I probably will start looking at ingredient lists for palm oil.  I certainly dont need to buy products that use palm oil, when there are other alternatives.  I believe that I can be more conscious about eating chocolate or drinking coffee.  I can buy products that are certified rainforest friendly or just reduce consumption of these products.  

Never heard of silvo pasture before now.  It seems like it's about diversifying the landscape so it's not just pasture for grazing.  I feel like one of the biggest benefits might be that the shade would be cooling to both the cows and the grass.  It could prevent the grass from drying out in hot seasons, leaving more food for the cows.  

I personally don't look at the dates.  I smell food to tell if it's gone sour or use my eyes or taste to know if something is still okay.  My husband on the other hand looks at dates and will not eat anything even a day past expiration date and he doesnt allow me to feed any "expired" food to our daughter.  So basically, I'm the only one in the house eating foods past due date.  I guess my view on expiration dates has not really changed, but maybe I'll have more information to explain to my husband that products are still okay past certain dates.  

I found it kind of depressing to monitor ingredients like tropical oils in the food I eat, because I can't deny that it is a problem (i.e. they're in lots of foods). I am happy that trans fats are becoming less common, but I hope consumers will support sustainably sourced tropical oils as awareness grows.

You can reduce water use by swapping out your faucet heads with low-flow models. We did this a few years back and I don't even notice the difference, but it reduces our water use!

It's shocking to read that "Currently, the world faces a $5.3 billion funding shortfall for providing the access to reproductive healthcare that women say they want to have." On the other hand, I don't think money is as big a problem as political will to provide the access that women want to have. 

Alternatives to plastic are readily available in my community, and really, through Amazon you can source metal or bamboo versions of almost everything. I am excited about the potential legalization of industrial hemp, as it is can be used to make a great, inexpensive alternative to plastic, too.

 Why is balance important to sustainability? Because everything in the natural world is connected to everything else. It is all held in balance, with imbalances naturally corrected through feedback loops and the laws of physics. When a system is balanced, no one part plays too big or too small a role, which also creates resilience.