Category: News

Everyone’s talking about the phosphorus crisis! (See NY Times, Der Spiegel, Foreign Policy).

It turns out we’re running out of this critical element that’s necessary for fertilizer.

And if we run out, we’ll be set back fifty years in agriculture — and that means billions of people without food.

So we thought we’d break it all down.

Phosphorus makes up around 12% of all commercial fertilizer. It is irreplaceable.

Source: Scientific American

Phosphorus-based fertilizer enabled us to feed a global population that has tripled since WW2… and will increase 33% by 2050

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Use of phosphorous rock has increased 1100% since WW2

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Over half of phosphorus consumption takes place in the developing world and is growing rapidly

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Moderate estimates put global demand at 3% increase per year

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Unfortunately, we’re hitting peak phosphorous in 2035

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Phosphorus is technically a renewable resource… but it takes ten million years to return to the soil

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

90% of global reserves is controlled by five countries: Morocco, China, South Africa, USA, and Jordan

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

America’s phosphorus production is declining… and will be exhausted by 2050

Source: Scientific American

After exporting for decades, America now imports 10% of its supply

Source: Foreign Policy

China imposed a 135% phosphorus tariff in 2008 (thankfully we have a trade deal with Morocco)

Oil shortages recently caused an 800% spike in phosphate prices… contributing to high food costs and worldwide riots

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University

Phosphate costs seven times more today than it did in 1960

Source: USDA

The only option is massive industrial treatment of waste water to recover phosphorus.

Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University and Der Spiegel

And now, a brief history of phosphorus

Phosphorus was the Greek name for the morning star, also known as Lucifer.

The element was discovered in 1669 when a German alchemist boiled down 50 buckets of urine in search of the Philosopher’s Stone.

Phosphorus was used in incendiary bombs in WW2. It also has industrial applications, such as in laundry detergent.

But the most important use (90% of consumption) is in fertilizer.

This is why we have a phosphorus problem…

12 Charts On The Amazing History Of Human Economic Development

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If for some reason you can’t make it to a Verizon store to buy an Incredible in person, you’re going to have to wait a few days. Verizon’s website says new orders won’t ship until May 4 — a testament to the phone’s popularity (or initial low inventory). That’s echoed by reports in our forums discussing limited in-store inventory. Anybody out there have a hard time getting one?

Harvard University has been announced as one of three schools in the Ivy League that were recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as 2009-10 Collective Conference Champions for using green power. The Collective Conference Champions Award recognizes the conference, and its respective participating schools, whose collective green power purchase was the largest among all participating conferences.

Since April 2006, the EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation. The EPA recognized Harvard University for its purchase, which contributed to making the Ivy League the challenge’s largest overall purchaser of green power.

Harvard’s voluntary use of nearly 32 million kilowatt-hours (kwh) of green power represents 10 percent of the school’s annual electricity usage. Harvard is purchasing a utility green power product and renewable energy certificates from Essex Hydro Associates and Sterling Planet. In addition, the school generates on-site renewable electricity, which helps to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the campus’s electricity use.

The EPA estimates that Harvard University’s purchase of nearly 32 million kwh of green power is equivalent to the CO² emissions from the electricity use of nearly 3,000 average American homes each year or has the equivalent impact of reducing the CO² emissions of more than 4,000 passenger cars annually. The Ivy League’s collective green power purchase of more than 225 million kwh of green power is equivalent to the CO² emissions from the electricity use of nearly 20,000 average American homes or the annual CO² emissions of nearly 31,000 cars.

Twenty-six collegiate conferences and 54 colleges and universities competed in the 2009-10 challenge, collectively purchasing nearly 1.2 billion kwh of green power. The EPA will extend the College and University Green Power Challenge for a fifth year, to conclude in spring of 2011. The EPA’s Green Power Challenge is open to all U.S. colleges, universities, and conferences. In order to qualify, a collegiate athletic conference must include at least one school that qualifies as a Green Power Partner, and the conference must collectively meet EPA’s minimum conference purchase requirement.

