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☆ Wind turbines have little to no impact on property values, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But a new nationwide study that analyzed data from 300 million home sales and 60,000 wind turbines finds turbines’ impact on home values is much lower than previously thought – about a 1% drop on average for a home with at least one wind turbine within six miles. Even for homes close to a turbine, the study finds the negative impact to property value “diminishes and eventually disappears” within a decade. Getting the answer required building a massive mapping database of the distance between US homes and wind turbines, accounting for changes in topography and other factors. The study also explored just how big wind turbines appear to the human eye. Much of the growth in wind turbines in the US has been on farmland in the Midwest, Great Plains states and Texas.

Persons: Max Auffhammer, “, ” Auffhammer, Wei Guo, Auffhammer, Aaron Heley Lehman, you’re Organizations: CNN, University of California, Italian Centro, Iowa Farmers Union Locations: United States, Berkeley, Italian, Midwest, Great Plains, Texas, Iowa

French farmers are putting pressure on the government to respond to their demands for better remuneration for their produce, less red tape and protection against cheap imports. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin held a security meeting Sunday before potential road blockades around Paris, his office said in a statement. Earlier Sunday, two climate activists hurled soup Sunday at the glass protecting the “Mona Lisa” and shouted slogans advocating for a sustainable food system. The Louvre employees could then be seen putting black panels in front of the Mona Lisa and asking visitors to evacuate the room. Angry French farmers have been using their tractors for days to set up road blockades and slow traffic across France.

Persons: Mona Lisa ”, Gerald Darmanin, Darmanin, Leonardo da, “, ”, Mona Lisa, Gabriel Attal, ” Attal Organizations: PARIS, Sunday, Louvre Museum, French, Farmers, Rural Coordination Locations: Paris, Garonne, ”, France, Indre

PARIS (AP) — French farmers staged protests Wednesday across the country and in Brussels against low wages and what they consider to be excessive regulation, mounting costs and other problems. Roadblocks were spreading in many French regions, one day after a farmer and her daughter died due to a traffic collision at a protest barricade. Farmers have also been turning road signs upside down to protest what they argue are nonsensical agricultural policies. Arnaud Rousseau, head of France's major farmers union FNSEA, said his organization would release a list of 40 necessary measures later on Wednesday. Speaking on France 2 television, he said the protest movement was aimed at “getting quick results."

Persons: Gabriel Attal, Attal, Marc Fesneau, Arnaud Rousseau Organizations: PARIS, EU, Rural, Police Locations: Brussels, France, Pamiers, Ariège

UNCHARTED WATERS Airlines Race Toward a Future of Powering Their Jets With Corn Carriers want to replace jet fuel with ethanol to fight global warming. Corn 2022 N.D. MINN. WIS. S.D. Corn 2022 N.D. MINN. WIS. S.D. Corn 2022 N.D. MINN. WIS. S.D. Corn 2022 N.D. MINN. WIS. S.D.

Persons: “, ”, Jeffrey Broberg, Biden, Jake Wildman, Wildman, Lauren Riley, Amelia DeLuca, Todd Becker, United’s, Seager, et, Roy Stoltenberg, It’s, “ It’s, Mr, Stoltenberg, John, Stoltenberg douses, Megan Konar, Matt Jennen, midcentury, we’ve, Chad Friese, I’m, John Hansen, Mary, sighed Organizations: Jets, Carriers, Minnesota Well, Organization, United Airlines, Delta, New York Times, Farmers, IOWA NEB, MINN, Water Resources Research, Department of Agriculture, ”, U.S . Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Aviation, Delta Air Lines, Ethanol Company, University of Illinois, Ethanol, ” Industry, Nebraska Farmers Union, Sunrise, Reserve Locations: America, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Nebraska, MINN, WIS, MICH, IOWA, IOWA NEB . OHIO, . MO, KAN . MO, KAN, In Kansas, Glenwood, Minn, ”, Japan, Germany, U.S, Chippewa, Benson, Omaha, ., KAN ., Cairo, Neb, Iowa, Wisconsin, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Wood, China, Foxhome, Platte, . Nebraska

Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins addresses the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Britain June 21, 2023. Henry Nicholls/Pool via REUTERSRIGA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced his resignation on Monday, blaming a breakdown in relations with parts of his multi-party governing government. Karins' New Unity party plans to select its candidate for prime minister on Wednesday, he said. President Edgars Rinkevics has responsibility for giving a mandate to a new prime minister to try to form a government. Latvia's next parliamentary election is scheduled for 2026.

