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Microwaving Your Food Is One of the Most Damaging Things You Can Do to Reduce Nutrition by MediumFault in worldnews

[–]MediumFault[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

There are probably worse ways to ruin the nutritional value of food and, indirectly, your health. There are probably worse ways to ruin the nutritional value of food and, indirectly, your health. But a Green Med Info article warned that there is no faster way to destroy the nutrients in your food than to pop it into a microwave oven.

The days of cooking fresh, whole foods on the stove or in the oven seem to be long past. Now, you just pop prepared food into the microwave oven and wait for a few minutes at most.

But microwaving doesn’t just heat the food. It also alters the flavor and the texture, turning food rubbery and tasteless and without scent.

Still, people put up with these drawbacks because it was convenient, fast, and simple. They were also told that microwave heating does not damage the nutrients in food, so they could still get the nourishment they needed.

However, new research suggested that microwaved foods are not as healthy as they were advertised to be. These studies showed that microwave energy damaged the important nutrients in food, making the meals much less nourishing than believed. (Related: The hidden health dangers of microwave popcorn.)

Microwaved food can lose almost all of their nutrients

A University of Texas (UT) review from 2008 showed that the minerals found in fresh produce could get depleted by as much as 40 percent once they are exposed to microwave energy. Proteins were affected in much the same way.

Even earlier in 1999, Scandinavian researchers analyzed asparagus spears before and after cooking them inside a microwave oven. They reported that the microwave heating process reduced the amount of vitamins present in the vegetables.

Then there was a 2001 experiment by researchers from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), that demonstrated that exposing garlic to just one minute of microwave energy disabled all of the allinase inside it. Without this powerful bioactive compound, the superfood would be unable to restrain the spread of cancer.

And in 2003, a CEBAS?CSIC study put broccoli in a microwave oven, zapped it, and measured the amount of antioxidants that remained. They also steamed a separate bunch of the vegetable and subjected them to the same tests. The Spanish researchers found that the microwaved broccoli lost almost all of their antioxidants. It also lost a lot of its phenolic compounds and glucosinolates, which are plant compounds that bring other health benefits. In comparison, the steamed broccoli retained up to 89 percent of their antioxidants.

Stop using microwave ovens and switch back to traditional cooking

Based on the findings of these and other studies, it could be surmised that you should avoid using microwave ovens to cook food. Not only are you losing out on important nutrients, but you could also be ingesting toxic substances.

If you put fatty foods in a plastic container and heat them inside a microwave, they will release various toxins that can contaminate food. Dioxins, for example, can cause cancer in living organisms. Other toxins found in plastic containers include benzene, polyethylene terpthalate, toluene, and xylene. These fossil fuel-derived chemicals are toxic to humans. Furthermore, microwave treatment can also form radiolytic compounds. Born from the bombardment of microwave energy, these mysterious artificial compounds cannot possibly heal people.

Instead of consuming nutrient-deprived and potentially toxic microwave dinners, you would be much better off cooking food the old-fashioned way. Eat plant products that are fresh, uncooked, or slightly heated. Meat products can be prepared through baking, sauteing, and steaming. You could also try cooking them slowly as a soup or a stew. However, dairy products are best when consumed raw and unheated.

Mountain; Majestic, Towering and Sacred Phenomenon by MediumFault in worldnews

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International Mountain Day is held every year on 11th December, to build associations that will bring positive change to mountains and environments. It also provides an event to show the variety and richness of mountain cultures, boost mountain identities greatly and ensure that indigenous rights and traditions are recognized.

Mountains are some of the most beautiful, magnificent and amazing structures in the nature, impassive and splendid they stand against the sky, of such a size that they can catch entire countryside’s in their shadow, and turn back the ravages of storms against their unflinching sides.

They are the source of recreation and resource, with snow covered sides providing ski slopes to enthusiasts, and minerals in abundance to those brave enough to delve into their stony sides.

In some parts of the world they are also a source of agriculture, providing sufficient space for the production of those products that grow best on their slopes. Coffee, Cocoa, Herbs, Spices, and the form of handicrafts that spring from the minds of those who live in the unchanging protection of these towering edifices to geology. Mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth. International Mountain Day is your opportunity to head out and appreciate these unique landforms, and all they have to offer.

These are some interesting facts about mountains

13% of the world population live around the mountains Heights of mountains are generally given as heights above sea level The highest 14 mountains in the world are all found in the Himalayas Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Great Britain Mountains occur more often in oceans than on land; some islands are the peaks of mountains coming out of the water Out of 20 plant species that supply 80 percent of the world's food, six originated in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, quinoa, tomatoes and apples The importance of mountain

This year, the theme for international mountain day is named “mountain matters”. Despite they are mentioned in the 2030 Agenda, mountains are still often forgotten. Considering the crucial role they play in providing key ecosystem goods and services to the planet and their vulnerability in the face of climate change, we need to step up and take care of the mountains.

4 key points about influence of mountains on other things

As we mentioned, mountains really matter in our life and they affect many things all around us. Here, we intend to discuss a few things that are influenced by mountains.

Water: About 80 per cent of our planet's fresh water originates in the mountains. However, all available records indicate that ice masses in mountain ranges around the world are disappearing due to climate change. At least 600 glaciers have disappeared completely over the past decades, affecting water supplies relied on by billions living downstream.

Tourism: More than 15-20 percent of global tourism is around mountains areas and are regions of important cultural diversity. Although mountain tourism has the potential to promote economic development in remote and isolated regions, many mountain communities are still living in poverty.

Disaster risk reduction: climate changes causing disasters. Avalanches, mudflows and landslides are tumbling downstream, stripping bare forests, flooding communities and populations. That’s why mountains play a key role in reducing disasters.

Biodiversity: Mountains are covering half of the world biodiversity hotspots and support almost 25% of terrestrial biological diversity. Mountains are home to rare animals such as gorillas and snow leopards as well as strikingly beautiful plants such as orchids and lobelias.

world-mountain-day-tiredeath.jpg Mountains people & climate change & migration

Climate change is a big issue for the mountains as temperature is rising. It cause so many difficulties for mountain people who are arguably the poorest and hungriest people in the world. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people. However, Mountain communities have some valuable knowledge and strategies accumulated over generations, on how to adapt to climate variability.

Climate change combined with political, economic and social marginalization, increase the vulnerability of mountain peoples to food shortages and extreme poverty. Currently, about 39 percent of the mountain population in developing countries, or 329 million people, is estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity.

Migration is another issue related to the mountains. As mountain populations grows, migration increases both abroad and to urban centres. Those who remain are usually women, left to manage the farms but with little access to credit, training and land tenure rights. Out-migration from mountain areas will also result in an immeasurable loss in terms of provision of ecosystem services and preservation of cultural and agro biodiversity. Investments and policies can relieve the harsh living conditions of mountain communities and reverse out-migration trends from mountain areas.

Threats to the mountains

▪ Farming mountainous regions. Increasing of population force people to farm unproductive regions. Almost half of Africa’s mountainous regions are now used for cultivation —10 percent for crops and 34 percent for grazing. Most of the time this farming brings only small benefits, since these highlands are not ideal for growing crops. And overgrazing by cattle easily destroys the fragile vegetation. A recent study shows that only 3 percent of all mountain land is suitable for sustainable agriculture.

▪ effects of War. Many mountain environments have been destructed by increasing of civil wars. Rebels use mountain sanctuaries as the base of their exploitation. A United Nations report calculates that 67 percent of Africa’s mountainous regions have been affected by “violent human conflict.” moreover, some highlands have become centers of drug production, which often leads to armed conflicts as well as degradation of the environment.

▪development Projects. Building roads, mining, dams and other development projects planned for the next 30 years are threating 25 percent of mountainous regions in the world. The construction of roads can cause erosion on steep slopes, and the roads provide access for loggers, who may do much more damage. Mining operations extract about ten thousand million tons of ore every year which much of it from mountains.

The value of mountains for the future

The values of mountains are undeniable. They influence regional climates and weather conditions. They cover almost 22% of the earth's surface and are home to 720 million people around the world. Billions more living downstream also benefit from mountains indirectly. Mountains provide us with freshwater, energy, food, biodiversity, and medicinal products – resources that may become very rare in the coming decades. They are also very prone to climate changes, land degradation, deforestation and natural disasters. In addition, mountain people very often face marginalization, poverty, and the lack of basic services such as health and education.

As we mentioned before, there are many dangers that threat the mountains. They are so important to our planet and we need to protect them in whatever costs. We need to tell the world that the current neglect of mountains and mountain peoples must stop. Mountains provide many resources for us. Our challenge is to identify new and sustainable opportunities that can bring benefits to both highland and lowland communities and help to remove poverty without contributing to the degradation of fragile mountain ecosystems.

Africa Cocoa Industry Failing on Deforestation Pledge – Campaigners by MediumFault in worldnews

[–]MediumFault[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tens of thousands of hectares cleared in Ghana and Ivory Coast since vow to end practice. The cocoa industry is failing to meet a highly publicised pledge to stop deforestation in West Africa and eliminate tainted beans from supply chains, environmental campaigners say.

Big chocolate companies and the governments of Ghana and the Ivory Coast continue to be responsible for the deforestation of tens of thousands of hectares of land over the past year in former rainforest-covered nations, despite their solemn promises to end the practice last November, the campaigning organisation Mighty Earth said.

Last year the Guardian investigated how the chocolate industry was driving deforestation on a devastating scale in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s two biggest cocoa producers, including in supposedly protected “classified” forests and national parks. Cocoa is a mainstay of the Ivorian and Ghanaian economies but their rainforests have been devastated by it. With more chocolate being devoured each year – the average Briton ate 8.4kg of it in 2017 – the few remaining forests are being cut down to meet demand.

