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SHORT TAKESToo many wind turbines could dry up the landWind power might not be free after all, say critics. According to research conducted by a scientist at Princeton University in the United States, the cost includes the local climate.Thousands of turbines located in one area can mix warm and cool air, causing localized drought, says a study reported in The Journal of Geophysical Research. The study is based upon a model of a simulated wind farm with 10,000 turbines with rotors 165 feet long in north-central Oklahoma. Scientists say the effect is close to that caused by large-scale deforestation. At 3 a.m. the average wind speed in Oklahoma is 3.5 metres per second, but it increased to around 5 m/s in the model wind farm. Furthermore, warm air was brought down to the ground level. The warmer air and higher wind speed accelerates drying. The model suggested that the temperature would increase by around 2 C underneath the 10,000 turbines in day time. Over the course of 24 hours, this averages out to an increase in ground-level wind speed of around 0.6 m/s and a rise in temperature of around 0.7 C. New Scientist magazine reports that the findings are backed by real observations and cites Neil Kelley, a meteorologist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. Kelley observed a drying and warming effect from a wind farm in California. Meanwhile, scientists in Holland are conducting studies on wind farms there to measure effects on the local micro-climate.
The good news, of course, is that there are no wind farms on this planet that are close to being that large, so don't be concerned if a few turbines are located in the area of your farm. Also, Somnath Baidya Roy, the scientist who conducted the Princeton study and has since moved to Duke University, says the effect might be mitigated by changing the design of the turbines.BF
Elk farmers contest a confusing hunting banThe province continues to go ahead with plans to ban hunting on game farms, with new regulations coming as soon as Jan. 1, much to the anger and confusion of elk farmers.Bill Topp of Belwood, president of the Ontario Deer and Elk Farmers' Association, says elk farmers want to be able to send their "spent" bulls to game farms for trophy hunting when they are no longer velvet producers or herd studs. There is potential income of as much as $3,500 per animal from game farming in an industry that is otherwise going down the toilet. A handful of park game farms would take care of the needs of hundreds of elk farms saddled with bulls that are past their velvet-producing life, Topp says. "The beef industry would love to have this sort of revenue" for its cull animals, he notes. Topp says opponents "paint a picture that these animals are in a quarter-acre pen and the hunters are lined up against a fence." That isn't so, he says. At Universal Game Farm in Coldwater, for example, the elks are in a wooded area of about 75-80 acres. Topp says Universal owner Todd Grignon "has won this right as a farmer in two lower courts." "We have a wonderful opportunity here that we don't have to be funded by any government," Topp says. "We have an industry that can be self-sufficient if you let us farm with what the courts and government policy have in place." Grignon is furious because he had hunters lined up for this fall. A business associate in Michigan had sold 80 harvestings at about $3,500 a piece. On Aug. 23, a Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) official sent a registered letter to the Michigan associate, warning him that clients at Grignon's game farm may "violate several sections of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act" if they shoot elk in an enclosure and that "these activities will also violate sections of either the Federal or the Provincial Meat Inspection Acts." Senior media officer Steve Payne says he knows nothing about the letter and that, as far as the MNR is concerned, it is now legal to shoot these elk. From the minister's officer, however, comes a different story. Ginette Albert, senior adviser, communications and political appointments, says residents can hunt elk now but non-residents cannot." Why? It's been like that since the previous government, Albert said.
Payne quotes natural resources minister David Ramsay as saying hunting animals in captivity "is inconsistent with Ontario's traditional hunting heritage. The animal in captivity has no means of escape." BF
Starlink payout on its way in Nebraska corn farmersNebraska corn farmers should be less cavalier about throwing out what looks like junk mail from credit card companies.More than 8,000 Nebraska corn farmers will share in an $11 million US settlement for the damage that genetically modified Starlink corn caused them six years ago. Starlink corn hurt American corn markets because the crop was approved for sale for animal feed only and there was cross pollination, with some of the contaminated corn being sold into the human market. As many as 25,000 farmers were eligible for compensation in the class action suit that resulted, but only a third of them bothered to sign up for it. Each farmer will get about $1,200 US and it will be paid out in the form of VISA debit cards. Eligible farmers are being urged to go through their mail carefully so they don't mistake this payout for a promotion from a credit card company and throw it out.
