Pippa's Place - Environmentally Speaking

Proposed Airport Would Affect Thames River Estuary

2011-11-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

Avocets are just one of the many species that rely on the Thames estuary to survive. Photo courtesy: Omar Torres/AFP/Getty

The reflections of redshank that shimmer in the wet silt of the Thames river estuary are an illusion: the birds appear still, but they are in a race against time to eat enough before the tide comes in and they retreat on land to wait for their next meal. To ingest enough energy to survive, they need to eat two insects a second.

Scenes like this capture why environment groups and nature lovers across Europe are so deeply opposed to building a new airport on the Thames estuary, an internationally important area for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, for reptiles like the slow worm, for newts and water voles, and for rare insects that thrive on old industrial land.

Altogether, the airport land and surrounding areas and waters include five separate Special Protection Areas for passing or over-wintering avocet, hen harriers, ringed and golden plovers, marsh harriers, little tern, dunlin and pintail, as well as hosting one of a new breed of marine sites, this one designated for its population of 6,000-8,000 red-throated divers. There is a Special Area of Conservation preserved for its species-rich estuaries, mudflats and salt meadows. Much of the area is also covered by the Ramsar international convention on wetlands, recognising how crucial the estuary is for birds travelling as far afield as Siberia, Canada and north Africa.

A consultation on a proposal for a possible airport, as expected to be announced by the prime minister in March, is a long way from a blueprint for any new airport. But plans drawn up and published independently last year by the architect Sir Norman Foster and the consultants Halcrow give a good idea of the scale of such a development. It would involve building over a huge area of mudflats and far out into the river, taking up to a quarter of the existing channel, according to the RSPB; the charity's famous logo features the avocet, which lives nearby.

Such a massive pouring of concrete and tarmac would itself cover a giant swathe of the plant- and animal-rich tidal zone, as well as the land where wading birds retreat at high tide. Further sites, up and down the estuary and river, would be affected by tides forced to flow around the runways and buildings. Add to that expectations that much more of the region would have to be sterilised of birds to reduce the potentially catastrophic risk of them striking the engines of aeroplanes, and the RSPB conservation director, Martin Harper, has described the proposal as an "act of vandalism".

In addition to the physical stress would be the noise, vibrations and the impact of industrial activity the airport would attract to the area. These, too, affect birds like the redshank, which live on the edge of survival as they struggle to build up the energy to survive between feeds in often bitter temperatures and winds. "If they have got to fly further [to find food], or they are disturbed, you are affecting the edge they are living on," said Nik Shelton, an RSPB spokesman.

All this is not to mention the additional problem of aircraft pollution, in particular emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and water vapour contrails.

With no concrete plans yet articulated, it is hard to assess the potential climate-forcing effect of a new hub airport. But Foster's draft envisages four 4km runways, built to carry up to 150 million passengers a year. By contrast, the UK's independent Committee on Climate Change report on aviation emissions in 2009 estimated that, in order to meet the government's target for the middle of the century of limiting greenhouse gases to 2005 levels or below, ministers needed to limit demand increases to 60% – or 138 million more passengers. By itself, then, without any growth at other (often underutilised) UK airports, a new Thames Hub would increase capacity beyond what is recommended.

The coalition government has the option to drop that Labour cap on aviation emissions, but it would have to argue the case with industry, agriculture and other sectors for increasing aviation's already generous projected quarter-share of emissions in 2050.

On both fronts, wildlife and climate change, the proposals alone – even without approval – will be another blow to the Conservatives' already fragile environmental credentials, which helped rehabilitate the party in opposition. "David Cameron's pledge to lead the greenest government ever will ring hollow if he gives the green light to a huge expansion in air travel," said Andy Atkins, Friends of the Earth's executive director.

Britain's Birds are Remaining in Countryside This Year

2011-11-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

The greenfinch is among common garden birds that have taken their leave of suburbia this winter. Photo courtesy: David Tipling/Alamy

It has been a hard winter for English suburban bird spotters. The nation's house birds have disappeared from towns and cities, leaving gardens devoid of their most familiar feathered visitors.

Their absence has triggered a flurry of letters and emails to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds from anxious householders disconcerted by the absence of blue tits, greenfinches, chaffinches and house sparrows from suburban Britain.

"We have been inundated with letters over the past few weeks from homeowners who have got used to seeing house birds in their gardens over our recent harsh winters but who are perplexed by their absence this year," said Nik Shelton, an RSPB official.

The reason for the birds' disappearance is straightforward, he added. "House birds like the blue tit or the chaffinch eat seeds or insects, which are easy to find in the countryside when the weather is mild, as it has been for this winter so far. When the conditions get tough, when the ground becomes hard and frosty, it is difficult to get at insects or pick up seeds. Food become scarce, so the birds head into towns and cities in search of sustenance. That is what happened last year and the year before when we had very hard winters. But not this year. Our blue tits and chaffinches are perfectly happy in the countryside at the moment."

The unexpectedly mild conditions have had other disconcerting effects on Britain's birds. For example, woodpeckers can be heard making their distinctive drumming noise in woods, a territorial display that is usually a prelude to nesting and which is not normally heard until later in the year. Jackdaws appear to be equally confused. "The warm weather has convinced them that spring is at hand. It will take a severe cold snap before they can reset their internal clocks and resume normal behaviour for the time of year," added Shelton.

It remains to be seen if that cold snap will occur, however. The Met Office said on Saturday that the weather would remain fairly mild for most of the coming week with temperatures hovering around the average for the time of year. For the longer term forecast, weather patterns are confused, with two very different but equally possible scenarios vying.

"The first scenario consists of changeable weather with rain at times and with temperatures noticeably above average for early February, with only occasional frosts," said a Met Office forecaster. "The alternative scenario is that much colder weather with winds mainly from an easterly or northeasterly quarter, will prevail well into February, bringing widespread frosts and snow to some areas. At present we cannot determine which will happen."

In other words, it is a 50-50 shot if the nation's house birds return to suburbia to avoid the cold of the countryside next month and our woodpeckers stop their drumming.

Fantasy Worlds Found in English Potholes

2011-11-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: © Stephanie Wolff/the pothole gardener

When TreeHugger profiled Pete Dungey, an artist making miniature gardens in the cracks in Oxford's roads, they wrote that he "works alone, but hopes that others will follow his lead." Turns out a fellow Brit has been treading the same ground all along, adding an extra dose of whimsy to the already adorable little patches of green.

Dungey's counterpart, Londoner Steve Wheen, "fills potholes in roads and sidewalks with soil and living plants, decorating the spaces with miniature props to create tiny worlds," according to the European design site designboom.

Photo courtesy: © Steve Wheen/the pothole gardener

Like many other guerrilla gardeners who have come before him, this pothole gardener says he was inspired by the lack of green space in his neighborhood and a frustrated desire to garden.

With their teeny-tiny chairs, tennis courts, laundry lines, and picnic blankets, these are "green spaces" only a small doll could actually utilize, but Wheen, an avid cyclist, hopes they will put a smile on the faces of passers-by and "highlight how crap our roads and footpaths are."

