Joshua was rather new to Beta, and therefore even more new to Survival Multiplayer. When he joined the server and appeared in Spawntown. He was impressed, he saw houses, he saw stores and he saw people talking and socializing where he was. However Joshua was an impressionable person. He liked to see a house here, and a store there however there was one building that caught his eye. A large bulky stone structure. This structure did not look so well “put together” however it was big, and Joshua figured that a person who would live there, would be an important person and a person who would let him stay there.

          Joshua eagerly went to the stone structure to find the sign,

” Welcome to the Nikon Estate”

Of course in Minecraft, they don’t give you the option to “knock” on doors so Joshua simply opened the door and let himself in. He was greeted by a blob man in a suit.

” Hello there Mr. Joshua, welcome to my estate.”

Joshua replied

” yea yeaz, who build dis?”

The Blob man just said.

” That would be me sir, this estate was constructed by materials extracted from mines that we are standing directly over.”

   Joshua was getting the impression this blob was rather odd, so he said

” uhhh yea, so canz I like live here?”

The blob man smiled

” well of course sir, however in order for me to create a room for you, I need materials that I need you to get for me”

   Joshua decided to cooperate and then he asked

 ” yo what do you need man?”

” I need 3 pieces of wool, and I require plenty of wood”

 ” yea yea yea okay doood”

Joshua killed the sheep, Joshua cut down the trees, Joshua got everything that The blob man could want and possibly more. So then he returned to the estate and the materials were handed over.

             The blob man told Joshua to wait, and he made an opening in the stone wall. He created a small wood space, a 2×2 wood plank block setup. He placed a bed on the back side of the small room, and he left 2 other blocks open for “living space”.

      So when night came around, The blob man told Joshua to right click on the bed, and then he could make the living space bigger. Joshua simple cooperated and then after he got out of the bed, the blob man placed 2 wooden blocks over the bottom part of the entrance, sealing Joshua in. Before Joshua could break out of the trap. The blob man repeatedly left clicked on Joshua causing him damage and feeding on him. Joshua saw the fangs on the blob man and then he finally realized he had set himself up as a vampire’s midnight snack. There was no escape for Joshua at this particular point.

He didn’t realize that this was technically spawnkilling and that this is illegal, he didn’t realize he could easily type /spawn and escape. He didn’t realize he would get help if he would ask for it. Joshua simply exclaimed in chat.

” F#CK YOU ALLZ, BLOCKTOPIA SUCKS!, IM GONNAZ PLAY ME SUM HALOzzzzz”

and then he promptly left.

What are genetically modified (GM) Foods?

Genetically Modified Foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically ‘modified organisms (GMOs) are those whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered through techniques of “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering” to develop certain desired traits like pest resistance, higher nutritional value, longer shelf life etc. In the process selected individual genes which have been identified to be responsible for a certain desired trait may be transferred from one organism into another, even between non-related species. Alternatively, there can also be deletion of identified genes from the genetic material of an organism. Some food varieties whose genetically modified versions have been developed in the world include tomato, soyabean, corn, cotton, brinjal, rice, canola, sugar beet etc.

Why are GM Foods grown ?

GM Foods are developed and grown due to certain perceived benefits for producers or consumers or both. One prime objective in this regard is to enhance crop protection by developing breeds that are resistant to insects, viruses, herbicides, extreme cold, salinity, poor soil etc. For example in order to develop pest resistance, the gene for toxin production from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is being introduced into the genetic material of certain plants like corn. This toxin is currently used as a conventional insecticide in agriculture. The idea is that if the plant itself starts producing the toxin and develops an inbuilt resistance to pests this will reduce the external use of insecticides, thereby reducing the adverse effects associated with such use. Similarly virus resistance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from certain viruses which cause disease in plants. Plant biologists are working to develop breeds that have genetically engineered resistance to various plant diseases. Herbicide resistant varieties are also being developed (eg soyabean) so that the external application of herbicides can be reduced. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato to develop genetically modified varieties that can tolerate cold temperatures and unexpected frost.

Another objective is to develop breeds that have higher nutritive values than traditionally grown varieties of the same food. For example, a variety of rice has been developed with high Vitamin A content.

