GMO'S (GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS) IN WILDLIFE REFUGES: THE ULTIMATE - DEADLY -OXIMORON!

Ban Sought on Gene-Altered Crops on Federal Land

by Chuck Bartels
Published on Friday, August 12, 2011 by the Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Three environmental groups filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to stop the planting of genetically-modified crops on 44,000 acres of federal land in the South, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the corn, milo and rice provide food for migrating birds along critical flyways.
The Center for Food Safety and two other groups argue that the Fish and Wildlife Service did not follow proper procedures in permitting farmers to grow on the public lands in a program that began 14 years ago. Their suit seeks an injunction that would agree that Fish and Wildlife violated rules and would order a halt to the planting.
The groups pursued two similar lawsuits in Delaware, which blocked planting of genetically-engineered crops in two wildlife refuges and, ultimately, resulted in the Fish and Wildlife Service ending the practice in its 12-state northeast region.
"Our general larger point is that the use of these crops ... promotes weeds that grow everywhere and promotes growth of different feeds that wildlife would not normally be eating," said attorney Kathryn Douglass of the Washington, D.C.-based Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, one of the groups suing.
"That is actually harmful ... changing the diet of animals that have traditionally relied on the endemic flora and fauna in the area," Douglass said.
Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tom MacKenzie disputed allegations in the lawsuit that the agency didn't adequately assess the environmental impact or allow sufficient public comment on the program. He also said the program uses carefully selected land along waterways where waterfowl and other birds migrate.
"Any farming operation is solely for the benefit of wildlife," MacKenzie said.
The federal agency allows genetically-modified crops to be planted on its lands in eight states in the South: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Altogether, the agency manages 4 million acres in the 10-state region.
A total of 23 refuges are included in the agency's planting program, with two others being considered. All 25 are listed in the lawsuit.
Arkansas has the greatest number of refuges targeted in the suit — six — and they're all in the eastern part of the state, where both farming and duck hunting are key elements of the economy.
Growers harvest about 75 percent of what they plant, leaving 25 percent on the ground for the birds to eat.
"Our farming programs use the same commercial seed stock used by farmers across America," MacKenzie said.
That usually includes seed that has been modified to resist the herbicide glyphosate, which is marketed by Monsanto Co. as Roundup.
MacKenzie said the planted acres include buffer zones, require crop rotation and other checks "to facilitate safe, consistent and sustainable" food sources for migrating waterfowl and other birds.
Douglass said genetically-engineered crops "are the last thing that should be introduced onto a national wildlife refuge." She said that if the groups are successful in ending those plantings, they may then turn their attention to ending all crop development on wildlife refuge land.
MacKenzie said using traditional seed would lead to a greater need to spray herbicides, something the genetically-altered grains don't require.
The third group suing is Washington, D.C.-based Beyond Pesticides.

© 2011 Associated Press

NEW FARMERS MARKETS GROWTH BRINGS - HEARTY JOB GROWTH!

Farmer's Markets Spur Job Growth, New Report Finds

As the economy limps along, farmer's markets are showing record growth, and that growth could bring thousands of jobs with it.

by Leah Zerbe
Published on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 by Rodale

The little economic engine that could: Farmer's markets spur local development and job growth. a dismal week for the U.S. economy featuring debt-ceiling drama in Washington and the threat of a double-dip recession on Wall Street, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delivered some powerhouse statistics demonstrating the public's demand for healthy, organic food: The number of farmers markets in the country increased 17 percent in the last year. "There's a yearning for the 99 percent of Americans who are no longer connected to the farm to reconnect," Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary of the USDA, said

The timing is perfect — this week marks National Farmers Market Week — and comes on the heels of a new report finding that farmers markets could generate thousands of jobs in the U.S.

 

The details

The 2011 USDA Farmer's Market Directory lists 7,175 farmers markets, and Merrigan says the number is probably even higher because some markets don't self-report. The states with the most markets include California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Massachusetts. And, though not on the top 10 list, Alaskan farmers markets increased 46 percent over last year, and Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico were each up 38 percent. As an indication that shoppers are indeed searching for more local, organic food, Merrigan said more than 2 million people have searched the USDA Farmer's Market Directory so far in 2011.

 

"Farmers markets are just growing exponentially," said Merrigan, who highlighted farmers market innovations, particularly those that bring healthy produce to low-income areas. One such advancement is the increase in farmers markets allowing electronic benefit transfers (EBT), so people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, can purchase fresh, healthy food at farmers markets. Many of these markets are moving into food deserts, areas without grocery stores that sell fresh produce and where the few stores that do sell fresh vegetables are bodegas and corner stores with a high mark-up. (Note: Many of the USDA programs that help boost farmers markets numbers and bring healthy food to people could be on the chopping block in the 2012 Farm Bill.)

