 |
|||
 |
" I heard it |
||
March 22, 2011
· So far, risk low from radiation in Japan food
· EU court deals blow to anti-GM crop lobby
· Solar greenhouses vital to China veg supply
· Firm takes greenhouse veggies to new heights
· African beetle latest threat to honeybees
So far, risk low from radiation in Japan
(AP
via SFGate.com) Radiation-tainted spinach from
With some fallout found in an increasing number of foods, Japan's government is taking steps to stop contaminated products from reaching consumers and the U.S. and other countries are double-checking imports.
The Chernobyl disaster made clear that radiation from food can be a real risk: Thousands of cases of thyroid cancer after the 1986 reactor explosion there are blamed on the Soviet Union's failure to stop children in the region from drinking milk contaminated with radioactive iodine children who also weren't given a thyroid-protecting drug, potassium iodide.
Still, international scientists say risk from food in
Besides, there was radiation in food well before
"The world is covered in cesium-137 from the atomic
weapons tests of the `50s and `60s," says nuclear physicist Patrick Regan
of the
"There is radioactivity in all food. It's really a
matter of saying how much," agrees
Q: What's the danger?
A: Radioactive iodine, from food or the air, can build up in the thyroid, leading to thyroid cancer years later. Young children and pregnant women are at greatest risk. Thyroid cancer is one of the least fatal cancers if treated promptly.
Radioactive cesium can build up throughout the body, is harder to eliminate and high levels are thought to be a risk for various other cancers.
But it takes quite high exposure to harm, says Mettler: In contaminated villages around
Q: In what foods in
A: Iodine has been found mostly in milk and spinach, but also in chrysanthemum greens, leeks and a few other foods. Cesium also has been found in some vegetables. Levels found so far range from trace amounts to milk with iodine levels five times the acceptable limit, and in spinach, iodine levels 27 times the ceiling. Officials soon will test seafood.
Q: If you ate that, what would it mean?
A: You'd have to eat 2 pounds of the most contaminated spinach to absorb about as much radiation as you'd get from a CT scan of the head, says Dr. Clifford Chao, radiologist-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
People who drank milk with the highest measured levels of iodine for two weeks would absorb less than a year's worth of natural background radiation, according to a report from British environmental radiation group, Mike Thorne and Associates Ltd. But infants would absorb more than adults.
Q: What about breastfeeding?
A: Radioactive iodine could be in breast milk if nursing
mothers in
Q: What's being done to make sure contaminated foods don't
reach consumers outside of
A:
"There is no risk to the
Foods from
Q: How does radiation get into food anyway?
A: Fallout can land on crops in fields and wash into the soil to be soaked through the roots. Livestock can eat contaminated animal feed. It's possible seafood could be affected from contaminated water, although in the ocean "dilution would be huge," Mettler says.
Q: What about canned or other foods stored before the earthquake can residents eat that?
A: The WHO says radioactivity cannot contaminate sealed packaged foods, and that cropland can be covered with tarps and livestock brought into barns and fed clean feed.
Q: How long will radiation be a food threat?
A: Radioactive iodine decays quickly, with a half-life of eight days, meaning the length of time it takes for half of it to break down harmlessly. "In a couple of months, the iodine is a non-issue," says Mettler.
Cesium, however, can stay in soil for 30 years. But animals intended for slaughter can be given clean feed for a few months until cesium in their bodies drops to safe limits, he says. Also, the radiation stays only in the top inches of soil so deep plowing can make a field safe to use.
Q: Wait a minute, the
A: No radioactivity is left in irradiated foods because the energy used, from such sources as X-rays and electron beams, is too low. The FDA, World Health Organization and other authorities have repeatedly found the process to be safe.
EU court deals blow to anti-GM crop lobby
Advocate-general Paolo Mengozzi's
opinion represents a major blow to
"The French authorities could not suspend the cultivation of genetically-modified maize MON 810 on national territory without having first asked the European Commission to adopt emergency measures citing a risk to health and the environment," Mengozzi said.
Judges are not bound by the legal opinion, but in the vast majority of cases the legal argument holds firm.
The advocate-general also said
The MON 810 strain, which the court said is "particularly resistant to parasites and used as animal feed," was first authorised in 1998.
In 2007, Monsanto applied for re-authorisation,
valid for 10 years, but
The safeguard clause, however, may not be invoked by states on their own, and besides, in this instance, the company was not informed of the legal basis for its exclusion from the French market -- which the court also said was the wrong legal basis.
It should have been based on law covering raw material foodstuffs and genetically-modified animal feed, and only the European Commission can make that call, the court said, because only Europe-wide action could act sufficiently to protect health and the environment.
Solar greenhouses vital to China
(Times
of India)
Solar greenhouses have played a vital role in
In the recently published report Chinese scientists called
solar greenhouses "the most important type of infrastructures for growing
horticultural crops in
The team of researchers from the
Single-slope solar greenhouses are built facing south using support and insulation walls on the north, east, and west sides. A short roof is installed on top of the north wall. The south side is supported by metal or bamboo frames (or a mixture of both materials), and is covered with plastic film and an insulating blanket. These energy-efficient greenhouses use solar energy as the only source of light and heat for winter crop production in the region between latitudes 32°N and 43°N for production of warm season crops such as tomato and cucumber.
