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Carboniferous appinitic intrusions from the northern North China craton: geochemistry, petrogenesis and tectonic implications

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Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical study document Carboniferous (c. 320-317 Ma) appinitic intrusions from the northern North China craton. The rock suite mainly consists of hornblende diorites and monzodiorites, with an SiO^sub 2^ range from 46.8 to 55.4%. These rocks exhibit high alkali contents, strong enrichment in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements, and depletion in high field strength elements, with radiogenic ^sup 87^Sr/^sup 86^Sr^sub i^ ratios of 0.7058-0.7093, unradiogenic ε^sub Nd^(t) of -9.3 to -13.9 and zircon ε^sub Hf^(t) from -8.5 to -18.4. These geochemical features suggest that their generation may involve a distinctive two-stage process: (1) a precursory metasomatism stage of mantle peridotites by melts from subduction-related sediments; (2) a delayed partial melting stage probably initiated by post-subduction transcurrent movements along pre-existing lithospheric shear zones. These mafic to intermediate intrusions, plus other coeval mafic- ultramafic complexes and high Ba-Sr granites from neighbouring regions, not only witness a heterogeneously enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle along the northern North China craton, but also attest to a reworking-dominated metacratonic process within a post-subduction transtensional regime. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

An Early Mesozoic transcontinental palaeoriver in South China: evidence from detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and Hf isotopes

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Detrital zircon geochronology reveals that Late Triassic-Early Jurassic fluvial sandstones from the major basins of the South China Craton have similar age patterns and define four populations at 2.6-2.4 Ga, 2.0-1.7 Ga, 850-700 Ma and 480-210 Ma. The late Palaeoproterozoic group is predominant in all of the five samples, and yielded remarkable age peaks at c. 1.85 Ga. These zircons have ε^sub Hf^(t) values between -22.5 and +3.6, suggesting derivation from reworked Archaean crust and minor juvenile crustal additions in the late Palaeoproterozoic. These characteristics differ from those of the Yangtze Block but correlate well with those of samples from the eastern Cathaysia Block. Palaeocurrent analysis of the Early Mesozoic sandstones shows predominant west- and NW-directed palaeoflows, supporting derivation of the sediments from the Cathaysia Block. The remarkable similarities in provenance signatures and spatial changes of lithofacies of the Triassic-Jurassic around the South China Craton delineate an east-west-trending sedimentary zone extending from Korea to West China. Accumulation of these sediments was probably related to the development of an active continental margin produced by westward subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate. A c. 2000 km long westerly draining transcontinental palaeoriver probably had existed in the Early Mesozoic and fed the basins in Korea, South China and West China. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Erratum for Faithfull et al., Journal of the Geological Society, London, 169 (2) 115-118

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A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest LLC (“ProQuest”) supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience. More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others.

Middle Triassic arc magmatism along the northeastern margin of the Tibet: U-Pb and Lu-Hf zircon characterization of the Gangcha complex in the West Qinling terrane, central China

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The tectonic setting of Mesozoic magmatic complexes in the northeastern margin of the Tibet plateau is disputed, and hence gives rise to uncertainty concerning the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Tibet Plateau and the timing of the closure of the Palaeo-Tethys ocean. The Gangcha complex is typical of these complexes, consisting of andesite, dacite, gabbro, gabbroic diorite, granodiorite, quartz diorite, and diorite with typical chemical traits of continental margin arc rocks. Andesite, gabbroic diorite, and mineralization-associated potassic-altered diorite yield weighted mean ^sup 206^Pb/^sup 238^U ages of 242.1 1.2 Ma, 243.8 1.0 Ma and 234.0 0.6 Ma respectively. Zircon ε^sub Hf^(t) for magmatic grains ranges from -3.5 to +5.7, interpreted to demonstrate that the Gangcha complex contains crustally contaminated mantle magmas. Inherited zircons in the complex yield similar U-Pb ages (777-310 Ma) to the A'nyemaqen composite ophiolite assemblage with ε^sub Hf^(t) of -17.4 to +11.6. This suggests that components of this older ophiolite melted and contributed to the Gangcha complex magmas. Hence the Gangcha complex is considered to have formed as a continental margin arc in northeastern Tibet by northward subduction during consumption of the Palaeo-Tethys ocean. Regionally, it corresponds to the arc magmatism along the eastern and western Kunlun sutures to the west and the Mianlue suture to the east. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

The influence of depositional processes on the porosity of chalk

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Chalk constitutes challenging low-permeability reservoirs with porosity variations attributable to complex interactions between numerous processes. The influence of depositional processes, and thus the value of depositional models to predict porosity, is subject to continuing debate. In this study, a new approach is applied to investigate the influence of depositional and early post-depositional processes on chalk porosity, based on the 303 m thick Upper Cretaceous chalk succession in the Mona-1 core from the Danish North Sea. The influence of depositional processes on porosity is isolated by a mathematical correction of porosity data. Results confirm that mass-transport deposits are on average more porous than pelagites, whereas turbidites are less porous, given similar composition, burial history, and hydrocarbon migration history. The porosity variation between 12 chalk facies suggests that grain packing of the sediment in the consolidated state caused the facies-dependent porosity variation. Bioturbation caused a relatively tight grain packing compared with deposits that escaped bioturbation. Early plastic shear deformation of tightly packed bioturbated units resulted in dilative behaviour, which increased porosity, whereas more loosely packed units responded contractively, resulting in decreased porosity preservation. A firm understanding of chalk facies and thorough facies analyses are thus considered instrumental in chalk reservoir prediction. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Fracture development and diagenesis of Torridon Group Applecross Formation, near An Teallach, NW Scotland: millennia of brittle deformation resilience?

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The Late Proterozoic Torridon Group Applecross Formation in the foreland of the Moine Thrust Belt, NW Scotland, contains deformation bands, three fracture sets (from oldest to youngest A, B, and L) defined by orientation, crosscutting relations, and progressively less quartz cement in younger sets, and joints. Set A crosscuts deformation bands and strikes north-south. Set B has trimodal orientation defining three linked subsets that formed concurrently. Set L strike ranges from NE-SW to ENE-WSW, in parent crack-wing crack arrays that formed progressively; these are more abundant near small-displacement, oblique-slip faults that offset the overlying Cambrian Eriboll Formation and the Moine Thrust Belt. Applecross sandstones have low fracture abundance, possibly a consequence of low elastic moduli (Young's modulus 2.3-17.0 GPa, most values 6.9 GPa) and moderate to high subcritical crack index (45-78), resulting from compacted softlithic grains and clay-mineral cements. Low abundance contradicts models that postulate persistent incipient failure by subsurface fracture. The fracture sequence resembles that found in the overlying Cambrian Eriboll Formation quartzarenites, implying that no widespread late Proterozoic fracture sets exist in this part of the Applecross Formation, an uneventful record for a rock profoundly resistant to brittle deformation. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Large-scale, linked drainage systems in the NW European Triassic: insights from the Pb isotopic composition of detrital K-feldspar

