CISA and CYBER.ORG partner to deliver cyber safety video series | 2021-02-10 | Security Magazine
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and CYBER.ORG jointly announce a cyber safety video series to help those learning or working online take proactive steps to protect themselves and their business.
The Latest: CDC study: Double masks block more particles
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the results of a lab experiment. The researchers found that particles were blocked twice as much when two masks were worn.
Black farmers unconvinced by Vilsack's 'root out' racism vow
“The reality is there are inherent, legacy barriers and practices that have prevented black farmers and other producers from getting access to programs, and I will do everything I can to remove those barriers,” Vilsack said in an email to The Associated Press.
Lekanoff Introduces the Washington Green Amendment – Washington State House Democrats
The Washington Green Amendment amends Article I of the Washington State Constitution to recognize the environmental rights of all people of Washington by protecting the “right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment” for both present and future generations.
Court: Conservation commission cut corners in ousting supervisors | Washington | capitalpress.com
The Washington State Conservation Commission used the wrong law to remove two farmers from the Thurston Conservation District board, though it doesn't matter, according to a court decision Tuesday.
House Ag panel will start with climate change | Successful Farming
With the resolution of a disputed election in New York State, the House Agriculture Committee is ready for action with climate change as its top issue. “Everything will tie into climate change,” says the committee chief of staff, and the first hearing of the year will focus on climate change’s impact on agriculture.
Black farmers unconvinced by Vilsack's 'root out' racism vow | Agriculture | capitalpress.com
President Joe Biden’s nomination of Tom Vilsack to lead the Agriculture Department is getting a chilly reaction from many Black farmers who contend he didn’t do enough to help them the last time he had the job.
MCDD and UFSWQD are seeking a strategic Executive Director that will lead and guide an extraordinarily talented staff through a unique transition for the agency of merging four districts into one. The ideal candidate will be able to articulate a vision that integrates flood safety, climate resiliency, habitat restoration, water quality, and environmental justice; be able to bring diverse groups to consensus; and have the knowledge and ability to provide services in a manner that respects diversity and promotes equity in all aspects of the District’s operations.
Biologists uncover forests' unexpected role in climate change
New research from West Virginia University biologists shows that trees around the world are consuming more carbon dioxide than previously reported, making forests even more important in regulating the Earth's atmosphere and forever shift how we think about climate change.
Biden's new conservation corps stirs hopes of nature-focused hiring spree | Conservation | The Guardian
As part his recent climate policy spree, Biden announced the establishment of a “Civilian Climate Corps Initiative” that could harness the energy of the very generation that must face – and solve – the climate crisis by putting them to work in well-paying conservation jobs.
Vertical Farming Is The Future of Food Production - The Debrief
“Vertical farming is a type of controlled environment agriculture that uses artificial lighting, typically indoors, and vertical planting systems that utilize a space’s cubic footage as opposed to square footage in traditional farming,” Megan Pirelli, community engagement director at Fork Farms, told The Debrief. “This allows for significantly more production in a much smaller space.”
Idaho congressman unveils plan to breach Snake River dams, save salmon - OPB
The conversation comes at a key time for the fish. Eight dams along the Snake and Columbia rivers hinder their migration to the Pacific and half of the young salmon die on the trip. Idaho salmon runs have dwindled from the millions of wild fish to only a few thousand some years.
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action promotes agriculture's potential as a climate solution | Successful Farming
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) —in conjunction with World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The Mixing Bowl, and Croatan Institute has issued a new report that analyzes the state of soil health technology. The report also identifies opportunities to find new sources of capital to scale up the adoption of climate-smart agriculture on U.S. farms and ranches.
Idaho Congressman Proposes $33.5 Billion Plan For Breaching Snake River Dams In Washington | Northwest Public Broadcasting
Simpson says saving Snake River salmon runs isn’t possible without removing the federally-managed dams. But he says it’s not just dams versus salmon. He’s laying out a plan that tries to find solutions for all of the decades-old sticking points.
Researchers add up cost of wildfire smoke | Rural Life | capitalpress.com
The damage caused by wildfires can be devastating, but the smoke from the annually recurring blazes also delivers economic damage to areas that have never been touched by the flames
Opinion: Carbon can be the next American cash crop – if we plant trust first | 2021-02-05 | Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
While some similar carbon-credit programs for agriculture have been announced, many still rely on broad estimates of carbon improvements over many acres, due to the difficulty and cost of verification and validation. It’s essential that any system of carbon-credit farming is built on clear, science-based standards tied to real-world results.
Modern farming is better because it uses low-impact, “precision” techniques that require less land, less energy and fewer chemicals for every bushel produced. The secret has been to incorporate tools that use sensors, information and communications technology, big data, and even machine learning to reduce farming’s dependence on material resources.
How Regenerative Agriculture Can Grow | Conservation Finance Network
This series, by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment's Regenerative Agriculture Initiative team, looks at how changes in training, investing, insuring and marketing the work of regenerative farmers can bring about broad benefits.