Comments Liz Borkowski has made
And with your extra $2 ...
... you even have enough left over for vegetables.
Honestly, the thing that bothers me most about the commercial is the idea that meat + starch = appropriate meal. Couldn't they at least sub peas for potatoes?On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
the cost of coal-mine safety
If we get an administration that actually wants to enforce mine-safety laws - or even make some new regulations, say in response to the continuing problem of black lung - the coal mines that are currently cutting corners to save money might have to pass additional safety expenses on to customers, too.On Coal electricity prices: the new gas prices posted 1 year, 3 months ago 3 Responses
a dangerous industry
Last year, Bloomberg reported that the rate of injury among Brazilian cane cutters was about eight times higher than that of workers in Brazil's citrus and grain industries. Exhaustion and back injuries are common -- and pulmonary fibrosis is apparently on the rise among these workers, too. An increased workload (the tons of cane workers are expected to cut each day has doubled from 30 years ago) is probably to blame.On Amnesty International: forced labor in Brazil's sugarcane fields posted 1 year, 5 months ago 3 Responses
on the plus side
At the national level, at least, the program's been moving slowly in the right direction. USDA has finally reconfigured the WIC food package to include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (by reducing the amount of egg and dairy products). By August 2009, each participant will be getting $6-$10 a month for produce, out of a total of about $39. This may not sound like a lot, but it's a big step forward.
The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program has also been successful in helping participants get fresh, locally grown produce. Participants in the 46 participating states can get coupons good for $10 - 30 worth of farmers' market fruits and vegetables each season, on top of their regular WIC benefits. It would be better if the benefit amount were higher (the maximum was increased from $25 to $30 in 2004), especially now that food prices are increasing so quickly.
WIC is far from ideal, and there are certainly ways the state governments can make bad choices about implementation. Overall, though, it's a great program. The more people realize this, the easier it will be to strengthen and improve it.On Evidently, women, infants, and children in need don't deserve organic posted 1 year, 6 months ago 8 Responses
Fair Trade isn't just about money
The vendor seemed to be saying that "we pay the fair trade price, therefore it's fair trade" - but fair trade is about more than just the price that farmers get.
Fair trade farmers are organized into democratically run cooperatives, which decide how to use their FT premiums (which fund community projects like health clinics and water systems); workers must enjoy freedom of associaiton and safe working conditions; and the farmers must use sustainable farming methods.
As a consumer, I prefer to look for the Fair Trade Certified label, which I consider to be a good guarantee of all these factors, rather than try to figure out whether a particular company is ensuring that their coffee suppliers are meeting all of these standards.On If you support the standards but not the certifiers, then what? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 14 Responses
promising applications
Exactly - and in addition to promising energy applications, nanotechnology might offer a big leap forward for treating cancer and other diseases. But there seems to be a lot more emphasis on figuring out new applications than there is on determining what the risks are to workers, users, and the environment, and how to control them.On Lessons from the asbestos crisis should guide the response to nanotechnology, but will they? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 6 Responses
Zipcar rocks
My husband and I have been using Zipcar in DC for several years, and it's fantastic. DC's one of the few cities that had both of the car-sharing companies, and among the admittedly small sample of my acquaintances who used both, the main reason for preferring Flexcar was that they had more hybrids, not because of cost or customer-service issues. We went with Zipcar because their cars happened to be closest to where we live.
We've found Zipcar to be perfect for once-a-month major grocery shopping trips and occasional weekends out of town. The online reservation system is easy to use, and our fellow members are generally good about filling up the tank and having the car back as required. The one time (3 or 4 years ago) when a car we'd reserved wasn't at its appointed spot, we called and they got us a new one nearby, plus some free driving credit, quickly. Although costs for standard car rental are comparable if you're using it for a weekend and not planning to buy too much gas, Zipcar is far more pleasant and convenient. Car availability has also improved over the past few years; it's now possible to find a car on the same day you need it if you're a little flexible about time and/or location.
As far as the costs, we're happy to spend the $30-$200 a month on Zipcar instead of car payments, insurance, parking fees ($150 a month in our building), and gas. Throw in what we also spend on buses and taxis each month, and we're still getting a transportation bargain.