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Pb isotopic data from K-feldspars in Middle Triassic (Anisian) sandstones in the Wessex Basin, onshore SW UK, and the East Irish Sea Basin, some 350 km to the north, show that the same grain populations are present. This indicates that the drainage system (the 'Budleighensis' river) feeding these basins originated from the same source/s, most probably the remnant Variscan uplands to the south. Fluvial and aeolian sandstones have the same provenance, suggesting that if water- and wind-driven sands were originally derived from different sources, this has been obscured through reworking prior to final deposition. Significant recycling of feldspar from arkosic sandstones in earlier sedimentary basins can be ruled out. The provenance data agree with previous depositional models, indicating transport distances in excess of 400 km, with a drainage pattern that linked separate basins. This supports the idea that the regional fluvial system was driven by topography and episodic flooding events of sufficient magnitude to overcome evaporation and infiltration over hundreds of kilometres. Importantly, this drainage system appears to have been isolated and independent from those operating contemporaneously to the NW of the Irish and Scottish massifs, where the remnant Variscan uplands apparently exerted no influence on drainage or sand supply. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Key factors controlling massive graphite deposition in volcanic settings: an example of a self-organized critical system

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:38:42 GMT

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Massive graphite deposition resulting in volumetrically large occurrences in volcanic environments is usually hindered by the low carbon contents of magmas and by the degassing processes occurring during and after magma emplacement. In spite of this, two graphite deposits are known worldwide associated with volcanic settings, at Borrowdale, UK, and Huelma, Spain. As inferred from the Borrowdale deposit, graphite mineralization resulted from the complex interaction of several factors, so it can be considered as an example of self-organized critical systems. These factors, in turn, could be used as potential guides for exploration. The key factors influencing graphite mineralization in volcanic settings are as follows: (1) an unusually high carbon content of the magmas, as a result of the assimilation of carbonaceous metasedimentary rocks; (2) the absence of significant degassing, related to the presence of sub-volcanic rocks or hypabyssal intrusions, acting as barriers to flow; (3) the exsolution of a carbon-bearing aqueous fluid phase; (4) the local structural heterogeneity (represented at Borrowdale by the deep-seated Burtness Comb Fault); (5) the structural control on the deposits, implying an overpressured, fluid-rich regime favouring a focused fluid flow; (6) the temperature changes associated with fluid flow and hydration reactions, resulting in carbon supersaturation in the fluid, and leading to disequilibrium in the system. This disequilibrium is regarded as the driving force for massive graphite precipitation through irreversible mass-transfer reactions. Therefore, the formation of volcanic-hosted graphite deposits can be explained in terms of a self-organized critical system. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Occurrence of inherited supra-subduction zone mantle in the oceanic lithosphere as inferred from mantle xenoliths from Dragon Seamount (southern Tore-Madeira Rise)

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:38:41 GMT

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Spinel-bearing peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths dredged from the Dragon Seamount (southern Tore-Madeira Rise, West Iberia and Morocco margin) give an insight into the composition of the underlying lithosphere. These xenoliths are devoid of evidence of strong host lava-peridotite interaction and re-equilibration or late impregnation in the plagioclase facies. The spinels and pyroxenes from the Dragon peridotites have compositions distinct from those of both lherzolites and harzburgites from the Iberia margin and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. They display a highly depleted composition, in particular, high Cr-number, up to 0.63 in the spinels, consistent with a melting degree between 12 and 19%. Because of the strong chemical similarities between the Tore-Madeira Rise, Newfoundland peridotites, and peridotites from supra-subduction zones, we propose that the Dragon peridotites formed in a similar context. The pyroxenites display a cumulate texture and are probably a high-temperature-high-pressure cumulate formed by fractional crystallization from a melt. The Tore-Madeira Rise peridotites may represent a former mantle wedge in an oceanic arc, later included into the continental lithosphere and finally tectonically disseminated within the lithosphere during the rifting of the Newfoundland-Iberia continental lithosphere. As a consequence, rifting processes may produce heterogeneities in the oceanic lithosphere and influence isotopic compositions of ocean island basalt-type lavas during plume-lithosphere interactions, as inferred for the southern Tore-Madeira Rise. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Oxygen isotope variability in conodonts: implications for reconstructing Palaeozoic palaeoclimates and palaeoceanography

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:38:41 GMT

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Conodonts have the potential to elucidate the intricacies of Palaeozoic climates, especially if δ^sup 18^O values of single apatitic tooth-like 'elements' can be used to map evolving sea surface temperatures and differentiate oceanic water masses. Their ecological distribution as pelagic and nektobenthic organisms, high-resolution biostratigraphy, and abundance in Cambrian-Triassic rocks qualifies them as potentially robust climate archives. Previous ion microprobe conodont δ^sup 18^O studies have proceeded directly to palaeotemperature interpretation without appreciation of inter- and intra-element variability or post-mortem artefacts. Here, ion microprobe analyses of Ordovician and Silurian conodonts establishes that: intra-element crown tissue δ^sup 18^O typically varies by ≤1[per thousand] (53% of conodonts analysed), is normally ≤2[per thousand] (92% of analyses), and rarely varies by 2-4[per thousand]; δ^sup 18^O can vary across elements, suggesting a microstructural and/or diagenetic control; δ^sup 18^O can vary between species representatives by c. 3[per thousand]; δ^sup 18^O of pelagic and nektobenthic taxa can be offset by 2-3[per thousand]; elements processed with formic acid have highly variable δ^sup 18^O; and thermal alteration does affect δ^sup 18^O. Conodont ion microprobe δ^sup 18^O values are comparable with those of bulk methods, but utilization of material with no consideration of geological context or processing history may introduce significant artefacts. A protocol for future conodont oxygen isotope ion microprobe studies is proposed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Conducting Environmental Health Research in the Arabian Middle East: Lessons Learned and Opportunities

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:41:55 GMT

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Mercury Production and Use in Colonial Andean Silver Production: Emissions and Health Implications

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CORRECTION - PDF

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Arsenic, Organic Foods, and Brown Rice Syrup

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Migration Associated with Climate Change

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Suspect Sweetener

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Hearts over Time

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Landscape Fire Smoke as a Cause of Death

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Studies Raise Questions about Pavement Sealers

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Common Bacterium Induces Histamine Production in Neutrophils

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:41:37 GMT

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Environment and Reproductive Health in China: Challenges and Opportunities

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:41:34 GMT

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WRANGLING REACTIVE NITROGEN STRATEGIES FOR MITIGATING POLLUTION

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The Beat

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In Memoriam: Stephen M. Levin 1941-2012

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ERRATUM

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Shark Fin Consumption May Expose People to Neurotoxic BMAA

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Environmental Lead after Hurricane Katrina/Environmental Lead: Rabito et al. Respond

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EVENTS & education

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:56 GMT

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APRIL 11 -12, 2012APRIL 18 -20, 2012DEMO International 2012

Cutting Edge Gear C utting

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:46 GMT

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The Robotec NEW horizon Loader completes Robotec's line with a larger lift capacity than any of our other loaders. Used in various applications including waste removal, loading and unloading of logs and rail ties. It can also be used for loading and unloading logs in forestry applications. It can be configured as a stationary mount loader with the operator on the pedestal or can be operated remotely.The addition of Ethernet connectivity to Tolomatic's ACS Stepper Drive/Controller brings flexibility and economy to electric actuator applications. The ACS with Ethernet supports both Ethernet/ IP and Modbus TCP, allowing easy connectivity to many PLCs and HMIs. With built-in configurations for all of Tolomatic's electric actuators, the ACS with Ethernet makes creating linear motion very simple. The combination of the ACS and Tolomatic's ERD lowcost rod-style electric actuators creates economical solutions for sawmill automation applications such as product changeovers, diverting, sorting, pickand-place, or pressing.

