Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News

A parable on the National School Lunch program Grist - 11/17/2009. By Ann Cooper & Kate Adamick – Not long ago or far away, there was a great and mighty kingdom that was the envy of all other kingdoms in the world. The kingdom was home to two groups of people, the Big People and the Little People. The Big People had many jobs and responsibilities, but foremost among these was their unalterable duty to care for the wellbeing of the Little People above all else. The Little People had only one responsibility, to follow the advice of the Big People so that they, too, could grow up to be Big. Winemakers face climate change with dread Grist - 11/17/2009. By Agence France-Presse – Spain: With the Copenhagen climate change summit looming, the world of wine convened on Spain’s Rioja region for a conference in which global warming emerged as the industry’s top concern. “All over the world, alcohol levels are going up,” said British wine critic Jancis Robinson at the WineFuture conference, citing just one problem producers are facing as a result of rising temperatures. A new report reveals that GM seeds encourage pesticides use, contribute to growth of superweeds Common Dreams - 11/17/2009. By Paula Crossfield – A new report out today, Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Thirteen Years [pdf] authored by Dr. Charles Benbrook, chief scientist at The Organic Center, reveals that the use of genetically modified (GM) corn, soy and cotton crops has increased the amount of pesticides used in the past 13 years by 318 million pounds. Is BPA ruining your sex life? Alternet - 11/17/2009. By Elaine Shannon – When people ask whether modern synthetics are damaging their health and endangering future generations, Topic A is nearly always bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen, an integral component of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and one of the highest volume industrial chemicals in existence. Extension supporters object to county cut Bangor Daily News - 11/17/2009. By Diana Bowley – Dover-Foxcroft: University of Maine Cooperative Extension supporters turned out in force at a public hearing Monday to express opposition to a proposed county budget cut of $25,850 for the agency. Honeybees are modern-day canaries in coal mines Portland Press Herald - 11/17/2009. By Reese Halter – Portland: Over the past three years, more than 50 billion honeybees have died worldwide. Scientists understand the causes and now we need everyone to lend a helping hand. The nitrogen fix: breaking a costly addiction Yale Environment 360 - 11/17/2009. By Fred Pearce – A single patent a century ago changed the world, and now, in the 21st century, Homo sapiens and the world we dominate have an addiction. Call it the nitrogen fix. It is like a drug mainlined into the planet’s ecosystems, suffusing every cell, every pore – including our own bodies. Current  Archive     Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7