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It’s all too easy to think of summer travel that could’ve been: that rafting trip planned with your crew, the yearly pilgrimage to Chicago’s Riot Fest, flying across the country to surf, the list goes on. Someday we’ll be there again, whining about overbooked flights and mishandled luggage along the way. Until then, we need to make the most of the end of summer and fall with the adventures reachable in a day’s drive. Because with limited ability to fly to someplace warmer, it could be a long winter ahead.
Once you’ve got the road trip planned, you’ll need to pack. This is where Nixon comes in with its new line of bags. And this isn’t just another collection for a new season—every piece in this line is made with REPREVE Our Ocean performance fibers.
On top of being extremely functional bags that we will one day tote through foreign cities and toss into pangas, this is the first full line to be made completely of this upcycled plastic bottle fabric, which is relatively new itself. And this is key: The material doesn’t come from a recycled-goods processing plant. These bottles are removed from ecosystems within 50 yards of the oceans in developing nations that don’t have proper recycling facilities. Essentially, each bag redirects about 20 bottles that would have wound up in waterways, choking the very ecosystem that we can’t wait to travel to and experience again in the first place.
In short, this is the kind of technology that can change manufacturing for the better.
First in the lineup is the most obvious pick, the Hauler, ideal for distance or your daily driver pack in 25 L ($100, pictured below) and 35 L ($130) options. The Hauler is all about access.
courtesy Nixon
Even the best of packs are limited with single access points, leaving you fishing down into the dark, past your rain shell and solar charger to find the sunblock. The Hauler has a 270-degree opening that allows you to see everything at once. (Or that the sunblock isn’t actually in there.) Then there’s the unlimited utility of the exterior. The back features two external straps for a skateboard, yoga mat or ground pad. The exterior also has a loop for your keys, helmet, etc., a water bottle sleeve and external media pocket. The 35 L version additionally features a zippered shoe compartment to keep such things away from your cleaner clothes, and a side-entry laptop sleeve. And REPREVE is water resistant.
The other pack option is the Ransack, something of a little brother. It shares many of the features of the Hauler, just a lighter style day/campus pack, but still holding its own and everything you have to carry in 24 L. Plus, it’s a damn good price considering the innovation of REPREVE ($65).
For a longer road trip, either pack pairs well with the Escape Duffel in 45 L ($110) and 60 L ($120), which, by the by, can be carried on your back with easy stash-and-go straps. Like the Hauler, it has a pair of bottom-facing exterior straps and can be cinched where needed. Consider this the gym bag for the guy who gets his fitness anywhere by the gym.
Possibly the most unique piece in the line is the Bandit Chest Bag ($35). If you aren’t aware of a chest bag, imagine a fanny pack, but far, far less lame, that goes across your chest.
courtesy Nixon
We know fanny packs became ironically cool 10 years ago, but they still seem like they’d be for the type of people who check into a flight in their pajamas. The Bandit is a tri-strap design that wears more like a messenger bag, but far smaller, for when you don’t want to be carrying a bag on foot or skateboard. It has interior and exterior pockets, ideal for a music festival or a day on your local slopes, capable of holding a few essentials: phone, charger, speaker, wallet, passport, small tools or a GoPro.
The line is rounded out by a Stash Bag, which is a more traditional carrier, more like a camera bag ($30); the Side Kick Hip Pack ($25), even though I just dissed fanny packs; the larger “throw-and-go” shoulder style Heist Bag ($65); and the Wizard Stick Beverage Sling ($25), which is sure to be the life of the party, keeping six bevvies cold as you head to the swimming hole or the fireworks.
A duffel bag isn’t going to change human consumption; not even a whole line of bags. But when innovative brands like Nixon and their influencers make commitments to true sustainability, entire industries take notice.
It’s something to think about on that long flight…when we’re allowed into Europe again.
“Finding perfect waves with just a friend is one of the best feelings a surfer can experience,” says Byron Bay’s Torren Martyn at the outset of his new surf feature, “Lost Track New Zealand.” The lengths to which Martyn and his friend, filmmaking partner Ishka Folkwell, are willing to go to dial in that seemingly-simple-yet-increasingly-rare brand of surf-experience is something to behold.
We’ve already seen the pair–Martyn’s lengthy twin-fins always in-tow–snowshoe through Iceland. We’ve also watched as they shirk all other responsibilities to post up in J-Bay, Mainland Mex, Scotland and other locales for months at a time.
In this go ‘round, Martyn and Folkwell have cooked up a road drama, of sorts–a kind of surfy “Easy Rider” through New Zealand–enduring grueling travel, fickle conditions, harsh weather and an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting, all in service of some tasty waves and a cool buzz… err… wanderlust.
Luckily for us, Folkwell provides an aesthetically pleasing view of the roads, as well as the payoff. Featuring verdant waves and Martyn’s singular style, the hour-long “Lost Track New Zealand” is the feature-length surf film we all need right now–one in which we can behold an epic journey, as we hoard toilet paper and devour to-go food from the comfort of our pandemic bunkers. And what a beautiful thing to behold.
