|  | | | Faculty in the News - January 2008 | |
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Big ideas on tap for UMore project
The Farmington Independent, January 31, 2008
There are plenty of big ideas in the University of Minnesota’s plans for its UMore Park development in Empire Township.
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Keeping Horses Comfortable in Winter Temperatures
The Horse, January 30, 2008
Horses prefer, and are better off, outdoors even in cold weather, and will acclimate to cold temperatures if given the opportunity, according to Marcia Hathaway, PhD, a professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota. However, horses should have access to shelter from wind, sleet, and storms. Easy access to a stable or open-sided shed works well, as do trees if a building is not available.
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Ethanol byproduct in feed may boost E coli in cattle
CIDRAP, January 30, 2008
Recent studies suggest that an ethanol production byproduct that is widely fed to cattle may make cattle more likely to shed deadly Escherichia coli O157, possibly contributing to the surge in beef contamination cases in 2007. ... Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, PhD, associate professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, said the methods and conclusions of the Kansas State researchers appear sound, but he cautioned that the findings should be seen as preliminary.
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Farm bill comes up often at grain marketing meeting
Agri News, January 29, 2008
The farm bill came up often during last week's grain marketing seminar in North Mankato. ... Edward Usset, a University of Minnesota grain marketing specialist, focused on grain marketing strategies.
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The whole truth about grains
Milwaukee Journal - Sentinel, January 29, 2008
Whole grains seem to come in and out of fashion every few years. ... But as Joanne Slavin, professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, reminds us, those with hypersensitivity should first talk with their doctor.
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A Dying Breed
New York Times, January 27, 2008
Uganda's Ankole breed of cows could disappear within 50 years, replaced by the American-bred Holsteins. The familiar black-and-white cows are unsuited to the harsh African environment in every way except their prolific ability to produce milk. University of Minnesota professor Les Hansen, a leading expert in cattle genetics, says "As I travel the world, my biggest challenge is countering all of the misleading marketing propaganda."
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Editorial: Enemy of the Lake
Star Tribune, January 26, 2008
Why is there so much P in my lake? ... An analysis of satellite images of lakes throughout the state conducted at the University of Minnesota shows virtually no change in average clarity from 1985 to 2005.
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Higher crop prices followed closely by higher costs and risk
West Central Tribune, January 25, 2008
With local cash corn and soybean prices hovering around $4.75 and $11 per bushel, and futures contracts rising over $5 and $12, it is not hard to assume that farmers are profiting nicely from each bushel of grain they sell. ... Statistics from the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management show an estimated projected cost of $488 to produce corn and $320 to produce soybeans in 2008 on an acre of rented farmland in southern Minnesota.
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Vision emerges for UMore
Rosemount Town Pages, January 25, 2007
There are plenty of big ideas in the University of Minnesota’s plans for its UMore Park development in Empire Township. Just how many of those ideas become reality, though, remains to be seen.
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Why Ethanol Production Will Drive World Food Prices Even Higher in 2008
Environment News Service, January 25, 2007
We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. ... Projections by Professors C. Ford Runge and Benjamin Senauer of the University of Minnesota four years ago showed the number of hungry and malnourished people decreasing from over 800 million to 625 million by 2025.
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Cold enough for ya? Not cold enough to kill tree pests
Minnesota Monitor, January 22, 2008
We all survived the first subzero cold snap of the season by bundling up or staying inside. ... "The colder it gets and the longer the cold lasts, the fewer of those survive, and then fewer of them will be around to transmit the disease from one elm tree to another," said Lee Frelich, a research associate and director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Hardwood Ecology.
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Local lakes polluted
Press Publications, January 22, 2008
A new report shows that some local lakes and streams are in troubling condition, but experts say they are working to reverse problems and boost water quality. ... Researchers at the University of Minnesota are looking into controlling the carp population, Kocian said, but there's not a permanent solution at the moment.
