In 1770, Captain James Cook first saw the east coast of Australia and was amazed at the variety of wildlife found. Just a couple of centuries later, Australia is facing the extinction of many different types of animals not found anywhere else on the planet. It is amazing what just a couple of hundred years can do, but the thing to remember is that even though it has got this far, something can still be done to help protect the animals that are facing extinction all over Australia.

Australia is Diverse

One of the most amazing things about Australia to the Westerners when they first arrived was the diversity of life on the island. Flora and fauna unseen before existed all over the island. Over the years, a couple things had the biggest effect on the disappearance of so many animals.

• Loss of Habitat – This is one of the main reasons that so many animals have become extinct over the years. As people began to settle across Australia, they began to upset the balance of the natural world.

• Invasive Species – In addition to losing land, animals and plants in Australia have had to deal with an influx of other species – large and small. This has had a large effect on the animal population over the years.

Both of these reasons are man-made, really. These events were set in motion by Westerners arriving in Australia.

Hidden Species Disappearing Too

While the numbers of known rare animals and those that are facing extinction is high, there is a good chance there are some species that haven’t been discovered yet that are in danger. Biodiversity is important for the ecosystem as a whole. And the more healthy the ecosystem is, the better quality of life we as Aussies can expect. Helping to save animals that are facing extinction because of a love of animals is noble, but when it comes down to it, saving the ecosystem and the Australian way of life is even more crucial.

What You Can do About Extinction of Australian Animals

• Donate to FAME – The Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species is an important player in the battle to save the Tasmanian devil and many other animals (including fish) that are facing extinction in Australia.

• Leave a Donation in Your Will – If you’d rather wait until after you’re gone to do something to help, adding something in your last will and testament to donate some of your estate to one or more organisations that work to save wildlife in Australia is a good idea.

The Harvest Cafe in Daylesford is not only an organic cafe but also an organic grocery store and catering company.

At Harvest Café, we have sourced quality organic wines that not only taste delicious but are also produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This means buying wines only from vineyards farmed without the use of synthetic chemicals and where workers are well cared for. Organic beers and wines are also available.

Our Harvest Grocery Store stocks a vast range of certified organic, bio-dynamic, gourmet and gluten free products, including traditional cakes & slices. Take-home meals, the very best in locally produced organic fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly squeezed organic juices, organic Fair Trade ‘Griffiths’ Coffee plus a huge variety of teas are available.

Visit Harvest Cafe:

29 Albert Street
Daylesford Vic 3460

In modern Australia, it’s more important than ever for us to protect our wildlife and environment. While we’ve always done something as a country to try to help protect our land, over the years certain threats have popped up over and over again. By taking a look at the top five threats to Australia’s environment, hopefully we can come to a decision on what needs to be done and to get it done – the Aussie way.

Deforestation

While Australia may not have ever been known for it’s lush forests, the trees we do have are being cut down and harvested at an alarming rate. This has many serious side effects, including soil erosion. In order to stop the island from one day just washing away completely, we need to pay more attention to the rates of deforestation and to put plans in place to replace the trees we do cut down to use.

Aggressive Farming

Farming has been a part of the Australian way of life since the country was founded. That said, over-using or abusing the land has serious consequences. While there may be short-term gains by overworking the land for crops or grazing, this will eventually come back to haunt us in a very big way. Our food supply is of utmost importance, and should be something we regulate for the long term.

Illegal Fishing

Fishing is another part of Aussie life and has been for a long time. At the same time, there are people who fish illegally that go beyond limits or fish where they’re not supposed to be fishing. This has a big effect on the overall fishing situation in Australia. Treating our water as a national treasure – which it is – something should be done to stop those who are profiting from illegal fishing.

Import of Other Species

While many may think they’re doing no harm by sneaking this or that animal into the country, there’s a reason laws are in place to protect the environment. Bringing an animal into Australia, you never know what else you’re bringing with it. With more and more people doing this, the effect on Australian wildlife could be huge – in a negative way.

Pollution

In addition to the problems above, the overall levels of pollution being let into the air over Australia is a serious problem that must be faced in the 21st century. While there’s no way to stop all pollution in Australia without us losing our current lifestyle, there are things that can be done to cut down the number of emissions being let into the sky above our country.

Top 5 Fixes for Environment in Australia

As you can clearly see, these are some serious problems facing our country. If anyone can fix some of the problems with the environment, it’s us. The Aussie spirit is enough for us to surmount these problems and move ahead into the 21st century clearly – with fresher air and water too.

A lot of people have been talking about clean food recently and how that is what we should be eating, all of the time. What is clean food? My take on clean food is that it is simply real food – food free of additives and preservatives and without processing.

Here is a more thorough definition:

In the winter issue of The Trends Journal, Mr. Celente, the director of the Trends Research Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y., describes the clean-food diet as something beyond organic — "a new standard for health and reliability." The keys are "foods free of artificial preservatives, coloring, irradiation, synthetic pesticides, fungicides, ripening agents, fumigants, drug residues and growth hormones" and those that are "processed, packaged, transported and stored to retain maximum nutritional value."

This is what most of us are looking for when we buy organic produce and why so many people are going out of their way to shop at organic farmers markets where they know the produce is fresh and free of chemicals.

Organisations like Cleanfood Australia focus on organic produce which is grown in clean air, clean soil, and clean water systems.

Cleanfood Australia is proud to supply high quality fresh organic fruit and vegetable produce, pristine Tasmanian spring and sparkling water as well as food produced under our own production label, “Cara’s Organic Produce”. All of our produce is certified organic.

