleaner, cheaper option for taxpayers, environment and emission-conscience people

Change in plans for ISearch

I have decided that my ISearch is more about Eco-Friendliness than it is about organic and natural trends. I have found information about the trends that have come around the past few years, but they were not as abundant as I had hoped. They also are not exactly what I've been looking for. I think by changing or shifting my search to 'Eco-Friendliness' will improve my topic and incorporate more information. It will also give me a more direct path.

8) Why the Filthy Rich Aren't Green: 7 Habits of Highly Inefficient People MY OPINIO

I liked this article a lot. As the global warming gets worse, it makes you roll you eyes when you read about the people who have seem to have everything, but can't be bothered to reduce on the amount of stuff they own or use. I personally think it is ironic and slightly funny that John McCain said he would try to cut back on global warming when he himself, owns 7-10 houses. Is that really what we want running our country? I also think that people who are "filthy rich" are not expected to deal with things like global warming. They are used to what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. There are no limits on what they can have or do. It is sort of sad that those people who influence society everyday couldn't set better examples on how to live and act.

This article was useful for me because it was about the 'trendiness' of going green. For the people in the article, going green, (in all aspects of life), is not a big priority.

8) Why the Filthy Rich Aren't Green: 7 Habits of Highly Inefficient People NOTES

NOTES
~David Beckham-largest carbon footprint, according to UK green-group Carbon Trust (footprint came from frequent flying, multiple cars, 'artificial enhancements'(for wife))
~Prince Alwaleed bin Talal-20th richest person in the world owns a huge, personal jet (also owns yachts, 300+ cars, 317 room palace.)
~Madonna put more than 1, 635 tons of carbon dioxide into the air on her Sticky and Sweet Tour (also spends around $100,000 on bottled water per year and has 4 freezers on tour vehicles)
~Tom Cruise spends about $1 million for fuel in ONE year ("The New York Post estimates Mrs. Cruise spent $14 million in just six months to support her lavish NYC lifestyle.")
~John McCain-owns 7-10 homes ("Environmentalists estimate his homes put out about 150 tons of carbon dioxide")
~Elizabeth Hurley-held a huge wedding, included flying guests to and from different countries ("The environmental company Best Foot Forward estimated their wedding released over 228 tons of carbons.")
~Tiger Woods-owns a $39 million estate, where 129 thousand gallons of water are used a month (the extra water is used to maintain the elaborate landscaping)

#7 Why Global Warming Portends a Food Crisis MY OPINION!

This article is not directly related to 'organic' or 'natural', but I think global warming will effect organic and natural crops more than it seems. Organic and natural foods need more care and attention so nothing happens to them. They need the attention because they don't get sprayed with chemicals that turn bugs away. Also, organic crops are less plentiful than conventional crops. Global warming will make growing organic crops more scarce and will feed less people. Also, global warming will cause food and water costs to increase because of the decrease in production. There will be more hungry people and deaths related to malnutrition. The need for organic/natural foods will decrease because it become more important to have food, not a certain type of food.
This article helped me think beyond what global warming will mean for animals and myself. It helped me think of Africans and how the organic industry will be affected. Global warming is a very scary thing that won't be resolved unless everyone does their part and then some. Global warming will hurt everyone and everything, and that is something every person in the world needs to realize. It's closer than it may seem.
This article was great for may reasons.

#7 Why Global Warming Portends a Food Crisis NOTES!

Notes
~warmer seasons and temperatures mean more time to grow food
~if the weather's warmer, is there a longer time to grow food?.....NO.
~Here's why-increase of storms, desert land, rising sea levels....all these harm growing land
~"90% chance that by the end of the century, average growing-season temperatures would be hotter than the most extreme levels recorded in the past."
~even if the world dramatically cut it's greenhouse emissions, July days would still be hotter than ever recorded
~too much heat will wilt and kill the world's food productions
~in 2003, a extremely hot summer killed 36% of maize fields in Italy
~' "How are we going to feed a world of 8 or 9 billion with the effects of climate change?" '
~short-term heat spikes could be good for plants (more CO2, warmer growing from the get-go), but not good in the long run
~plants stop tolerating heat, so they die of it
~Africa could be most damaged if the climate gets hotter, (they could lose more farmland to drought, heat waves, etc.)
~need to plant more crops that can tolerate high temperatures
~Africa has very little farmland now...it needs help maintaining it
~if we don't act now, ' "We won't have enough food to feed the world today, let alone tomorrow." '

Phoebe Responce #3

Jeanettteee! I love how you had that extra little post "questions for I-search" that was a great idea and I might do the same to mine(: The only thing I would say is the way your blog is laid out can be a little confusing, but I'm not sure what could be done to change that. Other than that keep up the good work!!

