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If the ecological catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico tells us anything, it is that we need a new national energy policy—a comprehensive plan for escaping our dangerous reliance on fossil fuels and creating a new energy system based on climate-safe alternatives. Without such a plan, the response to the disaster will be a hodgepodge of regulatory reforms and toughened environmental safeguards but not a fundamental shift in behavior. Because our current energy path leads toward greater reliance on fuels acquired from environmentally and politically hazardous locations, no amount of enhanced oversight or stiffened regulations can avert future disasters like that unfolding in the gulf. Only a dramatic change in course—governed by an entirely new policy framework—can reduce the risk of catastrophe and set the nation on a wise energy trajectory.
By far the most important part of this strategy must be a change in the overarching philosophy that steers decisions on how much energy the United States should seek to produce, of what sorts and under what conditions. It may not seem as if we operate under such a philosophy today, but we do—one that extols growth over all other considerations, that privileges existing fuels over renewables and that ranks environmental concerns below corporate profit. Until we replace this outlook with one that places innovation and the environment ahead of the status quo, we will face more ecological devastation and slower economic dynamism. Only with a new governing philosophy—one that views the development of climate-friendly energy systems as the engine of economic growth—can we move from our current predicament to a brighter future.
One way to appreciate the importance of this shift is to consider the guiding policies of other countries. In March, I had the privilege of attending an international energy conference at Fuenlabrada, just outside Madrid. I sat transfixed as one top official after another of Spain's socialist government spelled out their vision of the future—one in which wind and solar power would provide an ever increasing share of the nation's energy supply and make Spain a leader in renewable energy technology. Other speakers described strategies for "greening" old cities—adding parks, farms, canals and pedestrian plazas in neglected neighborhoods. Around me were a thousand university students—enthralled by the prospect of creative and rewarding jobs in architecture, engineering, technology and the sciences. This, I thought, is what our own young people need to look forward to.
Instead, we are governed by an obsolete, nihilistic energy philosophy. To fully comprehend the nature of our dilemma, it is important to recognize that the gulf disaster is a direct result of the last governing blueprint adopted by this country: the National Energy Policy of May 17, 2001, better known as the Cheney plan. This framework, of which the former vice president was the lead author, called for increased drilling in wilderness areas, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Congress did not permit drilling in ANWR, but it wholeheartedly embraced wider exploitation of the deepwater gulf. To speed these efforts, the Bush administration encouraged the Minerals Management Service to streamline the issuing of permits to giant oil firms like BP to operate in these waters. BP clearly took shortcuts when drilling offshore—thus inviting the blowout on April 20—but it did so in a permissive atmosphere established by the 2001 policy framework.
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The 2001 energy plan was devised with substantial input from the energy industry—no representatives of the environmental community were invited to the secret meetings held by Dick Cheney to prepare it—and was widely viewed as a payoff to Bush/Cheney supporters in the oil industry. But it was far more than that: at its core, the plan embodied a distinctive outlook on the role of energy in the economy and how that energy should be supplied. This outlook held that cheap and abundant energy is an essential driver of economic growth and that the government's job is to ensure that plentiful energy is endlessly available. As noted by President Bush at the time, "The goals of this strategy are clear: to ensure a steady supply of affordable energy for America's homes and businesses and industries." But not just any sort of energy. In deference to the executives of Chevron, Enron, ExxonMobil and the other energy giants that helped elect Bush in 2000, the plan aimed to extend the life of the nation's existing energy profile, with its overwhelming reliance on oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear power.
However, a strategy aimed at producing more energy while maintaining reliance on traditional fuels was inherently problematic. Although the concept of "peak oil" was not then in widespread circulation, energy experts were becoming increasingly aware of the impending scarcity of conventional oil—i.e., liquid crude acquired from easily accessible reservoirs. Concerns were also growing about the future availability of easily accessible coal and natural gas. The only way to supply more energy while preserving the existing energy profile, Cheney and his allies concluded, was to increase the level of environmental and political risk, whether by drilling in wilderness areas and the deepwater gulf or by procuring more energy from dangerous and unfriendly areas, such as the Middle East, Africa and the former Soviet Union. This became the underlying premise of the 2001 energy plan and underlies much of the global violence and environmental devastation unleashed by Bush during his eight years in office.
Adherence to the Cheney plan has had another significant downside: it has focused energy investment on the extension of the existing energy paradigm rather than on introducing renewable energy systems. Far greater funds have been devoted to, say, deep offshore drilling and the extraction of gas from shale rock than to advancing wind and solar power. As a result, the United States has fallen behind China, Germany, Japan and Spain in developing next-generation energy systems, jeopardizing our future competitiveness in the global economy.
The philosophy that produced these disasters—"more energy of the existing types at whatever the risk"—must now be repudiated and replaced by a new, forward-looking alternative that stresses innovation and environmental protection. Such an outlook would replace each component of the Bush/Cheney philosophy with its opposite. Instead of growth at any price, it would emphasize energy sufficiency—the minimum amount needed to accomplish vital tasks. Instead of clinging to existing, environmentally damaging fuels, it would harness America's ingenuity in the development of new, climate-friendly fuels. And instead of embracing environmental and political risk as a solution to scarcity and excessive greed, it would favor domestically produced, renewable systems that largely eliminate the element of risk. To compress this into a nutshell, the new outlook would favor energy that's "clean, green, safe and smart."
What, in practice, would this entail?
