Moving from sustainable to regenerative farming
For those still catching up with sustainable farming, a new trend is on the horizon. The idea of regenerative agriculture has captured the imagination of many organizations that seek to grow food along with progressively improving ecosystems and not degrading them.
Regenerative agriculture takes a cue from nature itself, relying on practices like agroforestry and well-managed grazing, to nourish soil and build healthy agro-ecosystems, notes Green Biz.
http://blouinnews.com/95094/story/moving-sustainable-regenerative-farming
Global Warming Grows Less Nutritious Rice
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/global-warming-grows-less-nutritious-rice/
Development transforms US rural landscape, pricing out farmers
Between 1992 and 2012, more than 31 million acres of farmland were lost in the United States. The rural landscape continues to be radically altered as farms are split or sold as real estate.
Favianna Rodriguez says climate change imagery lacks a human touch
https://grist.org/article/favianna-rodriguez-says-climate-change-imagery-lacks-a-human-touch/
CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE HITS RECORD HIGH MONTHLY AVERAGE
Dear Trump: The Hugest Solar Plant in the New World is in Mexico, not the US
https://www.juancole.com/2018/05/trump-hugest-mexico.html
Renewables, US Keeps Offering Exclusive Tax Breaks for Fossil Fuels
https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/05/06/us-tax-breaks-shale-oil-gas-master-limited-partnerships
Why is Govt subsidising agricultural pollution?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1805/S00242/why-is-govt-subsidising-agricultural-pollution.htm
11 Turbines Successfully Installed at Wind Farm Trump Tried to Block
The world’s most powerful wind turbines have been successfully installed at the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) off Aberdeen Bay in Scotland’s North Sea.
https://www.ecowatch.com/wind-turbines-scotland-trump-2573562151.html
David Suzuki: Cutting through polluted public discourse
And change is absolutely necessary to overcome serious challenges like global warming,
biodiversity loss, population growth, pollution and outdated economic systems
https://davidsuzuki.org/story/cutting-through-polluted-public-discourse/
Solar Powered Sea Slugs Shed Light on Search for Perpetual Green Energy
Near-shore animal becomes plant-like after pilfering tiny solar panels and storing them in its gut
Regenerative Poultry Power – The Main Street Project
http://www.yorknewstimes.com/editorial/seeds/article_6321cc1a-6342-11e8-bf41-37fcef015127.html
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appears to be in a state of massive upheaval following the departure of several aides and new allegations against the agency’s embattled administrator, Scott Pruitt.
Four officials at the agency have stepped down in the past week, an exodus that has deprived Pruitt of some of his closest aides.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/386281-upheaval-at-pruitts-epa-as-departures-mount
Glyphosate shown to disrupt microbiome ‘at safe levels’, study claims
Study on rats said to show that the chemical, found in Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller, poses ‘a significant public health concern’
The study’s three peer-reviewed papers will be published in Environmental Health later in May, ahead of a €5m follow-up study that will compare the safe level against multiple other doses.
Landmark lawsuit claims Monsanto hid cancer danger of weedkiller for decades
In June, a California groundskeeper will make history by taking company to trial on claims it suppressed harm of Roundup
Why are our farmers committing suicide?
The CDC data suggested that the suicide rate for agriculture workers in 17 states is nearly 500 percent greater than the general population.
https://metrofarm.com/michael-olson/farmer-suicide/
Why Max Burgers Remains One Step Ahead in the Fight Against Climate Change
Farm groups launch voluntary ‘Farmers for Monarchs’ effort
To Upend Failed Paradigm, Hundreds of Experts Converge in EU to Forge Blueprint for Sustainable Food System
“We need a fundamental transition to sustainable food and farming systems,” says Olivier De Schutter
Nasa full of ‘fear and anxiety’ since Trump took office, ex-employee says
Those still at the agency fear climate science funding will be cut since it is now considered a ‘sensitive subject’
SUDDENLY, SOLAR ENERGY PLUS STORAGE IS GIVING CONVENTIONAL FUELS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
The increasingly competitive dynamic duo of solar photovoltaic plus battery storage is taking energy markets by storm
https://ensia.com/features/solar-plus-storage/
‘Did climate change kill … people in Ellicott City?’ |
PARIS IS BUILDING THE ECO-COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE RIGHT NOW. HERE’S HOW.
