Genetically modified organisms are not the villain in the newest mystery novel by Susan Arnout Smith. But they play a key role all the same.

Smith says she had a background awareness of the GMO issue, but began to see it in a new light-as potential subject matter-when she witnessed an impassioned public demonstration by concerned activists.

 

 

 

Some longtime NPR listeners may recognize Smith  (right) from her past work as a regular essayist on Weekend Edition Sunday. That's something she stopped doing a few years ago, as books plays and screenplays demanded all her available time, but she still thinks of her NPR experience fondly.

 

 

 

Just about everyone agrees that preserving California's productive agricultural lands is a good idea, even if there have been some highly charged disagreements over the best means to accomplish that objective. Sidestepping these policy debates, California FarmLink is working directly with farming and ranching families to help them decide what they want to do with their lands from one generation to the next, as reported on today's North Bay Report:

Shrinking real estate values in California are prompting some ag families to re-evaluate their plans for their land. But Steve Schwartz, Executive Director of California FarmLink, says the shifting economic climate also holds some unexpected opportunities for new farmers to get established.

California Farmlink is hosting a series of regional conferences in Sonoma, Humboldt and San Luis Obispo counties titled Sowing the Seeds of Farm Succession:  Planning the Transition to the Next Generation of Family Farmers. the next session in Sonoma county will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 at SRJC's Shone Farm, 6225 Eastside Road, Forestville. Click here for registration information.

 

It's official.  The drought is back, and mandatory cutbacks in water consumption are imminent.

Water reserves are at or approaching historic lows in both Lake Mendocino (see at right) and Lake Sonoma. With seasonal rainfall totals  for the year also running well below normal, the outlook is not encouraging.To monitor how conditions are progressing--or not-- you can use this like to see the Sonoma County Water Agency's  graphs of declining water supplies   in Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma(pdf).

Amidst all the agricultural and economic impacts of the drought, Dick Butler of the National Marine Fisheries Service pointed out the obvious--that it is also bad news for fish.

 

To help get a jump on the rationing that is almost certainly coming our way, here are the Sonoma County Water Agency's

Top 10 Water Conservation Tips:

• Reduce outdoor watering by one day a week
• Find and repair leaks now
• Inspect and tune-up your sprinkler system monthly
• Water between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to reduce water loss from evaporation and wind
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway, deck or patio
• Use a bucket and a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle when you wash the car, or take your car to a carwash that recycles
• Cover pools and hot-tubs to reduce evaporation
• Use front-load washing machines
• Run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads only
• Prevent and report water waste

Find more water saving suggestions here.

 

From courts to consumers, mercury levels in tuna and other seafood remains a hotly debated subject.

 

Jane M. Hightower, M.D., author of Diagnosis Mercury,  is a board certified internal medicine physician in San Francisco, California. She published a landmark study that brought the issue of mercury in seafood to national attention. She continues to publish scientific papers and give lectures on the subject.

Research on the risks and safe exposure levels for mercury is fragmentary and inconsistent, as are the recommended tolerances from different governmental watchdog bodies. You can see a comparison chart here. For a history of mercury and fish, click here.

 Of course, not all kinds of tuna carry the same levels of mercury and associated risk, nor are those concerns limited to tuna, as Hightower explains.

 

 

All of these concerns are dismissed by the Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry-funded advocacy group which has created an extensive website to debunk claims that mercury in fish is harmful to human health. You can access their fish/mercury safety calculator here.

 

David Martosko, the Center's Research Director, contends the question of warning labels on tuna cans should have been settled by the outcome of the original court case back in 2006.

 

Established with funding from tobacco giant Phillip Morris, the Center for Consumer Freedom has regularly unleashed broad attacks on a wide range of public advocacy groups, including the federal Centers for Disease Control, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A lengthy expose from ConsumerDeception.com is posted here. The Center for Media and Democracy has posted its analysis here , and the Center for Science in the Public Interest details its own battles with CCF here.