About nine in 10 Americans said they are knowledgeable about mask-wearing and that they sometimes, often or always wear a mask when they leave their home and are unable to social distance, the online poll shows.
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These days the quantity and capabilities of apps available for mobile devices are quite impressive—let alone how powerful smartphones have become. In my case my phone is better than my computer… but I digress. Ironically, some of these apps that focus on outdoor travel, recreation, and exploration provide technology that allows you to disconnect from this media-centric society.
And while there is nothing more annoying than pulling your phone out while in the woods, or on a chairlift for that matter, below are a few handy apps that skiers can utilize in the offseason, some of which are equally worthwhile in the winter. Each of them will help you venture farther off the beaten path, or drool over mountain ranges and ski lines until snow flies again.
Everyone who tests positive should then receive a confirmatory PCR test -- a slower, more complex and more accurate type of molecular scan that looks for the genetic material of the new coronavirus.
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Doctors already recommend that people with high blood pressure use a home monitor to track their numbers. But research suggests that home readings, alone, only make a small difference in getting the condition under control.
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Picture this: You’ve spent countless hours climbing indoors getting your skills as sharp as you can. Now, you’re ready to take it to the next level—to finally climb outside—but you don’t know where to start.
There is a steep learning curve to go from indoor to outdoor climbing, but the incredible views make it oh-so worth it.
However, there are basics that every climber needs to know when visiting the crags, such as being conscious of the area, knowing where to stand or sit, spotting a climber, communicating, and knowing how to get down.
Juliana Petters tests her flexibility on a steep sport climb. Photo: Chris Van Leuven
Being Crag Conscious
Even before heading out, the first thing to do is become familiar with the area and routes so pick up a guidebook at your local shop or visit Mountain Project for beta. This way you know if the area has restrictions or other seasonal closures, which trails are needed to follow, and what’s available in your grade range.
Once there, you’ll also want to be aware of your surroundings—noting any nearby drop-offs—and learning where to stand to safely be clear of any climbers overhead. And before you head up your first route, take note of where the route goes and remember crucial sequences by watching those who did it first.
Since crags often have to be shared with other parties, spread out from other teams and keep chatter to a minimum so as not to infringe on others’ experiences—this isn’t the gym where everyone has to pack together. And whatever you do, don’t throw your gear over other peoples’ stuff.
Unlike the gym’s cushy floors, landings outside are hard and unforgiving even from just a few feet off the ground, making proper spotting crucial. When bouldering, it’s important to level out the ground using strategically placed crash pads and then to actively spot the climber (using your hands like a spotter does when someone is lifting weights) to protect their head and torso from taking the brunt of a fall. This goes for sport climbing too, where spotting protects the lead climber as they advance from the ground to reach the first bolt.
Clear Communication Is Key
Climbing commands sound similar, and certain words have opposite meanings, such as “off” can be short for “off belay” or it can mean “falling off”—which means keep a tight hand on the rope and prepare to catch a fall. To avoid confusion before a climber leaves the ground, come up with a game plan so everyone is aware of what to expect. This involves discussing the length of the route, noting anything unique about it—such as if there’s a traverse or notable runouts between protection—and what the plan is once the anchor is reached.
When it comes to crowded crags where there are competing teams for air space, adding the climber’s (or belayer’s) name when shouting commands helps to clarify who is speaking.
An unnamed climber battles it out on the steeps in Tonsai, Thailand. Photo: Chris Van Leuven
Having an Escape Plan
Once at the top of a climb, whether it’s a one-pitch sport route or a multi-pitch outing, it’s typical to be filled with a feeling of euphoria. Up there everything is amplified: the views are better, the air is crisper, and surrounding scents are stronger. But getting to the top is often only half way (meaning that the climber either has to come back down the way they came up, or walk off).
Either way, your gear has to come back with you. Many climbers carry a P.A.S. sling with them, which stands for Personal Anchor System. This allows the climber to clip in directly and remove their personal gear from bolts in the wall before lowering or rappelling.
Getting down isn’t always easy—ropes can get stuck, for example—which is why it’s important to have an escape plan and be familiar with the basic tools climbers use to get up and down a route, including prussiks, a rappel/belay device, slings, and free locking and non-locking carabiners.
Now at the anchor, a team prepares to go down in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Photo: Chris Van Leuven
Because the gym climbing experience is so different than outdoor climbing, it’s certainly not for everyone. But those who are willing to take the step outside will be rewarded with views usually reserved for birds high in the sky and vivid memories that stick around forever.
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In June 2019, Taylor Demonbreun set a Guinness World Record by being the youngest person, at age 24, to visit every country in the world. But her record wouldn’t last long, because late last year, 21-year-old Lexie Alford officially stole the title. The young swashbucklers documented their crusades online, demonstrating how easy it was to travel before COVID-19. What was once an unimaginable lifetime journey could be accomplished in about 18 months. That’s how long it took Demonbreun, anyway. She still holds the speed record.