I can understand the complaints that Erica makes about in-person reservations and customer service and Flexcar's flexibility, but I have to wonder whether it's possible to run a profitable business that way. Zipcar does most things online or through an automated phone system because it's cost-effective. I would far rather deal with these slight inconveniences (which I personally haven't found inconvenenient at all) and pay a higher per-hour rate if it means that the company will survive. At this point, my quality of life would definitely suffer if Zipcar went out of business. And, of course, its demise would probably increase car ownership in DC, which would increase emissions.On Has the east coast car-sharing company screwed up the west coast car-sharing company? posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses
different types of fish farming?
"Farming" fish in the open ocean obviously has the potential to damage marine ecosystems, but what about aquaculture in enclosed ponds? There's still a potential for unexpected consequences from having a single species concentrated in a small space, but it seems that the contamination should be less of a problem. Does anyone know of research comparing different types of fish farming?On New studies show salmon farms destroy wild stocks posted 1 year, 9 months ago 17 Responses
transportation for old men (and women)
And for those who've reached the age when driving is difficult or inadvisable, public transit can help them remain mobile and independent.On Spearheading transit for livable cities at 93 posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses
they also have problems with worker safety
After two miners died in a fire at Massey's Aracoma mine, the Mine Safety & Health Administration fined the company a record $1.5 million for a long list of violations -- 21 of which were classified as "reckless disregard." On W. Va. Supreme Court to get out of bed with Blankenship, reconsider his case posted 1 year, 10 months ago 4 Responses
More swine, more MRSA
That jump in hog production is particularly alarming given the new research that's just come out on swine and MRSA (methicillin-resistant stapholococcus aureus), an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause skin infections and even death. Basically, there's now evidence that MRSA can spread from swine to humans.
Aetiology and Effect Measure explain the new research, and Salon has a good article about antibiotics in livestock.On Don't let Big Meat slaughter the packer ban posted 2 years ago 9 Responses
I don't like the full posts
I use an RSS reader, but I prefer to get just the first paragraph or two showing up. I'm not going to read the hundreds of posts that come through every hour - I want to be able to scroll through them quickly, seeing just enough of the content to know whether it's worth it to read the whole thing.On Always offer full-content RSS feeds posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses
driver education is also important
Better road and trail arrangements are necessary; in addition, a lot of drivers need to learn that bicyclists have a right to be on the road.
One of my good friends rides to work every day, and twice over the past few weeks he's been screamed at by drivers who didn't think he had the right to be riding in the road - and in one of those cases, the driver had just hit him (while parking, so she was moving slowly and my friend assures me there was no damage).
The LAist blog has written about two incidents in which drivers - a bus driver, in one case - hit bicyclists and then verbally abused them for being on the road in the first place. The cyclists stood their ground and waited for the cops two arrive and explain the law to the drivers - but then in both cases the cops blamed the cyclists. So, at least in LA, the cops seem to need some education, too.On Expect bicycle deaths in Seattle to climb posted 2 years, 1 month ago 15 Responses
sounds familiar
It's not just the fossil fuel industries who figure they'll get more favorable regulations if they push for them now.
This New York Times article listed "toys and cars, antifreeze and fireworks, popcorn and produce and cigarettes and light bulbs" as the major industries now pushing for more rules.On U.S. industry may well help push climate legislation through the Senate this session posted 2 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses
good points
Great post. I'd add another institution to the list: tenants' associations. I live in a large apartment building, and finally started getting involved with our tenants' association after realizing how much good work it does - both in terms of its watchdog role with our building management and as an advocate for tenants' rights and affordble housing at the city level.
JMG makes a good point with the water filter example, too. I think most of us who own water filters also think that our municipalities should provide safe drinking water; the question is whether we'll be less motivated to push for better systems if we think our personal risk is already lowered.