For more information about the EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge, visit the Challenge Web site.

The ABC reports that Woodside are looking to build a floating LNG production platform for the Sunrise field between Darwin and East Timor (with the East Timorese continuing to lobby vigorously for the plant to be built there) – Floating LNG plant to be built near East Timor

After years of speculation, the Sunrise Joint Venture has finally announced it will build a floating liquefied natural gas processing plant in the Timor Sea. The Greater Sunrise field is in both Australian and Timorese waters, about 700 kilometres north-west of Darwin, and the two countries will have an equal share of royalties.

The floating rig means Darwin will miss out on having a multi-billion dollar plant built there. Operator Woodside Petroleum says after considering on-shore LNG processing in both Darwin and East Timor, the joint venture partners, which include Osaka Gas, Shell and ConocoPhillips, decided a floating plant was the most viable.

Woodside CEO Don Voelte says the decision is a boon for the new but impoverished democracy. “We expect that the selection of a floating LNG processing option will, in addition to generating significant long-term petroleum revenue, provide a broad range of social investment, employment and training opportunities for Timor-Leste.”

Michael Shinagel, Harvard dean of Continuing Education and University Extension, is the recipient of the 2010 Walton S. Bittner Service Citation from the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). The award recognizes him for his outstanding contributions to continuing education at Harvard, and for service of major significance to UCEA.

Among Shinagel’s achievements cited are his work with Harvard’s human resource department to establish the Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) in 1976; his expansion of the Harvard Extension School from fewer than 200 courses and 6,000 students in 1975, to more than 600 courses and 14,000 students today; the creation of Harvard Extension School master’s degree programs in the liberal arts that have graduated 2,000 individuals to date; and his service as editor of UCEA’s “Continuing Higher Education Review” for the past 13 years.

Admired by his continuing education decanal counterparts around the world, Shinagel’s contributions to his institution and UCEA are summed up by Mary McIntire, dean of Continuing Studies, Rice University: “Mike generously helps all who seek his advice or opinion. He encourages younger people in the field, not only by example, but by maintaining an active interest in their careers and accomplishments. He has succeeded so admirably at Harvard, in the community, and in the field … we are fortunate to have him among us.”

If Apple’s position on Flash wasn’t perfectly clear, Steve Jobs has taken the time to write a 1500-word open letter regurgitating the party lines at length. In a word (or three), Apple’s position is “Flash sucks unwashed balls.” More »

Ronnie Fieg works with Sebago to put together a collection of 4 exclusive classic Docksides. The idea behind the project was to update a classic silouhette with antique and oiled leathers as well as new colors in soft nubucks. This collection reflects the amazing craftsmanship of the 64 year old company. The midnight navy oily leather, two tone brown/green Spinnaker, brown antique leather and Salmon soft nubuck docksides will all be available at the David Z. flagship store as well as David Z.com on Friday April 30th at 10:00am.

Continue reading for more images.

Graham cracker crusts are easy to use, whether you bake them yourself or buy them at the store, because they take a lot less prep time and quite a bit less baking time than more traditional pastry crusts do. The drawback to them is that they got soggy very easily, a problem that is usually only made worse by the fact that the fillings placed in graham cracker shells tend to be custards, puddings and creams.

Fortunately, there are a couple of quick fixes that can prevent a graham cracker crust from getting soggy. When you have a no-bake filling, such as the one on this Caramel Banana Cream Pie or this Fresh Strawberry Pie, you can line the inside of the graham cracker crust with melted chocolate. This creates a waterproof barrier between the crust and filling, and will keep the crust in perfect condition even after the pie is sliced. You can use any kind of chocolate, simply brush it on with a pastry brush (or spread it very thinly) the chill it for a few minutes to set before filling.

If you have a pie that doesn’t go well with chocolate, or one that needs to be baked with its filling already in place, there is another trick to use. This time, brush the inside of the graham cracker crust with a lightly beaten egg white and pop it into the oven at about 350F 3-5 minutes to let it dry. The egg white has the same effect as the melted chocolate (although chocolate is sturdier overall), keeping moisture out of the crust.

