Are You Ingesting Pesticides in Every Bite of Food?

Genetically modified crops are one of the UK’s most passionately debated environmental subjects. Those who advocate them claim that they are beneficial for your wellness and wellbeing because they don’t have any pesticides sprayed onto them. They say that GM crops naturally resist pests, which gives a false impression of a crop that insects do not go anywhere near. In truth ‘resists pests’ means that the GM crops have their own built in pesticides, which means that when an insect bites into it, the stomach of the insect splits open and this kills them.

 

It is quite worrying, therefore, to think that human beings may well be consuming these same pesticides in every bite of food. The Environmental Protection Agency, however, along with the biotech companies, claim that this pesticide (bacillus thuringiensis) is perfectly safe as it is naturally produced in soil bacterium. They claim that there is a long history of safe use. They point out that organic farmers have been using solutions that are made up of natural bacteria for many years now, as an organic way of controlling insects and stopping them from destroying their crops. What genetic engineers do is simply to remove the gene that makes the soil produce this bacteria and implant it into the DNA of a plant, so that the plant then naturally produces this bacteria, too.

 

The GM crops industry also claims that this Bt-toxin is very rapidly destroyed by the human stomach, and that humans (and other mammals) don’t have the right receptors for this toxin, anyway. There are arguments, however, that seem to present a different side to the story. There was a recent case where a natural BT spray was used in an area surrounding Washington State and Vancouver, and about 500 people reported to hospital suffering from flu or allergy-like symptoms, six of whom had to go to the emergency room. Other reactions included ulcers of the cornea, burning, swelling, itching and redness. Those with suppressed immunity are also thought to potentially be at risk.

Categories: claim, Crops, eating, gm crops, naturally, Pesticides, stomach

Current Mix of Crops Used for Energy Takes Toll on Planet

We use a certain mix of crops for energy, but our environmental wellness is suffering as a result. This is according to a new report published last week by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which stated that the current mix of crops used for energy are ‘not favourable to the environment,’ because the environmental benefits of such bioenergy vary significantly depending on the source of crops.

 

In terms of greenhouse gas emissions and the impact on ecosystems, bioenergy – when sourced from waste or agricultural residues – is more efficient than fossil fuels. However, the EEA warned that there is a knock-on effect when you grow crops for energy; environmental impacts such as deforestation. This report could not come at a more relevant time, as on the 10^th of July the EU will have their final vote on their plan to cap the percentage of biofuels made from food crops.

 

Those in favour of the cap say that environment concerns over the EU’s biofuel policy make the cap essential. As it stands, the EU has a target of 10% of transport fuels coming from biofuel by 2020. However, those against the proposed cap – mainly biodiesel companies and farmers – have fiercely criticised the proposal, noting that, if it goes ahead, the EU will destroy a booming £14bn sector and take demand away from farmers at a time of increasing volatility in global food prices.

 

Hans Bruyninckx, director of the European Environment Agency, commented, ‘We see huge potential for bioenergy in the transition of the energy system that will occur over the coming years, but our research shows that this potential must take into consideration resource and climate efficiency. For example, food crops and other first generation pathways are a particularly inefficient use of biomass.’

 

According to Kenneth Ritcher, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth Biofuels, ‘This report is a stark warning to lawmakers about the urgent need to differentiate between the types of bioenergy, based on their real impact on climate change. If the European parliament is serious about cutting emissions it must support proposals next week to penalise biofuels that increase emissions through deforestation.’

Categories: Biofuel, Cap, Crops

Crisis of Crops: High Bee Death Rate means Less Pollination

Almost a third of American honeybee colonies did not make it through the winter. This is according to the country’s beekeepers, who say that the high death rate could mean a huge hit to environmental wellness. The annual survey was started by the US Department of Agriculture six years ago, and, on average, 30% of all the honeybee colonies died off over each winter.

The worst year was five years ago, but last year was the best – with just 22% of the colonies dying. Jeffrey Pettis, research leader of the Agriculture Department’s Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, commented, ‘Last year gave us some hope.’ However, this year has dashed that hope, seeing a bee colony death rate off 31%.  Pettis explained that beekeepers are mostly seeing colonies that just dwindle, and as the crowd of bees gets smaller, it gets weaker. Pettis noted, ‘They can’t generate heat very well in the spring to rear brood. They can’t generate heat to fly.’

Not only is this a problem for the bees and their keepers, but also farmers who rely on commercial beekeepers to make sure their crops get pollinated. It is getting to the point where there may not be enough honeybees to pollinate crops, such as almonds, blueberries and apples. Pettis said that farmers have now come closer than ever to a true pollination crisis, with the only saving grace this year for part of the almond crop in California being the good weather at pollination time. ‘We got incredibly good flight weather,’ Pettis explained. ‘So even those small colonies that can’t fly very well in cool weather, they were able to fly because of good weather.’

Beekeeping will soon no longer be a viable business, Pettis said, as beekeepers can afford to lose only about 15% of their colonies each year. However, he added, some commercial beekeepers will just keep on going because they love the business so much. ‘It’s just something that gets in your blood, so you don’t want to give up. [You say,] “OK, it’s 30 percent this year; I’ll do better next year.” We’re very much optimists,’ he enthused.

Crisis of Crops: High Bee Death Rate means Less Pollination

Categories: Crops, Honey Bees, Pollination