Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

See how big my tomato is getting! Look at last week then jump back to this week. You’ll see its REALLY filling out. It looks shorter, but that’s because the tall branches flopped over and I had to tie them to those green posts. Actually, I want it to get fat, instead of tall, like last year’s.

Now, you’ll also notice I had to expand the fencing. The plant needs a lot of room to grow and I still have this pesky rabbit hanging around. Oh, and check out the thing with the big leaves growing off to the right. That’s the mystery sprout and I’m pretty sure it’s a cantaloupe. Nice!
 

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• Besides making a mess after a good pillow fight, chicken feathers are pretty much useless and amazingly the poultry industry generates 2.7 billion kilograms of chicken feathers each year. But now, a new technology promises to turn carbonized chicken feathers into fuel tanks for hydrogen fuel-cell cars, hurricane-resistant roofing and lightweight car parts; via CleanTechnica.

• Computers have a come a long way from talking red lights in a science fiction movie. Nowadays, they can even be green. IBM is working on an energy efficient supercomputer that uses water to recycle its excess heat. It’s a revelation because normally cooling large computer systems requires hefty amounts of air-conditioning; Reuters reports.

• No doubt, the global recession is a drag. Everyone is tightening their belts, but as far as earth-saving goes, the recession has been good. People are driving less, in order to save money, so less oil was burned up. In 2008, experts say emissions actually dropped 3%; from The Associated Press.

• You’d think city dwellers would have a higher carbon footprint than people living in suburban areas. Apparently not, a new study claims urbanites emit 70% less carbon emissions in transit than suburbanites. One reason why is cities are more location efficient, meaning important destinations like work are closer to home; TreeHugger explains.

• Another way to make cities greener is to spruce up existing infrastructure. Chicago is preparing a $350 million energy efficient retrofit of the Sears Tower. The makeover will include the installation of wind turbines and solar panels on the roof. The hope is the skyscraper will be able to provide all the power it needs all by itself; The New York Times reports.

• Would you pay $175 a year to fight global warming? I think I would. That’s what experts say new climate change legislation will cost the average household each year. The $175 comes from the increased cost of doing business and higher sticker price for consumer products—like cars and refrigerators—but many households can expect rebates; via The Daily Green.

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Check that out! My garbage tomato is getting huge. Go on, take a look at last week, then flip back to this week and you’ll see a big difference—big being the operative word—and here’s the cool part. It actually sprouted some flowers. So tomatoes are on their way!

As for the subplot, the mysterious freeloader plant is growing too. You can see for yourself, it’s in the lower-right of the photo. I’m still not sure what it is. I threw out a lot of random fruits and vegetables, but I’m guessing it’s a squash or some sort of melon—or demon spawn. 

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• If you take the train into New York City you’ll now be greeted by a 70-foot-tall digital billboard outside Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. Last Thursday, Deutsche Bank unveiled the world’s first real-time carbon counter, displaying the running total of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere; via Red Green and Blue.

• Experts at the United Nations insist a green economy and green industry should be the goal of all countries to help combat climate change and the overcome the economic crisis, saying “business as usual” is not an option and the $100 billion spent every year on renewable energy must be increased three-fold; the AFP reports.

• The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the world faces an ever-growing risk of “abrupt and irreversible climatic shifts” due to global warming, with carbon dioxide emissions having already compromised the natural ability of oceans and forests to absorb CO2 created by burning fossil fuels; from the AFP.

• Bananas are a healthy food packaged in their own wrapper, which we normally throw away, but researchers have now developed a system of mashing banana peels and mixing them with sawdust to make briquettes. Then, after they’re dried in the sun for two weeks, the bricks can be burned as fuel. No word on their carbon-footprint though; BBC News reports.

• Officials in San Jose, California have introduced plans to develop a $20 million program for processing food and yard waste into usable biogas. The proposed facility would ferment biomass in an air-tight digester, producing biogas and fertilizer pellets. The gas can be used to power the operation or sold to fleets; Green Inc. explains.

• Fungus makes good biofuel too. Back in World War II, U.S. soldiers encountered a fungus that ate their cotton tents. Today, scientists from Denmark are cultivating the enzyme to break down plant matter and create cheaper ethanol, but the process isn’t easy. Plant matter must first be treated with heat, steam or chemicals; via Bloomberg.com.

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One more week in the books and my tomato is looking awesome. Despite the gloomy weather, it continues to fill out. It’s getting taller and taller and the trunk is really stout. It’s only June, and the base is already wider and stronger than last year’s tomato. I’m really excited!

