Category Archives: environment

FarmedHere: An Organic Vertical Farming Success StoryDesignBuild Source

The FarmedHere urban farming company, which has been successfully conducting urban farming work in the Chicago area since 2011, has received USDA organic certification.

The organic vertical farming practice makes use of derelict warehouses to produce food for the community. The company recently expanded with a new 90,000 square foot post-industrial building in Bedford Park, Illinois, on top of their 10,000 square foot warehouse in Flanagan and a smaller operation in Englewood.

via FarmedHere: An Organic Vertical Farming Success StoryDesignBuild Source.

Murdered Costa Rican environmental crusader’s death still unsolved and cries for justice getting globally louder | Latina Lista

Jairo was born in 1987 in the Caribbean coastal town of Limón, Costa Rica. He was interested in sea turtles from a young age, and by his twenties was studying biology and volunteering his time protecting sea turtles from poachers and drug traffickers on Costa Rica’s otherwise tranquil beaches.

In the early morning hours of May 31, 2013, Jairo was ambushed, bound, and brutally murdered while patrolling a sea turtle nesting beach in Moin, Costa Rica. His killers have not been caught, though chances are good that Jairo knew his assassins.

via Murdered Costa Rican environmental crusader’s death still unsolved and cries for justice getting globally louder | Latina Lista.

Soil life ‘remembers’ extreme weather [Science] Resource

Extreme weather such as drought continues to influence the success of plants even after it is over. This process goes through the soil life, and local plants seem to be more sensitive to extreme weather than exotics. Researchers from the Nematology and Soil Quality chair groups and the NIOO discovered this by exposing soils to simulated drought and floods. They published their findings on 28 May in the journal PNAS.

via Soil life ‘remembers’ extreme weather [Science] Resource.

Police catch Thai pet shop owner with rare lions | News , International | THE DAILY STAR

Albino Lions

Thai police say they have arrested a pet shop owner for illegally possessing wildlife after finding hundreds of protected species, including rare lions, in his warehouse near Bangkok.

Police Col. Ek Ekasart said Monday that police found 14 albino lions from Africa, hundreds of birds, meerkats, tortoises, peafowls, monkeys and other species believed to be from overseas and Thailand.

Police also found a hornbill and a leopard cat that are protected by Thai law.

Ekasart says Montri Boonprom-on, 41, faces charges of possessing wildlife animals and carcasses and could face up to four years in jail.

Police say Montri owned an exotic pet shop at Bangkok’s renowned Chatuchak weekend market and was previously convicted of wildlife trade.

via Police catch Thai pet shop owner with rare lions | News , International | THE DAILY STAR.

People-officials had to know – did he not pay bribe on time. 4 years not enough for repeat offense.

MMWR: MERS-CoV Update – June 7th – Pandemic in making?

Number of confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) (N = 55) reported as of June 7, 2013, to the World Health Organization, by month of illness onset — worldwide, 2012–2013 – CDC MMWR

via MMWR: MERS-CoV Update – June 7th.

So the real big question is what else was going on in Saudi Arabia in April and May that could possibly have an influence on such an outbreak? New or different people working in the hospital or local area – Lots of immigrant workers coming and going from Saudi Arabia from South Asia all the time. Any significant changes in environment – date palms all in fruit so more bats? My point is that people need to broaden their view a bit if they are going to find links  of causation and thus prevention.

Hops, Sour Cherry Trees And Kale Growing On Waldorf Astoria Rooftop: Gothamist

The honeybee hives atop the Waldorf Astoria hotel don’t have to travel far for their pollen sources. The iconic hotel made good on a promise to open a chef’s garden in the bees’ backyard, which they unveiled at a media event this week. The hotel has installed nine raised plantings beds on a 20th Floor rooftop space in addition to several large planters with a few kinds of fruit trees.

via Hops, Sour Cherry Trees And Kale Growing On Waldorf Astoria Rooftop: Gothamist.

Mt. Healthy Hatchery | Food Safety News

The long-running multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to live poultry now appears to be over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, 195 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Lille were reported from 27 states, including two deaths. The CDC issued a final outbreak update…

Tags: live poultry, Mt. Healthy Hatchery, Salmonella

via Mt. Healthy Hatchery | Food Safety News.

2013 we do it again and there was an outbreak in 2011. What gives?

Salmonella | Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Poultry | Apr, 2013 | CDC

A total of 98 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Lille, Salmonella Newport, or Salmonella Mbandaka have been reported from 21 states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (3), California (2), Connecticut (3), Illinois (2), Kentucky (4), Maine (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (5), Minnesota (3), Mississippi (2), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (2), New York (8), North Carolina (5), Ohio (17), Pennsylvania (7), Tennessee (9), Virginia (3), Vermont (2), West Virginia (13), and Wisconsin (5).

27% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

44% of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger.

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked this outbreak of human Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Lille, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Mbandaka infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live baby poultry from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Ohio.

via Salmonella | Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Poultry | Apr, 2013 | CDC.

At least, the second time this type of outbreak liked to this hatchery – what gives?

Raw milk dairy in Washington state issues recall over E. coli | OregonLive.com

A raw milk dairy in Washington state has issued a recall over over E. coli contamination.

Pure Éire dairy is pulling all of its organic milk with a best-by date of June 8 and later after routine tests turned up E. coli O157:H7, according to a release on the company’s website.

The milk was sold in

half gallon glass and plastic containers and 1 gallon plastic containers in stores in College Place,

Ephrata, Kettle Falls, Kennewick, Moses Lake, Pasco, Richland, Spokane, Spokane Valley,

Walla Walla and West Richland.

Raw milk products, which are licensed in Washington state, have been linked to successive recalls. In February, the Washington state Department of Agriculture warned the public against consuming raw milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery over possible E. coli contamination.

via Raw milk dairy in Washington state issues recall over E. coli | OregonLive.com.

“Outrageous” Plan would lift most remaining wolf protections in Lower 48 states | OregonLive.com

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that those populations are robust enough to stave off extinction.

Federal protections would remain only for a fledgling population of Mexican gray wolves in the desert Southwest.

Some prominent scientists and dozens of lawmakers in Congress want broader protections to remain in place so wolves can expand, including in the Northeast and along the West Coast.

via Plan would lift most remaining wolf protections in Lower 48 states | OregonLive.com.