In the Before Times, many of us would have reacted to their accomplishments by packing a weekend bag. But the near-global halt to international travel dictated by COVID-19 created a (long) moment of forced reflection and called into question what Alford’s and Demonbreun’s accomplishments say about our evolving relationship with travel. Some of us, myself included, have grown gluttonous. As sea levels rise, we’re increasingly devouring the world like a fun-size bag of Cheetos. Alford and Demonbreun aren’t the only ones grinning with orange-stained fingers held up to the camera. To some extent, we’re all guilty.
As an old millennial, I vaguely recall the revolt that turned my peers and me against the Humvees and McMansions that marked status for our parents’ generation. We understood that happiness was to be earned through experiences, not possessions. We didn’t care about keeping up with the Joneses—or we didn’t think we did, anyway. So, we studied abroad, backpacked through Europe, and nursed our souls with adventure.
But ultimately, it seems we bucked one set of Joneses for another. Our lives shifted online, and experiences began to look a lot like possession. Travel became its own status-seeking behavior.
Did 21-year-old Alford “experience” the world’s 195 countries, or did she “collect” them, like objects?
Until the 1950s, more people traveled by train than plane. Vacation was a time-consuming ordeal. But now we’ll airdrop in for a weekend in Berlin or 36 hours in Singapore. We do it for the ’Gram. We do it to say we did it. Between 1998 and 2008, global air travel increased threefold.
All of this might be excusable if not for the damage we’re inflicting on our planet. COVID-19 showed us exactly how quickly air quality reacts to changes in behavior (especially when it comes to travel). Before-and-after pandemic photos from London, Moscow, and Los Angeles show smoggy gray skylines washed clean, like someone restoring old film. In Punjab, India, the Himalayas became visible for the first time in decades.
In May, a group of environmental scientists reported that global carbon emissions were estimated to be down 17 percent. It’s the biggest drop in recorded history.
Defenders of air travel will point out that planes account for just 2.8 percent of global carbon emissions, but that number’s misleading. Unlike ground transportation or factory work, aviation is a service available only to the wealthiest. According to industry estimates, 80 to 90 percent of people have never flown. But the world’s expanding middle class, along with new cultural norms around travel, will change that. International air traffic is expected to increase 330 percent by 2045, according to a report from the United Nations.
“Aviation has been growing tremendously fast,” says Susanne Becken, Ph.D., a professor of sustainable tour- ism at Australia’s Griffith University. “And it’s been eating up the carbon budget for countries that are reducing emissions.”
I cringe to think of my own carbon footprint. I rarely eat beef and choose bicycle over car whenever possible, yet I give little thought to my decision to board a plane. Over the past few years, I’ve flown to Sweden, Kenya, and the southern tip of South America. A single round-trip flight to Australia makes me personally responsible for something like 2.8 tons of carbon, a number that by itself exceeds the 2-ton individual budget humans need to reach by 2050.
Now in the wake of COVID-19, I’m reexamining the distance of my travel. A photo in front of the Eiffel Tower might blow up for me on social media, but if I’m being honest, I don’t have to fly to France (1,550 pounds of carbon) to connect with the world. I can actually hear people speak French in Montreal, which is half a day’s drive from where I live in New York. In a few hours, I can be in Burlington or the Adirondacks, the largest publicly protected natural area in the contiguous U.S. In my own state, I’ve yet to float the Delaware River or pedal the 350-mile Erie Canal bike trail. I’m a day’s drive from the Great Smoky Mountains in one direction and Acadia National Park in another. This country, even my small slice of it, offers a bounty of experience that I’ve been too quick to dismiss as too close to home.
“There’s so much we can explore near us,” says Maja Rosen, an activist who launched a campaign to encourage people to avoid planes for one year. “And the decision to fly is often the single biggest contributor to your personal carbon emissions.”
I’ll admit that it’s hard for me to stifle my envy when I look at an accomplished traveler like Alford, and I’m sure her nearly half-million Instagram followers feel the same. But envy is precisely the kind of negative emotion that travel is supposed to protect me from. Envy is what compels people to buy new cars they can’t afford and Jet Skis they’ll barely use.
In a video posted on YouTube, Alford explained that while she tried to spend as much time as possible at each destination, the rules of Guinness were only concerned with proper entry and exit documentation. That points to how many of us think of travel: a passport stamp, a few social media posts, and bragging rights. It’s hard to imagine that being more fulfilling than a Humvee.
Maybe you’ll fly again this year, or maybe you’ll wait. I’m in no position to judge, and I’m not ready to swear off planes entirely. But I will be dedicating more of my travel days to local rivers and trails. I’ll seek meaningful experiences closer to home, and I’ll sit with the truth I can no longer ignore: However frequent international travel enriches my internal world, it inflicts a bigger cost on the one we share.