A pothole designed like a road with a small sign warning of potholes. Photo courtesy: © Steve Wheen/the pothole gardener

Wheen cheerfully documents his guerrilla gardening exploits on his blog, where he also gives shouts-out to like-minded urban interventionists. Commenting on his work, a pedestrian advocacy group writes: "To us, the pothole gardener represents the kind of thing Living Streets wants to see more of -- small and beautiful things that make people take a moment out of their busy day to smile and appreciate their community."

Urban Depavers Reclaim Abandoned Lots

2011-11-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: Depave/Video screen capture

Oh boy, do I like this group! They have everything: environmental convictions, volunteers, principles, energy...and I could go on and on. Perhaps the thing I like most about this group and their projects is they have the courage to back up words with action. Too few of us put our backs or our spare time into causes we say we support. They wanted to make a difference; and, they found a way to make that happen.

I hope the "depaving movement" goes global.

Urban areas are great for increasing density and reducing collective resource use, but they're not quite perfect. The asphalt that covers so much of cities retains heat and is impermeable; it leads to storm water pollution and is bad for air quality. Not to mention that every block of pavement is a block where plants can't grow.

Yet all over American cities, there are abandoned parking lots and public spaces that could be a lot more pleasant, and healthier, if it weren't for the layer of asphalt covering them. But one group is slowly taking back the land in an effort to create more green space and improve the local environment, by ripping up unwanted asphalt.

Depave is a Portland-based non-profit that organizes volunteer "depaving" sessions, wherein a group descends on an empty or underutilized lot and transforms it into a public green space, whether a community garden, playground or soccer field.

Since 2007, Depave has returned more than 94,000 square feet of Portland back to nature; it takes on more projects and draws more volunteers each year. In addition to the depaving, the non-profit also advocates to minimize the amount of impervious pavement installed in the city, and to recycle the asphalt and concrete it removes.

The idea is simple but very effective. Less pavement means less air pollution. It means more plants and more pleasant common areas where neighbors can gather and get away from the sometimes overwhelming density that comes with living in a big city. It means more community gardens, so more city dwellers can get involved in the local food movement.

If you're in Portland, you can check out Depave's upcoming projects and get involved. If not, you can start a movement wherever you call home; Depave offers resources and tips for getting started.

Via TreeHugger.com

White-Nose Syndrome Sending Some Bat Species Close to Extinction

2011-11-10T22:33:00.000-08:00

A bat infected with white nose sydrome. Photo courtesy: USFWS Headquarters / CC BY 2.0

As many as 1 million bats, it was believed, had been killed by white nose syndrome — a mysterious fungus that attacks hibernating bats. However, this estimate, based on data collected in 2009, has proven to be dramatically lower than reality. According to a new study, as many as 6.7 million bats in North America have died due to the white nose outbreak.

"Bats are dying in frighteningly huge numbers and several species are hurtling toward the black hole of extinction," Mollie Matteson, a researcher with the Center for Biological Diversity, commented, and they are dying at a rate that makes this syndrome the worst wildlife disease epidemic in North American history.

Some species have experienced reductions of as much as 70 percent in the last few years. Such dramatic reductions makes these populations more vulnerable to other threats, too — things like pollution, habitat loss, and pressure from invasive species.

Moreover, the spread of the syndrome represents a serious economic threat. Bats are valued at between $3.7 billion and $53 billion per year, based on the amount of pesticides they save farmers. Currently, the epidemic has been confined to the East Coast, where agricultural development is relatively low. As it spreads west — and it is spreading farther west each season — researchers expect farmers to be met with a more noticeable impact.

Three Hamburger Giants Ban the Use of "Pink Slime"

2011-11-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: theimpulsivebuy/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I have done several blogs on the evils of fast food. McDonald's has long been a favourite target of mine. From using eggs from battery hens (cruelty) to serving ordinance changes in Santa Clara, CA these food giants have a lot to answer for.

And who can forget the blog about a McHappy meal left on an office shelf for one year that didn't look much different one year later than the day it was shelved. Let's move on to the artist who bought 10 hamburgers and proceed to "paint" a giant picture of the Mona Lisa using only the grease from the patties. You'd think that would be enough; but, wait...now we have pink slime.

Bolivia has caused McDonald's to close all its restaurants in their country. Bolivians believe that food shows how much you love and respect your family and friends. Food is never cooked "fast" - it's a sign of disrespect to the community. What an enlightened attitude. Good on Bolivia!

Now I have discovered yet another way these corporations destroy our health while picking our pockets. Read on to find out about "pink slime" an integral ingredient in those burger patties the world wolfs down at an alarming rate. There are a few other gross ingredients that will also be outed here. If this doesn't swear you off fast food burgers for life then the pink slime has already affected your brain cells; and, there may be no help.

It’s been a rough year for ammoniated beef. It’s a fancy name for a scary practice cooked up by Beef Products Inc, a company that saw sales plummet by 25 percent this year due to the general public responding to questionable meat processing practices. And most recently, the decision by Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Burger King to stop use of the industry named "pink slime." Pink Slime? This can't be good.

Food Safety News reported on the process:

Beef Products Inc. uses an innovative process to turn fatty beef trimmings, which used to go mainly into pet food and other byproducts, into hamburger filler. Because the trimmings are at risk for E. coli or Salmonella contamination, the company adds a mixture of ammonia and water (ammonium hydroxide) to kill bacteria.

It’s been called “pink slime" by none other than the USDA. It behooves me to ask at this point: If the USDA (who are supposed to be watching out for the public health) called it pink slime, why in the world did they ever approve it?

The New York Times reports that a "[USDA] microbiologist, Gerald Zirnstein, called the processed beef "pink slime" in a 2002 e-mail message to colleagues and said, “I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling.”

More and more people learned about the process from the popular movie Food, Inc. And then there was its appearance on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. “[Oliver] called the "clever scientific process" shocking and a breach of consumer trust.” Especially considering that according to The New York Times, the federal school lunch program used 5.5 million pounds of ammoniated beef in 2008. These are our children, our future. Why are we not providing them with nurishing, body-building fuel so they can develop to their fullest potential? After all, these are people who will grow up to rule the world; and, my pension.

Apparently all the bad press eventually took its toll and at the end of 2011 three mega-chains: Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Burger King all announced that they would be discontinuing use of the product.

Both McDonald's and Burger King claim that the move isn't in reaction to all the bad publicity (of course, not)and Taco Bell gave no comment (at least, they didn't lie) on the matter. But whatever the reason, it comes not a moment too soon.

Ammoniated meat became the dirty little secret of the meat industry because it was excluded from recalls and random testing because the ammonia treatment was supposed to make contamination much less likely. The only problem was it didn't work.

The New York Times reports of specific problems with the beef in lunchrooms:

[G]overnment and industry records obtained by The New York Times show that in testing for the school lunch program, E. coli and salmonella pathogens have been found dozens of times in Beef Products meat, challenging claims by the company and the U.S.D.A. about the effectiveness of the treatment. Since 2005, E. coli has been found 3 times and salmonella 48 times, including back-to-back incidents in August in which two 27,000-pound batches were found to be contaminated. The meat was caught before reaching lunch-rooms trays.