The Clichy-Batignolles eco-district aims to set a new standard in sustainable urban design.
https://ensia.com/articles/paris-is-building-the-eco-community-of-the-future-right-now-heres-how/
South Africa needs to reverse corporate capture of agricultural policy
http://menafn.com/1096916460/South-Africa-needs-to-reverse-corporate-capture-of-agricultural-policy
China’s Green Shift Positions It to Overtake U.S. in Energy, Security
New Oceans Study Could Alter Climate Predictions
https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans-climate-change-surfactants-2573262579.html
EU Moves to Ban 10 Most Harmful Single-Use Plastics
Suez waste company calls for ‘pay-as-you-throw’ to help recycling
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-44271646
Just 10 River Systems Contribute Up to 95 Percent of Plastic in Oceans
Tesco announcement of removal of hard to recycle plastics is the way forward
Opioids Found in Seattle Mussels Could Put Salmon, Other Fish at Risk
https://www.ecowatch.com/opioids-seattle-marine-life-2573300534.html
Climate Change Threatens Kelp Forests With Invasions of Weeds
The devastating consequences climate change is already having on coral reefs is well known, but now scientists have discovered that yet another unique marine ecosystem is threatened by rising carbon dioxide levels.
A paper published in Ecology this month based on research led by the University of Adelaide found that ocean carbon dioxide levels projected for the end of this century would cause weeds to grow and displace ecologically important kelp forests.
https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-kelp-forests-2565901470.html
and
The duality of ocean acidification as a resource and a stressor
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.2209
Trump’s USDA Proposes Deceptively Cute Images for GMO Labels, But Nixes the Words ‘Genetically Modified’
“The images are just as insulting to consumers as the law, which the chemical and junk food industry lobbyists spent $400 million to pass,” says Katherine Paul of the Organic Consumers Association
Ben & Jerry’s Piloting Platform Connecting Consumers to Their Carbon Footprint
More variable climate means a less just world
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/24161-2/
California Will Require Solar Power for New Homes
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/09/business/energy-environment/california-solar-power.html
Turbulent California weather in prospect
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/24152-2/
Why the offshore wind industry is about to take off – 8 U.S. states have federally approved plans to build offshore wind farms. It is anticipated that the farms will generate 600,000 jobs by 2050.
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-offshore-wind-industry-is-about-to-take-off-2018-5/?r=AU&IR=T
Agroecology is Advancing Around the Globe.
Will the U.S. Take Part?
With its strong focus on social change for small farmers, agroecology is going mainstream worldwide, but the American food movement has yet to catch up.
https://civileats.com/2018/04/24/agroecology-is-advancing-around-the-globe-will-the-us-take-part/
Zero-Waste Stores Ask Shoppers to Bring Their Own Everything
As record amounts of plastic waste pollutes the planet, some grocers are helping shoppers do without.
https://civileats.com/2018/05/09/zero-waste-stores-ask-shoppers-to-bring-their-own-everything/
These Farmers Switched to Organic After Pesticides Made Their Families Sick
After seeing parents fall ill from cancer or die, many farmers are switching to organics to protect themselves and their children.
Pruitt’s EPA Defending Monsanto’s Glyphosate Herbicides
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jennifer-sass/pruitts-epa-defending-monsantos-glyphosate-herbicides
IN SEARCH OF SAFE REPLACEMENTS FOR HARMFUL CHEMICALS USED IN COOKWARE, CARPETS, CLOTHING, COSMETICS AND MORE
After ditching two notoriously toxic compounds, manufacturers subbed in other versions of their chemical class. But are they any better?
