Fossil Fuels are Good for the Environment

The Dog Says ...

Bottled Water Banned

This is unbelievable. The city of Concord Massachusetts has banned bottled water to save the environment. It seems all those bottles are bad for the environment.

WTF! I thought we were recycling!
♻ The law is the result of the efforts of Jean Hill. After the passing of the law she said:

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am. It took three years to do this and now that it’s happened, I’m so relieved.

Relieved? Because this kept you up at night? It was so horrible that people had access to the most important substance after air to survive? Heaven forbid people buy their water in plastic bottles!

I do have to say that the concept of bottled water to the degree at which people purchase it is insanely stupid. Then again, there are a lot of stupid people out there. I am perfectly fine with tap water. But if you want bottled water, go for it.

Could this happen else where? Well, it has. A pro bottle-ban blog "ban the bottle" has stories on it about Universities banning bottled water.

Have the law makers forgotten the populous has the right to bear arms and many do?

HA HA HA! Silly Hippy Food!

Organic foods are better for you, right? It's natural, right?

10 years ago 77 nonorganic substances were allowed in organic foods. What is the total today? 250.

Yes. Something like ammonium nonanoate, a herbicide, is acceptable. I tried to search for the complete list at usda.gov, but the site server seems to be experiencing problems today. The search engine is kaput. List now available below.

Penn & Teller did a wonderful show on organic foods. No one could tell the difference between average store vegetables and organic vegetables. Go watch the video. It'll cost you, just like organic food.

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Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production.

(1) Alcohols.

(i) Ethanol.

(ii) Isopropanol.

(2) Chlorine materials—For pre-harvest use, residual chlorine levels in the water in direct crop contact or as water from cleaning irrigation systems applied to soil must not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act, except that chlorine products may be used in edible sprout production according to EPA label directions.

(i) Calcium hypochlorite.

(ii) Chlorine dioxide.

(iii) Sodium hypochlorite.

(3) Copper sulfate—for use as an algicide in aquatic rice systems, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to those which do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent.

(4) Hydrogen peroxide.

(5) Ozone gas—for use as an irrigation system cleaner only.

(6) Peracetic acid—for use in disinfecting equipment, seed, and asexually propagated planting material.

(7) Soap-based algicide/demossers.

(8) Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate (CAS #–15630–89–4)—Federal law restricts the use of this substance in food crop production to approved food uses identified on the product label.

(b) As herbicides, weed barriers, as applicable.

(1) Herbicides, soap-based—for use in farmstead maintenance (roadways, ditches, right of ways, building perimeters) and ornamental crops.

(2) Mulches.

(i) Newspaper or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.

(ii) Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC)).

(c) As compost feedstocks—Newspapers or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.

(d) As animal repellents—Soaps, ammonium—for use as a large animal repellant only, no contact with soil or edible portion of crop.

(e) As insecticides (including acaricides or mite control).

(1) Ammonium carbonate—for use as bait in insect traps only, no direct contact with crop or soil.

(2) Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #–1312–76–1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand.

(3) Boric acid—structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops.

(4) Copper sulfate—for use as tadpole shrimp control in aquatic rice production, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to levels which do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent.

(5) Elemental sulfur.

(6) Lime sulfur—including calcium polysulfide.

(7) Oils, horticultural—narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils.

(8) Soaps, insecticidal.

(9) Sticky traps/barriers.

(10) Sucrose octanoate esters (CAS #s—42922–74–7; 58064–47–4)—in accordance with approved labeling.

(f) As insect management. Pheromones.

(g) As rodenticides.

(1) Sulfur dioxide—underground rodent control only (smoke bombs).

(2) Vitamin D3.

(h) As slug or snail bait. Ferric phosphate (CAS # 10045–86–0).

(i) As plant disease control.

(1) Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #–1312–76–1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand.

(2) Coppers, fixed—copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, Provided, That, copper-based materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the soil and shall not be used as herbicides.

(3) Copper sulfate—Substance must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation of copper in the soil.

(4) Hydrated lime.

(5) Hydrogen peroxide.