Certain foods are known to cause allergies. Genetically modified, non allergy inducing varieties of such foods are being produced. Besides these, GM foods are being developed to grow faster than their traditional counterparts, greater productivity and having larger shelf lives.

All the above advantages of GM foods are considered very important to ensure food security for the growing world population.

What are largely the concerns regarding GM Foods ?

The concerns regarding GM Foods are with regard to their influence on the environment, human health and economy.

On the health front the three main issues are relating to allergenicity or the possible tendencies to provoke allergic reaction, gene transfer or the transfer of genes into the human body and its consequences and outcrossing or the mixing of GM variety of a crop with the conventional variety. In case of the first two concerns although rigorous safety testing is carried out before a GM food is declared safe, there is apprehension regarding the long term effects of its consumption. Outcrossing can sometimes be a problem as was shown when traces of a maize type which was only approved for feed use appeared in maize products for human consumption in the United States of America. However, several countries have adopted strategies to reduce mixing, including a clear separation of the fields within which GM crops and conventional crops are grown.

            In 1988, at the 12th Scientific Conference of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, over 60 countries voted unanimously against the use of genetically modified organisms in food production or agriculture.  This was due to the concern that there may be threats to human health, a negative and irreversible environmental impact, incompatibility with sustainable agriculture, and a violation of rights for both farmers and consumers caused by these organisms (IFOAM, 1988).  Yet by 2010, 93% of planted soybeans, 86% of corn, 93% of cotton, and 80% of Hawaiian papaya grown in the United States were genetically modified organisms (Manshardt, 1999).  Clearly the United States didn’t grow these massive proportions of genetically modified crops just in order to defy Europe’s 2006 ban on American exports of rice with engineered genes (Charles, 2007).  Rather, these organisms must provide some form of tangible benefit that farmers wish to continue to receive. 

            Though a study performed in 1999 by the Chief Scientist of the Organic Center found that genetically modified soybeans did not increase crop yield and a 2008 Soil Association Report claimed that no genetically engineered plant produces a higher crop yield than any ordinary plant, the most recent research says otherwise (Benbrook, 1998).  A 2009 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists determined that engineered crops increased net yields in all cases and the United States Department of Agriculture records a 28% increase in maize yield since genetically modified maize was introduced to the market.  A 2010 summary of 49 studies showed that in underdeveloped countries, these crops increased yield by 29% and reduced insecticide application by up to 76% (Carpenter, 2010).  So what do all these numbers and figures tell us?  The same study found an increased crop yield in developed countries, but only by 6%.  Though this is still a considerable increase when considered on a national level, the fact that underdeveloped countries were affected with more potency reveals a potential to change world problems.  If genetically modified foods are more successful in nations where many people experience hunger, then this opens a door to a solution for feeding the ever growing human population.

            Yet before there is a rush to cure world hunger with genetic engineering, bioethical issues presented by opponents must be considered with caution.  Critics claim that GM foods present an environmental hazard, potentially harming other organisms, mainly supported by a 1999 study of caterpillar larvae affected by affected by pollen blown from modified corn, though the EPA has reexamined this study and found that it may have been flawed (Nature Biotechnology, 1999).  Yet studies show that genetically modified crops reduce the use of pesticides and reduce tillage, therefore improving eater quality and reducing erosion.  Also, many claim that there is a possibility that introducing a gene into a crop may create a new allergen to susceptible individuals, but testing of GM food would help prevent this.  Yet others argue on an economic basis, stating that patented modified seeds may raise the price of seeds so high that third world countries and small farmers will not be able to afford GM crops.  Yet these crops have been used for two decades now and currently the use of GM seeds results in either lower production costs or higher yields, either way raising the farmer’s benefits compared to cost.  When crop yield is not raised, farmers are granted greater freedom in the application of pesticides and herbicides, and the safety of workers is increased due to less exposure to chemicals, thus saving money.  Essentially, genetically modified organisms are efficient environmentally, economically, and do not pose a significant threat to humans.

