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in order of most recommended:

1. Forks Over Knives (2011).
   [wtf why can’t i insert image by url anymore? new tumblr ui..]
   
   “examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called ‘diseases of affluence’ that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of The China Study) and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.”
2. The Edible City (2012?). full film here.
   about the local food revolution, mainly covering Oakland, CA. urban farming/gardening, food/environmental/social injustice, education.
3. Soul Food Junkies (2013). trailer.
   Byron Hurt’s journey to back his roots in the South to answer the question, “Is soul food bad for you?” after his father died of pancreatic cancer.
4. Ingredients (2009).
   the local food movement in america.

and since this is a list already, I’ll just add 

• Food Inc. (2008).
  if you don’t have time to watch any of the top four and have yet to watch any food documentaries, make time to watch this one first. Factory farming and the state of the food industry in america. 

I’ve already shifted to a mostly vegetarian diet since watching Food Inc. a couple years ago, so not many changes for me after watching these four films. But I did learn a lot. and there’s always more to do: help plant more community gardens, lead by example so friends and family can start eating plant-based whole foods and increasing health, fighting disease..

so.. what sort of documentaries should I watch next? nature/adventure  ones? yeah!

buynothingnewforayear:

Back in 2009 a Swedish filmmaker made a film documenting a lawsuit in which Dole (yes, the fruit company) was accused of using chemicals to spray on their banana crops which they knew were harmful to human/workers health. These chemicals, manufactured by Dow Chemical, were pulled off the market by Dow when research showed that they were unsafe for banana workers/humans and had serious health implications, including sterility. Dole apparently knew this, but continued to use these chemicals that they had already purchased from Dow on their crops. Here is a link to the full Documentary called Bananas!

But, the story doesn’t end there. Just before the filmmakers were about to premiere Bananas! at a film festival in Los Angeles, they were sued by Dole for attempting to show a fraudulent documentary.  Lucky for us, they are filmmakers, so they continued to document their whole experience and legal battle against the corporate giant. It is absolutely amazing what these filmmakers go through! Here is the trailer for the second film they made called Big Boy’s Gone Bananas!

“We have a media that is corrupted by power. You have corporate ownership from the top, you have corporate advertising coming in from the side… we have a media where money and corporate influence is really the mother’s milk.”

When watching these films, I just can’t stop thinking about responsibility — personal and corporate — and how every thing we do, or don’t do makes a difference. Spread the word, learn and think about what you are buying and what companies and practices you are supporting. 

Seattle, New Jersey, Brisbane…

Los Angeles, California

The Model Design Manual for Living Streets is a development plan for Los Angeles that will provide guidance for replacing existing road standard manuals with updated techniques and concepts. This is one of the first street models that will focus on streets in a general way including landscaping, mobility, design, and the public involvement process.

San Pablo, California

The San Pablo City Council added a new Health Element to the city’s 2030 General Plan Update, the first of its kind throughout the entire state. The role of the plan, which is to realistically and achievably put people and their health first, focuses on factors such as behaviors and lifestyles, income, education, employment and working conditions, access to health services, nutrition, and the quality of physical environment.

owning a gun

• is a right

having healthcare

• is a privilege

(Source: dannybriereisaliferuiner, via 122782)

No cure exists, which is why back in 2003, the best Dr. Jay Alberts of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute rode a tandem bicycle across Iowa with a Parkinson’s patient (to raise awareness). Unexpectedly, the patient showed improvements in her condition after the trip…

RESULTS: What the researchers referred to as “forced rate activity,” others might feel is more accurately labeled “torture.” But when they calculated the brain activation of the patients forced to pedal past their comfort level, they found lasting increases in connectivity between two areas of the brain responsible for motor ability: the primary motor cortex and the posterior region of the thalamus.

theatlantic, 26.11.12.