William Kaelin, professor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been named one of seven recipients of the 2010 Canada Gairdner Award. The award, which was created in 1959 to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life, is among the most prestigious awards in biomedical science.

Kaelin’s research seeks to identify the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to detect a shortage of oxygen and respond by making new red blood cells and blood vessels. His work may pave the way for therapies that manipulate oxygen to treat diseases ranging from heart disease and anemia to cancer.

“Bill has made groundbreaking discoveries that have transformed our understanding of many forms of cancer,” said Edward J. Benz Jr., the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine, professor of Pediatrics, and professor of pathology at Dana-Farber. “His work has also pointed the way to new strategies to find better therapies for these tumors. He is very deserving of this recognition and has also brought honor to the Dana-Farber.”

[JURIST] The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Thursday that the UK may not restrict government benefits to the spouses and families of suspected terrorists. The challenge was brought by three women whose husbands’ names appear on the UN list of terror suspects that have been linked to al Qaeda, the Taliban, or Osama bin Laden, resulting in their assets being frozen pursuant to an EU regulation. Under a regime established by the UK Treasury in 2006, terror suspects’ spouses could only receive government benefits under certain conditions, including withdrawing only 10 pounds in cash for each family member, sending a detailed monthly expense list and receipts to the Treasury, and accepting that giving cash to their husbands would be a criminal offense. The ECJ struck down the Treasury’s interpretation of the EU rules, finding that it does not fulfill the purpose of combating international terrorism. The case will now return to the UK Supreme Court for a final ruling.
In January, the UK Supreme Court ruled that executive orders allowing the government to freeze the assets of five suspected terrorists are illegal. The men involved in the court’s inaugural case argued that the government exceeded its power when the Treasury froze their assets without the approval of Parliament. The Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed a 2008 High Court ruling, which found that the Treasury may not freeze the assets of the five suspected terrorists without the approval of Parliament. The seizures were conducted pursuant to two Orders in Council, the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 and the Al Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures] Order 2006. The orders implemented UN resolutions requiring UN member states to freeze the assets of people on the UN list of suspected terrorists. The High Court rejected the orders because they were not subject to parliamentary scrutiny before they came into force.

Lindsay Lohan is drowning her sorrows in high fashion and heel over head in a forthcoming coffee table book from celebrity photog Tyler Shields.

“Everyone has an idea of Lindsay Lohan and last night I had the pleasure of working with her she is a huge art lover and simply wanted to create some and that is exactly what we did! This is just a taste more to come… Lindsay Will have a few crazy shots in my upcoming book The Dirty Side of Glamour,” Tyler remarked in a blurb on his blog this week.

Glad to see Lindsay’s alleged rampant drug use hasn’t negatively impacted her flexibility. With her finances in a tailspin, we’ve got a feeling she’ll be on her back and in this position quite a bit in the years to come….

The New England Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Harvard Extension School’s John Spengler and George Buckley an Environmental Merit Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their exceptional work and commitment to the environment. The award recognizes the two as outstanding environmental advocates who have dedicated their lives toward preserving and protecting the New England region’s natural resources.

Spengler is director of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program at Harvard Extension School and Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation at the Harvard School of Public Health. Buckley is assistant director of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program. They received their awards at a special ceremony in Boston on April 22, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

“This is well-deserved recognition for Jack Spengler and George Buckley,” said Michael Shinagel, Harvard dean of Continuing Education and University Extension. “Their commitment to the environment transcends the classroom and provides an inspiring model for our graduate sustainability and environmental management students to follow.”

Social ethicist and African American religious studies scholar Jonathan Walton has been named assistant professor of African American religions at Harvard Divinity School (HDS), effective July 1.

Walton is currently an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of California, Riverside. His research addresses the intersections among religion, politics, and popular culture.

