How hard it is for the man-in-the-street to get his mind around the biofuels issue. Sadly, it's not helped by people like the U.S. President backing biofuels (with lashings of GM, high-energy processing, agrochemicals etc.) without giving the whole picture.

Richard Branson's achievement today (flying a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 to Amsterdam from London on biofuels fed to one engine) has shown that the oils will perform at 30,000 feet, which was not known before (or at least a 20% mixture will).

"Virgin said the fuel to be used for Sunday's flight -- a 20 percent biofuel mix of coconut and babassu oil in one of the plane's four main fuel tanks -- was of a type that wouldn't compete with food and fresh water resources amid mounting concerns among green campaigners about the environmental impact of biofuels."

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/02/24/flight.biofuels/

In the first place, it is only 20% non-fossil fuel. In the second place, it is unfortunate that Branson's biofuel oil came from the tropical rainforest, thus heralding massive deforestation if we don't look for other sources. There is then the threat of food acreage being used, leading to starvation in some areas of the world. The requirement of the aviation industry is massive beyond belief.

It is high time we were all given the truth and a full explanation by all concerned, in order to help us to see all the issues. Joined-up thinking is required if we are to break out of the mess into which we've dug ourselves.

Clearly, however, cutting down transport is a very good way to make a start. Sadly, rather than this, we are increasing at a massive and exponential rate.

Until we are given all the facts, things are not clear but, in my current state of understanding, I don't think Mr Branson's airshow is the breakthrough we require. We have to stop salving our consciences with 'easy' solutions, be truthful with ourselves over the issues and start to cut our suit according to our cloth.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

For those who buy into the whole manufactured food thing, it may be nice to know that recent Hill's(TM) publicity announces: "New Improved Hill's(TM) Prescription(TM) Canine r/d(TM) and w/d(TM)". This may seem like good news for dogs.

However, for those more worldly-wise and who like to read further into such announcements, to see what they really mean, this will confirm that the whole concept of 'complete diets' or 'perfectly balanced diets' is seriously flawed.

This is a common publicity stunt in this field, used by other petfood manufacturers, too. The word 'improved' says it all. These diets were supposed to be perfect before. How can you improve what's already touted as scientifically-formulated and providing all you need for your dog? If you can improve it, it wasn't ideal before (yet it was supposed to be your dog's only food). If you can improve it now, how many more improvements will be deemed necessary and be used as an advertising ploy in the future, when really they should show up the whole thing for what it is?

These two diets have even been "changed to a lighter brown colour"! That's nice.

The pet food trade is big business. Marketing follows rules of its own.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

An item in today's news has highlighted an important long-term issue with a pressing immediate matter.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3412666.ece

Also visit:

http://www.buglife.org.uk/News/newsarchive/thurrockmarshes.htm

We may find it more comfortable to consider the issue of a few rare bugs or insects to be relatively unimportant but it really isn't. Biodiversity reflects ecological and environmental health and each loss of biodiversity is a step nearer the brink.

Just as in tennis, in which game it is no good simply fighting the last point (you have to fight EVERY point to win), so it is with biodiversity. Each rung of the biodiversity ladder that disappears takes us a step nearer defeat. Leave it to the last point and it is too late to retrieve the match.

Taken from the above site:

For further information call Jamie Roberts on 01733 201 210 or
07747 715 820.

Buglife-The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is the first organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates, and is actively engaged in saving Britain's rarest bugs, butterflies, snails, bees, wasps, ants, spiders, beetles and many more fascinating creatures. Set up in 2000, the charity now has eight members of staff working of diverse projects including a national bumblebee survey and riverfly conservation www.buglife.org.uk

Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation:

http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/a2z/content.php?page=service&ID=349

Of course, jobs and infrastructure are important to society but, at some point, they become irrelevant, as society will have no place to live. I wish Buglife well in its High Court fight to save West Thurrock Marshes on behalf of all of us.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

I have to apologise to the SSPCA. I had wrongly identifed them as the 'Scottish RSPCA' - they are in fact the 'Scottish SPCA' (SSPCA). Apparently, they lose valuable donations owing to this type of error.

- SSPCA -

see: http://www.alternativevet.org/rspca.htm

POSTSCRIPT

I received on 18th February a charming e-mail, in response to my corrections on the website and the publication of this blog article:

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

I used to be quite a fan of yours. Your practical, down-to-earth approach to food has been a beacon to many. Your books and your name are a huge success (deservedly).

However, I cannot support your latest outburst (assuming you have been correctly reported):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=514633&in_page_id=1770

We cannot exploit animals, for personal gratification. This has nothing to do with feeding the poor or pensioners. Please don't go for the sympathy vote. Some of the healthiest and happiest people on the planet are vegetarian, for goodness sake!

If you were after the limelight, you've succeeded.

If you were after the support of logical folk, you've blown it.

