Environment Archives - Page 34 of 46

Assessing the Legacy of Norman Borlaug: Did the Green Revolution Prevent Famines?

Alexis Lathem October 8, 2009 Alexis Lathem

Norman Borlaug

In the last month, following the announcement of the death of Norman Borlaug, we have been reminded of the sweeping claims that have been made about the successes of the green revolution. Borlaug was an agricultural scientist who, under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation, developed dwarf varieties of wheat and rice that are widely reported to have produced miraculous yields, and which "saved the lives of millions of people" in the developing world who would otherwise have starved.

From Pittsburgh to Copenhagen: It’s Time to Act in Defense of the Planet

Frank Joseph Smecker September 24, 2009 Frank Joseph Smecker

By the end of this year the world's most influential and powerful individuals will be assembling more than once to discuss the economic and ecological future of the planet. From September 24 through the 25, the G-20 Summit will be taking place in Pittsburgh to address the recent financial collapse and the economic implications of climate change.

Actions Spreading Across the U.S. Against Corporate-Driven Climate Policy

Anne Petermann and Orin Langelle September 22, 2009 Anne Petermann and Orin Langelle

Pittsburgh, PA--As groups protest the Pittsburgh International Coal Conference days before the G-20 arrives in the city, additional actions against U.S. climate policy and the fossil fuels industry took place on both the east and west coasts.

The Soy Republic of Argentina

Marie Trigona September 3, 2009 Marie Trigona

March Against Soy

The increasing export of genetically modified crops is part of a regional trend with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay now adopting a soy-based economic model. Argentina has made a radical shift toward soy, which has displaced cultivation of many grains and vegetables and even its beef production, the nation's diet staple and renowned around the world. Once a highly industrialized nation and agriculturally diverse, Argentina now uses more than half of its total arable land for monoculture soy.

Detroit’s Urban Farms: Food Among the Ruins

Mark Dowie August 19, 2009 Mark Dowie

Detroit, the country's most depressed metropolis, has zero produce-carrying grocery chains. It also has open land, fertile soil, ample water, and the ingredients to reinvent itself from Motor City to urban farm.

The Globalization of Garbage: Following the Trail of Toxic Trash

Michael Fox August 13, 2009 Michael Fox

Garbage Heap in Philippines

"English Trash Going Home" read the front page of Brazil's Porto Alegre journal, Correio do Povo on Monday, August 3rd. The image showed the hefty MSC Oriane tanker piled with dozens of containers. The photo's caption explained that 920 "tons of domestic and toxic trash, imported illegally and which were in Rio Grande, were embarked and will make the return trip home to England." On her way North, the tanker stopped by the Santos port in Sao Paulo and picked up another 41 containers. For Brazil, it was the welcomed resolution to what had become a small-scaled international scandal. But globally, it is not even a scratch on the surface.