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Can Puerto Rico Be The Model For A Renewables-Powered Energy System?
Fast Company | Posted onNovember 9, 2017 in Energy NewsAs the island rebuilds from Hurricane Maria, renewable energy storage companies like Sonnen and Tesla are constructing microgrids on the island to create a more resilient system before the next storm strikes. In the small Puerto Rican town of Loíza, after Hurricane Maria took out the power grid, residents started washing clothes in a local river–filled with bacteria that then made many people sick.
Bipartisan group of lawmakers aim to reform US sugar program
The Hill | Posted onNovember 9, 2017 in Agriculture NewsA bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation in the House and Senate that would overhaul the U.S. sugar program. Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) are proposing a measure that would limit domestic supply restrictions and reduce market distortions caused by sugar import quotas while ensuring that taxpayers don’t pay for sugar industry bailouts.
Ohio ruling expected to shrink credits paid for sending excess electricity to power grid
The Columbus Dispatch | Posted onNovember 9, 2017 in Energy NewsCentral Ohioans who have rooftop solar panels receive a credit on their electric bills for selling excess power back into the grid.
Addiction: a Rural Reality
Farm and Dairy | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Rural News“In these rural areas, it’s a great challenge to cover distances with people and get people to where they need to be,” Black said. But rural communities also have their advantages. Karen Wiggins, director for the Guernsey County Alcohol and Drug Services, said rural communities have the advantage of “working together” and being able to give people battling addiction “a personal touch.”“We can’t lose sight of the clients we’re working with,” said Wiggins.
Improving the Illinois dairy industry, one farm at a time
Phys.org | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture NewsLike most farmers, Illinois dairy producers want to maximize efficiency and productivity to improve their bottom line. But many don't have the time or objective perspective to audit their own operations for potential improvements.
Inside the Bold New Animal Liberation Movement: No Masks, No Regrets, All the Risk
Mother Jones | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture News“We’re daring these industries to try us in the court of public opinion and in the court of law.”At least on the surface, what DxE was doing wasn’t particularly novel. Search YouTube, and you’ll find thousands of other videos documenting animals suffering inside factory farms. So many groups have relied on this technique in recent years, in fact, that eight states have made the practice of filming inside farms illegal with so-called “ag-gag” laws. Even in states without these laws, activists can be prosecuted for other violations, such as stealing and trespassing.
Getting to the next 5 percent and what it means to dairy farmers
Progressive Dairy | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture, Food NewsNearly half of all “new” milk produced in this country over the last 13 years has gone to markets beyond our borders. Since 2004, the expansion in U.S. dairy exports alone added an average of $1.25 per hundredweight per year to U.S. farm milk prices. That has meant an additional $36 billion in milk revenues since 2004. In an industry where a few percentage points can make the difference between breaking even and going broke, that is a very big deal. Export gains have lent critical support to U.S. milk production growth and the expansion of the entire U.S.
As Wild Salmon Decline, Norway Pressures Its Giant Fish Farms
The New York Times | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture, Food NewsOnce a rarity on global dinner tables, salmon is a staple today, thanks to a fish farming industry that has expanded at breakneck speed in recent decades, including in Norway, where in 2016 around 1.18 million metric tons were produced.
FDA Pesticide Analysis Shows Residue Levels Remain Low
Quality Assurance & Food Safety | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsAccording to a new FDA report, 98% of domestic and 90% of imported foods tested in FY 2015 were compliant with federal pesticide residue limits. The report covers fiscal year 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015), during which the levels of pesticide chemical residues in or on food generally remained well below established federal tolerances, or EPA limits, the report states. Additionally, no pesticide chemical residues were found in 49.8% of the domestic and 56.8% of the imported human food samples analyzed.
H.R. 1 - Farmers, Self-Employment Tax and Business Arrangement Structures
Agriculture Law and Taxation Blog | Posted onNovember 8, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsH.R.