Russian Agriculture

I recently added "Russia Today" to my Google Reader news feeds. Most of the time I find it interesting to see how their "take" on events around the world (e.g. conflict in Georgia) varies from the Western media. The article below is an interesting look at how Russian agriculture operates.

Russian harvest up as Russian agriculture looks to transform

As food prices become a greater source of concern around the world, Russia will enjoy a record harvest this year. But industry experts say improving the productivity of Russian agriculture and dealing with rising fertilizer prices are the challenges which lay ahead.

Russia's agriculture ministry has...(complete article here).

The Carbon-Viral Connection

This amazing planet we live on is equipped with marvelous systems for maintaining itself. We are only beginning the process of understanding how it all works. How can we be so arrogant as to believe that our puny efforts affect "climate change" in any meaningful way?

Viruses are hidden drivers of ocean's nutrient cycle

PARIS (AFP) - Scientists on Wednesday said they had discovered deep-sea viruses to be an unexpectedly potent driver of the so-called carbon cycle that sustains oceanic life and helps dampen global warming.

Under the carbon cycle, microscopic algae at the sea surface suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Many of these microscopic creatures, called prokaryotes, become infected by naturally-occurring marine viruses.

When they die, their...(complete article here).

Infrastructure Issues in New York and Pickens "Plan"

The article mentions T. Boone Pickens being "ahead" of other wind development companies in his efforts to "piggyback" a power transmission line on his water right-of-way (which by the way is likely in trouble). In spite of his $56 million PR campaign which involves robbing the Texas Panhandle of its precious water resources in order to invoke eminent domain takings of private property so that he can build his electric power lines, the state of Texas is far ahead of him with its $5.4 billion CREZ efforts to tie the ERCOT grid into the wind power generated in the Panhandle. Pickens is spending the money on the PR (the linked article below being some of the fruits of that campaign) so he can make 100's of millions off of the people of Texas by using legal loopholes against them.

Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that...(complete article here).

Managing for Cryptic Species

What is the best approach when a species becomes endangered to the point that it is difficult or impossible to observe?

Study shows when to manage species

Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Stephen Pincock
ABC

Conservationists should carry on managing the environment as if a seemingly vanished species is still around, rather than rushing to check whether it is extinct, say researchers.

A team from Australia, France and the United Kingdom have used...(complete article here).

Conservation-minded Gardening

Xeriscaping and use of native plants can be a great way to conserve water in home landscaping projects.

New style of gardening reduces environmental footprint

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

University Park, Pa. -- As Pennsylvania's dry season arrives, many gardeners fear that their lush landscape will wither under scorching heat. However, a gardening expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences says smart landscaping practices can both save water and ensure the garden's survival.

With dry weather conditions increasing...(complete article here).

New Pacific Island Sanctuaries Fast-Tracked

I love it -- from the President the Environmentalists love to hate....

Bush proposes protections for Pacific islands, atolls and reefs

The plan to guard against mining and fishing is expected to be finalized before the president leaves office.

By Kenneth R. Weiss,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 26, 2008

President Bush on Monday signaled his intention to protect some of the Pacific Ocean's most remote and unspoiled islands, atolls and coral reefs from fishing and deep-sea mining.

In a memo to three Cabinet secretaries, the president asked for a plan that would protect parts of the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on the planet, as well as waters around Rose Atoll in American Samoa and various islands and reefs in the central Pacific that are under U.S. jurisdiction.

The proposal, expected to...(complete article here).

Nitrogen-fixing, Hydrogen-producing Bacteria

This is interesting. With the high cost of nitrogen for fertilizer due to the high cost of fuel, maybe this technology can lower both costs simultaneously!

Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria Provide Clean Energy

By Rosalie Marion Bliss
August 25, 2008

A new "green" technology developed cooperatively by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North Carolina State University (NC State) could lead to production of hydrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Renewable sources of energy...(complete news release here).

Wind Turbines Effect on Bats

I recently attended the Panhandle Wind and Wildlife Conference in Amarillo, Texas. One of the topics discussed was the effect of wind turbines on birds and bats. The speaker was Ed Arnett of Bat Conservation International who is one of the experts cited in the article below. One of the points discussed was the role of bats in controlling insects.


Wind Turbines Kill Bats Without Impact

Jessica Marshall, Discovery News

Aug. 25, 2008 -- Researchers have found the cause behind mysterious bat deaths near wind turbines, in which many bat carcasses appeared uninjured.

The explanation to this puzzle is that the bats' lungs effectively...(complete article here).

New Canadian Wildlife Areas

One of the more important aspects of this agreement is in relation to waterfowl.

Canada creates new wildlife areas in far north

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian government and a number of Inuit groups unveiled a pact on Friday that will shelter the habitat of polar bears, bowhead whales and other animals in the country's northern Nunavut territory.

Canada will spend C$8.3 million ($7.9 million) on the agreement, which will...(complete article here).

