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."

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.

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.

The upcoming spring and summer could be tough or disappointing for New England shellfisheries. 

Research has predicted the potential for a moderate red tide in the Gulf of Maine.  Is it safe to go into the water? Yes. Swimming during red tide is safe but could cause irritation of the skin or eyes to people who are sensitive. It won’t be safe to eat shellfish, like clams or mussels, that are illegally harvested during the toxic algae bloom.

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.

Stop for a minute and think of all the ways you used water today: cooking, cleaning and for hygiene. Now think of all the ways you use water at work. Depending on your place of employment those ways could vary, so think of how much water a farmer uses or a chef in a restaurant. Now go one step further and think of all the food and non-food products that contain water. Water is even used in the manufacturing of a car (not to mention maintenance) and estimates put a car’s waterfootprint at about 39,000 gallons.

Though water may sometimes fall from the sky in buckets, it doesn’t always and it is not a renewable resource unless we can control our usage.

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.

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.

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

While it’s natural to favor the underdog underfish, we may have to switch which team we root for considering the cumulative effect of human activities on marine wildlife at the top of the food chain. Overfishing of forage fish depletes the food supply of large predatory fish and other marine animals, according to a study by an international group of researchers with CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship.