"environmentalism" news and stories

Some people are worried that in the not too distant future, chocolate could become much more rare and expensive... and it's not because of global warming (at least not for the most part). In fact, John Mason, of the Nature Conservation Research Council (based in Ghana), says that "in 20 years chocolate will be like caviar."

This terrible fate is possible mostly because of poor farming practices in Western Africa, where most of the world's chocolate is grown. According to this article from CNN online, farmers clear cut sections of rain forest and work that land to death. The problem with that method of farming is that it is not sustainable: cacao trees (from which chocolate is ultimately produced) on the clear cut land live about 30 years, compared to 75-100 years in the regular rain forest. The farmers would have to then clear another section of rain forest to grow trees on.

There may be hope, though. A handful of different groups have come together to try and solve this problem, including farmers, environmental groups and Cadbury, the British chocolate maker. The interests of each group intersect, and so they've created a scientific research unit to study ways to farm cacao trees sustainably. There may be hope for humanity (and chocolate) yet.

I love the smell of pine needles and the ritual of getting a tree, but each year I feel a little sad over throwing that lovely tree away (to be recycled, of course). On Blogging Baby, J.D. Griffioen recommends using a large rosemary bush, cut like a Christmas tree in December and then planted in your garden in January. It's festive, it smells good, and it will flavor your roast chicken and turkey all year long.

It's a great idea, and though I doubt I'll ever give up the pine tree, it would make a great secondary tree for the kids. And maybe I can get them into gardening while I'm at it.

If you purchased a new rosemary bush every year - soon you'd have enough for a whole hedge. And you'd never lack for rosemary skewers or spring chicken with rosemary and lemon again.

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