First, let's take a closer look at "sufficiency"—the basis for all else. By energy sufficiency, I mean enough energy to meet basic consumer and industrial needs without succumbing to a bias for waste and inefficiency, as is now the case. For example, if X number of American commuters must drive Y number of miles every day to work, sufficient energy would be the amount needed to power the most fuel-efficient personal or public-transit vehicles available, rather than the most inefficient. Likewise, sufficient heating energy would be the amount needed to heat American homes and businesses if all were equipped with the most efficient heating and insulation systems. A wise energy policy would aim to provide whatever is needed when all reasonable measures for efficiency have been factored in—and no more than that. Of course, the transition from inefficient to efficient transportation, heating and industrial systems will be costly at first (the costs will go way down over time), so a wise policy would provide subsidies and incentives to facilitate the transition.
Defining what constitutes sufficient energy will require considerable time and effort. But thanks to visionaries like Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, enough is known about the potential energy savings of various conservation and efficiency initiatives to be confident that our economy can produce more in the years ahead using far less energy. Likewise, Americans can lead equally satisfying lives with less energy use. For example, if every car owner in America drove a gas/electric hybrid or superefficient conventional vehicle instead of one getting about twenty miles per gallon (the current national average), we could reduce our daily oil intake by as much as 4–5 million barrels per day (of a total consumption of approximately 20 million barrels). And if the hybrids were of a plug-in type that could recharge their batteries at night when power plants have surplus capacity, the oil requirement could be reduced by several million more barrels without requiring additional power plants. Clearly, we don't need more oil to satisfy our transportation needs; we need more efficiency.
By seeking energy sufficiency instead of constant growth, we free ourselves of a tremendous burden. It is impossible to keep expanding the net supply of energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and uranium-powered fission; the only sure way to achieve growth is to supply more of every fuel available. Once you abandon the commitment to growth, however, it is possible to begin the truly critical task: reducing our reliance on traditional fuels while significantly increasing the share of energy provided by alternatives.
To put things in perspective, fossil fuels now provide about 84 percent and nuclear power about 8.5 percent of America's net energy supply; renewables, including hydropower, provide a mere 8 percent. Although the amount of energy provided by renewables is expected to grow in the years ahead, the United States is projected to need so much more energy under its current path—114.5 quadrillion British thermal units per year in 2035, compared with approximately 100 quadrillion today—that it will need much larger amounts of oil, gas and coal to supply the necessary increase. As a result, says the Energy Department, we will rely more on fossil fuels in 2035 than we do today, and will be emitting greater quantities of carbon dioxide.
Clearly, the existing path leads us ever closer to environmental catastrophe. Only by freezing (and eventually reducing) the total amount of energy consumed and reversing the ratio between traditional and alternative fuels can disaster be averted. A progressive energy policy would aim to achieve a ratio of 50:50 between traditional and renewable fuels by 2030, and by 2050 would confine fossil fuels and nuclear power to a small "niche" market.
Accepting the necessity of switching to noncarbon alternatives, what are the "clean, green and safe" fuels that America should rely on? Any source of energy chosen to meet the nation's future requirements should meet several criteria: it must be renewable, affordable, available domestically and produce zero or very low amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Several fuels satisfy two or three of these qualities, but only one—wind power—meets all of them. When located at reliably windy spots and near major transmission lines, wind turbines are competitive with most existing sources of energy and have none of their disadvantages. Solar power comes close to wind in its appeal, possessing great utility for certain applications (such as rooftop water heating); still, electricity derived from existing photovoltaic cells remains uncompetitive with other fuels in most situations. Geothermal, tidal and wave energy show great promise but will need considerable development to be commercially applicable on a large scale. Biofuels derived from cellulose or algae also look promising, but they, too, require more work. Further out on the development path are hydrogen and nuclear fusion; it will take at least another generation or two before they will achieve widespread commercial utility.
Some within the environmental community argue for short-term reliance on some combination of natural gas, nuclear fission and coal, using the carbon capture and storage process as a "bridge" to renewable fuels, recognizing America's slow start in adopting the latter. While a case can be made for each of these, not one is clean, green and safe. Natural gas, while emitting less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels, is increasingly being derived from shale rock through the environmentally risky process known as "hydraulic fracturing" [see Kara Cusolito, "The Next Drilling Disaster?" June 3]. Nuclear fission produces radioactive waste that cannot be stored safely. Likewise, there is no assurance that carbon separated from coal can be stored safely for long periods of time. It follows that a wise policy would seek to leapfrog these technologies and move as rapidly as possible to renewable sources of energy.
With this in mind, the basic goal of a new national energy policy should be to minimize the use of existing fuels while ramping up the development and use of truly green alternatives—which requires not just technological innovation but a concerted effort to bring the new technologies to scale in the market, as Christian Parenti argues in the following article. The transition will also require a change in the way energy is distributed. At present a large share of our energy, in the form of oil, natural gas and coal, is delivered by pipeline, rail and truck. Most renewables, however, will be delivered in the form of electricity. This will require a massive expansion of the nation's electrical system—and its transformation into a "smart grid" that can rapidly move energy from areas of strong wind or sun (depending on weather conditions) to areas of peak need. A smart grid would also allow people to install their own energy-generating systems—solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogen fuel cells—and sell surplus energy back to the system.
Specifically, this policy would seek to:
§ dramatically increase the use of wind power by adding more turbines and by increasing links to an expanded national electrical grid;
§ increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar energy, especially photovoltaics and solar-thermal power;
§ accelerate the development of geothermal, tidal and wave power as well as biofuels derived from cellulose and algae, and expand research on hydrogen fuel cells and nuclear fusion;
§ create a national "smart grid" capable of absorbing a vast increase in wind, solar, geothermal and wave power and delivering it to areas of greatest need;
§ spur the development, production and acquisition of super-energy-efficient vehicles, buildings, appliances and industrial processes;
§ accelerate the transition from conventional vehicles to hybrids, from regular hybrids to plug-in hybrids and from hybrids to all-electric automobiles;
§ encourage and facilitate greater personal reliance on intercity rail, public transit, bicycles and walking.