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Emergency use authorization or approval for a COVID-19 vaccine before Phase 3 clinical trials are complete could be considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administratio
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This year, back-to-school plans are still a work in progress, and some (perhaps many) children will be learning from home because of the pandemic. As tempting as it might be to let the summer sleep schedules stay in place, it’s important that children have a regular routine — and that they are sleeping during the dark hours and awake during the light ones, as our bodies do best that way. So while a child whose trip to school is just a walk to the kitchen table might be able to sleep a bit later than one who has to catch an early bus, no child should be spending all morning in bed.
Sleep is crucial for all of us, and this is particularly true for children. Without enough quality sleep, children are more likely to have health and behavioral problems — and difficulty learning.
Here are a few simple things you can do to help your child get the sleep they need.
Have a regular schedule
Our bodies do best when we go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day.
Children and teens need eight to 10 hours of sleep. Count back 10 hours from when your child needs to get up in the morning. That’s roughly the time they need to be getting ready for bed (for younger children, count back 11 hours).
For example, if your teen needs to be up at 7, then they should be getting ready for bed by 9, and in bed by 10 (since most of us don’t fall asleep the moment our head hits the pillow). A younger child should start getting ready (bathing, etc.) by around 8.
Understand that teens are biologically wired to fall asleep later and wake up later and will naturally have later bedtimes. Unfortunately, most school districts don’t accommodate to this, so you are often working against biology.
While it’s okay to stay up a bit later on weekends, don’t let the bedtime vary by more than an hour or so.
Turn off the screens before bed
The blue light emitted by screens can keep us awake.
It’s best if the screens can be off two hours before you want your child asleep. Use that time when they start getting ready for bed as the time that the screens go off.
The only real way to achieve this is to get all devices out of the bedroom. (So true!)
Teens will fight you on this. If you can, hold firm (and buy them an alarm clock if they say they need their phone for this). At the very least, be sure that the phone is on Do Not Disturb mode overnight.
Have an environment that encourages sleep
Quiet things down. If you are watching TV, turn the volume down, and in general try to not make much noise after children go to bed.
Consider a white noise machine, or a fan (or air conditioner if you live somewhere warm). There are also white noise apps for those teens who won’t give up their phones.
Room-darkening curtains can make a difference for children who tend to wake up at the first light of dawn — or who can’t fall asleep if it’s not fully dark outside.
Know how other factors influence sleep
Busy teens often have difficulty getting everything done in time to get enough sleep. Talk with your teen about their daily schedule and look for ways to help them get more shut-eye, such as getting homework done during the school day, or limiting video games or other activities that eat into homework time. Sleep needs to be the priority.
Limit caffeine. It’s best not to have any, but certainly nothing from mid-afternoon on.
Limit naps! For a tired older child naps may seem like a good idea, but they can interfere with nighttime sleep. Naptime is okay through preschool.
Make sure your child gets exercise. It’s not only important for their health, it helps their sleep.
Have calming routines before bed (not exercise!).
If your child is having trouble falling asleep, or is waking up at night, talk to your doctor. It’s also important to talk to your doctor if your child is snoring or having other breathing problems at night. Don’t ever ignore a sleep problem; always ask for help.
The Federal Drug Administration has broadened its emergency use authorization for the anti-viral drug remdesivir to include all hospitalized coronavirus patients, not just those who are so ill they require ventilators or oxygen therapy.
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This pandemic has been wreaking havoc over everyone’s lives. Especially if you love going to the gym. Gyms being closed has forced people to change up how they stay in shape. Which can work, but it isn’t exactly the same. So it almost feels like a godsend that Gyms are starting to open up in parts of the country.
As great as it is for Gym to be opening up again, there are some things you need to take into account. Not just the health-based measures of being in a public place when the pandemic is still going strong. What you will need to do is not to act like time hasn’t passed by overexerting yourself and causing a serious injury.
Just because you may have been working out from home all this time, that doesn’t mean you can just jump right back into it. The body needs to get used to the workouts at a gym. You need to build up your stamina and all that. Not to mention the pandemic causing such stress to our minds and bodies that need to be overcome.
Getting back to the gym is going to require a different sort of dedication. You will need to know exactly the ways you need to reacquaint yourself to such a rigorous routine. But you don’t need to do so all alone. You can sign up for Noom and get a ton of help in going back to the gym.
Noom is a great fitness app for many reasons. But right now it is great because it will provide you with a wellness coach at all times of the day. Professionals who know what they are doing and will be able to cater a routine for you specifically to get back into the swing of things.
When you sign up for Noom, you need to take a highly personalized test. That way the app can know a ton about you to make up a diet and fitness routine to reach the goals you aiming for. Once that is all said and done, you will get access to these wellness coaches.
When you get started with a wellness coach at Noom, the personalized nature will be a godsend. Knowing your current fitness levels and such, the coach can tell you what to do to ease back in. Working out from home to get ready with the exact exercises to get ready. Shortening the duration of each workout when you’re at the gym initially.
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You’ll want to shorten the duration of your workouts at first because of DOMS. That means Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Which can be a real killer when trying to get back into the workout routine. You won’t be able to work out as well as you need to do the next few days.
