The China Academy of Sciences first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987. Two years ago, the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket, with more than 2,000 seeds. Once the seeds are returned from space, they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected. Vast farms are being used to cultivate crops as space fruit and vegetables are put on dinner tables across China.

According to Chinese expert Lo Zhigang, "some of China's space seed products are already exported to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. These include breeds of cucumber, sweet pepper, tomatoes and broccoli." Chinese scientists claim some space fruit and vegetables are better than the original. The Vitamin C content in some vegetables is nearly three times higher and there is a marked increase in trace elements such as zinc. Yields of space rice are also 25 per cent higher. To date China has bred more than 50 new species of plants and has plans to produce more than 200 new species.

Recycling Sewage Water: Safer, More Efficient Option
Cities in the U.S. are recycling wastewater for drinking, through a process called indirect potable use. This initiative is being called "toilet to tap" proposals by its opponents, due to the drinking-former-toilet-water gag factor and also the high cost involved.

Cities across the U.S. have been using recycled wastewater since decades for nonpotable needs, like agriculture and landscaping. Thus, the technology already exists. In El Paso, Texas, indirect potable reuse, supplies 40 percent of the city's drinking water; in Fairfax, Va., it supplies 5 percent. Orange County, California established earlier this year, the largest and most high-tech water-recycling system in the world that churns out 70 million drinkable gallons of water a day from effluent. Los Angeles plans to recycle 4.9 billion gallons of wastewater by 2019.

It is a three-step process: Sewer water that has already been treated by the county's sanitation district goes through a microfilter to remove solids and bacteria, and then undergoes a reverse-osmosis treatment. Finally, it is treated with ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide to get rid of contaminants that are left.

Recycling sewage water is a more efficient and safe option, especially when compared to sea water. Desalination of ocean water is economically and environmentally much more expensive than sewage-water recycling, according to a recent report by the Pacific Institute, California. Orange County water officials estimate desalinated water costs between $800 and $2,000 per acre-foot to produce, while its recycled water runs about $525 per acre-foot. Desalination also uses more energy (and thus produces more greenhouse gas emissions), kills tiny marine organisms that get sucked up into the processing plant, and produces a brine by-product laced with chemicals that goes back into the ocean.

According to experts, reverse osmosis coupled with ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide treats wastewater beyond what federal and state drinking standards require, they say. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted research in Denver and San Diego on the safety of direct potable reuse and found recycled water is often of better quality than existing drinking water.

Researchers Aim to Turn Animal Waste into Plastic
Researchers in New Zealand have developed a process to convert animal protein waste - that would be blood and feathers - into plastic. "The material we can produce has the strength of polyethylene, the plastic used in milk bottles and plastic supermarket bags, but it's fully biodegradable," says Dr. Johan Verbeek, adding, "Plant proteins have successfully been used to make bioplastics, but animal protein has always ended up gumming up the extruder." Mmm -pass that milk bottle! The bioplastic would actually likely end up as agricultural sheeting, seedling trays, plant pots, and the like. Says Verbeek: "The aim is to stay away from any food packaging."

That's probably for the best.