Environment
Environment
A Hotter World Could Also Be a Hungrier One
Jun 20, 2018 A warmer world could mean shrinking harvests and a more meager diet for millions of people, according to two new studies.
Protecting Your Ride From the New Ethanol Blend
Dec 27, 2012 A new policy approved by the EPA will allow states to permit the sale of fuel that contains up to 15 percent ethanol, and the difference could damage your car.
Drought Belts the Breadbasket
Jul 26, 2012 Almost 30 percent of the American Midwest -- the area that produces most of the country’s corn, soybeans and livestock -- is suffering an escalation of its most extreme drought in five decades.
High Food Prices Drive Unrest, Study Says
Aug 22, 2011 An old argument says that full or empty bellies lead to contentment or revolt. Recent research supports that claim, showing that spikes in global food prices have coincided with the surge of social unrest and political instability seen recently in North Africa and the Middle East. (more)
Climate Shift Has Cut Global Wheat Crops, Study Finds
May 8, 2011 A report in the journal Science links temperature changes to a 5.5 percent decline in wheat production worldwide, with drop-offs occurring even in countries where technological efforts have diminished the impact of climate change on crop yields.
Monsanto Dominance Prompts Antitrust Inquiry
Nov 29, 2009 Some 93 percent of soybeans and 80 percent of corn: Those numbers reflect how much of each crop is grown with seeds genetically altered under the patents of agro-giant Monsanto. An antitrust investigation is at hand, as questions about a monopoly status seem not too far off.
World Bank: Biofuel Boom Spiking Food Prices
Aug 1, 2008 A World Bank report, held from public view for several months, finds strong evidence that increased production of biofuels such as ethanol has caused a sharp climb in the price of foodstuffs worldwide. "The report stands as a blistering rebuke to the Bush's administration's unchecked biofuel boosterism," argues environmental writer Tom Philpott.
Biofuels Blamed in Global Food Crisis
Jul 4, 2008 While environmentalists and opponents of foreign oil may have found common cause in the use of biofuels, a new, confidential World Bank report estimates that the recent increase in plant-based fuel production has actually contributed to a 75 percent rise in global food prices, sparking riots across the world and pushing millions beneath the poverty line.The Dark Side of Ethanol
Apr 18, 2007 A new study out of Stanford University says ethanol could worsen smog problems, as the alternative fuel may produce dirtier air than gasoline. Ethanol has already been something of a mixed bag for environmentalists, who are desperate for politically viable alternative fuels but troubled by the high cost of corn-based ethanol.
