Bobolink-1

Bobolink-1

National Geographic has a story about how the West in America is going to dry up in the future. Turns out the past 100 years is the especially wet period for this area, not the norm. That spells trouble for a lot of people, depending on how dry it might get.

Football player Tony Gonzalez has gone Vegan. That’s a big boy.

Treehugger has a survey up asking readers how they are planning to spend the rebate checks, if we get them. You should vote in it. The Green Options network also has a story about the stimulus package. I have yet to meet anyone who is going to spend it on much more than a small amount of things.

Our opinion on what you should do with it? Use it bulk up your food savings. Pick up some large packages of beans, rice, wheat and other supplies so you won’t be unprepared in the future. After that, look for cheap ways you can raise the efficiency of your house. Insulation, making rain barrels, starting a garden. Whatever you do, don’t go buying a plasma TV. If that’s one of your choices just save it, which you could do anyway.

We had a story last week about Monsanto releasing a genetically engineered sugar beet. Turns out there’s a lawsuit brewing over the release of this product into the market.

Why are they concerned? Cross pollination. From the article:

The coalition’s logic is compelling. According to their press release, the sugar beet industry grows its seed stock mainly in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, “also an important seed growing area for crops closely related to sugar beets, such as organic chard and table beets.”

And beets are wind-pollinated, thus prone to cross-pollinate. This raises the thorny issue of genetic contamination — Monsanto’s patent-protected genes weaseling into conventional plants, including ones producing seeds for organic beets and chard.

Interesting. I guess professional growers are concerned about cross pollination too. You should make sure to read the last three paragraphs. They sum up what’s wrong with GE seeds (they don’t improve anything) and how badly our Court systems have been twisted by corporations.