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Use of nontoxic shot is ethical and practical
Duluth News Tribune, January 20, 2008
Gradually phasing in nontoxic shot for small-game hunting in Minnesota is a good idea. ... About 40 percent of the 900 small-game hunters in the same survey said they would support banning lead for upland game, while 40 percent said they were unlikely to support the ban, according to David Fulton, a U.S. Geological Survey and University of Minnesota public opinion expert.
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Editorial: Delivering bad news is Stinson's job
Star Tribune, January 20, 2008
State Economist Tom Stinson is a scholar, not a politician or a social psychologist. ... the Governor's rebuke of Stinson was unwarranted. A recession warning in the face of the biggest monthly unemployment increase in more than 25 years isn't "overly pessimistic." It is a professional advisory to the Legislature to expect lower revenues.
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Use of nontoxic shot is ethical and practical
Duluth News Tribune, January 20, 2008
Gradually phasing in nontoxic shot for small-game hunting in Minnesota is a good idea. ... About 40 percent of the 900 small-game hunters in the same survey said they would support banning lead for upland game, while 40 percent said they were unlikely to support the ban, according to David Fulton, a U.S. Geological Survey and University of Minnesota public opinion expert.
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Pond scum may fuel your car
KARE - TV, January 17, 2008
How much would you be willing to pay for a gallon of green gunk skimmed off the top of a pond? ... Researchers at the University of Minnesota are growing algae and working on ways to convert it into oil, and eventually, biodiesel.
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Probing Soybean Physiology
Biodiesel Magazine, January 17, 2008
Life in all its many forms—from the microscopic to the massive—shares several basic requirements for persistence such as enough resources to grow and develop and favorable environmental conditions for this to proceed optimally. ... According to a November report compiled by Seth Naeve and James Orf, professors in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, despite a midseason drought in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and several East Coast states, rain in the latter part of the growing season allowed the remaining seeds to fully expand and enlarge.
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Willmar turkey grower, U of M professor studying manure runoff
Agri News, January 15, 2008
A University of Minnesota professor and a Willmar turkey grower are working together to learn more about turkey manure runoff. John Moncrief, a professor in the U of M Department of Soil, Water and Climate, has organized a research project on 290 acres owned and operated by Kim Gorans of Willmar.
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Algae has potential as a source of oil
United Press International, January 15, 2008
Common algae from ponds and waste-water treatment plants may produce vast amounts of burnable oil, say researchers at the University of Minnesota.
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How Green Can Your Drive Get?
Consumer Affairs, January 14, 2008
When I first came to America I called my friend, Doug, from the airport to ask which bus I needed to catch to come and visit him in Northern California. ... According to Roger Ruan of the University of Minnesota, one acre of algae could produce 15,000 litres (3,962 US gallons) of biodiesel, compared to just 20 from corn.
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Ethanol from Corn: A Solution to Oil Dependence?
UN Chronicle, January 13, 2008
Only recently, ethanol has gained the popularity that is reserved for major breakthroughs, even though it has been used as a fuel since 1908, when Henry Ford produced the first ever vehicle that could run on ethanol or gasoline, or a combination of both. ... A study by the University of Minnesota, in the United States, finds that even if every acre of corn were used to produce fuel and not food, ethanol would still only supply about 12 per cent of America’s motoring fuel.
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Minnesota biodiesel hits rough patch
Grand Forks Herald, January 13, 2008
The Minnesota biodiesel industry is in the slow lane. “Things have kind of slowed down,” the University of Minnesota's Doug Tiffany said. “The excitement of ethanol has not been shared with biodiesel.”
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Klobuchar’s Morris tour focuses on renewables
Morris Sun Tribune, January 12, 2008
With a heavy foot and a quick tongue, a U.S. Senator can get a lot done in an hour. ... Klobuchar embarked on what University of Minnesota, Morris Chancellor Jacquie Johnson called the “Green Energy Tour,” then touched on a variety of subjects related to renewable energy and conservation during a talk with community members at UMM’s Imholte Hall.
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Prevent winter damage to trees and shrubs
Hutchinson Leader, January 11, 2008
Don’t automatically blame cold weather for killing your plants over the winter. ... Gary Johnson is an urban and community forestry professor with University of Minnesota.