News Briefs N ews Briefs PRT Regenerates accomplishment confirms that

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:44 GMT

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LMI Technologies, a global industry leader in 3D laser measurement and control sensor technology, announced that China Daheng Group Inc. Beijing Image Vision Technology Branch (Daheng) has signed on as an authorized distributor of Gocator 3D smart sensors in China. This distribution deal marks Gocator's entry into the world's second largest economy and arguably the most expansive manufacturing marketplace. The Gocator laser line smart sensors are all-in-one solutions that make 3D measurement and control for factory automation accessible to all levels of expertise.On Dec. 1, 2011, Joas Eklind took up his new role as president and CEO of Innovativ Vision AB in Linkoping, Sweden. Eklind was acting CEO of Innovativ Vision in 2009-2010 and has been CEO of various other international technology companies. He succeeds Mats Warstedt, who has left Innovativ Vision to head up a different company. "We are extremely pleased that Joas Eklind has accepted the position and is coming back to work with us. Joas knows the company and the industry and has plenty of useful experience of managing international companies. Joas also has the appropriate technical background and an understanding of our product," said Peter Viberg, chairman of the board at Innovativ Vision AB.

North America Panel Outlook: 2012 to 2013

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:41 GMT

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The main drivers that continue to influence the fortunes of OSB and plywood include the recovery of the U.S. economy, and especially housing markets, along with the return to a healthy U.S. financial and credit sector. The WOOD MARKETS 2012 economic forecast continues to foresee a slow recovery in 2012 and into 2013 as aresult of some slow changes in foreclosure rates, housing prices, unemployment rates, and new and existing home-inventory levels (which have limited new residential starts). U.S. housing starts were mired in the range of 550,000 to 600,000 units between 2009 and 2011, and modest gains are forecast in 2012.U.S. structural panel consumption reached 41.7 billion sf in 2005, an all-time high, and bottomed out in 2009 at 20.9 billion sf. WOOD MARKETS 2012 forecasts steady increases for U.S. structural panels, with demand in 20 1 1 expected to be near 21. 0 billion sf (actually lower than 2010's 21. 6 billion sf), rising to 22.0 billion sf (+4.8%) in 2012 and higher in 2013 (to 24.5 billion sf (+11.4%), led mainly by growth in OSB).U.S. OSB production peaked in 2005 and 2006 at over 14.9 billion sf, and bottomed out at 9.6 billion sf in 2009. This 36% decline (5.3 billion sf) is equivalent to the full production of 10 modern OSB mills (or a higher number of smaller ones). It is estimated that OSB production declined from 10.3 billion sf in 2010 to about 10 billion sf in 201 1, and is forecast to rebound to 11.5 billion sf in 2013 (not far off its lows in 2009-20 11).

Made in China with Canadian Wood

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:40 GMT

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West Fraser Timber is also developing relationships with Chinese building companies, working with company representatives as well as with Chinese officials on building codes aimed at increasing the general acceptance of wood-frame construction. "Wood-frame is most popular in high-priced villas and quite modest resort homes constructed primarily near large urban areas," says Chris Mclver, vice-president of West Frsers lumber sales. "We are moving from a demonstration stage to a more commercial relationship." Mclver adds that the "housing bubbles" within China appear to be isolated in the modem urban areas of Shanghai and Beijing. "Inflation is a concern, but again the Chinese government has been quick to address the issue," he says, adding, "We cannot predict our sales into China for the next five years, but when one looks at GDP growth in the country and the continued emergence of a middle class - as a lumber producer, one has to feel the future is bright.""Lumber companies have made a big move up the value chain," Pat Bell, B.C. Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, says. "It used to be all economy and utility wood, but now Chinese builders are buying some 2&btr. grade and J-grade, and the prices continue to increase. In 2007, we were shipping $100 million of lumber into China, and now its just under $1.1 billion," notes Bell. "In terms of jobs, that's 4.6 billion board feet, which is 18 sawmills' worth of production, creating employment for about 500 people directly in the mill or in logging, in addition to the indirect jobs."Since maintaining market diversification is important for long-term trade strategy, Canada is also aggressively looking beyond China. "We're also starting to focus on India," says [Bell]. "We're doing lots of research to develop the potential there. There are numerous new initiatives coming that will be announced later this year." B.C. lumber exports to India climbed 327% in 2011 over the previous year to $10.6 million, equalling approxim

The Pressure's On

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:37 GMT

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"We applaud the government for its determined and steady hand on the economy that has resulted in Canada avoiding the sovereign debt crises that have plagued so many other countries," says [Avrim Lazar]. "Still we feel the economic times dictate the need for modest stimulus. We believe that stimulus funding should focus on measures that boost competitiveness in the long term. For the forest products industry, this translates into a few focused measures that would support penetration of emerging markets, business model innovation and environmental progress.""That speaks to the still untapped transformative potential for Canada's forest products industry," says Lazar. "The forest sector has been aggressively reinventing itself with government as a critical partner. We are now at the point where industry efforts to transform are making an impact. However, we still need an ongoing partnership so that industry can build on the existing momentum, and help protect jobs and rural communities.""FPAC always addresses the finance committee as part of its pre-budget consultations to underscore what we want to see in the budget," Lazar tells Canadian Forest Industries. "Our goal is definitely to keep the momentum going on government programs, such as IFIT, that are helping the industry transform."

More Profit from your Harvest Plan

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:32 GMT

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One of these tools, the Net Value Module, can determine costs and revenues generated by a harvest block in a perspective of optimizing the value chain. Its results are based on the most recent analyses of forest inventories, cost prediction models and a series of values exclusive to FPInnovations, as well as on market needs for forest products. The Net Value Module is actually the combination of two powerful tools developed and updated by FPInnovations: FPInterface and Optitek. The FPInterface software platform is the Module's control centre. This offers the advantage of allowing to work directly on a digital forest map. Built to simulate all tactical and operational activities on the supply chain, FPInterface anticipates the financial impact of various harvesting practices, road construction and maintenance, transport and even reforestation. It uses real forest inventory data and business plans provided by the user.

Shorten the Learning Curve

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:32 GMT

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"We feel strongly that the better trained our customers are on our equipment, the better value they will get out of the advanced manufacturing systems we provide to them," explains Colleen Schonheiter, senior marketing associate with USNR in Salmon Arm, B.C. "It is in both our best interest and the customers best interest to have them well trained and well versed on our equipment. In the long run, training provides our customers with a better understanding of what our equipment can do for them, and that in turn, should increase their production volumes and their return on investment."Right now, USNR has over 25 employees whose roles regularly include training sessions, but Schonheiter says the company's field service technicians are often on the front line when it comes to training. "Because of the nature of their work - installing, starting up and troubleshooting equipment and complete systems, they are very well versed in all of our equipment and in the advanced technology our systems employ," she explains. "They also know the mills and the manufacturing facilities because they spend time there for other reasons. They understand the challenges a particular mill may be facing and how to deal with them. For example, our technicians that work in B.C. s northern interior region understand the issues related to Mountain Pine Beetle affected timber and what the mill will have to do to overcome some of the challenges the characteristics of that timber present during processing."Scott Norton, operations manager for USNRs optimization systems, oversees the company's training efforts. "USNR will always be committed to providing training," he notes. "As technology continues to advance and as systems continue to become more complex, the need for specialized training becomes even more pronounced. Mills invest a lot of money for capital equipment. Lack of training can be one of the biggest barriers to obtaining a speedy return on investment. It is therefore essential that mill

Making B.C. Forests Safer

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:56:31 GMT

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"Great strides have been made towards reducing serious injuries and fatalities in the woods and mills due to the combined efforts of industry, government, union, and forestry workers," says Rob Moonen, director, SAFE Companies of the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC). "Seven years have passed since B.C.'s forest industry experienced its worst year ever in recent history for fatalities," adds Moonen, referring to 2005 when the industry experienced a record high of 34 fatalities."In 2012, industry will need to keep focusing on making permanent and sustainable changes and continually improving on the positive efforts towards reducing the number of serious injuries and fatalities," Moonen says, adding that "Looking at the numbers, it is clear there is a danger of complacency, which may cause injuries and/or fatalities to rise, which is why it's extremely important for industry to focus and build upon the good work that's been done.""We want to ensure that industry's efforts do not simply plateau," Moonen says. "The next step will be for industry__to 'up' the challenge, and try to reach the ultimate goal of zero fatalities. I believe it is within our grasp."