Morgan's Rotation response #3

I've also wondered how "organic" the natural trend is. You are doing a really good job. One sugestion I have is to put your notes in complete sentences, right now its just a little difficult to comprehend. I think I might actually read this blog when I'm not told to...

Kelsey Schwarz- Response to 4,5,6

You're doing a really good job Jeanette. I can tell that you're interested in your topic and you seem excited about it which is good. =] You're gathering good information, but the way your laying it out can be a bit confusing. The way it's written in different bullets make its a little choppy. Also just remember to write the date that you saw the article in your citations. Keep up the good work though!

Four Green Trends Set in 2008 Which Set Us on a Better Eco-path for 2009 MY OPINION!

This is a decent article. I liked the facts that it had and that it pointed out four ‘trends’ of 2008. The trends, though, are more about energy problems that were big issues of this past year. It doesn’t really answer my about what types of trends are really Eco-friendly and which ones aren’t. This article had good information about the awareness of global problems and how they have become known in public. I think this article was moderately helpful because it did talk about trends and how they will help make the future greener.

Four Green Trends Set in 2008 Which Set Us on a Better Eco-path for 2009 NOTES!

~renewable energy opened eyes on ideas about increasing energy independence, decrease fossil fuels, and reduce carbon emissions
~renewable energy was a new concept 18 months ago
~Barack Obama has ideas on how to make America greener, climate change, environmental regulations, clean energy, energy independence, and create green jobs
~hopefully Obama will be supportive and active about going green
~2008-food versus fuel for growing land
~beiofuels became less popular while food prices increased
~algae-based fuels are beginning to be a possibility for greener fuels
~biofuel and fossil fuels do the same amount of damage when biofuels don’t reduce carbon, increase the amount of cleared area
~peak oil will be used or discussed in the near future
~Shell would probably use peak oil by 2015

Questions for my ISearch Topic

Who is going green? Organic? Natural?
What is the reasoning to go organic?
How are they going green?
Are all organic foods that same?
What do pesticides do to the Earth?
Are things getting greener?
What types of things are stores selling that is organic/renewable/recycled/natural/eco-friendly?
Which one is better for the consumer: organic or natural?
What % of the population is eating/consuming/buying/using organic products?
What will the future be like so organic natural products and food?
Is all organic food the same? Eco-friendly wise?

What does Organic mean? MY OPINION!!!!

I really liked this article. It gave me the kind of information that I needed about standards that ‘organics’ have to pass. It also pointed out that some foods were called ‘organic’, but were actually semi organic. Organic foods are becoming popular, which is increasing the production and stretching the definition of the term ‘organic’. I also loved that this article broke down terms on food labels into something that is easy to understand. I still have many questions, but this article helped me a lot with some of the basic ideas of organic foods.

What does Organic mean? NOTES!!!

~organic food trade became $20 billion industry
~price of food-USDA standards have to be tested on product
~organic-no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones
~animals (for meat) must be raised on organic foods
~USDA required that animals must have access to outdoors
~large scale farms are popular, use monoculture conglomerates
(people thinks it depletes the soil and betrays organic ideals)
~Organic Consumers Union-claims semi organic foods get organic labels
~inorganic foods have been ‘organic’-making people mad
~certified organic-95% organic ingredients, 5% inorganic
~43 inorganic ingredients that are certified to use in inorganic 5%
(19 food colorings, pig intestine, hops, etc…)
~want to change semi organics into “authentic foods” or “conservation
agriculture
~organics won’t feed the world (according to Norman Borlaug)
~(Organics)-50% less fertilizer and 97% less pesticides but produce 20% less food
~Norman Borlaug says we would need 3 times more farmland to feed people
organically
~others believe hunger is about access and poverty of food, not how it is grown
~some studies show that organic and conventional produced the same amount of
food, if both were working efficiently
Definitions
~100% organic USDA-USDA approved organic stuff
~organic USDA-at least 95% organic ingredients
~made with organic ____-at least 70% organic ingredients
~All Natural, Natural-no synthetic ingredients, colorings, or
preservatives/animals can be raised on hormones/there are no set standards
~No Chemicals Added-It is unclear what this label means