Irradiated Lettuce and Fresh Spinach Now

Good move. They've been irradiating beef for awhile now.

FDA Announces Final Rule Amending the Food Additive Regulations to Allow for the Irradiation of Fresh Iceberg Lettuce and Fresh Spinach

Yams for Ethanol

I prefer mine with butter and brown sugar....

Sweet Potato Out-Yields Corn in Ethanol Production

StudyBy Don Comis
August 20 , 2008

In experiments, sweet potatoes grown in Maryland and Alabama yielded two to three times as much carbohydrate for fuel ethanol production as field corn grown in those states, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists report. The same was true of tropical cassava in Alabama.

The sweet potato carbohydrate yields...(complete article here).

Cell-sized Batteries on the Horizon

Now that's a small battery!!

MIT engineers work toward cell-sized batteries

Microbatteries could power tomorrow's miniature devices

Elizabeth A. Thomson,
News Office
August 20, 2008

Forget 9-volts, AAs, AAAs or D batteries: The energy for tomorrow's miniature electronic devices could come from tiny microbatteries about half the size of a human cell and built with viruses.

MIT engineers have...(complete news release here).

Negative Global Warming???

No comment.

This year so far coolest for at least 5 years: WMO

Gulf of Mexico Lease Revenue

This is good news for the State of Texas and longer-term, for gasoline prices in the U.S.

Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 207 Attracts $487,297,676 in High Bids

New Markets Grant Full Access to U.S. Beef

This is good news for the beef cattle industry.

COSTA RICA, BELIZE, QATAR AND GHANA JOIN NATIONS FOR FULL MARKET ACCESS OF U.S. BEEF

Water for Irrigation: Time Now to Plan

Many times we hear of the competing needs between water for cities and water for agriculture. It is nice to hear a voice that recognizes that water -- irrigation water -- is necessary to feed the world. Where will we get sufficient water for irrigation? It is a question that must be answered quickly when we consider the rapidly growing world population.

Water everywhere, and not a drop to grow

Limited availability of fresh water is often overlooked as a cause of food scarcity and environmental decline, according to Colin Chartres. Governments should be ramping up efforts to make sure we have enough to grow crops as well as enough to drink, he argues.

This year, the world and, in particular, developing countries and the poor have been hit by both food and energy crises.

As a consequence, prices for many staple foods have risen by up to 100%.
When we examine the...(complete article here).

New Oil Terminal on Texas Coast

New oil infrastructure is necessary due to the significant aging of existing facilities. With the expansion of refineries on the Texas Coast, this new oil terminal will facilitate offloading tankers to supply those refineries.

Platform may take 20 percent of oil imports

Project is expected to cost $1.8 billion

By John Porretto
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, August 19, 2008

HOUSTON — An oil terminal and pipeline network expected to be built off the Texas Gulf Coast and open in about two years would be capable of handling nearly 20 percent of the nation's daily imported oil.

Demand from expanding refineries along the coast, from Freeport to Port Arthur, is driving the...(complete article here).

Sorghum Biofuel Conference

Grain sorghum is tolerant of drought and poor soils and is grown in areas unsuitable for other biofuel crops with high water requirements. I would rather see it used for ethanol than corn. Corn takes far too much water.

USDA Conference Spotlights Sorghum's Biofuel Potential

By Ann Perry
August 18, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 18, 2008—Sorghum's potential as a biofuel crop will be explored at the International Workshop on Sorghum for Biofuels which begins in Houston, Texas, tomorrow. More than...(complete news release here).

Brazil: The Next Breadbasket of the World

Brazil is quickly becoming the new breadbasket of the world. There are struggles though. Besides the internal political battles and the normal battle with the environment, Brazilian farmers often must also battle the world's environmentalists.

The Amazon basin and accompanying jungle are important reservoirs of biological diversity. Care must be used to retain that diverse environment. Many important drugs will be derived from the plants there. We also must consider the potential food plants that have fed the native populations for centuries.

Growth of the farming sector must consider the value of the native flora and fauna. It will be interesting to watch them "walk the tightrope" of development.

As the article mentions, one of their more daunting problems is developing infrastructure at a pace that will meet the needs of development.

Brazil's farms see quiet revolution


By Gary Duffy BBC News,
Sao Paulo

On the family farm run by Joao Baggio Neto in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, you get some sense of the determination and competitive spirit that motivates Brazil's farmers.

Blessed with what often seems like endless amounts of land and a good climate, Brazil has grown in recent years to become an agricultural superpower.

Joao Baggio says the most important improvement in his part of the country in the past decade has been the increase in productivity.

"We came from a...(complete article here).

Nature's Recipe Mimicked for Extracting Hydrogen

Hydrogen will become an increasingly important fuel source. It's efficient extraction will be critical to making it cost effective.

Hydrogen harvested using nature's recipe

Researchers have split water into hydrogen and oxygen by replicating how plants use photosynthesis to make carbohydrates.

The team of Australian and US researchers says their findings...(complete article here).