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The Millionaires' Corner
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Water Pollution can be result of corn ethanol
Corn ethanol as the answer to global warming and American energy independence can have negative impacts not only on food but on water.
New studies suggest that production of corn ethanol not only makes global warming worse but contributes heavily to water pollution. One reason is the heavy doses of nitrogen fertilizer that American farmers dump on corn fields. A study by Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, argues that some biofuels release more greenhouse gases than they save because nitrogen fertilizer produces nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as an atmospheric insulator.
The study estimates that corn ethanol produces between .9 and 1.5 times the global warming effect of conventional gasoline.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Is Moringa the answer?
Moringa is good for humans, animal, the planet.
Moringa is a tropical tree, fast growing, resistant to drought and an important source of food for people and animals in many countries. There are 13 species known, of which Moringa oleifera is particularly easy to reproduce and its growth is very fast.
It has been lauded since Aryuvedic times. Modern scientific research now shows that the leaves are full of nutritious content - for example, gram for gram, moringa leaves are an excellent source of calcium,vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and protein.
READ MORE ABOUT MORINGA
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Biofuels as energy source in developing countries
The United Nations Initiative will assess biofuels potential within developing countries and work with national decision-makers and private-sector groups, including NGOs and civil society groups, to develop country-specific strategies for the production and use of biofuels.
It is supported by the UN Foundation and is being undertaken in partnership with five UN agencies working in coordination:• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
However, a United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity, fearing that biofuels would bring more hunger given that food prices have risen as more land is used to produce biofuels.
He complained of an ill-conceived dash to convert foodstuffs such as maize and sugar into fuel, which created a recipe for disaster by diverting arable land to the production of crops which are then burned for fuel.
He called for a five-year ban on the practice.