WEEKLY GRIST 10 Oct-16 Oct 2002 http://www.gristmagazine.com
1. CHEETOS SOMETIMES PROSPER Here are two words you never thought you'd see next to each other: organic Cheetos. Yep, it's true -- snack-food maker Frito Lay is entering the organic food market, along with dozens of other huge food companies. Heinz now makes organic ketchup, and General Mills owns Cascadian Farms, an organic brand started in the Northwest in the 1970s. Such companies hope to make a buck off a new USDA logo that, as of next week, will indicate that food has been grown without genetically modified material or irradiation, and with little or no chemicals or antibiotics. Many long-time organics advocates are dismayed that mega-corporations have entered what had been a niche market; they imagine massive mono-cropped fields with their own environmental problems, and fear being driven out of business because larger producers will be able to offer organic food at lower prices. Others believe agribusiness simply isn't compatible with the organic vision of food grown in a local and sustainable fashion. However, Warren Weber, a pioneer of organic farming in California, says the latest developments are a sign that the movement has succeeded "beyond its wildest dreams." San Francisco Chronicle, Kim Severson, 13 Oct 2002 http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=568 CLIP 8. CARROT JUICE Compost isn't just for your garden anymore: Scientists at the University of the West of England have created a microbial fuel-cell battery powered by organic waste. The miniature battery converts biochemical energy from food into electricity, using E. coli bacteria that release hydrogen atoms as they break down carbohydrates. The fuel cell runs on sugar cubes, and the scientists are currently using it to run a light-sensitive robot. But eventually a series of connected cells, sold for about $15 each, could power home appliances, the scientists say. And possible creative improvements abound: "They aim to move on to carrot power," New Scientist magazine reported. CNN.com, Reuters, 10 Oct 2002 http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=583 --- See also: Tohoku University Professor Produces Hydrogen from the Sunlight http://www.eyeforfuelcells.com September 30, 2002-- Tohoku University Prof. Kazuyuki Toji has discovered an efficient way to create hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells to produce clean energy, by exposing a hydrogen sulfide solution to sunlight. Toji's discovery is expected to reduce costs in producing hydrogen for fuel cells. Hydrogen is mainly produced by passing electricity through water, but it can also be created through photodecomposition when hydrogen sulfide is exposed to sunlight. CLIP -- *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sharon and Wayne McEachern "Expressing the Light" http://www.ExpressingTheLight.com "A Ministry Dedicated to the Divine Process" and "Light Expression Essences" http://www.LightExpression.com "A Divine Program for Healing and Transformation" *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
