Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants that at most of them, a regular diet of six pieces a week would exceed the levels considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency. Sushi from 5 of the 20 places had mercury levels so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market. NY Times 1/23/08
Dr. Jane Hightower, a doctor of internal medicine at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and a leading researcher on mercury poisoning, urged sushi lovers Wednesday to curb their intake of raw tuna, in light of a published report that tuna sushi contains mercury in excess of what the government deems acceptable. KCBS 1/24/08
A siphon bar, a machine that makes gourmet coffee, was imported from Japan at a total cost of more than $20,000 to the Blue Bottle Café in San Francisco. Popularity of machines like this signal the resurgence of brewing among the most obsessive coffee enthusiasts. NY Times 1/23/08
The fame of the Napa region often means that when you buy a Napa Valley wine you are paying for a lot more than what’s in the bottle. The wine critic for the NY Times found a number of mid-range bottles he purchased ‘boring’ and ‘formulaic’. 1/23/08
The prospect of fierce opposition from environmentalists and the lack of consensus among key political leaders on the details of an $11.7 billion bond package caused the California Alliance for Jobs to withdraw political funding for the measure. This makes the prospect of a water bond getting to voters this year unlikely. CC Times 1/24/08
In a state where water has become an increasingly scarce commodity, a growing number of farmers are betting that they can make more money selling their water supplies to thirsty cities and farms to the south than by growing crops. Many farmers are saying there is more economic advantage to fallowing than raising a crop. Critics say these farmers are getting water for a subsidized price and selling it to taxpayers at an elevated rate. CC Times 1/24/08
After several years of trying to convince his neighbors to cut down or trim their redwood trees which blocked his solar panels, a Sunnyvale man filed a complaint with the Santa Clara County district attorney, arguing that the trees reduce the amount of electricity he can generate. It turns out the couple was in violation of California's 1978 "Solar Shade Control Act" and in December were ordered to remove two of the trees. CC Times 1/24/08
California agricultural authorities will stop spraying a pesticide meant to stop a crop-eating moth until they can find a better product, officials said Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting tests in New Zealand to figure out which new chemical formulation is the most effective agent against an infestation of the light brown apple moth that has spread to nine California counties, said department spokesman Larry Hawkins. Last year, more than 600 residents of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties reported experiencing respiratory illnesses, breathing complications, irregular heart rhythms and menstrual cycles and more after initial rounds of aerial spraying. SJ Mercury 1/22/08
A California consumer has filed a proposed class-action suit against The Dannon Company, alleging the company's claims that its probiotic yogurt offers clinically and scientifically-proven health benefits are false. The lawsuit alleges that Dannon's clinical studies didn't support marketing claims suggesting DanActive, Activia and Activia Light yogurt products had been proven to regulate one's digestive system. CBC 1/24/08
In recent years, yogurt’s popularity has exploded. Though it has always been considered nourishing and a significant source of calcium, new research detailing even greater benefits has driven health-conscious consumers to the marketplace en masse. In the Bay Area, boutique yogurt shops are popping up like wildflowers, and with places like Fraiche, in Palo Alto, breaking new ground by making their own yogurt. SF Chronicle 1/23/08
Federal health authorities are awarding Fresno State a five-year, $4.5 million grant to create a biomedical research center. SJ Mercury 1/23/08
California Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura will be leading an agricultural trade delegation to Cuba, January 21 – 24, 2008, to market California agricultural products to the Cuban government, creating future sales opportunities for California exporters. California Farmer 1/21/08
The New York City Board of Health voted Tuesday to approve a new version of a law requiring fast-food outlets to display calorie counts on their menus, hoping the fat-filled truth will shock New Yorkers into eating healthier. The new regulation applies to any chain that operates at least 15 separate outlets. AP 1/24/08
After an unknown amount of untreated sewage spewed out after the ravaging storms earlier this month, the city is looking at reconstructed pavements lined with trees and gardens, water-absorbent asphalt and other rainwater-catching tools to ease the burden of rain on the sewage system. The City’s plan includes recommendations for rooftop gardens that trap rain for plants, thirsty trees planted in special spongelike soil, water-pervious asphalt, vegetated run-off channels and underground tanks that trap rainwater for irrigation. SF Examiner 1/21/08
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