Michael Showers, who played a recurring role on the television show, “Treme,” as a police captain, was found dead in the Mississippi River.  He was 45.

The actor was found floating in the river on Wednesday, and his autopsy confirmed that he died from drowning, according to aceshowbiz.com.  There were no signs of trauma, but a toxicology report next week may reveal more.

Showers’ girlfriend, Melinda Carlos, claimed that he had been suffering from depression and anxiety after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in March.  She said that Showers left their home on Monday to meet a friend named Joe and never returned.

A steamboat captain near French Quarter in Louisiana sighted his body.  Officials say the body had been in the water for at least two days.

The death is still under investigation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow any flooded out crops ­- organic or otherwise ­- to be sold or consumed by people, due to potential exposure to sewage, animal waste, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms or other contaminants. Pictured: An aerial view of farms flooded alongside the Mississippi River. (USDA)

The combination of record floods and record numbers of organic farms has led many to wonder about the safety of even our organic groceries. Luckily for Americans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a policy in place to govern how farmers respond to such situations and how affected crops and fields are handled to ensure that consumers continue to have access to healthy and safe food.

For one, the FDA doesn’t allow any flooded out crops—organic or otherwise—to be sold or consumed by people. The agency considers “ready to eat crops…that have been in contact with flood waters to be adulterated due to potential exposure to sewage, animal waste, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms or other contaminants.” Given that there is no known method of “reconditioning” such crops that would “provide a reasonable assurance of safety for human food use,” the FDA instructs farmers to dispose of them “in a manner that ensures they do not contaminate unaffected crops during harvesting, storage or distribution.” So-called “adulterated” food can be seized and violators prosecuted under federal law.

Of course, many farms affected by floods have other fields that remain unaffected. The FDA recommends a 30 foot buffer between flooded areas and fields that can still yield edible food. Also, farm equipment shouldn’t be driven through or exposed to flooded areas (or their affected crops) to minimize the risk of contamination. As to when farmers, organic or conventional, can replant fields inundated with floodwaters, the FDA suggests waiting at least 60 days to ensure contaminants aren’t still in the soil.

No discussion of organic farming and flooding is complete without mention of global warming. Italian researchers analyzed runoff data recorded in the Swiss Alps to study how flood risk varies with temperature, precipitation and elevation in mountainous regions. They reported in the January 2010 edition of the journal Geophysical Research Letters that global warming does increase flood risk significantly, and that large floods have occurred more frequently in recent years than in the past.

Furthermore, they predict global warming will result in such floods occurring more often in the future. If global temperatures increase by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, as many scientists expect, so-called “hundred-year-floods” could occur every 20 years or so, putting untold numbers of people at risk. Global warming is also responsible for more frequent and more intense storms that can cause widespread flooding.

The good news is that farming organically is one way to stave off global warming. Research at the Rodale Institute found that “organic farming helps combat global warming by capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and incorporating it into the soil, whereas conventional farming exacerbates the greenhouse effect by producing a net release of carbon into the atmosphere.” And Cornell University researcher David Pimentel found that organic farms use 63 percent of the energy used by same-size conventional farms, which rely on large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer produced synthetically with large amounts of energy.

CONTACTS: Geophysical Research Letters, www.agu.org/journals/gl/; “Global warming increases flood risk in mountainous areas,” www.idrologia.polito.it/~allamano/lavori/2009GL041395.pdf; Rodale Institute, www.rodaleinstitute.org; “Organic and Conventional Farming Systems: Environmental and Economic Issues,” www.ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/2101/1/pimentel_report_05-1.pdf.

Spike TV announced Thursday its new lineup of original programming including survival epics and plenty of reality television.

“From battling the treacherous waters of the Mississippi to battling international foes overseas, Spike’s development slate celebrates the incredible pursuits of an array of real guys geared to resonate with the Spike male-centric brand,” the network said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with some of Hollywood’s most creative minds to present a development slate that we feel will further the notion that Spike is a true destination for original programming for guys,” said Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original series, Spike TV.

Here’s what they got:

River Men

“River Men” is a new docu-series about the rough and dangerous work of the men who make their living battling the mighty Mississippi River.  Each day, these unsung heroes tow massive, football-field sized barges through the treacherous waters of the Mississippi River.  Dangers lurk around every bend, as the “River Men” pilot their huge towboats and barges through locks, dams and narrow channels under threat of collisions, smashing into bridges, groundings, breakaway barges, men lost overboard, explosions, fires and sinking.  All the while, the towboat crews battle extreme weather conditions — record-breaking floodwaters, searing heat, icy cold and dense, impenetrable fog to get thousands of tons of cargo to its final destination.  ”River Men” is produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions, with Gay Rosenthal, Paul Barrosse as executive producers and Nicholas Carprio, Jeffrey Weaver and Eric Streit as co-executive producers.

USA vs. The World

“USA vs. The World” features average Americans who do some of the roughest jobs in the world, facing off against their foreign counterparts who have the same occupation.  Each episode will feature three of the best Americans that perform a certain job and identify the country whose citizens might do it better.  The American team will then travel to the opposing team’s country in an attempt to beat the foreigners on their own turf.   For example, the best alligator wranglers from Florida take on the crocodile wranglers of Northern Australia.  ”USA vs. The World” is produced by Lighthearted Entertainment, with executive producers Howard Schultz and Michael Maddocks (“Moment of Truth,” “Extreme Makeover”).

Tank and Cobra

Tank and Cobra are an infamous, real-life bounty-hunting duo who has been catching bad guys for over ten years through their company Lightning Strike Force.  Seemingly mismatched, William “Cobra” Stubbs is a middle-aged, self-proclaimed country boy while his partner is the younger and more hip, Gregory “Tank” Camaron.  Bruce Toms (“Work Out,” “Nanny 911″) and Amy Shpall (“Work Out”) of Liberal Media and Todd Dahlke of Necessary Evil serve as executive producers.

Human Predators

An informative and compelling one-hour series that reveals, through first hand accounts, the shocking tales of the people who take lives, either professionally or criminally. Executive Produced by Digital Ranch Productions (“Dogfights,” “Murder by the Book,” “Mail Call”), with Robert Kirk and Rob Lihani as Executive Producers and Co-Executive Producer Keith Guinto.

Idiot Hall of Fame

From the hilariously, twisted brain of veteran television producer Simon Andreae (“My Shocking Story,” “Surgery Saved My Life”) and his production company, The Incubator, comes a late-night half hour series, “Idiot Hall Of Fame.”  Using real footage, the series takes a humorous look at some of the most truly idiotic actions of all time.