Even worse, ammonia isn't listed on any ingredient labels because it's considered a "processing agent" even though it's completely misleading to think that it doesn't end up in the final product. How fraudulent is this?

This is proof positive that the public does care about what they're putting into their bodies especially when the facts come to light. And it goes to show that truth in labeling could mean the end to other questionable practices like genetically modified ingredients and meat glue, for example.

First Ever Photos of Panda Eating Meat

2011-11-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: The Nature Conservancy

Never say never. Pandas eat bamboo shoots and leaves. And sometimes a little meat, scientists say. But a picture of a panda eating meat is rare. So check it out: A panda eating a meal of takin, aka Himalayan goat-antelope.

The picture, shared by The Nature Conservancy, was captured by motion-sensor cameras in northern Sichuan, China.

Photo courtesy: The Nature Conservancy

Thankfully, the Giant panda here didn't hunt and kill the takin. That wouldn't be very vegetarian of him, or her. The meat is the carcass of a takin that died several days before due to natural causes, Conservancy reps say. Takins, like pandas, are endangered. Here's a live one.

Photo courtesy: The Nature Conservancy

The panda seen in the meat photos is living in what will be the Motianling County Land Trust Reserve, a project of the Conservancy, Peking University and local government partners. It's the country's first Land Trust Reserve, and "one of the most important remaining pieces of giant panda habitat left in the world," Conservancy scientists say.

It goes to show there's still a lot we don't know about pandas and their behavior, says Zhao Peng, who's leading the Motianling project for the Conservancy. Apparently, they used to be carnivores, but evolved into herbivores.

We probably should protect them in places like this. This reserve is one of the last places on Earth you'll find these endangered pandas living in the wild. Here, there are about 20. In China, about 2,000.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lantzville Decides Not to Jail Local Man

2011-11-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: © Living-On-Purpose-Lynn

This past summer I told you about BC farmer Dirk Becker's fight with the local elected government that could have ended with a six-month jail sentence. His crime? Becker and his partner Nicole Shaw were growing food for sale on their 2.5 acre residentially-zoned semi-rural lot in the town of Lantzville on Vancouver Island. What seems to be a dispute started by one disgruntled neighbour that was then taken up by the town mayor and some members of city council was ended on election day.

Photo courtesy: Dirk Becker via TreeHugger

Once he had transformed the land and planted a few crops, he decided he could sell some of his extra produce to his neighbours. It would put a few dollars "walkabout money" in his jean's pocket. Becker and Shaw received one complaint from one neighbour who felt their manure and/or compost was offensive; as if the previous garbage, etc. wasn't. Give me organic produce any day over barren junk yards. It seems that although there are horses and cattle being kept in the same vicinity, the organic farm (1 entire acre) was too rural for the town's by-laws. It quickly became an issue that divided the town; however....

This past November citizens in Lantzville voted out the incumbent mayor Colin Haime, in part because of the issue surrounding Becker and Shaw. In his closing written address as mayor Haime had the following to say about the farmers' supporters:

You supported an individual who thumbed his nose up at the bylaws of the community and its residents including his neighbour. You have set the precedent whereby laws are now set by conflict. The loudest one wins. At the same time you abandoned and ridiculed law abiding citizens who were only interested in the piece (sic) and enjoyment of their own property. You want the right to do as you please but you deny the rights of others the same thing.

The urban farming issue wasn't the only contentious issue during the election but newly elected mayor Jack de Jong did use it as leverage to convince people to vote for him. De Jong said his biggest priority is to secure a reliable source of water for the community and that the urban farming issue was distracting city council from achieving that goal.

Becker is happy that the pressure is now off of him and says:

Our new mayor shows all the hallmarks of being warm, friendly, reasonable, collaborative and big picture oriented.
My sense is that he wants to move on and not waste any more of our citizens money and time in the form of legal proceedings and also staff time.

There is no guarantee that Becker and Shaw won't run into trouble with local bylaws since none have been changed thus far, but until then:

Nicole and I will continue farming for a living as we have for over 6 of the 12 years we have worked this land and selling at the farmers market we started. If the district of Lantzville offers us 'spot zoning' or anything that would be a positive contribution to our community and reduce the degree our one neighbor can make council's lives difficult we are totally open to that.

Via TreeHugger.com

First Picture of New Species of Snub-Nosed Monkey

2011-11-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy: FFI/BANCA/PRCF/via

When a new species of 'snub-nosed' monkey was discovered in 2010, the world's only glimpse came in the form of one researcher's photo-reconstruction since the elusive animal hadn't yet been photographed in the wild. But now, thanks to remote camera traps set in the forests of northern Myanmar, the very first photo of the distinctive-looking monkey, alive and free, have been captured -- offering important insights about a species still largely shrouded in mystery.

Although previously undiscovered by western scientists, for Myanmarese locals this 'snub-nosed' species was already fairly well known as "monkey with an upturned face" on account of its striking vissage. Also, they said because of its upward-aiming nose, the monkeys could be heard sneezing in the forests whenever it happened to rain. When researchers came to confirm its existence as a new species, all they had to go on was a dead specimen that had been poached by a hunter -- prompting them to release a photoshopped image of the animal along with their news release to the public.

Recently, however, camera traps installed in the species' rugged forest habitat yielded the first images of a living snub-nosed monkey.

Photo courtesy: FFI/BANCA/PRCF/via

"These images are the first record of the animal in its natural habitat," Ngwe Lwin, the first person to identify the monkey as a new species, tells Mongabay. "It is great to finally have photographs because they show us something about how and where it actually lives."

Among the images captured by the camera traps set out by researcher Jeremy Holden and his team was evidence of family groups -- an important discovery in an of itself regarding a species thought to number around 200 members.

"The images are poor quality compared to what we are now used to seeing from wildlife photographers, but this somehow exemplifies the fact that these monkeys are rare, mysterious, and on the brink," says Holden.

Few details may be known about snub-nosed monkeys in Myanmar given their recent discovery, but there is no doubt that they are imperiled due to a number of human threats, from hunting to habitat loss related to deforestation. The team involved in capturing photographs of the animal alive and in the wild hope it will help spur programs towards their protection -- lest such images are all that are to remain of them.

Capuchin Monkeys are More Intelligent Than Originally Thought

2011-11-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: © vincentraal

It is said that the ability to use tools is an important commonality shared between humans and non-human primates -- likewise, so it seems, is the desire to be free. In the early hours one morning, a group of eight capuchin monkeys made a remarkably clever escape from a zoo in Brazil. Much to the surprise of staffers at the small facility, the daring monkeys appear to have used a stone tool to break the locks of their enclosure before fleeing into the surrounding forest.

Of the eight monkey to escape the facility in the Brazilian state of Paraná, officials have only managed to capture four so far. Zoo coordinator Gladis Dalamina told Globo (in Spanish) that fruit-lined cage traps were successful in capturing three of the monkeys in the hours after the break out. The forth was found a day later after it broke into a nearby restaurant.

