I was watching a BBC documentary the other day, "The World's Most Dangerous Place for Women"  where a young girl goes back to find her roots in Congo. Among the many unbelievable heart-breaking stories she hears and amazing people she encounters, she tells about the mining of metals in Congo, which helps fund the arms trade. Metals mined include wolframite, which is a source of tungsten, used to make mobile phones vibrate.

I had to find out more.

Voice Of America says: "What we know is that some of the metals that are being produced in eastern Congo are vital to the mobile phone market," said Daniel Balint-Kurti. "For example, there is a metal wolframite, which is the ore for tungsten, and tungsten has specific use in mobile phones in that it is used for the vibrating function of mobile phones."

I was appalled to hear that mobile phone manufacturers may be still using tungsten from Congo, so I thought it would be best to contact them directly and ask them.

I emailed the following mobile phone manufacturers:

Sony-Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, Apple, HTC, RIM/Blackberry, Palm, LG and Samsung.

Only three of them replied - Apple, Palm and Nokia. All three of them replied within 24 hours of me emaling them.

Here is what they had to say:

Apple: Check out p23 on the 2010 Progress report at 
http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/SR_2010_Progress_Report.pdf

"Monitoring the Source  of Extractives"

Apple requires our suppliers of tantalum capacitors to certify they use only
materials that have been produced through a socially and environmentally
responsible process. In 2009, we extended our certification requirement to
tungsten used in iPhone vibration motors.

The supply chain for tantalum consists of many types of businesses—including 
mines, brokers, ore processors and refiners, component manufacturers, and
board assembly manufacturers—before reaching final assembly manufacturers. 
The combination of a lengthy supply chain and a refining process makes it
difficult to track and trace tantalum from the mine to finished products—a
challenge that Apple and others are tackling in a variety of ways.

Apple is an active participant in the Extractives Workgroup, a joint effort 
of the EICC and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), focused on the
extraction of minerals used by the electronics industry and their movement
through its supply chains. The group has commissioned the nonprofit 
organization RESOLVE to map the supply chain for tantalum and tin, and 
to develop standards that apply throughout the supply chain.

Palm: Palm publishes details of its environmental stewardship at the following web address
http://www.palm.com/uk/en/company/environmental-stewardship/index.html

However,  when I emailed them back to ask where EXACTLY their statement was on sourcing wolframite, all I heard were crickets.

Nokia: Nokia supplied the most relevant and personal reply. They also provided a full response in their email, instead of just giving me a link to their environmental progress report. I got a feeling they do actually care.

Tungsten is used within components that are used in our phones. Congo, or rather the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), contributes only 2-4% to the world's total tungsten production. In DRC there are mining activities that are legitimate but there are also conflict areas where several sources have reported not only poor practices at the mine operations but also potential links between militant groups. We have banned the use of all metals (tin, tungsten, tantalum) from conflict areas and take every possible effort to ensure that our requirements are met throughout the supply chain (as you probably know, we do not source or even buy metals directly - typically there are 4-8 layers of suppliers between consumer electronics companies and any mining activity).

We take continuous action to ensure that metals from the conflict areas do not enter our supply chain. First of all we require our suppliers to confirm that our ban of conflict metals is respected, and our requirements fulfilled. We are also working directly with suppliers of components that contain these metals to map out the supply chain back to source. Furthermore, we are actively working on an industry initiative to develop and smelter audit process. The process will first be rolled out to smelters to tantalum, and then for other metals.

The challenge at the moment for every company is that currently there aren't means to trace any metals to the mine with a 100% guarantee of origin. Once a mineral is smelted any characteristics of the ore, or its origin, is gone. In the process the sources for metals used multiply quickly. That's why it is impossible to give the exact origin of e.g. tungsten used in a particular product or its component, and why industry wide cooperation, like the initiatives we are participating in, are so important to ensure ethical sourcing.

For description of the supply chain and our approach, please visit our website at http://www.nokia.com/A41459939#anchor

Motorola replied after the blog post went live with the following statement:

We must have missed your original email to Motorola, but I'm happy to provide information on what we are doing re: conflict minerals.

Motorola is concerned about poor social and environmental practices at some mine operations around the world. Mining activities that fuel conflict are unacceptable.

We require high labor and environmental standards in our own operations, and make concerted efforts to drive improvements. We expect our suppliers to do the same, as reflected in our supplier code of conduct.

The mining and processing of raw materials raises serious concerns. We don\'t procure these materials directly; however, we are working to effect positive change. For example, when Motorola first became aware of the illegal mining of coltan in early 2001, we took swift steps to cease the use of materials containing tantalum derived from illegally mined Congolese coltan.

Tantalum is used in the production of materials, such as capacitors, for a wide range of electronic products. Motorola requires all of our suppliers of tantalum-containing capacitors to verify, in writing, that capacitors sold to Motorola do not contain tantalum derived from illegally mined Congolese coltan.

Motorola supports the development of U.S. legislation that helps companies determine whether or not the sources of the materials they use are associated with conflict. We are very concerned that currently no credible independent systems exist to allow companies to verify the source of the metals in their products.

