Category Archives: Agriculture

Misunderstanding NARMS and Missing the Solution: How Not to Do Antibiotic-Related Advocacy

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

During the past month, the Environmental Working Group (‘EWG’) released a report (pdf) about 2011 Retail Meat Annual Report of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (‘NARMS’; pdf). In short, EWG mistated the problem, demonstrated some astonishing ignorance (or cynicism), … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics | Leave a comment

Reconsidering the Easter Island Collapse (and the Irony of Jared Diamond’s Interpretation of It)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by

Barbara King recently asked “Why Does Jared Diamond Make Anthropologists So Mad?” It’s not my place to speak for anthropologists (I’m not Mike the Mad Anthropologist), but I do know what has made me very skeptical of Diamond’s claims: his … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Easter Island, Ecology, Environment | 3 Comments

Republicans Inexplicably Kill the Ag Bill

Posted on September 19, 2012 by

What the Republicans are doing, only much, much cuter (from here) A while ago, I argued that the Northeastern Congressional delegation should play hardball with the agriculture bill to make sure that we get some of what we need too. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservatives, Fucking Morons

Northeastern Congresscritters Have an Opportunity. Will They Seize It?

Posted on July 29, 2012 by

We read in the NY Times (boldface mine): The impact of the hot and dry weather on the nation’s farmers has put new pressure on Congress to move ahead on a pending five-year farm bill. But House Republican leaders have … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Democrats, Get a Pair, Will Ya?, Transportation

So How Will the Ag Lobby Explain This?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

A brand spanking new paper in mBio describes how a clone of MRSA (the bacterium methicillin rensitive Staphylococcus aureus), known as ST398, long-associated with agriculture including pigs gained its methicillin and tetracylcine resistance. Surprise! It happened in the agricultural setting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Evolution, Microbiology, MRSA | 4 Comments

Good News: FDA Will Restrict the Use of Cephalosporin Antibiotics

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Maybe the public response had something to do with this reversal? And if you had to pick a class, I think cephalosporins are a good group: Cephalosporins are commonly used in humans to treat pneumonia as well as to treat … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Public Health

Yet Another Way Big Ag Lobbyists Are Trying to Make You Sick

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

Killing the only program that tracks non-O157:H7 shiga toxinogenic E. coli. Would you like sprouts with that?
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Posted in Agriculture, E. coli, Propaganda, Public Health | 9 Comments

The E. coli O104:H4 Outbreak Gets More Confusing–and Potentially More Disturbing

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

I engage in some speculation, and hope that I’m very, very wrong.
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Posted in Agriculture, E. coli, Ecology, Microbiology, We're Really Fucked | 4 Comments

It’s When the Pundits, Not Lobbyists, Divide Over Antibiotic Resistance, We’ll Be Screwed

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

I’m not so worried about this becoming “a culture war of facts.” Yet.
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Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Propaganda, Public Health | 6 Comments

There Are Probably A Lot of Angry Spanish Farmers Right About Now…

Posted on June 5, 2011 by

…and I can’t blame them.
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Posted in Agriculture, E. coli, Public Health | 7 Comments