Dark Chocolate is good for you

Guess what? Scientists have found out why chocolate is good for you.

Eating one and half ounces (42.5 g) daily for two weeks reduced stress hormones in the body, and also helped to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. It also helps with the production of serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter in the brain) and endorphins (enjoyment). It has also been shown that savouring dark chocolate stimulates all part of the brain more intensely than passionate kissing.

It might also be helpful in providing relief from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Read more from the article here.

Charter for Compassion

Karen Armstrong won one of three TED Prizes last year and this has now come to fruition. The Charter for Compassion is a guide and means for people to sign up to the Charter, and to post moments of compassion they have experienced in their lives.

Please consider joining the movement for more Compassion and understanding in our lives...

Responsible Business Roadmaps

I received this link from St James Ethics Centre newsletter today. The St James Ethics Centre promotes ethical business practice and has regular debates - the IQ2 debates held monthly in Sydney. They also offer training programs, consulting, advocacy and counselling and other services to assist businesses and individuals to make more ethical choices in their work.

The Australian Government commissioned the St James Ethics Centre to "expand responsible business practice" and funded the National Responsible Business Practice Project. This and it has produced some roadmaps to give businesses and consumers a better idea of the true cost of an item or product from the grower or manufacturer to the consumer supply point. They consider the demand for the product, where it will ultimately be used, how much energy is consumed in growing or developing the product etc.

There are three roadmaps produced so far, one for Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap ((e.g. wool or cotton), the Potato Roadmap (fresh versus frozen potatoes) and the Building Roadmap provide information to help us determine the environmental cost of our manufacture, development and supply of some common purchases. At this stage I don't think they name brands or suppliers (which would make it easier to attempt to stay within 100 miles or 100 km from grower to table), but it is a start.

And if you are truly interested in responsible business practice, visit The Hub website for more information.