Killered Bees. The NYTimes covers the mysterious collapse of commercial honeybee colonies over the last 5-months, covering
dozens of states. The disease,
Colony Collapse Disorder, does not have a determined cause. The
Canary Database indicates that
bees can serve as
"canaries in a coalmine" for human diseases, as many other animals do. Some of the suspected causative agents (as reported [
pdf] by
Penn State) include a immunodeficiency, the hive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, nutritional stress, parasites, infectious diseases, stress due to colony splitting and relocation, insecticides, and antibiotic use. The die-offs are likely to adversely impact both
prices and crop yields.
posted by rzklkng
on Feb 28, 2007 -
45 comments
Today the
British government released a
major report on the safety of genetically modified foods. According to
New Scientist, "existing genetically modified crops and foods pose a 'very low' risk to human health and are 'very unlikely' to rampage through the British countryside", but
others disagree.
posted by turbodog
on Jul 21, 2003 -
58 comments
Have you ever wanted to try painting a portrait of
Pappa Hemingway or
Joey Ramone using poppy seed, grits, brome grass, millet, lentils, and white rice? Do you have the patience to recreate Van Gogh's
Starry Night in cream of wheat and split peas?
Crop art showcases artists who use only harvested natural materials to create their art.
Via Coudal.
posted by iconomy
on May 13, 2002 -
9 comments
