5@5: We could have stopped climate change | Bacteria adapting to hand sanitizers

Losing Earth: The decade we almost stopped climate change

During the 1980s, humans had a chance to alter the course of the climate change we now suffer. A group of American scientists, activists and politicians saw the looming crisis and came up with a way to avoid it. This epic work of research and writing—along with photographs and other multimedia enhancements—shows how close we all came to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the problems we face. Read more at The New York Times …

Some bacteria are becoming 'more tolerant' of hand sanitizers, study finds

Visit nearly any hospital—and, increasingly, offices, schools, stores and other public buildings—and you likely will find hand-sanitizer dispensers on walls, on desks and in hallways for public use. Although these alcohol-based disinfectants reduced staph infections in patients and the spread of some drug-resistant bacteria, other types of infections began to increase, according to an Australian study. Enterococcal infections, which attack the digestive system, heart and more, actually increased around the world. Read more at NPR …

Jury tells pork giant to pay $473.5M in nuisance lawsuit

A federal jury on Friday awarded $473.5 million to North Carolina residents who live near three Smithfield Foods farms that housed thousands of hogs. The 16 plaintiffs sued for unreasonable nuisances such as odors, flies and loud truck traffic at all hours of the day and night. The award will be reduced, as the $450 million in punitive damages exceeds the limit set under state law. In reaction to the jury’s decision, two congressmen said they will introduce legislation to limit or eliminate nuisance lawsuits, something North Carolina already adopted. Read more at The Washington Post …

New York state reaches agreement to keep SNAP benefits working at farmers markets nationwide

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reached an agreement with Novo Dia to continue handling SNAP transactions at farmers markets for six months. The contract means Novo Dia will process SNAP purchases at farmers markets across the country, as well. Novo Dia previous announced it would stop processing the transactions because the U.S. Department of Agriculture had contracted with another company that was not prepared to work with Novo Dia. The USDA will have to come up with a permanent solution to the problem, as SNAP purchases help low-income residents purchase fresh, healthy food while supporting local farmers. Read more at Modern Farmer …

The newest venture capitalists: Food companies

Packaged food companies aren’t known for their ground-breaking moves, but many of them have entered the more exciting business of venture-capital investing. When they do it correctly, it helps them keep up with what’s new in the food world. The common strategy of purchasing competitors of a particular size doesn’t always work, however: some, such as Campbell Soup and General Mills, haven’t earned the returns they were hoping for after taking on debt. Learn more at The Wall Street Journal …