A giant, unseasonal toxic algae bloom has shut down shellfish harvesting on half of the West Coast. Experts attribute it to the unseasonably warm weather the region has seen this year, as well as “nutrients” such as nitrogen, which often stems from sewage and farm runoff.
New NASA Data Show How the World Is Running out of Water (Washington Post)
Not-so-awesome data show that the world’s 37 biggest aquifers have reached their “sustainability tipping point”–i.e., we’re taking out more than we’re putting in.
Is It Time for an Antibiotic-Free Label on Our Food? (The Guardian)
Good question. The Guardian looks at whether such a label would change the industry. While there is some support for the idea, some activists say that “introducing ‘antibiotic-free’ labels risks creating a two-tier food system, with meat products from animals raised without antibiotics turned into premium products while the majority continue to buy from those reared using antibiotics. Such a situation would do little to deal with the problem of antibiotic resistance.” (After all, none of us want to live in a “post-antibiotics world.”)
On Technology in Agriculture, Pope Francis’s Concerns are for Corporate Power, Not G.M.O. Risk (The New York Times)
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