 

Along with the USDA's new statistics, the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released an report finding that farmers markets could be a much-needed antidote to high unemployment. Their economic analysis found that even modest public support for up to 500 farmers markets annually would create up to 13,500 jobs in a five-year window, bolstering local and regional food systems. "On the whole, farmers markets have seen exceptional growth, providing local communities with fresh food direct from the farm," says Jeffrey O'Hara, the author of the report and an economist with UCS's Food and Environment Program. "But our federal food policies are working against them." He adds that tens of thousands more new jobs could be created if the government would just divert a small fraction of the subsidies that are currently doled out to industrial farms to farmers markets.

 

What it means

Since the majority of farm subsidies go to industrial farming — USDA dished out nearly $13 billion for commodity-crop insurance and supplemental disaster assistance — the farmers market phenomenon has come about with relatively little government assistance. The irony here is that the U.S. is subsidizing a farming system that ultimately makes us sick and contributes to taxpayer-funded problems like obesity, flooding and hard-to-treat superbug infections linked to factory farming, all of which increase government spending even more.

 

Despite a grossly unlevel playing field, the number of farmers markets nationwide more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, and the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that now more than 100,000 farms sell food directly to local consumers. As the group's recent report found, those farms need workers and people to help get their food to consumers.

 

So what is it about farmers markets? Why are people swarming to them? Merrigan believes it's the combination of a few things:

 

1. The desire to reconnect with farms.

2. The availability of fresh and unusual and heirloom products. (Merrigan referenced the delicious ugli heirloom tomato, one that doesn't ship well cross-country, so you won't likely find it in a grocery store.)

3. People's interest in community. Farmers markets aren't just about food, but also meeting your farmer, listening to local musicians and creating new relationships.

 

For farmers market tips and to find the market right for you, use these resources:

 

•    How to find true organic food at the farmers market

•    6 ways to make the most of your farmers market

•    Farmers market innovations make healthy food an easy option

 

© 2011 Rodale

WHAT'S IN A NAME...ER....LABEL??

Here’s a food label people can understand at a glance

by Jess Zimmerman

3 Aug 2011 10:41 AM

Designer Renee Walker's food labels, which just won the Rethink the Food Label contest, are elegantly simple. They're dominated by a color-coded box that shows the breakdown of ingredients, including unappetizing shades of gray for additives and preservatives. So in one glance you can tell, say, which of these peanut butters has added filler and which one is mostly ground-up nuts. 

Unlike most of the proposed labels, Walker's design doesn't moralize with a big red X on foods the designer thinks are bad, or a picture of what the designer guesses you'll look like if you eat them. You want to eat the peanut butter with more sugar? Whatever. But a box of cereal with a big wheat-colored label looks more appealing than one covered in the dreary HFCS, preservative, additive, and trans fat shades -- which may mean that people will gravitate towards food with better nutrition. The label essentially uses marketing principles to improve what people eat. FDA, I hope you're taking notes.

straight to the source

• Infographic Of The Day: A Food Label That Actually Teaches You About Food, Fast Company

NATIONAL FOOD BRAND: FEATURING LOCAL FOOD & JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

Majora Carter to launch national brand for local produce  - GREEN JOBS!

by Christina Asquith

5 Aug 2011 2:58 PM

Cross-posted from Solutions Journal.

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Majora Carter is best known for leading the effort to create the South Bronx Greenway: 11 miles of bike and pedestrian paths that connect the rivers and neighborhoods to the rest of the city. In 2001, when few people were talking about sustainability in poor neighborhoods, she pioneered one of the nation's first urban green-collar job training and placement systems. Her organization, Sustainable South Bronx, advocates new policies and legislation that fuel demand for green jobs in marginalized neighborhoods, focusing on intensive urban forestation, green building, and creating parks and water-permeable open spaces.

Currently, Carter runs her own consulting firm, hosts the Peabody Award-winning special public radio series The Promised Land, and serves on the boards of The Wilderness Society and the U.S. Green Building Council. Her work has earned numerous honors, including a MacArthur "genius" Fellowship, spots on on Fast Company's list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business and Essence magazine's list of 25 Most Influential African Americans, and a New York Post Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement.

Q. Your message has spread well beyond the South Bronx. What are you working on now?

A. I am putting all of the pieces together in order to launch a national brand of locally grown produce -- everything from the most efficient hydroponic growing systems, brand identity, USDA support, political allies, relationships with institutional buyers, and investors. I want to redirect some of the capital flows in the food business to revitalize underutilized industrial space and people.

Q. Tell us more about this project. What are the challenges, who would this benefit, and why focus your energies here?

A. My efforts in the food industry should not be confused with so-called "food justice" or community gardens. Those are important, but they are already taken care of by people who are passionate about those activities.

I approach food system disruption today in the same way I approached environmental justice solutions in the past: through accessible job creation in that sector. I demonstrated cost savings to cities by employing people in ways that reduced both social services expenses and municipal stormwater infrastructure costs.

My goal now is to create accessible jobs in food production, so I look at all the levers out there, from USDA subsidies to foundation grants, slow capital, and, most importantly, the market. I need to sell high-margin foods with minimal transport and middleman costs in order to create those jobs.

