By Joe Mohr •
August 4, 2008
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All of the European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries require the mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients–the U.S. does not.
As a result, food manufacturers in all those countries choose to use non-genetically engineered ingredients–the U.S. did not.
However, there is atleast one way to tell whether or not the fruit you eat is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)–the sticker. Yes, those colorful stickers we proudly wore on our shirts as kids actually serve a purpose–but you need to know how to decipher their code.
Don’t worry, it’s easy.
Got a pencil?
In the June 2008 issue of the journal Nature Reviews Genetics, internationally renowned biofuels researcher Mariam Sticklen proposes that future production of cellulosic biofuels will be made infinitely more efficient and affordable through genetic modification of cellulosic feedstocks such as cereal grains and perennial grasses. Citing the impossibility of fueling the world on starch-based ethanol, such as that from corn, Sticklen argues that cellulosic biofuels are the only viable option for future commercial production.
By Janel Sterbentz •
February 8, 2008
Any time you eat non-organic food, there is a 70 percent chance you are ingesting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Modern genetic modification is different from historical alterations–such as plant breeding–because today, genes are transferred from one species to another. For instance, when you eat GM food, there is a good chance it has been injected with genes from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—hence Bt Corn.
Are these GM foods a path to end world hunger and ensure a robust harvest in the face of possible harsh future climates? Or, is it a way for corporations to gain global control over agriculture for profit, releasing organisms that have unknown effects on the environment and human health?
According to the USDA, in 1996, less than 5 percent of soy products were genetically modified. Within 12 years, that amount increased to 90 percent. These have been in our foods for over a decade and as far as we can tell, nothing has really gone wrong. Is that why most Americans are not hearing about GMOs?
By Brad Arnold •
September 26, 2007
It is very unlikely that mankind will cut their greenhouse gas emissions so fast, so drastically, that dangerous warming will be avoided.
In a warming world, carbon sinks become carbon emitters in a positive feedback loop called runaway global warming.
Particularly, methane hydrate contains more greenhouse gas than all the oil, coal, and natural gas combined. Unlike other fossil fuels that emit CO2 when burned, methane hydrate is CH4 trapped in ice, so will release a greenhouse gas 23 times more power than CO2 when
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