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Perhaps you have seen a Nestle corporation PR campaign touting their supposed stellar record on sustainability. The company calls its water–eco-shaped and claims it has 15% less plastic, and even asks consumers to recycle. The problem is that 98% of Nestle’s products are sold using single-use plastic, and the company produces 1.7 million tons of plastic annually. It’s hardly the eco-friendly company its ads purport it to be. This practice of deceptive climate marketing is called greenwashing, and we’re seeing a similar tactic being deployed by California utilities right now.
California has three monopoly utilities, PG&E, SoCal Edison, and SDG&E. We’re all familiar with their electric bills, which keep getting higher and harder to pay every month. Just as Nestle boasts its environmental efforts while simultaneously producing plastic, these utilities use similar gaslighting techniques. They hire high-priced PR and marketing firms to pull the wool over all of our eyes with a popular but insidious strategy we call “equity-washing.”
Simply put, PG&E and the other monopoly utilities tout policies they say are fiscally equitable for their low-income customers. However, when you look at the details, they’re nothing more than a scheme to maintain profits for their Wall Street shareholder on the backs of working and middle-class families.
The best example of this is “income-based-fixed-charges,” which tack fees onto energy bills based on income rather than energy usage. When we first heard about the policy, we, like many advocates, thought, ‘Wow, a progressive tax on utility bills. Finally, wealthy energy hogs will be paying their fair share.” Boy, were we wrong!
When we looked closer at the so-called “income-based-fixed-charge,” we were flabbergasted. The policy was rotten from its inception. First off, the language was shoved into a climate bill at the last minute by monopoly utility lobbyists, and the Public Utilities Commission (which regulates the utilities) refused any public hearings on the policy. So, public transparency be damned.
Then, we read a letter sent to the CPUC from twenty-four progressive energy economists making the point that not only is the policy not progressive, but it actually hurts millions of families living in small homes, condos, and apartments. Families that rely on conserving energy to lower their monthly utility bills. In other words, California’s working poor.
In truth, the so-called “income-based-fixed-charge” is nothing more than a utility tax on the working poor and middle class.
To fight back against the monopoly utilities “equity-washing,” we have helped organize a coalition of more than two hundred and twenty grassroots community organizations, including the California Environmental Justice Coalition, the California Alliance for Retired Americans, The Western Center on Law & Poverty, The Center for Biological Diversity, Tenants Together, the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Foundation, Catholic Charities, and California Interfaith Light and Power–all advocating for actual equity in our society and NOT the interests of some Wall Street-traded businesses like the monopoly utilities.
Fortunately, we’re not alone. California legislators are also exposing the monopoly utilities equity-washing scheme. Last month, Democratic Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin introduced AB 1999. The bill would repeal the utility tax. She was joined by a diverse group of thirty-five Assembly members and state senators. A complete repeal would be an appropriate outcome for such a regressive and deceptive policy.
We look forward to the utility tax’s repeal. We look forward to discussing the most progressive ways to lower California’s carbon footprint and, at the same time, lowering energy bills for California’s working families.
Here’s a hint. The answer doesn’t favor the interests of monopoly utilities that make tens of billions of dollars of profit every year and pay CEOs $50 million dollar bonuses. But the answer to solving out-of-control energy costs is one rooted in cleaner and cheaper Green energy. There’s no washing away that truth.
Ambrose Carroll, Ezperanza Vielma, and Francisco Moreno are leaders of the Coalition for Environmental Equity and Economics.
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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Four people were brought to the hospital Saturday after being exposed to carbon monoxide in their home in Spring Creek Township.
Our partners at the Miami Valley Today reported that two adults were using a gasoline-powered engine indoors to pump water from the basement of their home on the 6000 block off Troy-Sidney Road. While the engine was running, two teens were on the upper level of the home.
It is unknown what may have alerted the residents to the dangerous carbon monoxide levels, but soon medics from the Piqua Fire Department were called to the scene. All four residents were brought to Upper Valley Medical Center.
The two adults were reported to be in serious condition, authorities said.
“They had levels on the meters, they had like 400 ppm and levels were double that in the basement. You’re talking death within an hour with those kind of levels,” Captain Dustin Lacy said
Piqua Fire officials explained that incidents like these emphasize the necessity to keep working CO and smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Residents should also regularly change the batteries to ensure the detectors are functioning well.
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Emotional eating is the act of eating as a way to cope with feelings, provide emotional comfort or stress relief, not just to satisfy physical hunger. Emotional eating and other unhealthy eating behaviors resulting from stress are relatively common, but also quite complex. Unfortunately, emotional eating can lead to undesirable consequences including poor diet quality, negative feelings and unintentional weight gain. Breaking emotional eating patterns involves learning healthy coping skills to deal with unpleasant feelings and stress. Extreme and restrictive diets are not the answer to emotional eating.
According to the American Psychological Association, 27 percent of adults report eating to manage stress and about one-third of those who report overeating or eating unhealthy foods due to stress describe this behavior as a habit. Food can serve as a distraction or reward for dealing with stress. Emotional eating can result from boredom, sadness and other feelings.
Emotional eating is often associated with consumption of hyper-palatable energy-dense foods. Hyper-palatable foods have a specific combination of fat, sugar, sodium and carbohydrates that make them both enjoyable to eat as well as calorically dense. The typical American diet is full of examples of hyper-palatable foods such as potato chips, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream and brownies.
Unfortunately, emotional eating can be a vicious cycle. Overeating hyper-palatable and calorie-dense foods and excess eating when not physically hungry can result in unintended weight gain. Weight gain can lead to food restriction and dieting, which results in additional emotional burden and negative feelings. Half of adults report that emotional eating leads to disappointment and feeling bad about their bodies.
While some folks believe that a diet is the first step to tackling emotional eating, the best success will likely come from a multi-pronged approach. Here are some strategies to help with emotional eating:
Seek the support you need. Whether it’s a therapist, friend, family member or a support group, lean on others who can listen openly and offer the support you need.
Practice healthy stress management techniques. Stress can be a significant contributor to emotional eating. Activities such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, journaling or taking a walk can help tame stress.
Create a balanced meal plan. Plan meals using nutrient-rich ingredients like fish and lean poultry, whole grains, beans, fruit and vegetables. Avoid skipping meals or waiting too long in between meals.
Use mindful eating strategies. Avoid eating while watching screens. Serve meals and snacks on plates, eat slowly and engage your senses to enhance mindfulness of eating habits.
Swap out hyper-palatable foods for more whole foods. Hyper-palatable foods are highly associated with excess calorie consumption. Instead, opt for lower-calorie foods that are surprisingly satisfying such as leafy greens and other vegetables, berries, low-fat dairy products, egg whites, fish, high-fiber whole grains and broth-based soups.
Be patient and remember that changing habits takes time. Emotional eating habits often develop over long periods of time, possibly stemming from adolescence or even earlier. Stopping the cycle of emotional eating will require forming new, healthy strategies for dealing with stress and emotions.
LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.
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