November 26, 2013: Let the Feast Begin: Community Food Kitchen and the Good Food Revolution

As all foodies know, a good food revolution has been underway for decades. The latest addition to the mix are community food kitchens where cooking, tasting and growing food come together to nourish and build -- especially in communities most harmed by the industrial food system. We visit one such kitchen at Seattle's Rainier Beach High School and catch up with Will Allen, CEO of Growing Power, on tour of the region’s urban food hot spots.

Listen here:

October 31, 2013: Arctic Oil Meets Greenpeace Activists Who Land in Jail: Colleagues on West Coast Raise Concerns

Imprisoned Greenpeace activists in Russia – jailed for putting a banner on an oil platform in the Arctic Ocean - were on the minds of colleagues sailing down the West Coast of the US on Greenpeace’s newest ship, the Rainbow Warrior III. The "Arctic 30" have been charged with piracy, a first in Greenpeace history, and could face 15 years in jail.

Listen here:

October 7, 2013: Should GMO Foods Be Labeled? Industry & Public Showdown as State Prepares to Answer the Big Question

GMO foods are again on the hot seat on the West coast. Last year California’s Prop 37 to label genetically modified organisms at the grocery store was narrowly defeated, 51 to 49%. This year in Washington the issue is giving rise to conflicting claims and a record 21.9 million flooding the state, with over 17 million coming from opponents lead by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Monsanto and Dow and the remainder from proponents lead by Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, the Organic Consumers Fund and Mercola Health Resources. Martha Baskin takes a look.

Listen here:


Full Transcript: Given the high stakes - over 90% of all corn, canola and cotton is genetically modified with high percentages in six other crops and experiments underway in others - it’s no surprise that conflicting claims about I-522, the ballot initiative requiring labels on genetically modified foods at the grocery store, are flying fast and furious. Proponents call it a consumer ‘right to know’. “We already label farm raised fish. If salmon is genetically engineered the label should say so,” says a fisherman in a Yes on 522 ad. In a NoOn522 TV ad, opponent Dan Newhouse, former director of the state Department of Agriculture, opens with this, “the food labeling regulations in I-522 conflict with national standards and make no sense.”

September 23, 2013: This Plum’s For You! Giving Gardens Make a Dent in Hunger While Congress Fiddles With Food Stamps

As debate broils in Congress to reduce food assistance programs, demand at food banks in communities all over the nation is high. In Seattle some food banks receive organic produce from "giving gardens," or gardens dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables and donating it to those in need. At these food banks, organic produce is as popular as it is anywhere. Martha Baskin has our story.

Listen here:

September 16, 2013: What Will It Take for Wild Salmon to Return in Record Numbers? Warming Waters Present New Threat with Dams an Ever Present Danger

Chinook salmon returns are setting records on the Columbia this year. But 80% are hatchery fish. 13 wild salmon populations in the region are listed as endangered and 11 are threatened. It’s illegal to catch wild salmon, as any fisherman knows. In our story, Martha Baskin catches up with wild salmon advocates and fisherman who talk about salmon’s latest threat, warming waters.

Listen here:

August 1, 2013: Bakken Crude Oil Heads to Northwest: Climate Action on the Columbia River

Days after a lease was approved for the largest crude oil terminal in the Northwest, the Port of Vancouver on the Columbia River became a hot spot to stop it. "Summer Heat Climate Action," a project of 350.org and local organizations, is committed to keep fossil fuels in the ground and out of the export and domestic markets. If nearly a dozen other terminals go through, the amount of crude being piped by rail into the region would be on par with Keystone XL, over 800,000 barrels a day.

Listen here:

July 23, 2013: The Nation’s Largest Public Food Forest and “Boulevard of Beans” Take Root

After nearly three years of planning, Beacon Hill, Seattle, USA is on its way to becoming the nation’s largest public food forest. While nearby Beacon Avenue has been re-named a "Boulevard of Beans" for the variety of beans climbing fences and trellises all along the avenue. Some neighborhoods have it all!

Listen here: