and you thought sugar was murder on just yer waistline

[Guest guest]

Sugar is causing environmental catastrophes

 

A high-sugar diet is slowly fattening and sickening American people,

but we're getting off easy. Turns out the sweet stuff is outright

killing endangered Florida panthers, not to mention the ecosystem in

which they live. Almost 700,000 acres of the Florida Everglades have

been drained to create the Everglades Agricultural Area, about 80

percent of which is used by the state's powerful sugar industry to

grow cane. Phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizers drain from farms

into the Everglades, causing grasses to grow rapidly and choke out

wading birds, keeping them from feeding while also altering water

chemistry so that algae -- the base of the food chain -- can no

longer support species that feed on it. The Great Barrier Reef

suffers similar effects from Australia's sugar industry. Fertilizer

causes massive growths of plankton which support an increase in

species that compete with coral for space on the ocean floor. Add in

the up to 150 tons per acre of topsoil that can wash from the cane

fields into waterways, and sugar looks like the main ingredient in a

recipe for disaster.

 

straight to the source: The Independent, Sanjida O'Connell, 08 Dec 2004

<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=3815>

[Guest guest]

Talking of the plight of big cats, I saw a programme on National Geographic the other night that stated that there were more Tigers in private homes/backyards in America than in the wild! What the f**k is that all about? what is it with you Yanks............don`t you have any sensible legislature or what?

A lot of these end up being shot, very sad indeed.

 

The Valley Vegan......fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:

Sugar is causing environmental catastrophesA high-sugar diet is slowly fattening and sickening American people, but we're getting off easy. Turns out the sweet stuff is outright killing endangered Florida panthers, not to mention the ecosystem in which they live. Almost 700,000 acres of the Florida Everglades have been drained to create the Everglades Agricultural Area, about 80 percent of which is used by the state's powerful sugar industry to grow cane. Phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizers drain from farms into the Everglades, causing grasses to grow rapidly and choke out wading birds, keeping them from feeding while also altering water chemistry so that algae -- the base of the food chain -- can no longer support species that feed on it. The Great Barrier Reef suffers similar effects from Australia's sugar industry.

Fertilizer causes massive growths of plankton which support an increase in species that compete with coral for space on the ocean floor. Add in the up to 150 tons per acre of topsoil that can wash from the cane fields into waterways, and sugar looks like the main ingredient in a recipe for disaster.straight to the source: The Independent, Sanjida O'Connell, 08 Dec 2004

[Guest guest]

sensible legislation?

depends

does it make big business money?

if not, nah

 

i'm not a big fan of NPR (national public radio), its a lil tooo main stream fer me..but...they are going to defund it, along with the NEA and PBS

yeehaw...

peter hurd Dec 11, 2004 7:30 AM Re: and you thought sugar was murder on just yer waistline

Talking of the plight of big cats, I saw a programme on National Geographic the other night that stated that there were more Tigers in private homes/backyards in America than in the wild! What the f**k is that all about? what is it with you Yanks............don`t you have any sensible legislature or what?

A lot of these end up being shot, very sad indeed.

 

The Valley Vegan......fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:

Sugar is causing environmental catastrophesA high-sugar diet is slowly fattening and sickening American people, but we're getting off easy. Turns out the sweet stuff is outright killing endangered Florida panthers, not to mention the ecosystem in which they live. Almost 700,000 acres of the Florida Everglades have been drained to create the Everglades Agricultural Area, about 80 percent of which is used by the state's powerful sugar industry to grow cane. Phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizers drain from farms into the Everglades, causing grasses to grow rapidly and choke out wading birds, keeping them from feeding while also altering water chemistry so that algae -- the base of the food chain -- can no longer support species that feed on it. The Great Barrier Reef suffers similar effects from Australia's sugar industry. Fertilizer causes massive growths of plankton which support an increase in species that compete with coral for space on the ocean floor. Add in the up to 150 tons per acre of topsoil that can wash from the cane fields into waterways, and sugar looks like the main ingredient in a recipe for disaster.straight to the source: The Independent, Sanjida O'Connell, 08 Dec 2004

[Guest guest]

Wow! I knew sugar growing was bad for the environment and bad

conditions for the workers, but this is terrible! Makes me extra

glad I kicked that soda habit!

sara

 

, fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

> Sugar is causing environmental catastrophes

>

> A high-sugar diet is slowly fattening and sickening American

people,

> but we're getting off easy. Turns out the sweet stuff is outright

> killing endangered Florida panthers, not to mention the ecosystem

in

> which they live. Almost 700,000 acres of the Florida Everglades

have

> been drained to create the Everglades Agricultural Area, about 80

> percent of which is used by the state's powerful sugar industry to

> grow cane. Phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizers drain from

farms

> into the Everglades, causing grasses to grow rapidly and choke out

> wading birds, keeping them from feeding while also altering water

> chemistry so that algae -- the base of the food chain -- can no

> longer support species that feed on it. The Great Barrier Reef

> suffers similar effects from Australia's sugar industry.

Fertilizer

> causes massive growths of plankton which support an increase in

> species that compete with coral for space on the ocean floor. Add

in

> the up to 150 tons per acre of topsoil that can wash from the cane

> fields into waterways, and sugar looks like the main ingredient in

a

> recipe for disaster.

>

> straight to the source: The Independent, Sanjida O'Connell, 08

Dec 2004

> <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=3815>