As in other parts of the world, the feasibility of using
solar greenhouses in
The researchers noted that while solar greenhouses have many advantages-energy savings, reduced pollution, and improved economic development-the structures also have distinct disadvantages due to their heavy reliance on the sun and weather conditions. Especially during winter, less solar radiation and low temperatures can have a significant negative impact on warm-season vegetable productivity of the greenhouses, and addressing these issues can be challenging.
"Innovation and optimization of the greenhouse structure needs to continue. More work needs to be done on gutter-connected, double-arched, and semi-underground greenhouses. New wall insulation materials need to be developed to reduce the thickness of the wall while improving its insulation efficiency and expanding space utilization, said Zhen-Xian Zhang, lead author of the study.
The study also recommended that breeding new varieties of horticultural crops that can adapt to low light and winter temperatures in solar greenhouses would provide another strategy to ensure sustainable development of the greenhouse industry.
"The solar greenhouse has a very bright future, especially given the amount of concern over the global energy crisis and climate change. Additionally, significant energy savings can be realized from switching to solar greenhouses. We hope this technology can be applied to regions of similar climate to help reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions", Zhang said.
Firm takes greenhouse veggies to new heights
(fastcompany.com)
We are in the midst of a global food crisis, with the price of food
skyrocketing globally over the last year. As the cost of corn has jumped 87%
and wheat 74%, tens of millions of people are finding it harder than ever to
feed their families, with the rising price of food even helping to trigger the
wave of social unrest sweeping the
The causes of our rising food prices are many. Bad weather in key growing regions around the world has lead to short supplies. The steady growth of the world's population to reach seven billion this year has stretched the world's agricultural production capacity to the limit. "At the most basic level, the crisis is a test of mankind's ability to feed itself," wrote BusinessWeek (February 21, 2011).
Even in the
Home Town Farms vertical organic urban farming is the solution to both bad food and high prices. They are introducing vertical farming in greenhouses that will be located in cities and suburbs on unused land, empty lots or even roof tops, growing vegetables and berries vertically to produce six to eight times the productivity as conventional agricultural. By using greenhouses and combining organic farming with vertical growing methods, they drastically reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides, reduce fertilizer use by 80%, and also save 85% of the water. By growing and selling local food in urban and city areas, where it will be used without shipping it thousands of miles, they avoid the need for long distance food distribution, reducing fuel use and fuel costs by as much as 90%. Overall, Gibbs estimates that food produced by Home Town Farms will be half the cost of it takes to traditional farmers and the current distribution system to grow and ship the produce from the farm to the city. Plus at the same time create good green jobs and help the planet.
"We will build these farms in the center of each
community with direct sales to the people," said Dan Gibbs, co-founder of
Home Town Farms. "The bottom line is we can offer fresh, locally grown
vine ripened organic vegetables and berries at conventional non-organic prices.
This will allow every family in
Another benefit of the approach being developed by Home Town Farms is that the food they produce is not only affordable, but higher quality because it is picked fresh and sold locally. Conventionally grown produce is often picked weeks early and shipped thousands of miles to reach consumers, reducing its nutritional value and quality. The vegetables and berries from Home Town Farms will be bursting with flavor and nutrients, while still being affordable, providing a healthier alternative for budget-minded consumers looking for a change.
"Freshly picked vine ripened vegetables and berries can help provide optimal health to individuals," said Steven A. Brody M.D., Ph.D, a nutrition expert. "The phytonutrients in these foods constitute powerful substances to fight cancer and heart disease. Fresh vine ripened vegetables have the highest potency of these healthy micronutrients. Consequently, I would encourage the consumption of vine ripened produce for anyone interested in good health and well-being."
As the price of food rises, the Home Town Farms approach provides a hedge against future price increases since food is grown locally and sold directly to consumers rather than being sold on the global commodity market and has much lower need for outside resources like fuel. Their approach will also boost food security in the neighborhoods where it is adopted, ensuring a steady food supply in the event of shortages or disruptions of the food distribution network.
All of the pieces are there for Gibbs and Home Town Farms as they put them all together to make this innovative approach to food production a reality. As the world's production capacity is strained, we will need more innovative solutions like Home Town Farms that can provide the growing population with high quality and low cost food for many years to come. To get involved, get in touch with Gibbs and see how you can help.
If you want to find out more about Home Town Farms or commercial vertical organic urban farming go to www.hometownfarms.com.
Glenn Croston is the author of "75 Green Businesses"
and "Starting Green", helping business to start green and grow green
at www.startingupgreen.com.
African beetle latest threat to honeybees
(The
Windsor Star) WINDSOR, Ont. -- Honeybees in
Its something were taking very seriously, provincial
apiarist Paul Kozak said Tuesday of the beetle which
is native to sub-Saharan
The small hive beetle was found in
Beekeepers can easily spot this and remove the honey. There is no health risk to the honey-eating public, Kozak said.
Kozak said its not clear what the
impact on the honey production and pollination industry in
The quarantine was established Monday to slow the spread of
the beetle into the rest of
The beetle, which can fly, likely came from across the border.
Beekeepers are already dealing with two mites that can hurt honey bee
End Transmission