Chickens cannot continue to be kept in awful factory-farming conditions and never should have been. It is a stain on society. I hope your apron is stain-proof.

Organic food is only more expensive because it doesn't reap the subsidies that other food enjoys. The real price of much of our 'chemical food' is hidden in water-purifying costs, for starters. These are passed on to the consumer in another guise than food price.

In the chef wars, you've just scored 'nul point'!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

References:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/16/easuper116.xml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7247384.stm

Report entitled: Green, Healthy and Fair

Professor Tim Lang, Commissioner at the SDC, said:

"Government cannot resolve the problems of obesity, waste or climate change alone. Given the enormous influence wielded by supermarkets, working with them effectively is essential.

"There are many areas where the government and retailers are already working together, but government needs to be more ambitious. With public scrutiny of retailers' behaviour increasing, many supermarkets are keen to work with government to develop a green, healthy and fair food system.

"In fact, our research with supermarkets has shown that in areas such as climate change or recycling policy, they are often frustrated by the lack of clarity or long-term strategy on which they can plan for the future."

Ah those lovely supermarkets! Poor misunderstood chaps that they are.

Why is it that government has to do the work? Why cannot morals, ethics, common sense, public conscience and other such standards guide the behaviour of the commercial giants? Why cannot families take some responsibility?

Dream on!

Role Players:

Sustainable Development Commission (SDC): www.sd-commission.org.uk

British Retail Consortium: http://www.brc.org.uk

Competition Commission: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk

Food Climate Research Network: http://www.fcrn.org.uk

Office of Fair Trading: http://www.oft.gov.uk

Issues:

Environment

Carbon Footprint

Greenhouse Emissions (Greenhouse Gases)

Transport

Packaging

Obesity

Health

Advertising

Waste

Climate Change

Global Warming

Supermarkets

Agricultural Methods (Farming)

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Reference:

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=7553251

The march of GM and the commercial hold that biotechnology has on officialdom are legitimate concerns.

There are serious questions raised by such possible moves:

Many do not want GM, on their back doorstep or elsewhere. What happened to liberty?

Does the Freedom of Information Act not cover this? DEFRA is, after all, a government body.

There is no way to pull back, if GM field research causes a disaster. Once the damage is done, it's done.

Of course, 'legitimate research' should enjoy the freedom of a democratic state but is this 'legitimate research', in view of the uncertainty and the potential (and unknown) dangers?

It may prejudice a neighbouring farm's 'Organic' status, with loss of livelihood.

European law demands disclosure of sites.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

http://the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm (RSPCA v Annette Nally)

There are many aspects of this legal case that are of importance to a fair-minded society.

Inter alia, this report states that the RSPCA failed to disclose material that was helpful to the defence, asserting that it was a private body, inexperienced in prosecutions. Mmmmmm.

Here is a selection of pages from the SHG website.

http://the-shg.org/download%20index.htm

http://the-shg.org/Statutes.htm

http://the-shg.org/Many%20people%20have%20thought.htm

http://the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have suffered as tornadoes ripped through five U.S. States (Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas).

At least 55 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured in what was the deadliest barrage of tornadoes for almost 23 years. The terror, suffering and destruction can only be imagined.

Nature is our origin and our succour. Nature's forces can also be terrible in their power, ferocity and inexorability.

Qui me alit, me extinguit (Shakespeare sums up the paradox: Pericles - Prince of Tyre).

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

News has broken today of ten human embryos having been ‘created’ by researchers at Newcastle, containing material from three 'parents'.

The claim for this ‘breakthrough is that medicine will be able to ‘engineer’ mitochondrial defects out of human offspring and generations, in the future.

Many ‘inherited’ metabolic and other diseases are the result of faulty mitochondrial DNA, which is only inherited via the mother. Examples include some inherited forms of diabetes, deafness, blindness and epilepsy. The stakes are high.

Mitochondrial DNA is in the cell but not in its nucleus. It resides in organelles within the cytoplasm, called mitochondria. Therefore, workers have transferred the nucleus from a fertilised embryo within a ‘faulty’ human egg (i.e. formed from the gametes of the two natural parents) into an enucleated ‘healthy’ human egg (ovum) from a female third party.

Moral and ethical arguments are, of course, already being voiced both 'for' and 'against'.

We shall see but it would seem to me, thinking logically, that one possibility with this work is that we could thereby be ‘creating’ embryos that are analogous to running software in a computer with a mismatched operating system. It may run OK for a while, until it hits an incompatibility snag.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/02/05/sciparent205.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/05/sciparent105.xml

As a corollary to this item, our observation that it takes three generations for vaccine-related faults to be eliminated from a colony could be down to this mitochondrial DNA being altered by vaccination and taking time (generations) to work its way out or to be ‘repaired’ out of the system.

 [Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Is that Britney Spears person really strangling a chicken on her new hit single "Piece of Me"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89oS4SN4mNg

Maybe someone should tell Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]