An Australian magazine, Clean Food Organic, discusses clean food and organic food in Australia:

Clean Food organic is a publication unlike anything published around the world. Its readers, contributors and supporters share the belief that consuming conventionally produced products is, by and large, not good for you. The ‘cocktail’ effect of the thousands of synthetic chemicals that our bodies have been exposed to over the years is unhealthy, and THE major positive step toward better health is by consuming organic products.

Clean Food organic is a fresh series of publications for everyone who lives an organic lifestyle. It is a major reference source of information examining how conventional products are produced and what is actually in the stuff non-organic farmers and manufacturers expect us to consume.

What are your thoughts on the clean food diet?

Personally, I find reading the labels on food products pretty scary in itself but after checking out this list of scary food facts at Forensic Science Technician I’m so glad I don’t eat fast food. I don’t eat much processed food either but really, I should cut out processed foods completely and just eat organic, clean food.

Here are some scary food facts:

2. Most fast food chains dip their French fries in sugar to give them that deliciously golden brown hue after frying . – What many of us don’t realize is that some fast food fries aren’t just fatty and starchy. They are also sugary as well. While they don’t taste very sweet, the sugars are added for other incentives. It also helps to develop that nice outer crispiness that can be complicated to imitate when frying at home.

9. About one-third of bottled water contained synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. - In a study of over 900 bottles and 100 store brands that were tested by the National Resources Defense Council. On another note, there are also more than 115,000 human-made chemicals that are finding their way into the public water supply system.

12. The phosphoric acid found in cola is so acidic that it can dissolve a nail in 4 days. – The pH of soda is equivalent to the pH level of vinegar .That’s what makes this the most acidic beverage that is sold. Next time you see a truck toting concentrated Coca-Cola, look for the highly corrosive materials sign.

21. Over 90% of the salmon that is sold to us in stores is farm-raised and can contain as many as 16 more contaminants than wild salmon. – Did you realize even realize that salmon are gray and not supposed to be pink? Since farm raised do not consume their natural foods, they are given coloring agents that give them the salmony pink color.

Check out the full list here.

Le Cru restaurant and cafe serves raw organic vegetarian food.

The purity of taste offered by organic products is our primary passion in the kitchen at le cru. Mass produced processed items cannot compare with quality and flavour of organic products. Promoting a healthy and sustainable approach to the environment and your health is at the heart of what we do.

The health benefits of maintaining all vitamins, minerals, & enzymes at the source of pure, organic ingredients are numerous. Dining at le cru offers a unique & delicious combination of flavours. All dishes are prepared fresh, daily at le cru.

Our health is the core of our existence. Le cru’s beautiful clean food offers zero trans fats, no refined sugar, no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Enjoy nutritious food that is delicious to taste and has delightful visual presentation.

Visit Le Cru:

137 Victoria Avenue
Albert Park Vic 3206

While reading the latest GOOP newsletter (from Gwyneth Paltrow) I came across an interesting website started by Sir Paul McCartney and his family, called Meat Free Monday. They are encouraging people to eat less meat as a way to reduce our impact on the environment:

Meat Free Monday is an environmental campaign to raise awareness of the climate-changing impact of meat production and consumption. Many people are unaware that livestock production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions – that’s more than the entire transport sector.

To build a better world in the future we all need to make changes in our lifestyles now. Not all the changes we have to make are easy; and not all the easy changes we can make are meaningful. But making just one day a week a meat-free day, really is the little thing that can make a big difference. For instance, the group Compassion in World Farming estimates that if the average UK household halved its consumption of meat this would cut more emissions than if car use was cut in half. By making a simple change in the way you eat, you are taking part in a world changing campaign where what’s good for you is also good for the planet.

It’s an interesting idea and I think it shows that by making small changes in our daily lives, we can have a great impact on the environment.

Check out their UK site for more information and how to get involved.

Veg Out Farmers market in St Kilda:

Here in Australia, it seems that the days of the small time farmer are over in a lot of ways. After all, you can buy pretty much any produce you need at incredibly low prices at the supermarket and these are often perfect-looking. There are no spots on them, they are bright and clean, and they are easy to obtain… we just go to the supermarket and buy them.

However, there are a few things to consider before you go out and buy produce from a super huge chain and that is the fact that local, organic food is better for you then what you are getting at the supermarket. Yes, you may think that fresh fruit is organic just because it is fresh, but this is not the case. Buying local, organic food is not only better for you, but for the planet too and here’s why.

Why It’s Important to Buy Local Produce

For one, buying local means that your money is staying in the local community. This helps to build a stronger basis for business in your small town, which will in turn help to make the local economy stronger. The local economy counts for most of the jobs and revenue in your area, so why go spend your money someplace that is just going to ship the money out to another place? Spend your money locally on farmers and produce growers who have invested in the local community and you will help yourself out as well. Besides, there are advantages to knowing the person who grows your food. You can ask then what kind of additives they put in it… how they handle it, and how organic it really is. This will help you to eat healthier food than you would be getting in the big stores.

Buying organic food is also better for you, but it is also better for the planet. Organic food did not cause tons of toxic pesticides to be sprayed into the ground. Organic food did not cause the pollution of local water supplies and organic food is food that did not come from chemically burned out soil fertilised with artificial toxins and poisons that are seeping not only into the water but into the vegetables themselves!

Buying local, organic food just makes good sense all around. It is better for your, better for your community, and better for the planet.