Today, The U.S. District Court Affirmed the Constitutionality of the Vermont GMO Labeling Law

I heard this great news, while on the bus to Albany, to lobby my Assemblyman Ed Ra, and to participate in a GMO labeling rally at the State Capitol. You can imagine how thrilled I was, to know that the U.S District Court of Vermont completely denied the law suit, that was filed by the Manufacturer’s Grocery Association, Snack Food Association and Monsanto, and granted the State of Vermont?s motion to dismiss on several claims. This sets a great precedent, as more and more states vote to create mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms in our food!?Here’s a photo of our rally today!

Can You Compost Shredded Paper?

Click on the link to read more about composting your old shredded documents and see what’s the safest to use. Also enjoy this 3 minute video below!

Organic Trumps Conventional Across the Board

After a 30-year side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional agricultural systems, the?Rodale Institute?reports that organic systems match, or even outperform, conventional systems in terms of yield, profitability, and energy efficiency, while having positive effects on soil health, water quality, and rural communities.

In 2011, after 30 years of observing the Farming Systems Trial, (FST) the Rodale Institute published their findings: the organic systems consistently matched the yields of the conventional system, and produced greater yields than the conventional system under moderate drought conditions.

For Teenagers, Potassium May Matter More Than Salt

A diet high in potassium appears to protect teenagers from high blood pressure in adulthood, while a low-salt diet had no effect, according to newresearch. The new study tracked the eating habits and blood pressure of 2,185, 9- and 10-year-old girls for up to 10 years. While dietary advice has long focused on reducing salt intake, the study found that sodium intake had no long-term effect on the girls? blood pressure. However, they?did find that girls who ate diets high in potassium throughout adolescence had lower blood pressure than girls who ate fewer potassium-rich foods.?

Man-made Earthquakes Increasing in Central and Eastern U.S., Study Finds

For the first time, the U.S. Geological Survey has unveiled a map of earthquakes thought to be triggered by human activity in the eastern and central United States. Oklahoma is by far the worst-hit state recently, according to the USGS study released Thursday. The state last year had more earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 or higher, than California, part of a huge increase recorded in recent years. Seismic activity in Texas, near the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has also increased substantially. Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Ohio have all experienced more frequent quakes in the last year. All of the areas highlighted on the map “are located near deep fluid injection wells or other industrial activities capable of inducing earthquakes,” the study said.