Vatican agrees to reforestation...

July 13 the Vatican accepted a certificate from a Hungarian-based firm stating that the reforestation of a large area in Hungary would compensate for all its emissions this year.

http://www.enn.com/anim.html?id=1929

Sushi powered

I thought this was an interesting article. Japan has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 6 percent by 2012. Japan is one of the pioneering countries in climate change policy and research. The plan is to replace the 132 million gallons of gas that fuel Japanese care and replace it with a domestic biofuel. The University of Tokyo is looking at ways to extract ethanol from seaweed. The paln is to put a seaweed farm in the middle of the Sea of Japan. They think a farm this size could produce enough to fuel one third of the gasoline that Japan uses each year.


Chris Olson

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/7/12/15441/9615

Is the food you eat from other countries safe?

As you can remember a few months back dogs and cats were dying because of the tainted food they were eating. This food came from China and until now China has had some relaxed food restrictions. The US and other countries have stepped up and are forcing China to have tighter restrictions on food production. Since the tainted pet food outbreak, the US has been testing other foods China has been importing to the US and has found them to contain potentially toxic chemicals and other adulterants. I do not think China is the only country that needs to be looked at for food safety. It is the job of the FDA to ensure only foods that are safe are imported into the United States.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289449,00.html

Chef Rubin and Bistro West Restaurant

Class, a possible chef/restaurant that may be interesting to you...

Thousand Hills Cattle Company Chef Featured at Bistro West Restaurant

Bistro West Restaurant hosted Rachel Rubin, Executive Chef for Thousand Hills Cattle Company, on Thursday, July 12 as part of University Dining Services‚ monthly Guest Chef Series. Chef Rubin prepared Peruvian Beef Kabobs, featuring locally grown Thousand Hills Grass Fed Beef, with Rice, Peruvian-Style Vegetable Salad, and Grilled Corn on the Cob.

Chef Rubin, a Minnesotan with Peruvian roots, specializes in cooking with fresh, local and organic ingredients. As the Executive Chef for Thousand Hills, a Cannon Falls, Minnesota Company, Rubin develops healthy, flavorful recipes featuring the Grass Fed Beef products. „It‚s wonderful that Bistro West features Thousand Hills Grass-Fed Beef regularly in their menu,‰ said Rubin. „I‚m thrilled to be here to help the campus community better understand the healthy benefits of our beef.‰

Bistro West Restaurant hosts local chefs each month as part of the Guest Chef Series. As a member of the Minnesota Heartland Food Network, Bistro West also participates in Third Thursdays, a celebration of locally grown foods. The next Third Thursdays event is scheduled for July 19, 2007.

Bistro West is open to the public Monday ˆ Friday from 11:00 AM ˆ 1:30 PM. For information or reservations to upcoming events, please call (612) 625-2588.

To learn more about University Dining Services' sustainability initiatives, visit www.umn.edu/dining.

Meet you Meat

More than 27 billion animals are killed by the meat industry each year, in ways that would horrify any compassionate person and that would be illegal if cats or dogs were the victims.
More chickens are raised and killed for food than every other farmed animal combined, yet not a single federal law protects chickens from abuse.
Chickens raised and killed for their flesh spend their entire lives in filthy, ammonia-laden sheds with tens of thousandsof other birds.
What if we can protect chickens as much as we do for dogs and cats, because after all, research has proved that chickens are smarter than dogs and cats, even other primates.
wouldn't that be good for all human being to go vegetarian? We can easily get all the protein, iron, and calcium that we need by eating plant food. So what do you think?

www.vegcooking .com

by Michee mpeti

Fair Trade

I've heard the term Fair Trade, but I didn't have a real understanding of how it worked. The article I read, "Playing Fair:Understanding Fair Trade." did a good job of explaing it. While it's always best to buy locally, it's not always possible. Fair Trade principles align with support of local producers and organically grown products. Fair Trade cuts out the middle man and allows farmers in developing countries to receive two to three times more for their product than on the commodities market. The non-Fair Trade coffee farmer receives less than a 2 cent return on $3 latte!! Every one in the food business should have a full understanding of Fair Trade.

Chris Olson

https://www.chefscollaborative.org/uploads/Fair_Trade_Communique_01-07_Chefs_Collaborative.pdf

Kinda wierd, isn't it?

I heard a while ago that bovine faltulence is one of the biggest contributers to global warming. Yes they were talking about cow farts. Big deal you probably think. It actually is. flatulence and burps contain methane, which traps heat within the ozone layer. This is causing global temperature changes. I thought it was interesting considering we raise tens of thousands of cattle in the US alone. http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO873.html

Class,

Here's some more resources for your research project about a chef working on sustainability issues. Take a look at EcoFish's culinary advisory board. Any of these people would be great chefs for your project.