Iowa farmers have already received $10 million in compensation from Aventis CropScience, Starlink's developer. Elevator operators were paid separately and the total compensation for the debacle may reach $200 million US. Aventis agreed to cover costs of farmers and elevators in 17 states. BF
Environment Canada hits an urban sewage polluterIt's not just farmers who are are getting dinged for pollution. According to an Environment Canada news release last month, North Battleford, Sask., was assessed a penalty of $80,000 in Provincial Court for violating the federal Fisheries Act and allowing sewage spills from its wastewater plant in 2003. The city was charged under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act for spills that occurred on Jan. 16, Feb. 14 and June 14 and for effluent samples obtained during a July 29 search and seizure at the treatment plant that were found to be deleterious to fish.North Battleford paid a fine of $10,000 fine, an additional $20,000 to reimburse Environment Canada for costs related to the case, and $50,000 to be paid to the Environmental Damages Fund. Environment Canada administers this fund, which is rooted in the "polluter pays" principle and provides courts with a means to ensure that financial penalties are invested to repair environmental damages. The press release goes on to say that subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act protects fish-bearing waters from the deposit of any substance that is harmful to fish and aquatic life. First time offenses are punishable by a fine of up to $300,000 for each charge. Subsequent offenses are punishable by the same fine, a jail term of up to six months, or both. One could say that North Battleford got off lightly. The city was also ordered to have its new wastewater treatment plant in operation by Nov. 30, 2005, or face a $25,000 fine for every day that it is not in operation.
There's no indication in the news release why North Battleford was singled out for this attention from a federal department when many municipalities across Canada have problems with sewage spills. BF
Pass the Jack O'Lantern pleasePumpkin acreage has nearly doubled since 1986 to 5,742 hectares on 2,850 farms, according to Statistics Canada, but it probably didn't put more pumpkin pies from processed pumpkins on the table at Thanksgiving. More than 90 per cent of the growth is in the fresh market.Why? Credit the growing enthusiasm for Halloween and also the growth in agri-tourism. Most pumpkin farms are located near urban areas. In 1986, pumpkins ranked 15th among vegetable crops in terms of acreages. By 2001, the crop was ranked seventh after potatoes, sweet corn, peas, beans, tomatoes and carrots. However, pumpkin farming receipts, at $22 million, are about two per cent of the value of potato farming receipts.
Stats Canada lumps zucchini, squash and the traditional orange pumpkins together for statistical purposes under the label of pumpkins. Pumpkin pies are nice. Squash is nice with butter. Enough zucchini lasagna. Please.BF
Compulsory digester for Kent County, N.BAnaerobic digesters are catching on. Witness the enthusiasm being shown at Lynn Cattle Ltd at Lucan. But not all anaerobic digesters are being built voluntarily.The New Brunswick government has ordered Metz 2 pig farm in Kent County to build an anaerobic digester system by May 2006 and to treat the manure from 10,000 pigs raised at a time. It is a condition of Metz 2 being granted a renewal of its Livestock Operations License. A previous license had been granted for five years. The current license is limited to a year and a half. Local opponents say they want the anaerobic digester built immediately. While the Lynn digester is being built to deal with cattle manure and to produce needed electricity, the function of the one at Metz 2 will be to reduce odours most apparent when the manure is spread. Meanwhile, in Toronto, the city is looking at converting organic material in its waste water to electricity. A study by the University of Toronto found that the organic matter in waste water from the North Toronto facility has the potential to produce 113 megawatts of electricity or 900 million kilowatt hours a year, enough to run the plant nine times over. The excess can be fed into the power grid, says civil engineering professor David Bagley.
There's one little glitch. The technology hasn't been developed yet, but he's working on it. BF
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