(6) Lime sulfur.

(7) Oils, horticultural, narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils.

(8) Peracetic acid—for use to control fire blight bacteria.

(9) Potassium bicarbonate.

(10) Elemental sulfur.

(11) Streptomycin, for fire blight control in apples and pears only until October 21, 2014.

(12) Tetracycline, for fire blight control only and for use only until October 21, 2012.

(j) As plant or soil amendments.

(1) Aquatic plant extracts (other than hydrolyzed)—Extraction process is limited to the use of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; solvent amount used is limited to that amount necessary for extraction.

(2) Elemental sulfur.

(3) Humic acids—naturally occurring deposits, water and alkali extracts only.

(4) Lignin sulfonate—chelating agent, dust suppressant.

(5) Magnesium sulfate—allowed with a documented soil deficiency.

(6) Micronutrients—not to be used as a defoliant, herbicide, or desiccant. Those made from nitrates or chlorides are not allowed. Soil deficiency must be documented by testing.

(i) Soluble boron products.

(ii) Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.

(7) Liquid fish products—can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or phosphoric acid. The amount of acid used shall not exceed the minimum needed to lower the pH to 3.5.

(8) Vitamins, B1, C, and E.

(9) Sulfurous acid (CAS # 7782–99–2) for on-farm generation of substance utilizing 99% purity elemental sulfur per paragraph (j)(2) of this section.

(k) As plant growth regulators. Ethylene gas—for regulation of pineapple flowering.

(l) As floating agents in postharvest handling.

(1) Lignin sulfonate.

(2) Sodium silicate—for tree fruit and fiber processing.

(m) As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or synthetic substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances.

(1) EPA List 4—Inerts of Minimal Concern.

(2) EPA List 3—Inerts of unknown toxicity—for use only in passive pheromone dispensers.

(n) Seed preparations. Hydrogen chloride (CAS # 7647–01–0)—for delinting cotton seed for planting.

(o) As production aids. Microcrystalline cheesewax (CAS #'s 64742–42–3, 8009–03–08, and 8002–74–2)–for use in log grown mushroom production. Must be made without either ethylene-propylene co-polymer or synthetic colors.

(p)–(z) [Reserved]

Nonagricultural (nonorganic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)).”

(a) Nonsynthetics allowed:

Acids (Alginic; Citric—produced by microbial fermentation of carbohydrate substances; and Lactic).

Agar-agar.

Animal enzymes—(Rennet—animals derived; Catalase—bovine liver; Animal lipase; Pancreatin; Pepsin; and Trypsin).

Bentonite.

Calcium carbonate.

Calcium chloride.

Calcium sulfate—mined.

Carrageenan.

Dairy cultures.

Diatomaceous earth—food filtering aid only.

Egg white lysozyme (CAS # 9001–63–2)

Enzymes—must be derived from edible, nontoxic plants, nonpathogenic fungi, or nonpathogenic bacteria.

Flavors, nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative.

Gellan gum (CAS # 71010–52–1)—high-acyl form only.

Glucono delta-lactone—production by the oxidation of D-glucose with bromine water is prohibited.

Kaolin.

L-Malic acid (CAS # 97–67–6).

Magnesium sulfate, nonsynthetic sources only.

Microorganisms—any food grade bacteria, fungi, and other microorganism.

Nitrogen—oil-free grades.

Oxygen—oil-free grades.

Perlite—for use only as a filter aid in food processing.

Potassium chloride.

Potassium iodide.

Sodium bicarbonate.

Sodium carbonate.

Tartaric acid—made from grape wine.

Waxes—nonsynthetic (Carnauba wax; and Wood resin).

Yeast—nonsynthetic, growth on petrochemical substrate and sulfite waste liquor is prohibited (Autolysate; Bakers; Brewers; Nutritional; and Smoked—nonsynthetic smoke flavoring process must be documented).

(b) Synthetics allowed:

Acidified sodium chlorite—Secondary direct antimicrobial food treatment and indirect food contact surface sanitizing. Acidified with citric acid only.