Katrina's Second Post

I like all the statistics in this blog there really interesting to think about. I really think you should also look into how organic food effects not only teenagers, but people in their twenty's and thirties. I think some people just like the label 'green' or 'eco friendly' but don't really know what it means and how not everything with that label is actually good for you. This was mentionined in your blog which was cool too. Another example of this false advirtising is when people buy free- range eggs, but I think that the standards set for that label by the FDA are also very lax. Consider looking into FDA regulations for green food? Hope this helps your quest! You have a great start.

Locally Growing My Opinion

After a frantic search for an article that might be useful, I found this one in the newspaper. It is about how a local and organic buying club. People can become members and buy food in bulk for less than you would in a grocery store. The intention of the buying club, called Food Now, is to someday build a grocery store to sell local and organic food for cheaper than other places. I think this was an interesting article. It showed that people are willing to change their ways to buy local and save money. Since the economy is not doing well, I'm sure that the people involved with the club were excited to be saving the money on the stuff they really need, like food.
As interesting as this article was, it was not as much help as I had hoped. I was looking for something about how it is better for the people to eat and better for the environment. It seems like a good club to be involved with. Hopefully my next article will be more about how the foods effective and impact the environment.

Locally Growing NOTES

Notes
~Food Now, local and organic movement that is starting with a buying club
~food is organic, local, and cheaper than supermarkets
~food comes from Crown of Maine and United Natural Foods
~new club, started last January with about 10 members
~2 meetings per month, discussing a plan to start a store
~Food Now was started because people wanted local food for less before the store is built
~$15 membership let's people order organic and local food, (money goes to pay for rent of the warehouse and buy the food in bulk)
~things are not always cheaper with Food Now, food that is not organic might be cheaper at a grocery store
~Food Now get people connected to the places were food comes from, they learn more about it
~not an industrial food network, you have to be flexible and patient
~hopefully will get enough support to build a store, (in the near future)
~saves time and money by buying for Food Now
~want to know from costumers if they want a store or a buying club

Cole- Second Response

Jeanette, I really like your blog, it is very interesting and I enjoyed reading about the organic foods and the non-edible products that can also be organic. I liked the way you set up your notes also. Maybe you could try going to a local farm and interviewing someone who works there. Overall I think your blog is really great!

Hayden- Second Response

I kiked your topic and your responces, though at times your notes were dificult to understand from the point of view of someone who hadn't read the article. I, like, Chauncey, would like to see more about organic stuff around the house as apposed to foods. Overall though, it seems that you really understand the topic and it really works for you and that's what matters.


P.S. I dont understand how your test would work to gauge the difference between organic/inorganic if both got the same of everything. Wouldn't they both be organic if they both got the same water, air, soil and sun?

Jackson's second response

Jeanette; your blog is very informative. Its helpful how you have so many statistics in your notes. I never really thought about how some "organic food" may not be organic, and I definitely never thought about organic pillows. Have you ever been to O'Natural's? Its an organic fast food place in Portland and its really really good. Maybe for your interview/ field experience post you could interview someone that works at or owns one of these places, or even somewhere as close as Rising Tide. Your blog is very interesting and coming along nicely.

Chaunceys Second Response

Jeanette, this is a very good blog and I enjoyed it very much. I like the article that was about food and the nutrient value of organic to inorganic food. I really like to see something on organic materials. If I were to do this topic, I would interview someone from one of the farms organic farms around here. My mom worked at Morning Dew farm and they are very nice people and would probably answer your questions.
I get the magazine Mental Floss and they had a short page on Certified Organic stuff but I keep on forgetting to give it to you. It's in my bag.

