The year 2013 marked the 18th consecutive year of commercial cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or now commonly referred to as biotech crops. And in just under two decades, the volume of land on which biotech crops are grown has increased from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 — the first year of commercial planting —
Consumer products containing ingredients made using an advanced form of engineering known as synthetic biology are beginning to show up more often on grocery and department store shelves. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/business/biofuel-tools-applied-to-household-soaps.html?hpw&rref=science&_r=0
There is no mainstream scientific evidence showing that foods containing GMOs are any more or less harmful for people to consume than anything else in the supermarket, despite decades of development and use. If that doesn’t convince some people, they have the option of simply buying food bearing the “organic” label. There is no need for
Merced Irrigation District officials say growers in the district will receive additional surface water, after action taken Tuesday by MID’s board of directors. The increased water supply is the direct result of regulatory relief MID received from the state after months of planning a multibenefit water management action for the Merced River, according to a
Americans looking to whip up a bacon cheeseburger are in for some sticker shock. 'Thanks to a perfect storm of drought, disease and strong demand, the key ingredients that make up the juicy treat are at record-high prices, pinching shoppers and eaters nationwide. Consumers can expect to pay about 32 cents more per burger than
A bill that would have required labeling on food that contains genetically modified organisms fell short of the votes needed to stay alive in the state Senate on Thursday. "It’s just about information and consumer choice," said Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), who introduced SB 1381. However, the vote on the bill was 19-16, two
California has ordered Sacramento River Valley, North and South Delta, San Joaquin River watershed and Russian River (upstream of Dry Creek) water agencies and users with post-1914 rights to stop pumping water from streams, a drastic response to the ongoing drought that hasn’t occurred since 1977. The curtailment notices were imposed by the State Water
Agricultural meteorologist Paul Brown says current long-range weather forecasts suggest a warm weather bias this summer along with a possible above-normal monsoon precipitation followed by a potentially wet El Niño winter in the West. These forecasts could be wet answers to parched prayers for western farmers dealing with reduced surface water allocations and smaller-sized crops
Sen. Dianne Feinstein will try to fast-track farm-friendly drought legislation through the Senate over the objections of environmentalists, who the senator complains have done nothing to help her adapt California's aging water system to deal with climate change and the addition of millions of thirsty residents. Environmentalists "have never been helpful to me in producing good
USDA finds over-winder colony losses drop significantly: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/16/us/honeybees-report.html?_r=0