"It was a surprise because this isn't the jungle here, and to have [a monkey] enter my establishment," said the restaurant owner. "It was fun."

Dalamina says that he and his staff will continue to try to track down the rest of the escapees, but that he thinks he's already nabbed the brains of the zoo-break -- an older monkey named Ceará, along with his girlfriend Amarela. According to officials, this isn't the first time monkeys have tried to escape the small community zoo, though using a stone tool has been their most surprising and effective method yet.

"Their job is to run. Our's is to catch."

Capuchin monkeys are thought to be the most intelligent of the New World monkeys, exhibiting a remarkable ability to use stone tools. Researchers have observed capuchins in the wild gathering rocks, often collected from great distances away, to help them to crack open hard nuts. This skill is passed on generationally as younger monkeys learn by watching their elders.

It is my personal belief the reason the true intelligence level of animals is not recognized by humans because we refuse to recognize that we may not be the most intelligent beings on the planet. No animal has the excessive, obsessive need for more that we humans have. Animals on the other hand take only what they need, leave what they don't need; and, sometimes, accidentally plant some more while providing a perfectly organic, non-toxic fertilizer to nourish the tiny seedling to come. When they come back to that spot again, there is still food to be found.

We go back to the same spot again and we find desertification of the land; damaged ecosystems; displaced species; polluted rivers; toxic land; and on ad nauseum.

Science feels that applying this same tool usage to the novel task of breaking locks; however, indicates an extraordinary use of logic to solve the unnatural dilemma of their captivity. But what's more, perhaps, is the fundamental desire which guided their actions: the longing to be free.

I say the intelligence has always been there, we just haven't been able to recognize it.

The Moringa Tree

2011-11-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

All photos courtesy: Trees For Life International

A while ago, I did on blog on using seashells for water purification. One of my readers "aloecalico" left a comment recommending moringa seeds for water purification. Aloecalico is correct. Moringa trees are called the "miracle tree" or the "magic tree" because all parts of the tree can be used and it is a powerhouse of nutrition with many other benefits. The moringa tree is such a benefit to a family and/or their community that World Vision offers moringa trees in their gift catalogues.

Imagine a tree in your backyard that will meet all your nutritional needs, take care of you medicinally, and purify your water for you. This tree actually exists. For centuries, the natives of northern India and many parts of Africa have known of the many benefits of Moringa oleifera. Its uses are as unique as the names it is known by, such as clarifier tree, horseradish tree and drumstick tree (referring to the large drumstick shaped pods) and in East Africa it is called "mother's best friend”. Virtually every part of the tree can be used. Native only to the foothills of the Himalayas, it is now widely cultivated in Africa, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. This tree, though little known in the Western world, is nutritional dynamite. There are literally hundreds of uses for this tree.

Areas where moringa trees grow.

The immature pods are the most valued and widely used of all the tree parts. The pods are extremely nutritious, containing all the essential amino acids along with many vitamins and other nutrients. The immature pod can be eaten raw or prepared like green peas or green beans, while the mature pods are usually fried and possess a peanut-like flavor. The pods also yield 38 - 40% of non-drying, edible oil known as Ben Oil. This oil is clear, sweet and odorless, and never becomes rancid.

Overall, its nutritional value most closely resembles olive oil. The thickened root is used as a substitute for horseradish although this is now discouraged as it contains alkaloids, especially moriginine, and a bacteriocide, spirochin, both of which can prove fatal following ingestion. (The same goes for rhubarb. The red stalk is edible; but, the green leaves will kill you.) The leaves are eaten as greens, in salads, in vegetable curries, as pickles and for seasoning. They can be pounded up and used for scrubbing utensils and for cleaning walls. Leaves and young branches are relished by livestock. The Bark can be used for tanning and also yields a coarse fiber. The flowers, which must be cooked, are eaten either mixed with other foods or fried in batter and have been shown to be rich in potassium and calcium.

In developing tropical countries, Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers. Three non-governmental organizations in particular - Trees for Life, Church World Service and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization - advocate Moringa as “natural nutrition for the tropics.” Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored as dried powder for many months without refrigeration, and without loss of nutritional value. Moringa is especially promising as a food source in the tropics because the tree is in full leaf at the end of the dry season when other foods are typically scarce. Analyses of the leaf composition have revealed them to have significant quantities of vitamins A, B and C, calcium, iron and protein. According to Optima of Africa, Ltd., a group that has been working with the tree in Tanzania, "25 grams daily of Moringa Leaf Powder will give a child" the following recommended daily allowances:

Protein 42%, Calcium 125%, Magnesium 61%, Potassium 41%, Iron 71%, Vitamin A 272%, and Vitamin C 22%. These numbers are particularly astounding; considering this nutrition is available when other food sources may be scarce.

Countries with 5%-35% population malnourished.

Scientific research confirms that these humble leaves are a powerhouse of nutritional value. Gram for gram, Moringa leaves contain: SEVEN times the vitamin C in oranges, FOUR times the Calcium in milk, FOUR times the vitamin A in carrots, TWO times the protein in milk and THREE times the Potassium in bananas.

The Moringa tree has great use medicinally both as preventative and treatment. Much of the evidence is anecdotal as there has been little actual scientific research done to support these claims. India's ancient tradition of ayurveda says the leaves of the Moringa tree prevent 300 diseases. One area in which there has been significant scientific research is the reported antibiotic activity of this tree.

This is clearly the area in which the preponderance of evidence - both classical scientific and anecdotal evidence - is overwhelming. The scientific evidence has now been available for over 50 years, although much of it is completely unknown to western scientists. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s a team from India identified a compound they called pterygospermin. This group was also able to demonstrate its mode of antimicrobial action in the mid 1950’s. Field reports and ecological studies form part of a rich traditional medicine history claiming efficacy of leaf, seed, root, bark, and flowers against a variety of dermal and internal infections. In 1964 other active compounds were isolated and tested in-vitro, and these studies, along with observational studies provide a very plausible mechanism of action for the centuries of claims of efficacy. Unfortunately, because many of the reports of antibiotic efficacy in humans are not supported by placebo controlled, randomized clinical trials, Western medical prejudice leaves the Western world ignorant of Moringa’s antibiotic properties.

Another area of folklore which research supports is in cancer treatment. Moringa species have long been recognized by folk medicine practitioners as having value in the treatment of tumors. Studies examined certain compounds for their cancer preventive potential. Recently two of these compounds were shown to be potent inhibitors of activation of lymphoblastoid (Burkitt’s lymphoma) cells. One of these compounds also inhibited tumors in mice bred to be prone to tumors. In another study, Bharali and colleagues examined skin tumor prevention following ingestion of drumstick (Moringa seedpod) extracts. In this mouse model, which included appropriate positive and negative controls, a dramatic reduction in skin tumors was demonstrated. More rigorous study is required in order to achieve a level of proof required for full medical endorsement of Moringa as, in this case, a cancer preventative plant.

