Archive for June, 2010
Three groups that influence corporate environmental policies
Thursday, June 17th, 2010Community stakeholders have substantial control over corporate resources and decisions companies make about the environment. Three groups often drive improvements in firm environmental performance: those who are wealthy, those who care about the environment, and those who live in densely populated areas. Applying these findings can help companies understand how stakeholders influence environmental policies.
Background
Companies in [...]Leia mais
Data from INPE show a 48% reduction in Amazon deforestation
Sunday, June 13th, 2010Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) released on Monday (June 7) by the Minister of the Environment, Izabella Teixeira, indicate a 48% drop in Amazon deforestation between August 2009 and April 2010, compared to the same previous period.
Despite the drop registered in the months of March and April 2010, deforestation was 49 [...]Leia mais
USDA identifies gaps in food systems
Thursday, June 10th, 2010The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a preliminary study revealing existing gaps in the regional food systems regarding the availability of slaughter facilities to small meat and poultry producers.
The study by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a first attempt to identify areas in the [...]Leia mais
Intensive Farming Left Out of Nitrates Plan
Thursday, June 10th, 2010IRELAND – The Department of Agriculture is calling on all parties to provide feedback on the proposed Nitrates Action Plan. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has expressed concerns about its impact on intensive livestock sectors, especially dairy, poultry and pig producers.
A six-week consultation period on the new [...]Leia mais
Contaminants in US groundwater
Friday, June 4th, 2010According to a new study by the USGS, more than 20% of untreated water samples from 932 public wells across the US contained at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern. About one-third of the US population receive their drinking water from such a system.
The USGS study (Contaminants in Groundwater used for Public [...]Leia mais
Billions to be gained from sewers
Friday, June 4th, 2010Although wastewater sewage sludge is usually considered an expensive nuisance to be disposed of, it can actually be a source of energy, phosphorus and other products. Water treatment facilities are currently exploring technologies to extract this value. Research shows that the potential of recovery grows from USD25 billion today to USD45 billion in 2020.
The treatment [...]Leia mais
Put More Nitrogen into Milk, Not Manure
Friday, June 4th, 2010The more efficient dairy farmers are in managing nitrogen, the more milk their cows will produce and the less nitrogen will be wasted in manure and urine, according a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators. ARS soil scientist J. Mark Powell at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wis., [...]
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