“I’m still afraid of the population monster.”

Recently those words by the late, great Norman Borlaug were repeated by Kenneth Quinn a current member of the World Food Prize Foundation, the organization Borlaug established during his remarkable career.

Quinn was one of several speakers at a conference in India last week that saw some of the brightest minds in science and agriculture, gather to discuss climate change and its impact on food production.

The topic is hardly new: just over a year ago, a report was released predicting that by the year 2100, climate change would cause mass starvation that makes our current troubles look like a picnic. The U.N. has also said six million tonnes of wheat will be kaput for every degree the temperature rises. And as that quote by Borlaug indicates, there are going to be a heck of a lot more people to feed in the future. If you consider that the temperature could rise as much as six degrees during the growing season, that’s 24 million tonnes of wheat we’ll lose that we really can’t afford to spare. Scared yet?

At last week’s conference, Lars Pedder Brekk , the Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food said we need to figure out a solution to climate change while also securing the long-term food supply. Oh sure Lars, when you put it that way, it sounds so easy. There are just a few minor problems to consider. Let’s look at them shall we?

First, let’s touch on the subject of climate change. Just ask Al Gore how easy it is to get people to care about global warming. Sure some concerned citizens make it a priority to reduce their impact on the earth. However with a few billion people on this planet, it’s safe to say only a small handful are mindful enough to make significant changes to their lifestyles – changes significant enough to actually solve the climate change problem. We can bike to work, use water-efficient toilets and shop local, but enough people have to commit to earth-saving measures to actually make a difference. Given the economic strife so many are facing these days, eco-concerns probably aren’t as high on the priority list of most families as say, figuring out how to make next month’s mortgage or rent payment.

Now let’s once again open the can of worms we like to call The Global Food Supply.

Food experts can at least agree that we’ll need to grow enough food for a rapidly growing global population, but nobody can agree on the most effective method of accomplishing this. Proponents of organic farming say it’s feasible that natural farming techniques could yield enough crops to keep pace with the growing population. By developing nutrient-rich soil and restricting the use of pesticides, the director of the Soil Association in the U.K. says countries like Britain could become sustainable organic systems. The U.K. banned genetically modified ingredients over a decade ago.

On the flip side, you have the opinion of scientists like Borlaug, who saw the effects of starvation up close. He prevented millions of people from starving to death in India and Pakistan over 30 years ago, and was a pioneer in the development of crops resistant to things such as drought and disease. Proponents of genetically altered crops say that when we’re talking about issues such as the severe effects of climate change, relying on organic farming won’t be enough. While areas like the U.K. the U.S. and Canada may have the capacity to grow organic and natural foods, other parts of the world don’t have that ability. Soil erosion, harsh weather conditions and lack of space make growing food a significant challenge. Unfortunately these are the nations that will suffer most if the predicted climate change and population boom do occur.

Organic farming advocates say it’s possible to improve soil conditions enough to produce food naturally. Britain’s Royal Society, a science academy, says preserving wild, natural crop varieties is important, but so is the development of genetically modified crops because the results of such crops are more predictable.

Penn Jillette once said it’s easy enough for those in developed countries to clamor for organic solutions and ban genetically modified ingredients, but such critics also aren’t the ones starving to death – at least not yet. If you handed a basket of fresh produce and bread to someone in say Haiti, it’s probably safe to assume the intended recipient wouldn’t wrinkle their nose in distaste and ask if the food was organic and free from pesticides and GM ingredients. If that’s all we had to eat, would we be so quick to turn it down?

We’re afraid of the long-term effects of climate change and terrified of the unknowns associated with GM crops. Now more and more scientists are starting to say one the former will make the latter a necessity. It poses a challenging question of which is the greater future evil: having a belly full of genetically modified foods or starving to death?

» The Hindu

For Vikings, pork was preferred over beef or any other type of meat.  And today you can buy bacon-flavored vegan soy products and even bacon flavor shakers to make everything taste like bacon.  The point is: Vikings like it, Vegans like it, and the rest of us like it so much we’d make everything taste like it if we could – I’m talking about pigs.

In the wild pigs would forage for stuff to eat on the forest floor and – much like us humans – they eat just about anything.  Domesticated pigs are fed nutritious feed so they grow nice and big.  They’re fed things like corn, barley, soybeans and other stuff.  Problem is that, much like us humans, usually what comes out the other end of pigs doesn’t exactly smell like roses.

