ALMar Orchards gains national attention for use of pigs, not pesticide

Pass by Jim Koan's 120-acre apple orchard this spring and you could well spy dozens of baby Berkshire hogs marauding under the trees -- miniature porkers scarfing up fruit and grubbing in the soil.

A case of hogs gone wild?

No. It's an experiment in organic farming gaining national attention, and the pork-and-apple program at Koan's ALMar Orchards in Flushing is getting accolades from Michigan State University researchers who say it may someday help fruit growers reduce pesticide use.

Read more at the Detroit Free Press

Organic corn ‘outbreak’ reported

In an attempt to make a statement about genetically modified corn on Kaua‘i, a loose conglomeration of community members has started to distribute organic corn seeds and corn seedlings island-wide.

According to Lauren Shaw-Meek, a manager at Vim & Vigor in Lihu‘e, the idea of the organic corn “outbreak” is to bring attention to what the group sees as the perils of GMO corn. By poking fun at the possibility of an organic corn “outbreak” the message is a little lighter and may reach a wider audience.

Read more at source . . .

A Bit of Humor

Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official, 'You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done.'

The Chief nodded in agreement.

The official continued, 'Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?'

The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied. 'When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water.
Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex.'

'Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that.'

Waste from Whisky Cleans Contaminated Water

While there may be no real magic in whisky, there appears to be some alchemy in one of its by-products. A by-product from whisky production has just been shown to clean contaminated water and soil.

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Soccer Moms Versus College Students: Who's More Environmentally Responsible?

"Protests couldn't happen without college students, who have plenty of time on their hands, but research carried out at the University of Granada reveals that busy housewives raising future college students are still more willing to separate glass from other garbage than the students themselves."

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Looking at Sustainable Design That Doesn’t Suck

In the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York, a space that was a parking lot just five years ago has recently been transformed into one of the borough’s best scenes. Habana Outpost, a restaurant-cum-cultural center, features open-air market, outdoor movies, great food and drink, and a social hub for the creative and diverse local community. Underlying it all is an ethic of sustainability: The eatery, powered by renewable energy, boasts dozens of green building features—none of which takes away from the enjoyable experience. We took a look at some of the Outpost’s most inventive innovations.

Read more and see pics . . .

Report Urges U.S. to Pursue Space-Based Solar Power

WASHINGTON – A Pentagon-chartered report urges the United States to take the lead in developing space platforms capable of capturing sunlight and beaming electrical power to Earth.

Space-based solar power, according to the report, has the potential to help the United States stave off climate change and avoid future conflicts over oil by harnessing the Sun's power to provide an essentially inexhaustible supply of clean energy.

The report, "Space-Based Solar Power as an Opportunity for Strategic Security," was undertaken by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office this spring as a collaborative effort that relied heavily on Internet discussions by more than 170 scientific, legal, and business experts around the world. The Space Frontier Foundation, an activist organization normally critical of government-led space programs, hosted the website used to collect input for the report.

Read more . . .