In this story, the writer, Iwan Azis discusses the recent flooding and crop loss in Thailand and flooding in Pakistan; and other food production shortfalls due to extreme weather events in the South Asia region of the world. He also discusses the reality that most of the world’s poor spend approximately 60 % of… [Read more…]
October 18, 2011
Here’s a little story guaranteed to make us all breath a little easier: A scientist in Maine has discovered a process to turn wood cellulose into oil. In turn, the oil can be refined for use as gasoline, diesel, even jet fuel! The two-step process will be able to take trees (think, water storage)… [Read more…]
October 13, 2011
This story makes an impressive link between the rising price of oil and the rising costs of food. Petroleum is a part of all aspects of the global food system, from fertilizer and production, to harvesting, processing, transportation, storage, distribution and waste management. The USDA has calculated that between 1997 and 2002, total per… [Read more…]
August 31, 2011
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4f19a01e-d2f1-11e0-9aae-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Wcj9aU3i This article discusses the emerging unilateral fresh water policy being developed and implemented by the Chinese government. China’s large land mass and unique location puts it at the hub of many of Asia’s largest transnational river systems. As a consequence, countries from Russia to India, Kazakhstan to Southeast Asia are affected by these… [Read more…]
April 18, 2011
http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/wire/news/00282_vilsacktestifybio_211715.php US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack recently defended the nation’s biofuels program before the Senate Environment and Public works committee, denying that it affects the cost of corn nationally or globally. Vilsack blamed, “Storms, droughts, floods in other parts of the world, export controls that were imposed by other countries, the currency issues…” and… [Read more…]
April 18, 2011
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/590f743e-690d-11e0-9040-00144feab49a.html#axzz1JpYGb8he This story in the Financial Times discusses how the rising cost of fuel is slowing the demand and how it is also beginning to change consumer buying habits stating with non-essential items. Consumers beginning to buy less, drive less and make more purchases on the Internet. Though prices are expected to remain high through… [Read more…]
March 21, 2011
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/03/20/food-and-water-poisoned-by-japanese-nuclear-leak-as-expert-warns-more-could-die-than-in-chernobyl-115875-23001856/ The London Mirror reports that nuclear radiation from the crippled Sendai plants has contaminated food and water supplies up to 70 miles away. This includes tap water in Tokyo, Japan’s largest city and home to 30-million residents. Agriculture in the contaminated area includes dairy, produce and grain.
March 18, 2011
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2956720-5026-11e0-9ad1-00144feab49a.html#axzz1GpIVffEy This piece is a commentary from Ms Shruti Mehota, Senior Climate Campaigner for Global Witness. This is a good (and short) “connect the dots” piece between the availability and price of oil and the availability and price of food. So many times we read isolated stories and events and it is a bit rare… [Read more…]
March 18, 2011
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f7a3b220-4e2a-11e0-a9fa-00144feab49a.html#axzz1GpIVffEy The world’s largest democracy is suffering from high inflation, 8.3% due to the high cost of food and fuel. Though the government is trying to roll it back to 3.5%, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) says it would be happy to see it at 7%. Food inflation is currently at 10.65%; fuel and… [Read more…]
March 18, 2011
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/03/16172919 The Government of Scotland is constructing the world’s largest tidal power generation units in The Sound of Islay. When completed, the arrayed facility will generate 10 MW of electricity. This is enough for twice the number of current homes (5000) on the islands. The tidal project is part of a larger power generation and… [Read more…]
October 28, 2011
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