With the help of the Noom wellness coaches, you will get help in avoiding DOMS. But if you can’t avoid DOMS, they can help you overcome the pain. Lessen the amount of time you have to deal with DOMS. That way you can keep yourself going. Because it’s all about getting into a routine.
It is going to take a while to get back to the levels you were going at before the pandemic shut everything down. The wellness coaches at Noom will help you wrangle your ambitions. Keep things down to Earth for now. Let you work back to those levels.
As is usual with any workout routine, you need to take care of your diet. And the personalized test when you sign up for Noom will help you figure out what to eat. But the wellness coaches can help you in any even greater and more specific way. Your diet will help you greatly in getting back to it.
Whether you are looking to start at the gym for the first time or are getting back into a pre-pandemic routine, Noom will help you out greatly. The wellness coaches will help keep you healthy and dedicated. The first time back doesn’t have to be the last and Noom will help make sure that it isn’t.
This article was produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
If you’ve spent much time paddling, you know that safety should always be priority No. 1. When you’re on the water, a few fundamentals apply to every paddler, every time. “Paddling Safety 101,” if you will. The best practices are also the most simple: Wear a personal flotation device (PFD) plus the proper outerwear for the water temperature, never paddle alone or impaired, and always check the weather forecast before you launch. These basic safety pillars ensure that your paddling experience doesn’t end in frustration, injury, or even tragedy.
But are you even aware of them? We are interested in your general attitude and approach to paddling safety. Please complete this confidential questionnaire for a chance to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards (click here for official rules). Only the first five questions are required for sweepstakes entry. Please consider all types of paddling in which you participate.
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The pandemic has changed the way many of us work. At first it was acceptable to cobble together a workspace at the kitchen table or make due at a crowded, mail covered desk. But with many companies continuing the remote policy, now’s the time to invest in a proper desk to get some serious work done. We took a look at the Sean Woolsey WFH Smart Desk in our home office for a couple of weeks. Here’s what you need to know.
Courtesy image
What It Is
From the Sean Woolsey Studios, based in Costa Mesa, CA, with a history of celebrating wood’s natural beauty, the WFH Smart Desk has motorized legs to raise the top of the desk. The standing desk, which can be either black walnut or white oak, locks in at any point between 25 to 50-inches from the floor. The height is metered out by a controller with up and down buttons, with four presets, which makes dialing in the right seated and standing heights simple.
The top is a 30 x 60-inch, .75-inch thick slab of solid wood planks, edge-glued together, finished with rounded edges and protected by an oil-finish that keeps the surface matte. Supporting the top is a black, powder-coated steel frame and a pair of substantial feet. In the rear of the top is a black steel pass-through for wires, which keeps the look tidy. Embedded in the top from underneath is a 10-watt Anker Qi wireless charger that works through the top, charging your smartphone. Helpful lines cut into the top of the desk give you a landing zone for your phone so you’re not hunting around the desk waiting for the device to ping you when you hit paydirt.
Under the top is where all the magic happens. The electric motors and wireless charger plug into a power strip mounted below the desktop. Once you plug the desk and charger into the strip, you have one USB and five outlets. It’s kept neat with zip ties and the desk comes with extra peel-and-stick ties to keep the cords underneath as clean as the desk’s top.
We opted to include the matching monitor stand ($250) that adds some utility if you work with an external screen. The 46 x 9-inch stand raises the screen 4 inches with a matching black steel plate running through it. That plate creates a shelf, with about 1.75-inches of space above and below it, to slide in a keyboard, note pad, stapler, etc. which would otherwise clutter up the desk. It’s also the perfect spot to tuck away the desk’s included desk organizer: a 11×8.5-inch wood tray with spots for six pens, a pocket for Post-it notes, and two other cubbies for things like change, paperclips, or your phone.
The motors lifting the desk can support about 90 pounds on the tabletop. And the desk hauls: going from minimum max height takes about 19.5 seconds. At about 57 decibels, it’s quiet, too—it’s about as loud as a refrigerator’s hum.
Courtesy image
Why We Like It
Using a standing desk at home is a lot easier than in an office where—without question—some colleagues are giving you the side-eye. With four presets you could have the desk dialed in for two people, each with their personal sit and stand preferences. And the size is generous, especially if you work from a laptop. The build is rock solid and the motors that raise and lower are smooth and quiet.
Other home desks tend to be small, cramped, but this model leaves plenty of room for a full-size keyboard, mouse, a writing pad, and even a laptop or tablet off to the side while your necessary gear all within reach. If you’re prone to making a mess of a wide-open space, this desk comes in a version with three drawers that makes hiding the day’s mess easier (from: $3,000).