After the oil is extracted from the pods, the seed-cake remaining contains the active components for removing turbidity (solid particles) from water. Because bacteria adhere to the solids, this seed-cake also effectively removes bacteria. At the Thyolo Water Treatment Works in Malawi, Africa, two researchers from the University of Leicester, England, have worked on substituting moringa seeds for alum to remove solids in water for drinking. Not only were the tests successful in removing as much solid material as alum, but the seeds used were "purchased from enthusiastic villagers in Nsanje Region in Malawi" (Folkard and Sutherland, 1996. Not only is Moringa oleifera as effective as aluminum sulphate (alum) in removing suspended solids from turbid water, it has a major advantage. Because it can be produced locally, "using Moringa rather than alum would save foreign exchange and generate farm and employment income." The potential for Moringa to create a new market for a community is there, and studies and projects are taking place examining this potential. Use of this natural substance would also remove a source of aluminum contamination.

This tree is truly a “miracle” tree offering hope; nutritionally, medicinally and economically to devastatingly poor 3rd world countries. It has just recently begun being used as a supplement in a juice form and in powdered leaf tablets.

This video shows how truly amazing the moringa trees are:

Condemned Urban Trees Turned Into Rideable Bicycles

2011-11-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: Spots Unknown via TreeHugger.com

Sometimes an idea comes along that makes me smile all over. This is that type of idea. I'll bet there are many people who would like to ride on the tree they used to swing from as a child.

There's no doubt that we have a definite soft spot for wooden bicycles, but these hand-crafted bikes made from condemned city trees give these otherwise stylish bikes a more poignant history than you might imagine. Made by San Francisco-based carpenters Bill Holloway and Mauro Hernandez of Masterworks Woodworking, the material for these beautiful vehicles come from 'unsafe' trees that have met an untimely end -- often from family properties, now inherited by grown children who remember playing in them.

Photo courtesy: Urban Tree to Bicycle from Spots Unknown on Vimeo.

The point, says Holloway, is to keep the cherished tree alive, even as it's condemned:

With the urban wood, we know where it comes from, and we know a bit of the history of the tree so you get a story with it. [The grown children] remember playing in that tree in the yard as a kid and you know, now their parents have passed, so they now own the house and the tree is dying or unsafe for some reason. And they think it's cool that we can come and salvage that tree and give it a second life and give it back to them as something that they can ride, so that it continues on.

Both Holloway and Hernandez are self-taught, and through their professional practice attempt to maintain old-school traditions of working the wood by hand as much as possible. It's a great way to make functional and creative works of art, out of something that would have otherwise been relegated to memory or wood chips.

Check out the video!

World's First Hybrid Sharks Discovered

2011-11-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: University of Queensland

Sharks are one of the oldest species on the planet, having honed their sleek, aquatic-killer image only over millions of years of evolution -- and as if that alone wasn't enough to strike a bit of fear in us would-be oceangoers, it turns out sharks getting even more specialized. For the first time ever, researchers have detected not one, not two, but 57 hybrid sharks lurking off the the coast of Australia. While the thought of new, possibly extra-powerful sharks may leave some people feeling less than enthusiastic about heading into the water, marine biologists say that these offspring of two genetically distinct species actually represent an extraordinary and totally unprecedented discovery in the world of sharks.

The University of Queensland reports that in five different spots along a 1,200 miles stretch of Australia's eastern coastline, researchers found nearly 60 sharks that were the product of interbreeding between two separate, albeit similarly named species: common blacktip sharks (C. limbatus) and Australian blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus tilstoni). Discovering just a handful of hybrid sharks would be enough to excite ocean scientists, but what they ran across instead proved that it was no fluke.

"To find 57 hybrids along 2000km of coastline is unprecedented," says Dr. Jennifer Ovenden from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

So what could drive this seemingly prolific spawning of hybrids among sharks? Well, according to Ovenden, the need to keep up with rising ocean temperatures may have led to the rise of this new, presumably more advantageous hybrid shark varieties.

"Hybridization could enable the sharks to adapt to environmental change as the smaller Australian black tip currently favours tropical waters in the north while the larger common black tip is more abundant in sub-tropical and temperate waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline."

The findings of a new hybrid species of shark goes to show just how versatile life can be in dealing with the ecosystem altering forces of climate change -- proving yet again that within the depths of the world's oceans and its most keenly adapted inhabitants, there may be no shortage of natural marvels and awesome phenomena left to be discovered.

The Platform of Hope

2011-11-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum/Video screen capture

I love stories where good things happen because one person cared. Too often we say, "But what can I do, I'm only one person?" This "platform of hope" came about because one man cared enough to start the ball rolling; and, that ball kept gathering substance and momentum.

To those of us in the developed countries who are fortunate enough to live where greenery and nature still exist and easily accessible this platform may not seem like much; but, to the people who use it - it is an amazing place.

Watch the video at the end of the blog to see how this simple platform has transformed lives and attitudes.

Korail, home to 120,000, is the largest slum in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Located at the center of the city, to say space is at a premium is something of an understatement. Dhaka itself has a population of 15 million, and UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) predicts that it will be the second largest city in the world by 2015.

In Korail, boxed in by a growing wealthy neighborhood and a lake, increasing density precludes public spaces where residents can gather and children can play. But a small project is proof that residents can take matters into their own hands and make their home a better place.

Photo courtesy: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum/Video screen capture

The Platform of Hope (Ashar Macha) was first proposed in 2007 by landscape architect Khondaker Hasibul Kabir of BRAC University. New to the area, Kabir moved in with family of Fourkan Pervez . Together they transformed the home into a lush community garden.

Then they brought in a carpenter and a bamboo worker and built a platform extending over Gulshan Lake, connected to the garden via a bridge. The Platform of Hope, which measures 18 by 36 feet, now serves as a space where local children can gather and play. It also houses a small library.

It was featured at the Design with the Other 90% exhibit put on by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Photo courtesy: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum/Video screen capture

Of course, the platform and garden are too small to serve a significant portion of Korail's population. But this is a project that could easily be replicated; no major funding or investments were required. It provides a rare space where Korail's impoverished residents can enjoy fresh air and greenery, benefits the developed world too often takes for granted.

New Species Found Living Near Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in Antarctica

2011-10-31T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: PLoS Biology

It's easy to imagine that the seafloor miles beneath the icy surface of the Southern Ocean might be a cold, dark, inhospitable place, as devoid of life as the vacuum of space it so closely resembles -- but that couldn't be further from the truth. In a recent expedition near Antarctica, researchers from Oxford discovered dozens of remarkable new species thriving in one of the most extreme environments on the planet, alongside deep-sea hydrothermal vents where temperatures can reach over 750F.

For years, scientists have suspected there to be world of life forms thriving near underwater vents at the East Scotia Ridge, but so far the region has yet to be fully explored. Oxford researcher Alex Rogers and his team were among the first to scour the seafloor on a recent trip with a remotely operated vehicle, reports the Guardian. What they found there, at depths where sunlight has never reached, were a variety of creatures never seen before.

"One of the staggering things we did find is that these vents are completely different to those seen anywhere else – the animals existing at these vents are almost all new to science," says the lead-researcher, whose work was recently published in the journal PLoS Biology.

