As we gallop into September and the last quarter of 2010 it is a good time to spring clean and consider what new habits we can implement for a fresh start to summer. In this issue we reveal real concerns regarding the effects of pesticides in food which is ever more reason to start your own food garden. Keep forgetting your shopping bags at home? Where is the money going that you spend on buying plastic bags? It certainly is not going into any recycling initiatives so take heed. On a lighter note there are some great give-aways as always. Enjoy your read and do send us your feedback and visit the website www.lifeinbalance.co.za for daily updates and event listings

It’s Arbor week from the 1st-7th September and this is a great time to plant indigenous trees in vacant lots and areas that need greening as well as in your own garden. Trees are precious and we should be planting a tree for every major long haul journey we undertake in our lifetime. Here is a guide to the indigenous trees you can plant during arbor week.

Did you know that the Acacia Tree, the iconic tree of Africa, has a secret way of communicating with its fellow trees? It seems difficult to believe that trees can communicate but the Acacias do, just ask any game ranger who has spent lots of time observing what happens when a group of herbivores moves in for the graze.

The US, with a population of just over 300 million, uses over 30 billion plastic bags annually. With a population one sixth that of the US, at just below 50 million, as well as legislation and a levy, one would think that South African usage would be far less. Shockingly, we get through 8 billion bags a year. The reasons are equally as shocking.

The California Senate is about to vote on a bill that seeks to ban plastic bags throughout the state. Heal the Bay, an organisation working to keep coastal waters safe, has released an hilarious but thought provoking four-minute mockumentary done in the style of a BBC nature documentary. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, it follows “one of the most clever and illustrious creatures: the plastic bag." A must see!

The Elephant Whisperer
Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence

What we don’t know about animal communication is as vast as the universe we inhabit so how on earth does one man communicate with a herd of rogue elephants whose last chance at survival is to behave and literally adapt or die? Like most of the endeavours Lawrence Anthony undertakes, he used his uncanny intuition and crate loads of dogged determination to work a miracle.

Music festival organizers in the UK are faced with thousands of abandoned or forgotten tents left by attendees each year, adding to the country’s already-burdened landfills. To eliminate this problem, they came up with an innovative solution.

Life in balance invites you to become part of The Directory – which is going to be SA’s most comprehensive resource guide to sustainable living, products, goods & services. Whether you need to source a landscaper, choose a water saving shower head, find a local farmers’ market, want to have solar panels installed or find a lovely eco-friendly holiday, The Directory will point you in the right direction. With the support of the advertisers we will also have special offers and selected discounts.

In this groundbreaking book, the New York Times bestselling co-author of The Green Book, Thomas M. Kostigen reveals the vital missing link in today's environmental crisis: how we as individuals are connected to the most tenuous geography on the planet. Despite the recent prominence of "green" issues in the news, the direct relationship between our actions and the earth is too often ignored. But the seemingly insignificant things we do every day have the power to literally alter the landscape in the ongoing battle to resuscitate the planet.

Razia Said has created a deeply moving and melodic album of songs to help raise awareness of the slash and burn culture that is devastating Madagascar’s bountiful forests and unique wildlife. How can music make an impact you may question? Just like political theatre can draw attention to political processes that are out of joint so can music bring about a new understanding of environmental issues and create a sense of unity amongst the people working towards making changes to the attitude of destruction.

Most of these man-made compounds cannot biodegrade and are progressively building up in the atmosphere and on the earth. They are contaminating our natural life system, and are also making us sick. As Patrick Holford, a renowned nutritionist says, ‘we are vertically ill’, upright, but not feeling great. A build up of all these toxins over years could eventually cause illness such as cancer, arthritis, obesity, and asthma. It is essential that we aim to eliminate our contribution to the creation of these toxic compounds.

In 1999 Sappi launched the world wide initiative 'Ideas that Matter', a programme designed to support design for the public good by awarding monetary grants to designers to help them create and implement projects that serve causes close to their hearts. The theme for 2010 and call for entries has just been announced.

The first Earth Day event took place in 1970. The first supporters of this massive event caused the USA government to implement the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Pesticide Control Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Fourty years later, The USA are the major consumers of resources worldwide and South Africa leads Africa’s consumption because of its burgeoning economy and therein lies the ‘rub’.

Bush Baby is bringing the secrets and traditions of African motherhood to parents across the world! The range offers a unique blend of African plant extracts to assist in the well being and skin care of babies. Created using over 95% natural ingredients: including Organic Green Rooibos, Sutherlandia, Shea Butter and Baobab extracts, the products soothe, clean, nourish and protect your baby’s skin.