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13 Times Donuts Went Too Far

July 28, 2014 0

Let’s talk about donuts today, guys.

Donuts, which have been making our mornings better for decades upon decades. Donuts, which delight and entice us with glazes, frostings, cream fillings and sprinkles. Donuts, which put all other breakfast pastries…

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Last Night’s Leftovers: Food Trends Edition

July 28, 2014 0

Food trends compared over time and across the country [Eater] A review of The Partisan’s restrooms [DCist] What to do and where to eat off of the new Silver line [Post] After Peacock Room will reopen Aug. 10. [PoPville] Tom Sietsema has a parody Twitter account. [WBJ] Jam: so hot right now [Express] What to […]

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People Go Hungry As Ozone Pollution, Climate Change Gang Up On Planet, Study Predicts

July 27, 2014 0

Ozone pollution, which worsens breathing problems and causes air quality warnings, may compound global warming’s damage to the world’s food crops, according to a new study.

Ground-level ozone, formed mainly from pollutants emitted by burning fossil fuels for cars, industry and power plants, increases as temperatures rise. That’s why air quality warnings are more frequent in hot weather and why global warming has the potential to boost ozone pollution. Once formed, ozone can travel long distances, affecting even remote areas.

The new study, published Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change, used models and historical trends to analyze the impact of climate change and ozone on four of the world’s major food crops: wheat, rice, maize and soybeans. Ozone can harm plants by slowing photosynthesis and killing cells. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Ground-level ozone causes more damage to plants than all other air pollutants combined.”

The study showed that climate change is likely to reduce crop yields at least 10 percent by 2050 from 2000 levels. When the researchers compared two pollution scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report, they found that ozone would have more complex effects. In a higher ozone pollution scenario the researchers called “pessimistic,” crop yields would decrease 15 percent by 2050. But in an “intermediate” ozone scenario, crop yields would fall 9 percent.

“The climate projections are quite consistent” in the two scenarios, one of the study’s authors, Colette Heald of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told The Huffington Post. But “the future of ozone pollution is very different … leading to either offsetting or reinforcing effects [of climate change] on crops.”

The authors also looked at what this drop in food production may mean for world nutrition. Undernourishment, or the number of people not getting enough food, would increase by 49 percent by 2050 in the pessimistic ozone pollution scenario, and it would increase by 27 percent in the intermediate scenario.

The researchers point out that the effects of ozone pollution and climate change vary by region and the type of crop. For example, wheat does poorly when exposed to ozone, while corn is more sensitive to heat.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an increase in CO2 could mean some crops grow better, increasing yields. The study authors acknowledge this may offset effects of rising temperatures and pollution in some places.

However, the impact of climate change on agriculture also includes extreme weather events such as flooding, drought and exceptional temperatures, which may also damage crops. Weeds and pests may thrive in warmer temperatures, and ranges of certain pests and diseases could change, causing new challenges for farmers.

In a press release accompanying the new study, Heald said that the findings highlight the need for pollution reduction alongside climate action. “An air-quality cleanup would improve crop yields,” she said. “Ozone is something that we understand the causes of, and the steps that need to be taken to improve air quality.”

Heald told HuffPost that the Clean Air Act has helped reduce surface ozone in the U.S. “Despite an increase in vehicle miles driven and energy consumption, surface ozone has declined by 25 percent on average across the U.S. from 1980 to 2012,” she said. “However, the future of ozone air quality in the U.S. and around the world will depend on local emissions, the use of pollution control technology, regulations, and air quality policy.”

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Rodent Feasts On Treat in Subway Vending Machine While We Lose Our Lunch

July 26, 2014 0

Public transit has its perks. This isn’t one of them.

In a video grossing out viewers across the Internet, commuters in a Barcelona subway station are treated to the spectacle of a rodent nibbling on a candy bar in a vending machine. Make yourself at …

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Three Cities Show How Food Trucks Live and Die on Political Whim

July 26, 2014 0

Maybe you don’t care about food trucks.

Maybe you eat leftovers at your desk, or frequent the restaurant next to your office.

But if you care about people having access to good, reasonably priced food, and the ability to open and operate a safe, resp…

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5 Myths About Corn You Should Stop Believing

July 26, 2014 0

Ahh — there’s nothing quite like a crisp cob of sweet corn in the summer. But even though there’s no contesting the deliciousness of corn — just off the grill is our preference, but also great from the oven or even microwaved — there seem to be a fe…