The Tangled Webs They Weave

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California, after it was first discovered in Holland in 1988. Growers created the hybrid in an effort to find hearty new vegetables, and it looks like they did just that:
Although this day-glow green hybrid is grown like any other vegetable, its seeds are not yet commercially available. You can find the broccoflower itself at many grocery stores (you can't miss it). Cook it like you would any other vegetable—wash first, dump it in boiling water or steamer, and don't cook it for too long or you'll lose the treasured nutrients. For a twist, add salt and vinegar to a pan of cold water and dip the broccoflower heads in it so they cook up extra crispy.

With its healthful attributes, broccoflower will no doubt nab the attention of diet-conscious eaters in the United States. And there's one more important plus: rumor has it that kids, vegetable-haters of America, are partial to its sweet taste and outlandish color.

Don't Waste Money Over Spilled Oil

It's been almost three years since the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound and expelled 11 million gallons of oil into the water. Time to pay up.

According to the terms of the financial settlement, funds must be used for "restoring, replacing, enhancing, rehabilitating, or acquiring the equivalent of natural resources." Here's the breakdown: $50 million in restitution each to the state and federal governments, $900 million for a civil settlement and restoration fund overseen by a trustee council, and a $25 million criminal fine. That'll be about $1 billion dollars, please.

Conflict about spending the money is overwhelming. Many native Alaskans, conservationists, and commercial fishermen feel the state should purchase land that would be protected for future generations, but provide an immediate benefit to native corporations and the Alaskan economy. They could also save endangered wilderness from chain saws and real estate developers. However, the Council of Oil Spill Trustees insists that scientific studies would have to prove a connection between the spill and the new land before they would even consider it. Many worry that this would create a ridiculous waste of time and money.

Trustees will not finalize plans for spending the money—to be paid in 10-year installments—until next spring. If you have suggestions, write them at: 645 G Street, Anchorage, AK 99501

Editor's note: Do you have any interesting, timely, or peculiar news items you would like to share with other MOTHER readers? Send them to: "Bits & Pieces," Mother Earth News, P.O. Box 129, Arden, NC 28794.

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