There are so many concerns tied to GMO foods — health concerns from scientifically documented health risks, environmental concerns by the bushel, and economic returns (GMO companies are generally large and monopolistic and are not good for small farmers and communities). For all of these reasons, and maybe more, there is a strong groundswell of opposition to GMOs around the world, including in Kenya. Last week, the African Biodiversity Network released a statement on how it thinks the Kenyan government should be supporting its farmers and protecting its citizens.
The Bike Store Guys (& Gals)
Who doesn’t love small, independent bike shops (other than big, corporate bike shop chains, that is…)? But for those of us who travel or move around a lot (and I think that’s most people these days), it can be hard to find such bike shops in new cities (ok, not that hard, but not always that easy either). Additionally, in some places, there’s no independent, local bike shop at all. The Bike Store Guys is a website that links up many of these shops, though, and helps create a broader community of such bike shop owners and lovers, for people across the U.S. Here’s more from their website
Rush Hour in Utrecht, Netherlands — Bicycles, Bicycles, & Bicycles
If you’ve read many of my posts at all, you know that I love bikes — they are one of the greenest things on the planet, are cheap, are widely available, and are fun and relaxing to ride. You may also know that I lived in the Netherlands for 5 months, perhaps the best country in the world for bicycling.
UN: Small Farms Key to Global Food Security
Small farms are the key to global food security in the 21st century, the UN has announced.
Georgia Anti-Immigrant Legislation & Farmworker Crisis Update: Slaves, Convicts, & More
The Georgia farmworker crisis I wrote about last week has been getting a lot of attention. Aside from the fact that it is due to ridiculous Republican legislation, there are a number of interesting side stories that are quite interesting (and concerning).
7- to 14-Year-Olds Get Chance to Design Their “Dream Streets” in UK
Streets should be child-friendly, don’t you think? I certainly think so, and so does Sustrans, a sustainable transport charity based in the United Kingdom. Sustrans has launched a competition for primary and secondary school children (7- to 14-year-olds) that has them designing their “dream streets.”
10 Most Climate-Ready Cities in the U.S.?
Boyd Cohen, Ph.D. recently came up with a methodology to rank large cities in the U.S. based on how much they are preparing for or trying to counter climate change. He then went on to create and publish a top 10 list of the most “climate-ready” cities. While I think the term “climate-ready” is sort of a mistake, since he focuses more on efforts to stop climate change not adapt to it (which is what I would assume “climate-readiness” would be about), I think the overall idea and methodology looks great.
“Plant This Movie” {Help Fund Great Urban Farming Documentary on Kickstarter}
The video on the next page does a great job presenting core food problems we are facing today but goes far beyond the problems and offers some great solutions to them. The filmmaker, Karney Hatch, is look to get $7,500 donated by Saturday, July 16 on Kickstarter to make a documentary on these problems and solutions.
Georgia Loses Millions of Dollars Worth of Crops because of Anti-Immigration Law
Huge fallacy: undocumented immigrants don’t contribute to society.
Truth: undocumented immigrants do tremendously important work in inhumane conditions and for completely unfair wages so that Americans can eat cheap food.
Test: Georgia Republican lawmakers recently passed legislation geared at pushing undocumented, “illegal” immigrants out of the state of Georgia.
Summer Solstice: Enjoy a Picnic in the Park, Life, Smoothies, & ..
It’s the summer solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) today, meaning it’s the longest day of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, of course, it’s the opposite (the winter solstice, or shortest day of the year). Now, I thought rather than write my typical news story, I’d do something a little different today.