union of concerned scientists

Why Farmers Should Listen to First Lady Michelle Obama
Jeff Gangemi May 25, 2012 Union of Concerned Scientists 0 comments
A great new infographic from the Union of Concerned Scientists does an absolutely incredible job of showing the discrepancy between the typical American diet and the one recommended by the USDA. It also shows how subsidies to producers of the Big Five commodity crops (wheat, corn, soy, rice, and cotton) prevent U.S. farmers from planting the fruits and vegetables we need to be healthy.  The investment required to make this vital change is puny ($90 million) compared to the subsidies awarded to the producers mentioned above (over $5 billion), and the benefits to local economies could be significant. Here’s the infographic (read on below it for more from the Union of Concerned Scientists...
Farm Bureau Opposes Climate Change Bill
FarmPlate Jan 12, 2010 Union of Concerned Scientists 0 comments
The American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention kicked off in Seattle last Sunday with a heated keynote speech about climate change legislation from AFBF president Bob Stallman. Stallman called on members of the six million strong group--the largest farm group in the U.S.--to unite despite differences in farm size and ideology to aggressively oppose climate change legislation in Congress. The climate bill, which Stallman calls "misguided, activist-driven regulation," was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last summer and is currently being reviewed by the Senate. The bill calls for a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, a...