Study: Fad diets work (actually, only the Paleo)

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Study: Fad diets work (actually, only the Paleo)

Yale researchers look at all the fad diets and find one that works.

But what about the Paleo diet, which encourages meat eating? The authors conclude the “aggregation of evidence” supports meat eating, as long as the “animal foods are themselves the products, directly or ultimately, of pure plant foods—the composition of animal flesh and milk is as much influenced by diet as we are.” That’s entirely consistent with the Paleo push for meat from pasture-raised animals, and brought to mind a study I wrote about late last year finding that cows fed on grass deliver milk with healthier fat profile than their industrially raised peers.

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20% of China’s farmland polluted

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A fifth of China’s farmland is polluted, according to an offical report based on the results of an extensive survey.  Soil pollution has long been a concern in China due to the country’s rapid industrialization and the report carried on the website of theMinistry of Environmental Protection confirms the extent of the problem. The report states that pollutants in more than 16% of Chinese soil exceeds national standards and that figure rises to 20% for arable land.

It describes the situation as “not optimistic” and said said that the quality of farmland is worrying while deserted industrial and mining land is seriously polluted. The main causes of soil pollution are industry and agriculture, according to the report. Cadmium, nickel and arsenic are the top three pollutants found.

http://nyti.ms/QG9cJE

 

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Michael Pollan: “The White House is afraid of BigAg”

– “The question of whether you can feed the world sustainably needs to be flipped around,” Pollan replies. “The real question is whether you can feed it industrially. What we’re learning about climate change is raising real questions about how long that agricultural model can survive.”  He continues, “The power of industrial agriculture comes from this paradigm: you start with a very productive seed that under ideal circumstances can produce higher yields than those species ever could before. It’s really impressive. But for those seeds to do their thing and realize their full potential they need lots of water. They need lots of fertilizer. And they need to be defended against pests really vigilantly. Another way of saying that is: you need to protect the environment in which they grow, which farmers have been able to do. But that system depends on consistency. If all we can count on now is that the climate will be variable, that system becomes very brittle.”

http://bit.ly/1illCSF

Farming for Improved Ecosystem seen as Economically Feasible

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Farming for Improved Ecosystem seen as Economically Feasible

By changing row-crop management practices in economically and environmentally stable ways, US farms could contribute to improved water quality, biological diversity, pest suppression, and soil fertility while helping to stabilize the climate, according to an article in the May issue of BioScience. The article, based on research conducted over 25 years at the Kellogg Biological Station in southwest Michigan, further reports that Midwest farmers, especially those with large farms, appear willing to change their farming practices to provide these ecosystem services in exchange for payments. And a previously published survey showed that citizens are willing to make such payments for environmental services such as cleaner lakes.

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UNH pioneers sustainable fish purchasing.

The largest food purchaser in New England, University of New Hampshire Dining is the first campus in America to sign on to the “Slow Fish Principles,” it was the effort of several groups of people and long hours of planning that attracted people to the Sustainable Seafood Dinner at Holloway Commons last Wednesday night.

Under the watchful eye of thought-leader and innovator Jared Auerbach, CEO and Founder at Red’s Best, The event was part of UNH’s 6-week pilot project to bring locally harvested seafood into their dining halls and exposing the students to several seasonally available species that they may not be familiar with.

http://nhsustainablefisheries.blogspot.com/

8 Beers That You Should Stop Drinking Immediately

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8 Beers That You Should Stop Drinking Immediately

Many of us choose what we eat very carefully, or at least dedicate our minimum attention to it. But when it comes to drinks, especially alcoholic beverages, we do little to make the best decisions for our health. Here are some harmful ingredients that are commonly found in beer: GMO Corn Syrup, GMO Corn, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fish Bladder, Propylene Glycol, MSG, GMO Sugars, Caramel Coloring, Insect-Based Dyes, Carrageenan, BPA & more…

EVENT: Wild & Scenic Film Festival – emPOWERment in Portsmouth

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EVENT: Wild & Scenic Film Festival – emPOWERment in Portsmouth

Friday, 4/25 in Portsmouth, NH:  The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest environmental film festival in North America.  This fundraiser for the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire is a one-night showing of short films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet.  This year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival is themed “emPOWERment” – and what better way to be inspired to act on behalf of our shared world than through an evening of beautiful, engaging films! 

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The Green Mountain State continues to lead!  Vermont Senate passes mandatory GMO food-labeling law.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/16/usa-gmo-lawmaking-idUKL2N0N819I20140416

The Vermont Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would make the state the first in the United States to enact mandatory labeling of foods made with genetically modified crops.

“We are really excited that Vermont is going to be leading on this,” said Falko Schilling, a spokesman for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which backed the bill.

The bill, approved 28-2 by the Senate, has already passed the Vermont House of Representatives. It now goes back to the House to see if members will approve changes made by the Senate.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/16/usa-gmo-lawmaking-idUKL2N0N819I20140416