            Though some people would like you to believe that genetically modified crops are produced with dangerous genes that hold the potential to destroy innocent life, damage the environment, and destabilize the economy, these misconceptions are simply untrue and do not hold up to scientific studies.  Any risk that is yet unknown will be identified by the excessive regulation that is currently presented to genetically modified foods.  The EPA analyzes plants for environmental safety, the USDA determines if it is safe to grow, and the FDA decides whether it can be eaten or not.  This triumvirate of government agencies holds the potential to limit genetically modified organisms to only those safe for human production and consumption. Genetically modified foods can possibly aid in curing world hunger, increase the economic benefits of farmers, reduce use of dangerous pesticides and herbicides, reduce vulnerability of plants to disease, increase the nutritional content of some crops, and potentially create edible vaccines for those in third world countries, so why should all these benefits be nullified if they are regulated by three government agencies?  Despite public misconceptions, genetically modified foods hold the power to change this world.

Works Cited

EPA. (2010). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/otherdocs/bt_corn_ltr.htm

GE. (2005). Yield Drag.

IFOAM. (1999). Mar del Plata declaration. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from IFOAM.

Manshardt, R. M. (1999, July). Retrieved from ‘UH Rainbow Papaya’.

NPR. (1998).

Registrants, B. C. (2001). Oral immunization with hepatitis B surface antigen expressed in transgenic plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 11539-11544.

In a similar fashion to what had occurred during the French Revolution, protests mostly by women began over the ever increasing costs of food, in particular bread. The negligence of the government and speculators were blamed. On some occasions these protests turned to violence. In Georgia, stores and warehouses were attacked by angry mobs, while in North Carolina the violence led to stores being destroyed.

Land owners were growing cotton and tobacco instead of food for it was much more profitable for them. Taxes on those were just 2%, while all food produced was at the higher rate of 10%. Farmers felt they were robbed of a large part of their income and struggled to provide for their families, the supply and demand for food suffered through this system of taxation.

Food riots were occurring with more regularity and the troops were suffering through the same shortages of food, what was available they were taking to supply the needs of the fighting men. The cost of the war far exceeded the tax revenues of the Confederate government. The inflated prices of goods only added to an already tense situation.

In Richmond, Virginia one of the worst instances of the riots occurred when thousands of women on a protest began seizing whatever they could from stores when the protest turned into a riot and shops were attacked. Clothing, food, shoes and even jewelry were stolen. The militia was called to restore order. A standoff appeared to be not working until the order was given for the militia to open fire on the angry mob. They dispersed before the order was carried out.

Genetic modification process involves stimulating the genes present in plants to block the sodium ions in roots and not allow them to reach the strains which could cause lasting damage. Tests were conducted at Adelaide University in collaboration with the Department of Botanical Sciences from Cambridge University.
If cereals such as rice, wheat and rye may be modified, could have provided a better future for billions of people worldwide who are threatened by famine.Countries that could benefit from this research are Bangladesh, Vietnam and Burma coast area, places where rising sea levels caused by climate change threatens some of the most productive land in the world. Pakistan’s agriculture is dependent on the river Indus, which is becoming more saline, causing a drop in production amid a rapidly growing population.

Other news that you can find about sience and others cool things you can find them here. 

I am sure culture is associated with food. Every tribes, races on earth have unique culture: be it costumes , traditions, festival and food of course. Festival is always linked with eating and dining!

FOr example, Indian has rich food heritage:roti canai to dahl to currya dn mutton.

Chinese treats eating as experience, not just fill the stomach. from streets to hotels and palace, you can see the meticulous culinary arts they display in the kitchen while preapring food.The people treat eating as heaven(of prime importance).

No wonder food is described as GLorious.Can you imagine,when someone mentions glorious, immediately one will think of victory in a games, historical moments,Who will think of food as Glorious, yes the things that fill your stomach is not easily earned, think about it, someone has to plant the crops, harvest, process it and packaged and sold and bouhgt and prepared by our beloved homemaker, chef and staffs.Everyone is important is this Food-chain linking humanity…..even though you jsut pay RM5 for a burger.the story behind it is well, what gets us moving, going, developing……..

We are knitted in a network created by hunger, simply….

Thank God for  desires like appetite and senses to enjoy it but let us be sensible to the famine-stricken folks.

On the 6th of September 1620, 102 passengers set sail to begin a new life on board the Mayflower. One of the passengers William Bradford would become the first governor of Plymouth Colony and dubbed them Pilgrims as they began this venture to begin a fresh life in the New World.