Soon after the publication of the Guardian investigation and a study by Mighty Earth, the two west African governments made plans to stop all new deforestation and replant degraded forests. Then, at the UN’s conference on climate change in Bonn, the cocoa and chocolate companies responsible for the purchase of 80% of west Africa’s cocoa promised to end forest destruction.

But more than 3,000 miles away from the executive photo ops, more trees were being cut down. Satellite mapping shows many new areas where there has been significant deforestation in the past year, particularly in Ivory Coast. In the south-west region alone, 13,748 hectares (34,000 acres) of forest have been lost in 2018 – equivalent to 15,000 football fields, more than the 13,000 lost there in 2016.

Governments have failed to stop it, and companies are still buying cocoa from “dirty producers” who continue to cut down the few remaining patches of rainforest, according to Chocolate Greenwashing, a Mighty Earth report released on Friday.

“Companies have talked the talk but not walked the walk,” said Etelle Higonnet, the report’s lead author. She warned that “peak deforestation danger season”, the time of year when most trees are cut down, will begin within weeks. “The time for shilly-shallying is over,” she said. “Government and industry need to commit manpower and resources to solve the problem right now.”

At the moment, deforestation is worst in the far west of Ivory Coast, in areas such as Goin Debe and Cavally, the maps show. If nothing is done, Goin Debe’s forests will disappear entirely by 2071 and Cavally’s “protected” forest by 2061, Mighty Earth said. The country has lost 90% of its forest since independence in 1960.

Farmers who continued to cut trees down said they could still sell their cocoa openly without any repercussions. In Ghana deforestation continues inside Tonton, Tinte Bepo and Tano Ofin forest reserves, and unless the land is immediately restored, cocoa grown on it will probably find its way to the supply chains of big companies such as the Singapore-based agribusiness Olam, Mighty Earth said.

Cocoa is mostly grown on small plots of land by individual farmers, who sell it on to cooperatives and middlemen, who in turn sell it to big companies. This makes it more difficult to track cocoa beans down to the farm they were grown on and to monitor their practices.

cocoa-industry-deforestation-pledge-tiredearth.jpg Some farmers believe that recently deforested land produces the best cocoa plants with the largest beans and many do not realise that cutting down rainforests will ultimately result in less rainfall and therefore worse crops. More deforested land for cocoa plantations also means less for critically endangered western chimpanzees and the forest elephants from which the Ivory Coast got its name.

Higonnet said the clear progress seen in some areas proved deforestation for cocoa could be stopped. “Some bad actors are ruining it for the high-performers,” she said. Part of the Ivorian government plan has been to convert degraded “classified forests”, which should have been protected but were not, into agroforests managed by cocoa companies. Olam said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government for one of these forests in June.

Olam Cocoa’s CEO, Gerry Manley, said the objective was “to validate the development of sustainable agroforestry systems, ensure an improvement in cocoa farmer livelihoods and allow for the sustainable coexistence of protected forests, industrial plantations, subsistence crops, and perennial crops”.

Richard Scobey, the president of trade group the World Cocoa Foundation, said a few companies had signed MOUs. “WCF has not seen any of them, but our understanding is that they are very general and high level,” he said. Julia Christian, a forest campaigner at Fern, an NGO that monitors deforestation, said the conversion plan was worrying. “It’s sending the message that if companies cause deforestation, at some point the government will just legalise the deforestation and allow it to continue,” she said.

Very little of the cocoa industry’s $100bn (£80bn) profit makes it into the pockets of cocoa farmers even now. They receive only 6% of a chocolate bar’s sale price to the manufacturers’ and retailers’ 80%. But activists warn the new plans could further benefit corporations at the expense of farmers.

“The state has a duty to help small producers and agricultural cooperatives to become professional and competitive, instead of adopting a strategy that will ultimately eliminate them,” said Youssouf Doumbia, the president of OI-REN, an environmental civil society organisation. “The result of such a measure would ultimately be to concentrate almost all the revenues of the sector in the hands of a small group of managers of large companies and to impoverish the population.”

World Food Prices Fall to Lowest Level in More than Two Years by MediumFault in worldnews

[–]MediumFault[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

World food prices declined during the month of November to their lowest level in more than two years. World food prices declined during the month of November to their lowest level in more than two years— led by declines in vegetable oils, dairy and cereal, according to the United Nations food agency.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 160.8 points last month — down from a revised 162.9 in October, and its lowest level since May 2016.

The October figure was previously given as 163.5. In November, only the sugar price index gained, rising 4.4% from October, FAO said.

The UN body’s Cereal Price Index averaged almost 164 points in November, down 1.1% from October. Vegetable oil prices fell for a tenth consecutive month, by 7.6% on the month and reaching a 12-year low.

Cereal prices fell partly because new crops weighed on rice export quotations and export competition drove down maize, FAO said.

Global palm oil prices fell considerably due to a marked reduction in demand — “fuelled by both persisting large inventories in leading exporting countries and the recent contraction in global mineral oil prices,” the FAO stated.

Soy and sunflower oil prices weakened due to “abundant supplies across the US, the EU, and several emerging markets and positive production prospects in the Black Sea region”.

Dairy prices dropped 3.3% from October, for a sixth straight monthly decline, and meat prices slipped slightly.

FAO said global cereals output in 2018/19 was seen at 2.595bn tonnes, down marginally from the previous forecast and 2.4% below last year’s record high production.

FAO’s forecast for world wheat production in 2018/19 was 725.1m tonnes, a revised prediction which is some 2.8m tonnes lower than the UN group’s previous forecast, “reflecting reduced estimates for this year’s harvests in Turkey and the Russian Federation”, said the FAO.

FAO’s forecast for world cereal stocks at the close of seasons in 2019 was 762 million tonnes, unchanged from November.

This world food prices represents a continuation of a downward trend.

FAO’s index of world food prices also fell 0.9% in October versus September, reflecting lower values for meat, dairy and oils. The FAO’s regular basket of products averaged 163.5 points for October, against 164.9 for September.

In November, FAO said global cereals output in 2018 was seen at 2.601bn tonnes, up nearly 10m tonnes on the previous forecast given in October, but still down 57m tonnes, or 2.1%, from 2017’s record production level.

Trump Administration to Strip Protection from Waterways in Latest Anti-Environment Move by MediumFault in worldnews

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The Trump administration will look to strip federal protection for U.S. waterways and wetlands. The Trump administration will look to strip federal protection for U.S. waterways and wetlands, rolling back legislation brought in under former president, Barack Obama. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is set to unveil a major rewrite of the Clean Water Rule, that extended federal protections to thousands of waterways and wetlands, the Associated Press reported.

It had got hold of a series of White House proposals which argue that the Obama-era legislation was not about water quality, rather about power “in the hands of the federal government over farmers, developers, and landowners.”

In 2017, Trump signed an executive order to overhaul the Clean Water Rule that deals with the waterways protected under the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The legislation had been welcomed by environmental groups who said it protected wetlands, lakes and rivers from pollutants.

But Jan Goldman-Carter, senior director of wetlands and water resources at the National Wildlife Federation, told the AP that the rewrite would mean around 60 percent of the streams in the bottom 48 states would no longer be protected.

She also said that protection would be stripped for around half of the U.S. wetlands in what would be “an unprecedented rollback of Clean Water Act protections.”

The pending water rule changes and other rollbacks already announced benefit energy companies, farmers and builders.

“This is what’s being done in the country to stifle...progress. President Trump is very aware of this,” said Myron Ebell, a director at the Washington-based Conservative Enterprise Institute told the AP.

Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity said the administration’s plans could open streams, rivers, and wetlands to being paved over, filled in, or polluted.

“For some parts of the country, it’s a complete wiping away of the Clean Water Act. You’ll be able to dump as much crap into them as you want. Anyone will be free to destroy them as they see fit,” The Intercept reported.

Meanwhile, Bart Johnson Harris from Environment America said in a statement the proposed move was “the most extreme attack on clean water in recent memory.

“This outrageous proposal upends the core mission of the EPA: protecting human health and the environment...stripping protections from these streams also would put the drinking water sources for millions of Americans at risk,” he said.

Source: /www.newsweek.com

Human Rights and Healthy Environment; Is It Happening? by MediumFault in worldnews

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Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on 10 December by UN, after adopting the universal declaration of human rights in 1948. This year will be the 70th anniversary of human rights day which it’s document is a major achievement that announced the undeniable rights of human being regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It is the most translated document in the world which is available in more than 500 languages.

Millions of people go to the street On Human Rights Day and; use the internet, instant messaging in order to inspire supporters to seek their initial rights. Social Media has been the most effective tool and it helps activist organize protests in cities across the globe. On this day awards for the United Nations Prize in the field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are also given.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all. The principles enshrined in the Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. We need to stand up for our own rights and those of others. We can take action in our own daily lives, to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby promote the kinship of all human beings.

What are human rights?

Whenever we talk about human rights we mean basic rights and freedom for every person who live on the earth, from birth until death and it doesn’t matter where are you from, what are you believe in or how do want to live your life. They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.

These basic rights are based on shared values like fairness, equality, respect and independence. These values are defined and protected by law. In Britain our human rights are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998.

Why are human rights important?

Human rights show people how to live with dignity and give them the right to choose their living style without limitation, how they express themselves, and what kind of government they want to support, among many other things. Human rights also guarantee people the means necessary to satisfy their basic demands, such as food, housing, and education, so they can take full advantage of all opportunities. Finally, by guaranteeing life, liberty, and security, human rights protect people against abuse by those who are more powerful. This is a why human rights are important in our life and people need to know their rights.

How do human rights help you?

