Staff

United States & Canada – August 27

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Statistical fluke prevents nuclear incident in Ohio
Debbie Cook: Abandon 19th century fuels and move toward 21st century reponses
Drilling boom revives hopes for natural gas
Schumer: “The drilling issue has peaked”
Big Coal’s Big-Time Lobby

Dispatches from the Fields: The trouble with small-scale farming

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Should small-scale farmers who grow organically and sell locally or regionally be able to make a middle-class living with farming as their sole source of income? I’ve always answered this question with a fervent “yes,” at least from a philosophical perspective. But the answer to the follow-up question — “do they?” — is nearly always a resounding no.

No way out

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Recently I have begun more than ten books dealing with subjects of sustainability, peak oil, Natural Step principles, and other subjects of the day. Yet I can’t seem to get more than a third of the way through any of them without throwing the book down with disgust.

Food & agriculture – Aug 26

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National Geographic on Our Good Earth: The future rests on the soil beneath our feet
Let them eat rats
Food, fuel and water crises converging
Tackling the global fertilizer crisis (Bangladesh)
TVA fertilizer technology used worldwide — but few new products since 1970s

Slow Food Nation to release healthy food & agriculture declaration

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“We, the undersigned, believe that a healthy food system is necessary to meet the urgent challenges of our time,” begins the final draft of the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture. Initiated by Roots of Change and half a year in the drafting, it will be released August 29 at Slow Food Nation (SFN) at San Francisco’s City Hall.

Peak phosphorus: Quoted reserves vs. production history

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A hypothesis is presented whereby phosphorus is considered in two broad forms: “easy” which is able to be mined quickly, but already peaked in 1990, and “hard” which has large remaining reserves and is yet to peak, but cannot be mined as quickly. … Ultimately we must develop a recyclable phosphorus supply if humans are to continue living on this planet.