Experts are now estimating that 129 billion face masks, and 65 billion gloved, are being disposed of globally each month. Surgical masks weigh approximately 3.6g, equating to 451,500 tons of masks thrown away each month.

Conservationists and non-governmental organisations are increasingly concerned that a lot of the plastic waste, especially pandemic-related waste, is ending up in landfills, waterways and oceans, adding to the millions of tonnes of plastic waste already dumped into the world’s oceans every year

Three million masks every minute: How Covid-19 is choking the planet

It’s not uncommon for masks to end up in the ocean where animals get tangled up in the elastic ear loops of the mask. Animals can choke on masks and gloves that end up along shorelines.

Related: Natural Coronavirus Prevention

Disposable surgical masks are made of polypropylene, a type of plastic. This type of plastic is unsuitable for recycling and does not break down easily.

If you have to wear a face-covering when going out, consider a reusable one. If you find yourself with a surgical mask that you have to dispose of, be sure to cut the ends of the ear loops off the mask so marine life doesn’t get tangled up in them.

California health officials have called for a temporary halt of a specific lot of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine after severe allergic reactions took place.

One clinic reported 10 allergic reactions within 24 hours, where state officials were only expecting to see 1 allergic reaction per 100,000 people.

More than 330,000 doses of vaccines from this particular lot have been distributed to 287 health care providers throughout California.

“Out of an extreme abundance of caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use other available vaccine inventory and pause the administration of vaccines from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and the state is complete. We will provide an update as we learn more.”

CA calls for pausing distribution on one lot of Moderna vaccine after allergic reactions reported

Despite stringent lockdown and mask policies, California is quickly approaching three million coronavirus cases.

Related: How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Earlier last week the federal government released new dietary guidelines. The new guidelines disregard advice from the Nutrition Coalition to reduce sugar intake from 10 percent of daily calories to 6 percent and limiting alcohol intake to one drink a day.

Photo: Adobe Stock

The average American consumes 2.3 gallons of alcohol a year and 57 pounds of added sugar a year. Both sugar and alcohol play a large role in overall health.

A scientific advisory board recommended reducing added sugars and alcohol for a reason. More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, which is associated with a higher risk of developing serious diseases, like COVID-19. Plus, the science is leaning toward the fact that drinking more alcohol may increase the risk of death. 

New dietary guidelines fail to recommend further reducing sugar and alcohol intake

Federal dietary guidelines are updated every five years. They create guidelines for federal programs like SNAP, and the national school lunch program.

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

At OLM we know that sugar and alcohol go way beyond just contributing to chronic illnesses. Sugar and alcohol feed infection and allow candida and other harmful bacteria to take over the body. Cutting out refined sugars, including alcohol, is one of the most important steps you can take to living an organic lifestyle.

Vitamin D seems to be the new cure-all for many health problems today. The reality is many of us are low on vitamin D, and with people just now figuring that out, it seems to be fixing many problems.

Low vitamin D levels have been shown to contribute to many diseases including but not limited to cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and most recently, severe covid-19.

Related: Natural Coronavirus Prevention

Despite the correlation some have found between vitamin D levels and disease, other studies have found no health benefits to taking a vitamin D supplement.

A new study may explain the reason for this. Scientists at the University of California have found a link between gut health and vitamin D.

When measuring how much active vitamin D older males had in their blood, the UC San Diego researchers found that its levels correlated with the diversity of the community of bacteria living in their gut, or gut microbiome.

Gut bacteria and vitamin D: What is the link?

The results, published in Nature Communications, show that the body’s ability to convert inactive vitamin D into active vitamin D may make all the difference. Having healthy gut bacteria that are able to metabolize vitamin D is more important than having high levels of vitamin D.

Fatal freshwater skin disease in bottlenose dolphins is now said to be caused by the increase in devastating storms. A team from the Marine Mammal center worked with Australian researchers to conduct their findings. The results were published in Scientific Reports.

Image credit: Bottlenose dolphin

Freshwater Skin disease first appeared in bottlenose dolphins 15 years ago, after Hurricane Katrina. Where outbreaks of the disease occur, an extreme drop in the saltiness of the water is the common factor. Severe storms like hurricanes and cyclones can dump excessive amounts of freshwater into saltwater areas.

With a record hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico this year and more intense storm systems worldwide due to climate change, we can absolutely expect to see more of these devastating outbreaks killing dolphins.”

Fatal skin disease in dolphins linked to climate crisis

Additionally, all four of the known freshwater dolphin species are at risk of extinction largely due to the climate crisis.

At OLM we believe the health of the environment is largely intertwined with our individual health. Consuming organically and consciously can make a big difference in your carbon footprint. Along with your organic lifestyle, the biggest thing you can do to help is compost your food waste.

Mexico has put out a decree stating its plans to phase out glyphosate over the next four years. Glyphosate will not be used in any government-sponsored programs throughout the transition period. Mexico will also revoke existing and future permits for the cultivation of GMO corn as well as the use of GMO corn for human consumption. The use of GMO corn in human consumption is to be phased out no later than January 31st, 2024.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the herbicide Round-up. It’s commonly known to cause numerous types of cancer, along with other health problems. Round-up has also caused detrimental damage to the environment.

Mexico’s Organic Producers’ Society has welcomed the proposal but has proposed a special label to certify certain products that are free of glyphosate.

“We do not use glyphosate on our crops, but we have been the victims of external contamination by this substance anyway. This has caused economic losses for organic producers, mainly of coffee and honey.”

Homero Blas Bustamante, president of the organic society.

This decree comes after the Secretariat of Environment and natural resources said that glyphosate-based herbicides would be phased out to protect the environment and human health.

Mexico has begun preparing government campaigns with the purpose of informing the public of the dangers involved in glyphosate and other herbicides.

A new study has linked antibiotics in children under two, to illnesses and conditions later in life. Children under the age of two who received one dose of antibiotics were more likely to develop asthma, eczema, hay fever, food allergies, celiac disease, ADD, ADHD, and obesity, or general weight problems. Multiple doses of antibiotics were linked to multiple conditions. Conditions differed depending on the child’s age, gender, type of medication, dose, and number of doses.

“When antibiotics were first developed and deployed, the overwhelming consideration was control of pathogens. We now realize that their widespread application has considerable collateral effect on the microbiome, which may be of special importance in developing children,”

Antibiotic use in babies linked to allergies, asthma and other conditions, study finds

The study, published in Mayo Clinic proceedings, analyzed data from more than 14,500 children. Data showed that 70% of the children in the study received at least one antibiotic. Between one and two antibiotics prescriptions was linked to a higher risk of asthma and celiac disease in girls. Three to four antibiotic doses were linked to higher cases of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and excess weight gain in females, and obesity in boys. Babies who received five or more prescriptions were more likely to develop asthma, allergic rhinitis, obesity, and ADHD.

Antibiotics wipe out all your gut bacteria, both good and bad. Antibiotics at an early age can wipe out critical gut bacteria that you never get back. Read this article to learn how to detoxify from antibiotics.