Why don't we have one of those?

An interesting article on my BBC feed discusses a plan to make the dairy biz in Britain greener. Less water, less fossil fuel usage, less energy usage, doing a better job with waste of all kinds - with clear numerical targets.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7378030.stm

What really caught my attention though was this: the plan came from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Why don't we have a department like that in our government, rather than having agriculture in one department, environment in another, and things affecting both all over the place?

If they are this conflicted about lunch

no wonder they can't come up with a better farm bill.

Nancy Pelosi has taken the House in hand, with an eye toward greener and healthier food, the New York Times reports.

http://go.compass-usa.com/house/content/sustainability.asp

Here's the site of the group they are contracting with - who had to change some of their claims to satisfy the industrial food side(s) of the aisle.

http://go.compass-usa.com/house/content/sustainability.asp

I note they could move toward greater sustainability if they would get rid of some of the menu items that are not seasonal, but all in all this seems like a pretty good effort.

The Times article reports that no such strides have been made in the Senate. Interestingly, for the most forward thinking and best developed food policy among presidential candidates one needs to look to an ex-Senator, John Edwards.

http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/food-safety-fact-sheet/

But I digress - or do I?

I've been trying to keep this blog focused on the topic I intended, but once in a while another environmental issue creeps in.

Today, Alan Scarfe had much to say about climate change, and the role faith communities have in addressing it, in an op ed in the Des Moines Register.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/OPINION01/801090346

One of the things that interested me most about this article (other than it being written by a dear friend who has only recently become engaged with environmental issues) was the idea of a coalition of energy and farm interests. Too often climate change has caught the imagination of church folks, but without the understanding of its connection to other issues.

The Iowa Farmers' Union - one of the partners of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light - has some interesting things on energy and agricultural issues on their site.
http://www.iafu.org/