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Don’t miss our picks for cutting-edge stories in August! From the GMO debate to urban agriculture to the struggle to protect our planet -- here they are …
Local Food, Farming & Community
Farming practices and climate change at root of Toledo water pollution
From TheGuardian.com: Toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie caused by phosphorus runoff and 400,000 affected by unsafe water supply in Toledo, OH
Regenerative Agriculture: Sowing Health, Sustainability and Climate Stability
From TruthOut.org: while agriculture is the foundation of civilization and of any stable economy, it is also, when poorly practiced, the most destructive industry—even more so than coal mining.
Outside Capetown: Growing Food for Life
From OrganicConnectMag.com: This short film profiles two amazing women living outside of Cape Town whose lives have greatly improved as a result of learning to garden.
Coconut water: how its popularity has affected the supply chain
From TheGuardian.com: Once seen as a useless byproduct, coconut water is rapidly rising to prominence. What impact is it having on coconut farmers?
Weed blaster shows promise as alternative to herbicides
From StarTribune.com: The method, gaining attention from organic farmers, uses grit such as corncob bits instead of chemicals to protect crops.
How Crowdfunding and the Share Economy Are Growing Sustainable Food
From Occupy.com: Peering through the windows opened up by two crowdfunding initiatives gives a clear view of rather different trajectories of the burgeoning "sharing economy."
10 Great Urban Agriculture Projects in San Antonio
From FoodTank.com: The local sustainable food movement is alive and thriving in San Antonio, Texas.
Environment
Exxon Begins Drilling Russia's Pristine Arctic Waters
From CommonDreams.org: Despite U.S. sanctions, drilling marks business-as-usual for international oil giant
Mutant fish in the Susquehanna River
From America.AlJazeera.com: Smallmouth bass with grotesque open sores have been discovered in Pennsylvania's sick waterway
California bans plastic bags
From EcoWatch.com: The California Senate voted 22-15 late to pass a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.
GMOs: Content & Controversy
When China Spurns GMO Imports, American Farmers Lose Billions
From NPR.org: For a while, China was the American farmer's best friend. The world's most populous nation had so many pigs and chickens to feed, it became one of the top importers of U.S. corn and soybeans almost overnight.This year, though, the lovely relationship has gone sour, all because of biotechnology.
Connecting the Dots: Honey Export Loss Leads Mexico to Dump Monsanto’s GM Soy
From TriplePundit.com: Mexican judge rules that the Yucatán region’s honey trade, which is crucial to the local economy, could not co-exist with the cultivation of Monsanto’s genetically modified soybeans.
ANOTHER LOOK: Study: Monsanto GMO food claims probably false
New research reveals that plant breeding, not genetic engineering, is responsible for yield increases in US crops.
Seeds of Doubt: An activist’s controversial crusade against genetically modified crops
From TheNewYorker.com: Michael Specter trashes Vandana Shiva.
Seeds of Truth
From VandanaShiva.com: Shiva responds to Specter.
Why Vandana Shiva is so right and yet so wrong
From Grist.org: Nathanael Johnson uses Specter article to “objectively” trash Vandana Shiva.
Gunning for Vandana Shiva: The New Yorker, GMOs and Chemical Farming
From Counterpunch.org: Louis Proyect goes for the jugular – and gets it right.
Energy/Climate Change
Fracking’s Unlikely Opponent: German Breweries
From TakePart.com: Brewers say that contaminated groundwater would ruin a centuries-old tradition and industry.
First Nation Will Evict Mining Company After Massive Spill Contaminated Area Water
From ThinkProgress.org: a British Columbia First Nation plans to evict Imperial Metals Corp. over another project on their territory.
Victory for Local Action as Coal Export Terminal Rejected in Oregon
From CommonDreams.org: Rejection of permit for Ambre Energy project marks the first time a Pacific Northwest state agency has formally rejected a coal export facility
Solar Is so Popular Right Now, We’re Facing a Shortage of Panels
From TreeHugger.com: The price per watt of solar power is going through the floor while worldwide installed capacity is going through the roof
Hundreds Of Californians Have No Tap Water Due To Drought, Receiving Bottled Water Rations
From ThinkProgress.org: California’s extreme drought has dried up tap water supplies for hundreds of people living in rural San Joaquin Valley homes.
The U.N.’s latest report on climate change is terrifying
From Grist.org: We know that greenhouse gas emissions are through the roof, and that climate change is already happening in a big, bad way, and that it’s only getting worse. But did you see the news stories about the latest draft report from the IPCC? They are positively horrifying!
The Rocky Road to Business Sustainability
Tesla and Panasonic Agree to Build Battery Gigafactory
From TriplePundit.com: Two companies, one long a leader in battery manufacturing, the other an upstart disrupting the entire industry, have agreed to work together and build a large-scale battery factory in the United States.
Walmarting Organics: Will the Growth of “Big Organic” Lower Food Quality, Weaken Standards, and Destroy Farmers’ Livelihoods?
From Cornucopia.org: Is Walmart’s organic expansion “good news or bad news” for the industry?
How America's Largest Worker Owned Co-Op Lifts People Out of Poverty
From YesMagazine.org: Cooperative Home Care Associates has 2,300 workers who enjoy good wages, regular hours, and family health insurance. With an investment of $1.2 million into the cooperative sector, New York City is hoping to build on the group's success.
Fairtrade coffee enters a new era with Cafédirect
From TheGuardian.com: How Cafédirect balanced social impact and environmental concerns to launch the first 100% Fairtrade coffee pods, a sustainable alternative in a growing market
Can supermarkets ever be sustainable?
From TheGuardian.com: Walmart’s new boss is on a mission. Will his drive for renewable energy and waste reduction transform the supermarket model?
Five sustainable boondoggles: greenwashing all the way to the bank
From TheGuardian.com: From SeaWorld’s “Cup That Cares” to an underground beer fridge – these products are touting green creds that may not exist
Could Marketing Fresh Produce Like Junk Food Get Kids Eating More Fruits and Vegetables?
From SustainabeBrands.com: Bolthouse Farms, “a bunch of carrot farmers,” is aiming to get kids to ditch the junk food for fruit and veggies through a unique marketing campaign
Do you have any suggestions for additions to this list? If so, let me know what they are so we can develop a monthly headlines resource base for everyone to use.
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