Category Archives: environment

Amazon CARES: Dogs In Amazon’s Only No-Kill Shelter Need Your Help Now!

Although the concept is very foreign in Peru, our Peruvian office is considering running a food drive in order to provide the dogs we shelter with better quality food at a more reasonable price. We’re unsure how successful a food drive will be, but we are willing to do whatever we can to help these dogs in need!

 

You can help too! You can help us with the extra expense of food by making a small contribution to our cause by following this link: http://www.crowdrise.com/dogfood Please consider sharing our cause with your friends!

Any contribution you make will go a long way in helping us to provide great nutrition and care for these wonderful dogs!

via Amazon CARES: Dogs In Amazon’s Only No-Kill Shelter Need Your Help Now!.

Welcome to California Cantaloupes | California Cantaloupes – safe to eat again?

The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board represents a commitment to the highest level of safety and quality for all cantaloupe consumers. California cantaloupes are produced under a mandatory food safety program that invites government auditors to inspect all aspects of farming, packing and cooling operations.

via Welcome to California Cantaloupes | California Cantaloupes.

If inspectors are not funded – then the invitations will mean nothing and listeria will be found making people ill again. They either pay for inspection themselves to the USDA, there is no assurance of safety!

Supreme Court says human genes cannot be patented – The Washington Post

The Supreme Court says companies cannot patent human genes, a decision that could profoundly affect the medical and biotechnology industries.

In a unanimous decision, the court struck down patents held by Myriad Genetics Inc. on two genes linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Opponents say patent protection shouldn’t be given to something that can be found inside the human body.

via Supreme Court says human genes cannot be patented – The Washington Post.

Dutch Futurist: Scenarios for the future of urban farming — City Farmer News

The Citizen grower

Lots of people who live in cities share the wish to be active in food production. Kitchen gardens are popular among young and old. The barren grounds and rooftops look tempting to these gardeners. People start to ask the city government if they could use these parcels for growing food. Some cities have pro-actively responded to this demand and made maps of available parcels and rooftops.

People use the food that they grow to sell on neighbourhood markets. Near a garden complex there is often a restaurant, where meals are served made from fresh neighbourhood produce. The unemployed start off as waiters and other personnel in the restaurant, making it easier for them to find a paid job later on. Schools and children are involved. They are physically active and learn about healthy food.

City councils are happy with this movement and develop additional education programs to help people learn about the nature of food. They also facilitate the growers’ movement in all sorts of ways, for instance by making it easier for businesses to donate or act as barter in a project. In this way the city, businesses and citizens connect through the growing of food.

via Dutch Futurist: Scenarios for the future of urban farming — City Farmer News.

Food Politics » The endless debates about salt: Don’t worry. Eat (real) food

Food Politics » The endless debates about salt: Don’t worry. Eat (real) food.

The bottom line, Bittman says (and I enthusiastically agree), is that

Salt intake — like weight, and body mass index — is a convenient baseline for public policy people to talk about. If you focus on eating less salt — and, indeed, less sugar — you will inevitably eat less processed food, fast food, junk food (it’s all the same thing.) If you eat less processed food (etc.) you eat more real food. If you eat more real food, not only are you healthier, but you probably don’t have to pay attention to how much salt you’re eating. Wowie zowie.

How Did a Hepatitis A Virus Get Into Organic Berries? | Food Safety News

Longish but a must read – “Oregon” berries were not really from Oregon farm. – The latest count from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 99 people infected in eight states: Arizona, California Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. Of these, 38 have been hospitalized.

According to the CDC, Hepatitis A “usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene.” However, the source of this particular strain is still unclear, except that it probably did not originate in the United States.

via How Did a Hepatitis A Virus Get Into Organic Berries? | Food Safety News.

DREF reports Ebola outbreak in Uganda | Vaccine News Daily

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund reported on Monday that an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever has been confirmed in Luwero district in Uganda.

The Ebola virus is one of the deadliest infections in the world and is known to kill more than 90 percent of those who are infected. The virus starts with sudden influenza-like symptoms, which eventually escalates and begins affecting more parts of the body. These symptoms keep escalating until multiple organs shut down.

via DREF reports Ebola outbreak in Uganda | Vaccine News Daily.

Saudi Arabia: 3 New MERS Cases (1 Fatal)

“Three New Cases of Coronavirus Recorded in Al-Ahsa and the Eastern Region and One Case Passed Away in Hafr Al-Batin”

12 June 2013

Within the framework of the epidemiological surveillance of the novel Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced that three new cases of this virus have been recorded.

The first case is a Saudi female citizen in the Eastern region, aged 63 who is suffering from chronic diseases, and her condition is stable. The Second one is a Saudi citizen in Al-Ahsa governorate, aged 75 who is suffering from chronic diseases as well, and still at ICU receiving the proper treatment. However, the third case is a resident, aged 21 in Hafr Al-Batin, who passed away after being admitted to ICU at the beginning of this week, May Allah have mercy upon him.

via Saudi Arabia: 3 New MERS Cases (1 Fatal).

GE French Fries, Coming to a Fast Food Restaurant Near You | Food & Water Watch

The J.R. Simplot Company, giant potato supplier for McDonald’s, has spent years working on the perfect potato. Its new genetically engineered trait (which will be offered in five different varieties of potatoes) up for USDA approval has lower levels of a carbohydrate called acrylamide, which may cause cancer, and also has reduced black spot bruising. These potatoes will be used as frozen fries, potato chips and shoestrings, which make up approximately 50 percent of the potato market in the United States, according to Simplot.

Both of the desired traits are achieved through the reduced expression of enzymes, affecting the amino acid asparagine for the low acrylamide trait and the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) for reduced bruising (the same way GE apples have been engineered not to brown). The problem is that an alteration in just one enzyme can unintentionally affect other plant characteristics as well as the plant’s health.

These GE potatoes will likely be fried using Monsanto’s new-and-improved omega-3 soybean oil, which will probably be marketed to lead consumers to believe that the bio-engineered combination is “healthy” fried food. A low-acrylamide potato may reduce levels of just one of the harmful chemicals brought out by frying foods but there are other dangerous compounds that are produced when food is heated to very high temperatures, including advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), which can lead to to “chronic inflammation and oxidative stress,” (also linked to cancer). And of course this new fried “goodness” doesn’t address the high-calorie and low-nutrient content that make fried potatoes unhealthy in the first place.

Historically, GE potatoes have not fared so well in the marketplace. Monsanto’s NewLeaf GE potatoes were approved in 1995, but the company pulled its potatoes from the market in 2001. If approved, these potatoes may face the same fate and never make it into happy meals across America. But these potatoes could also be exported, since Simplot has submitted its petition for approval to Canada, Mexico, Japan and South Korea.

via GE French Fries, Coming to a Fast Food Restaurant Near You | Food & Water Watch.

India’s Apollo Tyres to buy Cooper Tire for $2.22 billion – The Times of India

Sigh – grin – Will there be any more American owned tire companies in Ohio? One big world market and where do the corporation’s loyalties reside?

 

India’s Apollo Tyres Ltd is buying Ohio’s Cooper Tire & Rubber Co for about $2.22 billion.

Apollo says the combined company will be one of the world’s largest tire makers, with a strong presence across four continents and combined 2012 sales of $6.6 billion.

Under the terms of the deal, Cooper shareholders will receive $35 per share in cash. The price represents a 42 per cent premium over Cooper’s Tuesday closing stock price.

via India’s Apollo Tyres to buy Cooper Tire for $2.22 billion – The Times of India.