in the news issue ii

Second update of articles I have come across relating to horticulture, (urban) agriculture, food production, environmental issues and sustainability


Camel abattoir reopens

A growing demand for camel meat has prompted the reopening of a camel abattoir in South Australia's north.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201204/s3481759.htm
The ABC April 20, 2012


GMO and the devastation of bee colonies: Blamed for bee collapse, Monsanto buys leading bee research firm

Monsanto, the massive biotechnology company being blamed for contributing to the dwindling bee population, has bought up one of the leading bee collapse research organizations. Recently banned from Poland with one of the primary reasons being that the company’s genetically modified corn may be devastating the dying bee population, it is evident that Monsanto is under serious fire for their role in the downfall of the vital insects. 
Read More: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=30445
The Centre for Research on Globalisation April 21, 2012


Banking on future diversity

We like to believe we have a varied diet and, as individuals, this is largely accurate. The range of foods Australians access is almost certainly greater than at any time in history. There's a dichotomy to our diet, though. We have ever-expanding choices in shops but the crops and many of the proteins we eat come from an ever-narrowing genetic base. Seventy-five per cent of the world's crop diversity is already lost, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/banking-on-future-diversity-20120419-1x85s.html
The Age April 21, 2012


Water revolution would turn rooftops into catchments

MELBURNIANS face the biggest overhaul in the supply of household water in decades with a new plan to change the cost of water and where it comes from.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/water-revolution-would-turn-rooftops-into-catchments-20120422-1xf73.html#ixzz1ti99L1Yb
The Age April 23, 2012


No Sunny side with freerange change

SHOPPERS are being kept in the dark over plans for a new definition for the term free-range, the consumer group Choice has warned after it was excluded from formal talks on resolving the dispute over how eggs should be labelled.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/no-sunny-side-with-freerange-change-20120423-1xheb.html#ixzz1ti9WjkQ3
The Age April 23, 2012


Ethical graffiti: pressure-washing moss to make art

Most street artists add to the urban environment to make a statement. But Stefaan de Croock takes away instead: he uses a pressure washer to carve graffiti into the natural dirt and growth that cover our cityscapes, and the results are quite amazing.
Read more: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/04/ethical-graffiti-pressure-washing-moss-to-make-art/
Gizmodo Australia April 28, 2012


The ocean of flowers in Luoping

The small county of Luoping lies in the relatively underdeveloped eastern part of the Yunnan Province, neighboring Guizhou and Guangxi provinces. It sits 220 kilometers east of the capital Kunming. Every spring, the entire county will transform into an ocean of canola flowers, attracting thousands of travelers and photographers to enjoy the spectacle.
See more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2012-04/27/c_131555552_3.htm
Xinuanet April 27, 2012


Forages find time flies when you're having fungi

GREY dawn looms as we drive out of Melbourne on the hunt for autumn's precious bounty - wild mushrooms.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/foragers-find-time-flies-when-youre-having-fungi-20120428-1xruz.html#ixzz1tiAxTelr
The Age April 28, 2012


$60m lift for farm research

FARMING and farm-related research is expected to get a boost of more than $60 million in tomorrow's state budget, with new spending likely for major segments of Victorian agriculture including grains, red meat, dairy and stone fruit production.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/60m-lift-for-farm-research-20120429-1xt0d.html#ixzz1tiDKZE3Y
The Age April 29, 2012


Rainfall leads to rise in rodents

RATS are invading houses across Melbourne, as changing weather conditions lead to rising numbers of rodents.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rainfall-leads-to-rise-in-rodents-20120429-1xt26.html#ixzz1tiEBo6My
The Age April 29, 2012


Council wins legal case to bar baa

AN UNEMPLOYED Melbourne man has vowed to continue his fight to keep his pet sheep Baa on his suburban property despite facing a $150,000 legal bill after losing a court case.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/council-wins-legal-case-to-bar-baa-20120430-1xv3w.html#ixzz1tiEPy3Mh
The Age April 30, 2012


Native floating fern rolls out the green carpet

FROM a distance, it can be hard to see where the lawn ends and the lake begins. The waterbirds appear legless and landlocked amid the greenery. But focus on the bluestone edging of the Royal Botanic Gardens' Ornamental Lake and the boundaries become a little clearer.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/native-floating-fern-rolls-out-the-green-carpet-20120501-1xx42.html#ixzz1tiEdI7rn
The Age May 1, 2012


Climate, land, biodiversity biggest cuts


SPENDING on environmental programs will be cut by $130.6 million next financial year - the biggest reduction for any department.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/climate-land-biodiversity-face-biggest-cuts-20120501-1xx9o.html#ixzz1tiEpF2sh
The Age May 1, 2012