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Environmental stewardship program developed to help schools and districts expand conservation practices

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An environmental stewardship program has been developed in Washington state for students.  The program teaches conservation practices to reduce depletion of natural resources and help to protect the environment.  Click on the link below to read more

 

http://bit.ly/195oYN

Environmental factors influence buying behavior

djm428's picture

Many millions of people -- from 18 percent to 39 percent of all adults -- say their purchasing behavior and other interactions with companies is sometimes influenced by environmental factors. However, only a very small minority is willing to pay substantially more for "green" products or goods produced by environmentally friendly companies.


Food waste used as energy source

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The East Bay Municipal Utility District, which provides water and wastewater treatment in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, is turning food scraps from 2,300 Bay Area restaurants and grocery stores into electricity to help it power its wastewater facility.

The project is the first of its kind in the nation for a wastewater treatment plant, the Environmental Protection Agency says, and it's at the forefront of an almost untapped renewable energy resource.
 

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Food safety and climate change

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According to a report released by the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) this week, climate change may exacerbate a wide variety of global food safety issues, ranging from seafood safety to antibiotic resistance.

Though more research is needed to better understand the microbiological implications of climate change, environmental changes are thought to impact horizontal gene transfer, an important contributor to the increase in antibiotic resistance.
 

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No increase in number of organic buyers in 2009

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In 2009, there has been no growth in the number of Americans who purchased organic food and beauty products, according to new research from TABS Group, a marketing, research and consulting firm.

The study also found that traditional supermarkets were the preferred outlets for buying these organic products (39%, compared to 27% preferring to buy in natural food stores), and that there are 50% more organic shoppers in traditional outlets than in natural food stores.

Britian changes food labeling laws

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An overhaul in Britain’s food labeling law would provide information about carbon emissions and animal welfare, details that are expected to bring large-scale change to farming and retail practices, The Times reports.

 

Appearing at the Oxford Farming Conference, Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn said that more detailed labeling information will change consumer habits and that “people power” would create demand for food that is local, healthy, and produced with minimal environmental disruption.

 

Eating locally in the winter

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"Winter is a tough time of year," says Emily Gunther, product manager of the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market. "We always joke that we need to get creative, because the stand looks a lot less exciting when you don't have tomatoes."

Devotees of local foods say the real challenge is not in the shopping but in denying the temptation to buy strawberries from Chile or shrimp from Thailand. Eating locally through the seasons is about cultivating cravings, getting in touch with the true flavors and foods indigenous to the area at any given time of year.