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There's a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign going on in New York City right now regarding smoking in public places. The ads feature slogans like, "If they ban smoking in airports, people will never fly again," and "If they ban smoking in bathrooms, people will never gossip again." I thought of this campaign when I stumbled across a Reuters article on Tuesday describing opposition to a new law requiring that meat, seafood, produce, and peanuts be labeled with their countries of origin. Critics of the law quoted in the article foresaw disasters of nigh-biblical proportions: U.S. exports plunging, thousands of farmers pitched …

Dearest Umbra, I'm curious how they make those mystical little carrots that are just the right size for snacking. Are baby carrots actually harvested that small, or are they carved out of bigger carrots? If they're carved out of bigger carrots, where do all the shavings go? Bottom line: Am I supporting a wasteful production process when I buy baby-cut carrots or is my green consciousness just a tad bit hyperactive? TylerWashington, D.C. Dearest Tyler, Baby carrots have veritably jumped off the shelves in recent years. You hardly see people eating normal carrots any longer. It's too much work, really, …

Fix Whole Ecosystem, Not Bits and Pieces, Klamath Water Report Says Both environmentalists and farmers were vindicated by a report released yesterday by the National Research Council on the contested waters of Oregon's Klamath Basin. The report, the final and most comprehensive one in an ongoing battle over the region's water sources, recommended sweeping repairs to a damaged landscape, including removing dams that inhibit fish migration, restoring wetlands, and returning water to rivers and lakes. "If there's one central theme, it's that the failures of the past are the result of not taking an ecosystem approach," said Jeffrey Mount, a …

Bush Administration Won't Regulate Farm Dioxins Nothing will get in the way of farmers using dioxin-tainted sewage sludge as fertilizer on their crops, thanks to a Bush administration decision announced on Friday. The U.S. EPA declared that it sees no need to regulate dioxins in sewage sludge that is applied to land in the U.S., saying new studies indicate that the practice doesn't pose significant risks to human health or the environment. But many public-health advocates, enviros, and scientists disagree; a panel of the National Research Council determined last year that the government was using outdated science to determine risks …

Major British Study Pans GM Crops as Harmful to Wildlife Bad news just keeps on coming for British backers of genetically modified foods, a group whose most high-profile member is Prime Minister Tony Blair. The latest: A three-year government investigation billed as the world's largest study of the environmental effects of GM crops has found that birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife in farm areas are harmed much more by the strong herbicides used with GM crops than by the weedkillers used in conventional farming. This could throw a wrench into British government plans to authorize the planting of GM …

British Insurance Companies Would Not Cover Farmers Growing GM Crops The general public in the U.K. is deeply opposed to genetically modified crops, and now British farmers have yet another reason not to grow them: No one will insure them. A study by the agricultural organization Farm found that none of Britain's five major insurance underwriters would be willing to insure farms that were growing (or thinking about growing) GM crops. Nor would they insure non-GM farmers trying to protect themselves against crop contamination. All the companies said too little was known about the long-term effects of GM crops on …

Bush Insulates Pesticide Makers from Lawsuits The Bush administration is doing a big favor for pesticide manufacturers by instituting a new policy that will curb farmers' ability to sue the companies if their products don't work as promised. In a significant policy reversal, the U.S. EPA has reinterpreted a federal law and now claims that it bars suits against chemical manufacturers when their pesticides or herbicides harm a crop they are supposed to protect or fail to eradicate an insect or blight. Tom Buis of the National Farmers Union worries that the shift could leave farmers without legal recourse even …

Nettle Fabric Could Be Eco-Friendly Replacement for Cotton Fabric made from stinging nettles could be the next big thing in eco-friendly fashion. The process of growing nettles is much gentler on the Earth than growing cotton, which generally entails high use of water and pesticides. (Almost a quarter of the world's pesticides are sprayed on cotton plants.) In contrast, nettles don't need much water or protection from pests, and they provide habitat for many insect species and small birds. While hemp and flax are also eco-friendly replacements for cotton, they produce rough fabric, whereas nettles, strangely enough, can be made …

Brazil Will Allow Planting of GM Soybeans In a big blow to opponents of biotechnology, Brazil announced last week that it will allow farmers to plant genetically modified soybeans, ending its role as one of the leading nations opposed to GM crops. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government had previously promised to oppose GM plantings, but ultimately bowed to pressure from agribusiness interests. Brazil is currently the world's No. 2 soybean producer, but it may surpass the U.S. to gain the top spot in the next year. The nation's boom in soybean production is also fueling destruction of …