Cutting Methane Emissions & Talking Biotech

Cutting Methane Emissions & Talking Biotech plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Methane. It's a flammable greenhouse gas produced by landfills, cattle and leaks from oil and natural gas production and on Friday the White House announced a new strategy to start slashing emissions of methane. A fact sheet released by the White House says; "With an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids' health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations."

Biotech crops are getting a lot of press these days from both sides of the aisles and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says more education is needed globally on the benefits of biotechnology crops to feed the world's growing population.

VILSACK: We have worked with Brazil in an effort to have the two largest producers of biotechnology crops to speak on the same page, at the same time with the same message to the rest of the world. We are sending the same level of messages to our friends in China. We have a pilot project we are attempting to work with them on so that they can learn that synchronization is not going to put them in a disadvantageous position.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

Doc Oz just continues to put scientific based information on the back burner while he and his "guests" go for the jugular vein of one agricultural group after another; all for the sake of ratings. Sadly, too many people depend on the likes of Oz for their daily dose of misinformation. So why does he continue to feed viewers his brand of one-sided junk science medical advice? Like any good detective will tell you, you have to follow the money. Food is an emotional subject for most of us, and the producers of the Oz show know that creating fear and distrust and conspiracy theories around the very people who bring us our food will result in higher ratings. Misinformation about agriculture continues to run rampant, whether it comes from anti-ag groups or t.v. hosts such as Oz. Americans have one of if not the safest food systems in the world, and still manage to pay only 7 cents out of every dollar they make on food. We did hear a lot of good things about agriculture this month because of National Ag Week. But the ag community needs to go out and tell the true story of agriculture every day of the year, because anti-ag activists and TV hosts chasing ratings won't be slowing down anytime soon.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.