Among the most remarkable species found near the vents were striking pale octopuses, yeti crabs, snails, and barnacles; absent were the tubeworms, vent crabs, mussels and shrimp commonly found near underwater vents in the Pacific.

Rogers added that the vents revealed much about how deep water communities have evolved, and how they are distributed across the world's oceans. "In the space of a single eight-week cruise, we've changed our level of understanding of these systems completely. We've changed our ideas about how vent systems are distributed and the factors that may influence that distribution. What that tells us is that our level of knowledge of the deep sea in general is extremely poor indeed."

Despite the fact that these new species were previously unknown to science, experts say that they and countless others still undiscovered may already be under threat. For as inhospitable and unreachable as these remote ecosystems might seem, they are under increasing threat from human activities -- like from deep-sea fishing and oil exploration moving ever closer to the most hard to reach places in search of petrol.

Discovering the presence of these exotic creatures in places that seem so unlikely for life, however, is the first step towards ensuring their survival.

Single Bluefin Tuna Sold For $736,000

2011-10-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: AP/Screen Grab

This has to be one of the most widespread cases of a type of meglomania I have ever seen - to think that one's eating enjoyment is so superior to all other considerations that it is their perogative to wipe out an entire species of mammals rather than stop eating them. Unbelievable!

The Bluefin Tuna is in the process of being fished to extinction: conservation scientists say that if current trends continue, stocks of the giant fish will almost certainly be depleted for good. Yet repeated efforts to get international bodies that regulate the trade of endangered species to take action have been blocked time and again. And this little news item offers a pretty good indicator of why:

Here's the Associated Press:

A bluefin tuna caught off northeastern Japan fetched a record price of about $736,000 on Thursday in an auction at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market.

The price for the 593-pound tuna translates to $1,238 per pound — also a record, said Yutaka Hasegawa, a Tsukiji market official ... Shimogawara pointed out that, if sold at cost, each piece of the sushi could cost as much as $96.

It's also worth remembering that the sale of a bluefin tuna in an auction this time last year, also broke a record for fetching the highest price at that time.

Apparently, buying the fish for such an exorbitant price – even for the rare and typically exorbitantly priced fish – was partly a marketing stunt orchestrated by Kiyoshi Kimura, the president of Kiyomura Co., which operates a major sushi chain.

Nonetheless, it reveals just how high market demand for the endangered species continues to be, and how the excitement generated by what equates to a lavish luxury good continues to trump conservation efforts worldwide.

Many of the news reports circulating the headline-grabbing news scarcely mention the dire straits the fish is in, and instead elect to bask in the glitzy glow of the high price tag it fetches. That the bluefin is capable of snagging such a huge price tag is of course the primary reason that conservationists have been unable to stop its decline – such efforts have been blocked by Japan, of course, where the fish is cherished in high-end sushi; but, also by European nations, where fishermen profit by selling the catch.

Cases like the bluefin are especially and pointedly depressing: We have here a case where an entire species will probably go extinct expressly to please the tastes of luxury consumers.

Indonesian Corals Grow With Help From an Electric Current

2011-10-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

All photos: YouTube screen grabs

Corals have a whole heap of problems to deal with -- pollution, marine debris, warming water due to climate change, overfishing of important species that keep reefs healthy and so on. But there's one human technology that is helping, rather than harming reefs in Indonesia that are on the brink of dying out.

Discovery News writes, "In the turquoise waters of Pemuteran off the north coast of Bali where the project was launched in 2000, a metal frame known as "the crab" is covered with huge corals in shimmering colors where hundreds of fish have made their homes."

That "crab" cage is electrified, and a small, harmless electrical current is helping to stimulate growth. In fact, corals can grow 2-6 times faster on these cages than on other natural surfaces.

Rani Morrow-Wuigk, a 60-year-old German-born Australian used technology created by German architect and marine scientist Wolf Hilbertz in this area to bring back the corals.

Hilbertz had sought to "grow" construction materials in the sea, and had done so by submerging a metallic structure and connecting it to an electric current with a weak and thus harmless voltage. The ensuing electrolysis had provoked a build-up of limestone, in a kind of spontaneous building work. When he tested out his invention in Louisiana in the United States, Hilbertz saw that after a few months oysters progressively covered the whole structure, and colonized the collected limestone. More experiments were carried out and the same phenomenon was confirmed for corals.

Called Biorock, the technology has some real potential. Rani set up 22 structures at first, which were successful enough that now around 60 cages are set up in Pemuteran bay. The structures seem to help the corals resist warming temperatures and other stressors that would otherwise wipe them out -- and staving off bleaching is one of the most important factors in keeping coral reefs alive.

Discovery News reports that the technology and the resulting bounce-back of the corals has helped bring in tourism and boost the fishing industry, so it is a winning technology for everyone.

Take a few minutes to watch the video of this reef. It's worth it.

Christmas Trees to be Recycled Into Fish Habitat

2011-10-28T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: US Forest Service

Recycling Christmas trees has usually meant taking them to a central location to be chipped. The resulting mulch is then used in local parks, beautification projects, and the like. However, a new use for old Christmas trees has been found.

Around the country, Christmas trees are recycled for an unlikely purpose: they make for good fish habitat.

From southern California to South Carolina, fish and wildlife agencies have been collecting Christmas trees with plans to use them in lakes and waterways to create protective habitats for small fish.

In Wyoming, the trees will be dropped through designated holes in the ice at Ocean Lake in late January.

In South Carolina, Christmas trees will be used in Lake Hartwell. “By recycling used Christmas trees in Hartwell Lake, we provide cover for fish and enhance nursery habitat for juvenile fish,” Jess Fleming, a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the Anderson Independent Mail. “The trees are also beneficial to aquatic insects, which are essential food for most fish species.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jeff Ross said that lakes contain woody habitats that rot away with time, and Christmas trees can help replenish those habitats.

Similar programs exist in Georgia, Montana, and other locations all around the country.

Christmas trees are also used to boost habitat for land animals, and for coastal wetland restoration projects.

Did You Know...

2011-10-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

People sing "Jingle Bells" at Christmas; but, the carol was actually written by James Pierpont in 1857 for a Thanksgiving program at a Boston Sunday school. He originally called it "One Horse Open Sleigh".

Christmas celebrations focus on good food; and, in the Middle Ages, the feasting involved ten courses that began in the middle of the afternoon and continued until midnight. Today, North Americans don't eat all day; but, they do consume 24 million turkeys and 112 million cans of cranberry sauce a year.

In the olden days, candles on Christmas trees looked beautiful, but, they could be dangerous. In 1895, American Ralph Morris got the idea to use electric lights instead.

People from different walks of life didn't mix much on the ocean liner, Titanic. For example, first-class passengers used the front part of the big ship's deck as their promenade area, while the second-class passengers used the rear deck.

Another Land Grab in Africa?

2011-10-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

Tree-planting in Mayange Village near Kigoma, Tanzania, where thousands of people would be displaced—some of them refugees from Burundi with over 40 years of established lives, according to the Oakland Institute. Photo courtesy: TreesForTheFuture/CC BY 1.0

The Oakland Institute — the think tank that revealed the connection this summer between Ivy League universities and land grabs in Africa — is now voicing concern about the support the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania is lending to a land deal in that country that would displace more than 160,000 people.

