What exactly is a food web? Nearly a century ago, the ecologist Charles Elton introduced us to the concept of food chains –linear series of links that shows how food, which provides the environmental currency of nutrients and energy, moves through an ecosystem. No doubt you’ve seen illustrations of food chains. These often begin with … Read more
Brackish Water is Toxic To Crop Plants About 97% of the fresh water on the earth is considered too brackish (too salty) for most agricultural use. Desalination, or purification, is of course possible. Mechanical desalination processes are widely known. But making desalination cost effective and environmentally friendly can be challenging. The National Acadamies tell us … Read more
Investigative Journalist Carey Gillam Explains Why Toxic Pesticides Permeate Food Systems Food safety regulations and labeling are promoted as a way to reassure the public that the food we purchase is safe. But it it? In her new book, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, Investigative Journalist Carey … Read more
2017 Will Be Remembered as a Year of Disaster The year of 2017 will no doubt be remembered for its stream of natural disasters. From the fires in Montana to the hurricanes that struck Houston and Puerto Rico…from the earthquakes in Mexico City to the floods in Peru…we are most cognizant of the disasters striking … Read more
Did Native Americans Name Good Plants after Good People? My friend Andrea once told me that early Americans, like the Navajo and the Apache, named plants with beneficial properties after people they liked. It was sort of a way to compliment the good people in their lives. She added that snakes, flies, and mosquitoes might be … Read more
No Chemical Does More to Promote Disease than Glyphosate In the video above, Dr Alex Vasquez explains why no chemical does more on an international basis to promote disease than glyphosate, the active ingredient in the popular herbicide, Round Up. Efforts of many like Vasquez, who highlights events in Columbia, are making headway around the … Read more
Mirazie vs. Monsanto The recent filing of a class action lawsuit against Monsanto by Elvis, Edison And Romi Mirazie in the state of California represents the beginning of the windfall microbiologists have anticipated for decades as more individuals recognize the vital role microbes play in human health. At issue is the labeling of the herbicide … Read more
Chemical dependence begins in the soil where our food is grown. Chemical Dependency Is About So Much More Than Recreational Drugs Growing up on the edge of Generation X, I learned early on about the most universally recognized forms of chemical dependency. In our community, we were exposed to a number of people who drank too … Read more
As mainstream media in the US continue to downplay concerns about the safety of genetically modified foods, bloggers, independent news providers and social media groups continue to voice concerns in and beyond the United States. Debate centers around the dietary and ecological safety of genetically modified organisms (hence “G-M-O’s”) in our food system. Those who … Read more
During World Wars I and II, families on the home fronts in many countries were encouraged to plant victory gardens. Home food production was recognized as fundamental to national security, and victory gardens became a source of national pride and patriotism. Food grown at home provided critical relief from the death, famine, and destruction created … Read more