Pig poop and swine farts are no laughing matter.  The flatulent feces of a conventional Yorkshire pig doesn’t just smell bad.  This poop is packed with high concentrations of phosphorus, which can cause problems for soil and waterways.

Given that there are about a billion live pigs in the world right now - half a billion in China alone – as you can imagine this is a big problem.  Yes – for some people becoming vegan or vegetarian is an option.  But for some folks pork may be one of the few sources of high-quality protein available to them.  And you can’t ignore the fact that a lot of people have a strong personal preference to eat meat products.

Luckily, about a decade ago some smart scientists at the University of Guelph in Canada developed a new genetically enhanced pig called (dun-dun-dun-duuuun) the Enviropig!  No, this pig doesn’t have super powers and can’t climb walls.  What it does do is produce a special enzyme in its saliva (the drool in its mouth) that makes it much easier for the pig to fully digest food such as cereals which are a core staple in a pig’s diet.  Since the pig can better digest its food significantly less phosphorous ends up in its manure, which is not only much better for the environment in general but it makes the manure much more useful as a fertilizer for growing crops.

You can kind of think of it in terms of how some people don’t tolerate dairy products or beans that well.  In some cases you can take an enzyme tablet that helps your body break down the food.  In the case of Enviropigs they have been genetically engineered to be able to better digest their food on their own without the need for dietary supplements.

Upon reading this you likely fall into one of two camps:
1) This is disgusting! I’m never gonna eat any frankenstein pork!  I’m calling the governor!
2) Woohoo!  Pass the pork chops please.  After all, they're eco-friendly.

Right now Enviropigs are still in the testing and approval stages.  For years now these pigs have been the subject of numerous tests to determine if they are safe for human consumption as well as other issues such as animal welfare, nutrition and if there are any differences between the make-up of a transgenic pig versus a ‘regular’ pig.  So meat from Enviropigs is not is our food supply yet, but there has been nothing so far to indicate that these little piggies won’t be approved to go to market at some point in the near future.

Human beings have been raising domestic pigs for centuries.  We’ve bred them in all sorts of shapes and sizes to suit our specifications and they’ve come a long way genetically from their wild ancestors.  Now modern science is stepping in with a genetic change that could significantly lessen the environmental impact of the Earth’s billion pigs.  It’ll be interesting to see what other types of environmentally beneficial innovations will be coming our way in the coming years.  Better pig poop may not be as sexy as a new electric car engine, but it’s still an important part of becoming a more environmentally friendly society.

» Vancouver Sun

One of the first signs of spring is the sudden urge to start planning out your holidays for the spring and summer months. After a long, dreary winter, the thought of an escape is refreshing. 

It's simple enough to make at least some of your vacation green, thanks to several online resources dedicated to helping travelers make eco-friendly arrangements. Follow these seven steps that will help you plan with peace of mind.

- Explore the alternatives to flying on shorter trips such as driving or hopping aboard a train or ferry. Sites like carbonresponsible.com will help you figure out the impact of your planned trip.

- Several countries have green accreditation schemes making the process of finding eco-friendly accommodations much simpler. Check out the Green Tourism Business Scheme for the UK, Italy's Legambiente, the Certificate in Sustainable Tourism in central America and the Ecotourism Certification programme in Australia. Alternatively check broader sites such as RezHub.com or GreenLodge.org.

- Rind a tour operator that offers environmentally-conscious tours. The Association of Independent Tour Operators has a rating system for members, and those wanting to book a feel-good tour will find 300 community-run trips on their charity Tourism Concern website.

- Take your hotel's green claims with a grain of salt. Be sure to ask hotel management about the facility's green practices in areas such as carbon emissions, energy, water use and waste disposal. Find out if they use local food and employ people who live in the area. The only way to positively bring about change is to bring the topic front-and-center - so discuss any areas for improvement with management, because the more they hear it, the more it's likely to stick and inspire positive developments.

- Nobody likes a tattletale, but if you spot hotel staff violating environmental policies you have every right to talk to management. Do the same for any other vendors you use, such as tour operators. You can also share your experience at irresponsibletourism.info.

- Don't leave your good green habits at home. Recycle, take public transportation, turn off lights, heat and air-conditioning when not in use and take showers as opposed to baths to save water.

- Go on a working vacation and volunteer to help those in need. Many of the destinations are warm and will offer you the opportunity work and play in the sun. Visit ethicalvolunteering.org for ideas on how to find a volunteer agency and information about which kind of trip is right for you.

