Earth Blog

Why did the chicken cross the road? He was going to give you the answer but he didn’t think you were listening.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia are studying “avian expressiveness” and they think all those squawking birds may be trying to tell us something.

"Many poultry professionals swear they can walk into a grow-out house and tell whether a flock is happy or stressed just by listening to the birds vocalize," Wayne Daley, a  principal research scientist from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) told Rick Robinson from the school’s Research Horizons magazine. "The trouble is, it has proved hard for these pros to pinpoint for us exactly what it is that they're hearing."

What do soda and cigarettes have in common besides their ability to kill you? They both can alter the way your brain works.

There was a British study earlier this year that reported prospective memory loss in smokers and yesterday a UCLA study reported that a diet heavy with foods that contain fructose, specifically high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) like soda and practically everything else we like to eat- because it’s a preservative- can slow the brain. This slowing affects memory and the ability to learn but there is a way to lessen the damage.

As if California didn’t have enough to worry about in the pest department (Lindsay Lohan is still roaming free, isn’t she?) a new threat has been identified that could cripple the avocado industry if left unchecked.

In 2003 the tiny beetle known as the Tea Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) which is smaller than the size of a single flaxseed, was first “detected” in Los Angeles County, probably with a magnifying glass or the trained eye of a professional if it was a spotting.

According to the article it wouldn’t be until nine years later that the health of California’s trees was considered at risk when an avocado tree in a Los Angeles backyard was found with a beetle, fungus, and dieback symptoms by Akif Eskalen, a plant pathologist at UC Riverside.  The Agricultural Commissioner of Los Angeles County and the California Food and Drug Administration have both verified the identity of the tiny menace to ensure this isn’t a case of mistaken identity.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a study on PLoS ONE that presented findings that will help understand the affects of low-levels of domoic acid (DA) - a neurotoxic amino acid produced by marine algae- found in marine life like clams and mussels.

High-levels of DA can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans which has vastly different symptoms from paralytic shellfish poisoning. Amnesic shellfish poisoning can cause seizures, memory loss, and coma as opposed to abdominal pain and vomiting. Both forms can cause death but that is only in rare cases. Scientists don’t know what low-levels can do in humans over extended periods of time.

Earlier this month Whole Foods Market announced the early implementation of a drastic change to their seafood departments: they would no longer sell “red-rated fish” or fish that are unsustainable. The new policy went into affect on Earth Day and there has been a bit of opposition.

Senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) sent a letter to the CEOs of Whole Foods asking them to reconsider the decision because their actions were going to hurt the New England fishing industry. Despite the outcry the store has moved forward with the policy and released a statement in defense of their actions.

There is another chain following Whole Foods’ lead: the Michigan-based Meijer also announced this month they are starting a “comprehensive seafood sustainability initiative” in their giant retail stores that sell everything from flip-flops to breakfast cereal.

Yesterday, in what can only be considered an odd coincidence, several media outlets reported via the Associated Press that in 2010 a 30-year-old New Zealand woman died because of a soda addiction.  Natasha Harris suffered a heart attack and that heart attack has been attributed to excessive soda consumption.

Meanwhile, stateside, prestigious Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute and equally prestigious Harvard University released an article about their research that linked over-consumption of soda, sugar-sweetened and low-calorie, to an increased risk of stroke.

At the end of March, greenhouse developer BrightFarms announced what could prove to be their most ambitious and biggest project to date: a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse that will span across 100,000 square feet on the roof of a building that used to be property of the United States military.

Located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York the greenhouse is part of the redevelopment plans for an old Navy warehouse that has been vacant since 2000 according to the New York Times.

Over the weekend Whole Foods Market announced that they would be making a major change to their seafood departments. They are going to stop selling certain species of fish because they are unsustainable. This new policy comes a whole year before Whole Foods’ original deadline to begin the practice.