To achieve these goals, the government will have to assemble policy tools and funding devices. All incentives and subsidies for fossil fuel extraction and nuclear fission should be phased out, and like amounts directed toward the development of promising renewables and the further modernization and expansion of the electrical grid. Liberal tax breaks should be awarded to households and small businesses that invest in energy-saving heating, cooling and lighting systems; similar breaks should be offered for the purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles. Many key initiatives, such as the construction of regional high-speed rail lines, will be costly. To finance such endeavors, taxes on gasoline and other carbon-based fuels should be increased as payroll taxes are decreased, thus encouraging job growth while discouraging carbon pollution; rebates should also be given to cushion the effect on low-income people. In addition, a ten-year, $250 billion energy innovation fund should be established to provide low-interest loans for commercializing promising new technologies being developed at universities and start-up firms around the country; once repaid, these funds could then be used to fund other such endeavors.
The Cheney plan envisioned, among other goals, building 1,000 new nuclear power plants by 2030. By contrast, the new energy policy envisioned here would have the following goals:
§ create 5 million jobs through the pursuit of a green energy revolution, with a focus on the construction and manufacturing sectors, as outlined by the nonprofit group the Apollo Alliance;
§ maximize the nation's energy efficiency—in transportation, heating, electricity and all other sectors—such that total energy demand declines by at least 50 percent by 2050, as documented in a comprehensive study by Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council;
§ phase out oil consumption, except in niche markets, by 2030;
§ formalize the current de facto moratorium on constructing new coal-fired power plants, phase out existing plants as well and halt all coal use by 2020;
§ supply at least 75 percent of US electricity from wind, solar and other renewable sources by 2030 and 99 percent by 2050, as described in the Greenpeace-EREC study;
§ shift the US vehicle fleet to all-electric cars by 2035, to be powered with renewable energy;
§ reduce US greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels) by at least 90 percent by 2050, as described in the Greenpeace-EREC study.
There is not enough space here to argue the case for each of these specifics, but the essential elements of the new energy policy our nation needs are these: a guiding philosophy, a vision of the intended outcome, an assessment of the possible energy sources and an outline of tools for implementation. Each of the final three can be modified as necessary to account for global events and scientific advances; but adherence to the first is critical. Adopting an enlightened new philosophy to guide our nation's future energy plans is the single most valuable thing we can do in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.


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Lady Washington at sail in Semiahmoo Bay, Washington. Lady Washington is a historic replica of the original 18th Century brig. Owned and operated by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, Aberdeen, Washington
- Copyright
- Alan Majchrowicz
- Image Size
- 3750x5662 / 8.9MB
- Keywords
- Contained in galleries
- Washington


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FREE SHIPPING: Regular ground and freight to the contiguous 48 United States. Some exclusions apply. • All orders ship from Tucson, Arizona.• Most small items ship FedEx Ground. (Free) • Some orders valued at $30.00 or less ship US Mail. (Free) • Furniture and large quantity orders ship FedEx Ground Freight. (Free) Curbside delivery only. Additional Shipping Services: Inside Delivery & Liftgate Service: Check the additional shipping services box at checkout. We will contact you before shipping. Additional charges apply. Expedited Shipping: Overnight, 2-Day & 3-Day Shipping is available. You will be contacted with the additional charges before your order ships. See Our Complete Shipping Policy for more information.
Since each star fixture is hand crafted, color and finish may vary slightly from what's pictured here. Chain and ceiling plates sold separately.
Wiring Features: • Wired with UL listed parts, but not a UL Listed fixture. • UL Listed heavy duty porcelain socket (UL# E175600) • UL Listed 8 ft. cord with plug (UL# E94923) (Cut to desired length for direct wiring) • Accept up to 100w bulbs. (60w Recommended) • Hinged bulb access door • Metal hanging loop included


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"Hi, it's about 2:05 and I have a 2:00 appointment with Dr. Grumpy, and I'm trying to get there. I'm on the freeway and my son is driving me, so we just passed 24th street and WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT TRUCK? WHY DON'T YOU PAY ATTENTION NEXT TIME! ARE YOU BLIND? I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOUR FATHER TEACH YOU TO DRIVE!"
She didn't show up for her appointment, either.


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Changes in the Auto Industry You May Have Missed
Changes in the Auto Industry You May Have Missed
In case you missed it, the automotive industry has been and continues to be in a period of massive change and adjustment. Some of these changes began over a decade ago, and some still lie ahead. Changes have been the result of changing market conditions, technological advances, and environmental adjustments. Things have happened so fast that you may have missed a headline or two.
Brands That Have Gone Buh-Bye
Some brands have been so challenged recently that they have simply stopped producing vehicles. These include GM's ill-fated Saturn brand and Ford's Mercury models that ceased operations after lagging sales. In 2010, Hummer began phasing out its over-sized SUV brand after a Chinese manufacturer decided against purchasing the brand. Rumors of its return have so far been unfounded. Other brands that have gone by the wayside include Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Plymouth.
Sedans are Being Out-Numbered
Vans, minivans, trucks, crossovers, and SUVs have become so popular that their sales are outpacing those of passenger cars. A glance at any traffic jam or parking lot will tell the tale.
Ford Only Produces One Brand of Car
Due to the growing popularity of trucks and SUVs and the decreasing sales of sedans. The Ford Motor Company made the decision that it would only produce one brand of automobile. Gone are the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, and Taurus. The only actual car Ford now produces is the Ford Mustang.
