Crooked cucumbers, knobbly carrots and other strangely shaped fruit and vegetables - the stuff of EU myth, legend and ridicule is set to return to the shelves of European supermarkets. It's been the most popular joke about EU overregulation: desk-bound European Commission bureaucrats sitting in Brussels with nothing better to do than regulating the shapes and sizes of fruit and vegetables. Until now, the EU only granted space on supermarket shelves for norm-fitting vegetables or fruit, but starting July 1, strange shapes and sizes are allowed back.
It's been the most popular joke about EU overregulation: desk-bound European Commission bureaucrats sitting in Brussels with nothing better to do than regulating the shapes and sizes of fruit and vegetables.
Until now, the EU only granted space on supermarket shelves for norm-fitting vegetables or fruit, but starting July 1, strange shapes and sizes are allowed back.
Now my display is all topsy-turvy. The plants seemed to recoil from my every move. The vines rolled over like skeins of yarn in a basket of kittens. I've no idea how to restore its leafy canopy and fear I've introduced unacceptable exposure to our yield. Fungus? Grubs? Deformities? Mutant murrikan cornichon.
Desperation drove me to drink three Tsingtao on the porch, while I pondered, What else could I do? Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
What else could I do?
Gin&tonic? The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
Our cucs no longer have to be straight
Not straight?! Oh noes! Quick, somebody pass a "Defense of Vegetables Act"! The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the bananas must be:
Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
Compost, compost, compost.
LOL. Tell me more. I've started two 'informal' heaps and one basket cooking. (Red wigglers are on hold.) None of which simplifies the gravel isssshue or accelerates the time issshue or funds the massive tree pruning issshues.
The photo is dated and doesn't show my lovely improvements to the briar patch. LOL. It's a pity in a way that half the property is shaded.
I'll be pleased with myself if I can extend the growing season into November. I find most "cool season" vegetables quite tasty. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
Life, like hope, springs eternal. You can't be me, I'm taken
once you've recovered from your cure that is, lol. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Now, ought I also arrange serenades? Or is that too forward? Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
it's so sweet, how they ask for help. the ties that bind....
if the bamboo still has side branches trail the vine 'fingers' over those and it'll support itself with no need for ties even. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Cattle cloning has long been standard practice in the United States. Now EU agriculture ministers have decided that cloned meat and milk should be allowed onto the European market. Not everyone is pleased. Cloned cows in the US: Critics claim that cloning can cause deformities and shortened life expectancies for animals. Anyone who considers creation sacred should make sure they never talk to a cattle breeder. In-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and embryo transfer are the terms of their trade. And now another word from the lexicon of reproductive medicine has joined the breeder's jargon: cloning. The European Union's agricultural ministers decided on Monday of last week that in the future, the meat and milk of the offspring of cloned animals should be allowed on the European market. The European Parliament still needs to approve the proposal. However environmental and animal protection organizations responded immediately to the news and condemned the decision. They consider cloning to be unethical and cruel, and warn that the risks of cloned meat for human health have not been adequately researched.
Cattle cloning has long been standard practice in the United States. Now EU agriculture ministers have decided that cloned meat and milk should be allowed onto the European market. Not everyone is pleased.
Cloned cows in the US: Critics claim that cloning can cause deformities and shortened life expectancies for animals. Anyone who considers creation sacred should make sure they never talk to a cattle breeder. In-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and embryo transfer are the terms of their trade. And now another word from the lexicon of reproductive medicine has joined the breeder's jargon: cloning.
The European Union's agricultural ministers decided on Monday of last week that in the future, the meat and milk of the offspring of cloned animals should be allowed on the European market. The European Parliament still needs to approve the proposal. However environmental and animal protection organizations responded immediately to the news and condemned the decision. They consider cloning to be unethical and cruel, and warn that the risks of cloned meat for human health have not been adequately researched.
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2009) -- For the first time, direct evidence of lightning has been detected on Mars, say University of Michigan researchers who found signs of electrical discharges during dust storms on the Red Planet. The bolts were dry lightning, says Chris Ruf, a professor in the departments of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. "What we saw on Mars was a series of huge and sudden electrical discharges caused by a large dust storm," Ruf said. "Clearly, there was no rain associated with the electrical discharges on Mars. However, the implied possibilities are exciting.