» Guardian

From the time I moved into my first apartment, I have always enjoyed having a variety of houseplants.  They are a great way to decorate and add life to indoor spaces and fit into almost any decor.  Like most of us, I always knew that trees were important in improving air quality, however I never thought much about my indoor plants doing the same for my home.  It turns out that houseplants can indeed improve the indoor air quality in a home.  In fact, NASA did a study on common houseplants and came up with a list of the top common houseplants to improve indoor air quality.

How do houseplants improve air quality?  In the same way that trees are important in improving air quality outdoors.  These houseplants originate from tropical climates, where they grew under the shelter of tree canopies.  Because of this, these plants are able to survive on fairly low levels of natural light.  This makes them very efficient at photosynthesis, which allows them to absorb more gasses out of the air.  It is also why they grow so well in an indoor environment.

Here are some of my favorite houseplants from NASA’s list:

1.  Peace Lilly - The peace lilly tops the list of my favorite houseplants for a few reasons.  First, it is very easy to grow.  It handles most reasonable indoor light situations, and recovers relatively easily if it misses a regular watering.  The other reason it is one of my favorites is because it produces attractive white flowers very regularly when taken care of properly.

2. Snake Plant - The snake plant is a fantastic plant choice for someone who is not particularly good with plants because it requires only low levels of light and minimal watering.  In fact, my snake plant needs watering less than half as often as my other houseplants.  The snake plants long, spiky leaves also provide an interesting decorative look.

3. Spider Plant - The spider plant is another plant that is easy to grow and requires fairly low levels of light.  My favorite thing about mature spider plants are the shoots of “baby” spider plants that extend off of the main plant.  They are very neat to look at, and work well in hanging baskets.

4.  English Ivy - English Ivy is a very fast growing plant that trails beautifully.  It is very easy to grow, but does require more watering. 

5.  Ficus - Ficus trees are one of the neatest plants on the list.  They can grow very large and make a very pretty indoor tree.  They are not as easy going as the other plants mentioned.  They like more specific light conditions and watering, but do very well if put in the right area and watered regularly.

6.  Gerbera Daisy and Potted Mums - Two different species of plants altogether, however they have many of the same features.  They both provide beautiful flowers and are more of a “temporary” or seasonal plant, as they never seem to flourish past their flowering period.  If you want color, or don’t want a permanant houseplant, these are fantastic choices.  Both of these plants are also popular gift choices and very easy to find in a variety of stores.

NASA recommends having at least 15 houseplants in a 2000 square foot space in order to help improve air quality.  Also, it is important not to overwater houseplants, which can lead to fungal growth in the soil.

» Clean Air Gardening

Scientific American recently re-released an article from 1960 that examined the challenges facing agriculture in Israel.

When settlers came to the land of milk & honey in the mid 1900’s they were confronted with major issues regarding usable farmland.  Israel is basically a desert and desert farming requires a great deal of planning and maintenance.  Israel has a climate very similar to California with rainy winters and long dry summers – conditions that have remained virtually unchanged since Roman times.  The desertification of Israel is actually a man-made phenomenon, not a natural one.  Centuries of poor water management and ancient farming practices rendered all but protected lands useless.

Desert farming is a delicate operation.  Not only do you have issues like water management to deal with – erratic rainfall, water storage and irrigation – but you also have to worry about soil quality issues and erosion.  These are challenges even for agriculture in non-desert regions.

In Israel back in the 1960’s they drained marshlands, redesigned irrigation systems and rebuilt hillside terraces.  They also seeded a variety of special grasses and plants to help rebuild the soil by retaining water, releasing nutrients and protecting the soil from the elements.

Some of these efforts are controversial from our perspective today.  Draining wetlands certainly doesn’t sound like an environmentally conscious long-term solution, nor does the introduction of alien species of grass, brush and trees.  But these were still major steps in Israel’s reclamation of the desert soil.

The challenges facing Israel are not isolated to the Middle East.  From China to Australia to the Southern United States there are thousands and thousands of acres of farmland facing desertification, some of it already rendered useless through poor management and outdated (or inappropriate) farming practices.  The popular logic is that this desertification is caused simply by “over farming” and that the obvious solution is to stop farming the land and it will restore itself.  This solution has two major problems: 1) no farming = no food and that’s good for anybody and 2) there is no evidence the land will simply restore itself without some help.

So can desertification be reversed?  Can we reclaim desert lands and maintain them for future generations?  There is no single “big fix” for the issue, but there are a lot of contributions modern technology is making to make this a reality.

