The Organic View

Ms. Bená Burda, the President of Maggie's Functional Organics, will talk about the importance of Fair Labor and the intricate process involved in making sure that the certified organic garment that you purchase is, in fact made ethically. It has been with the success of Maggie's Organics that Burda has become a leader in pushing organic products beyond the world of food. Burda has also volunteered countless hours in developing organic fiber processing standards and working towards the implementation of those standards at the federal level. She has also worked to help develop definitions and an identity for the Organic Textile Industry. Maggie's Organics and Bená Burda are names recognized in the Organic Product Industry. In October 2001, Maggie's Organics received the Socially Responsible Business Award at the Natural Products Expo in Washington, D.C. In May 2002, Burda herself was recognized by the Organic Trade Association Leadership Awards by receiving the prestigious ?Special Pioneer Award.? In 2004, Burda was voted one of the ?25 people who most influenced the Organics Industry.?

Dr. Nancy Ostiguy, Associate Professor of Entomology at Penn State has been conducting research on honeybee health for the last decade. Dr. Ostiguy was also on the National Organic Standards Board for five years and is now working with the Pennsylvania Certified Organic on organic agriculture issues. Her work on honeybees includes non-pesticidal approaches to control pests of the honeybees, interactions between the varroa mite and honeybee viruses, epidemiology of honeybee viruses and other diseases, and abiotic influences on honeybee survival. She is also interested in sustainable and organic agriculture with a focus on honeybees. So, what can you do to help? Tune in to find out!

Lee Doren will discuss his explosive critique and response to Annie Leonard's The Story of Cosmetics. He will explain his position as he discusses this viral video in explicit detail. Stay tuned!

Some people like pets but some go overboard. If you buy an exotic animal for a pet, it is not exactly going to be content with a small bowl of dried kibble. It is going to want fresh meat and large quantities, at that! If you are going to care for a wild animal, you are going to have to feed it like one! This obsession creates an interesting thought as to why people do these things. Is there a mysterious connection between mankind and the Big Cats that has been hidden for years? If so, can it help save us from our destructive path that we are on? In talking with the Big Cats, they will give us insights into ?Who's Rescuing Whom? and the importance of this information at such a critical time that we find ourselves facing. On this segment of The Organic View, Laura Lassiter, from Big Cat Rescue will talk about this very relationship. As a child, Laura was always encouraged to use her intuitive abilities in every aspect of life and walking between two worlds was a natural way of being. Realizing at an early age that everything was an expression of an Intelligence that could be found everywhere, she discovered talking with animals, plants, rocks, water and anything else that most people considered to be of lower consciousness, effortless and profound. For over 40 years, Laura has been an animal communicator. She devotes her energies helping people remember how to speak the Universal Language by going beyond the logical and allowing the Intelligence that created the Universe to be felt and heard within the heart. In this segment, we will learn about Laura's work with Big Cat Rescue and mankind's obsession with the exotic animal trade.

John Hurson, Executive Vice-President for Government Affairs for The Personal Care Products Council will be my guest to talk about the impact of The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010.

Women pay a very high price for beauty. Cosmetics are a critical part of a woman's daily routine and enable them to look sexy, young and vibrant. There is always going to be a cost involved but it is not necessarily what you may think! Kayla Fioravanti, Chief Formulator, from Essential Wholesale Labs will be my guest on The Organic View, to discuss The Safe Cosmetic Act of 2010, which is a very controversial piece of legislation. Safety is always an issue but who exactly is going to benefit from this? How will this bill directly impact small businesses, especially organic and natural businesses? Will this bill actually make cosmetics safer? What about animal testing? Are more animals going to be mutilated for a $5 dollar lipstick? Where will the safety data come from? Who will determine what is safe and what is not safe? Tune in Live!

People want their lawn to be plush and weed free but at what price? The clever marketers have brain-washed us into thinking that if we have so much as a dandelion on our lawn we are bad neighbors. It is amazing to see people getting down on their hands and knees to pluck a weed if they see one emerge. The American lawn-care obsession fuels a $40 billion industry along with a host of environmental problems. No matter where you are, anywhere you go, whether it is down your street, the local park, a school or business, you will see pristinely groomed lawns. These lawns are chock-filled with chemicals that are toxic! Not only do they kill insects but they are toxic to animals and humans! Yet, our society continues to dump these chemicals onto the grass because the marketers have convinced us that it is our obligation to do so. On this segment of The Organic View, Mr. Paul Tukey, who is North America's leading environmental advocate, lawn care authority, and best-selling author, will talk about the dangers of lawn chemicals and the effects on the environment (especially our precious bees). He will also talk about the movie ?A Chemical Reaction?, which is a documentary that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America.