Motorola is collaborating with others in the industry to tackle the challenges of traceability/tracking and other issues through the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) extractives workgroup, which we co-lead. We believe this effort will drive greater transparency in the mining industry.

In 2009, the extractives workgroup launched a project to improve visibility in the minerals supply chain, with particular focus on identifying sources of specific minerals and understanding how the minerals move through their lifecycles — from mine to electronics manufacturing. Motorola is actively involved in this project. Additionally, this workgroup has engaged companies from all levels of the tantalum mining and processing industry to drive toward a solution that promotes the responsible sourcing of tantalum.

In October 2009, Motorola, Dell, HP, Intel and Philips co-hosted a multi-industry forum on metals extraction issues. More than 40 attendees brainstormed potential industry actions to address these issues. Follow-up meetings between different industries and stakeholders are taking place as a result.

Motorola will continue to champion more responsible metal sourcing by engaging our suppliers and by participating in collaborative efforts with other stakeholders including mining companies, non-government organizations, labor organizations involved in mining, other industrial sectors that purchase and use metals, the governments and multi-government organizations with jurisdiction over these issues and the end users.

Sony-Ericsson, HTC, LG and Samsung never replied to my questions. I wonder why? Did they not think this was important enough? Or do they not have any policies in place to ensure that their mobile phone components are not sourced from the conflict zones? Who knows. Maybe you will have more luck than me:

Sony-Ericsson »
HTC »
LG »
Samsung »

More information about the mining activities in Congo:

VOA: Mobile Phone Industry Accused of Financing Congo Conflict: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Mobile-Phone-Industry-Accused-of-Financing-Congo-Conflict--84401567.html

BBC: Human cost of mining in DR Congo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8234583.stm

Make it right: Sign the petition on Change.org and ask the mobile phone manufacturers to make sure that they are not helping fund the arms trade:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_mobile_phone_manufacturers_do_not_fund_the_arms_trade

Thank you.

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day.

The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

This year, the theme is climate change.

It is now clear to all of us what the "flower power" generation was trying to teach us - to love and respect Mother Nature. What we do is directly reflected in our environment. This realisation is nothing new - it is just very close to home now, and thus, even more relevant.

One of the visionaries of the early eco-movement was Rachel Carson, who in the 1962 published her seminal work, "Silent Spring". She was questioning our use of chemicals that were indiscriminately sprayed on our crops, without considering the effects. Not many people listened, to start with, as everybody was in awe of the post-war world - new, modern and shiny and full of convenient, quick fixes.

More on Rachel Carson: http://ecology.com/features/rachel-carson/rachel-carson.html

Rachel Carson sounded the initial alarm against DDT, when this chemical was hailed as one of the greatest chemical inventions of the 20th century - and people were even advised to spray it in their homes, to deter bugs. Now, mounting evidence points to DDT as the main causative agent of the early polio epidemics.

"It was even known by 1945 that DDT is stored in the body fat of mammals and appears in the milk. With this foreknowledge the series of catastrophic events that followed the most intensive campaign of mass poisoning in known human history, should not have surprised the experts. Yet, far from admitting a causal relationship so obvious that in any other field of biology it would be instantly accepted, virtually the entire apparatus of communication, lay and scientific alike, has been devoted to denying, concealing, suppressing, distorting and attempts to convert into its opposite, the overwhelming evidence. Libel, slander and economic boycott have not been overlooked in this campaign." (from http://www.fearoftheinvisible.com/trouble-with-poliovirus )

Our dependence on fossil fuels and petroleum products is a reality, and we're all doing out bit to change that. Here at MuLondon, no petroleum products are ever used - so no propylene glycol, mineral oil or paraffin. Pure and simple, and back to basics.

It's easy to take action - step out into the nature and send it some love.

If you're the practical kind, check the website below for more tips & ideas:

http://www.blogactionday.org/en/takeaction

Dr. Hulda Regehr Clark was born on October 18th, 1928 in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada.

She began her studies in biology at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, where she was awarded the Bachelor of Arts in 1950 , Magna Cum Laude. Dr. Clark was awarded a Master of Arts degree, with High Honors from the University of Saskatchewan. After two years of study at McGill University, Dr. Clark was awarded her Doctorate degree in physiology by the University of Minnesota in 1958. Dr. Clark studies throughout focused on biophysics and cell physiology.

Dr. Clark established a nutritional consulting practice in the late 1960’s as a complement to her university research at the University of Indiana. In 1974 when Federal research funds were eliminated, she began private nutritional consulting on a full time basis. She obtained a naturopathy degree at the Clayton College of Natural Health.

Dr. Clark focused on consulting and independent research in all aspects of human disease, especially cancer.
This research took her down many avenues; from the study of parasites, bacteria, viruses and fungus to heavy metals, solvents and lately radioactivity. She wanted to find out how the human body cells react to these invaders.

She came up with many solutions to rid our bodies of these invaders. Dr. Clark researched the use of herbs, essential oils, orthomolecular therapy and frequency therapy. She focused on the importance of dental health, as well as everyday awareness of environmental factors.