"The EcoFish Culinary Advisory Board lends its vast culinary knowledge and expertise assisting EcoFish in selecting the finest seafood to offer fine chefs around the country. The Board also serves as a liaison between EcoFish and the culinary world."

Culinary Advisory Board:

Rick Bayless
Ann Cooper
Stan Frankenthaler
Greg Higgins
Nora Pouillon
Susan Spicer
Ming Tsai

Polluting our waters

I personally would not want this water in my body. My understanding is that a lot of people and corporations do not care enough about the earth, therefore, do as they want and duck under the tape. There is not enough policing of these companies and other people. The attitude of "let the next generation clean it up" is a bunch of bs. They have to realize that eventually it will come back to them. They will order that fish or purchase an apple from a grocery that is contaminated and will become ill in some way. Hopefully, just enough where they will open their eyes and see the global mess they are creating for future generations. Like I have said before, there is ways to dispose or purify these waters and to make it better for everyone.

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~cy34/

Genetic engineering

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/

In the last decade biotechnology has introduced food that has been genetically altered to help reduce insects and weeds like corn, soybeans, and cotton. These were then planted in large quantities. But research has found that the engineered organisms may harm people's health or the environment. they may also kill beneficial insects, reduce natural resources, or contaminate the food supply with drugs. To protect our health and the environment from these products we must convince the federal government to regulate these products and urge the FDA to require safety testing and labeling on these products.

Hottness

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/bears_climbing.php

This was very good becasue it shows how it is even hot outside for the animals not only for Humans. That even aminals are climbing up trees to get in the shade. They are leaving there own homes to travel to new places to get food becasue of the heat. It is crazy what if every summer it keeps getting hotter what are we going to do years from now. -Matt Kilbride

Seafood, Healthy or Not ?

Seafood is often considered to be incredibly healthy. A lot of people dont realize that they are eating a lot more than just fish or shellfish. This article brings awareness of all the things seafood is exposed to including and focusing on Mercury. It talks about affects on the body and why it should or should not be avoided.



http://environment.about.com/od/health/a/mercury_fish.htm

Carry On Eating: Bring Your Own Chopsticks

Ever go to a restaurant and get these really cheap disposable wooden chopsticks? You're concious about the environment so you don't wanna waste wood products? Don't like the reusable metal ones because they suck at gripping things? You can forget about all that now. They got these really cool chopsticks now are metal but have wooden tips that gives you the friction you need grip little bite sized foodstuffs! What's great about them is that they are reusable meaning you dont have to toss out those wooden chopsticks everytime you eat anymore.

source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/travel_chopsticks.php

Tightening waste shipments

European Union tightend waste shipments due to health problems in Africa and Asia. They are tightening down because when they dumped on the Ivory Coast at least 10 people died.

http://www.enn.com/todays-news/13129

one million cars ban

i found an artical about beijing banning one million cars next month for two weeks. they are testing to see if this will help with air pollution problem and is trying to get ready for next years summer olympics. this aritcle says that brijing is about to hit three million cars riseings from 1.5 million only five years ago. they said that the problem mybe that they're lacking in public transporation. i think that this is a really good idea that beikjing is trying to do this. if this really works maybe the rest of the world would try it out too, but till then we'll just have to wait and see.



http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/1_million_cars_ban.php

Warm-up

Global warming is the world's most serious enviro problem. According to the author (see URL) global warming is responsoble for a reduction of the Arctic sea ice thickness and overall surface area by 25%. With less area of reflective ice, the darker water in the exposed areas absorbes more heat and in turn warms the water and melts more ice. This cycle will continue to raise the world's water levels to such levels that inland agricultural areas may become flooded, and more growing areas will be lost.

www.globalwarming101.com/content/view/396/88888961/

unhealthy lifestyle

well i read an article on Fast-food culture serves up super-size Americans, it talked about how america is producing and advertising fast food more than healthy food. it stated that americans are getting lazier and soon at gas stations youll be able to pump gas and punch in what you want and someone will bring it out to you. It also compared Ronald Mcdonald and Joe Camel saying smoking is bad, so joe camel is down but ronald is cute so they advertise him... but is there really a difference between them? this article was ok but it did really state a point so i enjoyed it.

Garbage All Over

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/naples_buried.php

Naples and surrounding cities are running out of room for thier waste. Basically, people are taking matters into their own hands and making things worse. they are burning garbage and sending potentally hazadous fumes in the are along with unmanagable fires. The government actually has to warn people about their cities and the dangers that are there. It is disturbing in this world, we are finally at that point, where we may have too many people, or people do not know how NOT to waste things and just throw away things that do not need to be thrown away.

