This is another picture of a vineyard in the Alexander Valley, just east of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County of California. Agriculture is amazing. Long ago, we humans domesticated (formerly) wild plants and animals for our purposes, and changing what they do radically in the process. This scene looks peaceful, bucolic, and natural. Well, two outContinue reading “Weekend Postcard: vineyard in the Alexander Valley”
Author Archives: Norm Benson
Pink Slime gone. 1.5 Million more cattle needed to meet US demand.
Travis Arp is Ph.D. student at Colorado State University studying Meat Science and “grew up on a farm.” He says in the comments section of his post that 1,500,000 additional cattle will need to be raised to meet the shortfall due to the closure of three of four of Beef Product Inc,’s plants. That shouldContinue reading “Pink Slime gone. 1.5 Million more cattle needed to meet US demand.”
Writer, Travis a PhD candidate in Meat Science, says that 1,500,000 additional cattle will need to be raised to meet the shortfall due to the closure of these BPI plants.
“Excuse me waiter, there are chemicals in my soup.”
My latest article for the Lake County Record-Bee Green Scene page: Regular readers of the Timberati blog or the Green Chain column know that I am not chemo-phobic. In fact, I enjoy eating chemicals because all foods are chemicals. To be afraid of chemicals is to fear our world. We cannot escape chemicals; they surroundContinue reading ““Excuse me waiter, there are chemicals in my soup.””
The World is Getting Richer, and That’s a Good Thing
Peter Diamandis, X-Prize founder, says the world is getting richer; and that’s a good thing for everybody, especially those living in poverty. Technology in the hands of several billion people will make those who subscribe to Paul Ehrlich‘s IPAT formula blanch. But it should mean a healthier population and a healthier planet. Take a momentContinue reading “The World is Getting Richer, and That’s a Good Thing”
Weekend Postcard: Sunset on Clear Lake
The sunset of a couple of weeks ago was stunning, and the picture taken with a mobile phone hardly does it justice. Still, the photo gives some idea of the splendor of the area. The days are getting longer. Spring is on its way.
The Green BS-ometer Checklist: 5 red flags to watch for
My latest Green Chain column for the Lake County Record-Bee: Do you think that what commercials want to sell you and people promoting a “green” lifestyle are miles apart? They are not as far apart as you might think. Commercials sell a fantasy world; the message is usually: “If you buy this, you will beContinue reading “The Green BS-ometer Checklist: 5 red flags to watch for”
Weekend Postcard: Our Big Blue Marble
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says this, “‘Blue Marble’ image of the Earth” was “taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA’s most recently launched Earth-observing satellite – Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth’s surface taken on January 4, 2012″and released January 25, 2012. Related articles SecondContinue reading “Weekend Postcard: Our Big Blue Marble”
Cal-Fire’s Seasonal Firefighter 2012 Application Deadline: January 29
With less than a week, applicants need to get the paperwork in quickly.
‘Sustainable’ projected to remain ‘robust’
This XKCD cartoon by Randall Munroe lampoons the notion of extrapolating anything far into the future. Buzzwords gain momentum, but then fall out of favor. Buzzwords, from my memory, that have had their place in the sun include: relevant, viable, resonate, robust. Let me utilize a Gaussian distribution curve to illustrate. Any others?
Nullius in Verba 