Activated charcoal (CAS #s 7440–44–0; 64365–11–3)—only from vegetative sources; for use only as a filtering aid.

Alginates.

Ammonium bicarbonate—for use only as a leavening agent.

Ammonium carbonate—for use only as a leavening agent.

Ascorbic acid.

Calcium citrate.

Calcium hydroxide.

Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic).

Carbon dioxide.

Cellulose—for use in regenerative casings, as an anti-caking agent (non-chlorine bleached) and filtering aid.

Chlorine materials—disinfecting and sanitizing food contact surfaces, Except, That, residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Calcium hypochlorite; Chlorine dioxide; and Sodium hypochlorite).

Cyclohexylamine (CAS # 108–91–8)—for use only as a boiler water additive for packaging sterilization.

Diethylaminoethanol (CAS # 100–37–8)—for use only as a boiler water additive for packaging sterilization.

Ethylene—allowed for postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening of citrus.

Ferrous sulfate—for iron enrichment or fortification of foods when required by regulation or recommended (independent organization).

Glycerides (mono and di)—for use only in drum drying of food.

Glycerin—produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils.

Hydrogen peroxide.

Magnesium carbonate—for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”.

Magnesium chloride—derived from sea water.

Magnesium stearate—for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”.

Nutrient vitamins and minerals, in accordance with 21 CFR 104.20, Nutritional Quality Guidelines For Foods.

Octadecylamine (CAS # 124–30–1)—for use only as a boiler water additive for packaging sterilization.

Ozone.

Peracetic acid/Peroxyacetic acid (CAS # 79–21–0)—for use in wash and/or rinse water according to FDA limitations. For use as a sanitizer on food contact surfaces.

Phosphoric acid—cleaning of food-contact surfaces and equipment only.

Potassium acid tartrate.

Potassium carbonate.

Potassium citrate.

Potassium hydroxide—prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables except when used for peeling peaches during the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) production process.

Potassium phosphate—for use only in agricultural products labeled “made with organic (specific ingredients or food group(s)),” prohibited in agricultural products labeled “organic”.

Silicon dioxide.

Sodium acid pyrophosphate (CAS # 7758–16–9)—for use only as a leavening agent.

Sodium citrate.

Sodium hydroxide—prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables.

Sodium phosphates—for use only in dairy foods.

Sulfur dioxide—for use only in wine labeled “made with organic grapes,” Provided, That, total sulfite concentration does not exceed 100 ppm.

Tartaric acid—made from malic acid.

Tetrasodium pyrophosphate (CAS # 7722–88–5)—for use only in meat analog products.

Tocopherols—derived from vegetable oil when rosemary extracts are not a suitable alternative.

Xanthan gum.

(c)–(z) [Reserved]

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Crazy Grants : July 2nd

Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program	$990,000
The purpose of this competitive undergraduate scholarship grant program is to increase the multicultural diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce. Multicultural diversity of the food?
Track II People-to-People Activities in South and Central Asia	$1,000,000
Competition to design people-to-people activities to strengthen Asia by including people from any two or more of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan.
Vegetation Conditions of Sagebrush Habitat around Sage Grouse Leks	$75,000
Use data from 1992-3 to determine what the habitat was like for Sage-Grouse leks (birds).
Battle Mountain District Weed Treatment	$200,000
Weed removal and try to get the public to participate.
National Analysis of Grass Carp	$150,000
Prevent Grass Carp farmers from letting any loose into the wild.
Today's Total	$2,415,000

< 7/3

more grants

6/29 >

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Promoting More Fail

The Energy Department is celebrating the Obama administration doubling down on the atrocious biofuel scam. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Navy and Department of Energy are sinking $30 million into biofuels as matching funds to private investments. The Department of Energy is going to sink and additional $32 million in new investments for breakthroughs. Obama's 2013 budget calls for an additional $110 million.

Does anyone remember last year when even Al Gore admitted biofuel was a mistake? One sixth of the corn produced went into ethanol. This was enough corn to feed 350 million people for a year. Instead it was burned. That causes food prices to rise.

But this is supposed to make fuel prices come down. Does it?