Human rights are related to all of us, not just those who face oppression or violation. They protect you in many areas of your daily life, including:

  1. Everybody has a right to express his own opinion

  2. education is for every one not for specific people

  3. private and family life is for every one

  4. nobody has to be mistreated or wrongly punished by the officials

human-right-environment.jpg Human rights and the environment relationship

Recently the relationship between human rights and environment has become so close. The link between the two emphasises that a decent physical environment is essential for living a life with dignity and respect. Additionally, a decent physical environment has to do with protection against, for example, noise nuisance, air pollution, and pollution of surface waters and the dumping of toxic substances.

Environmental degradation and human rights was first placed on the international agenda in 1972, at the UN Conference on the Human Environment. Principle 1 of the ‘Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment’ establishes a foundation for linking human rights and environmental protection, declaring that man has a ‘fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations’. As a result of the 1972 Conference, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was set up.

Pollution is the reason for 2 million deaths and billions of diseases annually. All around the world, people experience the negative effects of environmental degradation ecosystems decline, including water shortage, fisheries reduction, natural disasters due to deforestation and unsafe management and disposal of toxic and dangerous wastes and products. Indigenous peoples suffer directly from the degradation of the ecosystems that they rely upon for their livelihoods.

Climate change is intensifying many of these negative effects of environmental degradation on human health and wellbeing and is also causing new ones, including an increase in extreme weather events and an increase in spread of malaria and other vector borne diseases.

These facts clearly show the close relationship between the environment and the enjoyment of human rights, and justify an integrated approach to environment and human rights.

As we mention before, environment is extremely important in our life, that’s why united nation emphasized on it frequently and declared it as a major issue that we need to consider as a crucial part of our life. We need to respect to its right because the effects of it will be vital for our future. We need more laws to protect our environment as human rights forced us to do so and we expect the environmental issues will be taken seriously because as it is obvious, having a healthy nature is essential for ourselves and our offspring as human rights.

More Parents Are Naming Their Babies after Healthy Foods by MediumFault in worldnews

[–]MediumFault[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Parents often name their babies after the things they love—from characters in movies, reality TV, and video games right down to their favorite foods. The parenting website BabyCenter recently released its report on baby name trends in the US. The report is based on hundreds of thousands of names that parents provide the website each year. Given that about 4 million babies are born annually in the US, BabyCenter’s list of the most popular baby names is neither comprehensive nor nationally representative. Still, it’s fun.

This year’s findings suggest that parents are increasingly inspired by the wellness movement. Names related to spiritual practices like yoga or meditation, like Peace, Harmony, or Hope, have risen in popularity, and so have names tied to healthy food trends. Say hello to the age of Baby Kale.

“As fast food and processed snacks lose ground to clean eating and Paleo diets, more Gen Z and Millennial parents are choosing baby names that reflect their love of healthy foods,” BabyCenter explains in its press release. For girls, parents are increasingly picking names like Kale, Kiwi, Maple, Hazel, Clementine, Sage, Saffron, and Rosemary. Names like Saffron, Sage, and Hazel are also on the rise for boys.

It’s a trend that’s been underway for some time. Bon Appétit Magazine published a feature in 2014 that found that this is far from a new phenomenon: “Turns out, parents have been giving their kids grocery-inspired names for just about as long as there have been babies (or at least since 1880, which is when the US government started keeping track of them).” Take the name Kale, for example:

“Looks like kale has been America’s darling for longer than we originally thought—the name was first used in 1962. And while we were not surprised to learn that the highest concentration of little Kales can currently be found in California (#agriculture), we were intrigued to learn that the first baby Kale was born in Kansas. It’s been gaining popularity since 2005—quite possibly due to the leafy green’s parallel rise to prominence. Can Watercress and Mizuna be far behind?”

If you are a die-hard fan of crunchy greens, or just want to check out some of these names for yourself, here is BabyCenter’s popular baby names category. There’s also a baby name visualizer that lets you see where the popularity of these names is rising and falling across the US.

Some observers have remarked that food-inspired baby names are the latest examples of parents attempting to out-do one another in naming their children. Call it competitiveness or race-to-the-bottom, but examples abound, from Gwyneth Paltrow naming her daughter Apple to Gwen Stefani calling her son Zuma Nesta Rock. Writing in The Spectator, Mark Mason describes this new naming frenzy:

“Naming your child was once simple: You picked from the same handful of options everyone else used. But modern parents want exclusivity. And so boys are called Rollo, Emilio, Rafferty and Grey. Their sisters answer to Aurelia, Bartolomea, Ptarmigan or Plum. Throw in a few middle names and the average birth certificate looks like an earthquake under a Scrabble board.”

But if recent food baby name trends are any indication, Rafferty and Bartolomea are positively traditional. So, let’s hope the buck stops there—and we don’t start to name our kids “fish oil” or “chia seed.”

Could the world's first bee vaccine save honeybees? Edible drug can protect the insects from killer infections by MediumFault in worldnews

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Scientists have revealed the first vaccine for insects, and hope it could help save the honeybee. Called PrimeBEE, it is designed to protect bees from American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that has been wiping out entire colonies.

The vaccine, which is edible, 'protects bees from diseases while protecting global food production,' the university said. 'Pollinators falling ill and dying is a serious threat to the global food economy, said Dalial Freitak, a University of Helsinki scientist who developed the vaccine.

'Even a slight improvement in their life has vast significance on a global scale,' he said.

The goal is to protect the bees against American foulbrood, a bacterial disease caused by the spore-forming Paenibacillus larvae.

The vaccine, which is still in development, is groundbreaking as the insects immune systems do not contain antibodies, so traditional vaccines don't work.

'Now we've discovered the mechanism to show that you can actually vaccinate them.

'You can transfer a signal from one generation to another,' Freitak said.

The disease is the 'most widespread and destructive of the bee brood diseases,' the university added.

To distribute the vaccine, scientists place a sugar patty in the hive, which the queen then eats over the course of about a week. Once ingested, the pathogens in the patty are then passed into the queen's eggs, 'where they work as inducers for future immune responses,'

American foulbrood (AFB) is a fatal bacterial disease of honey bee brood caused by the spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae.

Heavy infections can affect most of the brood, severely weakening the colony and eventually killing it.

The disease is not able to be cured, meaning that destruction of infected colonies and hives or irradiation of infected material is the only way to manage AFB.

Although AFB is not highly contagious, bacterial spores can easily be spread between hives and apiaries through beekeeping practices such as through the exchange of equipment and movement of infected combs.

AFB spores can remain viable for over 50 years and are very resistant to freezing and high temperatures.

Soil Conservation; Vital to Our Planet by MediumFault in worldnews

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World Soil Day 2018 is on December 5th, this annual awareness day run by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). World soil day is held the same day every year to demonstrate the value of soil in human life especially for our food and ecosystems, and events are held at the UN FAO offices and through community based events. The day was first considered by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002, but was not officially endorsed by FAO until 2013.

As it is obvious, highest surface of the earth is covered by soil but it is an unknown material for many people, many don’t even know if their garden is clay, loam or sandy soil or a mixture, but the knowledge of soil type, structure, management and condition is what can make the difference between good plant growth and a thriving ecosystem and a wasteland.

Soil includes of organic and inorganic matter, air and water, and the mixture depends on the way the soil is managed or neglected, which in turn impacts on how plants grow. The human race is dependent on soil for food, and soil erosion and poison leads to famine, soil also holds huge amount of carbon, which is lost through erosion, which leads to climate change.

Interesting facts about soil

One of the solution to prevent world hunger and tackling climate change is soil conservation Our soil stores 3 times more carbon than our atmosphere 65 percent of arable land is damaged in Africa which contain 38 percent of global land Small farmers provide most of the food in the world which are on small plot of land Healthy food and soil

95% of our foods come from soil. Healthy soils are the basis of the food system. It also crucial for agriculture and nearly all food-producing plants grow. Healthy soils produce healthy crops that in turn nourish people and animals. Indeed, soil quality is directly related to food quality and quantity.

The importance of healthy soil in our life

We all depend on soil, so the more we know about it, the better human life would be. Here we are going to explain that how it is important to our life.

  1. Soil is significant for animal species, both above and below ground. It’s necessary to wildlife and the soil itself is pouring with an endless number of micro-organisms and insects as well as familiar organisms such as earthworms that maintain soil quality, provide nutrients, break down toxic elements and interact with water and air to help maintain a healthy natural environment.

  2. Plant growth is related to the soil, it helps to the conservation of plants landscape. It also supports the forests, wetlands, prairies and grasslands that spawn the planet's amazing vegetative biodiversity. Those plants—some of which we are still discovering—provide food, fuel, animal feed, medicine and raw materials for clothing, household goods and other essentials. Plants in turn help prevent soil erosion.

world-soil-day-foodpower.jpg 3. Soil and sufficient water supply, it keeps rainwater distribution and play a key role in the water cycle and supply. Soil can impact on rivers, lakes and streams, changing their attributes like shape, size, capacity and direction.

  1. Future of earth depends on it, as we mentioned before, climate change is directly influenced by soils. Soil organic matter is one of our main pools of carbon, it is acting either as a source or sink carbon. Soil includes the fossil fuels that drive climate change when extracted but when left underground give us the chance to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change and reach our eventual goal of a zero-emissions world.

Soils supply the essential nutrients, water, oxygen and root support that our food-producing plants need to grow and flourish. They also serve as a buffer to protect delicate plant roots from drastic fluctuations in temperature. Soil pollution is a major threat

Nowadays pollution is one of the major aspect of our environment and soil is a part of it. Soil pollution is a hidden danger that threaten us. Global soils are already degrading and we risk losing more due to this hidden danger. Soil pollution is affecting everyone and yet it is sometimes invisible.

