Tell the E.P.A.: Ban the pesticide that's killing honey bees.

Since 2006, U.S. honey bee populations have been in precipitous decline, with some estimates suggesting losses as high as 30% per year. While that's terrible, the problem is far greater than just the destruction of a species. Without bees, a big piece of our food supply is in serious danger. Pollination by honey bees is key in cultivating the crops that produce a full one-third of our food.

Scientists have been scrambling to understand the crisis -- termed Colony Collapse Disorder -- but have yet to find a single, definitive cause. There are likely multiple interacting causes, and mounting evidence suggests that one widely used class of pesticides may be a critical factor.

One such chemical, called clothianidin, was quietly granted approval by the EPA whist no major independent study has verified the safety of its use. It has been used on our corn crops since 2003. And it was officially approved by the Environmental Protection Agency last year on the basis of a single study, conducted by the company that manufactures it.

It is outrageous that the E.P.A. is putting a vital species, the livelihoods of farmers and beekeepers, and our very food supply at risk.

Read more and sign the petition to the EPA here.

Walnuts are best for a healthy heart!

A new study has suggested that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

 It positioned walnuts in the No. 1 slot among a family of foods that lay claim to being among Mother Nature's most nearly perfect packaged foods: Tree and ground nuts.

 "Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts," said researcher Joe Vinson.

 A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don't eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.

The report was presented at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

What Would the World Look Like if We Relied on Industrial Agriculture to Feed Everyone?

On March 8, Dr. Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, released a report arguing that the use of small-scale, diverse farming methods, which he calls “agroecology,” can double agricultural production in poverty-stricken areas, increase the economic prospects of the inhabitants, and improve their local environment.

 Read the whole article here...

http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/2011/03/what-would-the-world-look-like-if-we-relied-on-industrial-agriculture-to-feed-everyone/

More evidence: Eating fish ( and taking marine omega 3's) protects your brain.

Temple University scientists have discovered that blocking activity of an enzyme in the brain protects the brain. DHA and EPA from fish block that enzyme. Take your DHA and EPA everyday! 

In previous studies, the Temple researchers discovered that 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme long known to exist in the brain, controls the activation state of gamma secretase, another enzyme that is necessary and responsible for the final production of amyloid beta. When produced in excess, amyloid beta causes neuronal death and forms plaques in the brain. The amount of these amyloid plaques in the brain is used as a measurement of the severity of Alzheimer's.

The researchers published their findings, “Pharmacologic Blockade of 5-Lipoxygenase Improves the Amyloidotic Phenotype of an AD Transgenic Mouse Model,” in the American Journal of Pathology.