The Regulatory Revolving Door
When the line between business and policy-makers blurs so much, can we still trust politicians to make decisions purely motivated by the public good?
Category: By Region
Weekend Reads – Post-Soviet Contributions to Fight Climate Change
Happy Saturday! While environmental management had never been the forte of the Soviet Union, its collapse had even more dire environmental consequences, with the abandonment of mineral and chemical factories and the shirking of responsibilities for clean-ups, and the subsequent development of the oil and gas sector by oligarchs that now constitute one of the … Continue reading Weekend Reads – Post-Soviet Contributions to Fight Climate Change
Fields of Gold: Changes in the US Corn Industry
I love information that is being visualized, and this is a particularly interesting assembly of stats on corn production in the US, including its use in ethanol. Also the “ethanol supply” curve shows the huge impact that policies (such as mandatory renewable fuel use) can have on food systems. All the more important to get … Continue reading Fields of Gold: Changes in the US Corn Industry
Salmonella Outbreak During US Government Shutdown Shows Importance of … Government.
Breaking news – the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) just issued a public health alert for chicken produced on a Californian farm that has caused 278 outbreaks of salmonella in 18 states. According to their website, the outbreak is continuing. While their announcement also refers to an investigation done by the Center for Disease … Continue reading Salmonella Outbreak During US Government Shutdown Shows Importance of … Government.
A US Dairy Farm in the Global Economy
It’s a dreary day here in Uppsala, perfect for spending the day catching up on work, news and listening to podcasts. If the same can be said for your current location, I have a suggestion for you! Planet Money just rebroadcast a really interesting podcast on the reality of dairy farming in the US. They … Continue reading A US Dairy Farm in the Global Economy
Swedish Supermarkets – And Pastry Appreciation Days
When I was grocery shopping yesterday evening, I came across this little symbol in the middle of the cereal aisle: Yup, not only does my grocery store offer free wifi (perfect for those of us without 3G networks to look up the recipes we wanted to make and the requisite ingredients), it also encourages shoppers … Continue reading Swedish Supermarkets – And Pastry Appreciation Days
The US Government Shutdown and Its Impacts on Food Policy
Given that I am living in Europe right now and haven’t been a resident of the US for more than 17 years, it seems I am posting disproportionately about US politics, doesn’t it? Well, my apologies to my European readers, I will try to balance it in the future – however, right now there are … Continue reading The US Government Shutdown and Its Impacts on Food Policy
"The Most Heartless Bill"
Add a new chapter to the US Farm Bill debate – which seems to further complicate the prospect of ever coming to a conclusion. After the huge disagreements between the Republican-dominated House and Democrat-dominated Senate on the nutrition program versus subsidy expenditures and the consequent divorce of the two issues in legislation, the House has … Continue reading "The Most Heartless Bill"
What's the Value of Not Drilling? The Sad Truth from the Yasuni Experiment: Not Enough.
Before I even had this blog, I was writing about an awesome idea that could have redefined how we approach sustainability trade-offs. The story is about the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, a vast space of virtually untouched rain forest under which large oil reserves had been found. The Ecuadorian government being the Ecuadorian government … Continue reading What's the Value of Not Drilling? The Sad Truth from the Yasuni Experiment: Not Enough.
Chipotle Ad Strikes at the Core of the Industrial Food System
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE Once again we see the power of marketing done right – this short film is an ad both for Chipotle (known for its dedication to sourcing only “responsibly raised” chicken, beef and pork that were not treated with antibiotics, live in humane conditions, fed a vegetarian diet and are allowed to display their natural … Continue reading Chipotle Ad Strikes at the Core of the Industrial Food System