The Bronco Is Back Around
After OJ Simpson single-handedly put the Ford Bronco brand on hold, it has made a return. The new Bronco is taking aim at Jeep, and Jeep is responding with its own improvements.
The Hornet Is Back
It is far from the American Motors Hornet of years past, but Dodge is bringing the brand name back in the form of a new compact SUV. The new 2023 Dodge Hornet compact SUV is being produced in Italy at an Alpha Romero plant.
Standard Transmissions are Just About Obsolete
While 66% of Americans say they know how to drive a standard transmission, only 13 percent of cars are available with a manual transmission. Only about two percent of all vehicles sold are being sold today with a manual transmission.
Our independent automobile insurance agents can review and quote your auto insurance, no matter what brand of car or insurance you have. The best way to know if you are paying too much for car insurance is to compare rates. We will be glad to help.


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Posted 12 years ago
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It's not old but i thought you might enjoy seeing it. I do Iron Work for a living and i hand forged this Pontiac Indian Weathervane out of steel. I'm a Chevrolet guy myself but chevy doesn't have anything this cool. LOL Indian stuff has always caught my eye!


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Śrī Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka
Eight Instructions
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed His disciples to write books on the science of Kṛṣṇa, a task which His followers have continued to carry out down to the present day. The elaborations and expositions on the philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya are, in fact, the most voluminous, exacting, and consistent, due to the system of disciplic succession. Although Lord Caitanya was widely renowned as a scholar in His youth, He left only eight verses, called Śikṣāṣṭaka. These eight verses clearly reveal His mission and precepts. These supremely valuable prayers are translated herein.
Continue reading


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Cornel West, the Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies at Princeton, will read from his new book, "Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom," at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in the Prospect House Garden Room.
West will sign copies of the book following his reading from "Hope on a Tightrope," which features a collection of his quotations, speech excerpts, letters, philosophy and photographs.
West, who earned his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1980, is one of the country's best-known scholars and public intellectuals on the subjects of American society, race, politics and class issues. His bestselling books include "Race Matters" and "Democracy Matters."
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and space is limited. Tickets are available at the Frist Campus Center Ticket Office for Princeton University ID holders. Members of the general public can obtain tickets at Frist beginning Thursday, Nov. 20.
A very limited number of tickets is available for media to attend. Members of the news media must e-mail email@example.com or call (609) 258-5733 no later than noon Friday, Nov. 21 to reserve tickets. Media must pick-up tickets between 9 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the Office of Communications, 22 Chambers Street, Suite 201, Princeton, N.J.
The event is sponsored by the Center for African American Studies and the Graduate School's Office of Academic Affairs and Diversity. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.


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If "you are what you eat," then why not turn to superfruits for super health? Shoppers are asking themselves this question, believing superfruits offer a win–win scenario with delicious taste and feel-great benefits (many of which are data supported).
"People are looking for a tangible health benefit from the products they use, but they still want these products to taste good in regard to foods and beverages or in the case of personal care products, they still need these products to help them feel good about themselves," says Bob Freeze, vice president of corporate communications for XanGo, LLC, Lehi, UT. "Superfruits help meet this demand."
Plus, this category satisfies cravings for something out of the ordinary. "Superfruits such as goji berry…offer customers the excitement of trying something new with superior nutritional benefits (supported by scientific evidence), and they are attracted to these fruits for their 'uniqueness' of being sourced from a far away 'exotic' region of the world," says Dorie Greenblatt, director of marketing, American Health/Home Health, Ronkonkoma, NY.
So, what exactly are superfruits? According to Carlos Escalante, vice president of Novelle International, Bradenton, FL, "It's a marketing term, but it is legitimate branding. In general, a superfruit is a fruit that has high nutritional value as compared to the fruits and vegetables consumed by the average family."
Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals, Inc. (PNI), Kearny, NJ, notes that the term works because it's memorable. "The prefix of 'super' connotes a higher level of intensity or goodness. And, there is truth to it, of the thousands of edible fruits—and vegetables—that offer nutrients to humans, some contain higher levels of antioxidants, carotenoids and other nutraceuticals when compared to others. Although not clearly defined, 'superfruits' is a generally acceptable and easy to understand term that means 'healthier for me,'" he says.
1. The white pulp of this fruit has a sweet flavor, but the outer layers contain xanthones and other phytonutrients. |
Superfruits = Super Benefits
Retailers who want to super-size their superfruit sales should understand the natural allure of the category. Observes Gene Bruno, M.S., M.H.S., consultant for Jarrow Formulas, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, and dean of academics at Huntington College of Health Sciences, "[Fruit is] possibly the only food group that is universally recognized as tasting good as well as being good for us."
Superfruits are said to offer that little something extra over traditional fruits. "[They] are marketed as having more health benefits than everyday fruit. These days, consumers are looking for affordable ways to preserve their health, because who can afford to get sick?" notes Shaheen Majeed, marketing director of Sabinsa Corporation, Piscataway, NJ.
In fact, studies have linked superfruits to cardiovascular health, mental acuity, joint health and more. Says Margaret Ann Hogan president of Health Support, Inc., Farmingdale, NY, "Eating berries might be a tasty way to protect against heart disease…[They] also have been known to be the secrets of longevity [and] provide year-round antioxidant protection, immune support and mental clarity."
Skin health, too, shouldn't be overlooked. Greenblatt notes a trend among personal care formulations to include superfruits because of their "nutrient-rich health benefits." For example, high-antioxidant goji berries "play a positive role in promoting health benefits for skin, especially in the growing 'anti-aging' natural health care category," she says.