Her most important discovery was the zapper. Zapping means electrocuting pathogens and for years she used a frequency generator to "zap" one pathogen after another. In 1994 her son built a hand held, battery operated, accurate frequency generator. The purpose was to kill the intestinal fluke but she then noticed that the battery-operated zapper killed all pathogens without having to set in a specific frequency. This was a great time-saver.

Another key invention of Dr. Clark is the Syncrometer. It is an audio oscillator circuit that tunes for and detects the resonance in all things in much the same way a radio tuner located a specific station. The Syncrometer can scan for anything in the body – be it an object, an organ, a chemical or virus because everything has a characteristic frequency or set of frequencies.

Dr. Clark undertook all of her research with her Syncrometer and detected the causes of cancer, HIV and other "mysterious" diseases.

Her approach was quite simple. With the use of the Syncrometer she would search for common denominators (e.g. toxins, pathogens) in each case she undertook that was suffering from the same disease (for ex. cancer)

As Dr. Clark would become certain of a discovery, she would seek confirmation of her more critical findings with conventional independent laboratory analysis. This was often difficult because the Syncrometer detects to specificity well beyond the capabilities of most laboratory analysis.

Dr. Clark has written 7 books of which 5 concerning cancer. In them Dr. Clark details her methods, her results, and her conclusions for all to read. In her later books she describes in detail her newest frequency technologies such as plate-zapping and homeography. In addition each cancer book contains a specific holistic cancer fighting program.

Dr. Clark, with her self-health approach, has touched countless individuals around the globe who have been able to help themselves with the knowledge that she has provided. Dr. Clark endured severe attacks by professional adversaries as well as Government Officials. She nevertheless carried on sharing her knowledge for the benefit of health and mankind.

We are thankful for Dr. Clark’s unselfish dedication and lasting contributions to all.

Dr. Clark passed away on September 3rd 2009 in Chula Vista California.

For more information on Dr. Clark’s protocols, visit the Informative website about Dr. Clark and her protocols here:

http://www.drclark.net

More Dr. Clark information and resources:

http://inmemoryofdrhuldaclark.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulda_Clark

Did you know that L-cysteine is often derived from human hair?

Yes, HUMAN hair!

L-cysteine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that humans can synthesize it. However, it is often used as a dough conditioner for bread and bagels, and for flavouring meat and other products.

So there could be hair in your soup - and your supplements. As two large supplement manufacturers confirmed to me recently:

"Unfortunately, our L-Cysteine powder is not suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is derived from human hair."

Urgh - wait. What? Why? Not only is this weird, and according to some, constitutes cannibalism, but it's just wrong. Or is it? What do you think?

Apparently, human hair is cheap in China, where most of L-cysteine is produced. It's sweeped off the many barber shop and hair salon floors and shipped to factories to be converted into the white crystalline powder that is L-cysteine.

There are a couple of companies producing L-cysteine by fermentation, from non-animal and non-human sources. They are Ajinomoto and Wacker Chemie. Both have failed to respond to my numerous emails - very disappointing for companies trying to do something new and different, and advertising themselves as such.

Oh well. Just look out for human-hair, feather or pig bristle-derived L-cysteine in your bagel, soup and shampoo.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cysteine

http://www.vegpeople.com/cgi-bin/gossamer/gforum.cgi?post=225214

A lot of people ask me what the difference between the terms "natural" and "organic" is.

Natural can mean almost anything nowadays - and a lot of companies use it as they wish, as there is no legal definition of the word. In its true sense, it should mean that it comes directly from nature, that is has not been tampered with or overly processed - that the nature, and not the man made it. This is how I would use the word.
 
Organic means that the ingredients and/or the final product have been organic certified by either The Soil Association or Organic Farmers and Growers in the UK. Thus, the organic Lavender oil I use in the Organic Lavender Moisturiser has been grown without any herbicides or pesticides, and is guaranteed GM-free and certified by an independent auditor as such.
 
Natural Lavender oil (i.e. - not organic) would mean that the lavender plants it's made from have possibly been sprayed with chemicals.

Sometimes things labelled "natural" can even be cloned or from genetically modified sources. But if it's organic, it can not be GM.

As you can understand - organic ingredients are sometimes more expensive than just natural or regular ones, which is influenced by many factors - demand, certification costs, non-agressive farming methods including crop rotation and hand labour -  which sometimes yield less, and so on.
 
However, buying organic is an investment in our health and the environment. When you buy an organic tomato at your local Tesco, even though it is probably twice the price compared to the regular tomato, you know that the organic variety has not been sprayed with dozens of chemicals that eventually will be absorbed by our bodies and our soil. And organic tastes so much better!
 
All of MuLondon products are 100% natural (no preservatives or nasties), and I use 100% organic ingredients wherever possible. Sometimes organic ingredients are just not available. For example, certain essential oils and herbal extracts are not grown commercially, but are traditionally wild-crafted and as such cannot always be certified organic, even if they are organic in the way they are grown and produced. Fortunately, more organic ingredients are becoming available all the time and it will not be long before each single ingredient and oil used is certified organic.

We have a bright, organic future ahead of us.