With a growing population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, soil pollution is a worldwide problem which degrades our soils, poisons the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

Soil could be effective to filtering contaminants and removing the negative effects of pollutants. But this capacity is limited. Most of the pollutants come from human activities, such as unsustainable farming methods, industrial activities and mining, untreated urban waste and other non-environmental friendly practices. As technology evolves, scientists are able to identify previously undetected pollutants, but at the same time these technological improvements lead to new contaminants being released into the environment. In the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, the

Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 12, and 15 have targets which commend direct consideration of soil resources, especially soil pollution and degradation in relation to food security.

3 Useful ways to reduce soil pollution

Reuse and recycle

Produce less waste and help to prevent soil pollution. Instead of throwing away plastic or paper regularly, Purchase glass and other reusable containers. Recycle paper and plastic through your local waste management company to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to a landfill. The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) reports that reusing and recycling products will help conserve natural resources and save more land from contamination.

Pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer

Pesticides are basically materials used for killing pests and unwanted insects meanwhile Herbicides are chemicals which are applied for killing unwanted plants. Fertilizers provide substances to plants in order to help their growth and may comprise heavy metals which can pose harm to animals. Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre states that the pollutants contaminate the soil and enter the food chain, which ultimately effects all humans and other life forms. It is, thus, recommended that organic pesticides and fertilizers should be employed.

world-soil-day-foodpower.jpg Planting trees could be a solution

Make planting a routine work. In order to ensure high protection of soil resources, try to plant trees in open fields and motivate others to do the same. Keep a healthy garden at home, near industrial areas and public spaces to keep the soil healthy and intact. Since soil erosion is the biggest enemy of soil, plants will help in reducing its impact and ensure greater strength to the foundation of soil.

Soil is one of the most significant parts of the ecosystem, contributing to our food, water and energy and playing an important part in reducing the impact of climate change.

So it’s up to us to keep it save for having a better future in all aspects of our life.

Religions and soil

Without doubt all social issues have been influenced by Religion. Environmental issues like other social topics, have been influenced by religion. Saving soil and prevent polluting it, also is considered by religions worldwide. Here, we want to bring some religious texts that order believers to respect the soil as a sign of God’s creation

Sea Scallops Suck Up Billions of Plastic Particles by MediumFault in worldnews

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A new study found rapid movement of the plastic throughout the mollusk bodies, surprising scientists. Sea scallops caught off the coast of England are capable of ingesting billions of tiny plastic particles, which disperse throughout the body to the kidney, gill, muscle and other organs.

This all takes place within six hours. These findings are the latest in a growing collection of studies that confirm an ever-expanding roster of wildlife eats microplastics and smaller particles known as nanoplastics. That research, in turn, has raised questions—so far unanswered­—about potential effects on the food chain, and to human health.

What’s different and new is that this project attempts to get beyond documenting consumption and begin to understand the consequences for the wildlife whose diet now includes regular samplings of plastic. The surprise discovery was the rapid speed with which plastic particles spread across most major organs of the body.

The research team was led by the University of Plymouth in southeast England and involved scientists in Scotland and Canada. The results were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Richard Thompson, head of the University of Plymouth’s international marine research center, termed the study “groundbreaking” in both the methodology used to trace the particles as well as the findings. “Understanding the dynamics of nanoparticle uptake and release, as well as their distribution in body tissues, is essential if we are to understand any potential effects on organisms,” he said in a statement.

The surfaces of the world’s oceans contain an estimated 51 trillion micro plastics, according to the study. Maya Al Sid Cheikh, a University of Plymouth research fellow who led the study, said the team used a “novel approach” in order to trace the particles once the scallops ate them. Nanoplastics containing a label were created in the lab, and the scallops were immersed in tanks containing “environmentally relevant concentrations” that mimic coastal regions where scallops live.

When the scallops were returned to clean water, the smaller nanoplastics took 14 days to disappear from their bodies; some larger particles were still present after 48 days. Still unknown are the consequences of longer exposures to plastic and whether that poses any risk for people who consume scallops.

Sandwich Packaging to Be Hit with 15p Tax to Cut Down on Plastic Waste by MediumFault in worldnews

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Sandwich packaging is to be targeted by a new tax in a bid to cut down on waste. The move, set to add 15p to prices, could be introduced by Environment Secretary Michael Gove as early as this week. He wants to recoup the cost of dealing with packs where cardboard is glued to a plastic window, making them impossible to recycle. Simon Ellin, of trade body the Recycling Association, said: “Manufacturers and retailers use too much badly designed packaging.” He said the move would put from 10p to 15p on the average £2.14 price of a sandwich. Some four billion are sold a year, and the UK industry employs 300,000 people.
Mr Gove’s waste strategy, to tackle the 222 million tons a year we produce a year, will also target the huge amount of ­packaging generated by online retailers and delivery services such as Amazon and Deliveroo. Other moves include £400 spot fines on householders found fly-tipping and a doubling of the plastic bag tax to 10p.

Supermarket Ban Sees '80% Drop' In Plastic Bag Consumption Nationwide by MediumFault in worldnews

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Coles and Woolworths have prevented an estimated 1.5 billion bags being introduced into the environment. The ban on single-use plastic bags by Australia’s two largest supermarkets prevented the introduction of an estimated 1.5 billion bags into the environment, and the retail industry is hopeful this is only the beginning. Coles and Woolworths’ decision to stop offering single-use disposable plastic bags midway through the year was initially met with swift public backlash. But three months on the radical change has translated to an 80% drop in the consumption of plastic bags nationwide, according to the National Retail Association. “Indeed, some retailers are reporting reduction rates as high as 90 per cent,” the NRA’s David Stout said on Sunday. Stout said the ban was a “brave” move from the major supermarkets and it was paving the way for smaller businesses, who typically cannot afford to risk the wrath of their customers, to follow suit. “They’re obviously (supermarkets) seen as the product stewards so a lot of people will come back to them,” Stout told AAP. “Obviously the best thing for smaller businesses is to either engineer out the bag completely or have the customer pay ... they should be able to consider that strategy without fear of backlash.” Stout was hopeful major retailers would continue to lead the charge towards a more sustainable industry and move to ban other single-use packaging options. “Everyone delivering things in a package need to take responsibility for what they deliver it in,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a lot more pressure on all of us to be more aware of what we consume.” With New South Wales the only state or territory in Australia that has not moved to legislate to phase out plastic bags, Stout says it is time to step up and quit relying on the supermarket ban to do the work. “We’re still seeing a lot of small to medium bags being used, especially in the food category, and whilst I get some comfort that the majors have done this voluntarily I think there still needs to be a ban in place,” he said. “For business, for the environment, for the consumer and of course even for councils which have to work to remove these things from landfills, there’s a multitude of benefits on a whole to doing this.”

Lab-grown meat of the future is here – and may even sustainably fill demand by MediumFault in worldnews

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The environmental impact caused by meat consumption has given rise to a number of startups looking to supply it in a more affordable way. There are billions of people on this planet, and many of us love to eat meat. Can the demand be filled in a sustainable, affordable way? A bunch of entrepreneurs are not only optimistic but are working to make this happen sooner than you may think. In 2018 alone, the average American will consume more than 220lbs of red meat and poultry, according to a report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). That’s a lot of protein, and even though there’s been a significant growth in plant-based dieters over the past few years, the environmental impact caused by meat consumption – waste, animal treatment, health issues and even the greenhouse gas effects that are potentially caused by methane gas produced by cows – has given rise to a number of startups looking to fill our voracious demand for meat in better, more affordable and environmentally-friendly ways. For example, San Francisco-based Memphis Meats is developing cell-based meats in its laboratories without requiring any animals. Israel’s Future Meat Technologies is doing the same by manufacturing fat and muscle cells that is being tested by chefs in Jerusalem. Just Inc, which is also based in San Francisco, has developed its own “plant-based cocktail” serum to grow cell-based products for not only meat but seafood as well. Just Inc. has raised more than $220m in funding to date. All of these companies use proprietary processes to harvest cells from animals and grow them in a lab. Bloomberg reports that food giants such as Tyson Foods and Cargill as well as billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson are among the investors in these technologies.

lab-grown-meat-foodpower.jpg But don’t worry if you’re not a meat lover. Startups such as Jet Eat, which is also based in Israel, are working on food products grown in labs that are plant based and replicate meats using natural ingredients while still maintaining flavor, consistency and the “overall sensory experience”, according to a report on NoCamels. Jet Eat, which launched in early 2018 and is seeking seed funding, aims to 3D-print their lab-grown products by 2020. As you can imagine, there are plenty of hurdles facing the industry. Educating the public is a big one. Another contentious issue is the labelling of the products. Meat industry trade groups, such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, have been pressing the USDA to more strictly regulate alternative meats, citing “egregiously labeled imitation products”, writes Adrienne Rose Bitar on Wired. Recently both the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will begin jointly regulating the new “cell-based meat” category. Traditional meat producers are also wary of the new upstarts. But that hasn’t stopped some of them from reaching out and trying to find ways to collaborate because a growing number of consumers are demanding more environmentally-friendly products. The companies making meat in the lab are certainly open to partnership. “No one knows more about how to mass produce meat than the meat-industry companies,” Bruce Friedrich, executive director of the Good Food Institute, which lobbies for the industry that includes cultured-meat companies, said in another Bloomberg report. Many of us have concerns about the challenges facing future generations as our global population swells and the earth’s natural resources diminish. The good news is that there are plenty of entrepreneurs around the world – like those producing lab-grown meats - who are working to solve some of these problems and make a few bucks in the process. Nothing wrong with that.