CHP PRODUCTION PLANT

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:57 GMT

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SCRAPER BAR

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:56 GMT

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FACILITY STARTUP

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DATA TRACKING SERVICE TACKLES FOOD WASTE

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:54 GMT

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MORE REACH WITH EXTENDABLE ARM

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WHEN CARBON-BASED POLICIES COLLIDE

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Meaningful evaluation of biomass energy potential begins with the best available science and technology. Only after the science is understood does it make sense to look at potential policy impacts. The author is a newcomer to forest residual biomass. As he learns more, he is fascinated by the complexities of managing biomass remaining after timber harvest as well as the need to manage the residuals that accumulate in a growing forest without harvest. Prevailing forest management policies over the past few decades have determined that public forests be left alone. In growing forests, this creates a buildup of dangerous wildfire fuel wood. The challenge is how to remove the amount of this residual biomass that is unhealthy for the forest without removing what is necessary for forest renewal and without disturbing the forest. Easing the restrictions for removal of this understory forest biomass would complement both wildfire management and commercial development of local, renewable biomass.

FOOD FIGHT FOOD FIGHT Sally Brown BioCycle Apr 2012

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:51 GMT

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It is really important to understand the role that fixed carbon plays in so much of the discussion about climate change, food security and the dwindling reserves of fossil fuels. The carbon that is brought down from the sky via energy from the sun is referred to as fixed carbon. The process of turning the carbon from one state to another requires a lot of energy. While some of the energy required to do this is lost in the process, a good portion is stored in the newly fixed carbon. And this stored energy is why the fixed carbon is critical for two of the major problems they are currently faced with food security and the diminishing supply of fossil fuels. How this war for fixed carbon is won can have an impact on climate change. But you are best advised to go into this battle with a basic understanding of the element that is the key to the fight.

DJ VU ON GARBAGE INCINERATION

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:49 GMT

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Back in the 1970s and 1980s, advocates of "waste to energy" were riding high, trying to cash in on the dual fears of energy shortages and landfill shortages. But spontaneous protests from citizens, environmentalists, small businesses and progressive officials defeated 300 planned garbage incinerators in every part of the country. No incinerator has been built in the US since 1995. One new mass burn plant is under construction in Palm Beach, FL. A gasification facility proposed for Orange County, NY, has a federal loan guarantee, but is still seeking long-term commitments for waste. A growing number of groups have emerged to nip the reemergence of garbage incineration in the bud. The next time a developer rides into town selling garbage incineration and starts spinning tall tales, be armed with the facts and share them with your local officials and business community.

SOILS, NUTRIENTS, ORGANIC AMENDMENTS - AND HUMAN HEALTH

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:47 GMT

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Even with sufficient calories, a diet that does not provide enough nutrients creates a deficiency often referred to as "hidden hunger." Hidden hunger currently affects more than 3 billion people around the world, most stemming from micronutrient deficiencies. Research is under way to develop crop varietals that are both more efficient at taking up these nutrients from soils and more easily absorbed by people. Many studies have shown that the soils' net primary productivity is increased by improving soil organic matter whether it is attained by conservation tillage or using organic amendments like manures composts or biosolids. This could be achieved by integrated use of organic amendments and synthetic fertilizers. In addition to providing necessary nutrients for growing crops, these organic amendments act as a soil conditioner, sequester carbon in soil and play a critical role in improving soil physical properties such as water retention, porosity, structure and bulk density, thus making the soil more productive and a better medium for plant growth.

INDIAN VILLAGE ADOPTS HOUSEHOLD BIOGAS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:46 GMT

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The Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation, an Indian nongovernmental organization based in the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand, promotes self-reliant development by working at the village level across the integrated issues of renewable energy, water and sanitation, community forestry, enterprise development and sustainable agriculture. A major component of the Grassroots program has been training local masons to construct in-situ fixed-dome Deenbandhu biogas digesters. The introduction of biogas has created a solution for waste management overall, resulting in a village-wide movement toward better sanitation. In 2009, the village of Palar won the Total Sanitation Campaign, an annual award sponsored by the government of Himachal Pradesh awarded to a village that eliminates open defecation while improving overall sanitation in the community. Since winning the award, Palar has received much attention as representatives from around India have come to learn how to create a highly sanitary and sustainable community.

CALIFORNIA'S EMERGING CARBON MARKET

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:45 GMT

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Hopes for a federal cap-and-trade bill, dashed by Congress several years ago, would have priced carbon emissions and likely allowed many digester and composting projects to sell carbon credits. Focus has shifted to California, which starting in 2013 will begin the nation's most comprehensive cap-and-trade program. Digester and composting project developers throughout the US looking to generate revenue based on the climate benefits of their projects must now turn their attention to the intricacies of the emerging California carbon market. The regulatory entity overseeing this market, the California Air Resources Board, has approved four types of projects as eligible to sell carbon credits to regulated emitters in California. Depending upon the price at which digester project developers can set their carbon credits, the California market could become a major incentive for livestock biogas development. Qualifying organic waste digestion and composting projects to generate California-compliant carbon credits would increase supply and enable carbon markets to support the growing biogas and composting sectors.

INNOVATION IN WATER CONSERVATION

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:44 GMT

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In Napa, CA, more than half of the city's drinking water is used for irrigation of residential and commercial landscapes, mostly for lawns. Located in the northern part of the state, the region has a Mediterranean climate, with most of the rain falling from November to March or April. Many homeowners and commercial landscapers use programmable irrigation controllers, but often don't utilize the features to create appropriate watering schedules. Sprinkler Times is an online program and tablet and smart phone app that creates a customized sprinkler Watering schedule to conserve water. It was developed by Tom Del Conte and Logan Oates, the Water Manager at Del Conte Landscaping in Fremont. The $5.99 package includes a timer program capable of scheduling up to 32 zones. Patrick Costello, Water Resources Analyst with the City of Napa Water Division, saw a fit for Sprinkler Times within the city's education program for residential water conservation.

FRESH COMPOSTING START IN GUELPH, ONTARIO

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:43 GMT

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Last fall, Guelph, a small university city in southwestern Ontario, resumed composting household organic wastes after a five-year hiatus. The change involved construction of a $32.5 million, city-owned Organic Waste Processing Facility (OWPF), as well as adoption of an automated cart-based curbside pick up system over the next three years, along with new rules for how residents sort and package their wastes. The plant officially opened on Sep 27, 2011, and is built with the capacity to compost 33,000 tons/year of source separated organics from 45,000 households in the city of 125,000 aw well as the nearby Region of Waterloo about 11,000 tons from Guelph and 22,000 tons from Waterloo region. Under the new system, the city will end separate collections of leaves and yard trimmings. Those materials must go, instead, into the green cart. If there's too much for the cart, households can use a backyard composter or bring them, with no fee, to the city's "Waste Resource Innovation Centre."

