Environmental and social implications of waste in U.S. agriculture and food sectors

Because the agriculture/food sectors appear to be driven by short-term economic and political forces, cheap energy, and agricultural-chemical technologies, waste and environmental/social problems in the agricultural/food sectors are estimated to cost the nation at least $150 billion per year. Most of the waste and environmental/social problems can be eliminated through better resource management policies and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.Based on a paper entitled Waste in U.S. Agricultural and Food Sectors—Environmental and Social Costs presented at the Gross National Waste Product Forum, Washington, D.C.     

Occupational exposure of farm workers to pesticides: biochemical parameters and evaluation of genotoxicity

To assess the effects of exposure to complex mixtures of pesticides in farm workers from two communities from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, we evaluated the activities of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) enzymes, hematological, lipid parameters, and genotoxicity using two tests to detect DNA damage, the Comet assay in peripheral blood leukocytes and the micronucleus (MN) test in oral mucosa cells. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), age and smoke habits were considered in the analysis. There was a significant decrease in the BChE and ALA-D activities in farm workers (n=37) relative to the control group (n=20) (P< or =0.05 and P< or =0.001, respectively). The Comet assay in peripheral blood leukocytes showed that the Damage index and Damage frequency observed in the exposed group were significantly higher in relation to the controls (P< or =0.001, and P< or =0.05, respectively). No differences were detected regarding the hematological parameters, lipids profile, and MN frequencies. In addition, no significant differences were observed between younger (< or =38 years) and older subjects (>38 years), or between smokers and non-smokers within the groups, either by Comet assay or MN test. However, the use of PPE seems to be important in the prevention of contamination, as suggested by BChE levels and Comet assay results.     

Biofuels: Efficiency,Ethics, and Limits to Human Appropriation of Ecosystem Services

Biofuels have lately been indicated as a promising source of cheap and sustainable energy. In this paper we argue that some important ethical and environmental issues have also to be addressed: (1) the conflict between biofuels production and global food security, particularly in developing countries, and (2) the limits of the Human Appropriation of ecosystem services and Net Primary Productivity. We warn that large scale conversion of crops, grasslands, natural and semi-natural ecosystem, (such as the conversion of grasslands to cellulosic ethanol production, or plantation of sugar cane and palm oil), may have detrimental social and ecological consequences. Social effects may concern: (1) food security, especially in developing countries, leading to an increase of the price of staple food, (2) transnational corporations and big landowners establishing larger and larger landholdings in conflict with indigenous areas and the subsistence of small farmers. Ecological effects may concern: (1) competition with grazing wild and domesticated animals (e.g., millions of grazing livestock in USA prairies), (2) an excessive appropriation of Net Primary Production from ecosystems, (3) threatening biodiversity preservation and soil fertility. We claim that is it well known how ecological and social issues are strictly interwoven and that large scale biofuels production, by putting high pressure on both fronts, may trigger dangerous feedbacks, also considering the critical fact that 9 billion people are expected to inhabit the planet by 2050. There is a need to conduct serious and deep analysis on the environmental and social impact of large scale biofuels production before important energy policies are launched at global level. Biofuels will not represent an energetic panacea and their role in the overall energy consumption will remain marginal in our present highly energivorous society, while their effect on food security and environment preservation may have detrimental results. We should also have the courage to face two key issues: (1) we cannot keep increasing resources consumption at present pace, and have to change our life style accordingly, and (2) we have to deal with population growth; we cannot expect to have 9–10 billions people inhabiting the earth by 2050, without this representing a major impact on its support system.     

Aquatic Nuisance Species in the New York State Canal and Hudson River Systems and the Great Lakes Basin: An Economic and Environmental Assessment

A total of 154 aquatic alien species have invaded the New York State Canal and Hudson River systems and a total of 162 aquatic species have invaded the Great Lakes Basin. Some of these invasive species are causing significant damage and control costs in both aquatic ecosystems. In the New York State Canal and Hudson River systems, the nonindigenous species are causing an estimated 500 million dollars in economic losses each year. The economic and environmental situation in the Great Lakes Basin is far more serious from nonindigenous species, with losses estimated to be about 5.7 billion dollars per year. Commercial and sport fishing suffer the most from the biological invasions, with about 400 million dollars in losses reported for the New York State Canal and Hudson River systems and 4.5 billion dollars in losses reported for the Great Lakes Basin.     

A long term study of the desiccation resistance of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans from the Mexican nuclear power plant “Laguna Verde”

The generation of electricity through the use of radioactive material at the nuclear power plant is inevitably associated with the production of wastes, some of which have potential impact on the biosphere. The objective of the present investigation was to provide information for evaluating the presumed impact of the Mexican Nuclear Power Plant “Laguna Verde" on the natural populations. Two sibling species that live in the immediate vicinity, Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans have been studied for several traits in a long term study. The present study describes results for the desiccation resistance (DR) trait obtained during the period from 1995 to 2002. Flies were collected at two sites, one near the reactors and another farther away. The data obtained confirmed that D. melanogaster had higher DR values than D. simulans at both sites. The analysis of the results obtained from both species of the site closer to the reactor indicated that the values of the DR in the operational stage did not change, compared with those in the preoperational stage previously analyzed. Therefore, the significant differences found between the monitored sites did not seem to be associated to the operation of the reactors. L. Levine Died June 14th 2006