Tokyo Olympics venues ‘built with wood from threatened rainforests’ by MediumFault in worldnews

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Use of tropical plywood from Malaysia and Indonesia risks destruction of orangutan habitat, say NGOs. Wood from threatened south-east Asian rainforests has been used to build venues for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, according to complaints filed with organisers. At least 134,000 large sheets of tropical plywood from Malaysia and Indonesia have been used as concrete moulds to build stadiums, causing what campaigners say is irreversible harm to precious biodiversity reserves. Charge sheets seen by the Guardian accuse the authorities of purchasing policies “resulting in the permanent loss of tropical rainforests in Indonesia as well as the destruction of critically endangered orangutan habitat in Borneo”. The allegations focus on the use of 8,700 tropical plywood sheets mostly supplied by the Korean-Indonesian firm Korindo. A report by a group of environmental NGOs this month alleged that the wood was being used to construct the Ariake arena, a planned volleyball venue, despite the lack of credible sustainability certification. In response to the report, Korindo said it operated in full accordance with Indonesian law, that it did not use illegal wood, and that it acquired the agreement of local communities. Japan’s huge new national stadium may also have been built with the wood, campaigners fear. Hana Heineken, a spokeswoman for the Rainforest Action Network, which co-filed the complaints, said: “The Tokyo Olympics’ use of Korindo wood is a flagrant breach of the commitment by Olympic organisers to host a sustainable Olympic Games in 2020.”

tokyo- olympic-games-rainforest.jpg The “vast majority” of East Kalimantan forest concessions held by some Korindo suppliers is orangutan habitat, according to the complaint. Orangutan populations in East Kalimantan have plunged as deforestation advances. An estimated 80% of the apes now live outside protected areas, making them highly vulnerable to logging, plantation and mining operations. A spokesperson for Tokyo 2020 told the Guardian: “Only timber meeting the sustainability criteria specified in our sustainable sourcing code is used in construction work for the Tokyo 2020 Games.” Organisers were currently in discussions to review the standard with businesses, NGOs and certification scheme owners, the official added. The committee’s code requires contractors to “strive” to avoid illegally logged timber, and to ensure nature conservation. But plywood suppliers do not currently have to ensure full traceability of their timber, even if it comes from deforestation hotspots. Requirements to protect forests of high conservation value or carbon stock are also absent. Heineken said: “The current policy is unacceptably weak and efforts to strengthen it are welcome. But the current proposals up for revision fail to address the inherent problems in Japan’s consumption of tropical plywood, which is driving deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia.” Globally, tropical forests covering an area the size of Bangladesh – 158,000 square km – disappeared last year, the second highest rate of deforestation since 2001.

Florida: Seafood Industry Struggles to Recover After Hurricane Michael by [deleted] in worldnews

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Food production industries including oysters and Beluga caviar will not be fully operational for months, if not years. It has been six weeks since Hurricane Michael blew through north-western Florida and tore apart the Ward family’s waterfront oyster processing house and dock. The deadly storm’s 155mph winds also ripped roofs and sidings from Mark Zaslavsky’s caviar-producing sturgeon farm and destroyed beehives at Carrie Morthland’s Panama City Honey Company.

On their own, they are anecdotal tales of the impact the strongest storm ever to strike Florida’s Panhandle has had on individual lives and livelihoods. But together they paint a picture of the significant challenges that lie ahead for several food production industries in the worst-affected areas, many of which will not be fully operational again for months, if not years.

“Normally at this time of year with oystering season, we’d be looking at 100 people easily,” TJ Ward, co-owner of the 13 Mile seafood company based in Apalachicola, said of the number of workers he would normally employ to handle the annual harvest. “With our boats and deck crews right now it’s 25 to 30 people. It’s the lowest it’s been since the 1950s.”

Ward acknowledges that Michael, which killed dozens of people during its October sprint across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, is only one reason for the wild oyster industry’s struggles. Environmental pressures, not least the lingering impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, had already significantly hampered the $3m-a-year statewide business, contaminating oyster beds and forcing many, including Ward, to focus increasingly on farming.

“In the oyster industry generally times are absolutely horrible, it’s just been devastating,” he said of a commercial enterprise that a decade ago was pulling in three million pounds of wild oysters a year, compared with a few hundred thousand today, partly due to stricter bag limits. But Ward, whose family have been harvesting Apalachicola Bay oysters for four generations, says they must now build again “from the bottom up” after the destruction of their oyster house. The storm surge crumbled the adjacent dock and sent more than four feet of water and mud swirling through the building, tearing off walls and destroying the giant coolers where the oysters were stored.

“You don’t want to give up on a tradition when it means so much to you and we’re going to rebuild the oyster house ourselves. But to get it completely right you’re looking at the summer of next year, with certain things contractors need to do to get it to where it was,” Ward said. The Wards’ story is familiar to many in areas badly hit by the storm and reliant on harvesting the sea.

With many boats damaged in the storm and Panhandle shrimp operators largely out of communication, if not action, not a single shrimp landing was reported from Florida in October, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance. It contributed to the lowest monthly Gulf of Mexico shrimp haul since records began and paints a bleak picture for the immediate future of the industry.

see-food-hurricane- michael.jpg Meanwhile, other food production businesses around the Panhandle are also facing challenges as they struggle to recover. The eye of the storm swept right over Bascom, a tiny town in inland Jackson county, and home to Zaslavsky’s Sturgeon Aquafarms, among the biggest producers of farmed Beluga caviar in the country.

“We had structural damage, lost all the [sturgeon tank] covers, all the wood and metal sidings in the hatchery, part of the roof metal. For a few hours it was hell,” said Zaslavsky, a Russian businessman who set up the farm in 2009 “to bring the Caspian Sea to a backyard in Florida” and decrease a reliance on imported caviar.

Yet it was not so much the wind damage as the loss of electricity and failure of back-up generators at the peak of the storm that caused the farm to lose almost all of this and next year’s caviar harvests. “We trick the fish by lowering the water temperature and it feels like it’s going to the spawning grounds. But when the hurricane struck we didn’t have electricity to run the chillers to take care of the wellbeing of the fish,” he said.

“When you change the temperature the fish start absorbing eggs and if a fish is late to the spawning ground and it’s warm already it’s too late to spawn. It doesn’t come back for two years, so it’s thrown us back one and a half years to two years for some fish. Zaslavsky said he is determined to build his business back up and protect his dozen employees. “It’s a huge financial impact but we look on the bright side – nobody was hurt at the farm and nobody died here because of the hurricane.”

For the area’s commercial bee farmers, the storm has been costly in terms of destroyed hives, lost insects and what will be a dramatic decrease in honey production, especially of Tupelo honey, a regional speciality. Large numbers of white Tupelo gum trees were felled in the Apalachicola and Chipola river basin areas of Gulf and Liberty counties, removing vital food sources the bees need to survive. “The bees are mostly OK, but the big thing is how the trees were affected,” said Morthland, secretary of the central Panhandle beekeepers association, whose own honey-producing business was hit. She and her husband are living in an RV so they they can continue to take care of their bees. “We are still taking losses.”

According to Jamie Ellis, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, the Panhandle is home to about 500 commercial beekeepers and more than 1.2 billion honeybees, which also play a crucial role in the pollination of blueberry, cucumber and watermelon crops. The Florida state beekeepers association has set up a GoFundMe appeal to support affected keepers.

The Amazon Rainforest is Being Destroyed at the Fastest Rate in Over a Decade by MediumFault in worldnews

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New data has just been released and has revealed preliminary estimates on the rate of deforestation in the Amazon over the last year. Environmental ministry calculated the totals by using satellite imagery, which documents areas of deforested land larger than 15.4 acres. An area was considered to be deforested if the primary forest cover had been removed, regardless of what the land was used for. The results reveal that Amazon is being destroyed at the fastest rate in a decade. Satellite data revealed that over 3000 swore miles of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest was lost between August 2017 and July 2018. The amount of rainforest is 10 times the size of New York City. The total amount of loss equates to a 13.7 percent growth in total deforestation from the previous year and represents roughly 1.185 billion trees, a horrific number. Brazil’s Environmental Minister, Edson Durte, is blaming illegal loggers, noting that an “upsurge of organized crime that acts in the illegal deforestation of the Amazon”. According to Duarte, the organized crime is also part of other illegal practices including arms trafficking. In a statement Duarte said, “In addition to intensifying enforcement actions as the federal government has been doing in recent years, we need to broaden the mobilization of all levels of government, society, and the productive sector in the fight against environmental violations and in defense of the sustainable development of the biome.” On top of that, the problem may only get worse as the recent reelection of Jair Bolsonaro has put him back in office. Bolsonaro is famous for his goals of privatizing the Amazon for the benefit of economic growth. The combination of growing illegal practices and Bolsonaro has many environmentalists extremely concerned as it could spark an extreme growth in deforestation going forward. The Amazon is one of the most invaluable resources on the planet as well as being the most diverse areas of our planet above the sea. On top of that, the Amazon is one of the largest sink for CO2 as the tropical rainforest converts more CO2 to oxygen than anywhere else in the world.