Persons: Krisjanis Karins, Henry Nicholls, Karins, Aivars Lembergs, Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia's, Janis Laizans, Andrius, Terje Solsvik, John Stonestreet Organizations: Latvia's, Conference, REUTERS, Latvian, European Union, NATO, Unity, National Alliance, Progressives, Greens, Farmers Union, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, London, Britain, REUTERS RIGA, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Ventspils

[1/2] A customer leaves an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Riverside, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. It is unclear if the FTC will try to stop the transaction or when a decision would be reached. "Kroger and the FTC are focused on ensuring that any divested stores are positioned for success," the company said in a statement. Between them, Kroger and Albertsons operate nearly 5,000 stores with more than 800 in California. FTC staff spoke with the group in April.

Persons: Kroger, Biden, I'm, Rob Bonta, Chris Jones, We're, we're, Jones, Dan Waldvogle, Waldvogle, Sara John, Mayor Diego Plata, Diane Bartz, Chris Sanders, Anna Driver Organizations: Albertsons, REUTERS, Federal Trade Commission, Staff, FTC, Kroger, National Grocers Association, Walmart, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Center for Science, Safeway, Mayor, Thomson Locations: Riverside , California, U.S, Colorado, California, COVID, Colorado's Rocky, Gunnison, Plata

☆ Tunisians struggle to buy sheep for Eid as economic crisis bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jihed Abidellaoui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A Tunisian sheep breeder waits for customers at a livestock market in Borj El Amri, ahead of the Eid al-Adha, Tunisia June 17, 2023. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File PhotoSummary Tunisians traditionally buy sheep for Eid al-Adha festivalDrought and expensive fodder increase sheep pricesTunisians already struggling with inflation and economyTUNIS, June 20 (Reuters) - Tunisians hoping to buy a sheep to slaughter for Islam's Eid al-Adha festival next week are facing much higher prices because of a drought, adding to public anxiety at an economic crisis that looks set to worsen. "We can't afford these prices," he said. He has already decided to sell 200 of his 350 sheep because he cannot afford to feed them. Farmers Union official Khaled Ayari said Tunisia had produced 1.2 million sheep for Eid in 2022 but only about 850,000 this year.

Persons: Jihed, Eid, Ridha Bouzid, Khaled Frekhi, El, Nabil Rhimi, Rhimi, Khaled Ayari, Haithem, Jihed Abidellaoui, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Farmers Union, Thomson Locations: Borj El, Adha, Tunisia, TUNIS

☆ African Devt Bank proposes 'fast track' compensation for Zimbabwe white ex-farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HARARE, May 15 (Reuters) - The African Development Bank (AFDB) has developed financial instruments to "fast track and front load" $3.5 billion in compensation to white farmers whose land was taken from them by Zimbabwe's government, the bank's president said on Monday. Zimbabwe agreed in 2020 to compensate local white farmers whose land was taken by the government from 2000 onwards to resettle Black families, in one of the most divisive policies of the Robert Mugabe era, while foreign white farmers were allowed to apply to get seized land back. Adesina said the new proposal to former white farmers would "help leverage the capital markets to fund the compensation without adding debt to Zimbabwe," without providing further details. Adesina said that 91% of Zimbabwe's multilateral debt and 61% of its bilateral debt is in arrears. "The government takes full ownership of the debt process and the implementation of reforms," Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told the press conference.

[1/2] Mourners hold a poster during the state funeral of Zimbabwe's longtime ruler Robert Mugabe at a national sports stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe, September 14, 2019. Still, some farmers say they will reject the government's $3.5 billion compensation package for being inadequate financially and for paying scant regard to land restitution or restoring property rights. Farmers say the plan was agreed by the Commercial Farmers Union in July 2020 and subsequently revised without adequate consultation. "The offer of bonds represents a very significant reduction in value with a prolonged redemption period," Gilpin, 67, told Reuters. The government was continuing discussions with farmers over appropriate payment methods and time frames, Ncube said.

