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☆ Opinion: The next pandemic threat demands action now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Opinion Jaime M. Yassif | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Well, so far US officials are saying they believe there is minimal risk to the public from the latest iteration of bird flu. According to the Global Health Security Index, there are significant gaps in countries’ pandemic preparedness capabilities. Given the impact of Covid, it is deeply disappointing that national governments are not investing the necessary resources to build life-saving pandemic preparedness capacity. Making matters worse, Congress has made major cuts to pandemic preparedness funding, as part of the ongoing appropriations process. Playing the long game also means supporting the World Bank Pandemic Fund, which is designed to invest in long-term pandemic preparedness capacity of low- and middle-income countries.

Persons: Jaime M, Yassif, ”, —, we’ve, US Department of Agriculture —, It’s, Biden, Covid Organizations: Global Biological Policy, Nuclear Threat Initiative, CNN, Yassif Nuclear, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, US Department of Health, Human Services, CDC, US Department of Agriculture, Global Health, Brown, Pandemic Center, Gates Foundation, NTI, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Global Health Security, Bank, Fund, pandemics Locations: Texas , Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Covid, United States

☆ Gardeners are fuming about a study that found produce from urban farms has a high carbon footprint
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Fruits and vegetables grown on urban farms have on average six times the carbon footprint of produce from conventional farms, the study, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Cities , found. Hawes said that produce grown on 17 out of the 73 urban farms his team studied across five countries had lower carbon footprints than produce from conventional farms. Rushdan also argued that urban farms are a much more sustainable use of land than commercial or industrial development. The letter also alluded to the structural problems that can prevent urban farms from being more permanent, including commercial development and barriers to landownership. "Our work does not lessen the many benefits that urban agriculture provides," Hawes said in an email.

Persons: shockwaves, Jason Hawes, Hawes, Rushdan, Detroit's, Benjamin Goldstein, Goldstein, they'd, Monica Fitzgerald Organizations: Service, University of Michigan, Nature, YouTube, Business, University of Michigan School for Environment, Sustainability, Detroit, BI, US Department of Agriculture Locations: Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Boulder , Colorado

☆ This indoor farming company is trying to win workers over to agriculture — through desk-job benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Courtesy Eden GreenOne of Eden Green's aims is to remove some of the unpredictability of farming by doing it indoors in soaring greenhouses stacked with rows of greens. At its facility of nearly 83,000 square feet, Eden Green does its growing without soil, a process called hydroponics . Eden Green said it uses 98% less water and 99% less land than traditional farming. Advertisement"You can still have that agriculture job and have a full-time, steady position," they said. Eden Green's retention rate has been above 80% for the past nine months, the company said.

Persons: Stacia Lewis, Willy Wonka's, Lewis, They'd, Eden Green, Eden, Eden Green's, Eden Green's playbook, Eddy Badrina, who's, Badrina, — Organizations: Service, Business, Eden Green Technology, Eden Locations: romaine, Eden, chard, Cleburne , Texas, Cleburne, Dallas, Fort Worth

☆ Google is making a map of methane leaks for the whole world to see
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Oil, gas, and coal operations are thought to account for 40% of global methane emissions from human activities. At least 155 countries have also signed the Global Methane Pledge, which calls for a 30% reduction in emissions. The pledge initially launched in 2021, but since then, methane emissions have continued to rise . To help change that trajectory, the US and Europe last year issued regulations cracking down on methane emissions from fossil fuel infrastructure. By 2027, those imports will have to meet methane emissions standards on par with Europe's.

Persons: Steve Hamburg, —, Yael Maguire, Maguire Organizations: Service, Google, Environmental Defense Fund, Business, International Energy Agency, Google Geo Locations: Agriculture, MethaneSAT, Dubai, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Hamburg

☆ ‘Hot drought’ in the West is unprecedented in at least 5 centuries, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The West’s recent heat-driven megadroughts are unprecedented in at least 500 years, new research shows. “Hot drought” — when extreme drought and heat occur simultaneously — has increased in severity and frequency over the last century due to human-caused climate change, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. While the previous study measured the length and width of the tree rings to gauge drought conditions, King’s research analyzed the density of the rings to measure how temperatures changed over time. “More dense rings mean warmer temperatures, and less dense rings mean cooler temperatures, typically,” King explained. “Water security and wildfire will become bigger problems until climate change is stopped,” said Overpeck, who was not involved with the study but has done research on hot droughts.