“Harvard Divinity School is among the premier centers of theological education and hubs of academic inquiry,” Walton said. “I am honored and humbled to join such an amazing scholarly community, particularly since HDS has a proven track record of neither resting on its reputation nor being lulled asleep by its laurels. Its continued commitment to recruiting and cultivating cutting-edge scholars of religion in general, and of American religion in particular, makes it the place I want to be.”

To read the full story, visit the Harvard Divinity School Web site.

Seen the movie yet? Yes or no, it just so happens that today is the day that its accompanying video game, Kick-Ass: The Game, will be swinging its boot straight up PSN’s rear end, figuratively.
 
 
 
 

President Barack Obama toured and met workers at a POET refining ethanol plant in Macon, Missouri Wednesday as part of his trip to Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. POET is the largest ethanol producer in the United States, and has recently announced plans to produce 3.5 billion gallons of advanced cellulosic biofuels by 2022.  CAP’s Jake Caldwell has the story in this repost.

There is no question that the United States must reduce its dependence on oil. One-fifth of the oil consumed in the United States is imported from nations that are “dangerous or unstable” for travelers, according to the State Department. And since surface transportation is responsible for 65 percent of oil use in the United States, this task will require us to meet the challenge of oil use in the transportation sector head-on.

We will need to employ a variety of important measures to reduce oil use, including significantly more efficient fuel economy standards, investments in public transportation and high-speed rail, and smart growth development efforts. The production and use of alternative fuels, including natural gas and advanced biofuels, are also key components of a strategy to diversify our sources of energy for transportation. And each of these steps, taken together, can increase energy independence by reducing oil use by millions of barrels.

President Obama and his administration, including Secretaries Thomas Vilsack and Steven Chu and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, have demonstrated great leadership in promoting the production of advanced biofuels in a more innovative and efficient manner, while ensuring that we maintain the existing infrastructure for the current generation of biofuels.

Yet there is still much more work to be done.

The current generation of biofuels producers, the advanced biofuels industry, Congress, and the Obama administration should work together to promote this important energy sector with the following policy goals and recommendations:

Support sustainable biofuels. Bring advanced, cellulosic biofuels—made from agricultural waste, wood chips, or dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass produced in rural America—to commercial scale on as rapid a timetable as possible. Ensure a stable long-term market for advanced biofuels by making investments in the infrastructure needs of the current generation of biofuels.

Push for comprehensive, bipartisan clean energy and climate legislation in Congress that establishes a price on carbon pollution. The biofuels industry must raise its visibility and high-level support for federal clean energy and climate legislation. An economywide price on carbon will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reinforce a predictable price signal that will drive innovation and investment to produce cleaner fuels, create jobs, and deliver more renewable energy from rural communities.

Increase support for the current national Renewable Fuel Standard. The RFS II will require better funding and interagency strategic implementation of the program, particularly regarding its emphasis on rewarding biofuels’ performance characteristics. Congress should also ensure that legislative definitions of “renewable biomass” adhere to certifiable environmental and land use safeguards on ecologically valuable and vulnerable public and private lands and provide a means to measure lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions.

Support loan guarantees for the construction and deployment of advanced biofuel refineries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Biomass Crop Assistance Program has in the recent past been the sole federal source of loan guarantees to develop, construct, and retrofit commercial-scale advanced biorefineries attempting to produce cellulosic biofuels at commercial levels, and it should receive an additional $300 million toward this goal. This core funding will allow the program to issue loan guarantees for biorefinery projects established primarily in rural communities.

Provide incentives to farmers to begin growing advanced biofuel crops. The USDA’s Biomass Crop Assistance Program provides funding to producers and farmers of renewable energy crops of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing the energy crop and annual payments for up to 15 years for crop production, and should receive additional support.

Encourage farmer-owned and farmer-operated biorefinery and biofuel plant cooperatives and biomass enterprise zones. Direct producer payments and other targeted incentives can help farmers engaged in the establishment of farmer and locally owned biorefineries and biofuel facilities, but should be temporary and phased out over a 10-year period, and should have majority local ownership. Farmers will also need technical and financial assistance to encourage them to pool resources and enter into larger biomass enterprise zones that would maximize economies of scale and regional geographic proximity. Biomass enterprise zones could facilitate the co-location of biomass growing, production, and processing. And marketing alliances could encourage collaboration on facility construction, storage, and transportation infrastructure to enable biobased products to enter the retail market efficiently.