A main reason why superfruits are said to pack such a big nutritional punch across such a wide health spectrum has to do with their natural plant chemicals. In superfruits, such phytochemicals often have strong antioxidant activity, which helps protect our cells against oxidative damage and health conditions associated with such harm.
Says Brant Herman, vice president of operations at Bullwater Health & Fitness/Pomology, Hoboken, NJ, "Superfruits and consumers' acceptance thereof benefit from their chemical compounds being contained in an attractive natural package."
Plants can contain a combination of about 20 different phytochemical classifications (many with numerous subcategories), but one familiar face in the superfruit category is flavonoids. This class is said to offer numerous health benefits, and includes chemicals such as resveratrol and rutin. Another familiar class is anthocyanins. Says Bruno, "Usually, the darker the berry, the higher the anthocyanin content." Certain anthocyanins (like those found in New Zealand blackcurrants), he explains, help "relax the smooth muscle of the eye, which is significant since in near-sightedness that smooth muscle cannot relax enough to allow focusing on distant objects" (1). These anthocyanins may also help with those experiencing eye fatigue and strain (2) and poor night vision (3).
Further examining how phytochemicals come into play with superfruits, Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL, offers us açaí as an example. He explains that this vitamin C-packed berry is a source of ellagic acid (a phenolic acid), rutin (a flavonoid), anthocyanins and catechins (flavonoids). "These and other antioxidant compounds protect tissues from free radical attack, a key factor in healthy aging. The nutrients and antioxidants in açaí also help support healthy immune and inflammatory response through their modulatory effects on nitric oxide production. Each of these effects is also important for the support of a healthy heart and blood vessels."
We can also look at the phytochemical breakdown of amla, thanks to information provided by Sabinsa. The company studied this berry to better understand why it has such high antioxidant activity. "We determined that mucic acid gallates and beta-glucogallin are the predominant active molecules in amla, and are significant contributors to amla's health benefits," says Majeed. More information about this research is available at www.saberry.net.
To assess antioxidant activity, companies often look at the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value, a score that measures the antioxidant capacity of foods. Many feel that the higher the number, the better the product will neutralize free radicals. But, this number should be used carefully and in context.
Dan Haggart, president of CHERRish Juices, Bellevue, WA, notes a case in which he found a competitor used an ORAC rating on its product labeling for a raw material—not the actual product in the bottle. "People are buying this product, thinking they're getting something that's very antioxidant and they may not be getting anything at all," he states. "The product had very little antioxidants because they had to dilute it so much to make it taste better. The antioxidants were depleted."
While testing can be done, industry doesn't have a seal of approval for antioxidant activity. But, Brad Miller, co-owner of Stiebs Pomegranate Products, Madera, CA, is developing a system to change this. "I'm forming an Antioxidant Institute and a Web site (www.antioxidant.com) to be able to give certification to products that are actually what they say they are," Miller envisions. "There are a lot of products out there and no seal of approval."
He explains that unscrupulous companies can have deceiving, but accurate labels (as Haggart noted). Miller notes, "They may have used other ingredients in there that could fool the test, but really there's very little açaí in there."
To address the problem, Miller has a team of scientists who are partnering with the Antioxidant Institute to develop definitions for pass/fail grades for antioxidant activity. And, he hopes to develop a seal for passing products that tells clients that the item has been evaluated by a team of experts and has valid antioxidant activity.
Meanwhile, Haggart and testing firm Brunswick Laboratories have initiated a "Truth in Juice" certification program that determines the antioxidant content in juices based on the ORAC scale. Says Haggart, "If your product isn't certified for it's antioxidant content, you can't be confident as to what you're actually getting." CHERRish Juices is encouraging all juice companies to get certified, too.
Formulating Fruits
Superfruits have a great reputation for taste and nutrition, but one area where their image is a bit tarnished is formulation. These testy little buggers have induced many a headache among food and supplement scientists. Says Wes Crain, vice president of Navitas Naturals, Novato, CA, "If it were easy to source and distribute fresh quality superfruits, then everyone would be doing it." But luckily, industry companies have been creative in taming exotic fruits so that the final product is fresh and efficacious.
One huge problem can be product degradation. Açaí, for example, is especially fragile and can lose up to 90% of its nutritional value within 72 hours of harvesting, says Chris Cuvelier, founder and president, Zola Brazilian Superfruits, San Francisco, CA. "Processing the açaí into a pulp and then freezing stops the degradation of nutrients," he explains, noting that his company's policy is to move from harvesting to processing within 12 hours "to maximize nutrient retention."
Also commenting on the importance of using fresh product is Chris D. Meletis, director of science and research for Trace Minerals Research, Ogden, UT, who says, "When super fresh, properly harvested super fruit is collected, transported and processed quickly, degradation is largely controlled." His company uses proprietary blending techniques to "balance the pH and acidity of each fruit to yield a good-tasting healthy juice."
Another way to deal with degradation-prone superfruits is to avoid watering down the extract. J. Michael Drabiuk, Pure Fruit Technologies/PFT Brands, Inc., American Fork, UT says his company insists that its ingredients arrive in large, sealed containers with just the concentrate "to protect agriculture in the United States from foreign contaminates, to assure us that we are getting the ripest nutrient-rich fruits for our juices…and to maintain quality raw materials with NO degradation."
After the concentrate is received, the company won't add water into its products. Rather, "we utilize the concentrates of other superfruits to broaden the nutritional qualities of our products," Drabiuk explains. Though the formulation route is more expensive, he believes the final product has a better nutritional profile than if water or preservatives were added.
Because liquid superfruit products can be limiting so companies opt for other routes. According to Levin, his company selects dry extracts and concentrates for some superfruit products. "This gives us more control over stability and potency, creating a comprehensive dietary supplement that is far stronger in antioxidant potency than common fruit juices," he explains. "Using dry powders in a liquid product actually reduces concerns about molds, fermentation, off-flavors, etc., while allowing far higher potencies as represented by ORAC antioxidant values."