☆ Tunisia to cut off public water supplies overnight due to drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TUNIS, March 31 (Reuters) - Tunisia will cut off water supplies to citizens for seven hours a night in response to the country's worst drought on record, state water distribution company SONEDE said in a statement on Friday. The country's agriculture ministry earlier introduced a quota system for potable water and banned its use in agriculture until Sept. 30, as the country battles with a drought that is now in its fourth year. SONEDE said in a statement that the water will be cut off daily from 9 p.m until 4 a.m, with immediate effect. Tunisia recorded a drop in its dam capacity to around 1 billion cubic meters, or 30% of the maximum, senior agriculture ministry official Hamadi Habib said. The agriculture ministry has also banned the use of potable water to wash cars, water green areas and clean streets and public places.

☆ More food shortages could add to Britain's price pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The tight conditions have helped to push British food price inflation to levels not seen for almost 50 years. Industry data from market researcher Kantar on Tuesday showed UK grocery price inflation hit a record 17.5% in the four weeks to March 19, underscoring the problem for policymakers. Many UK food retailers are buying less, knowing their customers cannot afford to spend so much, taking a hit to their profits in the process. Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, which represents the major food retailers, said supermarkets were confident about the resilience of food supply chains, particularly with the approaching UK growing season. The grower who spoke to Reuters, and who asked not to be named, said there was too much focus on food inflation and not enough on the strength of the whole system.

☆ Britain's salad vegetable crisis its own fault, says former Sainsbury's boss
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The crisis has been exacerbated by less winter production in greenhouses in Britain and the Netherlands due to high energy costs. "We could have chosen to subsidise the energy this winter as we have done for other industries." Horticulture has been excluded from a government Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme (ETII) that provides help with energy costs. King said that most UK supermarkets still had "very good" supply of salad vegetables coming in but overall the country is short. "That's why supermarkets introduce fair purchase policies so that 'real' customers are able to buy the one or two that they really need."

"The situation is very dangerous because of years of continuous drought," said Hammadi Habib, an Agriculture Ministry official. Tunisia already has food supply problems thanks to high global prices and the government's own financial difficulties, which have reduced its capacity to buy imported food and subsidise farms at home. "It is time for the authorities to declare a state of water emergency," said Radhia Smine of the Tunisian Observatory of Water. Thousands of families will lack drinking water," she added. "If we do not take decisions in January to reduce irrigation water and ration water use now to prioritise drinking water... then for sure in August we will not have drinking water in the capital or coastal regions," said Habib, the agriculture ministry official.

☆ Britain’s broken egg industry shows the price of food inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - In Britain, the damage wrought by rampant inflation can be seen in the fate of the humble egg. With war in Ukraine driving energy and chicken feed costs higher, farmers say what they get paid is no longer enough, upending the economics of a key food staple. Driven by consumer demand, British egg producers have for years focused on free range, which now represents 70% of the market. That, combined with a cost-of-living crisis fuelled by soaring food and energy costs, limits their room for manoeuvre, retailers say. Yet egg producers say that while the supermarkets have raised retail prices and paid farmers more, that increase is not enough to cover exploding costs.

The governors' proposal raised oil industry concerns about fuel regulations differing from state to state. "We have good support," Fischer told Reuters. The legislation also has the support of Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota, a co-sponsor of the bill. Cramer's support is significant, as North Dakota is one of the top oil-producing states, Fischer said. Organizations including the API, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the National Farmers Union wrote to congressional leaders this month to urge them to adopt legislation to expand nationwide E15 sales.

Organizations including the American Petroleum Institute (API), Renewable Fuels Association and the National Farmers Union wrote to congressional leaders to urge them to adopt legislation that would effectively lift restrictions on E15 sales. API's support is a win for the biofuel and farm groups because the oil industry has at times resisted efforts to expand the market for ethanol. The governors' proposal raised oil industry concerns about fuel regulations differing from state to state. Expanding national sales of E15 would also resolve long-standing differences among the groups about the fuel regulations, the letter said. Reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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