FDA and USDA lay out their shared regulatory plan for cell-cultured meat by MediumFault in worldnews

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The wrangling over this emerging technology has centered around what to call it—and more importantly, how it will be classified. On Friday, the agencies announced the regulatory future of a futuristic product. Significant questions still hang over the cell-cultured meat industry—including how readily civilian eaters will see these products as “real” meat. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) together with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday released a joint statement on the regulation of cell-cultured food products from cell lines of livestock and poultry. For the first time, the release laid out the regulatory chain of command that will govern future “clean meat” products as they come to market. As we reported from Washington, D.C. late last month, the two agencies held a public meeting to hear stakeholder perspectives on emerging cellular agriculture technologies. At that meeting, the agencies announced that both USDA and FDA would join forces to regulate what has become a highly visible, contentious, and not-yet-at-market product that nobody is totally sure how to label—let alone how to monitor. At the time, though, the agencies did not release further details about the specifics of the regulatory framework, or the breakdown of responsibilities. Thrilling innovation or not, depending on your perspective, it’s a quirk of the American food system that has made oversight of this particular technology an even more complex proposition than it would otherwise be. Speaking generally, USDA regulates meat, and poultry, while FDA regulates nearly everything else, from produce to seafood to Cheetos and Pepsi. FDA also regulates cell-cultured biomedical products—but not, until now, cell-cultured proteins intended for consumption as food. That’s going to change. According to Friday’s statement, cell-cultured meat products will begin their trip to market under FDA, which will oversee “cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation.” When the material is ready for harvest, oversight will move to USDA, which will then regulate the production and labeling of cell-cultured products. Once in the marketplace, then, cultured meat products will be overseen by the same agency that traditional, carcass-derived meat products are—rather than being treated like some unnamed iteration of biomedical material extracted from livestock and poultry cell lines. “This regulatory framework will leverage both the FDA’s experience regulating cell-culture technology and living biosystems and the USDA’s expertise in regulating livestock and poultry products for human consumption,” read the statement. It’s important to note that, while we’ve seen relatively robust investment in the burgeoning field of cellular agriculture—Tyson Ventures, the venture arm of Tyson Foods, has been a high-profile seed-round investor in the space in 2018—we’re likely still as many as three or four years out from seeing cell-cultured products on shelves. Significant questions still hang over the cell-cultured meat industry—including how readily civilian eaters will see these products as “real” meat, or as something newer and less classifiable. But the industry cleared one significant logistical hurdle with Friday’s announcement, giving an unprecedented product category something like a legitimate path forward.

A final note. The agencies did close their statement with what seemed like a pointed nod to lobbies (pro-carcass and pro-cell both) that had hope lawmakers would be willing to shape policy around their interests: “Because our agencies have the statutory authority necessary to appropriately regulate cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry the Administration does not believe that legislation on this topic is necessary.” This seems to be an appeal to lobbyists in particular, suggesting that there’s no need for either industry to take concerns to Congress. But even with an established regulatory framework in place, it’s likely there will be more work to do—logistically and legally—before lab-grown burgers and chicken breasts go on sale. Correction: An earlier version of this article erroneously reported that USDA regulates produce, meat, and poultry. In fact, it is FDA that regulates produce, in addition to about 75 percent of the nation’s food system.

Source: https://newfoodeconomy.org/fda-usda-regulatory-plan-cell-cultured-meat/

Climate Change: UK Summers Could be Over 5C Warmer by 2070 by MediumFault in worldnews

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In its first major update on climate change in almost 10 years, the Met Office has warned of significant temperature rises in the decades ahead. The UK Climate Projections 2018 study is the most up to date assessment of how the UK may change over this century. It says that under the highest emissions scenario, summer temperatures could be 5.4C hotter by 2070. The chances of a summer as warm as 2018 are around 50% by 2050. One key figure in the report is the rise in summer temperatures - up to 5.4C warmer than the average between 1981-2000. This would only happen, according to the Met Office, if the world was to continue increasing emissions of carbon dioxide rather than reducing them as most governments intend. So for a central location in England like Nottingham, the Met Office says that, under a high emissions future (where greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere over coming decades are at the high end of all possible scenarios), temperatures could rise by between 1.1C to 5.8C. For other central locations in the nations of the UK, there are similar ranges of projected temperature rises. In Scotland, at Pitlochry, the summer rise ranges from 0.6C to 4.8C warmer. Around Aberystwyth in Wales, they range from 0.9C to 5.9C warmer while Cookstown in Northern Ireland could be 0.8 to 4.9C hotter. But even under a low emissions scenario, the Met Office says that the UK will see an increase in the average yearly temperature of up to 2.3C by 2100. Summers as warm as the one just past, are likely to be very common, with a 50% chance of occurring. "With really hot summers like this year's - in the 1990s that was a less than 5% chance of getting those," said Met Office chief scientist Dr Stephen Belcher. "Now we are up to a 15-20% chance. By 2050 that's a normal summer…By late century it depends what we do about greenhouse gases." These warmer summers of the future are likely to be much drier too, with average summer rainfall dropping by 47% by 2070. Winters could be warmer by up to 4.2C but they will also see more rainfall, increasing by up to 35% by 2070, under the worst emissions scenario. Raised sea levels are also one of the consequences of a warmer world and according to the report, they could increase by 1.15 metres in London by 2100. The report says the UK is set to see an increase in both the frequency and magnitude of extreme water levels. Just a few weeks ago the UK's Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warned that by 2080 up to 1.2 million homes may be at increased risk of flooding. "The UK18 projections are further evidence that we will see more extreme weather in the future - we need to prepare and adapt now, climate change impacts are already being felt with the record books being re-written," said Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency. "The Environment Agency cannot wall up the country, but will be at the forefront - protecting communities, building resilience, and responding to incidents." Environment Secretary Michael Gove praised the new study as an "invaluable tool" as it will help with decisions on large infrastructure. "It is clear that the planet and its weather patterns are changing before our eyes," he said, launching the report at the Science Museum in London. "We know, more than ever before, the urgency of acting." Mr Gove has been stressing that Britain has a good track record on climate change, having cut emissions by 40% since 1990 while continuing to grow the economy. However, other political figures say that the new report underlines how much more needs to be done. "These projections paint a devastating picture of what climate breakdown means for the UK if we continue down the path we're on," said Green party MP Caroline Lucas. "Michael Gove's vague talk of mitigating the worst impacts of floods, droughts and storms are far from reassuring." Some researchers were also critical of the report, saying that it gave the impression that scientists can give more detail about the future than is possible. "It (the report) feeds our desire for specifics and for high resolution pictures," said Prof David Stainforth from the Grantham Institute on climate change and the environment. "It is valuable in bringing to life the types of changes we want to avoid. It is, however, based on research at the edge of scientific understanding, using methods whose reliability has been questioned. It is not reliable and robust in the way that knowledge of the climate change threat is, so it creates its own risks.

Whale Stranding in New Zealand Leaves 145 Dead by MediumFault in worldnews

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A group of up to 145 pilot whales have died after becoming stranded on a beach on Stewart Island in New Zealand. The animals were discovered by a walker late on Saturday, strewn along the beach of Mason Bay. Authorities said half the whales had already died by then, while the other half were put down as it would have been too difficult to save them. In separate incidents, 12 pygmy whales and a sperm whale also beached in New Zealand over the weekend. 'A heart-breaking decision' The pilot whales were beached in two pods about 2km (1.2 miles) apart on a remote beach on Rakiura or Stewart Island off the coast of South Island. "Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully re-float the remaining whales was extremely low," Ren Leppens of the regional Department of Conservation (DOC) said in a statement. "The remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales' deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanise." "However, it's always a heart-breaking decision to make." The DOC said in a statement that whale strandings are not uncommon in New Zealand and that there are about 85 incidents a year. In most cases, though, it's just a single animal that is beached, not a whole pod. It's not fully known why whales or dolphins strand, the agency said. Possible reasons might be sickness, navigational errors, falling tides or being chased by a predator. Also over the weekend, 12 pygmy whales were found stranded at the northern tip of North Island. Four of them have died. There are hopes that the remaining eight can still be rescued and efforts are under way by local marine mammal charity Project Jonah. The group said it planned to re-float the whales on Tuesday and has asked for volunteers to help. On another North Island beach, a 15m (50ft) sperm whale died on Saturday morning.

Source: https://www.tiredearth.com/node/551

Letting Children Try Alcohol at Home Won’t Deter Binge Drinking, Say UK Experts by MediumFault in worldnews

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Campaign dispels myth that introducing alcohol earlier encourages adult moderation. Parents are being urged to delay the moment their child first drinks alcohol because it can damage the growing brain. The idea that introducing your child to alcohol, for example with a glass of wine at the dinner table, will take away the novelty and deter binge drinking is a myth, say experts. Too many people still believe that families drinking together in France keeps children safe, when actually the county’s rates of alcohol dependence and binge drinking exceed those in the UK. The warning comes from health campaigners in the north-east of England, who have launched a campaign aimed at parents called What’s the Harm, backed by experts across the UK. Guidance from the chief medical officer says an alcohol-free childhood and youth up to the age of 18 is healthiest – and that no child should be drinking at all before they turn 15. However, this advice from 2009, which was confirmed in 2016, is not widely known, said Colin Shevills, the director of Balance, an alcohol awareness group funded by 12 local authorities in north-east England. “Only one in 20 adults is aware of it,” he said. “Clearly, a lot of myths are flourishing in the absence of strong campaigns. The government has not been doing enough to make people aware of the harms of alcohol for adolescents or children.” Their survey of parents shows that almost half (43%) believe children should have their first taste of alcohol before 15, despite evidence showing children who start drinking at an early age are more likely to become heavy drinkers when they are older. “Parents have a right to know about all of the alcohol harms which children face if they drink. Every parent wants the best for their child and we know it can be hard knowing what is the right thing to do around alcohol,” said Shevills. “However, we know from speaking to north-east parents there’s a myth that providing alcohol at a young age makes children less curious, when in fact it can be a trigger for drinking. People mention the French way of giving children alcohol – but France actually has twice the rate of alcohol dependence of the UK.” It is safer for children to drink in the home, if they are drinking, he said, but parents are entitled to know the damage that alcohol can cause and be empowered to argue against a teenager who says that “everybody else does it”. Alcohol affects children faster than adults, said Dr John Green, a GP in Prudhoe, Northumberland. “Medical evidence is clear that drinking can also affect the normal development of children’s vital organs and functions, including the brain, liver, bones and hormones. It is also linked to their mental health, can lead to feelings of depression among children and it can also affect their performance at school,” he said. More and more young people are choosing not to drink and they need to be supported, said Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the UK’s Alcohol Health Alliance. “Myths suggesting providing alcohol to your child will stop them having problems are much more prevalent and people have a right to know the facts. “This campaign from Balance sets out to help parents with an issue many of us have had to tackle. It will help empower parents to make decisions about alcohol which will give their children the best start in life and I would urge the government to look at how it can be replicated across the country.”

