The House That Soy Built

The House That Soy Built

Associated Press -- BROOKINGS, S.D. -- May 31, 2009 -- Munjal Patel, polyol research manager at Volga-based Urethane Soy Systems, spends all day in a lab trying to develop soybean oil into polyurethane applications.The company's research is making big strides, using soy-based polyols to create biorenewable products such as foam for insulation, packaging and cushioning, truck bed liners, and more. Now Patel is taking his work home with him - literally.

The researcher and his wife, Vaishali, are building an energy efficient home in Brookings, and they want their contractors to use as many soy-based products as possible, such as soy-based spray foam insulation, carpet padding and a countertop material product based on - you guessed it - soy materials. Besides spray foam insulation, the couple will install other efficient products, like doors, appliances and windows, and then plan to test the efficiency of the soy-based products and their home overall.

Patel, a five-year employee of Urethane Soy Systems, "With our technology, we can convert soybean oil into a polyol that could be used for any of those applications," he said. "Soy-based spray foam works the same way as standard polyurethane. At the end of the day it does give you an advantage, because now you are using soy-based material, and you know the amount of energy going in to grow the soybeans, crush the beans, make the oil and convert it into polyol, versus taking the crude oil out of the ground, convert it and make polyol. There's a good advantage there."

Soy-based polyol products are every bit as good as petroleum based products, and even better when you consider that they're more environmentally friendly. Some products, such as the spray-foam insulation, actually cost less than their competitors.

On the Net: http://www.soyol.com

Global Organic Market In Decline

Organic Market In Decline; Companies Add Broader Sustainability Strategies to Retain and Attract Consumers

Press Release -- LONDON -- June 2, 2009 -- Global organic food sales have been increasing by over US $5 billion a year, exceeding US $50 billion in 2008. However, single digit-growth could occur for the first time this year because the global economic slowdown is impacting organic product sales.

Organic food sales are being affected by the reduction in consumer spending power. Consumers are curbing expenditure on food products because of rising price sensitivity. Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) finds another factor affecting market growth is increasing consumer sophistication. Consumers are demanding more from organic food products; they are increasingly looking at ethical sourcing, traceability, the carbon footprint, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Thus, the organic production method only partially meets rising consumer expectations.

Recognising the change in consumer behaviour, leading organic food companies are adopting ‘Organic Plus’ strategies. Such companies are going beyond organic and adopting highly ethical, ecological and sustainable business practices. Increasingly, these companies are marketing their organic products on these values.

Bioelectricity Promises More 'Miles Per Acre' Than Ethanol

Bioelectricity Promises More 'Miles Per Acre' Than Ethanol

Press Release -- Stanford, CA -- June 4, 2009 -- Biofuels such as ethanol offer an alternative to petroleum for powering our cars, but growing energy crops to produce them can compete with food crops for farmland, and clearing forests to expand farmland will aggravate the climate change problem. How can we maximize our "miles per acre" from biomass? Researchers writing in the online edition of the May 7 Science magazine say the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol. They calculate that, compared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops, while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change.

Saving our souls with Soy.

Today, more than 963 million people are undernourished in the world. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the current financial and economic crises could tip even more people into hunger and poverty. UNICEF reports that undernutrition, including protein deficiency, is a major contributor to more than one-third of all deaths of children under age five. Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Long-term impacts of protein deficiencies include stunting in children and heightened susceptibility to illness of children and adults. The Soya Boutique supports the World Soy Foundation in a commitment to overcome world hunger.

Founded by North American soybean farmers, the World Soy Foundation (WSF) is a 501c3 organization that works collaboratively with humanitarian organizations, corporations, public and private foundations, international organizations, governments and individuals to deliver soy protein and nutrition education to people in developing nations. The WSF touches lives around the world with nutrition and health education. They focus on worldwide humanitarian efforts to feed, educate and measure the effects of soy in communities around the world offering support, soy products, funding and other resources to groups.