Instead of ignoring our Apple Watch’s call to get up, we’ve been standing more with this desk and the generous max height, which brings the top to about 50-inches high, leaves plenty of room if you opt for a treadmill under the desk or a balance board. The monitor stand was surprisingly helpful at keeping the space tidy at the end of the day. We like the attention to detail, like the packet or rubber bumpers that come with the desk to help protect the surface from getting scratched by the monitor stand or the organization tray (though we also added some peel-n-stick felt pads for easy sliding).
The look is clean and minimalist. Unlike other standing rigs that might require fussing with a handle to pop up and down, taking a seat from a standing position takes one button and a few seconds.
Nitpick
The embedded wireless charger might not work if you have a phone case that’s 0.5cm thick or more, which we had. So, if you plan on using the charger you’ll have to pop your phone out of the case. You can unplug the stock charger and plug in your own desktop version. The desk’s controller is housed in a handsome 8×3.5-inch block of wood that matches the top. Plugged into the motors underneath the desk, the block has magnets embedded in it that are intended to grab onto the metal frame so you can keep it out of the way. Unfortunately, they’re not powerful enough to hold securely so plan to stash the controller off to the side on the top to keep it within easy reach.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which is supposed to be a "food police" and consumer advocacy group, was co-founded in 1971 by Michael Jacobson, who is still the executive director to this day. CSPI also manages the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, which is the largest nutrition advocacy coalition in the United States.1
CSPI has long proudly proclaimed that it does not accept any corporate money,2 but the general public actually plays a very small role in their funding. The organization is bankrolled by billionaires and their corporate entities, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the Rockefeller Family Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies.3
It has also partnered with Bill Gates' agrichemical PR group, the Cornell Alliance for Science,4 one of the most pro-GMO groups in the U.S. In fact, Greg Jaffe, head of CSPI's Biotechnology Project, is also the part-time associate director of legal affairs for the Cornell Alliance for Science.5 In a 2015 statement, Gary Ruskin of U.S. Right to Know commented on the alliance:6
"Why is CSPI defending a technology that has health and environmental risks but nearly no consumer benefits? CSPI has done a lot of good work over the years. But on the issue of GMOs, they have lost their way.
It is regrettable that their standards have sunk so low that one of their staff, Greg Jaffe, now serves as the associate director of legal affairs for the Cornell Alliance for Science, a public relations shop that parrots agrichemical industry propaganda, partners with industry front groups, and works closely with many of the industry's leading messengers."
CSPI has also received significant funding from the American Heart Association,7 which in turn has received financial backing by the makers of Crisco.8 In its 2018 Form 990, the AHA reported giving CSPI $49,500 in cash.9 I guess they think you don't have to count it as industry money if you accept that money from a major nonprofit that got its money from corporate and industry dollars.
CSPI Has Long History of Misguided Nutritional Advice
As you'd expect from an organization with funding sources such as those, CSPI also has a long history protecting and promoting foods known for their potentially adverse health impacts. These include artificial sweeteners, trans fats, soy, genetically engineered (GE) foods and fake meats.
Considering the suspected (and in some cases well-verified) health hazards of these types of foods and food ingredients, CSPI's desire to protect public health is questionable to say the least. It seems they're more interested in promoting big, profitable industries.
For example, it wasn't until 2013 that CSPI finally downgraded the artificial sweetener from its former "safe" category to one of "caution."10 In 2016, they downgraded it again, from "caution" to "avoid."11 Remarkably, CSPI continues to promote diet soda as a safer alternative to regular soda to this day, saying it "does not promote diabetes, weight gain or heart disease in the way that full-calorie sodas do."12
This, despite overwhelming scientific evidence showing artificial sweeteners are just as bad, and in some ways more harmful, than sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
CSPI-Monsanto Connection
In 2014, the American Soybean Association (ASA) held a legislative and educational forum sponsored by Monsanto.13 While that should come as no surprise, considering Monsanto was one of ASA's biotech working group partners,14 what was surprising was that it featured a special presentation by Jacobson.
A few days later, the ASA posted the following comments on Facebook made by Jacobson during his presentation. It has since been taken down, but I did take a screenshot of it:15
"Many people have been made to fear genetically engineered ingredients, and it's totally irrational," and "The consumer is concerned about the safety of GMOs, but even critics have said, most off the record, that they are safe."
Jacobson's attendance at a paid Monsanto function is perhaps one of the more egregious parts of CSPI's history, and his statements at the forum make it clear that CSPI was fully onboard with Monsanto's GMO agenda.
This was also evident in the CSPI's support of the grossly misleading bioengineered (BE) logo.16 Here, again, CSPI sided with the Monsanto-funded ASA. The logo was sharply criticized by organic producers for the fact that it falsely presents GE foods as natural and wholesome.
CSPI Was an Early Promoter of GMOs
For years, CSPI has proven it's out of step with democracy and is beholden to the likes of Monsanto and Bill Gates. As reported by Center for Food Safety in 2013:17
"One advocacy group, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), often seen as a leader in nutrition policy, stands virtually alone in its continued opposition to labeling GE foods.