On the 11th of November 1620 the ship anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor, Cape Cod. Before anyone went ashore 41 male passengers, heads of families and single men as well as three servants signed the Mayflower Compact. This agreement stated that they agreed to a government chosen by common consent  and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony. Over the month that followed several scouting parties were sent out from the ship to find a suitable place to build their settlement.

On or around the 10th of December one of these groups found a suitable spot but on their return to the ship bad weather prevented them from moving to this location for several days. The area chosen was a previously cleared one by a band of a local American Indian tribe that had been abandoned several years earlier when previous Europeans in the area had brought with them sickness that affected the Native people.

That first winter ashore was a brutal one, as they attempted to build their settlement, find food and avoid sickness. By the spring of 1621, 50 of the 102 that set sail were dead. The survivors made peace with the survivors of the tribe previously living at that location and a treaty was signed. The Pilgrims were then aided with planting crops, especially the previously unknown corn and beans that were vital to their survival. The ship and its crew left to return to England on April 5th 1621.

Over the following decades the original settlers were joined by more people that made the journey across the Atlantic to the new settlement at Plymouth. It gradually grew into a prosperous shipbuilding and fishing center. In 1691 the Plymouth Colony was incorporated into the newly formed Massachusetts  Bay Association and so this ended its history as an independent colony.

It is rather surprising to know that a country that aims for a superpower status in the next 40 years is still discussing and enforcing food security now, even after 63 years of independence.

India is a country with a population of over 1.17 billion and counting. Providing food for the 1.17 billion residents of India is no joke. The story of India’s food security throughout the history of India is long and interesting. The scenario has not changed, but evolved.

In 1947, when the British left India, India was in a really bad position. It was an agriculture-based economy, it had very little money left in the treasury, very few were literate, poverty was as high as 60%, there were hardly any industries, unemployment was high and there was hardly any infrastructure.

India had to rely on wheat imports from the USA to sustain its population. The USA exported surplus wheat to India. India made a great market for USA because USA had a lot of surplus wheat which wasn’t selling fast and India was in dire need of food. The problem with the imports was that India kept importing food with the very little money it had. India couldn’t even keep stocks of food. There would be food for about 2 weeks and then nothing else in the pipeline. So if the ships wouldn’t come from the USA on time, then many Indians would be starving. As the population grew, the people started leading what is known as a “Ship-to-Mouth” existence. The government was very slow in making something happen.

One might wonder that if India is an agricultural based economy, then why would there be a shortage of food. The problem was that when the British ruled over India till August 15th 1947, the British focused on growing cash crops and crops that were beneficial to them financially. The grave food shortages for the Indian people were not the concern of the British. Whatever happened, the British never stayed hungry. Food came all the way from England if needed.

The British, during their rule of India till August 15th 1947, used colonies to provide their factories in England with raw material. Since textile was the biggest industry in England, a steady source of cotton was needed. The British grew cash crops like cotton, indigo, jute and other fibers in order to supply their factories back in England. The British would acquire huge areas of fertile land and grow cash crops. Extremely huge plantations were used to cultivate these crops.

The British did not care about the food situation of the country. The British always had enough food for themselves. During the British rule, some of the greatest famines struck India. In fact, famines were very common in many parts of India. The dry areas were the ones which suffered the most.

The British gave incentives to those farmers who grew cash crops. Most Indian farmers were poor and they had to shift to cultivating cash crops in order to survive. As a result, many Indian farmers too, turned to cultivate cash crops. It came to a situation where very few cultivated food crops. The British were least bothered because they did not want to disrupt their supply of raw material and because they simply did not care about the food shortages for the Indians.

Independent India inherited the country in this absolutely pathetic situation. Before anything could be done, the people had to be fed.

India had to address the immediate problem of extreme food shortage. India decided to import wheat from the USA. India encouraged more and more farmers to shift to food crops from cash crops. But obviously, the change would be slow. India did not have the capability at that time to drastically improve production.

This situation continued till the 1960’s. Of course, there was a little improvement on the home front, but not good enough. Then came the Green Revolution of the 60’s. This programme aimed at attaining self-sufficiency in terms of food. India was fed up of spending precious money in importing huge quantities of food.

