agriculture Archives – The Green Optimistic

The Climate Change Friendly Diet: Less Beef

Ally Munda — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 21:08:22 +0000

It’s not new news: eating beef is not the most environmentally responsible dietary choice. In fact, reducing or eliminating beef from your diet altogether can be the most powerful individual choice you make to combat climate change. Ballpark figures place the carbon footprint of the entire food industry at around 30% of the world’s total […]

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Swiss Company Develops New Cow Feed to Cause Fewer Farts

Ally Munda — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 19:20:00 +0000

The cattle industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. First, the land needed to raise cattle can prompt deforestation. But an unexpected other effect of livestock agriculture is the industry’s a large carbon footprint, thanks to the cows themselves and the gas they pass. A single cow can produce the equivalent […]

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Africa Will Soon Lead the World in Sustainable Agriculture

Matthew Fiala — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 16:47:37 +0000

At the Africa Green Revolution Forum recently held in Rwanda, leaders from government, business, civil society, and farmers discussed ways to advance resilient and sustainable agriculture that will feed 1 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa today, and more than 2 billion by 2050. Resilient, sustainable, and well-connected agriculture is essential to providing people with access […]

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Aldi Is Banning Hazardous Chemicals from Their Shelves

Courtney Lepping — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 08:23:39 +0000

Discount store Aldi’s stated objective is to create a healthier brand for consumers, being that the pesticides generate political concern over their usage. Customers will know that several different pesticides will be removed, and for different reasons. Thiamethoxam and Chlorpyrifos might pose an autoimmune disorder threat, for example, as it has been found to be […]

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Monsanto Begs to Keep “Cancer-causing” Glyphosate on Market

Courtney Lepping — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 07:54:04 +0000

Monsanto seeks to renew its glyphosate license for another 15 years despite an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2015 study that predicted the chemical could cause cancer. In the United States and Brazil, Monsanto sells genetically modified glyphosate-resistant corn and soybean seeds. Unfortunately the herbicide glyphosate may present health problems. The majority of […]

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Agricultural Soil Impacted by Fracking Chemical Spills

Courtney Lepping — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 20:19:24 +0000

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) chemicals sometimes end up where they’re not supposed to be: in agricultural soil. Toxic biocides, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, and slicking agents are some of many types of chemicals used to extract oil and gas from shale and rock. The chemicals aid in extraction, but what happens after a spill? Scientists from Colorado […]

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8.8 Million Granted to Advanced Biofuel Production

Courtney Lepping — Sat, 28 May 2016 09:36:16 +0000

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is granting $8.8 million for the production of advanced biofuels. This translates into jobs at associated facilities in 39 states becoming sustained. Credit goes to the successful Advanced Biofuel Payment Program that was laid out in the 2008 Farm Bill. Advanced biofuels is another word for second generation […]

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Coconut Oil: An Environmental and Economic Source of Renewable Power

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 20:52:03 +0000

Some sources of renewable power have the potential to dramatically change the economy. For instance, the solar industry is on its way to competing with fossil fuels in price, and it will change and shape the power infrastructure in the future. In the Philippines, biodiesel made from coconut oil could bolster their economy and provide […]

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4 Ways Local Agriculture Can Benefit from Environmental Management

Guest Contributor — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 09:08:06 +0000

Environmental management is the conscious effort to reduce strain on our world caused by man. Humans produce waste, build large buildings, and consume a lot of products. Professionals in the environmental management field help companies and governments reduce their carbon footprint and protect natural resources. In our modern times, environmental management efforts are often directed […]

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Insect ‘Meat’ for Food Security: An Idea Too Difficult to Swallow?

Anthony Petrolo — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 06:05:51 +0000

Agriculture is one of the most ecologically-intensive practices on the planet; 70% of global water usage is currently attributed to agriculture, in conjunction with the increased demands on land and energy. With a growing human population, that is anticipated to reach approximately 9 billion by 2050, coupled with increasing levels of affluence in the developing […]

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Solar-Powered Autonomous Robot Monitors Agricultural Fields to Boost Yield

Mila Luleva — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:50:10 +0000

Maybe we do not realize it, but to have our freshly made salad on the dining table every day, many farmers have invested a lot of energy, a lot of resources and have taken quite a risk, considering the rapidly changing climate situation. To minimize risk, and optimize production, Australian scientists developed the Ladybird farm […]

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Adapting to Climate Change – The American Farmer

Benji Jerew — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:48:55 +0000

Climate change is already affecting farmers around the world, but can they adapt in time to prevent global food catastrophe? Climate plays a huge role in what crops and livestock can be tended in a given area. Because climate change disrupts normal weather patterns, farmers need to adapt, sometimes quickly. For example, severe snowfall, such […]

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