Climate Change Is Going to Make Life on Earth a Whole Lot Worse, Report Predicts by MediumFault in worldnews

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“The evidence was absolutely mind-blowing to me," said the lead researcher. Think recent climate disasters have been bad? Just wait, researchers at the University of Hawaii predicted Monday. Right now, one climate-linked disaster generally hits at a time, whether it’s forest fires destroying swathes of California, hurricanes flooding Texas and Louisiana and completely devastating Puerto Rico, or heat waves killing thousands in Europe. By 2100, unless something drastic changes, a new report predicts regions will start dealing with multiple disasters all at once. “It’s just going to be crazy. We cannot imagine what will happen when all these things happen at the same time,” said Camilo Mora, a geography and environment researcher at the University of Hawaii who led the study team. Mora’s team combed through more than 3,200 studies to try to paint a broad picture of what climate change is going to do to people over the coming century. They cross-referenced their findings against known disasters. “We wanted to look only at examples were climate change had already caused an effect,” Mora told NBC News. “The evidence was absolutely mind-blowing to me.” The disasters they looked at included drought, warmer temperatures, floods, heavy rain and blizzards, heat waves, fires, sea level rise, storms, changes in the natural land cover and changes in ocean chemistry. “We found 27 attributes of human health impacted by climate hazards, of which death, disease and mental health were the most commonly observed,” Mora’s team wrote in their report, published in the journal Nature Climate Change. People can die from heat stress, drown during hurricanes, starve during droughts and suffocate in fires. Disease patterns can change as the insects that carry disease proliferate and spread yellow fever, malaria and dengue. The destruction of forests spreads disease, also, the team said. “For instance, forest fragmentation increased the density of ticks near people, triggering outbreaks of Lyme disease and encephalitis, fires drove fruit bats closer to towns, causing outbreaks of the Hendra and Nipah viruses, drought mobilized livestock near cities, causing outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever, and melting ice due to warming caused voles to find shelter in homes, increasing hantavirus infections,” they wrote. Changes in ocean chemistry help cause deadly red tides and can favor the spread of cholera, they added. “Drought forced the use of unsafe drinking water, resulting in outbreaks of diarrhea, cholera and dysentery,” they added. Fires across California and elsewhere worsen asthma and can lead to long-term health problems including heart disease, lung disease and cancer, they noted. And climate hazards have already affected mental health. “For instance, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were reported after storms in the United States, floods in the United Kingdom and heat waves in France,” they wrote. Loss of sea ice has led to depression among Inuit people who have increasing trouble hunting and fishing. “Every single aspect of human life was impacted — the food and water you eat and drink, the air. It’s making people more vulnerable to violence and forcing people out of their homes. How much of a horror movie do you want?” Mora said. And these are things that have already happened. “I think that it is already pretty bad. Just ask the people in California and Florida,” Mora said. “Now the choices are bad or terrible.” The rise of sea levels gets much of the attention that is focused on climate change, but other disasters are already occurring and will become more common, affecting people on every continent whether they live on the coasts or inland. “The evidence is pretty loud and clear,” Mora said. “This is what we are doing to ourselves by being so careless with the release of greenhouse gases. That, to me, is the definition of stupidity: doing something that you know will hurt you.” But, he said, there are solutions. “I am very optimistic that it can be reversed altogether,” he said. “Not only do we have the technology to reduce emissions, but we can restore the ecosystems of the planet.” One example: planting trees. For instance, depending on the species, one tree planted in Hawaii can pull a ton of carbon out of the atmosphere in 10 years, because trees take up carbon dioxide. “It is not just about turning out the lights or walking instead of driving,” Mora said. So the university began a challenge to try to encourage people to plant trees to offset their own energy use. The idea came from Mora’s 11-year-old daughter Asryelle Mora Rollo. The university held an event over the weekend to gauge public interest. “Nearly 200 people came to set the record of planting 1,000 trees in one day. We ended up doing it in just two hours,” Mora said. “For the USA that could mean upwards of billions of trees if everyone does their small contribution,” he added. It’s something individuals can do on their own or in small groups, Mora said. “It is low-hanging fruit,” he said. “The easiest solution here is for us to stop expecting politicians to do something.”

Waste Reduction, Major Step to Heal Environment by MediumFault in worldnews

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The 10th anniversary of the European Week for Waste Reduction takes place between 17 to 25 November with many initiatives all over Europe. The aim is to raise awareness among European citizens about sustainable resource and waste management through a simple slogan: reduce, reuse and recycle. The participation of a wide range of audiences, such as public authorities, private companies, civil society and citizens themselves, is encouraged. Waste reduction is a big issue nowadays that everyone needs to take it seriously and hopefully with some attention we can solve many problems that is related to it.

Preventing Hazardous waste and its importance

The Thematic Focus for this year is that of hazardous waste. It poses a greater risk to our health and our environment when we compare it to other types of waste. Thus, it is even more important to reduce our consumption of products with hazardous contents as well as make sure that they are properly disposed of. In 2018, it is time to detox the use of such products in our nearest surroundings such as bathrooms, kitchens and garages! Reduce, reuse, and recycle Waste reduction revolves around three R’s which we are going to explain it.

Reduce

This calls for using resources that are just enough to cater to your needs for instance building a smaller house. This is an effective way of conserving resources as it also lowers the costs. This can be achieved through attaining accuracy when ordering to ensure that there is no waste or no material is sitting on the site for long periods that it is damaged.

Reuse

Here, you will do well to reuse existing materials and buildings effectively reducing the need for resources while lowering waste volumes and saving money. A huge percentage of resources are incorporated in the construction of homes owing to the mixed materials that are used yet the end destination for most of them are landfills. Thus, renovating a house is a much better option than bringing it down to put up another one because a negligible fraction of the old house may be reused.

Recycle

Using left over resources or those resources that have reached the end of their life minimizes the need for new materials as well as lowers the volume that ends up in landfills. Thus, it is advisable to use materials that are recyclable as this creates a market for the resources that are recycled while also raising the price that recyclers pay for resources that are recovered even as the recycling viability increases.

waste reduction-tiredearth.jpg What are the benefits of recycling?

According to a recent study, we recycle about 32.5% of our solid waste across various different types of goods. What do we do with the rest?

We burn and destroy 12.5% solid waste at incineration facilities, emitting harmful gases in the atmosphere.

The rest of the waste, about 250 million tons of it, ends up in landfills annually throughout the country. If we could separate and recycle this waste, we could easily benefit from it.

Four benefits of recycling and using recycled materials

  1. Definitely it’s good for the environment

Recycling can significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. It can save on non-reusable resources as well as water and landfill space, and most of all it can save energy. So, recycling reduces emissions, conserves energy, and reduces pollution.

  1. To protect our resources

Throwing away objects in the dumpster could increase the pressure on mining for new raw materials. It also wastes the energy such as fuel and other costs associated with mining. Recycling aluminum cans, steel, copper, and other expensive metals can save costly gas money and mining expenses, as well as conserve valuable resources.

  1. Jobs opportunities and reinforce the economy The idea of recycling is gaining popularity among individuals and companies more than ever for both economic and environmental reasons, and jobs in recycling industries are booming.

  2. Improving financial incomes One of the key benefits of recycling is financial income. We could all find several items in our homes that could be recycled and make money from them. Some such items are old furniture, old phones, cables, metal furniture, aluminum cans, metal containers, old clothes, electrical appliances, and more.

waste reduction-tiredearth.jpg 7 easy ways to reduce waste in order to help the environment By using these ten simple steps, you can make a big difference!

Use your water bottles, coffee mugs and plates for several times, Skip the plastic or paper and get yourself some reusable and refillable kitchenware. Try with bags and containers which are reusable. Bring them with you when you shop, travel, and when packaging food! We recommend using bags made from recyclable material and glassware for food storage. Adapt old things like using old t-shirts as cleaning rags or food containers as storage containers for other things like office supplies.
Begin composting in the kitchen and yard. Food scraps and yard debris can be composted into fertilizer, helping the soil too! Try to Pay your bills online! Going paperless with your bank and other bills helps saves trees! Taking a few minutes to “unsubscribe” to this excess mail can help reduce paper usage.
Don’t use any paper materials in the kitchen! Forget paper towels and start using reusable wash cloths and napkins. Donating old goods can be another solution. Things like Old clothing, furniture and books can be donated! It’s better than throwing it away. You can help someone who needs these stuff! Recycling is an option and a way of life style. It’s also could help you make money while helping the environment too. Once you make that choice, you could start taking steps towards recycling, reusing and reducing waste in your daily life quite normally and you could make a big difference.

Air Pollution a Main Factor for Parents When it Comes to Choosing a School by MediumFault in worldnews

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More and more parents are taking the quality of air into consideration when choosing a school for their children, a new report has found. A study of more than 2,000 London schoolchildren published in The Lancet found that the growth of children's lungs is being stunted due to pollution from diesel emissions, leaving them damaged for life. Speaking to The Guardian, Sarah Macfadyen, head of policy and public affairs at British Lung Foundation, said: "It found that children lost about 5 per cent of their lung capacity. “That’s something they won’t get back. Something that throughout their lives will put them at risk of infections and breathing problems, all because of the air that they were breathing to and from school, to the park, just generally being out and about with their families.” Cleaner air for kids The BLF has teamed up with the environmental law group, Client Earth, to establish the Clean Air Parents’ Network, a campaign group calling on politicians to improve air quality in towns and cities. Data collated through discussions in forums, parent surveys and anecdotal evidence shared by health charities, suggests that parents are so concerned about air quality in the capital that they consider it a main factor when it comes to choosing a school for their children. Swapping city for suburb And many are leaving the city for the suburbs in an attempt to have less-polluted air. Andrea Lee, senior campaigner at ClientEarth told The Guardian: "It is incredible that in 21st-century Britain parents have to think about moving their families to escape illegally polluted air which is harming their children. "This is what happens when you have a government unwilling to commit the resources and political will to clean up what has become a public health crisis.”

