This year's Farm Bill deliberations have been less transparent than ever before. In that spirit, SEJ's WatchDog shares a backgrounder, published by the Federation of American Scientists, on the 2012 Farm Bill done by the Congressional Research Service — which keeps their taxpayer-funded reports secret from the public.
The complaints came out at the Vancouver meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this month — the main multidisciplinary science conference held yearly on the continent. Also during the meeting, a letter from six journalism and science groups called on Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the muzzling-scientists policy was released.
"LONDON -- More than 145 food products derived from whales, dolphins and porpoises are for sale on Amazon Japan, the wholly owned subsidiary of Internet marketplace giant Amazon Inc., according to a new report by the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency."
"Dow Chemical Co hoped an Olympic sponsorship would boost its global cache, but the company's link to a gas leak tragedy 28 years ago threatens to curb some of the benefits from the $100 million advertising deal. As many as 25,000 residents of Bhopal, India, died in the aftermath of a 1984 gas leak at a pesticide factory that was owned by a subsidiary of Union Carbide, which sold the facility in 1994. Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001."
"Ships entering the Great Lakes should be made to kill all the creatures that hitch a ride in their ballast tanks, environmental groups said on Tuesday, challenging as too lax a proposed government standard to combat invasive species."
New York state legislators are considering banning shark fin sales, something several other states have done.
"MOSCOW -- It was an Ice Age squirrel's treasure chamber, a burrow containing fruit and seeds that had been stuck in the Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 years. From the fruit tissues, a team of Russian scientists managed to resurrect an entire plant in a pioneering experiment that paves the way for the revival of other species.
The Silene stenophylla is the oldest plant ever to be regenerated, the researchers said, and it is fertile, producing white flowers and viable seeds.
"The world's largest phosphate miner has cut a deal with the environmental groups that sued it two years ago to block its plans to dig up thousands of acres of wetlands. In exchange for allowing mining to proceed near Fort Meade in Hardee County, Mosaic Fertilizer will buy a 4,400-acre ranch and donate it for use as a new state park."
"ANCHORAGE -- U.S. Forest Service researchers have confirmed what has long been suspected about a valuable tree in Alaska's Panhandle: Climate warming is killing off yellow cedar."
"TEMPLE, N.H. -- A mild winter across the Northeast is injecting extra uncertainty into maple syrup season, but many producers say they'll just go with the flow, whenever it starts."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/read-secret-backgrounder-secret-2012-farm-bill
[2] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/reporters-researchers-aaas-say-canada-muzzles-climate-scientists
[3] https://www.sej.org/headlines/whale-meat-sale-amazoncom-japan
[4] http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2012/2012-02-21-01.html
[5] https://www.sej.org/headlines/dow-chemicals-olympic-pr-push-dogged-bhopal
[6] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/21/dowchemical-olympics-idUSL2E8DL07M20120221
[7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/tough-rules-sought-keep-invasive-species-great-lakes
[8] http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/64752
[9] https://www.sej.org/headlines/new-york-may-ban-shark-fin-sales-following-other-states
[10] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/nyregion/bill-in-albany-would-ban-sale-of-shark-fins.html?ref=earth
[11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ice-age-flower-silene-stenophylla-becomes-oldest-plant-be-revived
[12] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/ice-age-flower-silene-stenophylla_n_1290339.html?ref=green&ir=Green
[13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/phosphate-giant-cuts-deal-enviros-wetlands-mining
[14] http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wetlands/phosphate-mining-giant-cuts-deal-with-environmentalists-that-allows-mining/1216431
[15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/climate-change-killing-yellow-cedar-trees-alaska
[16] http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Research-confirms-warming-for-yellow-cedar-death-3341201.php
[17] https://www.sej.org/headlines/maple-syrup-winter-2012-producers-say-mild-weather-could-hurt-output
[18] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/mild-winter-weather_n_1290591.html?ref=green&ir=Green
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4095
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4092
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4093
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4094
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4097
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4098
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4099
[27] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4100
[28] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5049