Lifestyle Hub

Fish hatchery to shut down due to budget crunch

According to a report in the Star Bulletin, due to the state's budget crunch funding will no longer be provided for a fish hatchery that breeds fish for freshwater fishing at Nuuanu, and possibly also other hatcheries including one on Kauai. The report states:

Sugar beets likely to be the next untested and unregulated GMO crop

GMO sugar beets are likely to be the next untested and unregulated GMO crop. Unless stopped by a pending federal lawsuit. Farmers are planning to plant the Monsanto GMO sugar beets in Boulder Colorado (Boulder is home to many of the nation's organic and natural foods companies). The following is from a Natural Foods Merchandiser June 10, 2009 article:

Swine flu linked to modern factory farming of pigs

According to a May 8, 2009 article published on Natural Foods Merchandiser's website (Natural Foods Merchandiser is the leading natural products industry publication) there is a link between the modern factory farming methods for pigs and the Swine Flu outbreak. The story states: "Mounting evidence suggests that the recent outbreak of swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, may have begun as a result of massive-scale farming practices.

New documentary - Food Inc.

The following is an edited version of a National Public Radio show of June 12, 2009 about Food Inc., a new movie. The new documentary Food Inc. takes aim at corporate giants behind the U.S. food supply. Director Robert Kenner and food advocate and author Michael Pollan made the film to raise Americans' awareness about where their food really comes from. Pollan says he wanted to address "the pastoral illusion we're spinning in the way we market food... You would think it comes from farms and that ranchers with big hats are producing the meat."

Another incidence of E coli 0157 contamination

In the news is another outbreak of E coli 0157:H7 that has resulted in the recall of Nestle’s refrigerated cookie dough.

E coli 157 lives in the intestines of cattle. It is often found that the cause of E coli contamination in vegetables, as in the case of the spinach contamination of a few years ago, is due to contamination from cattle feces. E coli does not occur naturally in vegetables, it only gets on them due to contamination either in the fields, in processing, or distribution.

Peacock bashing will go to jury trial

According to the Honolulu Advertiser today (June 20, 2009) the woman accused of killing a "squawking peacock" plead not guilty to the charge of second-degree misdemeanor cruelty to animals and demanded a jury trial. The woman admitted that she killed the peacock in remarks to a TV crew and to police.

Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, who, according to news reports is considering making a run for mayor, stated "Clearly, taking a baseball bat to a peacock is not something that is tolerated by the law."

Slain monk seals remembered

In the Honolulu Advertiser today (June 19, 2009) there is an article about a ceremony held yesterday in Kauai to remember two slain monk seals who were recently killed (murdered) over the past two months. Jeff Walters of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said "We're here to show respect for the seals that were lost, and for all seals and all wildlife." Approx. 100 people attended the ceremony. The two monk seals, members of an endangered and protected species, had been shot.

The China Study - eat a plant based diet to avoid and reverse disease

There is a startling new book called “The China Study” written by Dr. Colin Campbell that contains the answers to the nation’s health care crisis. And what is that answer? It is not compulsory health care, it is not the spending of billions of dollars on hospitals.

The real cause of climate change

In the news today is an article about the Obama administration issuing warnings on climate change in what was called the "grimmest, most urgent language on climate change ever to come out of any White House." The scientists softened the message by saying "it's not too late to prevent some of the worst consequences by acting aggressively to reduce emissions of heat trapping gases, principally carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels."

The original predatory lender?

There was a great comic in the Honolulu Advertiser today, June 16, 2009, with the caption "The original predatory lender" with a picture of the earth with a big sign on it saying "Fine Print: failure to curb emissions in time may result in draconian climatological adjustments", and an inhabitant of the earth looking at the sign in puzzlement thinking "what the?".