How Meat Contributes to Global Warming: Scientific American

How Meat Contributes to Global Warming: Scientific American:

The FAO report found that current production levels of meat contribute between 14 and 22 percent of the 36 billion tons of "CO2-equivalent" greenhouse gases the world produces every year. It turns out that producing half a pound of hamburger for someone's lunch a patty of meat the size of two decks of cards releases as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as driving a 3,000-pound car nearly 10 miles.

Americans eat on average three ounces of beef a day.

Guest Column: A Low-Tech Treatment for Bee Plague

I wonder if the bees would consider some of those half-built, abandoned McMansions outside of DeLand as sites for their hives?

Guest Column: A Low-Tech Treatment for Bee Plague - Olivia Judson Blog - NYTimes.com: "As the swift expansion of feral honeybees across the Americas shows, they are not especially picky about their habitat; most anything outside of parking lot or vast monoculture will do. And for native bees, habitat could be restored to suit the needs of whichever species are exceptionally good pollinators of local crops. Bumblebees, for instance, are the best pollinators of Maine blueberries, whereas blue orchard bees work well for California almonds.

The right geographic arrangement of habitat would also depend on which native species are desired for a certain crop. Many native species are willing to fly relatively far from their home habitat — a kilometer or so — to visit flowers; accordingly, patches of habitat for these bees could be placed relatively far apart.

January is the brownest of months...

The destruction wrought by recent frost...

Quickly...

Ah... The carnage. My yard is brown. So much is dead.

So, today I started spring seeds...

ABC--Cucuzzi Squash
DEF--Tatume Squash
GHI--Jetsetter Tomato
JKL--Cucino Cuke
MND--Sweet Spot Pepper X3R

And, in a smaller flat
A--Little Fingers Eggplants
B--Sungold Tomato
C--I have no idea. Forgot to write it down. Darn.

Broccoli

Fiesta. That's the kind I planted. Fiesta broccoli.

Two new brassicas...

My gardening guru and pal Christine gave me a couple new brassicas to try, Beira Tronchuda Cabbage and Redbor Kale. I transplanted some of them out into the garden this morning, along with another planting of radishes (Cherry Bell), peas (Cascadia this time, amongst some Super Sugarsnaps) and Upland Cress. (All these seeds from Pinetree.) I also picked another three large and beautiful tomatoes (Jetsetter). We had a tomato salad last night (along with some shark I caught on Tuesday, deep fried with hushpuppies... mmmmmm....). The tomatoes' texture is excellent, but a little less intensely flavored than summer tomatoes.

Garden in January...

From Collages

A slide show of what's going on in my garden...

Cool season seeds for flowers...

I started yesterday, in my Parks seed starter...
1 Calendula
2 (ABC) Ivy geranium (wonderful!)
2 (DEF) Ringo Scarlet Geranium (both geraniums from Swallowtail)
3,4 Gaura 'The Bride'
5, 6, 7 Candytuft 'Dwarf Fairyland'

And a big flat of snapdragons...

These are all plants that have proven reliable for the spring/early summer. I direct sowed nasturtiums.