The Soya Boutique joins in efforts to bring innovative solutions to those who benefit most from our country's bountiful resources by spreading the word. Canada is world renowned for developing and implementing agricultural technologies, it's natural resource management and for it's thriving and profitable agricultural sector (50% of which consists of soy crops). So, The Soya Boutique wants to help relieve famine in key global areas with the nutrient rich and sustainable soy bean food source and esteems to put Canada on the map by joining forces with the major players who have the expertise and the corporate philosophies that can make a powerful impact on defeating world hunger. For more information and to donate to the cause click HERE.

Thank you for supporting the SOYCULT.

Melani

Outside the wire

It was sweetly gratifying to be sitting in the comfortably dark audience of a fashion show for me, new idea. Not because of the materialistic rage of it all, but for the chance to absorb and enjoy fashion as form, as an art. Art merged with character. Its the people that bring it to life and create living entertainment.

As a model, I would sit, sometimes begrudgingly, backstage being poked and prodded for long periods of time in prep for a show. This is where the model grit comes out - it is NOT as glamourous as one idealizes, not even closely. Surrounded by airborn hairspray, make up dust, clothes you cant touch or breathe on (but somehow wear elegantly hours later- get that??), bad food, booze and shallow banter, it was hard to truly appreciate what was going on in the big picture. There was a mystery on the other side of the curtain, people laughing, glasses clinking, some unknown fashion happiness was being spread unbeknownst to us models.

In that position, we models, are very isolated and left to our own devices. It can sometimes get to be like locker room talk backstage. chicks are as, if not more, dirty mouthed, creatively so. Not to say that it wasn't a great experience, for which I'm endlessly grateful. I have the privalege to work with fantastically creative people, the best artists in the world and most of all, friends, good people. The truth is, a show production is a well oiled machine that when when kicked into gear can set your heart arace; from the backstage persepctive and from the audience perspective alike. Like when you see that first long leg step out from behind that ominous curtain, you can't tell me you don't lose your breath just for a micro-second. And similarily, when you first step out in your teetering heels from behind that even greater sheath of death, you take a deep breathe, if you're controlled enough, you can let it out slowly...the rest is a big blurrrrrrrr.

Now, as a spectator, now...it's a whole different picture! Now, it's a wonderful, relaxing and entertaining forum of traveling emotion and candid moments energized with fashion. I much enjoyed being a patron of LGFW 2009, and I was equally energized by what I saw the rest of the week.

Erica Larva is the smoothest show event producer with 24 karat charm, LG is the brand that brings you fridges with freakin high-speed, Rob Dittmer, of Ev3nts, lays a slick set design, Lundstrom made it to the millenium, Glen Baxter kicks a fitted suit, Marilyn Dennis needed no runway lessons (she schooled us all), F-list throws a party that keeps you on your toes and Chantale Nadeau brings us the top models that rocked us all. These were the players of the day and they will keep you coming back for another chuckle. I think we should live with themed weeks more often, forevermore! Happy post-show week!

Melani

SOYCULT Definition:

Soycult: n. a supportive group of individuals that share the philosophy that skin care should be multi-functioning, successful in results and sustainable.

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Little Secrets with Huge Results

I have to give you my latest little secret. I have been holding on to it for awhile. I needed to double check the truth, and needed another divine opportunity to do so. Diaper Rash has to be one of the most uncomfortable, unfair conditions to suffer. Although I usually resort to traditional zinc creams, I find them so insistently messy. So, last time my baby had diaper rash, I gave him one fine spray with (The Soya Boutique's) Soy Spray (toner $12/2oz) over the affected area. I was sure it would give him relief, the versatile and medicinal properties of the spray are skin calming, healing, anti fungal, astringent, antibacterial, antiseptic, restructuring and regenerative. So, the next time I opened his diaper in the morning I was pleased to see the rash had disappeared, and comfort for my precious one and myself was gratifying. But I needed to prove it a second time to believe it.

Well, yesterday he had an ugly rash, poor baby. I did the same thing with the spray, waited patiently for the call of nature. When the cake was done...voila! No more rash. So, I encourage you to try it for yourself and hopefully it will work for you two!

Melani