Adds Richard Passwater, Ph.D., vice president of research and development at Solgar, Inc., Leonia, NJ, "While extracts are not the total fruit, they do offer the advantages of concentrating known beneficial ingredients at a meaningful and controlled level and are encapsulated in softgels so as to preserve their activity and prevent degradation."
On that note, even tableted or encapsulated formulations can be challenging. Superfruits tend to be hydroscopic, which means they love to absorb and retain water. "The problem is that by the time you add enough excipients [i.e., extra ingredients that help deliver the active ingredient] to compensate for the hydroscopicity and ensure stability, the tablet or capsule may have more excipient than superfruit," says Bruno. One way to address this issue, he says, is with powdered supplements that can be mixed in a glass of water or juice. He notes that products formulated in this way "avoid problems with hydroscopicity, and any sharp/sour taste issues are easily addressed by allowing consumers to mix the products with their beverage of choice to maximize flavor potential and enjoyment."
For superfruits that can handle encapsulation, however, Ken Seguine, vice president of sales and marketing, finished products at Avesta, Chatsworth, CA, notes that capsules may also be a good option for pure extracts that don't pass the consumer taste test. His company's standardized mangosteen extract is "intensely bitter," so "encapsulation is the perfect way to deliver the benefits and avoid the unpleasant taste," he explains.
Reverting back to Levin's point about dry powders, all superfruit product makers must select packaging carefully to ensure a high-quality product ends up in consumers' hands. He explains that the firm "uniquely uses oxygen scavenger packets in some 300 of our dry products to prevent oxidation and protect the contents in the bottles."
Last, many interviewees have raised the point that ensuring a fresh and stable product also is dependant upon which growers/suppliers they choose. Mangosteen, for example, can only be harvested twice a year and isn't shelf-stable for long periods of time. One mangosteen product specialist (XanGo) has established long-term contracts with "the best suppliers in Southeast Asia" and has the first pick of the crop, says Freeze, who adds, "To ensure top-notch quality of our products, we follow a rigorous process for sourcing and manufacturing from the harvest and puree of the fruit to the end bottling...we can trace each bottle sold to the orchard from which the mangosteen came."
Bill Aims to Ban Certain Pomegranates
Senator Roderick Wright (D-CA) has proposed legislation in California to "stop false advertising by setting clear standards to identify 100% pomegranate juice." SB 190 Truth in Labeling—Pomegranate Juice offers standards based on a California variety of pomegranate that would, in essence, outlaw other forms of pomegranate grown elsewhere. In fact, the wording is so specific that it excludes nearly everything, but fruit used in Pom Wonderful juice. In contrast, competitors typically source their product from the Middle East, Turkey, India, China and elsewhere. In the past, Pom Wonderful has sued several companies for "mislabeling" pomegranate products that don't have the specific functional markers of the California variety calling it "adulterated." Matt Tupper, president of Pom Wonderful, told a California newspaper, "state legislation is necessary because imported pomegranate concentrate is often adulterated with other juices, which could pose a health risk to consumers who buy the juice specifically for its antioxidants." Others argue that pomegranate from other areas is still pomegranate, and offers a variety in taste, color and price. If the legislation passes, it would essentially create a monopoly for Pom Wonderful and the California pomegranate. An insider commenting on the situation for WholeFoods said this is akin to only allowing the term "apple" to apply to Granny Smiths. Offenders of SB 190 would face fines or jail time. At press time, the bill passed the California State Senate and is moving to the health committee. If passed into law, the bill could have broad-reaching labeling effects. The Natural Products Association West and the Juice Processors Association have spoken out against it. Source: G. Maddaus, "Bill May Squeeze Pom's Rivals," The Daily Breeze, June 6, 2009. |
Making a World of Difference
Freeze raises an interesting point. Since many superfruits are grown in specific areas and harvested with precise requirements, several U.S. manufacturers have forged special relationships with suppliers/growers overseas.
On the one hand, as previously noted, companies believe that the closer the ties to the community, the better the final product. Such relationships, Crain believes, "is the only way to ensure a quality product, stable pricing and consistent supply."
Boosting this sentiment is Cuvelier of Zola, who notes that interest in açaí has led to much growth of the berry on the Brazilian market. But, he says, "not everyone can do it right and more importantly, not all açaí is created equally." Therefore, he feels strongly in the importance of going straight to the source by aligning with reputable growers to get the "highest quality açaí, the best-tasting açaí and the most consistent supply of açaí. Doing things the right way has helped us secure fruit when others can't."
And, Kevin Busby, U.S. general manager of EarthFruits says his company is headquartered in Brazil so that it can directly oversee and supervise the harvesting and production of its superfruit ingredients, which "ensures top-quality fruits directly from the source itself…The EarthFruits team is on the ground, transferring the know-how and carrying out the logistics of the products that will be shipped internationally." In fact, the company partners with local co-ops to reach fruit deep within "the most pristine parts of the Amazon Rainforest," which the company feels helps deliver the best-quality product.
These close ties to growers also encourage charitable work in local communities, too. Here's a smattering of some of these worthy projects:
• Much of the Mapuche Indian community in Southern Chile earns a living by harvesting maqui berry for Novelle International. In February, the firm donated special laptops, software and a projector to Mapuche Indian schoolchildren. The company also sent money to support the community's New Year Festival.
