In The News

There is not enough time in the day to read every news article, magazine and book I want to!

So here is a summary of things I have managed to read that I think you might find interesting.

Harper's June 2009 has a very upsetting article about world hunger written by Fredrick Kaufman called: Let Them Eat Cash

This article isn't on line, but I encourage you to spend the 17 bucks and become a subscriber to Harper's it is one of the most consistently smart magazines out there, they can use your support.

The article discusses a new model for solving world hunger which has to do with cash not shipping food, it's all very corporate.

The most interesting thing to me about the article is how the chemical companies are so insidious that even in discussions of world hunger/food aid the article mentions pesticides several times as part of the big picture. As something necessary and an intrinsic part of what is needed to solve world hunger.

When will we wake up to the fact that monocultures and pesticides are part of the problem not the solution? How about teaching poor rural farmers in Uganda how to diversify their crops and grow organically, increasing nutrition and yield in addition to improving soil that may not have been very good to start with? Alas, none of the big wigs in the world food aid business are interested in this real solution cuz there's no money in it.

The New York Times had an interesting, if frustrating article today about Urban Homesteading in Oakland, CA. Can I just say all these people who live in places where they can have a house and live in a temperate climate (foraged grapefruit jam my ass) really makes me jealous! Oh darling I'm going to go forage some grapefruit from those trees in the alley.

The only thing you could forage in an alley in New York are empty zip lock bags that used to be filled with crack.

Grist ,as usual, has tons of depressing stuff to report. First, and closest to my heart, Canada is sucking at maintaining it's green image, my homeland came in last of all the G8 nations when it comes to making substantive legislation/regulation to tackle climate change. I blame it on the conservative pro business government, but that's hardly surprising.

Lastly and also from Grist comes this article on how Americans just seem to be getting fatter. Author Tom Laskawy makes the trenchant point without food system reform health care reform is going to be a challenge. Something to think about when you gorge yourself on high fructose genetically modified corn syrup thickened ketchup this July 4th.

Look above for some home made ketchup alternatives.