Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Agriculture Daily News May 28

Food:

 

The Accidental Vegetarian: Grilling the Japanese way -- A few vegetarian Japanese restaurants have opened in the Bay Area during the past few years, and it was at one of them that I was reminded of how simple, yet how full-flavored good Japanese dishes can be. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Bay Area women are eating their veggies -- San Francisco Bay Area women racked up the best scores for healthful eating and low body-mass index for large metropolitan regions in a study released last week by the American Heart Association. In addition to eating their veggies and keeping their weight down, Bay Area women are more likely to get regular exercise and avoid smoking, according to the survey. On the downside, they tend to drink more alcohol and have access to fewer cardiologists and teaching hospitals per capita than the national average. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

Water:

 

Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force to Meet  -- The Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force will meet May 28 and 29 to hear recommendations from four workgroups established to assist them: delta ecosystem, water reliability, Delta as place and governance and finance. The Task Force also will issue directions to staff for development of a strategic plan. Delta Vision webpage 5/16/08

 

DFG moves to solve salmon mystery -- King salmon smolts have been implanted with acoustical tags under a multi-agency research project to provide scientists answers to why as many as 90 percent of the young fish die each year while out-migrating through the south Delta and San Joaquin River. The transmitters are programmed by the U.S. Geological Service. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two private consulting firms are providing technical assistance to the project. Stockton Record 5/28/08

 

Water quality data and water quality report for 2007 -- The following is an excerpt from the 2007 Water Quality Report provided by Stanford in compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Stanford News Service 5/28/08

 

Bay Point voices environmental justice issues – A survey found that industrial pollution and illegal garbage dumping were the top two concerns of Bay Point residents, followed by poor water quality. The goal of the survey and workshop is to educate Bay Point community members on environmental justice and how residents can prioritize issues to improve their condition, said Roxanne Carillo, manager of the Contra Costa Health Services Healthy Neighborhoods Project. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

Health:

 

US child obesity 'hits plateau' -- An analysis of data from 1999 to 2006 by the US government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed obesity rates stable at 16%.  Public health experts remained cautious about the findings and were unable to pinpoint the reasons for them.  BBC 5/28/08

 

Bill would let pharmacies sell medical records -- Pharmacies in California would be allowed to sell confidential patient prescription information to third-party marketing firms working for drug companies under a bill expected to be voted on Thursday by the state Senate. The legislation would allow pharmaceutical firms to send mailings directly to patients. Supporters of the proposal say the intent is to remind patients to take their medicine and order refills. But consumer privacy advocates are outraged. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Lead exposure in children linked to violent crime -- The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime. 5/28/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

Could $10 DMV fee pay for state parks? -- Attempting to solve the recurring budget shortfalls that have left California's once-renowned state parks system struggling with too many repairs and too few rangers, Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, plans to introduce a proposal today to increase funding for parks through the state's vehicle fees. SJ Mercury 5/28/08

 

States agree on Tahoe area fire prevention -- A state of emergency was declared Tuesday in the Lake Tahoe basin by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, who took the advice of a two-state commission that declared the region ripe for catastrophic fire. The emergency declarations mean more money and resources will be sunk into fuel removal projects, fire department personnel and fire prevention techniques over the next 10 years in an attempt to reduce the threat to life and property. SF Chronicle 5/28/08

 

Agriculture:

 

Costlier food: Pain for some, but bigger profit for others -- The steepest increases in food prices since 1990 are hurting grocery shoppers, restaurants and school cafeterias. But there are winners in the new food economy, including crop farmers selling corn and wheat at near-record highs after years of crushingly low prices. Also, ingredient-makers such as Cargill Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co. are rife with profit, and fertilizer and tractor companies are cashing in. AP 5/28/08

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