European health officials are now warning that the German dioxin outbreak may be worse than previously thought - extending beyond tainted eggs - and prompting some countries to take harsher action.

The dioxin scare surfaced after 3,000 tonnes (over 6,600 pounds) of an animal feed additive sold in Germany were discovered to contain trace amounts of dioxin, causing officials to ban many farms from selling eggs.

And China didn't take it lightly. They executed two company executives held responsible for the outbreak, so needless to say, any food imports from China need strict inspection.

That's why the U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned a Nebraska organic food inspecting company from operating in China due improper operations.

Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), located in Lincoln, Nebraska, had been working in China for years, but recently got lazy.

What did they do? The USDA requires organic food to be inspected by a third party, and it turns out OCIA was using Chinese government employees to inspect Chinese farms state-owned land. Oh what's the big deal! Sigh.

These crops are branded with the USDA's organic seal.

And surprise-surprise, in the wake of this blunder, OCIA's executive director declined to comment on the USDA's ban.

But kudos to China, prior to OCIA getting the boot, Chinese organic farms did have periodic visits from other food inspectors certified by the USDA.

Now, while this is great to hear - you have to come down hard on lazy companies, especially ones that handle our food - the USDA had been trying to revoke OCIA's license since 2007. Talk about glacial action.

Hey, better late then never…I guess.

It's an understatement, but China does have its fair share of toxic problems. In addition to the melamine debacle, previous reports have linked China's massive air pollution to birth defects. Is there an inspector for that too?

Image credit: Trade Prince

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference begins today in Copenhagen, some experts believe world leaders will be sufficiently motivated to achieve consensus on ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

In the United States, retired military leaders like Gen. Anthony Zinni call climate change a “threat multiplier” that could have disastrous consequences for unstable countries like Somalia, Sudan, Kenya and Nigeria.

Chinese, Indian and Pakistani leaders are keenly aware of these risks, recognizing that their nations may endure water scarcity as global warming dries up mountain snowpack and disrupts the monsoon season.

The United States could still agree to “Kyoto Lite”—a set of targets and a timetable that look weaker than 1997’s Kyoto Protocol, according to Matthew R. Auer, PhD, a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. If so, U.S. leaders would still be agreeing to reduce more carbon dioxide than any other country.

“The U.S., China and India could turn out to be climate heroes if they put their minds to it,” says Dr. Auer, author of Restoring Cursed Earth: Appraising Environmental Policy Reforms in Eastern Europe and Russia. “China is getting smarter about how it produces and uses energy, with everything from high-tech furnaces at steel mills to newly insulated office buildings now saving energy in Chinese cities. China’s solar power and wind turbine industries compete fiercely with U.S. firms for global market share.

“In India, Tata Motors’ peppy Nano minicar gets 65 mpg, and new alternative fuel and electric battery models are in the works. With that kind of ingenuity and their newfound wealth, China and India in partnership with the U.S. could go a long way in fighting global warming, with or without a resounding diplomatic triumph at Copenhagen.”

Leading up to the games, Beijing authorities took serious measures to decrease air pollution, such as relocating a major steel manufacturer and reducing automobile traffic.

But recently all those efforts went out the window. During this year’s Chinese New Year celebration the insane amount of fireworks sent Beijing’s air pollution soaring!

It all started when errant fireworks struck the Television Cultural Center setting in ablaze. Firefighters and military units raced to the scene to battle the fire with some actually carrying plastic washbasins and hand-towels to shield themselves from the smoke.

Sadly, the building was totally burned up and all the smoke and the fireworks caused a three day plummet of air quality. Government figures show a sharp increase in Beijing air pollution on February 8th, when the fire started, then an equally sharp decline on the 10th, when it ended, with February 9th recording a dramatic spike in the city’s air pollution.

Ironically, in 2005 Beijing ended a ban on fireworks for New Year celebrations.

Via TreeHugger.

• Snowdrops and red admiral butterflies

• Bees

• Blue and great tits

• Moths, hoverflies, ladybirds, dragonflies and other butterflies

• Puffins

• Autumn cranefly

• Lesser horseshoe bats