1. New water management and irrigation technologies.  Desert areas often suffer from erratic rainfall.  Some areas get little rain, some get a fair amount and if either area gets too much rain they risk soil erosion and have no way to store that water for a future dry spell.  And for crops, not only do you needs to “water the plants” as it were but you also need to retain moisture in the soil itself.  Modern water management technologies can be managed in near real-time to account for rainfall conditions, soil moisture can be accurately monitored on any farm and new methods of distributing water to crops ensure that water waste is kept to a minimum.  These practices are not universal, but their use is growing.

2. Environmental monitoring and forecast.  One of the underappreciated benefits of the massive growth in computing power and data storage over the past few decades is in the environmental sciences.  Never before have we been able to monitor and model our environment with the level of detail we do today.  Everything from real-time reporting of amount of water flowing through rivers to modeling the probability of a drought is now possible.  Being able to handle vast amounts of historic and current data, as well as modeling future conditions allows for better planning, preparation and reaction in desert environments.

3. Improved crop selection and new varieties of crops.  Scientists now have the ability to match the specific characteristics of a piece of land with the crops best suited to be grown there.  That, combined with detailed monitoring of weather conditions has lead to improved crop selection by farmers in desert areas.  Also, there have been big strides in the use of biotechnology to change the characteristics of plant seeds over the years, with more on the way.  Scientists are working on new types of crops that require less water and are more ‘hearty’, that is – better able to tolerate less-than-ideal growing conditions.  For farmers in arid regions these types of crops could well be a key to continuing to produce food.

As with so many of the problems we face today regarding our future and the environment, it’s easy to throw our arms up in the air when a single simple solution doesn’t present itself.  However, human ingenuity and scientific innovation should give us reason to be optimistic.

» Scientific American

Despite the fact that food sales at warehouse clubs such as Costco and BJ's are thriving, sales on other items sold there aren't doing so hot. That's hardly surprising news (if you want to call it that). The fact is, as difficult and stressful as the economic downturn is, it's also inherently eco-friendly simply because people actually put thought into what they buy and trim the unnecessary items from their oversized carts. To sum it up: we've gone from being super-consumers to being careful consumers.

In terms of purchasing food, your local warehouse clubs are an obvious choice for those hoping to make their dollars stretch a bit further. After all, why pay the same price for an item at a supermarket that you can get double the amount of at a warehouse club for roughly the same cost? It makes sense from a financial pespective. It can also make sense from a green perspective too, if you're smart about it. Some may argue that buying bigger portions will lead to more food waste if shoppers don't manage to use all of the food before it spoils. Just thinking and planning ahead can nip this problem in the bud - and potentially save you some money too.

Buy what you'll use
It may sound like common sense, but take it from a Costco regular - when faced with economy-size containers of products, sometimes a realistic thought process takes the backseat. That giant pail of lemon-pepper seasoning looks tempting in the moment and somehow you convince yourself you'll use it, your brain suddenly generating a dozen recipes that will allow you to do so. Chances are once you get it home and into your pantry, there it will stay until your significant other finally asks a year down the road whatever possessed you to buy such a large portion in the first place. As if you can remember.

In other words, take inventory of the ingredients and condiments you use the most at home. If you're burning through a container of ketchup every couple of weeks, there's a good chance you'll finish off the bulk bottle or can of the stuff before it goes bad. As for the things you only use periodically, such as spices, buy them in their smaller containers as they'll probably lose their potency before you even come close to finishing them off.

Rhymes with "geezer"
That's right, as shocking as it is, here we are promoting the use of your freezer again in hopes that eventually people will start taking full advantage of theirs. One of the biggest food-savers is that ice-box, known preserver of meat, fruit, leftovers and well, the list goes on. Go ahead and buy bulk, but as soon as you get home from the store, break up those packages of meat into smaller portions and freeze them. Keep only what you'll use in the next few days in your refrigerator and put the rest into the freezer for use over the next couple of weeks.

Little known fact: milk can be frozen for later use as well.

Let's get together
Call up your mom or your friend and see what's on their must-buy list. If you have some similar items, hit the warehouse club together or offer to pick it up the next time you make a run there. Then split the food - and the cost - with them.

Carry, don't cart
As alluded to earlier, the shopping carts at warehouse clubs are especially large to hold the super-sized items. The big problem is, the tendency is to fill the cart until it's nearly overflowing. Warehouse shopping expert Clark Howard advises shoppers to lug around their items by hand - that way, when your arms are about ready to fall off, you'll start to question how much you actually need the things you're carrying or are tempted to pick up.

» Newsday.com