The Navy's "Great Green Fleet" is using biofuel. What does it cost? $26 a gallon. Traditional fuel is $3.60 a gallon. Even more insane is that this will stay a small experiment because there is not enough raw bio-material available to implement this idea on a large scale.

Even the algae solution is out of the question. It was tried in 2009 and cost $424 a gallon.

Is Obama's plan to make energy prices go up no matter what?

Public watching the Government Food

Do you remember the girl who had her bag lunch taken away and was given a school lunch instead? It was because the government felt her parents did not give her a nutritious enough lunch. They also sent her home with the lunch her parents packed and a bill for the school lunch.

So how good is the school lunch? A Scottish school girl has a blog that rates her school lunches; it is called "Never Seconds." Her blog shows a picture of the meal and she rates the taste, portion size, and number of hairs found in the food.

The first reviewed lunches were embarrassingly bad and her blog has received a lot of attention. Since then the school lunches have been improving.

It would be great to see some American students doing this to see if the government lunch is adequate or not. After all, they are telling us what to eat and banning stuff we like!

Never Seconds

It is what it isn't & isn't what it is

A woman sued General Mills over the fact that fruit rollups claim to be made with fruit. General Mills won the case. It seems that if the natural flavoring used is derived from the claimed fruit then it is okay to say it is made with that fruit, even though it does not contain fruit, just flavor.

Makes me think of "Certs made with Retsyn."

I found just the opposite problem in a story at MoonBattery. Brussels bureaucrats told a wine maker the could not call an alcoholic beverage made with grapes from outside of the European Union wine. See the video for this opposing insanity:

Fat Heads Support Fat Tax

I was going to go ahead and rant on this, but I don't really need to.

A story out of Indianapolis cites a study that says a "fat tax" could help curb obesity. Who did the study nor the name of the study is cited, just "a study." Now that's good journalism!

The story uses alcohol and tobacco taxes as a reason to tax fatty foods. The other taxes reduced use of those sin products which theoretically means it could work for fatty foods. A 20% tax is recommended in the article. Not kidding. 20%!

So why am I not going to rant? Go read the article and the comments. You can see all the ranting that needs to be done is in the comments. I don't how the journalist found someone to support this tax, but the readers are pissed!

13 Year Old Entrepreneur

In this recession there are many hiccups on the road to recovery. That is a good thing for 13 year old Mallory Kievman.

Mallory has come up with a cure for the hiccups! It comes in lollipop form. She is starting up a business to create her "hiccupops."

Let us hope that she is successful and that the government does not overburden her venture with too many regulations. There are no cures for those hiccups.

13 years old and she may have just made a product that will have her set for life. How awesome is that?

Farting Causes Global Warming

Scientists are blaming dinosaur farts for global warming. They did this by scaling cows up to the size of dinosaurs and calculate their methane output.

Did you catch that?

Link cows to dinosaurs. Link dinosaurs to global warming. Conclusion : cows cause global warming. We need to stop eating meat. Also, instead of using CO₂ for the argument they use methane.

Of course you need to ignore the fact that all we have of the dinosaurs are the bones. Scientists don't know if dinosaurs had scales or feathers. Yes, feathers. It is a new theory.

You have to ignore that dinosaurs have a reptilian digestive track, theory, and cows have a four stomach mammalian digestive track.

Ignore all that we don't know about dinosaurs and just say they are the same as a cow and you can start a trend to ban one of our food sources.

Scientists believe that when dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era the Earth was 18°F (10°C) warmer. There is no mention of what they think the CO₂ levels were nor the methane levels. Methane levels were calculated because cows are the same as dinosaurs and they know how many dinosaurs lived in the past.

Obviously there is good news. Regardless of how they try to make the link between cows and dinosaurs and global warming, the era of the dinosaurs was much warmer and they did not burn fossil fuels. Why was it so much warmer back then without all of our evil progress and technology?

USA Makes Mexicans Fat?

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) has posted an article blasting the following headline:

U.S. exports obesity epidemic to Mexico, says new study
Declining public health linked to NAFTA, and influx of low quality, processed foods

The U.S. exports obesity, not Mexico imports obesity. Mexico is not responsible for their behavior, the U.S. is. Oh the evil U.S. of A.!