Pollen Explosion Video Goes Viral as Climate Change Lengthens Allergy Season
A video posted to Facebook on Monday, in which a tree tapped by a frontloader releases a massive cloud of pollen, has gone viral, resonating with viewers in what experts say is an especially bad allergy season, partly because of climate change.
https://www.ecowatch.com/pollen-video-allergies-climate-change-2567932422.html
Hurricane season may be even worse in 2018 after a harrowing 2017
The initial forecasts of an above-average season for hurricanes, beginning on 1 June, follow a punishing spate of storms last year
First ‘Plastic Free Trustmark’ Launched
Trust Mark-accredited packaging will include materials such as carton board, wood pulp, glass, metal and certified-compostable biomaterials. A Plastic …
https://packagingeurope.com/first-plastic-free-trustmark-launched/
Plastics Explained, From A to Z
National Geographic
There is no widely accepted standard for labeling a product “biodegradable,” meaning that there is no clear way to define what it means, and …
What are microplastics? What about a garbage patch? This glossary helps demystify plastic pollution.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/plastics-explained/
How weakened US fossil fuel regulations threaten environmental justice in Colorado
We Depend on Plastic. Now We’re Drowning in It.
If plastic had been invented when the Pilgrims sailed from Plymouth, England, to North America—and the Mayflower had been stocked with bottled water and plastic-wrapped snacks—their plastic trash would likely still be around, four centuries later.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/
Record heat means hurricanes gain ferocity faster
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/record-heat-means-hurricanes-gain-ferocity-faster/
Carbon markets back from the brink of collapse, says World Bank
Development of major new markets in China and reforms in Europe have provided
a crucial boost as countries look at tools to cut carbon and meet their Paris climate targets
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ARE LARGELY WHITE. HERE’S WHAT SOME ARE — AND SOME AREN’T — DOING ABOUT IT.
Talk of increasing diversity has not turned into widespread action, but some organizations are working to change that.
https://ensia.com/features/diversity/
2018 SHOPPER’S GUIDE TO PESTICIDES IN PRODUCE™
AND
What All Parents Need to Know About Pesticides in Produce
https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticides-chilrens-health-2569945511.html
FROM AUSTRALIA TO EL SALVADOR TO VIETNAM, THE ENVIRONMENT IS FINALLY GETTING ITS DAY IN COURT
Specialized environmental courts are now operating on every continent except Antarctica. What’s behind the boom?
https://ensia.com/features/environment-finally-getting-day-court/
Only 1% of Japan’s Largest Reef Still Healthy After Historic Bleaching Catastrophe
https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-coral-reef-bleaching-2570800547.html
WHAT WILL WE DO WITH ALL THOSE SOLAR PANELS WHEN THEIR USEFUL LIFE IS OVER?
As solar power booms, businesses are exploring ways to ensure valuable components don’t end up in landfills.
https://ensia.com/features/solar-recycling/
Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83% of wild mammals – study
Groundbreaking assessment of all life on Earth reveals humanity’s surprisingly tiny part in it as well as our disproportionate impact
A Climate Solution We Cannot Afford to Ignore: Biomass Sourced From Naturally Managed Working Forests
Marion Nestle Looks Back at 30 years of Agitating for Better Food
The influential NYU professor reflects on how food and nutrition have changed over the past three decades and what all eaters are up against going forward.
https://civileats.com/2018/05/31/marion-nestle-looks-back-at-30-years-of-agitating-for-better-food/
The New Food Label You’re Going To Want On Your Radar:
Regenerative Organic
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/regenerative-agriculture-label
WPO RELEASES A POSITION PAPER ABOUT PACKAGING IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
https://packagingeurope.com/wpo-releases-a-position-paper-about-packaging-circular-economy/
How we can make beef less terrible for the environment