According to the Oakland Institute [PDF], the stated goal of the project is to commercially develop a site — which encompasses lands that have served as refugee resettlement areas since 1972 — for large-scale crop cultivation, beef, and poultry production, and biofuel production.

The institute adds, "Agrisol’s vision is to accomplish this through industrial-style agriculture employing biotechnology and other high-technology inputs to be supplied by AgriSol’s business partners, including Monsanto, Syngenta, and other powerful global industrial agribusiness conglomerates."

The key player locally is AgriSol Energy Tanzania, which is a partnership between Iowa-based Agrisol Energy, LLC and Tanzania-based Serengeti Advisers Limited. This month, the Oakland Institute released a brief highlighting eight myths about AgriSol.

Meanwhile Alfonso Lenhardt, the U.S. ambassador, recently defended AgriSol's activities in the Rukwa and Kigoma region using one of the very myths mentioned in that brief. According to the Daily News in Tanzania:

"Agrisol have not grabbed any land but were actually invited by the Prime Minister when he visited Iowa state two years ago and saw how American technology can produce sufficient food and energy from farms," Lenhardt argued as senior media stakeholders expressed concern over allegations of land grabbing by Agrisol in western Tanzanian regions.

Here's what the Oakland Institute has to say about food security and how AgriSol stands to benefit from the deal: "While claiming to benefit Tanzanians and contributing to the country’s food needs, AgriSol’s internal documents reveal its intent, which includes agrofuel production and export markets."

More specifically:

While pitching the project as in the best national interest of Tanzania, AgriSol’s Tanzanian cohorts fail to mention AgriSol’s demand for “Strategic Investor Status” to receive incentives including a waiver of duties on diesel, agricultural and industrial equipment and supplies; production of agrofuels, and request of the government to commit and provide a timetable for the construction of a rail link for Mishamo.

AgriSol will generate significant profits through the project. While it intends to invest $100 million over a 10 year period, if corn is cultivated on only 200,000 of the 325,000 hectares, net profits for the company could be $272 million a year, an amount which nearly equals the total budget of Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture. If they receive Strategic Investor Status it would include an exemption from corporate tax, currently 30 percent of this amount.

• AgriSol’s feasibility studies call for it to negotiate with the government for input subsidies, which for now are targeted for the smallholder Tanzanian farmers. If accepted by the government, such a demand will divert scarce public resources from smallholders to agribusiness.

Hen Adoption Drive Saves Thousands of Battery Hens

2011-10-25T02:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: © zigwamp

When I read this article, I had to reprint it in memory of a truly great pet that was killed by an unleashed neighbour's dog - Henny Penny.

While the holiday season, marked by festive family gatherings and belt-testingly bountiful meals, just might be the most joyful time of the year, for the millions of factory chickens who end up on our tables, the air is decidedly less merry. But amid the season's great fowl-feed has come a bit of good news for a fortunate two-thousand former battery hens in Coventry, England. Thanks to local chicken advocates and heaps of hen-loving residents, a sizable flock of birds once slated for the slaughterhouse now have real homes following the largest chicken adoption drives ever conducted in the UK.

On New Year's Day a new chicken-welfare law will begin to require farmers to provide more humane conditions for their battery hens -- by making modest upgrades to the size of their cages, along with providing nesting boxes and perches for them to rest on. For some farmers, complying with the new ordinance means they'd have to reduce the number of chickens they keep. But instead of sitting by and watching the birds be killed for the sake of the bottom-line, animal advocates in England's West Midlands County pushed to find the surplus hens new homes throughout the community.

With the help of the British Hens Welfare Trust and bird devotee Ian Farrar, two-thousand would-be chicken dinners were gifted a new lease on life as part of one of the largest re-homing efforts of its kind. From across the region, hundreds of locals volunteered to become caregivers to the formerly unloved battery chickens.

“These are the last hens and they’re going to die otherwise because any hens remaining after New Year’s Eve will have to be killed. The response has been amazing," Ian Farrar tells the Coventry Telegraph. “We always knew that people in the Midlands love their hens.”

This isn't the first time Farrar has gotten involved in such a chicken-friendly adoption program. In the last few years, he's helped find over 30 thousand unwanted hens new homes across the UK -- though this is recent effort, conducted in just the last few weeks of the year, is his biggest undertaking yet, thanks in part to an air-conditioned bus he's using to transport the birds from factory farms to loving homes.

“It’s the biggest hen re-homing event the country has ever seen. We’ve gone from hoping we could save a few hundred to having homes ready and waiting for all 2,200 girls the farmer has left, so not a single hen will be left behind. It’s really very heart-warming,” says Farrar.

Although for many this time of year might seem empty without a bird on the table, perhaps the true spirit of the season is better paired with a full heart and home rather than a full belly.

Via TreeHugger.com

McDonald's Closes All Restaurants in Bolivia

2011-10-24T02:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: © edkohler

I sponsor a small girl in Bolivia who's name is Yessica. Over my two years of sponsorship so far (I look forward to many more years), I have learned a great deal about the Bolivian people; and, have developed an immense respect for them. The child is so grateful for everything I send to her; and, responds promptly to thank me. I get so much lovely artwork from her and several communications a year. Apparently, this consideration for others part of being Bolivian. In the following story, Bolivia once again demonstrates that is an incredibly sensible country. No other country has managed to send McDonald's packing.

With over 31,000 restaurants serving 58 million people throughout the world every day, McDonald's pretty much wrote the book on how a corporation can conquer the world. But despite its global domination as a cheap and easy burger joint, the fast-food monolith proved no match against the people of Bolivia and its cultural standards of culinary decency. For 14 years, McDonald's attempted to court Bolivians into making a habit out of eating their processed menu items -- only to experience an overwhelming, nation-wide rejection. And as a result, for the first time ever, the cogs of McDonald's international burger-slinging machine have ground to a halt, forcing the company to close its doors in Bolivia in 2002. Bolivians, its seems, are happy enough without the Happy Meal -- but why?

As the Hispanically Speaking News reports, for well over a decade McDonald's, with eight locations in the South American nation of 10 million people, worked to win over the Bolivian public with its Big Macs and McNuggets, but consistently found itself losing money. So, in light of the loss of revenue, McDonald's Corporation made an unprecedented announcement: that it would close its restaurants in Bolivia -- making it the only country in the Americas without a McDonald's.

But what makes Bolivia different from nearly every other country in its apparent distaste for McDonald's fare? A group of filmmakers have attempted to answer that question in the documentary Why did McDonald’s Bolivia go Bankrupt? (in Spanish). According to a review from Hispanically Speaking News (in English), the McDonald's failure in Bolivia lies in the very marketing strategy that made it so popular elsewhere:

The documentary includes interviews with cooks, sociologists, nutritionists and educators who all seem to agree, Bolivians are not against hamburgers per sé, just against ‘fast food,’ a concept widely unaccepted in the Bolivian community.