SERVING UP SUSTAINABLE FOOD SERVICE OPTIONS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:41 GMT

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When institutions and large companies put their dining service needs out for bid, they may request that proposals spell out upfront how programs will help clients reduce their carbon footprint and improve their overall environmental stature in the community. That is not a bad strategy, says John Turenne, president and founder of Sustainable Food Systems and former director and executive chef at Yale Sustainable Dining. Turenne sees four pillars of sustainability relative to institutional dining: Minimizing environmental impact; Sustaining local economies; Addressing social implications of food production, such as workers rights and animal welfare; and Supporting the health and well being of individuals and communities. Bon Appetit currently recycles 40% of its organic waste across the US through composting or donating food scraps to be used as pig feed, according to Helene York, Director of Strategic Sourcing and Research. At Sodexo, says Christy Cook, Senior Manager in charge of Sustainability Deployment and Field Support, the company follows the US EPA's Food Waste Recovery Hierarchy.

CAMPUS VERMICOMPOSTING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:38 GMT

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Since January 2011, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) composting program has collected over 7 tons of compostable food materials from campus dining facilities and a local food co-op. The program began as a student-driven initiative to reduce the amount of food waste generated on campus, and has become a collaboration between UW-L and local partners to recapture nutrients and energy stored in compostable food scraps and minimize their disposal. Although still evolving, the program has been embraced by the campus about 10,000 students and local community and is one of the cornerstones of UW-L's sustainability program. An initial harvest of the vermicomposting system in November 2011 produced about 2,000 lbs of finished worm castings. Castings are sold or donated for use in local gardens and agricultural fields to grow food and flowers without the use of industrial fertilizers. A pilot program to apply worm castings to the UW-L campus grounds is also in preparation.

MANAGING ODORS IN ORGANICS RECYCLING

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:36 GMT

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The first part of series on odor management at composting and anaerobic digestion facilities is presented. This first article explores how odors are created, odor sources and approaches to regulating their emissions and control. Aerobic decomposition is the cornerstone of composting. At each stage of the decomposition process, there are a variety of different organic compounds, each with its own volatility characteristic. An odor is a volatile chemical gas. Volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize, which is proportional to a substance's vapor pressure. As an organic material decomposes, the mix of volatile compounds change, so the mix of vapor pressures changes, which in turn can change the characteristic odor. Decomposition began when the living in a material now making up the feedstock died. So odor formation begins almost immediately with the onset of decomposition. Virtually every composting facility has had to deal with a very odorous feedstock coming into the receiving area.

COMPOSTING COMPANY FINDS THE RIGHT MIX

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:34 GMT

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Twenty years ago in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Grant Keenan set up a solid fuel business on a 70-acre farm owned by his parents. Business wasn't bad in the winter, but summers were a bit slow, so he started looking for ways to supplement the sale of logs, peat and paraffin that were his stock in trade. Households in Aberdeenshire would bring their garden waste to Household Recycling Centres. Much of the material was landfilled but Keenan thought he might be able to run the material through a hammermill, compost it in windrows and make something useful. He did just that and has since grown the company, Keenan Recycling Ltd to eventually include commercial food waste collection and installation of an in-vessel composting system. Since launching the business they have continually strived towards approaching the waste issue through in innovative ideas to ensure that they are industry leaders in organic recycling, concludes Grant Keenan.

DC WATERS INVESTS $4.1 BILLION IN RENEWABLES

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:31 GMT

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DC Waters recently signed an agreement with Pepco Energy Service Inc to build and operate a combined heat and power (CHP) plant at the 153-acre Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, which services approximately 725 square miles of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia and processes an average of 370 million gallons/day of wastewater. The $81 million CHP project will produce at least 13 MW of power to supply the facility with about 30% of its energy needs.

SUSTAINABLE DAIRY FARMERS HONORED

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:30 GMT

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Big Sky West Dairy in Gooding, ID, Brubaker Farms in Mount Joy, PA, Werkhoven Dairy in Monroe, WA, Blue Spruce Farms in Bridport, VA, and Holsum Dairies in Hilbert, WI, were honored in March at a White House ceremony recognizing their efforts in generating renewable energy while managing nutrients through anaerobic digestion technology. The inaugural US Dairy Sustainability Awards were presented by the Innovation Center for US Dairy, which has been working with the dairy industry to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2020.

FAMOUS AD INVESTORS IN BRITAIN

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:29 GMT

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STATE FUNDING FOR AD PROJECTS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:29 GMT

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HIGH SOLIDS ANAEROBIC DIGESTER

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:28 GMT

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As this issue of BioCycle went to press, developers were preparing to flip the switch on a new organic waste to energy project utilizing proprietary high solids anaerobic digester technology to convert separated organics into energy and soil amendments. The 3-stage High-Rate Digester was developed by Ruihong Zhang, PhD, a professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at University of California-Davis. It has the capability of digesting material containing up to 50% solids. Clean World Partners was formed in 2009 to commercialize the new technology; the company was acquired by Synergex Ventures in January 2011.

BIOGAS PROJECT ESCHEWS PUBLIC FUNDING

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:27 GMT

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In the wake of controversy surrounding a potential public/private partnership to help finance a $55 million anaerobic digestion facility, the company developing the project announced it would now seek financing entirely through private investment. Columbia Biogas President John McKinney sent a letter to Portland Mayor Sam Adams dated March 30 explaining his company would no longer ask the city to guarantee loans with garbage and sewer fees.

FAVORABLE NEWS ON BIOGAS FEED-IN TARIFF

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:26 GMT

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At its annual meeting in March, members of the former Agrienergy Producers' Association of Ontario voted to become the Biogas Association. Soon after, biogas producers learned they'd get some of the changes they'd lobbied for during the Ontario government's two-year review of North America's first Feed-in Tariff, which pays premium rates, under 20-year contracts, for electricity fed to the provincial grid from solar, wind, hydro and biogas generating facilities. There's always room for improvement -- overall, they're very pleased with the result, said Jennifer Green, the association's executive-coordinator.

FULL CIRCLE FOOD WASTE RECYCLING

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:25 GMT

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GROWING GINSENG INTO A COMPOSTING BUSINESS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:24 GMT

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Paul Hsu started Hsu Ginseng Enterprises in the late 1970s as a small mail order operation selling ginseng root products grown on his family farm in Wausau. In the early 1990s, Hsu began experimenting with growing ginseng in its traditional, native setting, the hardwood forest. Hsu met with local wild ginseng foragers, diggers and dealers to learn which conditions were most conducive to growing wild ginseng. He used this information to develop a leaf mulch, which then led to the start of a new business, Hsu Greenhouse and Landscape Supply, a division of Hsu Ginseng Enterprises.

COMPOSTING FACILITY ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL FINES

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:23 GMT

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A composting facility where two young workers died in October 2011 following exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas in a confined space was issued 16 citations by Cal-OSHA, all related to not having adequate safety measures in place. The facility, Community Recycling and Resource Recovery, is still fighting to stay open after appealing a unanimous decision by the Kern County Board of Supervisors to close the operation and fine it $2.3 million. A Cal-OSHA spokesperson said facility operators have indicated they also intend to appeal the state agency's fines that total $166,890.

NEW COMPOSTING REGULATIONS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:19 GMT

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Vermont recently adopted new composting regulations. The revision process began in 2008, following a series of stakeholder meetings and assembly of a legislative Compost Study Committee by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). Carey Hengstenberg of ANR's solid waste program explains that the new regulations are more comprehensive and restrictive than the previous ones. They also establish a category of small composting facilities that do not need state certification as long as they follow "Accepted Composting Practices" spelled out in the new rules.