The green revolution was aimed at empowering the farmers and production shot up. The Green revolution aimed at modernizing agriculture by using modern techniques and tools to maximize the output of food. The Green revolution is one of the greatest triumphs of India. Within a decade, India completely stopped any wheat shipments from abroad. India no longer was dependent on food aid from abroad. Even if there were food shortages in parts of the country, it never resulted in a famine.

When you look at the food situation in India today, you see that not only there is no shortage of food, but there is also a very comfortable surplus. There is enough surplus to ensure food security in times of an emergency and also enough surplus which can be used for export.

India is now in a position to export food grain to other countries and also provide food aid to many countries. It has not only shaken off any form of dependence on other countries for food, but also provided food to other countries. All this within 60 years of independence.

But India does face a fresh problem.

The food security of India is handled by a governmental agency known as the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Farmers sell their produce to the FCI and the FCI stores it and distributes it all over the country.

The problem is that there is a lot of food stored in the FCI warehouses and they aren’t being distributed fast enough. FCI complains that a lot of food gets spoilt because they weren’t consumed fast enough. This means that a lot of food gets wasted before it reaches the plates of the common man.

It is a fact that even though India produces enough food, there are still millions of people in India who don’t have access to food. People still die of malnutrition and starvation. India is clearly not in a position to waste any food. In reality, India is still food insecure.

The problem lies in the distribution of food, not its production. India produces enough to feed its people. But the availability to the people is where the problem lies.

The network of distribution of food must be widened. New schemes need to be introduced where the poor will have easy access to the food at cheap rates or even free of cost. The food should be utilized well.
The government of India has taken many steps to try and counter the problem. These steps include the program of mid-day meals in schools. They use food as an incentive for children from poor backgrounds to come and study. There is the food-for-work program where labour is exchanged for food grains. This appeals to the poorer sections of society where their basic requirement is food.

There is the need for more vigilance in the distribution system. India’s system has a lot of flaws. There has been many reports of black marketeering of food and that has risen because of the lax vigilance of the distribution system.

Instead of insisting on improving the production, what the government needs to do is improve the distribution of the food grain. Inevitably, the production of food grain is going to improve. What makes the task of distribution more daunting is the fact that India has the responsibility of feeding 1.2 billion people.

India cannot afford wasting any food when millions of Indians are starving and dying of malnourishment.

• Tsunamis, earthquakes cause tsunamis and there have been many lately and very large
• War, there may be another world war and with nuclear weapons involved
• Horrific crimes happening, there are so many horrific crimes occurring nowadays some people couldn’t imagine
• Global warming, the earth is warming a little not as much as they say but it contributes
• Volcanoes, volcanoes like the one in Yellowstone can spew so much debris it can block the sun for a decade
• Tornadoes, tornadoes are starting to increase in intensity and are pushing F3 and into F4 intensity
• Earthquakes, earthquakes are literally the root of all evil as you will see below
• Viruses, there are lots of virus outbreaks occurring right now even a few in Europe that are unaffected by all antibio-tics
• Plague, there are new plague infections crops are getting and they are unaffected by pesticides
• The domino effect, like I said above an earthquake is the root of all evil after an earthquake, tsunamis can occur, it can cause a major disaster and increase famine and war over crops and land, after an earthquake of a large intensity it can set off a major volcano, and that volcano and erupt and block out the sun. After the sun has been blocked the crops die so people kill each other over necessity now and then the viruses can finish us off since we will all be gathered together only the strong will survive

- Hopefully, it would increase opportunities for motorists to see wild pigs and thus have greater opportunity to slow down and avoid accidents, “says Christer Pettersson, who is responsible for the management of wild boar Environmental Protection Agency.

Peter Borring, county chairman of the national federations of farmers’ Östergötland is mildly hostile to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal:

- It is pure hell in Swedish. It is trying to focus on other things than the real problem. We can always try to steer the pigs here and there, but we need to see to bring down wild boar population.

Profit or loss?
In addition, he says, it would affect farmers’ profits:

 - Roads are often drawn where it is good farmland and the plan is not much left to grow on.

But Christer Pettersson looks rather that it would be more profitable for farmers, as attractive areas where crops are grown very wild boar helps that cause extensive damage to the crop:

- I see a win-win situation of trying to reduce the attractiveness of the crop and thus reduce the risk of accidents.