Now, I mentioned last week that something strange is growing next to my tomato. I have no idea what the heck it is. I dug up two sprouts and gave them to the my mom, but I left the big one where its at—see if you can spot it—again, I have no idea what it is. Stay tuned.

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• More fuel efficient cars are on their way. Last week, the U.S. General Services Administration ordered 17,205 greener cars, to come from General Motors with 2,933, Chrysler with 7,924 and Ford with 6,348—costing a grand total of $210 million; via GreenBiz.com.

• And to improve cars, a laboratory in Colorado is working to enhance the efficiency of car air-conditioning. Tooling up new air-conditioning could save the United States 7 billion gallons of gasoline each year and help reduce carbon emissions; Green Inc. reports.

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is looking to go carbon neutral by 2020. Estimates claim global air travel accounts for 2% of carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, the IATA is focusing on carbon trading and eco-friendly fuels; via SustainableBusiness.com.

• The petroleum industry, i.e. oil, is being blamed for 1.5 billion kilograms of pollutants released into the environment. According to a new report, 90% of the 5.5 billion kilograms of pollution comes from just 12 industries, such as oil, mining and chemicals; the AFP reports.

• Twenty years later, Exxon is getting nailed for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill near Alaska. The supertanker poured 50,000 tons of oil into the ocean off Alaska’s south coast. So on Monday, a U.S. federal appeals court ordered Exxon to pay a $507.5 million penalty; the AFP explains.

• This is funny. In 1909, The Titusville Herald in Titusville, Pennsylvania ran a report by the United States Geological Survey saying all petroleum and iron would be exhausted by 1939, natural gas by 1934 and coal by the 21st century—guess that didn’t happen; via Paleo-Future.

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My garbage tomato is hitting its stride! It’s getting taller and filling out nicely. I already had to tie it to one of the posts. And I have high hopes—no pun intended—those green poles I stuck in the ground are 8-feet tall. I want this plant to be huge!

And here’s a cool side note. I planted this tomato on a pile of rotten fruits and vegetables that I saved up for two months. Well, something buried deep in the mound of muck is also sprouting. I’m not sure what it is yet. So I’ll leave you in suspense.

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• San Francisco already has the highest recycling rate in the United States, with 72%. And now, city officials are poised approve more recycling legislation. The new ordinance would require residential and commercial building owners to sign up for composting and recycling services; via Green Inc.

• Wal-Mart is greening up too. Wal-Mart owns Sam’s Club and Sam’s Club is clearing their shelves of things like power tools and making room for eco-friendly products like water-saving toilets. The move is in response to customers’ demand for ways to cut expenses and lower bills; from Shop Talk.

• Livestock is a major contributor of global warming greenhouse gases and the average Belgian citizen eats 1,800 animals in their lifetime. So, officials from the city of Ghent are proposing a “Veggie Day” urging its 240,000 residents to give up meat for one day a week; Environment explains.

• Philadelphia is installing solar-powered trash-compacting garbage cans throughout the city. By July, 500 BigBelly trash cans will be deployed, saving the city $12.9 million over 10 years. Regular garbage cans need to be emptied 19 times a week, the composters only need 5 empties a week; EcoGeek reports.

• People in the U.K. want more green! A new survey showed 75% of Britons think public money should go into renewable energy, 60% want more funding devoted to setting up solar panels and 53% insist companies responsible for the most pollution should pay higher taxes; via Green Living Tips.

• Don’t go swimming in Brooklyn. New York’s beaches are closed due to concerns over sewage. So, if you try taking a dip, you’ll get arrested. It happened to one man when he ignored an officer’s warning and hit the surf. Officials will only reopen the beaches once more testing has been done; TreeHugger explains.

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I’m a city rat. I love the muck, grime and skyscrapers, and the last thing you'd expect to find in a city like New York is a farm. Think again! A group of city hippies setup an amazing rooftop farm on top of an old bagel factory in Brooklyn, selling fresh fruits and vegetables to local restaurants.

The farm has been great for the community. Volunteers can be seen hauling bags of compost upstairs, shoveling dirt and tending to vegetables. And another farm in Little Italy is raising fruit trees and even chickens. I think this is awesome and a smart use of wide open sunny spaces.

Via Serious Eats.

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Looks like my evil plan is finally coming together! After a rough start, with my first garbage tomato of the year succumbing to the unusually chilly weather, this one is kicking butt. Compared to last week my short, stocky little plant really flourished and is developing a very study trunk.

Last year, I grew my very first garbage tomato and it was pretty big, but this year I’m shooting for a real giant and I’ve got a good feeling now. When I replaced the dead one with this guy, I made sure to position its roots right on top of all the rotten fruits and veggies. So, fingers crossed!

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