Excellent notes and responses

Excellent effort, in addition to thoughtful responses to thorough notes - Keep going! You are really doing strong work!!!!

Excellent notes and responses

Excellent effort, in addition to thoughtful responses to thorough notes - Keep going! You are really doing strong work!!!!

Food Conscious: Is organic better? It depends. My opinion!!!!!!

This article is great! It is very much what I am looking for. The only thing that would make this article better for me is if was about organic/natural products and material items, not food. It was very interesting to see how many tests were being and have been done and what the results are. I think the most ideal test would be having the same type of fruit/veggie be planted and taken care of in the same way. One would be organic and the other inorganic, but they would get the same amount of water, sunlight, air exposure and time to grow. That test I think would be effective. This article was very interesting and was good for what I am studying.

Food Conscious: Is organic better? It depends. NOTES!!!

Notes
~experiments were poorly planned-too small of quantities used, different areas of growing
~older experiments proved, or seemed to prove, organic food was healthier-wishful thinking
~lots of talk about organic produce, seems trendy to be and seems to have more nutrients
~studies in United Kingdom showed that antioxidant levels were higher in organic foods than in
inorganic
~one study showed that organic dried tomatoes had more, (79%-97%) antioxidants that
inorganic
~similar results occurred when tests were done on different types of berries and kiwis
~technology has improved, giving more accurate readings
~Trend: organic foods have more nutrients and a better for the environment
~nutrient levels depend on the fruit or veggie, type, ripeness when picked, how they were kept,
how long they have been stored are what determine the nutrient levels
~some fruits/veggies have more nutrients than other varieties of the same fruit/veggie
~most fruits and veggies have different varieties that seem the same, (ex., yellow onions can
vary in what type of yellow onion)
~market foods have had studies done that prove they have lost nutrients
~some research has been done unfairly, inorganic frozen vs. unfrozen organic
~organic canned sauces had same nutrient as inorganic
~nutrition is lost in processing foods, organic and inorganic
~organic farms use more organic and natural fertilizers, making the foods grown in them more
likely to have more antioxidants
~organic truths-healthier lands and less pesticides
~buy locally grown food, fresh and cook yourself are the only ways to get the most bang for your
buck and the most nutrition

Natural Products Expo Asia 2009 My Opinion

This article was about a natural and organic food and products expo. The expo will be in Hong Kong on August 27-29, 2009. It was mostly about what will happen at the expo, what will hopefully happen, and similar events that will be happening at the same time and place. I never realized that there were expos that involved so many people and were so big. As interesting as this article is, it didn't help me too much. The only way that this article would really help me is if I could get information about the expo and then go to it. This is probably not going to happen. This article would helped me a lot more if it had told more about the products themselves, not what is going to happen with them.

Natural Products Expo Asia 2009 NOTES

Notes
~Natural Products Expo Asia produced by New Hope Natural Media will have an
exhibit in Hong Kong.
~Exhibitions will be at Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center from August
27-29, 2009.
~Topic of exhibition will be about the increasing amount of natural, organic, and
healthful demand in region.
~People are eating more natural/organic foods because of the recent food scares.
~About 500 exhibitors from around the world and hopefully 12,000 buyers from
30+ countries are expected to be at the convention.
~Things from food to cosmetics will be showcased. Things varying the % level of
organic/natural materials will be showcased, too.
~Nutracon Asia, (co-partners of Products Expo Asia 2009), will be having
speakers about sustainable packing, markets & trending, ingredient sources, and
GMP regulation.

Wanna zzz on safer pillows? My opinion

This article was sent to me by Ideal Bite. Ideal Bite is a daily Eco-friendly tip that is sent to my email. The article I picked to help me with my I-Search topic is about organic and natural pillows. It tells the pros of using organic/natural bedding instead of standard materials. Tells about what materials are good for the environment and how they are good. The writer also adds a dose of humor to the article. It includes a few statistics and a company's links to homepages that Ideal Bite mentions in the 'Wanna try?' section. I like the article, but it is not as useful to me as I hoped. I need articles that compare/contrast organic/inorganic or that have more statistics about the increase of organic/natural products.