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2009) -- For the first time, direct evidence of lightning has been detected on Mars, say University of Michigan researchers who found signs of electrical discharges during dust storms on the Red Planet.
The bolts were dry lightning, says Chris Ruf, a professor in the departments of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.
"What we saw on Mars was a series of huge and sudden electrical discharges caused by a large dust storm," Ruf said. "Clearly, there was no rain associated with the electrical discharges on Mars. However, the implied possibilities are exciting.
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2009) -- According to new research published online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences) on July 1, 2009, a new fossil primate from Myanmar (previously known as Burma) suggests that the common ancestor of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, not Africa as many researchers believe. A major focus of recent paleoanthropological research has been to establish the origin of anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes and humans) from earlier and more primitive primates known as prosimians (lemurs, tarsiers and their extinct relatives). Prior to recent discoveries in China, Thailand, and Myanmar, most scientists believed that anthropoids originated in Africa. Earlier this year, the discovery of the fossil primate skeleton known as "Ida" from the Messel oil shale pit in Germany led some scientists to suggest that anthropoid primates evolved from lemur-like ancestors known as adapiforms. According to Dr. Chris Beard-- a paleontologist at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a member of the international team of researchers behind the Myanmar anthropoid findings--the new primate, Ganlea megacanina, shows that early anthropoids originated in Asia rather than Africa. These early Asian anthropoids differed radically from adapiforms like Ida, indicating that Ida is more closely related to modern lemurs than it is to monkeys, apes and humans.
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2009) -- According to new research published online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences) on July 1, 2009, a new fossil primate from Myanmar (previously known as Burma) suggests that the common ancestor of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, not Africa as many researchers believe.
A major focus of recent paleoanthropological research has been to establish the origin of anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes and humans) from earlier and more primitive primates known as prosimians (lemurs, tarsiers and their extinct relatives). Prior to recent discoveries in China, Thailand, and Myanmar, most scientists believed that anthropoids originated in Africa. Earlier this year, the discovery of the fossil primate skeleton known as "Ida" from the Messel oil shale pit in Germany led some scientists to suggest that anthropoid primates evolved from lemur-like ancestors known as adapiforms.
According to Dr. Chris Beard-- a paleontologist at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a member of the international team of researchers behind the Myanmar anthropoid findings--the new primate, Ganlea megacanina, shows that early anthropoids originated in Asia rather than Africa. These early Asian anthropoids differed radically from adapiforms like Ida, indicating that Ida is more closely related to modern lemurs than it is to monkeys, apes and humans.
Between Germany and the Netherlands, the Rhine is on average three degrees warmer than 100 years ago. Ecologists warn of serious consequences for nature and wildlife. Parts of the river reach an alarming 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) during summer with the warmest temperatures measured between the cities of Mainz and Worms, said researchers. A new study released by environment group BUND says the development is partly caused by global warming, but mostly by waste water pumped in by nuclear and coal-fired power plants that channel water off to cool the facilities and then pump it back into the main river. "The waste heat from all German power plants would be enough to warm every single building in the country," say Joerg Nitsch of BUND. "This gigantic waste of heat that the Rhine has to deal with shows how utterly inefficient producing electricity with coals and nuclear power is," he added.
Parts of the river reach an alarming 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) during summer with the warmest temperatures measured between the cities of Mainz and Worms, said researchers.
A new study released by environment group BUND says the development is partly caused by global warming, but mostly by waste water pumped in by nuclear and coal-fired power plants that channel water off to cool the facilities and then pump it back into the main river.
"The waste heat from all German power plants would be enough to warm every single building in the country," say Joerg Nitsch of BUND.
"This gigantic waste of heat that the Rhine has to deal with shows how utterly inefficient producing electricity with coals and nuclear power is," he added.
