Scientists Warn of Rising Oceans From Unstoppable Polar Melt

Two groups of scientists reported on Monday that a large section of the West Antarctica ice sheet has begun falling apart and it?s melting now appears to be unstoppable. As a result of the melting, the sea level will rise 10 feet or more within the coming centuries.? Although the rise of the oceans will likely be relatively slow for the rest of the 21st century, it will surely create major environmental changes. Both groups of scientists found that West Antarctic glaciers had retreated far enough to set off an inherent instability in the ice sheet, one that experts have feared for decades. A United Nations scientific committee has warned that the global sea level could rise as much as three feet by the end of this century if stronger efforts are not made to control greenhouse gases. Research published in 2012 found that a rise of less than four feet would inundate land on which some 3.7 million Americans live today. Miami, New Orleans, New York and Boston are all highly vulnerable. While a large rise of the sea may now be inevitable from West Antarctica, continued release of greenhouse gases will almost certainly make the situation worse. The heat-trapping gases could destabilize other parts of Antarctica as well as the Greenland ice sheet, potentially causing enough sea-level rise that many of the world?s coastal cities would eventually have to be abandoned.

USDA Announces $78 Million Available for Local Food Enterprises

On May 8th, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA is making a $78 million investment in local and regional food systems, including food hubs, farmers markets, aggregation and processing facilities, distribution services, and other local food business enterprises. The $48 million in loan guarantees for local food projects is now available through USDA?s Rural Development?s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, and $30 million is available through competitive grants via the Agricultural Marketing Service?s (AMS) Farmers Market and Local Foods Promotion Program. Details on how to apply for local food funding are available on the Rural Development website. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

First-Ever Study Reveals Amounts of Food Dyes in Brand-Name Foods

Various studies have proven that dyes found in food can impair children’s behavior, but until now (thanks to a recent study), the amounts of dyes in packaged foods has remained unknown. New research by Purdue University scientists, published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, reports on the dye content of various breakfast cereals, candies, baked goods, and other foods. The findings are of significance because the amounts of dyes found in even single servings of numerous foods, are higher than the levels demonstrated in some clinical trials to alter some children’s behavior.? For example, General Mills’ Trix cereal lists Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Red 40 on its ingredients list, but the amount of dye is not shown. The research found that Trix had 36.4 milligrams of those chemicals. Fruity Cheerios had 31 mg of food dyes, also some combination of Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 1. Of all the cereals tested, the one with the most artificial dyes was Cap?n Crunch?s Oops! All Berries, with 41 mg. This is alarming information since clinical trials have shown that children are affected by doses up to 35 mg of mixtures of synthetic coloring, with larger percentages generally being affected by doses of 100 mg or more. The amount of dye that is needed to trigger reactions in the most sensitive children is not known. According to the Purdue researchers, the amount of artificial food dye certified for use by the Food and Drug Administration has increased five-fold, per capita, between 1950 and 2012. The researchers estimate that a child could easily consume 100 mg of dyes in a day and that some children could consume more than 200 mg per day.