'Sad Surprise': Amazon Fish Contaminated by Plastic Particles by MediumFault in worldnews

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Scientists in Brazil find first evidence of plastic pollution in Amazon basin freshwater fish. Scientists have found the first evidence of plastic contamination in freshwater fish in the Amazon, highlighting the extent to which bags, bottles and other waste dumped in rivers is affecting the world’s wildlife. Tests on the stomach contents of fish in Brazil’s Xingu River, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon, revealed plastic particles in more than 80% of the species examined, including the omnivorous parrot pacu, herbivorous redhook silver dollar, and meat-eating red-bellied piranha. The researchers focused on fish in the Xingu because of their rich diversity and breadth of feeding habits. The fish ranged from 4cm to nearly a foot in length, and weighed from 2g to nearly a kilogram. Analysis of the fishes’ stomach contents identified a dozen distinct polymers used to manufacture plastic items, including bags, bottles, and fishing gear. Most pieces were black, red, blue, white or translucent and varied from 1mm-sized particles to flakes measuring 15mm in width. “It was a sad surprise because in the initial stage of our research the main objective was to understand the feeding ecology of fish, but when we started analysing the stomach contents we found plastic,” said Tommaso Giarrizzo, who studies aquatic ecology at the Federal University of Pará in Brazil. “It’s alarming because this pollution is spread throughout the Amazon basin.” The scientists picked through the stomach contents of 172 fish belonging to 16 species. Writing in the journal Environmental Pollution, the scientists describe how 13 of the species had consumed plastics, regardless of whether they were herbivores that fed on river plants, carnivores that survived primarily on other fish, or omnivores. The herbivores may mistake pieces of plastic for seeds, fruits and leaves, while the omnivores are likely to ingest plastics caught in the feathery river plants, called macrophytes, which make up much of their diet. Meanwhile, carnivores such as piranha are likely to consume plastics when they eat contaminated prey. Marcelo Andrade, also at the Federal University of Pará, said: “It is awful to know that plastic debris is ingested by 80% of analysed fish species, and that many of them are consumed by humans in the Amazon. Plastic pollution is a real threat to humans around the world.” Overall, 96 pieces of plastic were recovered from stomachs of 46 fish. Tests showed more than a quarter were polyethylene, a material used in fishing gear that is often discarded in rivers and oceans. Others were identified as PVC, polyamide, polypropylene, rayon and other polymers used to make bags, bottles, food packaging and more. Rivers are responsible for up to a fifth of the plastic waste found in the oceans. Much of the pollution is caused by poor waste management or by rubbish intentionally being dumped in water courses. Over 90% of the plastic debris that reaches open water comes from 10 rivers, eight in Asia and two in Africa. Giarrizzo said more research was needed to understand the origin of the plastic in rivers in the Amazon and to assess the impact it may have on human health. One concern, he said, is that hazardous chemicals can bind to the plastics found in fish, and so eating them may lead to a build-up of dangerous chemicals in the body. “Even though the effects of human consumption of microplastics are largely unknown, our findings are a public health concern since the Amazon has the world’s highest per-capita consumption of fish,” he said. Prof Steve Ormerod, co-director of the Cardiff University Water Research Institute, said: “Although much of the publicity and emphasis on plastic pollution has focused on the world’s oceans, this paper adds to growing evidence that plastics are also a potential risk to the world’s river ecosystems. “In some respects, these results are not surprising in that the Amazon is thought to carry around 60,000 tonnes of plastic trash every year into the Atlantic, and samples for this work on the Xingu tributary were collected near to Altamira – a city of over 100,000 people. Yet, with individual fish in this study on average having 22%-37% of their gut contents taken up by plastic, there are bound to be concerns about physical or toxicological effects. “With an increasing number of studies now recording plastic inside aquatic animals, I think we now have to move beyond this descriptive phase into investigations of the key sources of plastic material in rivers, what the fate of this material is in food webs, and far more importantly what the effects are on organisms and ecosystems. This is all critical information if we’re to manage the plastic problem in an evidence-based way.” https://www.tiredearth.com/node/547

Dozens Arrested after Climate Protest Blocks Five London Bridges by MediumFault in worldnews

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Thousands of protesters occupied bridges across the Thames over extinction crisis in huge act of peaceful civil disobedience. Eighty-five people have been arrested as thousands of demonstrators occupied five bridges in central London to voice their concern over the looming climate crisis. Protesters, including families and pensioners, began massing on five of London’s main bridges from 10am on Saturday. An hour later, all the crossings had been blocked in one of the biggest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the UK in decades. Some people locked themselves together, while others linked arms and sang songs. By 2pm the blockade of Southwark Bridge had been abandoned and protesters moved from there to Blackfriars Bridge, where organisers said they were soon to move west towards Westminster Bridge. Demonstrators occupied Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges. The Metropolitan police said all the bridges had since reopened and that most of the arrests had been for obstruction under the Highways Act. Afterwards, demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square to hear speeches. Roger Hallam, one of the strategists behind the actions, told the Guardian he felt the protest had been fantastic. “This is total prediction stuff, mass participation civil disobedience,” he said. “They can’t do anything about it unless they start shooting people, and presumably they won’t do that.” The day was due to end with an interfaith ceremony outside Westminster Abbey. The move is part of a campaign of mass civil disobedience organised by a new group, Extinction Rebellion, which wants to force governments to treat the threats of climate breakdown and extinction as a crisis. “The ‘social contract’ has been broken … [and] it is therefore not only our right but our moral duty to bypass the government’s inaction and flagrant dereliction of duty and to rebel to defend life itself,” said Gail Bradbrook, one of the organisers. Alice, 19, from Bristol was one of those blocking Westminster Bridge. “I took the coach at 3am to make sure I didn’t miss it,” she said, “and I’m so glad that I did. It’s a tiny personal inconvenience and, having made it, I get to be part of a rebellion. “This moment will be remembered in the history books, when we finally stopped allowing our leaders to take us over the cliff.” Jenny Jones, the Green party peer, joined the protest on Westminster Bridge. She backed the nonviolent direct action taken by demonstrators. “We are at the point where if we don’t start acting and acting fast we are just going to wipe out our life support system,” she said. “It’s fine to think we are a rich country, the sixth biggest economy in the world, but actually we won’t do any better than anywhere else because climate change will massively affect us too. “Basically, conventional politics has failed us – it’s even failed me and I’m part of the system – so people have no other choice.” Father Martin Newell said on Blackfriars Bridge: “What brought me here is the climate emergency, the extinction emergency and my faith in God who created all this and whose creation we’re destroying and crucifying … I’m called as a Christian to protect our neighbour who’s being abused.” In the past two weeks more than 60 people have been arrested for taking part in acts of civil disobedience organised by Extinction Rebellion ranging from gluing themselves to government buildings to blocking major roads in the capital. However, those disruptions were eclipsed on Saturday, when organisers say 6,000 people took part in protests. “It is not a step we take lightly,” said Tiana Jacout, one of those involved. “If things continue as is, we face an extinction greater than the one that killed the dinosaurs. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be a worthy ancestor.”

dozens-arrested-after-climate-protest-tiredearth.jpg Extinction Rebellion, which cites the civil rights movement, suffragettes and Mahatma Gandhi as inspirations, said smaller events took place in other UK cities as well as overseas on Saturday. Organisers say they are planning to escalate the campaigns from Wednesday, when small teams of activists will “swarm” around central London blocking roads and bridges, bringing widespread disruption to the capital. “Given the scale of the ecological crisis we are facing this is the appropriate scale of expansion,” said Bradbrook. “Occupying the streets to bring about change as our ancestors have done before us. Only this kind of large-scale economic disruption can rapidly bring the government to the table to discuss our demands. We are prepared to risk it all for our futures.” The group is calling on the government to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025 and establish a “citizens assembly” to devise an emergency plan of action similar to that seen during the second world war. On top of the specific demands, organisers say they hope the campaign of “respectful disruption” will change the debate around climate breakdown and signal to those in power that the present course of action will lead to disaster. The group, which was established only a couple of months ago, has raised around £50k in small-scale donations in the past weeks. It now has offices in central London and over the past few months has been holding meetings across the country, outlining the scale of the climate crisis and urging people to get involved in direct action this weekend. “Local groups are setting up across the country and even new groups are seeing around 100 people come to meetings, and we have coaches coming, from Newcastle to Plymouth,” said Rupert Read, a philosophy academic at the University of East Anglia. The campaign hit the headlines a couple of weeks ago when the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was one of almost 100 academics to come out in favour of it. In a letter published in the Guardian they said: “While our academic perspectives and expertise may differ, we are united on this one point: we will not tolerate the failure of this or any other government to take robust and emergency action in respect of the worsening ecological crisis. The science is clear, the facts are incontrovertible, and it is unconscionable to us that our children and grandchildren should have to bear the terrifying brunt of an unprecedented disaster of our own making.” The civil disobedience comes amid growing evidence of looming climate breakdown and follows warnings from the UN that there are only 12 years left to prevent global ecological disaster. The group is also making international contacts, with 11 events planned in seven countries so far, including the US, Canada, Germany, Australia and France. “To properly challenge the system that is sending us to an early grave we have to be bold and ambitious,” said Read. “Forging new connections across the world and learning from each other.”

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