Fast-food represents the complete opposite of what Bolivians consider a meal should be. To be a good meal, food has to have be prepared with love, dedication, certain hygiene standards and proper cook time.

One might be hard-pressed to find consumers even outside of Bolivia who wouldn't agree with that definition of 'a good meal', yet none have expressed it so profoundly by simply choosing not to eat at McDonalds. There may be something a bit snarky about celebrating a corporate failure, even if it hardly dents the fast-food giant's bottom line, but it's difficult not to judge Bolivia better off for having rejected a restaurant so often associated with a menu of dubious nutritional value and less than eco-friendly business practices.

Perhaps if we all valued our meals as much as Bolivians, McDonald's corporate health would suffer at a rate inverse to improvements in our physical health and the health of our planet, which is already so full of people too removed from the food they put inside them.

Whale Rescued 10 Years Ago is Seen Alive Again

2011-10-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: Photo: Katya Kroch / IBJ via TreeHugger.com

All too often, I find myself blogging about environmental issues that carry a great deal of worry and stress surrounding them. Finally, an uplifting issue that should lighten any "earth muffin's" mind. I know it inspires me to keep fighting in my tiny little corner of the world.

One morning in November 2000, a large humpback whale was found stranded on a beach near Ubatuba, Brazil, clinging to life in the crashing surf. It didn't take long before a team was assembled of nearly one hundred fishermen, firefighters, biologists, and locals who began working tirelessly to return the struggling animal back to sea -- and after twelve long hours, they were successful. Still, as that whale slipped beneath the waves and out of sight, those volunteers could only hope their efforts were not in vain, knowing full well that the whale's chances of survival were slim. But now, after ten years of guessing, rescuers are finally sure the whale is alive and well -- because they've seen it.Sadly, beached whales have become an all too common sight in Brazil; this year alone, 95 animals have been discovered, only one of which was returned to the sea alive. For the rescuers who inevitably arrive to give beached whales a fighting chance, the work is daunting and the outcomes uncertain at best -- but for the first time ever, it has been discovered that their efforts can pay off.

The beached humpback whale in 2000, before being rescued. (Photo: Hugo Gallo/Aquário de Ubatuba)via TreeHugger.com

In 2008, biologists doing researcher in the waters off Brazil spotted a large, healthy-looking humpback whale with coloring that was startlingly similar to the one they'd rescued from the beach eight years earlier. To confirm this unlikely reunion, skin samples were collected and compared to those taken from the stranded animal in 2000. Now, after genetic analysis, it has finally been confirmed to be the same whale.

Never before has a rescued whale been re-encountered after so long at sea -- and the news is giving hope to those who continue to devote their time to saving beached whales.

"The confirmation of the survival of this animal for a least eight years after its stranding shows that, despite the low chances of survival, it is worth every effort to save the whales," veterinarian Milton Marcondes told Brazilian media.

The odds that a whale will survive after beaching, however, are still quite slim. Of the hundreds of whales that have become stranded over the years, only three large humpbacks were returned to the ocean alive -- and even then, it isn't known whether they survive for long or not.

In the past, some have questioned if efforts to save beached whales were worth the trouble, believing that the animals were sick or injured and would likely die in either case. But for the biologists and volunteers who struggle in the surf to rescue those majestic creatures in desperate need of a helping hand, the slightest chance of success is always worth their sweat, and often, tears.

And with a fleeting glimpse of one such rescued whale, swimming alive and free against the current and against the odds -- they can carry on knowing that they do not toil in vain.

Brazilian Oil Spills Remains Unchecked

2011-10-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: © Skytruth

Things just keep getting worse for Chevron. First, a deepwater drilling mishap off the coast of Brazil last month caused thousands of barrels of oil to spill into the Atlantic, which only after some dodging did Chevron take responsibility for, followed by Brazil's petroleum agency deciding to suspend the company's drilling rights altogether. And then there are the fines which could end up costing Chevron close to $100 million. But lo, it gets worst yet. Today, the oil giant admitted that the situation is far from resolved as many had assumed. That's right, the leak continues, and Chevron's not sure when it can be stopped.

Weeks after the spill began, loosing an estimated 110,000 gallons in the waters 230 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Chevron moved to plug it with cement. Still, several hundreds of gallons continued to trickle up from the sea floor.

And now, nearly a month after their initial fix was put in place, Chevron Brazil's environmental supervisor Luiz Alberto Pimenta Borges told leaders that oil is still leaking, and that his company isn't sure quite how or when it can be capped.

"The amount of oil is becoming gradually smaller," Borges said at a hearing today. "We expect to have total control of the matter some time in the future. I cannot tell when because we are still evaluating the amount of oil to know how exactly it reached the surface."

This ongoing spill is Brazil's worst in recent memory, though many fear that it will hardly be the last. Allowing companies like Chevron rights to drill in the region's oil-rich Frade field was just one element of the nation's ambitious energy ambitions directed at becoming one of the world's leading exporters of petroleum over the course of the next decade. The latest incident serves as a unwelcome reminder of the dangers of offshore drilling; evidence of just how easily things can go wrong, and just how difficult they can be to right.

USDA Approves Genetically-Modified Corn

2011-10-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: Lana_aka_BADGRL/CC BY 2.0

Follow the money. If you want to find the evil, follow the money. Another genetically-modified crop has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. The potentially organ-damaging corn is being brought to you by the fine folks at Monsanto who stop at nothing to keep the money rolling in.

Just in time for the New Year, the USDA has approved MON 87460, drought resistant corn. Approval discussions began last May upon fears that droughts could cripple the U.S. crop in a country where 40 percent of crop loss insurance is collected as a result of moderate to major drought.

Monsanto sees a high demand looming and dollar signs as a result, especially considering that corn growing regions lose 15 percent of their crops worldwide each year due to drought. Monsanto will begin crop trials in the Great Plains region of the U.S.

But tests have found Monsanto’s new genetically modified breed ineffective at its intended purpose. In fact, the USDA found that the crop didn’t perform well according to an article in The New York Times, which said that "[t]he reduced yield [trait] does not exceed the natural variation observed in regionally-adapted varieties of conventional corn."

But it’s not just an ineffective crop that creates a problem. It’s that the USDA is missing the ball entirely by deregulating another GM seed variety. Rather than continuing to approve monoculture crops for large scale production, we need to head back to our roots. The only way that farmers can adapt to drought conditions, which could occur more frequently as global warming looms, is by moving away from monoculture crops entirely. Just as you vary your investment portfolio, the same holds true for farming. Farmers are gambling on one or a few crops to remain intact even as our climate begins to change.

Depending on seeds of one or a few seed companies to feed the world is bad business and what’s more, these drought resistant seeds take farming out of the hands of the farmer entirely. Farmers can't even replant them because the seeds are patented. What happened to the intricacies of farming a wide variety of food crops?

Not to mention that this drought resistant corn has not been tested on humans. And while the crops are not entirely the same, other forms of GM corn have been shown to cause organ damage in mice.

This quick move toward deregulation isn’t just bad for our farming system, it’s also unclear what the health repercussions will be. And currently, the USDA has no standard for labeling GM crops, so you likely don’t even know when you’re eating them.