A lot of movements struggle to strike a balance between limiting damage in the short term and building a just and sustainable system for the long term. The work usually gets split up between organizations, so you'll get food pantries and homeless shelters addressing immediate needs while other groups work on policies related to food stamps, affordable housing, job training, etc.On It's not that individuals can't do anything about climate -- they just can't do it by themselves posted 2 years, 2 months ago 30 Responses
I hope you're right, willa
The melamine in pet food and lead paint in toys have also shaken some people up. The trouble is that federal agencies have gone sharply downhill during the Bush administration, and administration officials seem willing to continue pursuing their policies even in the face of public disapproval.On While the FDA and EPA look away, noxious fumes from fake butter wreck lungs posted 2 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses
The subways are great!
I rode the subways in both Shanghai and Beijing last year, and they're great. They have plenty of signage, much of it with English translations for visitors. (The ticket machines in Shanghai were less consistent with the English translations, but a couple of English-speaking local residents helped me out.)
The maglev train from the airport is pretty impressive, too.
One question is whether the subways can handle the huge annual ridership increases that will probably occur if people continue to move from rural to urban areas at the current pace.On Will bikes or cars win? posted 2 years, 3 months ago 6 Responses
In other Interior news ...
The interior of the department's headquarters seems to be making some workers sick:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007 ...On The Inferior Department posted 2 years, 3 months ago 2 Responses
The "trend" article trend
Does anyone else find it alarming that the NYT and other respected papers make a habit of identifying trends based on skimpy anecdotal evidence?
In this article, we hear from a few individual daters:
- Two women who attribute their dating success to ordering meat
- One vegetarian who wonders if eating a burger might improve her dating success
- One woman who doesn't want to be seen eating too much
- One woman who doesn't just want to order the salad
- "Restauarateurs and veterans of the dating scene" (This could mean anything from "I phoned the top 50 Zagat-rated restaurants for their take, and posted a poll on the top five online dating sites" to "I asked my single friends and someone I know from high school who runs a cafe.")
- Wollensky & Smith's Concept VP (clearly an unbiased source, right?)
- A dining editor from Time Out NY
Will the NYT commission me to write an article about how going vegetarian to stop global warming is a hot new trend? I promise it will be just as compellingly sourced.On NYT dating advice: Eat more flesh posted 2 years, 3 months ago 24 Responses
- Two women who attribute their dating success to ordering meat
Congratulations!
It's well deserved.On We love plaudits posted 2 years, 3 months ago 3 Responses
It's bad for the Chesapeake Bay, too
The USDA forecasts that corn harvests will increase 12% in Maryland and 8% in Virginia, to the tune of 8 - 16 million more pounds of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007 ...On Thanks in part to that 'green' fuel, corn-based ethanol posted 2 years, 4 months ago 32 Responses
Rights vs. privileges
The LA resident who points out that transit isn't a right is correct - but if you're looking at it that way, roads aren't a right, either.
On the other hand, state and local governments are required to make sure their residents have clean air to breathe. It's probably impossible for a large city to meet Clean Air Act standards without an extensive public transit system.On A perspective from Eric Mann posted 2 years, 4 months ago 29 Responses
Another study on problematic fructose effects
Yet another piece of evidence that over-reliance on fructose can have health consequences just came out at the American Diabetes Association meeting. Investigators randomly assigned overweight study subjects to drink either a fructose- or glucose-sweetened beverage for 10 weeks, and found that fructose consumption "promoted the development of an atherogenic lioproprotein phenotype and glucose intolerance/insulin resistance."
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ADAMeeting/tb ...In other words, this study suggests that people who are overweight and consume fructose-containing beverages increase their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.
This was a pretty small study (just 23 subjects), but it's not the only one to suggest that fructose may be problematic for reasons other than just calorie density.On Why we may one day bitterly regret GM crops posted 2 years, 4 months ago 10 Responses
Welcome to DC!
So, now you've experienced two of the things we have a lot of here: Starbucks and traffic circles. Next, you can head down to K St. for lobbyist/ lawyer sightings.
On a less grumpy note, our Metro system's pretty good (compared to U.S. cities other than New York), and there are lots of beautiful old buildings around. And, of course, we have many wonderful museums that don't charge admission, and embassies that hold free cultural events.On Authenticity posted 2 years, 5 months ago 7 Responses
For more buttery non-goodness ...
My colleagues and I have been working on this issue for a while, and it's good to see it finally getting some attention (in Congress as well as in the media). We've got all the latest developments at The Pump Handle blog, and lots of background at DefendingScience.org.