This stance is troubling and confusing given how outspoken CSPI has been for decades on food labeling and consumer information. CSPI's position, explained in this recent news interview,18 boils down to three claims:
1. GE foods do not present either safety or nutrition concerns
2. Processed GE foods do not contain genetically-engineered material
3. Non-GE labels are 'misleading' because they imply a safer or superior food"
Believe it or not, but CSPI has been arguing that GE crops are safe to eat for over two decades now, despite the fact that such crops have a more than questionable safety profile and are loaded with health-harming pesticides. Many of the problems associated with GMOs are reviewed in the nine-part documentary series "GMOs Revealed."
CSPI was also instrumental in driving the anti-GMO labeling campaign forward, which ultimately resulted in the United States being the only country in the world that does not have clear GMO labeling.
In August 2001, the organization actually urged the FDA to take enforcement action against food companies using non-GMO labels, claiming such labels could "deceive consumers." However, as is evident in its press release, CSPI was well aware that Americans preferred non-GMO foods and that accurate labeling would simply inhibit GMO sales:19
"CSPI recently conducted a national opinion poll that found that labels stating 'GE' or 'non-GE' would influence many consumers' perceptions and preferences.
About 31% of consumers said that products labeled GE were not as safe as non-GE foods. A similar percentage said that foods labeled 'does not contain genetically engineered ingredients' were better than unlabeled foods. Only about 10% said that the GE-labeled product was safer or better …
Given many consumers' innate skepticism of any new technology, CSPI said that manufacturers must be careful not to mislead consumers. 'FDA needs to send a clear message to manufacturers that label statements need to be both accurate and not imply superiority,' added Jaffe."
CSPI Undermined GMO Labeling Movement
Jaffe also undermined the GMO labeling movement in his testimony20 at a 2015 Energy and Commerce Committee hearing21 on the Pompeo bill H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015.
Colloquially known as the Denying Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, it stripped states' of their right to implement food labeling laws and regulations that restricts or bans the growing of GMO crops.
At the time, polls showed over 90% of Americans wanted GMO labeling, yet Jaffe argued that he's not sure consumers really want to know whether foods contain GMOs, despite polling results. He also claimed there were no studies showing GMOs might be harmful. For a consumer advocate, it was a reprehensibly ignorant position.
In a 2014 interview22 with Food Product Design, Jaffe claimed the technology used to create GMO foods simply involves "adding one or two genes in a very precise way to a crop that already has thousands of genes" — falsely insinuating that doing so leads to completely predictable results.
He then went on to use the oft-repeated but false industry claim that "there is a strong international consensus ... that the foods made from the current GE crops are safe to eat."
Meanwhile, a January 2015 statement23 signed by 300 scientists, researchers, physicians and scholars asserted the exact opposite of what Jacobson and Jaffe claim, namely that there's no scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs, and that the claim of scientific consensus on GMO safety is in actuality "an artificial construct that has been falsely perpetuated."
The paper also noted that such a claim "is misleading and misrepresents or outright ignores the currently available scientific evidence and the broad diversity of scientific opinions among scientists on this issue."
If the CSPI's mission is to "represent citizens' interests" and "ensure that science and technology are used for the public good," as stated in its mission statement,24 how does it justify its anti-consumer position on the safety of GMOs? It seems fairly irreconcilable.
The same can be said about its stance on ultraprocessed fake meat, which it wants to be disguised as regular meat. In a May 2018 letter to the FDA,25 CSPI urges the agency "to reject efforts by the United States Cattlemen's Association to prohibit use of the terms "meat" or "beef" on plant-based and cultured proteins marketed as alternatives to traditional meat."
CSPI's Stance on Fats Has Been All Wrong
CSPI has also been horribly wrong on fats — probably because it was in bed with the soybean industry. In the 1980s, it spearheaded a highly successful campaign against the use of healthy saturated fats, touting trans fats as a healthier alternative. Its "Big Fat Myths" webpage still claims that:26
"Most experts agree that we should replace saturated fats with foods rich in unsaturated fats like seafood, nuts, salad dressing, mayo, and oils like soy, canola, and olive."
It was largely the result of CSPI's campaign that fast-food restaurants replaced the use of beef tallow, palm oil and coconut oil with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils,27 which are high in synthetic trans fats linked to heart disease and other chronic diseases.
In 1988, CSPI even released an article28 praising trans fats, saying "there is little good evidence that trans fats cause any more harm than other fats" and "much of the anxiety over trans fats stems from their reputation as 'unnatural.'" It wasn't until the 1990s that CSPI reversed their position on synthetic trans fats, but by then the damage had already been done.
The group's successful influence on the food industry is discussed in David Schleifer's article, "The Perfect Solution: How Trans Fats Became the Healthy Replacement for Saturated Fats,"29 in which he noted that, "the transition from saturated to trans fats shows how activists can be part of spurring corporations to change."
CSPI rarely admits its errors, however. In fact, rather than openly admitting it was flat out wrong about trans fats and had misled the public on this issue, CSPI has simply deleted sections of its previous support of it from the web.30 Notice how their historical timeline31 of trans fat starts at 1993 — the year CSPI realized the jig was up and they had to support the elimination of trans fat.