The change will start on April 22nd or Earth Day and it means there will no longer be red-rated, wild caught fish sold in their stores. Examples are: Atlantic halibut, grey sole, and skate. Instead customers will be directed to purchase fish that are similar but sustainable like Pacific halibut which is a Marine Steward Council (MSC)-certified fish. The MSC-certification is on any wild caught, sustainable fish that doesn’t have the color-coded label the store also uses.

The seafood departments stoplight colored rating system, which works well at a glance for quick decision making, was set forth in 2010 by Whole Foods and two non-profit organizations: Blue Ocean Institute and Monterrey Bay Aquarium.

Today is the last day of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) annual meeting, which has brought us fascinating news of biomimetics, a capsule that can clean up radioactive materials from liquids, and the most relieving news of all: chocolate is still good for you.

Yesterday, at a symposium called, “Cocoa: Science and Technology,” eighteen reports from international chocolate experts about the food’s main ingredient (cocoa) were given about the health benefits of practically everyone’s favorite candy.

“Chocolate is one of the foods with the greatest appeal to the general population,” said Sunil Kochhar, Ph.D., a Cocoa symposium participant. “The luscious aroma, taste and textures of chocolate have delighted the senses of people in many parts of the world for centuries and make it a well-known comfort food.”

The California Strawberry Commission (CSC) wants to remind you that peak season has arrived! Though strawberries are sold year round the finest examples of one California’s top crops (7th most valuable fruit crop estimated at $2.1 billion) are sold March through August.

Well over 80 percent of our nation’s strawberries are grown in California by a network of more than 500 family owned and operated farms. Together these farms grow strawberries on a combined total of 36,000 acres. This means that 56 square miles of California’s vast size is used for strawberry cultivation or about twice the size of the city of Oxnard, which is considered the “Strawberry Capital of the World.”

All farmers are concerned with sustainability and safety this obviously includes berry farmers. A look at farms and the people working on them in the self-proclaimed capital gives us an idea of the sustainability practices currently in place.

Familiarity breeds comfort and that applies to the relationship children have with vegetables. A new study has found that both labeling and exposure to vegetables affect what a child will eat and that sneaking vegetables into meals may not matter as much as we think.

Parents with picky eaters have turned to specialty cookbooks to teach them how to sneak around their kitchens.

User reviews of these popular cookbooks are as mixed as the bag of vegetables children supposedly refuse to eat. Some parents have enjoyed success through the method and their little ones are blissfully unaware they are eating macaroni & cheese laced with cauliflower. Other parents have found the recipes lacking and feel they are doing their children a disservice by not fostering a love of vegetables which will cause them to abandon vegetables into adulthood.

There are few debates more contentious than breastfeeding- not even cloth versus disposable diapers can come close to the media attention breastfeeding has demanded recently. 

Facebook came under fire for deleting harmless uploaded photos of mothers breastfeeding their children. Facebook deleted the photos because they violated their terms of use and told the Huffington Post that they have no problem with breastfeeding and said: 

“The vast majority of breastfeeding photos are compliant with our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook takes no action on such content. However, photos which contain a fully exposed breast, do violate our terms and may be removed if they are reported to us.” 

In response Emma Kwasnica said, “You don't want the wrath of mothers." and along with sixty moms led a “Nurse-in” at Facebook’s headquarters to protest the social network’s actions. 

Facebook may never change their actions but infant formula is changing to benefit babies and will it ever be better or equal to breast milk?

What better toppings are there for a heaping stack of waffles or pancakes than butter and maple syrup? Restaurants and grocery stores may try and tempt you with fresh fruit or other flavored syrups but maple syrup is the king of breakfast condiments. Even if you have given it up for healthier alternatives nothing can beat it -except for maybe the Asian longhorned beetle.

Good news for organic food and the people who buy it in the United States and Europe: today the
European Union (EU) and the USDA signed an “organic equivalent arrangement.” 