Persons: ”, Karen King, ” King, King, Jonathan Overpeck, Overpeck Organizations: CNN, University of Tennessee, University of Michigan’s School for Environment, Sustainability Locations: Knoxville, Pacific Northwest, Utah , Arizona, Colorado

☆ Why California Officials Killed Cedar, a Little Girl's Pet Goat
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Usually, when a child sells an animal at the county fair, some local macher buys it for more than its market value. All they were waiting for, apparently, was approval from the Shasta County district attorney. "More important for livestock producers is how the Shasta County Fair and the Shasta County sheriff — both unencumbered by intelligence — created a bonanza for animal rights zealots." Cedar was livestock, and many people can't even conceive that livestock like Cedar can be something more than food. (The California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Shasta fair, and the county sheriff all declined my requests for comment.)

Persons: might've, let's, wouldn't, E, reenacted, It's, Jessica Long, Bobo, Megan Dahle, Sen, Brian Dahle, Gavin Newsom, Cedar, Dahle, Long, Agriculture —, didn't, wasn't, —, we'll, Leslie Irvine, Irvine, Irving, they've, Ryan Gordon, Colter Ellis, Charlie Thieriot, Jessica Long's, Gordon, they'll, Adam Rogers Organizations: Fair, Animals Cedar, Republican, California ., California Department of Food, Agriculture, Twitter, Hearts, University of California, Animals, Business Locations: Shasta, Northern California, America, California, Napa, Sonoma, Shasta County, Irvine, Seco, Texas, Mississippi

Many communities in south Louisiana rely on the Mississippi’s fresh water, with their water intake treatment facilities located along the river. Unimpeded salt water continues to creep upriver and threatens municipal drinking water. Edwards warns that other parishes may soon be affected by the salt water, including Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson. Instead, residents will be notified in advance if salt water will affect their area. And not just in Louisiana, but further north to strengthen the river’s flow,WILL THE SALT WATER AFFECT OTHER THINGS?

Persons: Mark “, Cognevich, ” Cognevich, Matt Roe, Edwards, Bernard, Jefferson, Louisianans, “, ” Edwards Organizations: U.S . Army Corps of Engineers Locations: BATON ROUGE, La, Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish, Mississippi, Gulf, Mexico, New Orleans, Minnesota, United States, Orleans, St, Port of South Louisiana

☆ China's economy is showing signs of serious trouble — and the problems are still mounting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Deflation — the trend of prices falling throughout the economy — presents a particularly dangerous trajectory for China, which carries a massive amount of debt. The main components of GDP on the demand side — consumption, investment, net exports — they all have serious problems right now." A shaky property marketMost of China's economic troubles tie directly into its property market. Roughly a quarter of China's population works in agriculture — well above the 3% mark in the US — and that presents its own productivity limitations. From an unstable, debt-ridden property market to anti-business policies and demographic issues, Beijing has plenty to tackle if it hopes to match the same growth as decades past.

Persons: David Dollar, Biden, Dexter Roberts, Roberts, Terry Group, it's, Xi Jinping Organizations: Service, China's National Bureau of Statistics, People's Bank of, Federal Reserve, Brookings, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, Financial Times, China's, Global, US Census Bureau, Atlantic Council, Communist Party, Garden Holdings, Beike Research Institute, Terry Locations: Beijing, Wall, Silicon, China, People's Bank of China, China's US, Western, Russia, Asia, Ukraine, Mexico, China cratered, Rocky

☆ GOP Senate candidate uses Kentucky photo to tout his support for Montana agriculture — then quickly replaces it when asked about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy's website touts his support for Montana agriculture. But the photo he originally used wasn't taken in Montana — it was taken in Kentucky. After Insider reached out to Sheehy's campaign, the photo — and two others — were quickly replaced. The original portion of Sheehy's website touting his support for Montana agriculture — alongside a photo taken in Kentucky. Reached for comment, Sheehy campaign spokeswoman Katie Martin blamed their campaign's digital vendor, Push Digital, for the "unfortunate error."

