All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Chipotle + Willy Wonka + Fiona Apple: Whimsy and a Better Food World – Wired Science

For the second time, the marketing crews at Chipotle have produced an ad that combines off-beat animation, an alternative-ish singer, and aspirations for a better food system into an educational, emotional message piece (which, to be fair, also sells burritos).

via Chipotle + Willy Wonka + Fiona Apple: Whimsy and a Better Food World – Wired Science.

Cilantro Hailed for its Water Purification Properties | Green Prophet

cilantro grows wild in vast amounts in countries that have problems with heavy-metal water pollution. It is readily available, inexpensive and shows promise in removing certain metals, such as lead, copper and mercury, that can be harmful to human health.”

The structure of the other walls of Cilantro’s microscopic cells have the ideal architecture to absorb heavy metals, Physorg reports. Parsley and culantro have similar properties.

Schauer proposes to pack the cilantro into packets that are similar to tea-bags, or the herb can be packed into water filter cartridges.

With so many people without clean drinking water throughout the Middle East, a dedicated awareness campaign could go a long way to informing them of natural methods of purifying one of our planet’s most necessary and increasingly precious resources.

via Cilantro Hailed for its Water Purification Properties | Green Prophet.

Beef Products Recalled for Possible E. Coli Contamination | Food Safety News

A Dodge City, KS, beef packer has recalled about 700 pounds of beef tongue root filet products for potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Thursday.

via Beef Products Recalled for Possible E. Coli Contamination | Food Safety News.

Scientists develop MERS-CoV strain to use in vaccine | Vaccine News Daily

(Wish I had more confidence in this type of work but the money is just too powerful to not cause some risks to be overlooked, in my view.)

The mutated virus, known as rMERS-CoV-ΔE, was genetically engineered to make it capable of infecting a cell and replicating its genetic material while rendering it incapable of spreading and causing disease. The researchers said that by adding additional safeguards into the virus, it could be used as a safe and effective live-attenuated MERS-CoV vaccine.

via Scientists develop MERS-CoV strain to use in vaccine | Vaccine News Daily.

‘Milk Cows, Not Workers’ | Labor Notes

Like all farmworkers, dairy workers are excluded from national labor law’s guarantees of collective bargaining rights and the right to overtime pay.

And like many other farmworkers, a majority are undocumented. Under persistent threat of arrest and deportation, and lacking transportation, many rarely leave the confines of the farms, where they live and work under awful conditions. Besides isolation, they experience employer intimidation and wage theft.

“[The bosses] take advantage that we do not know our rights or that we are afraid to exercise our rights, because they will threaten us with calling the police or immigration,” declared a worker leader from a farm in Lewis County. He could not attend but had a spokesperson deliver his speech at the rally.

via ‘Milk Cows, Not Workers’ | Labor Notes.

ASIA/SYRIA – Battle for Maalula, under sniper fire – Fides News Agency

Damascus (Agenzia Fides) – Soldiers of the regular army have entered Maalula, the Christian village which was attacked and seized by Islamist groups in recent days. According to local sources contacted by Fides Agency, local Christian youth fighting alongside the soldiers are under fire from snipers stationed in homes. Retaking the village seems to be very difficult because of the way it is built, where houses are perched on steep slopes. As reported to Fides, so far 3 young Greek Catholic Christians have been killed and six men have been abducted and taken somewhere near the city of Yabrud, on the slopes of the Qalamoun mountains.

Religious community members, men and women, who are still present in the village, are safe and sound. The Greek Orthodox nuns in the convent of Santa Tecla were “under siege” and were in fear for several days, while armed groups threatened to invade the convent and crosses have been removed and many civilian homes have been sacked. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 12/09/2013)

via ASIA/SYRIA – Battle for Maalula, under sniper fire – Fides News Agency.

Self-delusion in infinite supply over pseudo-freedom issues – Wisconsin’s Most Famous Raw-Milk Advocate Opposes Bill Requiring Licensing | Food Safety News

While those requirements were too much for Hershberger, many raw-milk advocates showed up to support SB 236. Vincent Hunt, a 62-year old farmer who has consumed raw milk all his life, was among those wearing white ice-cream vendor hats with the word “Freedom” on them.

“Just trust the people,” Hunt told committee members. “I believe the opponents of this bill have only one thing to offer and it is fear.”

Numerous proponents said raw milk can cure all sorts of health problems, including allergies and diabetes.

Not buying any of it were spokesmen for the Wisconsin Safe Milk Coalition, which represents both the state’s $26.5-billion pasteurized dairy industry, and numerous public and private health organizations.

Two dairy farmers representing the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, a coalition member, said they will not even give raw milk to their calves because of its potential for spreading disease. They instead pasteurize the milk beforehand.

“Pasteurization exists for a reason,” said Chris Pollack, who runs a 150-cow diary farm and was one of the Farm Bureau representatives.

via Wisconsin’s Most Famous Raw-Milk Advocate Opposes Bill Requiring Licensing | Food Safety News.

( Earlier this week there was a story about a mom who donated a kidney to her infant daughter whose kidneys failed as a result of disease from raw milk that was given to her daughter) Playing Russian Roulette for 40 years without shooting yourself is not a good argument for risking the health of people so foolishly.

Netherlands apologizes formally to Indonesia for colonial killings | News | DW.DE | 12.09.2013

The Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwaan, made the apology for the massacres during a ceremony at the Dutch Embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

“On behalf of the Dutch government, I apologize for these excesses,” he said, adding: “The Dutch government hopes that this apology will help close a difficult chapter for those whose lives were impacted so directly by the violent excesses that took place between 1945 and 1949.”

The Dutch government had previously apologized and paid some compensation to relatives of those killed in particular cases, but it has never before offered a general apology for all summary executions.

via Netherlands apologizes formally to Indonesia for colonial killings | News | DW.DE | 12.09.2013.

Avian Flu Diary: Florida: Dengue Forces Suspension Of Blood Donations In Two Counties

Globalization and air transport strike again – too easy for someone infected to be on other side of globe in less than 24 hours and get bitten by a local mosquito that then becomes infected from the human and infects the next mammal it feasts upon and so it goes…

As a proactive and precautionary measure, OneBlood is temporarily suspending blood collection operations in Martin and St. Lucie counties in Southeast Florida until further notice.  The decision comes after more than a dozen cases of Dengue Fever have been reported by the Florida Department of Health in these two counties over the past several weeks.

“Safety of the blood supply is our number one priority,” said Dr. Rita Reik, Chief Medical Officer for OneBlood.  “We will resume blood collections in Martin and St. Lucie counties once it is determined the threat of Dengue Fever has been minimized,” Reik said.

via Avian Flu Diary: Florida: Dengue Forces Suspension Of Blood Donations In Two Counties.