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Hot, Wild, Risky
AgWeb, January 11, 2008
The hottest talk around is climate change, no doubt. ... At the University of Minnesota’s climate observatory, where Seeley collects much of his data, he points out a series of thermocouples, paired with wires strung along a wall.
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Researchers discover road to sustainable electronic devices
Nanowerk News, January 10, 2008
A recent discovery by a multinational team including a University of Minnesota scientist, professor Michael Sadowsky in the department of soil, water and climate, could lead to more environmentally friendly manufacturing of electronic devices.
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Winds of change
Star Tribune, January 10, 2008
Major issues that could affect hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts were raised at the annual Department of Natural Resources "roundtable" meetings with stakeholders last weekend. ... "We have a real split population out there," said David Fulton of the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Minnesota, who conducted the survey.
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Beyond corn ethanol: Minnesota's rural economy positioned for enormous gains
MinnPost, January 10, 2008
Production of corn ethanol is rapidly expanding, but a "next generation" renewable fuel--ethanol made from grasses and "biomass" like wood and organics--is on the horizon. It's potentially a huge development for Minnesota's countryside...and coauthor Jason Hill published an article in Science last December.
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Ely forum highlights threats from climate change
Timberjay News, January 8, 2008
A diverse array of government, union, and business leaders described global climate change as both threat and opportunity to a standing room only crowd at the Vermilion Community College theater in Ely last Friday. ... Such changes could affect Minnesota’s wood products industry as well, warned Lee Frelich, a forest ecologist with the University of Minnesota.
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Despite the hype, experts question corn ethanol's environmentally friendly image
MinnPost, January 8, 2008
From President Bush to the American Lung Association, politicians and special interests aggressively push corn ethanol as an environmentally friendly solution to the nation's energy problems. ... "There are a few plants in Nebraska and Kansas that were strategically located near large beef feedlots to allow them to market wet distillers [grain] and save on drying costs," said Jerry Shurson, an animal science professor at the University of Minnesota.
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Expert says biofuels can harm landscape
Rochester Post - Bulletin, January 8, 2008
An expert on biofulels sounded a warning that increasing demand for energy is coming fast: "There's a train coming down the tracks at an increasing speed." ... How Minnesota reacts to the need for more biofuels could alter the landscape, said Jim Bowyer, a University of Minnesota emeritus professor, on Friday.
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Minnesota's corn ethanol industry blends subsidies, politics and lobbying
MinnPost, January 7, 2007
The domestically produced "biofuel"--seen as an antidote to US oil-import vulnerability--is one of Minnesota's biggest booming industries. University of Minnesota economist C. Ford Runge has written that using corn for ethanol is suppressing worldwide food supplies and driving up prices of corn tortillas, a basic food of impoverished Latin Americans.
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Animal waste: Future energy, or just hot air?
CNN, January 7, 2008
While the meat-producing community is often condemned for its contribution to climate change, some observers of late have become as interested in what the animals expel as the animals themselves: Manure. ... A recent New York Times Op-Ed cited a study by the University of Minnesota that found that "methane digestors are dependent on big subsidies to break even" and "electrical rates would have to double to pay the full cost of digestors."
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Biodiesel hits rough patch
Rosemount Town Pages, January 6, 2008
The Minnesota biodiesel industry is in the slow lane. “Things have kind of slowed down,” the University of Minnesota’s Doug Tiffany said. “The excitement of ethanol has had has not been shared with biodiesel.”
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Biodiesel hits rough patch in Minnesota
Bemidji Pioneer, January 6, 2008
The Minnesota biodiesel industry is in the slow lane. ... “Things have kind of slowed down,” the University of Minnesota’s Doug Tiffany said. “The excitement of ethanol has had has not been shared with biodiesel.”
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DNR Roundtable fueled by fuel talk
Mankato Free Press, January 5, 2008
Usually, items discussed at the annual Department of Natural Resources’ Roundtables center around fins, fur and feathers. ... Jim Bowyer, a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, told the crowd of nearly 200 that the need to develop sustainable bioenergy sources now is vital.
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