American consumers generally don't have the time or inclination to study up on every aspect of the products they purchase. By establishing a nationally recognized brand platform that immediately signifies local economic prosperity and high quality, we can drive more investment into local food systems. That means building more indoor, year-round hydroponic growing space, which in turn reduces blight, draws people back into declining urban areas, and inspires hope for those who have very little now. I also believe that employing people in healthy food production will serve the dual purpose of exposing them to that world as a form of experiential education.

The hurdle in front of me today is securing trademarks for the really awesome brand name my partners at Wolff Olins helped us create. It's worth waiting for, believe me, but it isn't easy. In the meantime, we are working with interested parties in several cities across America to secure land and financing.

Q. Tell us about your environmental work in the South Bronx.

A. I was able to show people how to tap into greater economic potential for themselves through environmental restoration work. Many had never held a job, or were formerly incarcerated and thus were a psychological drain on the environment because they felt like they weren't worth anything. Getting them some training in the hard skills of estuary restoration, erosion control, green roofing, and urban forestry helped the environment. But the soft skills of how to be a team player, look busy when the boss is around, and get to work on time are what kept them in the jobs and put pride in their step -- pride that was displayed publicly every time they came home from work. This is a crucial element, pride, in any environment. It shapes your demands and expectations going forward. And my experience has shown that jobs are the best and most cost-effective way to achieve that.

Q. How do poor communities bear the brunt of pollution more than affluent communities?

A. Let me put it this way: If we had located all of our power, transport, waste, chemical, and agribusiness infrastructure near wealthy communities as easily as we have near poor ones, we would have had a clean and green economy decades ago. What we have, instead, is concentrations of these above-mentioned facilities near where poor people live. The public health fallout is evidence of the disparity. But there are plenty of academic institutions doing more and more studies -- I don't think we need any more of those, personally. We know where the dirtier air, water, and soil are, and who lives there. Many of the knock-on effects on their lives are a result of a degraded environmental quality of life that wealthy people would never tolerate. The issue is not new, or hard to see, but we are paying for it every day. A well-researched Columbia University study in 2006 showed a direct link between proximity to fossil-fuel emissions sources and learning disabilities in children. In the United States, poor kids who do poorly in school very often go to jail.

Q. Tell us about your green-collar job training programs. Why is that an effective solution?

A. It isn't the job training that makes it effective; it's the job placement. That's why I always make sure to describe that aspect of my work as "training and placement systems." Placing difficult-to-employ people in good, paying jobs that fulfill their needs is not easy. You get there by establishing trusting relationships with potential employers, so they know that your graduates will perform. But you also have to look at the trends. I see climate adaptation as a real growth area with lower barriers to entry and long-term career ladders, especially in horticultural infrastructure systems -- using plants and trees to manage stormwater runoff and cool urban heat islands, especially.

Q. Your new consulting company promises to offer "pioneering solutions to concentrated environmental problems that are grounded in a progressive economic development approach." What are some of your solutions?

A. Well, there is a history of work that I did in the nonprofit sector with ssbx.org (Sustainable South Bronx). These days, very often, it's a case of using my minor celebrity position to get everyone at the table together, and guiding the Q&A toward a point where mutual self-interests are recognized. So, if I see a connection between the therapeutic benefits of working with plants and soil for traumatized veterans or ex-convicts returning to society and green infrastructure that will save millions in stormwater treatment each year, it's up to me to get the hydrology and anti-recidivism people on the same page. It's not easy, because none of these people have been asked to look into each other's worlds before. It makes sense for many reasons, but you need more than that to get anything done in this world.

Q. In your experience, what have you learned about how to make a change?

A. Don't surround yourself with people who "want to make a change." Listen to everyday Americans to hear their concerns and aspirations. Don't spend too much time in "activist" circles. Many of them are not in touch with the realities facing most people and, at worst, they romanticize poverty and are always trying to preserve it some way. Having grown up in poverty myself, I can tell you: not very romantic.

Families, small businesses, public school teachers, the elderly can all be invaluable in determining where to spend your energy and how to shape messages that work. People who steep themselves in "social-justice theory" and come up with complicated manifestos and rules about how to talk to each other, generally slow us all down in my opinion. There are some great exceptions. We have not made much social progress in the last two decades: prison recidivism, obesity, asthma, income disparity, high school dropouts, teen pregnancies -- all up. Yet, philanthropic spending has gone up every year, too.

Q. Who inspires you?

A. Anyone who is looking at their problems as chances to move ahead and not get mired in a victim mentality.

Christina Asquith has 12 years experience as a local beat reporter, national correspondent, and foreign correspondent. She spent three years in the Middle East covering the Iraq war, and won "Educator of the Year" award by Education News for her coverage of the effects of war on the lives of school system. She also is author of two non-fiction books: "The Emergency Teacher: A Year Inside Philadelphia's Toughest School" (Skyhorse Press, 2007) and "The Spinsters' War: A Story of Women, Life and Death in Iraq" (Random House, 2009). Prior to joining Solutions Magazine, she was senior editor at Diverse Magazine in Washington DC.