You know how much we love telling you what fancy terms mean and this one will be no exception: the EU and USDA have agreed to trade agricultural organic products between each other. In what is being called a “historic” agreement this “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”  deal overlooks tiny differences between European organic standards and American standards to open a viable market. Big differences are not being overlooked and there are some foods that are non-transferable.

Did you know that white chocolate isn’t real chocolate? White chocolate contains no chocolate liquor which is the main ingredient the treat would need to be considered real chocolate. What it does have is cocoa butter and the FDA says it must have at least 20% cocoa butter and no more than 55% sugar to be called white chocolate. Who other than Willy Wonka could have known that chocolate is a complicated confection?

Dark, bitter and semisweet chocolate is required to have 35% chocolate liquor while milk chocolate must contain 10% chocolate liquor.  Anything less is not up to the FDA’s standards and is likely labeled “chocolate flavored” or could be made of carob. 

Carob has a different texture and taste than chocolate but contains the same amount of calories. It is commonly used in gourmet dog treats to give them a harmless taste of chocolate.

Grocery stores, cafeterias and restaurants, all shapes and sizes, must abide by federal laws to stay in business. Most of these companies also set in-house policies to boost sales and provide superior service and products. These directives and laws could be seen as a hinderance to workers but the core of these policies are the same: to lead consumers in the right direction and to the cash register.

Last week, Walmart debuted their “Great for You” label, a green stamp of approval for healthy groceries, and it was even applauded by First Lady Michelle Obama who said, “Just over a year ago, Walmart committed to save shoppers a billion dollars in their cost of fruits and vegetables and the fact that Walmart exceeded this number is a real accomplishment and a milestone in our efforts to support families eating better. In addition, the healthy seal will be another tool for parents to identify the best products for their kids. Giving parents the information they need to make healthy choices is a key piece of solving childhood obesity.”

Marjory Wildcraft is well-known among people who grow their own food and are interested in homesteading or self-sufficiency. She knows people garden and raise animals for several reasons but she is more interested in sharing her knowledge to help the confused who don’t know where to start in their own backyards.

"I came from a business background and could not keep one house plant alive. But now I grow more than half of what I eat. I've learned what works and what doesn't," Wildcraft says.

Today’s championship game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots has something for everyone. “Manning Face” enthusiasts will be delighted to count the number of times the camera catches Eli Manning scrunching up his face and Tom Brady fans can analyze his most controversial feature- his hair. It’s all so exciting you may even forget there is a game being played! 

Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) is the home of this year’s Super Bowl XLVI (46) and as a multi-purpose stadium it’s used year-round for sporting events and functions. It’s managed by the same company as the Indiana Convention Center which is connected to LOS. The stadium seats anywhere from 15,000 to 70,000 people depending on the requirements and size of the event. LOS' ability to house that many people is a great power and with that comes a great responsibility to sustainability.

The company with the corner on the macaroni & cheese market, Kraft Foods, released a fact sheet today to highlight the ways they are minimizing their environmental impact through waste reduction and recycling at their manufacturing plants. The company credits their employees for making “steady progress” across the globe. Overall, Kraft recycles or reuses about 90% of their manufacturing waste.

"We're waging war on waste, one plant at a time," said Christine McGrath, Vice President, Global Sustainability.  "Today, we have 36 facilities in 13 countries that send zero waste to landfills, and we've reduced our manufacturing waste by 50 percent since 2005.  Our strategy is simple: generate less waste and find new uses for the waste we do produce.  And our employees are doing just that."

In November of 2008 Californians voted on Proposition 2 and it passed with 63% of voters supporting the measure which “prohibits the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.” To put it comically the animals need to be able to play “Hokey-Pokey” - “You put your left wing in, you take your left wing out, you put your left wing in and you shake it all about! You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...”

The California statute applies to egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal, and pregnant pigs. Failure to comply with the law would result in fines and/or jail time. It does not eliminate cages completely for hens- just tiny battery cages, or make free-range mandatory.  The law will not go into full effect until January of 2015