Monthly Archives: May 2008

Enjoy Those Bananas While You Can

This entry was posted in Biology Ecology Science on by

The ones that many of us ate as children are not the ones we are eating now.
The ones we are eating now may disappear soon:

Introduced to our hemisphere in the late 19th century, the Gros Michel was almost immediately hit by a blight that wiped it out by 1960. The Cavendish was adopted at the last minute by the big banana companies – Chiquita and Dole – because it was resistant to that blight, a fungus known as Panama disease. For the past fifty years, all has been quiet in the banana world. Until now.
Panama disease – or Fusarium wilt of banana – is back, and the Cavendish does not appear to be safe from this new strain, which appeared two decades ago in Malaysia, spread slowly at first, but is now moving at a geometrically quicker pace. There is no cure, and nearly every banana scientist says that though Panama disease has yet to hit the banana crops of Latin America, which feed our hemisphere, the question is not if this will happen, but when.

This is not just a minor problem for US breakfast and lunch menus. Consider Uganda: according to this article bananas account for up to 80% of the local diet.
Part of the answer may be genetically modified bananas. Would you eat them?

Also, should you be reconsidering your Chiquita investments?

Friday Ark #193

This entry was posted in Bird Blogging Cat Blogging Dog Blogging Friday Ark Invertebrate Blogging Weekend Cat Blogging on by

We’ll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and….?

Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

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bush Says Iraq/Afghanistan Wars Will Be Over By The November Election

This entry was posted in bush Election 2008 Iraq on by

(Erratum: Well, no bush didn’t say that. The quote below turns out to be from ghwb in 1992. My failure to read the source close enough!! Too bad the Title isn’t true. I’ll leave the original post intact below… (Thanks to Alison for pointing this out!)
And, apparently, he won’t be starting another one in Iran.
Can you see any other way to read this?

But let me tell you this. I am quietly confident about the election this fall. In sum, I am absolutely convinced as this economy moves back, as we sort out where everybody stands on these highly complex issues, when the country assesses the fact that we are at peace and that our children go to bed at night with less fear of nuclear war — and that is a major accomplishment of which I am very proud to have been a part — …, I am absolutely convinced we’re going to win this election.

…assesses the fact that we are at peace… seems quite clear.

Via Lawyers, Guns and Money.