LANDFILL YARD TRIMMINGS BAN UPDATE

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:17 GMT

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The Michigan House of Representatives voted March 15 to overturn a ban on landfilling yard trimmings that has been in place for 18 years. The measure is now before the state Senate, where, according to at least one member of that legislative body, it may languish for awhile. Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell, told the news Web site Michigan Live (mlive.com) that there are economic and environmental arguments on both sides of the debate.

EPA APPROVES CAMELINA AS BIOFUEL FEEDSTOCK

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:16 GMT

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The US EPA issued a final rule in early January qualifying camelina oil as a feedstock meeting the biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel or cellulosic biofuel life cycle greenhouse gas reduction requirements specified in the Renewable Fuel Standards Program of the Clean Air Act. The EPA evaluated biofuels produced from camelina oil, energy cane, giant reed and napiergrass. Biodiesel's evolving feedstock diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and they're pleased to see EPA recognizing camelina as yet another feedstock that meets the agency's standards as an advanced biofuel, said Anne Steckel, VP of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board.

UPGRADING RECYCLING IN NEW MEXICO

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:15 GMT

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SOUTHEAST BIOMASS BURNING

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:15 GMT

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A study of southeastern US forests shows that burning wood in lieu of fossil fuels to generate electricity may exacerbate global warming before it curtails it. The study, Biomass Supply and Carbon Accounting for Southeastern Forests, indicates that as the industry expands in the Southeast, biomass energy will come more from cutting living trees rather than from sawmill wood residues and other waste sources. Conducted by the Biomass Energy Resource Center, the study emphasizes the need to balance forest health and related ecosystem services, such as drinking water and wildlife habitat, with renewable energy objectives.

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS DEAL BLOWS TO BIOGAS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:14 GMT

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A glimmer of hope for resuscitation of the federal 1603 Treasury Grant program that paid up to 30% of eligible capital costs for renewable energy projects was lost March 13, when the US Senate failed to accept an amendment to a transportation bill. Passage would have extended both the Section 45 Production Tax Credit for Renewable Energy for a year as well as revive Section 1603 (which expired at the end of 2011).

GOING BACKWARDS

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:13 GMT

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The Michigan state Senate holds the fate of repealing the state's ban on landfilling yard trimmings in its hands. If the legislature carries through with the repeal, Michigan will join the ranks of Florida and Georgia, which overturned their states' yard trimmings disposal bans in 2011. In terms of public policy in the 21st century, any initiative that overtly directs clean organic streams back to landfills or incinerators is a step in the wrong direction. It is a classic case of going backwards in an era when those same materials have a much higher and better value above the ground or out of the fire.

INTERNATIONAL COMPOST AWARENESS WEEK Anonymous BioCycle Apr 2012 53 4 Docstoc pg 6 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permissio

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:13 GMT

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TRAYLESS IN NEW YORK CITY

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:12 GMT

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New York City public schools implemented "Trayless Tuesday" in order to immediately curtail 20% of polystyrene trays going to the landfill. While New York City's 1,700 pubic schools recycle by mandate, most of the approximately 850,000 students participating in the school lunch program are still served on single-serving plastic foam trays. That amounts to about 153 million trays a year, says Debby Lee Cohen, director of Styrofoam Out of Schools/Cafeteria Culture, who participated in a recent webinar entitled "Reducing Waste in Schools" hosted by EPA Region 2.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION BULLISH ON RENEWABLES

ProQuest LLC — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:18:09 GMT

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The most recent issue of the Monthly Energy Review, published by the US Energy Information Administration, a branch of the US Department of Energy, reports that renewable energy expanded rapidly during the first three years of the Obama Administration, substantially outpacing growth in the fossil fuel and nuclear power sectors. According to data gathered between Jan 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2011, renewable energy sources -- including biofuels, biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro and wind -- grew by 27.12%.

The Water Problem

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:05 GMT

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The film exposes defects in the current system, shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects, and highlights individuals championing revolutionary solutions.

Eat the Walls!

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:05 GMT

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2. Dig about a one foot wide space along the circumference of the room.. .leaving about two feet of grass where the room entrance will be. Or, if you don't have or want grass, you can plant a soft groundcover. I love camomile. The soil where you have tilled will be where you plant your edible wall plant seeds. So make sure you remove the grass and weeds from this space.3. Amend your soil. Rock dust will add minerals to the soil, which in turn adds minerals to your plants. Fertilize the soil as necessary or mix in a layer of compost. I have found that when I've grown food in healthy organic soil I can actually taste the difference.To keep the outdoor room going, every four weeks sow new seeds around the circumference of the outdoor room. This will keep the walls lush. Depending on your climate, even in the winter you can have a low-laying room; many plants prefer the cold and perform better in winter. Throw some kale, cabbage, lettuce, beet, and carrot seeds into the soil.

Exchanging Time and Talent

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:04 GMT

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In the last issue of Natural Life Magazine, I wrote about a variety of economic alternatives that I think can go a long way towards creating a sustainable, just economy. The idea of local currencies and labor exchanges was one of those ideas.

Solutions For a Small Planet

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:04 GMT

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The elder [Anna Lappe] has an important new book out, entitled EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want (Nation Books, 2011). It's challenging, controversial (because she confronts much of the accepted wisdom of environmentalism), and intelligent. And it's a must-read for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed and pessimistic about the future. Lappe is good at seeing the big picture and at addressing the elephants in the room. In this book, as in her first one forty years earlier, she provides a fresh look at a problem as well as a solution.

Eco Gardening

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:04 GMT

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If you're interested in gardening with the planet in mind, check out How to Create an Eco Garden: The practical guide to greener, planet-friendly gardening by John Walker (Aquamarine, 2011). Walker, who is a prolific and award-winning British garden writer, explains in depth how to create and sustain a beautiful, biologically diverse, and prolific garden while staying within and respecting Nature's limits. His book is packed with hands-on practical advice (because John is a gardener... see his greenhouse article in this issue of Natural Life Magazine) and breathtakingly inspirational at the same time, largely thanks to over five hundred gorgeous color photographs and original illustrations.

Community Supported Foraging

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:04 GMT

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The Sokulskis are providing a newsletter and recipes with suggestions on how to use the wild foods. They forage from safe, unsprayed areas far from major roads. Depending on the time of year, the box may contain fresh morel mushrooms, stinging nettle greens, Japanese Knotweed stalks; burdock root (wild Gobo), dried reishi mushrooms, dandelion greens and root, wild salad mix, mulberries, raspberries, blackberries, paw paws, fiddleheads, milkweed buds, and much more.

Your Sustainable Home

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:03 GMT

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Not only that, but a common coal-tar-based asphalt sealer used to prolong the life and improve the appearance of driveways and other asphalt surfaces has been found to be a significant health and ecosystem threat. Research detailed in a recent article in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, has found that Sealcoat made from a refined coal-tar pitch emulsion has about one thousand times more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than regular asphalt emulsion. The the soil and homes adjacent to the surfaces coated with coal-tar-based sealant were found to have high concentrations of PAHs, both after application and three years on. The article cites other findings that children living in homes adjacent to sealed pavement were likely exposed to about fourteen-fold higher doses of PAHs than those living adjacent to unsealed or non coal-tar sealant treated pavement.The concrete industry promotes something called "pervious concrete pavement," which is a concrete mixture that contains little or no sand. Instead, water and cement materials are used to create a paste that forms a thick coating around aggregate particles. This results in a system of highly permeable, interconnected voids that drain quickly.