The problem is that NAFTA has made American snack foods and processed meats more accessible to Mexicans. The horror of it all! This access has changed the Mexican diet! Why are Mexicans turning their backs on their proud heritage and forgoing traditional Mexican cuisine for fatty American fare? The article fails to state how it is that the U.S. makes people buy these products and eat them.

See how having a choice is bad for you? We must stop all this variety of products! We need a one-size-fits-all solution! No more choice! It is bad for you!

I find it difficult to be alarmed about people being fat when you consider the other end of the spectrum : starvation. Food is such a problem in North Korea that people are resorting to cannibalism. A society with fat people is less likely to have people resorting to cannibalism. Fat is a good problem.

The IATP recommends that "health impact assessments" should be done when drawing up trade agreements. You know. Predict what people will buy and whether or not it is good for them. I'm sure everyone will buy "New Coke." Olestra potato chips that promotes anal leakage. People will love it! Try as you might, you never know for sure what the people will clamor for.

All you need to know,if something bad happens somewhere, you can find a way to absolve "victims" of personal responsibility and pin the blame on the U.S.

Brown Bag Lunch Banned

Sometimes it feels good to be right; sometimes it is awful being right. This is the latter. Back in August I predicted the banning of brown bag lunches.

A four year old in preschool was told by a state employee the lunch she was packed was not nutritious; she was then given/forced a school lunch. Why wasn't the lunch packed for her nutritious? It did not have a vegetable. Why didn't she have a vegetable? She won't eat them unless she is watched, so she gets vegetables at dinner so that under supervision of her mom she will eat them; otherwise, like at lunch, they will go uneaten.

So what was packed in her lunch?

• turkey and cheese sandwich
• banana
• potato chips
• apple juice

What did the preschooler eat when the school lunch was placed in front of her?

• 3 chicken nuggets

You mean she didn't eat her vegetables? Shocking! And in case you missed it, there was a recent story of a seventeen year old girl who had fallen sick because all she had eaten since she was two was chicken nuggets. Brilliant move nanny state.

Let's add insult to injury. The little girl brought a bill home for the school lunch along with her uneaten packed brown bag lunch.

I have kept this recap brief, so if I have peaked your interest please go follow the links.

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Will the Government ban brown bag lunches?

Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people. -Henry Kissinger

Will the government cut parents out of the loop when it comes to lunch at school? What if they ban students bringing lunch in from home? Will your child be forced to buy lunch at school?

To justify banning something it needs to be deemed unsafe. Today, bag lunches that we have eaten for generations have been reported as reaching temperatures that facilitate food borne illnesses. The study was conducted with preschools, but a bag lunch is a bag lunch and could apply to any student of any age.

The federal government has proposed some "voluntary" guidelines for businesses to follow in advertising food that qualify as healthy targeted towards children. The National Restaurant Association is pushing back because:

"The proposed standards are unworkable for the industry and for consumers. They impose impractical nutritional standards that will significantly compromise the taste and palatability that consumers demand and underestimate the technical limitations of the industry."

Would the government really make such regulations? The government didn't ban the incandescent light bulb; it made regulations for light bulbs that physics cannot meet with the incandescent model. Will this force restaurants to only serve a low calorie nutritious gruel to children?

San Francisco and Santa Clara County have banned McDonalds from putting a toy in the "Happy Meal" because it targets kids to order an unhealthy meal. Is there a healthy choice at McDonalds? Yes. But shouldn't parents decide what their children eat and not the government?

Will the government really tell us what we can eat? California, Baltimore, and New York City have banned trans fats; other cities and States are proposing to do the same. New York is even proposing a ban on restaurants using salt. The FDA has a ten year plan to limit how much salt is in the food we buy. Across the pond in Stockport, England, they will no longer have salt shakers on the table. If you want salt you will have to ask for it.

What else will the government say we cannot eat? How else will it dictate marketing? Are we close to a ban on bag lunches?

Control the food ...