• After a devastating tsunami hit Thailand in 2004, XanGo paired up with Jarang Fai Dee, a group helping to rebuild villages ineligible for government rebuilding programs. "XanGo executives worked hand-in-hand with Jarang Fai Dee and the local villagers and Buddhist priests to rebuild homes, build the first school, provide uniforms and books for the school, and take care of other needs," Freeze explains. The community was taught how to make fishing boats to sell for their livelihood.
• In Thailand, Avesta's mangosteen extract is made from the dried rinds of fruit that previously were discarded. "Now they supply additional income to farmers and wild gatherers," says Seguine.
• Navitas Naturals has donated to a Peruvian school located near their growers and provided scholarships to students. "They appreciate our social support and we receive a product made with love that is high quality and super healthy," says Crain.
• Zola has a multi-tiered project (called Project Zola) that helps a community in Brazil. The project helps eliminate waste from unused açaí seeds, which are typically discarded on the roadsides, where they decompose and create hazardous gas. Instead, Zola encourages the community to make (and sell to Zola) handmade açaí seed bracelets, which are then offered to U.S. retailers for sale. One dollar per bracelet sold goes to Zola's non-profit foundation that purchases Açaí palms. "Each dollar buys one palm to be planted and serves as a sustainable source of revenue for the local farmers to harvest year over year," says Cuvelier. And, Zola's discarded açaí seeds also are donated to a local brickmaker that uses them to fuel its brick-drying oven. "Project Zola has already given back $80,000 to local Brazilian communities and we are excited about reaching our goal of providing $1,000,000 in support by 2012," Cuvelier notes.
So, retailers should not hesitate to highlight these and other charitable efforts to clients in the form of shelf-talkers about relevant products. Shoppers are often happy to be part of a good cause.
The Next Pomegranate?
Even pomegranate, one of the most popular superfruits, started out as a seedling with modest sales. Those interviewed for this article offer their expectations of which superfruits are poised and ready to explode on the market:
- Acerola has a tangy, tart taste and offers high levels of vitamin C.
- Amla (Indian gooseberry) is high in vitamin C "with gallotannins and gallates that amplify and extend the benefits of C in the body to include healthy aging, immunity, digestion, cholesterol and skincare benefits," says Seguine. Majeed adds that in Ayurvedic tradition, it "is regarded as 'one of the best rejuvenating herbs.'"
- Baobab, an African superfruit, is said to support immune and digestive health.
- Nutrient-packed caja fruit has a tropical taste.
- Camu-camu may contain more vitamin C than most foods and is rich in potassium, calcium, protein and beta-carotene.
- Cashew fruit is rich in many nutrients and its bark/leaves have anti-inflammatory and astringent properties.
- The Chinese yumberry is said to offer several nutrients including vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and carotene.
- Cupuaçu contains high amounts of polyphenol antioxidants.
- Graviola offers many micronutrients and is being studied as a natural cancer and disease fighter, according to Zola.
- New Zealand blackcurrant is a tart–sweet fruit that is abundant in eye health-supporting anthocyanins.
- Murici has been traditionally used for treating respiratory diseases and as a laxative.
- Sea buckthorn berries have over 190 biochemicals and are said to be the only plant source of all omega fatty acids (3, 6, 7 and 9).
- Soursop tastes like a strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus taste. But, its contrasting creamy flavor is similar to a coconut or banana. The fruit offers vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2.
- Yacon is a fruit-like vegetable that contains large amounts of the prebiotic, inulin. Yacon has a distinct, sweet flavor and can be made into syrup.
Select Superfruit Offerings Avesta offers organic amla in stick packs and mangosteen. |
It should be noted that, like any new ingredients, reputable companies won't bring new items to market without thoroughly examining its health and market potential. Levin explains what NOW Foods does before bringing something new to market: "It takes NOW Foods several months to move from product concept to finished product. This extensive process ensures that we are careful to assess the sales potential before introducing a new product. It also raises the bar for introducing any product, due to the internal costs involved in this process. NOW has a new products committee that consists of our R&D, marketing and sales managers, myself and two other company nutritionists, a retailer (though several of us have extensive retail experience) and an M.D. We assess the market and the science behind supplier claims. We poll retailers and look at sales reports and competitive products already on the market."
Retailers, too, should be able to distinguish between a true up-and-coming superfruit staple and one that will be gone tomorrow. Doing so involves evaluating whether it delivers a true and meaningful benefit to the consumers. Says Kirsten Van Sickle, director of marketing at Zola Brazilian Superfruits, "The consumer will see through hype, and a fad will die; if it delivers a meaningful benefit, the consumer may choose to adopt it as part of their daily food and drink repertoire."
Sometimes, this task means delving into the relevant research on a new superfruit. "There have been a couple of 'superfruits' in the past that have been marketed directly to the consumer with claims of being effective for almost everything under the sun. Noni and açaí do have scientific merit as sound antioxidants, but unscrupulous marketers have blown them way out of proportion," says Mosca of PNI, noting that his company supports retailers trying to separate fact from fiction with new research behind its superfruits.
Adds Noah Herron, marketing coordinator for Verdure Sciences, Noblesville, IN, "Research will help show the history of the fruit, possible health benefits and studies that have been performed. Using this information and predicting the future needs of consumers can help identify possible superfruits that are here to stay."
Bruno agrees, stressing the point that anecdotal information isn't enough to support benefits. "It's fine to say that some superfruit has been used by some indigenous societies for generations, but let's be fair. We could say the same thing about our consumption of apples or oranges. The real question is what are the benefits of the superfruit beyond providing a source of some basic vitamins and/or minerals?" As previously mentioned, companies evaluating whether to formulate a new superfruit often study the ORAC value as well as any supporting literature that assesses the health value of a particular ingredient. "We suggest that retailers take a similar approach and request literature from their dietary supplement companies that explains what research has been conducted on their superfood products," says Bruno.
