May 28, 2017 — Page 2 Of 2

Two Scientists, Two Different Approaches To Saving Bees From Poison Dust

Andy | May 28, 2017

Two Scientists, Two Different Approaches To Saving Bees From Poison Dust

"That pipe is close to the ground. When a tractor pulls this planter across a field, dust will get sucked into this opening, along with air. Inside the planting mechanism, "the air is rushing past that seed, it's laden with dirt, and it's acting like a sandblaster," Schaafsma says. That dirt grinds a little bit of the neonicotinoid coating from the seed, and then carries the pesticide dust with it as it exhausts from the planter, straight up into the air.

That's normally how the planter works. But Schaafsma has made some changes on this one, outfitting it with special dust traps, similar to high-quality vacuum cleaner filters. "We're probably filtering 99 percent of what comes out of the exhaust," he says.

Schaafsma thinks that this equipment, if installed on all seed planters, would eliminate most of the risk to bees from neonicotinoid-treated seeds."

Delmar, NY at 5/28/17 2:17 pm

| May 28, 2017

Back home. Got tired of the ankle deep mud everywhere, the black flies and the rain.

Organic Farming is Bad for the Environment

Andy | May 28, 2017

Organic Farming is Bad for the Environment

""The evidence is clear that organic farming on any meaningful scale is significantly less land efficient than conventional farming. That may, in fact, be part of the motivation for organic opposition to GMOs – they know they can’t compete. With increased use of GMO technology, the production difference is likely to increase. Imagine if scientists are successful in tweaking photosynthesis or making varieties that fix their own nitrogen. The organic lobby needs to stop our scientific advance in agriculture if they are to remain viable."

H.R. 1628, American Health Care Act of 2017

Andy | May 28, 2017

H.R. 1628, American Health Care Act of 2017

"CBO and JCT estimate that enacting the American Health Care Act would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion over the coming decade and increase the number of people who are uninsured by 23 million in 2026 relative to current law."

Should Body Camera Footage Be Controlled By The Police?

Andy | May 28, 2017

Should Body Camera Footage Be Controlled By The Police?

"Body cameras are spreading fast through American policing, and they're generating an ocean of video. Axon, a company that provides secure cloud storage for police departments, says it's received more than 4 million hours' worth of video uploads from its clients."

"Almost without exception, those videos are controlled by the law enforcement agencies that created them. Some are now challenging that practice and proposing alternatives."