Have you ever really thought about what chewing gum is made of? Maybe you don’t really want to know. Modern gum is mostly made up of petro-based polymers. Essentially, you’re chewing plastic. But the original chewing gum came from chicle, the latex of a tropical Central American tree. And the Consorcio Chicleros of south-eastern Mexico are taking chewing gum back to its original Mayan roots.

So gum-lovers, I’d like to present you with a better option: Chicza, an organic, biodegradable, agave-sweetened gum made completely from chicle tree …

Tags: biodegradable , compostable , forests , healthy , mexico , natural , organic , rainforest , rainforests , sustainable , tree

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The topic of soy can create a big debate among healthy folks, and the viewpoints can be extreme. Who knew a humble green bean could be so controversial? Some tout soy products as a panacea for health and wellness, while others swear that soy is a sure ticket to infertility and “man boobs”. What are the facts?

Aren’t Asian cultures particularly healthy because of consumption of soy?

Asians don’t actually eat as much soy as we think – only about 10-36 …

Tags: Brazil , children , environment , food , health , nutrition , protein , rainforests , soy , vegetarian

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You may have heard the buzz: tropical rainforests are repairing themselves far faster than expected. Time for a big party?

Keep the champagne corked for now. It’s true that research by the Carnegie Institution points to some 135,000 square miles of tropical rainforest growing back, but this deserves some context. For a start, that’s less than 2% of the original forest coverage. Also, all this regrowth is an interrupted ecosystem – razed forests that for a time couldn’t perform their vital role as the …

Tags: conservation , ecology , environment , news , rainforests , sustainable

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