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What is Carbon Farming?
By Roberta Attanasio Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, and ozone) work like the glass walls of a greenhouse and are responsible for the greenhouse effect. What is the greenhouse effect? It’s a process in which greenhouse gases let the radiation from the sun onto the Earth’s surface. At the same time, they trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect keeps our planet at an average 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). However, if the greenhouse effect is too strong, our planet gets warmer and warmer. This is what is happening now — the greenhouse effect is becoming stronger because of increased release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.…
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The $11 Trillion Reward
By The Editors According to a brand new report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), increasing our consumption of fruits and vegetables could save more than 100,000 lives and $17 billion in health care costs from heart disease each year. In addition, better farm policies, designed to encourage production of healthy food instead of processed junk foods, will help us reap those benefits. “The $11 Trillion Reward: How Simple Dietary Changes Can Save Lives and Money, and How We Get There” examines the linkage between fruit and vegetable intake and incidence of cardiovascular diseases. These diseases, the leading killer of Americans, include coronary heart disease and stroke, which together are…
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Benzene, Leukemia and Lymphoma
By Roberta Attanasio It’s said to have a sweet smell, or a gasoline-like odor. It’s mostly in the air, and sometime in the water and soil. It’s found all around the world. It’s in cigarette smoke and gasoline vapors. It’s a known human carcinogen – a substance known to cause cancer. It’s benzene. Its target organ is the bone marrow, the soft spongy tissue that lies within the hollow interior of long bones and produces all types of blood cells. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) in the “Toxicological Profile for Benzene” states: “Everyone is exposed to a small amount of…
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It’s World Breastfeeding Week!
By The Editors World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. According to the Innocenti Declaration, breastfeeding is a unique process that: Provides ideal nutrition for infants and contributes to their healthy growth and development. Reduces incidence and severity of infectious diseases, thereby lowering infant morbidity and mortality. Contributes to women’s health by reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and by increasing the spacing between pregnancies. Provides social and…
