Archive for the 'Environment' Category
U.S. Farm Bill Perpetuates Disastrous Agricultural Practices: There Is Another Way
April 5th, 2008Matthew Stiegelmeier for President! Via: Gourmet: Like his neighbors, Matthew did just fine last year, but he did it without growing a single ear of corn, and that’s where his family’s story begins to diverge from that of the other farmers. “I’ve got a philosophical problem with growing corn. Most corn goes to livestock. I […]
Wheat Killing Fungus Now in Iran
March 18th, 2008I lost track of how many people submitted this. At least five. Via: UN: A dangerous new fungus with the ability to destroy entire wheat fields has been detected in Iran, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today. The wheat stem rust, whose spores are carried by wind across continents, was previously […]
Rangiora Eco Village
March 13th, 2008I read about the new Rangiora Eco Village development in a local newspaper yesterday. I wanted to mention it because I know that some of you are in New Zealand, or are planning to be here soon. This isn’t too far from where I’m sitting at the moment, and I’d like to see more Cryptogonners […]
U.S. Corn Biofuels Will Expand Gulf of Mexico ‘Dead Zone’
March 12th, 2008I’m finished with posting Corn-Ethanol-Is-Stupid stories. The only people who think it’s a good idea are the corn industrial complex interests and the corrupt politicians who accept the payola. Enough already. Via: AFP: A planned increase in US ethanol production from corn would spell environmental “disaster” for marine species in the Gulf of Mexico, said […]
Brazil: Women Destroy GE Crops
March 12th, 2008Nice work, ladies. Via: AFP: Around 300 women rural residents in Brazil burst into a property owned by the US company Monsanto and destroyed a plant nursery and crops containing genetically modified corn, their organization said. The women were protesting what they saw as environmental damage by the crops. They trashed the plants within 30 […]
Drugs in Drinking Water
March 10th, 2008Via: AP: A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, […]
The Price of Wheat is More Than 80% Higher Than a Year Ago
March 4th, 2008A couple of points: 1. Those bulk grains we bought turned out to be our best investment yet. 50KG sacks of maize (left), 25KG sacks of hard wheat berries (right) 2. The corn based ethanol strategy is working perfectly; if potential for kill off is the metric in question. Via: New York Times: According to […]
Indian Biogas Digester
February 28th, 2008Outstanding! I’d like to order one. Via: Fortune: Sintex Industries, a plastics and textiles manufacturer in Gujarat, India, is betting it can find profit in human waste. Its new biogas digester turns human excrement, cow dung, or kitchen garbage into fuel that can be used for cooking or generating electricity, simultaneously addressing two of India’s […]
Canada: Apocalyptic Oil Sand Operations
February 25th, 2008As bad as this seems, it’s just a preview of things to come. I could be wrong, but my guess is that asymmetric operations against the energy companies—inside G8 states—will begin if the insane decision is made to go with nuclear power to provide the heat necessary to recover the oil from these deposits. There […]
China: Coalmine Fire Put Out After Half a Century
February 8th, 2008The is the most incredible thing I’ve read since the one about the massive plastic trash tip in the Pacific Ocean. Via: Times Online: After a three-year effort and untold quantities of water, Chinese firefighters have extinguished a fire that had been burning underground in a coalmine for more than 50 years. The blaze had […]
