AgClips
Recent AgClips
Spending bill rejects Trump’s proposed EPA cut
The Hill | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in Federal NewsThe $1.3 trillion government-wide spending bill released late Wednesday rejects President Trump’s proposal to slash the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget by 31 percent. Senior lawmakers negotiating the omnibus appropriations bill instead chose to give the agency $8.1 billion for fiscal 2018, keeping it at the same funding level as 2017.
Ohio State coal tech captures CO2, but can it compete with renewables?
Energy News | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in Energy NewsA promising technology under development at The Ohio State University converts fossil fuels into electricity without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If the method makes it out of the lab and into the real world, it could represent a breakthrough for “clean coal.” The process — known as coal-direct chemical looping — is “the most advanced and cost-effective approach to carbon capture we have reviewed to date,” said David Kraft, a fellow with Babcock & Wilcox, a power company that’s partnered with the university.
US Rejects EU Solar Tariff Alternative at the WTO
Green Tech Media | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in Agriculture NewsRefusing the European Union’s request leaves the door open for retaliatory measures. The Trump administration has refused to accept European Union alternatives to U.S. safeguard tariffson importedsolarproducts, according to a joint statement issued by the World Trade Organization.Safeguard measures are permitted under WTO rules if a country faces serious injury due to a surge in imports of a particular product. However, the country implementing the safeguards must compensate their trading partners in other areas, or accept that other countries can put up their own barriers.
Interactive map with local data rates U.S. counties on economic distress; shows some unexpected outliers
The Rural Blog | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in NewsThe Economic Innovation Group has created a interactive map that identifies the economic distress level of every zip code in the United States. Maps are also available that measure by zip code, congressional district or city.
New York lawmaker wants medical marijuana for pets
Democrat and Chronicle | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsAssemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, Westchester County, introduced legislation Thursday that would change New York law to allow veterinarians to prescribe medical marijuana to animals. "Medical marijuana has helped countless people in the management and treatment of chronic and debilitating illnesses," Paulin's bill states. "Research suggests that animals can also benefit from cannabis use to similarly treat their ailments." Nevada and California are also considering legislation to legalize medical marijuana for animals, saying it could help pets with chronic illnesses.
Scientists on brink of overcoming livestock diseases through gene editing
The Guardian | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in Agriculture NewsProf Eleanor Riley, director of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, said new techniques will soon allow breeders to genetically engineer disease resilience and, in some cases, immunity into pedigree animals, saving farmers millions of pounds a year. “Genes can be modified to massively increase resistance and resilience to infection,” she said.
5 dairy farms affected by Dean Food’s downsizing have new place to sell milk
edairynews | Posted onMarch 26, 2018 in Agriculture NewsHarrisburg Dairies said taking in small farms affected by Dean Food’s recent decision to downsize due to a surplus in the market was a no brainer. “It really made the decision for us, when it came to needing our milk supply to be independent producers that we can have a direct relationship, monitor and inspect ourselves,’ said Alex Dewey Assistant General Manager of the Harrisburg Dairies.
Global trade can make or break American farmers
The Hill | Posted onMarch 23, 2018 in Federal NewsThe new tariffs are in direct response to China’s overproduction of steel and aluminum, keeping costs artificially low so that other countries can’t compete — a practice widely known as “dumping.” While the administration has called this act out as cheating, it fails to acknowledge that U.S. agricultural policy has done the same for decades, with an even more critical resource: food.
In a U.S.-China trade war, Trump voters likely get hurt the most
The Washington Post | Posted onMarch 23, 2018 in Agriculture, Federal NewsPoliticians, economists and executives agree China isn't playing fair on trade. But there's a lot of disagreement about whether President Trump's hefty tariffs are the right weapon for fighting back. American farmers and Walmart shoppers are likely to feel pain in this fight, and a lot of them voted for Trump. There are two ways Americans are highly likely to get hurt in a U.S.-China trade spat. First, prices on a lot of items will almost certainly rise, and second, China is going to hit back with tariffs on American products. The other knock is expected to come when China fights back.
House GOP to push farm bill linking food stamps to job training
Bloomberg | Posted onMarch 23, 2018 in Federal NewsHouse Republicans will pursue a law reauthorizing food assistance and farm subsidies without Democratic support after negotiations over changes to the so-called food-stamp program broke down, the chairman of the chamber’s Agriculture Committee said.