Stores can also participate in educational programs about superfruits, such as those offered by Pomology/ Bullwater Health & Fitness. According to Herman, "The growing body of research will separate certain superfruits from trends that do not have science behind them. Through our trainings and store support, we help retailers convey the research related to the various superfruits optimized in our condition-specific formulations." WF
- H. Matsumoto, et al., "Delphinidin-3-Rutinoside Relaxes the Bovine Ciliary Smooth Muscle through Activation of ETB Receptor and NO/cGMP Pathway," J. Exp. Eye Res. 80, 313–322 (2005).
- H. Matsumoto, et al., "Stimulatory Effect of Cyanidin 3-Glycosides on the Regeneration of Rhodopsin," J. Agri. Food Chem.51 (12), 3560–3563 (2003).
- H. Nakaishi, et al., "Effects of Black Currant Anthocyanoside Intake on Dark Adaptation and VDT Work-Induced Transient Refractive Alteration in Healthy Humans," Alt. Med. Rev. 5 (6), 553–562 (2000).
Published in WholeFoods Magazine, August 2009


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How much 'pain'? Fed to signal more rate hikes ahead
Sep 19, 2022, 7:00 PM
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell bluntly warned in a speech last month that the Fed's drive to curb inflation by aggressively raising interest rates would "bring some pain." On Wednesday, Americans may get a better sense of how much pain could be in store.
The Fed is expected at its latest meeting to raise its key short-term rate by a substantial three-quarters of a point for the third consecutive time. Another hike that large would lift its benchmark rate — which affects many consumer and business loans — to a range of 3% to 3.25%, the highest level in 14 years.
In a further sign of the Fed's deepening concern about inflation, it will also likely signal that it plans to raise rates much higher by year's end than it had forecast three months ago — and to keep them higher for a longer period.
Economists expect Fed officials to forecast that their key rate could go as high as 4% by the end of this year. They're also likely to signal additional increases in 2023, perhaps to as high as roughly 4.5%.
Short-term rates at that level would make a recession likelier next year by sharply raising the cost of mortgages, car loans and business loans. The Fed intends those higher borrowing costs to slow growth by cooling off a still-robust job market to cap wage growth and other inflation pressures. Yet the risk is growing that the Fed may weaken the economy so much as to cause a downturn that would produce job losses.
The U.S. economy hasn't seen rates as high as the Fed is projecting since before the 2008 financial crisis. Last week, the average fixed mortgage rate topped 6%, its highest point in 14 years. Credit card borrowing costs have reached their highest level since 1996, according to Bankrate.com.
Powell and other Fed officials still say the Fed's goal is to achieve a so-called "soft landing," by which they would slow growth enough to tame inflation but not so much as to trigger a recession.
By last week, though, that goal appeared further out of reach after the government reported that inflation over the past year was a painful 8.3%. Even worse, so-called core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose much faster than expected.
The inflation report also documented just how broadly inflation has spread through the economy, complicating the the Fed's anti-inflation efforts. Inflation now appears increasingly fueled by higher wages and by consumers' steady desire to spend and less by the supply shortages that had bedeviled the economy during the pandemic recession.
"They're going try to avoid recession," said William Dudley, formerly the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. "They're going to try to achieve a soft landing. The problem is that the room to do that is virtually non-existent at this point."
At a news conference he will give Wednesday after the Fed meeting ends, Powell isn't likely to drop any hints that the central bank will ease up on its credit tightening campaign. Most economists expect the Fed to stop raising rates in early 2023. But for now, they expect Powell to reinforce his hard-line anti-inflation stance.
"It's going to end up being a hard landing," said Kathy Bostjancic, an economist at Oxford Economics.
"He's not going to say that," Bostjancic said. But, referring to the most recent Fed meeting in July, when Powell raised hopes for an eventual pullback on rate hikes, she added: "He also wants to make sure that the markets don't come away and rally. That's what happened last time."
Indeed, investors responded then by bidding up stock prices and buying bonds, which lowered rates on securities like the benchmark the 10-year Treasury. Higher stock prices and lower bond yields generally boost the economy — the opposite of what the Fed wants.
At a previous news conference in June, Powell had noted that a three-quarter-point rate hike was "an unusually large one" and suggested that "I do not expect moves of this size to be common." Yet after the alarming August inflation report, the Fed now seems all but sure to announce its third consecutive such increase. A fourth such hike is possible, too, if future measures of inflation don't improve.
The central bank has already engaged in the fastest series of interest rate hikes since the early 1980s. Yet some economists — and some Fed officials — argue that they have yet to raise rates to a level that would actually restrict borrowing and spending and slow growth.
Loretta Mester, president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, and one of the 12 officials who will vote on the Fed's decision this week, said she thinks it will be necessary to raise the Fed's rate to "somewhat above 4% by early next year and hold it there."
"I do not anticipate the Fed cutting" rates next year, Mester added, dispelling the expectations of many investors on Wall Street who had hoped for such a reversal. Comments like Mester's contributed to a sharp fall in stock prices last month that began after Powell's stern anti-inflation speech at an economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
"Our responsibility to deliver price stability is unconditional," Powell said then — a remark widely interpreted to mean that the Fed will fight inflation even if it requires deep job losses and a recession.
Many economists sound convinced that a recession and widespread layoffs will be necessary to slow rising prices. Research published earlier this month under the auspices of the Brookings Institution concluded that unemployment might have to go as high as 7.5% to get inflation back to the Fed's 2% target.
Only a downturn that harsh would reduce wage growth and consumer spending enough to cool inflation, according to the a paper by Johns Hopkins University economist Laurence Ball and two economists at the International Monetary Fund.
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