Don't you just love those new gyms that feature all the cool classes, fancy equipment and even have a new BFF/personal trainer available at ANYTIME, just for you? Have you ever whipped out your credit card, paid for a FULL year at your new gym, only to find out that the equipment is constantly out of order? What about the cleansers they have available to clean equipment? Is there anything other than dirty water in that bottle that you are about to use to clean off your stair master? Is your trainer certified in anything other than being late or taking calls during your work out? Could you actually be doing more damage than good by working only one muscle part in a session? Why do you have to contact the Attorney General in order to get them to stop charging your credit card once you have canceled your membership? Then people wonder why they see fitness chains pop up only to disappear a year or so later! The list goes on and on! In a poor economy, you would think that these gyms would get it together. However, thanks to entrepreneurs like Lisa Welko, President of Ellipse Management Corp. that is going to change! On this segment of The Organic View, Lisa is going to talk about changing trends in the world of fitness.

How would you feel if you worked in an environment in which animals were dying left and right from the products your company made? Tom Kelly spent his entire career working for the chemical boys. He knows too well what goes on with the big manufacturers of commercial lawn products and how hazardous they are to your health, especially animals! When he heard stories circulating in and out of the office such as birds and fish being killed because of products applied to large open areas or that were applied too close to water, stories about gold fish in customers' back yard ponds being killed by off target applications, not to mention extensive damage being done to flower beds and vegetable gardens by careless applicators. To boot, these companies went through extreme measures to cover this all up! Tom not only got frustrated but he decided to do something about it! He started his own business called Fire Belly Organic Lawn Care which manufactures organic lawn care products. Talk about moxy! This guy is not just a manufacturer of products but also educates people about properly caring for their lawns. If you want to learn about what the real deal is with all of these chemicals, stay tuned!

Do you have a child that may be using drugs or even worse, has a severe problem with drug or alcohol abuse? TV and Movies make using drugs look so cool. Especially with the popularity of reality shows such as The Jersey Shore, Gossip Girl and The Hills, it seems anything goes. The thing is, your kids are watching this and using the shows as an example of what life is about. In this segment of The Organic View, we will talk to the Rehab Coach to the Stars, Ms. Lydia Proschinger. Lydia has been helping her clients deal with drug and alcohol dependencies and specializes in working with people who are constantly under the spot light. Today, she will share some of her insight and direction as far as what to do if you are faced with the emotionally debilitating situation when your child has become addicted to alcohol or drugs. Stay tuned!

The BP Oil Spill may now be the largest accidental oil spill in our lifetime. It is, even bigger than the estimated 140 million gallons spewed by the 1979-1980 Ixtoc spill off of the coast of Mexico, which eventually washed up on 170 miles of Texas beaches. The American public's reaction has been one of outrage and is understandably so. People are even boycotting BP stations all over America. The topic for today is what do you do if you own a BP gas station and no one wants to come to your station because of something you, personally had nothing to do with? Franchise owners are in this very position. Today I will be interviewing Todd Weiss, CEO of Sunshine Consulting Ltd. in regards to the BP boycott of individual stations across America in response to the BP oil catastrophe. Todd is a Chartered Financial Analyst and currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Franchise Brokers Association. In 2009, Todd was named the Franchise Broker Association's Franchise Consultant of the Year. Granted, while no one approves of the irresponsible way British Petroleum has been handling the whole situation, is it fair to punish the small business owner? This was clearly not something the franchisee signed up for from day one and had no clue that something like this could even possibly happen. To boot, there is no built in ?escape clause? for the small business owner for unpredicted catastrophes. The small business owner cannot just get out of their franchise contract that easily. So, is this boycott sending a message to BP or simply hurting the small business owner. Stay tuned to decide.

Have you ever lost your dog? Has your cat gone out in the morning only to disappear completely, never to return again? Have you found yourself walking out to your yard, in your pajamas to call out to him or her in the middle of the night in hopes to hear a bark or meow in return? It is a heart wrenching experience that every pet owner dreads. Regardless of tags, implanted micro chips, etc, once they are gone, it is up to fate if they will ever return. Many celebrities in the news have lost pets and regardless of their wealth and popularity, have been left in despair. On a local level, everywhere you look there are ads for missing or lost pets plastered over telephone poles, newspapers, supermarket bulletin boards, etc. In this segment of TheOrganicView, I will be interviewing Jen Ward who will talk about her work with animals. Jen will discuss how animals actually can help heal people, how pets can absorb their owner's emotional issues and also discuss her incredible work with recovering lost pets. If you have a pet, this is one show you do not want to miss!

Lydia Proschinger is a Life-Pro coachTM, author, speaker, and radio-show host. Her ?L.O.V.E. processTM? helps VIP clients, TOP-level executives, high achievers and business owners overcome obstacles, trauma, depression and other health challenges.