Racism debate after Russian and Nigerian gas companies combine to form 'Nigaz' Gazprom has launched a new venture with Nigeria - the unfortunately-named 'Nigaz' When a $2.5billion international venture is being planned you might expect there to be hours of debate over what to call it. Yet branding is not the forte of some companies, it seems. Russian Energy giant Gazprom has inadvertently walked into a racism row with the announcement of its joint venture in Nigeria - Nigaz. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Nigerian counterpart Umaru Yar'Adua last week agreed the deal to build refineries, pipelines and gas power stations in Africa's most populous nation. The name is meant to be an amalgamation of 'Nigeria' and 'Gazprom', pronounced 'nye-gaz', but it can be read phonetically as an offensive term for those of black African origin. 'How more derogatory can it be. Let's join forces in making our government rename this,' said the creator of 'Nigerians No Nigaz', a group on Facebook.
Gazprom has launched a new venture with Nigeria - the unfortunately-named 'Nigaz'
When a $2.5billion international venture is being planned you might expect there to be hours of debate over what to call it.
Yet branding is not the forte of some companies, it seems.
Russian Energy giant Gazprom has inadvertently walked into a racism row with the announcement of its joint venture in Nigeria - Nigaz.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Nigerian counterpart Umaru Yar'Adua last week agreed the deal to build refineries, pipelines and gas power stations in Africa's most populous nation.
The name is meant to be an amalgamation of 'Nigeria' and 'Gazprom', pronounced 'nye-gaz', but it can be read phonetically as an offensive term for those of black African origin.
'How more derogatory can it be. Let's join forces in making our government rename this,' said the creator of 'Nigerians No Nigaz', a group on Facebook.
OTOH, considering this hyphenation is common in corporate Russia (Rusal, for example) and that no one chuckles when a country is named Niger or Nigeria because we are all adults presumably and not 14 yr old boys and that "NiGaz" does not sound in Russian like it looks in English ... Well, I can see how it happened and find no reason to think it is intentionally racist.
I mean, this is a Nigerian venture too, correct? As in, the Nigerians agreed to this... "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
When it comes to stopping overfishing in coastal ocean waters, there's a whale of a gap between what nations pledge to do and what happens at sea. That's the grim conclusion of a new study published in PLoS Biology, the first global assessment of human management of fisheries -- designated areas where fish and aquatic animals are caught -- whose coauthors include renowned marine biologists such as the late Ransom A. Myers and Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. It's well documented that many of the world's major fisheries are in shocking decline. Some 90 percent of the world's big fish, such as bluefin tuna, blue marlin and Antarctic cod, have almost disappeared from the oceans since the advent of industrial fishing in the 1950s, according to a groundbreaking paper published in Nature in 2003 by Myers and Worm. And by 2048 the world's supply of seafood will likely simply run out, Worm and other marine biologists warned in the pages of Science in 2006. As of 2008, 80 percent of the world's fish stocks were considered either vulnerable to collapse or already collapsed. This sorry state of affairs has inspired numerous international efforts, such as the United Nations Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Convention on Biological Diversity, in hopes of making more of the world's fisheries sustainable. These initiatives have gained broad acceptance on the world stage, with many countries pledging to adhere to their principles. But where the trawler meets the sea, it's a different story. "Unfortunately, our study shows that there is a marked difference between the endorsement of such initiatives and the actual implementation of corrective measures," observe the authors of the report "Management Effectiveness of the World's Marine Fisheries."
It's well documented that many of the world's major fisheries are in shocking decline. Some 90 percent of the world's big fish, such as bluefin tuna, blue marlin and Antarctic cod, have almost disappeared from the oceans since the advent of industrial fishing in the 1950s, according to a groundbreaking paper published in Nature in 2003 by Myers and Worm. And by 2048 the world's supply of seafood will likely simply run out, Worm and other marine biologists warned in the pages of Science in 2006. As of 2008, 80 percent of the world's fish stocks were considered either vulnerable to collapse or already collapsed.
This sorry state of affairs has inspired numerous international efforts, such as the United Nations Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Convention on Biological Diversity, in hopes of making more of the world's fisheries sustainable. These initiatives have gained broad acceptance on the world stage, with many countries pledging to adhere to their principles. But where the trawler meets the sea, it's a different story. "Unfortunately, our study shows that there is a marked difference between the endorsement of such initiatives and the actual implementation of corrective measures," observe the authors of the report "Management Effectiveness of the World's Marine Fisheries."