Dedicate $300 million for five USDA regional feedstock research centers. These research centers will ensure appropriate biofuel feedstocks and supply chains are available in different regions of the country, and support other Department of Energy bioenergy and biomass programs. Biomass growers are primarily located in rural areas, and the costs of collecting and transporting biomass means that many production facilities are also in these communities, providing jobs and raising regional revenues.

Import tariff phase down. The United States should gradually begin the phase down of the current 54 cent-per-gallon tariff on imported biofuels as Congress and RFS II provide a mandate for the biofuels industry to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022. All countries must take reciprocal action to remove trade restrictions on sustainable biofuels.

Spur consumer demand and retail infrastructure. The United States must create requirements and strong incentives to make biofuel blends reliably available at filling stations by promoting the installation of new blender fuel pumps and distribution infrastructure that allow drivers to choose between traditional 100 percent gasoline blends and 85 percent biofuel blends. It should increase renewable fuel infrastructure grants to $100 million in each fiscal year.

Mobilize government purchasing power. The federal government spends more than $230 billion annually on products and services and is a major consumer of transportation fuels. The United States should fully implement the existing Farm Bill biobased purchasing program to use the government’s purchasing power to increase market demand for biobased fuels and products.

Biofuels and other types of biobased energy are not the only solution to all of the world’s energy and transportation challenges. We also need an array of energy sources from sun, wind, geothermal, and other renewable technologies. Most importantly, we need comprehensive, clean energy and climate legislation that puts a price on carbon pollution, and will allow sustained private and public investment in renewable energy and cleaner fuels.

But with the right safeguards, biofuels can play a direct role in diversifying our energy sources and contribute to cutting our oil dependence, enhancing our national security, and spurring economic growth and development, particularly in rural communities.

Jake Caldwell is the Director of Policy for Agriculture, Trade and Energy at American Progress.

Related Post:

• Are biofuels a core climate solution?

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Kiminori Morishita is the designer behind 08 Sircus. His expertise extend from Tokyo to Paris and now has his own company, Kiminori Morishita Garments Lab Inc. 08 Sircus is one of the new labels under the company and is now in its 2010 Winter collection. For the season, Morishita offers contemporary looks with a play on solids and patterns. Wools and knits uniquely stand out in patterns and colors such as purple, grey, and blue. The suits and outerwear are also loose in style, giving off a more masculine touch to the range.

Continue reading for more images.

Now here’s a turnaround I never expected. According to a recent results filing, Motorola is working its way back into solvency and is turning a profit and shipping devices like crazy. The company took a slight loss in mobile sales – about $192 million – but that’s far lower than $550 million last year.

In truth, the company has only three phones on the market – the Cliq, the Droid, and the Devour. However, it’s abundantly clear that their decision to go all Android all the time was a great one and that the marketing Verizon has pushed behind the Droid has really brought the company back to life. I, for one, am glad. Motorola hitched their wagon to the RAZR for far too long and almost lost their shirt in the process. The fact that they’re able to push out a monster release and are currently popular is an amazing feat.

via Electronista

SouthPeak is cooking up a little extra something for next month’s 3D Dot Game Heroes release in the UK. They’ve made three characters inspired by the candidates for UK Prime Minister.

According to a new poll conducted by TV Guide Magazine, critically-acclaimed music legend Quincy Jones has emerged as the fan favorite to replace Simon Cowell when the acid-tongued Brit departs American Idol next month.

In the poll, Jones, Adam Lambert, Jamie Foxx were listed among 10 potential candidates in the running to take their place in the soon-to-be vacant chair. Forty percent of voters chose Jones — who lent his talents to three of Michael Jackson’s solo efforts, including the world’s best-selling album Thriller — as the perfect replacement for Cowell.