Wanna zzz on safer pillows? Notes

Notes about organic pillows
~soil, where materials are grown, stays cleaner because farmers don't use pesticides
~contains no polyester,product of oil
~natural latex from rubber trees, buckwheat, kapok fibers-other materials that can
be used
~products similar to inorganic ones

Organic meets fast food in latest green trend~Notes

Notes
~Tim Gargiulo, (founder of VG Burgers) organic is 'cleaner way to eat'
~most people don't realize it's green/vegetarian food
~26% of Americans eat 1 thing claiming to be organic every 2 weeks
~more people are eating organically that dieting today
~grass-fed, free-range cow is used in many organic restaurants
~can get money for going green
~trying to get people more aware of their health
~local ingredients,(must be certified by the USDA), show consumers where food comes from
~Pizza Fusion-hybrid cars to deliver pizza
~biodegradable packaging, (corn and sugar pulp)
~bamboo-finished restaurants
~donating olive oil to people owning bio-diesel cars

Organic Fast Food Trends MY OPINION

I found this article in a database and then furthered my research by finding the other part of it online. It is about how organic fast food chains are becoming more popular. The article stated that the businesses use Eco-friendly materials and natural products for the food and equipment. Packaging is made from sugar and corn pulp. These resources are renewable and are easier to break-down than plastic is. The food comes from local and natural/organic farms. Places that deliver things like organic pizza drive Earth-friendly cars. The restaurants seem to be worthy of helping the environment. They also seem to have been started because of people wanting better food to nourish their bodies. The reason some of them were started was because people enjoyed fast food, but wanted it healthier. These restaurants don't send a vibe that says, "We are trying to be greener because it's trendy." The vibe they send is care and honesty.

Organic and Natural Trends-5 paragraphs

At the beginning of my I-Search quest, I started out with three possible topics for research. Since then, I have narrowed down my possibilities to one topic. My choice is about if organic and natural trends serve their purpose as well as they claim to. The reasons I picked this idea is because it interests me, it is current, and it is a very prominent issue in the world.

I chose organic and natural trends because I am the average-Joe who is not sure if certain products are worthy of their Eco-friendliness. I am curious to know if there is a standard that products have to meet to qualify as organic or natural. If so, are all products really meeting that standard or are they just fudging it to look good? Organic and natural trends also interest me because I would like to be able to be part of a solution for our world, instead of a problem. I am interested in finding what will help humans that also helps protect the wildlife.

Staying updated in this subject will not be difficult because it is a very current issue. Products and companies are constantly changing their formulas and workspaces so they can be more Eco-friendly. If I can find information about how and why things are changing, I can predict whether or not a company/product is switching for the sake of the Earth or for trendiness. There are many different viewpoints I will encounter, which means I will constantly be updating my opinion on my topic. With unlimited amounts of information, my subject will constantly be updated and current.

Along with staying interested in my topic, I will also be challenged by it. Organic and natural trends will force me to be open to new opinions and viewpoints. Being a stubborn person sometimes, it will be a challenge for me to accept reoccurring facts that seem bazaar. I will also have to think beyond what a product or company and more about how it affects the world. This will make me think about the best option for the best outcome.

Organic and natural trends will be my interesting I-Search topic. Throughout the process, I will be intrigued about the abundance and types of information I find. Data and records will frequently change and will enhance my interest and opinion. Organic and natural trends will be a good I-Search topic for me.

jeanette!
I think it is a good idea to go with organic and natural trends. It sounds very interesting, and you could find a lot of information on it. The other 2 topics are interesting too, but they would be hard to find a lot on. Plus you might not be as interested with collage majors after a few months. Learning about a dancers life would be very interesting, but i doubt you would find too much about it. I think your final idea is a good one. Just make sure you have enough information.
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Jeanette all your topics are in completely different areas of interest! You are a dancer, so your topic on dancing will fascinate you, however it is not a topic that you can follow for six months, neither is the topic on college's. But the organic fashion trends is a great topic! You might be able to tie in food trends as well! You are in my Slow Foods Club at school, and you know a lot about organic foods. And you could write about how sometimes people say that the food is "natural and organic" but they are not exactly totally organic. There is a difference between fresh and organic food. Fashion is changing all the time so it will be fun to follow, Katie moran's topic is on fashion as well and maybe you two can feed off each other for information.

isearch topic

Jeanette, organic and natural trends is an interesting topic. The definition for organic and natural trends seems to be constantly changing. Perhaps you could look into why these definitions change. What is the difference between organic and natural and fresh foods? How is growing organic food different from growing other food that isn't organic? Who determines the price for organic food? Are the organic food benefits all they're cut out to be? Perhaps you could go to Rising Tide and interview someone there. Best of Luck!

