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Is our government making us fat?
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Welcome to the Planet 100 for March 18, 2010. Here's what we're covering today.
Fat Government
Americans are now 20 pounds heavier than the average American of the 1970s. Who is to blame? According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine...it's the government.
Health officials are now examining a 2007 report for clues to rising obesity. Entitled "Why does salad cost more then a Big Mac?" the report makes a link between federal agriculture subsidies and declining nutrition, including the over consumption of meat. The typical American now eats 200 pounds of meat per year, twice the amount consumed in the 70's.
The New York Times reveals that while the price of fruits and vegetables have increased over the past 30 years, meat, beer and soda have all decreased.
Via: Treehugger
Vertical Farms
This week Huffington Post Green is running a user poll on the world?s most cutting edge vertical farms, and fantastic futuristic designs that could be a godsend for cities.
Vertical farms use air space rather than ground space to grow crops, saving land for other functions. They also improve air quality, reduce city temperatures and can produce their own energy.
One existing vertical farm in Paignton Zoo grows 20 times more food than it could if used the same space on the ground using hydroponics.
Via: Huffington Post
Recession-proof CO2
A new Scandinavian study reveals that levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere have risen despite the global economic slow down. While it was hoped the recession would see CO2 emissions fall, concentrations kept rising as each carbon molecule emitted can linger in the atmosphere for several years.
Via: MSNBC
Credits:
Overweight Man ©Jupiter Images/Thinkstock
Big Mac ©Getty Images
Salad © Medioimages/Photodisc/Thinkstock
Pyramid © Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Cattle ©Hemera/Thinkstock
Atmosphere © Jupiter Images/Thinkstock
Farm #1: SOA Architects
Farm #2: VerticalFarm.com
Farm #3: Evolo Architects
Farm #3: Valcent