Slow Food

I read an interesting article about a new organization that is encouraging Americans to slow down when they eat and learn to appreciate the flavors/texture of their food and savor what is in front of us. Due to the fast paced life we live, we've become fast-fooders and end up always buying the same groceries at the store (quick and convenient). If we continue in this way, our children will never know the abundant amounts of options that are out there for us to explore when we cook.

www.slowfoodusa.org

Go Green with Coffee and Tea

Well i am not a big coffee or tea drinker. But coffee is the second biggest world trade after crude oil. Wow. Tea is the second most liquid drank in the US water is first. But I do love this world that we live in. But some of the stuff on this a bit on the like duh side. Here are some of those ways. Local shops, reuse mugs, organic coffees and teas, home brew your own, make a compost out of your coffee and tea grounds, give good coffee and tea grounds for gifts. In the end I think some of these can really help how much coffee and tea we get imported.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how_to_green_your_coffee_and_tea.php

slick swine

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0701_040702_pigoil.html

here is the address to an article in national geographic that tells of the U of I turning hog manure into crude oil. Dr. Zahng states that at this point they are only recieving 9 oz of oil from each 1/2 gallon of crap.but if 50% of america's swine farms adapted this procedure we could cut back on importing oil by up to 1 1/2 billion dollars yearly. hog farmers would also make a considerable amount more per hog( 10-15$) this is quite a bit since only a few years ago the price of a market hog dropped to under $30.

Grass Fed Cows Produce better milk!

In the article that i read it mainly talked about CLA's (conjugated linoleic acid) and how they are higher in cows that are feed grass compared to that of feed. The important thing about CLA's is that they are proven to be one of the biggest fighters of breast cancer. Grass feed dairy is also rich in essential fatty acids which help fight many diseases such as; cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, allergies, obesity, diabetes, and dementia. To me it looks like a pretty clear choice as to which one i would chose if given a choice of dairy products. http://www.eatwild.com/articles/superhealthy.html

don't eat that dirty duck

www.scwds.org
this website includes information on what types of species of bird are most likely to catch influenza during certain times of years. such as ducks are most likely to catch it in late summer or early fall. outside of those seasons they only have about a 1 0/0 chance of catching it. there are tips to hunters and fowl farmers of when to be suspect of odd-acting birds.

A basic over look on light pollution

http://www.cnn.com/NATURE/9903/29/light.pollution.enn/



This article is an overview of a survey done on the effects of light pollution. The article tell about how only 10% of the US population has the ideal conditions regularly to see the 15000 visible stars and the milky way. It also talks about how light pollution can affect national parks up to 100 miles away.

Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World

This 2003 report discusses the importance of long term thinking with taking action now. In other words it is better to start a project now while continuing to do research for the long term. Doing nothing until you have completed all research will put us further behind in solving the harmful effects caused by the business decisions made yesterday. This report provides a road map to guide us as we make decisions today that will effect future generations. It is a long read but well worth looking at.

You can read the chapters at your leisure.

ozone and climate change

this article talked about how we are ruining the ozone. The gases from are cars go into the atmosphere and kind of clog it up. Then sunlight comes in and stays in because it cant get out. Which causes global warming and makes the stratosphere colder.

Algae

This article talks about how a new research project that is going on in the great lakes area is using algae to determine climate change. the national reasources research institute and the university of minnesota dulut were awarded 1 million, five year grant for the project

http://www.mepartnership.org/mep_whatsnew.asp?new_id=2306

equiptment

this article talks about the benefits of new farm equiptment, the lower emissions and more efficent fuel use. and the negatives like how this specalized equiptment is so expensive.
http://attra.ncat.org/

FDA suppressed report on harmful effects of GE food

This article was really fascinating. The fact that the FDA just by passed what their scientist said about GE Foods, is really scary. This article talked about the fact that warnings were given to the FDA by their own scientist about GE-tomato Flavrsavr, yet they were ignored. These are the same people we trust everyday with our lives, when it comes to the food we consume. The scientist also warned the FDA of consequences related to the GE Foods, because the technology is still so new, and not enough testing has really been done on it.
http://www.psrast.org/importantnews.htm#suppr

How Far Does Your Food Travel? Eating your way to a healthy environment, community and body.

How Far Does Your Food Travel?
This is another article on bying locally. It also talks about organic foods as well. It is based out of Canada, but you can get the idea. This is a very informative article. The thing that interested me most was that 1/2 kg of lamb bought locally gives off 7g of CO2, but when it is shipped from New Zealand it puts off 8kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. You can learn a lot from this site. For any of you interestide in changing the global warming situation, I would recommend reading this article. If not read it anyway!