Organic Products

I think that you are sitting on a potential goldmine of information for this project if you were to research the organic trends. While all of your potential topics are very interesting, they don't seem to be offering you copious amounts of information, or even information that is current. If you were to chose professional dancing however, it is quite possible you could get into contact, or even follow a blog of a professional dancer, and this would offer a very unique look into the life of such a career. However, in today's world, "eco-friendly", "organic" and "green" are terms being thrown around like no-ones business. I think it would be great if you started to pick this topic apart and find out just what is good for the environment. You'll run into lots of interesting viewpoints ("I think global warming is just god huggin' us tighter"). But that will allow you many different interpretations of your research. There literally thousands of email strings (The Ideal Bite) and RSS feeds that you can choose from in order to have the information just delivered right to you. That's convenience! I would suggest narrowing your topic more though, just so that you are not flooded by information, all contradicting other information. Perhaps select one kind of organic product or one particular kind of eco-friendly business to track. You have an incredible opportunity to research an extremely intersting and ever changing topic here.

Three Topics

For the beginning part of our I-Search projects, we were required to do some brief research on our topics. My topics are the pros and cons of getting two majors in college, the real lives of professional dancers, and whether organic and natural trends are as purposeful as them seem. My research has consisted of different databases and phrases that would lead me to new articles and points on my subject.

One of my topics is about the pros and cons of majoring in two subjects in college. I want to research this topic because I have been trying to decide what I want to major in when I go to college. My decision has come-down to majoring in two subjects at the same time. I want to research this topic because I want to know more about what I might be getting into if I do major in two subjects. My data is quite limited because there are not many articles that focus on getting two majors. The few articles I have found are about getting into colleges and being prepared for them. The databases where I found my information were the Student Resource Center Bronze and Opposing Viewpoints. Although this topic interests me and concerns my future, I am probably not going to pursue it because it doesn’t seem as updated and popular as I first envisioned.

Another topic I picked to search is about the real lives of dancers. My reason for wanting to research this is because I had wanted to be a professional dancer a few short years ago. I would still love to go professional in dance, but I’m not completely certain I understand the whole process and lifestyle. I have heard that many professional dancers are not paid much and miss out on important aspects of life. Before I make a decision on what I want to do, I would like to know the truth about expectations on and offstage, life before and after going professional, and the types of relationships that are commonly formed and kept when dancing in a company. The data and articles I have found are mostly about the lives of big-name dancers that changed dance history. These are important and interesting, but are not necessarily about the lives of these people before, after, and during their whole lives. I am looking for something that is more about a dancer’s perspective on their life rather than someone else’s interpretation of their dance life. I found the articles with the help of Student Resource Center Bronze.

My favorite topic to research is whether organic and natural trends and products are purposeful. I decided to research this topic because the news has been filled with things about going green and how trendy it is. I am very interested in global warming and making the world a better place. If there is a product I need to buy, I am likely to buy the eco-friendly one. My choice would be because I think I am doing something good for the Earth and myself. I would like to know if all the products that claim to be ‘organic or natural’ are doing it for the sake of the Earth or if it is being done as a fashion statement. I have found a lot of information about what products are really organic/natural, how being ‘green’ is becoming a fashion statement, and whether or not the organic and natural products are as eco-friendly as they claim to be. The most helpful sites Student Resource Center Bronze and Opposing viewpoints. This is defiantly my favorite topic because the data is so abundant and always changing.

The I-Search research process has been successful, specifically one of my topics. All my topics are interesting and affect me in different ways. I will pick the topic that I can find the most information on and interests me the most. I will also pick a topic that will make a difference for other people as well as me. I will probably end-up researching organic and natural trends serving their purposes.