Anything but water

• Aon is going to insure against bedbugs in buildings. Maybe they can insure against poor water management?
  
  
• More plastic than plankton in the ocean? Not!
  
  
• The Straight Dope says "we need to dispense with the illusory notion of "alternative" energy [replacing oil, coal and nuclear]. We'll have to use them all."
  
  
• Marijuana is not a gateway drug. Dysfunctional communities and families are. On a related note, some Dutch politicians (on the right) suggest banning marijuana sales to foreigners, a stupid idea that will lead to more drug dealers, violence, sickness (impurities) and hard drug use (dealers sell other drugs).
  
  
• Good article on crop biodiversity in the National Geographic. Why do you care? We grow few varieties of staple crops; they are vulnerable to a fungus or virus wiping out everything (e.g., Irish potato famine). In related news, here's an academic (EU) report on how policy mixes affect biodiversity.