Publication archives

Jun 19, 2008

Researchers confirm age of "Methuselah" tree (Israel)

Israeli researchers who grew a sapling from a date seed found at the ancient fortress Masada said on Thursday the seed was about 2,000 years old and may help restore a species of biblical trees.
Jun 19, 2008

More Oregonians are buying small woodlands, discovering it's hard work

When yoga instructor Olaf Kalfas and his wife, Nina, bought a wooded homestead in Jackson County two years ago, he had no idea how to use a chain saw. Kalfas, 41, certainly didn't consider himself a forester.
Jun 19, 2008

Lessons from Forest Biomass

The "chicken or the egg" challenge of expanding renewable energy based on biomass has to do with finding a reliable source of biomass itself. We can't make the transition to using more biomass without a reliable supply. But it's difficult to find the supply, without the facilities to send it to?
Jun 18, 2008

Harvesting Fuel: Cutting Costs and Reducing Forest fire Hazards Through Biomass Harvest

This study was designed to provide information on two sets of challenges to the development of biomass markets in and around the Superior National Forest: 1) economic and operational issues faced by loggers; and 2) environmental constraints of concern to and managers, scientists and policymakers involved in developing and refining biomass harvest practices.
Jun 17, 2008

Making Fair Trade Policy

Rising oil and food prices are raising questions, even among free trade supporters, about the benefits of the NAFTA/WTO model of globalization. In a remarkable article on Friday, Bloomberg reports that the free-trade era may be nearing an end.
Jun 16, 2008

Bacteria in Pork Showing Resistance to Antibiotics

Scientists are beginning to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria in pork, pigs and some veterinarians, raising the issue of whether these so-called superbugs might find a new route to infect farmworkers or even people who eat pork.
Jun 12, 2008

From beetles to bucks (CO)

Citizens here are turning dead lodgepole pines into pencils and pens, log homes, furniture, pellet fuel and more - hoping to make a buck and avert a potential disaster. Residents fret that millions of beetle- kill pines in the nearby hills and mountains could explode into a fire that destroys their northern Colorado community.
Jun 12, 2008

Acid Rain Still Taking a Toll on Northeast Forests (U.S.)

Acid rain may seem, like, so 1980s, but the problem has not gone away. Researchers reported this week that soils throughout the Northeast are continuing to acidify, despite a 50 percent decrease in acid rain since the peak in 1973. This may be contributing to declines in sugar maples and red spruce in the region, the researchers said.