There's obviously a serious hazard in the workplace, but we really don't know how much risk people run by popping microwave popcorn at home. We've repeatedly asked the EPA to divulge the results of their study on microwave popcorn emissions, and they keep telling us it's going to be published in a scholarly journal sometime soon.On Orville Redenbacher must be stopped posted 2 years, 6 months ago 9 Responses
Remnick's profile of Gore
Also worth a read: Remnick's 2004 profile of Al Gore.On Starts with an Al posted 2 years, 9 months ago 7 Responses
Some members of Congress aren't happy
Two House committees just held hearings about this executive order. I blogged about the Committee on Science & Technology hearing at The Pump Handle, and Reg Watch and Integrity of Science covered that one and the Judiciary Committee hearing.
It'll be interesting to see whether Congress does anything to try and stop this -- it's possible they could refuse to appropriate funds for fulfilling the new required procedures, for instance.On White House has new tools to interfere with regulation posted 2 years, 9 months ago 1 Response
Need to level the playing field
The article brought up the huge differences between the federal dollars going to highways vs. transit projects, but there are other important differences in the funding processes.
Edward Beimborn and Robert Puentes at Brookings have written an excellent paper that details the different processes that highway and transit projects have to go through to get federal money. The federal government automatically allocates highway funding to states, which can then use it as they see fit. Transit projects, on the other hand, have to apply to Congress for a share of the far-too-small funding pool, and go through several steps in the process: a regional review of alternatives, development of preliminary engineering plans, FTA design approval, etc.
If a transit project clears the hurdles and beats out other competing projects, the grants will still only cover 50 - 60 percent of the project costs, whereas federal money will shell out 80 percent for highway projects.On More fun with analogies! posted 2 years, 9 months ago 32 Responses
Beans
Congratulations on making the switch!
I try to eat vegan a few nights a week, too, and that usually means bean dishes. Here are two of my favorite simple recipes:
Black Bean Soup
Indian-Style ChickpeasThey're from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook and the Meatless Monday website, respectively. Both of those are good sources for recipes that are fairly easy and healthy.On That's it for me and industrial meat posted 2 years, 9 months ago 46 Responses
Great analogy!
David, you're so right about us being like the nerds who don't want the cool kids barging in on our territory. We all genuinely care about the future of humanity and our planet, but that doesn't mean that we're free of the human desire to be recognized for being just a little bit better than everyone else (smarter, more principled, ahead of the curve, etc.). And, while it's human nature to want our virtue to be recognized, there is a danger that this desire could imperil our larger goal.
In response to some of the responses, I don't dispute that there are dire problems and they require far more than the baby-step solutions that are gaining traction right now; I don't think any of this blog's members dispute it, either. However: The majority of the people in this country aren't going to radically alter their lifestyles just because our planet is doomed if they don't.
So, yeah, let's start thinking like winners. We can be welcoming and non-judgemental towards people who buy their first carbon offset or hybrid car and still be pushing for a radically different national energy policy at the same time. Maybe some of the newly green cool kids will even voice their support for tougher CAFE standards and more solar and wind investment once they've gotten excited about their Prius or their NativeEnergy offset. People don't have to become just like us in order to help us get what we want.On It's time for enviros to adjust to winning posted 2 years, 10 months ago 59 Responses
Amen!
Very well put.
One thing I'm worried about is that industry groups seem to be creating their own parallel scientific assessment process -- there are some "peer reviewed" journals whose reviewers and editors appear to be dedicated to publishing studies showing no harmful effects from substances that other studies have linked to health problems.
Of course, these studies don't stand up to the re-testing and multiple verification that you describe, but when a lawyer from one of the big product defense firms shows a policymaker (or judge) a sheaf of studies and says they were published in various peer-reviewed journals, it can be hard for someone who's not familiar with captured journals to to know that these studies don't actually represent the work of the scientific community.
I imagine this is less of an issue in climate change (since it'd be tough to create a parallel IPCC), but it's a problem when it comes to substances like asbestos. Is this something policymakers are aware of and can deal with?On An account of one scientist's testimony posted 2 years, 10 months ago 7 Responses