Patt Morrison for Tuesday, November 25, 2008

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN NUMBER: 866-893-5722; OR TEXT/EMAIL AT ASK@KPCC.ORG

 

1:00 – 2:00

OPEN

 

2:06 – 2:39

The Incredible Mr. (Organic) Limpet: Can Farm-Raised Fish be Organic?

The debate over the environmental, ecological and economic impact of aquaculture has raged for decades, even as fish farming has boomed.  To the significant chagrin of environmentalists, the USDA has tentatively approved criteria that clear the way for farmed fish to be labeled “organic,” a move which has managed to anger both ocean ecologists and fish farmers.  Ecologists believe that aquaculture does permanent genetic damage to fish populations while spiking ocean pollution levels, thereby making organic standards a fallacy; fish farmers believe the standards are impossibly stringent.  Will your farm-raised tilapia soon sport an organic label?

 

Guests:

Wally Stevens, executive director of the Global Aquaculture Alliance

CALL HIM

• Stevens says that since “aquaculture is here to stay” the emphasis should be on creating universal standards under wish fish farmers should be operating, and then make sure the farmers adhere to them.
• Organic criteria are a great way to set the bar high, but every fish farmer should be striving to raise healthy products, have as little impact on the surrounding environment as possible and produce economical products.

 

George Leonard, marine ecologist & aquaculture director for the Ocean Conservancy

CALL HIM:

• The Ocean Conservancy believes that fish-meal dependent fish species, grown in open net pen systems, should not be considered for an organic label.  Under any organic labeling process, compliance and verification procedures need to be developed and improved upon.

 

Neil Sims, co-founder & president of Kona Blue; also a marine biologist

CALL HIIM

• Kona Blue Water Farms is an integrated fish hatchery and offshore fish farm operating well of the coast of Hawaii’s big island.  They produce Kona Kampachi, a sushi-grade Hawaiian yellowtail species.
• Neil has testified in front of the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board on the organic criteria.
• Kona wasn’t even 100% committed to making its operation meet the new organic standards but feels that raising the bar higher for fish farmers is the smart thing to do; that being said, Kona is not thrilled with the end result, especially the regulation of fish effluent, which it feels is impossible to fully control.

 

Rebecca Goldburg, director of marine science at the Pew Environment Group

CALL HER: 

Backup:  Jo Knight, 202-552-2070; cell, 202-664-4504

• Goldburg and the Pew Environment Group advised the USDA on writing the organic standards for fish farming.

 

 

2:41 – 2:58:30

A Century and a Half of Evolutionary Science

It was almost a century and a half ago that Charles Darwin first published “The Origin of Species,” a book documenting years of evidence gathering to support his then controversial theory: that life evolved via a process of natural selection. In the years that followed, the genetic machinery that drives evolution would come to be understood, and huge breakthroughs in medicine would occur. The very way that scientists view the world and the origins of life and humanity were changed forever.

 

Guest:

Michael Shermer, founder/director of the international Skeptics Society; columnist for Scientific America, and author of “Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design” (Times Books).

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

KPCC 89.3 FM / Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

626.585.7821

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org