NON-PUNITIVE PARENTING: A PRIMER

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:03 GMT

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I've heard every rationalization for punitive parenting* in the book, and then some. I've heard that using these strategies doesn't really hurt nor humiliate a child. I've heard that yeah, it hurts/humiliates, that's the point, and it works well! I've heard "I was hit, and I'm fine" (about a thousand times). I've heard punishing/hitting/grounding/time-outs are necessary and if you don't do them, you will absolutely generate "spoiled, entitled brats." I recently had a friend tell me he thinks something is wrong with my partner and I that we do not spank (hit) our kids as a parenting tool - although he grants my children are the first children he's ever liked - and that he envies our family life but holds no hope he could raise children without violence. He explained to me his carers beat the s**t out of him (his words), but it was for his own good; as a black child he lived in a dangerous and crime- and drug-laden neighborhood. I bring up this anecdote because it is an elegant example at the extreme end of this (common) worldview, one at root for some of us as to why we hit children: "The world is tough and my kid needs to know about it, and I'm going to help him learn early to keep him safe."I'm going to get down to brass tacks to state that in my opinion there are little to no concrete differences between the following: hitting (also called "spanking," "swatting," "smacking," or "beating" depending on your culture/family), yelling at, scolding/lecturing, grounding, removing toys/items as a lesson, "natural and logical" consequences (applied at Hie discretion of the parent/carer in order to groom for desired behavior or eliminate undesired behavior). On the flip side of the coin, praise and rewards are perfectly complimentary to this type of punitive/manipulative parenting schema - and those "carrot" (as opposed to "stick") systems are relatively common too.Primarily, we give up the illusion of control. Hear that? We don't really have control - we have the illusion

The Art of Storytelling

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:03 GMT

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In stark contrast to the "professionalized" celluloid presentation, imagine the rough and ready, face to face storytelling style of a family member or friend. Spinning it out for the gathering (perhaps six or eight people), the storyteller meets the eyes of the listeners. The storyteller can see and feel the responses of the listeners, and the listeners know they are thus engaged. When viewing a celluloid story, I can text on my cell phone or even nap during the movie; the DVD player or movie theater projector is not offended. In the homespun situation, real relationships are directly involved. The homespun situation is integrated into the daily life of the family, but celluloid storytelling is life "at a distance."The homespun situation lends itself to participation. In one of my favorite stories, the listeners participate by chanting or singing the phrases that go with each character in the story. These may look corny in print, but they add to the fun in practice. When the woodsman walks through the forest, the listeners chant with him: "Hi Dee Hi Dee Hi Dee Ho! Hi Dee Hi Dee Hi Dee Hey!" At certain cued spots in the story, the farmer declares with the listeners, "Who knows for sure, what is a blessing and what is a curse?"I would clearly not say either mode of Storytelling is superior. Fundamentally, the difference is between "professional distance" and "integrative." The movie story comes to us through a series of technologies operated by strangers. We do see familiar faces - actors we "know" - but these are media personalities, known from films, TV interviews, and magazines. They are strangers who live outside our daily lives. In contrast, the homespun story is told by a family member, friend, or teacher with whom we have an on-going relationship.

Make Your Own Cheese

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:03 GMT

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The heating of milk helps to break down the proteins that cause irritation in the gut and trigger allergic reactions in those susceptible, making cheese generally more easily digested than fresh milk. Cheeses that get their acidity from a bacterial culture are also lower in lactose than fresh milk, as this sugar is what the bacteria digest as they ferment the milk. Ripened firm cheeses, like cheddar, contain only about five percent of the lactose found in fresh milk.Cheeses that are fermented use a variety of cultures to obtain the specific flavor and texture of the particular variety being made. For example, the big bubbles typical of Swiss cheese are a gift from the bacteria Propionibacter shermani. This bacterium creates large amounts of carbon dioxide that are then trapped within the cheese as it firms. Cheeses made from raw milk often require no additional culture to be added - the bacterial strains particular to the place where the cheese is made are those found in the cheese of that region. Today, cheese makers can purchase commercially prepared cultures for many types of cheese without relying on what is in their milk or in the air.Regardless of the simplicity or sophistication of a particular cheese, the freshness of the milk with which it begins and the cheese maker's gentle hands are the two constants. As with many staple foods, modern cooks have lost not only the skills needed to make cheese, but the confidence that these foods can be made at home at all. While the home cook likely won't be turning out Camembert the first time out of the gate, it is not only possible to make a simple, fresh cheese easily, giving it a try may introduce a whole new world of kitchen craft.

Bring Me Sunshine The Power Behind Eco Gardening

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:02 GMT

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That said, my greenhouse uses an awful lot of energy during the course of a year, or perhaps it's more accurate to say it catches an awful lot. This clean, green energy doesn't come down a cable or a pipe, it costs me nothing (there's no meter to read), there are never any outages (except at night), it causes zero pollution (no release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide), it doesn't involve destruction of natural habitats, and it's supplied daily (the actual hours vary depending on the season) in mind-boggling amounts on a renewable basis, meaning it will last pretty much forever. It's wonderful stuff, this modern sunshine.If what we're using is safe, clean, and green modern sunshine, what of the ancient variety? Most of modern life runs on non-renewable and finite ancient sunshine, in the form of oil, coal, and natural gas, the so-called fossil fuels used in manufacturing and burned to provide energy. This sunshine was captured by plants when it shone on Earth some four hundred million years ago, before being locked away in their decaying, carbon-rich tissues and eventually becoming fossilized. Burning fossil fuels liberates the energy ofthat ancient sunshine, but when we drive our cars or heat our greenhouses, we're paying a hefty ecological price. Burning ancient sunshine releases carbon dioxide, and it is this gas, which we're unleashing in increasing amounts, that is sending our global climate off kilter.This article is [John Walker], who is an award-winning British gardening and environment writer with over thirty years combined experience in professional gardening, horticultural teaching, and the garden media. He trained at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, England, where he was awarded the Kew Diploma in Horticulture. He also has a Permaculture Design Certificate. He has worked as an editor and writer for many U.K. gardening magazines, websites, and blogs. He has twice

Cheap Sun

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:02 GMT

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Below that is a cold frame made with straw bales topped with salvaged windows. The space between the bales will hold some seed trays and a thermometer for monitoring the temperature (too hot is as bad as too cold!).The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses by Eliot Coleman (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009}Home Solar Gardening: Solar Greenhouses For Your House, Backyard or Apartment by John H. Pierce (Key Porter Books, 1992}

Cooking With the Sun

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:02 GMT

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Solar cooking is becoming more popular as the cost of energy and the interest in self-reliance and green living rise. But it's also a way to provide inexpensive, clean energy in developing countries for cooking and boiling water. It has been estimated that using a solar cooker for a single year can eliminate the need for one ton of firewood. And a solar cooker eliminates the need for an open flame, meaning cleaner air for some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.Some solar cooking enthusiasts claim that solar cooked food tastes better - presumably because of the long, slow, cooking times. Generally, you will have the best success with food that likes slow cooking, and that generates its own moisture. That includes things like a whole chicken, baked potatoes, garlic, and stews. Green vegetables can get mushy, and cookies, cakes, and breads are also time-sensitive and can dry out easily. The best way to begin your solar cooking adventure is to check out one of the specialized cookbooks that are available (see below for a few titles).Measure and continue to monitor both box and food temperatures during the cooking process to ensure safety. If you are cooking meat, only do so on cloudless days and during peak cooking times two hours before and after high noon. Internal food temperature should not remain between forty and one hundred and forty degrees F for more than two hours. The USDA has published a caution about solar cookers, suggesting that if the box temperature rises too slowly, there may be a temperature problem before the food starts cooking.

