Gristmill

Direct and organic farm sales rise rapidly, new census shows

Direct sales from farmers rose 49 percent, and organic farm sales more than tripled from 2002 to 2007, new USDA farm census data show.

USDA released the 2007 Agriculture Census data today, giving Americans a far more detailed understanding of agricultural trends -- just as interest in local foods expands dramatically.

For me, one of the key indicators of the growth of interest in community-based foods is the rapidly rising sales of food direct from farmers to consumers. Direct food sales rose a whopping 49 percent to $1.2 billion in 2007, up from $812 million in 2002. This includes farmstand, farmers market, internet, or other direct sales of fruit, vegetables, meats, and many other foods.

Bipartisan duo introduce renewable-electricity-standard bill in House

Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) on Wednesday introduced legislation in the House to create a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) that would require the United States to draw a quarter of its electricity from clean sources by 2025. Markey also introduced a second bill that would require the country to reduce energy […]

Canada saved us from more bad peanuts

In the stream of news about the troubling "our peanuts are tainted and our food system is whack" situation, this gem has floated to the surface: It was Canada that first raised the red flag on Peanut Corp's products last spring. The tale unfurls a bit like a parody of bumbling agency hijinks, but the moral is clear: Canada. Always. Rocks.

NWF VP believes we'll see a cap-and-trade bill this year, and 'Waltzing Matilda' isn't about dancing

First, one of my favorite tunes, "Waltzing Matilda," has nothing to do with dancing.

Second, somebody out there thinks Congress might actually put a climate bill on Obama's desk this year.

First things first. So I'm singing to my daughter, reworking the lyrics to the "the unofficial national anthem of Australia," to distract her from her quest to watch videos on my PC, and she cleverly asks to see a "Waltzing Matilda video." And this is what I find on YouTube:

Turns out the song is about an Australian hobo, who gives the name Matilda to his swag -- his "bed roll that bundled his belongings." Turns out "waltzing Matilda" is slang for traveling with all one's belongings on one's back.

Given where Australia is headed -- "Australia faces collapse as climate change kicks in" -- and for how long (if we don't act soon and strongly to stop it) -- Climate change "largely irreversible for 1,000 years," with permanent Dust Bowls around the globe -- I'm now thinking that Waltzing Matilda will eventually be the official national anthem of Australia. But I digress.

So who is this mystery person who thinks we are on the fast track for climate action?

Stephan Faris’ book is a grim reality check

The cover of the new climate change travelogue from journalist Stephan Faris makes it pretty clear his news will be grim. On the front cover of Forecast: The Consequences of Climate Change, from the Amazon to the Arctic, from Darfur to Napa Valley ($25, Henry Holt and Company), a lifeless desert floor extends to an […]

Finally the truth can be told!

According to Tim Lambert, this video briefly appeared on the Heritage conference site -- before the rocket scientists there discerned that it was parody. In their defense, I'm losing my ability to tell the real from the parody in the fever swamps as well. Like this, for instance. Apparently it's real.

Ashley Judd and Defenders of Wildlife want you to know that Sarah Palin still hates wolves

Ashley Judd (yes, that Ashley Judd) and Defenders of Wildlife would like you to know that even though Sarah Palin is no longer running for vice president, she still hates critters. They’ve launched a new campaign and website, Eye On Palin, that decries her “anti-wolf, anti-wildlife” agenda. Here’s their new YouTube video:

'Coal makes no sense in this day and age'

Originally posted at the Wonk Room.

The coal industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to get out the message of "clean coal" through front groups like the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, campaign contributions, and an army of lobbyists. But the devastating Dec. 22, 2008, coal ash slurry spill of the Kingston Fossil Plant in rural Tennessee broke through the cacophony of clean coal carolers. The sludge came from "cleaning" coal of toxic metals like arsenic, mercury, and lead so less went into the air. This ThinkProgress Wonk Room video is a stark reminder that in reality, coal isn't clean.

Watch it:

This week the news of progress away from dirty coal has reached a fever pitch:

Because we've always needed reasons to kill each other

Canada's public broadcaster, CBC, has just finished airing the three-part series Climate Wars, based on the Gwynne Dyer book of the same name. I haven't yet finished reading the book, but the thesis is easily summarized: If you thought that the effects of climate change only included withering droughts, torrential storms, and general freaky-deakiness, you've missed one of the big ones: anthropogenic mass death, or as the political scientists call it, "war."

Yup, on top of all the other things we'll have to worry about in a melting world, there's the sad fact that we'll have more and more reasons to kill each other over dwindling water and food supplies. When you consider that the 20th century was bloody enough as economic and industrial opportunities were expanding, the 21st century is looking mighty depressing if you believe that wars can start over resource scarcity.

You can download the podcasts of Parts I, II, and III of Climate Wars here, though I can't testify as to how long they'll stay up there. So give it a listen soon. And do check out the book -- like I said, haven't finished it, but it's excellent so far.