CSPI has also been a promoter of the thoroughly debunked low-fat myth. In 1995, CSPI launched a "1% or Less" campaign that urged everyone over the age of 2 to switch from whole and 2% milk to skim milk (also known as nonfat or fat-free milk) in order to reduce their saturated fat intake.32,33,34
It was another successful campaign that resulted in the doubling of skim milk sales.35 However, just like their trans fat campaign, this was equally ill advised. Research36 shows full-fat dairy actually lowers your risk of death from diabetes and cardiovascular causes such as stroke.
Indeed, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that consuming whole fats can be an important part of maintaining optimal health and actually fights heart disease and other diseases prevalent today rather than causing them.
In one analysis37 of blood fats in more than 2,900 adults, published 2018, the mortality rate over 22 years was identical regardless of the levels. This finding is just one of many that exonerates whole milk as a health wrecker.
Another aspect of the CSPI's advice that doesn't necessarily make sense is the fact that the fat removed from the milk during the making of skim milk38 isn't thrown away. It's made into cream, butter and other food products, so it's still in the food supply and still being consumed.
Can You Trust CSPI?
Considering how they've misled the public on such important health issues such as artificial sweeteners, trans fats, soy, GMOs and ultraprocessed fake meats, the CSPI needs to go the same way as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which also fought against your right to know the truth about your food.
CSPI's campaign in the '80s switched Americans onto heart disease causing trans fats. They fought against GMO labeling and is partnered with Bill Gates' agrichemical PR group, Alliance for Science.
Now CSPI is calling for regulatory enforcement action against companies selling vitamins and supplements with antiviral effects,39 saying they're exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic for their own gain.
They're even trying to bring an end to the mercola.com website, simply because we're reporting published research relating to potential COVID-19 remedies. So please, share the truth about this dangerous group that is bankrolled by billionaires. Email, tweet, text and share by any method possible and help expose CSPI's dangerous lies.
1Which of the following have synergistic effects that make them useful in the prevention and early at-home treatment of COVID-19?
Vitamins B6 and B12
Quercetin and vitamin C
Vitamin C and quercetin have synergistic effects that make them useful in the prevention and early at-home treatment of COVID-19. Both are part of the MATH+ protocol developed by the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Working Group. Learn more.
Zinc and melatonin
Statins and thiamine
2Who owns the patent for SARS-CoV's genome (the coronavirus responsible for the 2003 SARS outbreak)?
Bill Gates
Dr. Anthony Fauci
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The U.S. CDC owns the patent for SARS-CoV isolated from humans. In 2007, the CDC filed a petition with the patent office to keep their coronavirus patent confidential. By law, one cannot patent naturally-occurring DNA. If SARS-CoV is natural, then the patent is illegal. If the virus is manmade, the patent is legal, but the creation of the virus would be a violation of biological weapons treaties and laws. Learn more.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
3To improve heart health and lower your risk of heart attack, you should:
Minimize saturated fats and eat more vegetable oils and margarine
Minimize all types of fats and eat more carbohydrates
Eliminate saturated fats and eat more protein
Eliminate vegetable oils and eat more saturated fats
To improve heart health and lower your risk of heart attack, you should eliminate vegetable oils and eat more saturated fats. Learn more.
4Which of the following is the oldest and largest consumer-led nonprofit organization in the U.S. that provides accurate and objective information about vaccines to help people make informed health choices?
The National Vaccine Information Center
Founded in 1982, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is the oldest and largest consumer-led nonprofit organization in the U.S. that provides accurate and objective information to help people make informed health choices and prevent vaccine-related injuries and deaths. Learn more.
Grassroots Wellness
The American Public Health Association
GrassrootsHealth
5Which of the following is a foundational component of two highly effective protocols developed by Dr. Paul Marik for the treatment of sepsis and COVID-19?
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a foundational component of two distinct and highly effective treatment protocols developed by Dr. Paul Marik — one for sepsis and another, called MATH+, specifically for COVID-19. Learn more.
Vitamin B12
Niacin (B3)
6According to Hypernormalisation, people willingly go along with living in a fake world because:
They don't know any better
They're being deceived
Its simplicity is reassuring
Their fake world is simpler than the real world by design, and as a result people went along with it because the simplicity was reassuring. Learn more.
It's impossible to stop it
7Which of the following is ever-present in your cells at low levels, ready and waiting to be generated in greater amounts as soon as an infection is detected by your immune system, thereby killing off any pathogen that encounters it?
Ketones
Endocannabinoids
Glutathione
Hydrogen peroxide
Endogenous hydrogen peroxide sits inside and outside cells in low levels, ready and waiting to be generated in greater amounts as soon as a pathogen is detected by the immune system. Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide with iodine into the sinuses, throat and lungs is a simple, straightforward way to augment your body's natural expression of hydrogen peroxide to combat infection. Learn more.
