Health & Safety

Air pollutants may reach unhealthy levels as the temperature rises and may put people at risk, especially children, senior citizens, and people with heart or respiratory conditions, like asthma.

The most hazardous pollutants in the summer affecting public health include ground level ozone and airborne particles (see more information about summertime air pollutants below).  

Only 30 minutes north of Orlando, the home of Disney World, a biotechnology technique called cisgenic engineering using same plant species is producing disease resistant grapevines at the University of Florida (UF). 

For Florida, agriculture is the second largest industry to tourism, and this region could potentially become a viable producer of palatable table and wine grapes.

An enthusiastic team of biologists and technicians led by Dennis J. Gray, Ph.D., Professor and Developmental Biologist thinks so, who have been at the center of creating one of the largest biotech grape research endeavors in the world and are producing some of the most significant results.

Eco-friendly, Organic, and Green

Sounds like a song, but what makes product manufacturers eligible to claim products eco-friendly, organic or green? According to a recent survey by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 21% of consumers say a product‘s reputation is the biggest factor they weigh when making purchasing decisions, but one in three consumers say they don’t know how to tell if green product claims are true.

This is the first in a series of articles designed to make it easy to maintain a sustainable eating lifestyle after you learn what it is. When we cook at home, we have control over ingredients, cleaning methods, cooking utensils and waste disposal, so it is easy to eat sustainably when we eat in.

Does your computer sit on a particleboard desk? How about the kitchen cabinets you’re thinking about remodeling--are the cabinet doors made of wood veneer?

Look closely at the product labels or ask the manufacturer when you’re going to buy wood products for your home or office because these particular products may contain formaldehyde adhesives.

But recent discovery of soy based adhesives to replace formaldehyde use is setting the bar for green innovation in wood cabinetry and furniture. Formaldehyde-free products such as the soy based adhesive called Pure Bond is produced by the commercial joint venture of Oregon State University, Columbia Forest Products, and Hercules, Inc.  

Zero-emission electric vehicles are here. Not a military assault, but a welcomed wave of the first 100% electric vehicle (EV), the Nissan LEAF.  Nissan’s compact, 5 door hatchback will have an expected driving distance of 100 miles suitable for normal driving, particularly a daily commute for most people. In fact, U.S. DOT Highway Administration indicates the 100-mile benchmark accounts for 90% of all household vehicle trips in the U.S.  

The promise of renewal energy sources and agriculture enrichment from biomass go hand in hand for the greater good: healthier lives. 

Biochar, as described by leading soil scientists Johannes Lehmann and Stephen Joseph, is the carbon-rich product obtained when biomass, such as wood, manure, or leaves, is heated in a closed container with little or no available air(1).  

Biochar is one byproduct of burning biomass and has been the subject and pursuit of recent studies, startups, and political debate growing around the USA, mostly in the last few years. Biochar has been identified as a soil nutrient similar to the composition of the rich, black soils found in the Amazon region, often referred as Terra preta.