Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: Darwin Bell

Possibly tired of taking hits from the anti-processed food push, the Corn Refiners Association launched a comeback campaign highlighting how high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) stacks up against other sweeteners. The aim of their message is to show that, like sugar, HFCS is “fine” in moderation.

The campaign, which includes television, radio, magazine and newspaper ads, centers around an informational website—where visitors can learn the HFCS facts. The site’s info includes a breakdown of how HFCS stacks up next to table sugar and honey, including the calories, taste, use in the products you eat, and manufacturing process.

Some highlights: HCFS is considered a “natural” food ingredient (according to the USDA’s definition), it promotes freshness and inhibits spoilage in food products, it is responsible for maintaining softness and texture in baked goods, it preserves flavor in beverages and keep ingredients “evenly dispersed” in condiments, and it is equal to sugar in caloric content and sweetness.

Overall, the Corn Refiners contend, “Research confirms that high fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “some nutrition experts blame increased consumption of high-fructose for the growing obesity problem.” The idea, albeit not proven, is that fructose converts to fat more readily than sucrose (aka sugar). Meanwhile, a link between HFCS and adverse health effects like diabetes and high cholesterol has been seen in animal studies, but “evidence is not as clear in human studies.”

Despite these inconclusive results, the Mayo Clinic points out that the types of foods containing HFCS tend to be high in calories and low in nutritional value—which may be reason enough to avoid them.

Meanwhile WebMD.com found that “Researchers from Rutgers University tested 11 soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and detected high levels of compounds that are normally raised in the blood of people with diabetes.”

Add to this the fact that industrialized corn production, the primary source of corn for refiners, seems to ravage the land where it is grown, as well as regions that may be downstream. A Washington Post article points out that “most corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops.” While this maximizes yields, it depletes soil nutrients, requires more pesticides and fertilizer, and weakens topsoil.

But since nearly all crops require some level of energy to harvest, process and transport, the Corn Refiners Association may still have some ground to stand on.

For more of the HFCS facts, care of the Corn Refiners Association, check out: www.sweetsurprise.com or http://www.hfcsfacts.com/

Cyclists and pedestrians take to Sunday Streets SF.

Yesterday, San Francisco hosted its first Sunday Streets event, providing Bay Area residents and visitors nearly five miles of car-free road to bike, walk, and play. Stretching from Portsmouth Square, which borders Chinatown and the Financial District, to the Embarcadero, down through South of Market and the Bayview, streets normally choked with automobiles were filled with cyclists, baby strollers, and lots of leisurely pedestrians.

Next Sunday Streets SF Is September 14

A second Sunday Streets SF event is planned for Sunday, September 14, 2008. City organizers say that if the event proves popular and doesn’t negatively impact businesses, they would like to continue and expand the program. They hope it will bring more people to the city, enhance life for residents, get people out of their cars, and promote physical fitness.

It’s also a fabulous opportunity to people watch. I saw people riding unicycles, old-fashioned high-wheel bikes, tandem bikes, and more. I also saw one pedicab driver smoking on his break and thought that it might not be the best habit for a pedicab driver.

Some Merchants Worried about Business

Despite the event’s apparent success, Sunday Streets SF isn’t without critics. I heard more than one toddler beg to be carried as we continued along the route. The parking lots that charge $15-30 to park for the day sat empty, and I’m guessing their owners were not happy.

Fisherman’s Wharf merchants, especially, were worried that street closures would hamper business. Funny, I thought only selling Alcatraz shot-glasses and “I Got Crabs at Fisherman’s Wharf” t-shirts might be bad for business, but we’ll have to wait and see until Sunday’s sales figures come in.

Many Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and North Beach merchants similarly opposed the demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The controversial freeway, which blocked beautiful views of the bay and turned the area into a pedestrian no-man’s-land in the 1950s, was reviled by many city residents. Now that retail and dining business is booming along the waterfront and the area hosts wide sidewalks and bike lanes, you’ll find few people who want the massive old freeway back.

In my own walking-induced euphoria this Sunday, I paid $8.50 for a small Icee and cotton candy, so hopefully that will help put skeptical merchants in the black. My family also bought lunch at the Ferry Building, which was packed with hungry diners and shoppers.

Popular Car-Free Events Spreading Worldwide

Modeled on Bogotá, Colombia’s 25-year-old Ciclovía events that close 70 miles of city streets every Sunday and major holiday, Sunday Streets SF is just one of a growing global phenomenon. Worldwide, Guadalajara, Mexico; Santiago, Chile; Ottowa, Canada; Tokyo; Paris; and Kiev have hosted similar car-free events. This summer, New York City and Portland, Oregon, also freed up roads for cyclists and pedestrians.

More resources:

Videos of Ciclovía and other Sunday city street closures:
http://www.sundaystreetssf.com/PortlandSundayParkways.html

“Thousands Enjoy SF’s Sunday Streets Event,” September 1, 2008, San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/01/BAC212M16J.DTL

“Ciclovia New York City” on the WashCycle blog:
http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2008/07/ciclovia-new-yo.html

“Ciclovia Comes to North America,” on CommuterPageBlog: http://www.commuterpageblog.com/2008/06/cyclovia-comes.html