Global Warming News and Research

RESEARCH REVIEW: Climate Change Solution

rodalewm — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:59:38 -0500

Agriculture is an undervalued and underestimated climate change tool that could be one of the most powerful strategies in the fight against global warming.

VIDEO: Rodale CEO video interview explains how organic farming will combat climate change

rodalewm — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:44:36 -0500

Tim LaSalle highlights the ways U.S. farmers can become the leaders in fighting global warming in his "OnPoint" webcast interview. Using basic and proven organic farming practices that build soil will pull carbon dioxide from the air and lock it in soil as carbon that benefits agriculture in many ways. If applied to all U.S. cropland, an effective combination of these practices could result in mitigating (balancing out) 25 percent of the U.S. emissions from fossil fuel combustion, LaSalle said.

UC-Davis funds research on escaped nitrogen

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:19:29 -0400

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have received funding to explore the environmental repercussions of escaped nitrogen from agricultural production. Research will target the overabundance of nitrogen released through soil, waste, and fuel consumption. Known effects of excess nitrogen include ground and surface water contamination, acceleration of the greenhouse effect, and human health factors.

Report says agricultural carbon sequestration essential to climate future

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400

Agricultural carbon sequestration might be the world’s most vital means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new report released by the Worldwatch Institute and Eco Agricultural Partners says. Scientists composed a list of tactics that should be implemented to reduce carbon emissions, including enriching soil carbon, farming perennials, and restoring watersheds.

Beginning with biochar

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:15:09 -0400

Researchers and their interns used precious hours of sunshine this week as the Rodale Institute kicked off its exploration of biochar as a carbon-sequestering practice, applying at the rate of 5,000 pounds per to selected plots. By charring biomass (say nitrogen-fixing trees) under controlled conditions (pyrolysis), farms could generate power by capturing released syngas while transforming half of the incoming carbon into the super-stable charcoal form.

FAO boosts role of sustainable ag in climate change negotiations

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:24:06 -0400

The Farming and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized the need for sustainable agriculture during UN climate change negotiations held in Germany this week. Representatives for the organization noted that sustainable farming practices could provide solutions to famine and unemployment in many poor and underdeveloped countries.

Current programs and funding must be expounded on, they say, in order to make sustainability a far-reaching and effective solution.

FULL STORY: Diario del Web

Union of Concerned Scientists cites Rodale Institute soil fungi research as ‘Solution in Action’

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:01:04 -0400

In “Climate 2030: A National Blueprint for a Clean Energy Economy,” the Union of Concerned Scientists lays out a strategic plan to address climate change policy issues. The plan makes the most of environmental resources while focusing on the initiatives’ technological feasibility.

SLIDESHOW: Living plants out-last, out-perform roof shingles

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:06:48 -0400

After: all done, sedum in place, ready to manage the first rain, and rains for an estimated 30 years to come.

SLIDESHOW: Living plants out-last, out-perform roof shingles

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:04:36 -0400

Lagniappe (a little something extra, in south Louisiana parlance)
Before: mesh and drainage zone, awaiting next steps.

SLIDESHOW: Living plants out-last, out-perform roof shingles

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:01:36 -0400

View of the finished roof from the northeast, showing dome greenhouse and existing garden pavilion, at left. Visitors to the Institute this summer will see extensive garden development around these structures. Heasom and Rodale staff are planning educational events to explain the design and function of the roof.