Sorghum Master Gebisa Ejeta Wins 2009 World Food Prize

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2009-10-16 15:04
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Sorghum Master Gebisa Ejeta Wins 2009 World Food Prize

DES MOINES, Iowa, October 16, 2009 (ENS) - The 2009 World Food Prize has been awarded to Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia, whose sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed have increased the production and availability of sorghum, one of the world's five principal grains, and enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Green Festival Washington DC October 2009

Green Festival Washington DC October 2009

Submitted by Sandra Welte on Mon, 2009-10-12 20:22
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Green Cities Washington DC showroom floor

The Green Festivals in various cities are like a huge kiddie lunchbox filled with all kinds of delights like snacks and eco toys for adults and children. You will find the usual political and local organizations at each one but they are dressed slightly differently, kind of like using a multigrain bread instead of white flour. It makes the whole experience more delightful.

Central Florida Veg Fest: The Premier Vegetarian Festival of the Southeast

Submitted by Gabe LeBlanc on Sat, 2009-10-10 08:00
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Press Release:

Central Florida Veg Fest: The Premier Vegetarian Festival of the Southeast

Orlando- Central Florida Veg Fest, now in its 4th year, will take place Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Loch Haven Park in Orlando, Florida. Veg Fest is an annual festival that educates attendees about a plant-based lifestyle, and one of sustainability, encompassing health and wellness. The event provides a diverse cross-section of vegetarian cuisine and lifestyle, featuring products and services from over 200 vendors.

Ecology Center of San Francisco Teaches Natural Building at West Coast Green

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2009-10-07 16:09
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Ecology Center of San Francisco Teaches Natural Building at West Coast Green

The Ecology Center of San Francisco taught the merits and techniques of natural building that's bringing the ancient technique to modern landscapes.
ECOSF workshop leaders teach the merits and techniques behind natural building.

The Ecology Center of San Francisco (ECOSF), a non-profit dedicated to teaching forgotten ecology skills to San Franciscans, featured a natural building workshop just outside of West Coast Green that taught attendees how to build using ultra-traditional materials like cob, rammed earth, and adobe. The workshop leader joked that dirt in California rarely stands still (a minor earthquake actually occurred the night before), yet adobe villages built in California prior to its admission to the United States nearly 160 years ago are still standing today.

Bluefin Tuna Fishing Ban Fails in EU

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2009-09-23 08:21
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Bluefin Tuna Fishing Ban Fails in EU

In an abrupt reversal, France joins Mediterranean EU member states in blocking the proposed Bluefin Tuna fishing ban amid rumors of mafia involvement.
Bluefin Tuna

The European Union failed to pass a ban on the commercial fishing of Bluefin Tuna, a critically endangered species that is commercially relevant to sushi. Although Japan has created a stock of these fish in the Pacific Ocean for their own commercial use, European fishermen have depleted the natural populations in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Atlantic Ocean to Endangered or Critically Endangered levels. The EU sought to ban the commercial fishing of Bluefin Tuna, but was blocked by Cyprus, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain.

Are KVAR Units a Scam?

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2009-09-18 13:02
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Are KVAR Units a Scam?

Installers of KVAR units claim to be able to reduce electricity consumption by as much as 34% -- is it too good to be true?
KVAR units -- can they save 30% of your electric bill?

Kilovolt Amp Reduction units, also known as KVAR units, have been touted as a green power saver that could cut your electricity bill by as much as 30%. Invented by Greg Taylor, a Central Florida Electrical Engineer, KVAR units utilize the same technology used by large factories and utility companies to "clean" power that is being used inefficiently by electrical motors and any other "reactive load."

Feds Impose New Limits on Pesticides to Protect Salmon

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2009-09-14 11:20
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Feds Impose New Limits on Pesticides to Protect Salmon

WASHINGTON, DC, September 14, 2009 (ENS) - For the first time in 20 years, two federal government agencies that are required by law to consult together on how pesticides affect endangered species have completed a consultation on salmon exposure to pesticides.

As a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to place additional limitations on the use of three organophosphate pesticides - chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — to protect endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Half the World's Fish Meals Are Farmed Fish, Fed on Wild Fish

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2009-09-09 12:01
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Half the World's Fish Meals Are Farmed Fish, Fed on Wild Fish

STANFORD, California, September 9, 2009 (ENS) - Half of all the fish eaten in the world now is raised on fish farms rather than caught in the wild, according to new research by an international team of scientists.

But while the aquaculture industry is more efficient than ever, it is putting a strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the study shows.

Hatchery Grinds 150,000 Still Living Chicks per Day

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Sat, 2009-09-05 12:34
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Hatchery Grinds 150,000 Still Living Chicks per Day

Green TV

The non-profit animal protection group, Mercy for Animals, recently released an undercover video displaying the practices of the Hy-Line hatchery in Spencer, Iowa. According to MFA, each day 150,000 healthy newborn male chicks are thrown into a grinder (called a macerator) while still living. Females have their a portion of their beaks removed with a laser, and are sent on to be raised for meat or egg laying. Males, which take longer to grow and do not lay eggs, are considered worthless by the industry.

Mercury Found in Blood of One-Third of American Women

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-09-01 16:21
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Mercury Found in Blood of One-Third of American Women

LOS ANGELES, California, September 1, 2009 (ENS) – The level of inorganic mercury in the blood of American women has been increasing since 1999 and it is now found in the blood of one in three women, according to a new analysis of government data for more than 6,000 American women.