We have too much corn, all of it subsidized by our tax dollars, which pay not only to grow it but to store it. This is why you’re hearing so much about ethanol (which is made from corn) lately. The government is desperate to find a way to get rid of some of this, and one way it does this is by selling it at low prices it to poor countries, especially in Africa. But critics of this seemingly charitable act say that these imports actually lead to disease and even starvation.
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Growing food entails the use of fertilizer and irrigation systems and results in land clearing. These “side effects” of agriculture can lead to “tipping points” which include desertification, salinization, water degradation, and changes in climate due to altered water flow. The UN reports that 50 million people could be driven from their homes within the next 10 years by encroaching deserts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia.
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There is exciting news in archeology lately, including a prehistoric city that has been discovered underneath the English Channel and 8-million-year-old tree trunks that have been found in a Hungarian coal mine.
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There are lots of good reasons to use your hands, and kids with a certain finger length do better on tests. Now there’s ANOTHER reason that hands are important for learning. Ever forget where you parked the car? It’s a trick that works for adults too.
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