Persons: Tim Sheehy's, Tim Sheehy, —, Patrick Jennings, Sheehy, Katie Martin, Martin, Montana, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Democratic Sen, Jon Tester, Donald Trump, Matt Rosendale Organizations: Service, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Democratic, Republicans, National Republicans, Navy, Republican Locations: Montana, Kentucky, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Livingston Montana, Custer Gallatin, America

☆ The Hottest Thing in Real Estate Is a Loan From Two Years Ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

From the pedestrian to the dodgy, it all seems to underscore the manner in which the nation’s real estate market has been frozen by regret. In lieu of acceptance, a determined few are trying to use imagination and fine print to build a portal to the cheap-money days of 2021. In theory, any of the millions of homeowners holding a assumable low-rate mortgage have a valuable perk to sell with their home. Still, real estate agents say it can be hard in practice to transfer them. For instance, homeowners who transfer a V.A.-backed mortgage can lose their ability to get another similar loan unless they can find a V.A.-eligible buyer to take their original mortgage.

Persons: ”, influencers, “ It’s, Scott Trench, Sellers, Michael Fratantoni, Black Knight Organizations: Federal Housing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Mortgage, Association Locations: U.S

☆ Opinion: How I talk to my kids about climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Laura Schifter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Laura Schifter is a senior fellow with the Aspen Institute and leads This Is Planet Ed, the institute’s initiative on climate change information. We won’t know for sure what it will be or where, but we can predict that these extreme weather events are becoming more common. Katharine Hayhoe, a leading climate scientist suggests one of the most important things we can do about climate change: talk about it. My second grader added, “And we can get power from the sun, compost and walk instead of drive!” We haven’t thought about this as a singular “climate change talk,” but rather as part of how we talk — how we try to help them make sense of the world. For all our kids, it’s time we prioritize their future and help ensure they can thrive in a changing climate.

Persons: Laura Schifter, Ed, There’s, Alexa, I’ve, Katharine Hayhoe, Taylor Organizations: Aspen Institute, Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, Twitter, Facebook, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, America, National Parent, Association Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Washington , DC, Canada, Pacific, Kentucky, California, Europe, Pakistan

☆ Tractor maker Deere's future in precision agriculture hinges on space-based connectivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Morgan Brennan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But the farm equipment maker has been planting the seeds for an increasingly high-tech and autonomous future – one that critically hinges on space. But connectivity is the linchpin of this vision, and space fills a void left by fiber and traditional cellular signals. "We think satellite communications is a really intriguing, interesting technology to pursue to sort of solve that communications gap." Last fall the company put out a request for proposal to the satellite communications industry to partner on space-based connectivity services. "We had this opportunity to bring two industries together — satellite space communications and agriculture — and say, 'What kind of value could we create?'"

☆ To survive nuclear apocalypse, you may have to eat nothing but mushrooms, rats, and insects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Survivors could farm mushrooms on dead trees, or eat rats and insects. In order to survive, he says, people would need to adopt sunlight-free agriculture — cultivating mushrooms, rats, and insects. Vincent Kessler/ReutersWhile we're using the wood to grow mushrooms, we could use the dead trees' leaves, too, he said. Dead trees can feed other life forms, like rats and insectsRats, much like mushrooms, can digest cellulose, the sugar that makes up 50% of wood. So anything the mushrooms leave behind could be fed to the rats, Walsh suggests.

☆ Prehistoric humans were surprisingly creative cooks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Stone Age cooks were surprisingly sophisticated, combining an array of ingredients and using different techniques to prepare and flavor their meals, analysis of some the earliest charred food remains has suggested. (From left) Breadlike food was found in Franchthi Cave in Greece; pulse-rich food with wild peas was uncovered in Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq. The charred food remains from Franchthi Cave dated from 12,000 years ago, when it was also occupied by hunter-gatherer Homo sapiens. Much research on prehistoric diets has focused on whether early humans were predominantly meat eaters, but Kabukcu said it was clear they weren’t just chomping on woolly mammoth steaks. A Neanderthal hearth was unearthed at Shanidar Cave, where charred plant remains were also found.

☆ New Zealand plans to tax emissions from livestock burps and dung
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

David Clapp | Stone | Getty ImagesNew Zealand plans to tax agricultural emissions — including those related to the burps, urine and dung from livestock like cows and sheep — in a move its government hopes will help the country meet climate change goals. "This is an important step forward in New Zealand's transition to a low emissions future and delivers on our promise to price agriculture emissions from 2025," she said. Agriculture plays a major role in New Zealand's economy, including exports, but it accounts for a considerable chunk of the country's emissions. In the consultation document, authorities said greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture — carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane — were responsible for more than half of New Zealand's gross emissions. According to the document, carbon dioxide stems from urea, while nitrous oxide comes from livestock dung and urine.

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