What Are They Doing To Our Food? And What Can We Do About it?

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:02 GMT

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So-called "pink slime" is a good example of industrialized food - and people's reaction when they realize what they are eating. The term was coined a decade ago by a grossed out U.S. government microbiologist to describe a byproduct created from low quality, high-fat beef trimmings and connective tissue, treated with ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria. It has long been used as an unlabeled filler in ground beef products, with its manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture spinning it as boneless lean beef trimmings (BLBT) or lean, finely textured beef (LFTB). Estimates are that it appears in between fifty and seventy percent of the ground meat and burgers in the U.S. (Other countries - including Canada - do not allow the use of ammonium hydroxide in ground beef, although it is considered to be a safe additives and is widely used in baked goods, puddings, and other processed foods.)High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - called glucose-fructose syrup in the UK, glucose/fructose in Canada, and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries - is basically corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert more or less half of its glucose into fructose. In North America, it has replaced the more expensive sucrose (table sugar) in processed foods (even ones that you wouldn't think would be sweetened, like crackers, yogurt, and salad dressing) and beverages, where it can be labeled as "corn syrup." Its ubiquity is a problem; in 2005, Americans each consumed, on average, more than forty-two pounds of high-fructose corn syrup, representing ten percent of all calories consumed.Demand safer food laws and clear labeling: We need to be able to choose what we eat. For instance, many countries require labels to identify GMOs in food, but not the U.S. or Canada. The Just Label It coalition recently commissioned a survey that found ninety-one percent of American voters favor the labeling of food with GE ingrethents. And at least a million people in the U.S. have s

From Our Readers

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:01 GMT

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Apparently, they actually tested fifty different kinds of products for chemicals. And the majority of the products marketed for having safer ingrethents contained chemicals of concern, including hormone disrupters and those associated with asthma. The highest levels were in vinyl products, such as shower curtains and pillow protectors, and fragranced products, such as dryer sheets and sunscreens. Of the alternative sunscreens, the product with the highest number of target chemicals was one marketed for babies and children!The organization says that, despite limited product labeling, consumers can take some steps to reduce their exposures. They recommend using fewer products; exercising caution with products applied directly to the skin and products used indoors, where chemicals accumulate in the air and dust; avoiding vinyl products, products containing fragrances, and anti-bacterials (triclosan and triclocarban); using soap and water for cleaning; and getting involved in local and national efforts to modernize chemical safety testing to keep harmful chemicals out of products in the first place.

Repair Rather Than Replace

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:01 GMT

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That problem can be solved with some bravery (start slowly, say by darning your sock holes), and a lot of help from your friends. There are lots of books available (from repair manuals to the "Complete Idiots" and "Dummies" series), and plenty of helpful information on the web (see our "Learn More" section below). However, one of the best ways to tackle this problem is with others, since we're all in the same boat. Some of us are braver than others about opening the back of a computer, and some more knowledgeable, so working together can help build confidence in our abilities. And besides, combining repairs with socializing will help you find the time to do it.Helping each other repair our broken belongings while having fun is the impetus for a growing number of groups around the world. Variously called "fixer collectives," "repair cafs," or "fixerspaces," they are often offshoots of the tool libraries that we wrote about in Natural Life 's September/October 2011 issue. Some of the first such initiatives were started at bicycle collectives, where self-repair is a necessity.

Ask Natural Life

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:01 GMT

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In spite of the hygienic properties of wood, the pallets harbor whatever pathogens they're exposed to and can, as a result, carry dangerously high bacteria counts. In 2010, after an outbreak of E. cou on romaine lettuce, the Washington-based National Consumers League (NCL) called for stricter safety standards for the pallets used to transport food throughout the United States. NCL had an independent lab test pallets for food borne pathogens and found that ten percent of them tested positive for E.coli and almost three percent tested positive for Listeria, one of the most virulent food borne pathogens with a twenty to thirty percent rate of mortality. They also found high aerobic plate counts, which reflect unsanitary conditions and where bacteria could easily grow, on approximately one third of the wood pallets.Pallets not used to transport food can also be problematic. Various fungicides such as propiconazole (a suspected carcinogen) are common treatments. A few years ago, McNeil Consumer Healthcare was involved in two product recalls attributed to contamination from treated pallets. A Tylenol recall happened after consumers complained of a moldy, musty, mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The odor was attributed to wood pallets that had been treated with a mold control chemical called "tribromophenol" or TBP. Later, the diabetes drug Glumetza was also recalled due to TBP contamination, thought to have originated with pallets used to transport the product's bottles to its contract manufacturer in Puerto Rico. TBP is not sanctioned in many countries, including the USA (although other mold treatments are).Older pallets could also have been pressure treated with chromated copper arsenale (CCA), which has been phased out for many residential uses. The arsenic in CCA-treated wood can be dislodged so that direct contact with wood can lead to exposure, thought to be a problem especially for children, and it can leach int

Adaptation Not Denial

ProQuest LLC — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:06:01 GMT

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Acceptance can often lead to fear - and, according to a study done last year in Australia, fear is the most common result of acceptance of climate change. Fear can induce different responses in different people. In a report from Australia's national science agency CSIRO, Professor lain Walker wrote that some of us will respond with more climate-friendly actions while others will withdraw from the issue. "Fear may cause some people to feel overwhelmed or powerless that their actions may make no difference," he says.

Raman spectra of minerals containing interconnected As(Sb)O^sub 3^ pyramids: trippkeite and schafarzikite

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:28 GMT

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Oriented single-crystals of trippkeite (CuAs2O4) and an isostructural mineral schafarzikite (FeSb2O4) were investigated by polarized Raman spectroscopy. The internal vibrations, i.e. the stretching and bending modes, of trippkeite occur between 250 and 850 cm-1, and those of schafarzikite between 200 and 750 cm-1. The higher mass and the longer bond distances of the SbO3 groups readily explain the lower wavenumbers of the latter. Comparing the spectra of minerals containing XO3 pyramids with those of the minerals from the present study, approximate similarities in the spectral features are evident. A clear distinction between Raman spectra of separated and interconnected (As,Sb)O3 groups is not observed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Effect of natural irradiation in fluorites: possible implications for nuclear waste management?

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:27 GMT

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Samples of naturally irradiated fluorite have been analyzed by means of X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The diffraction patterns of all irradiated samples show peak broadening caused by micro-strain, which was evaluated by Williamson-Hall method, and an increase in the unit cell parameter. The DSC analysis showed an exothermic peak at 273 C corresponding to enthalpy change about 16 kJ.mol-1. This value is an order of magnitude higher than calculated change due to unit cell volume increase that is only 2 kJ.mol-1. The LA-ICP-MS did not show any significant substitutions, which might account for observed unit-cell parameter increase. The results have shown that high radiation doses lead to formation of defect clusters. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Oxide minerals in the granitic cupola of the Jlama Batholith, Salamanca, Spain. Part I: accessory Sn, Nb, Ta and Ti minerals in leucogranites, aplites and pegmatites

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:26 GMT

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Sn-Nb-Ta-Ti oxides occur as accessory minerals in the granitic facies of the External Unit in the Jlama Batholith (Salamanca, Spain) and in the related LCT pegmatite dikes of the rare-element class. Moreover, abundant cassiterite and columbite-group minerals crystallized in the Cruz del Rayo peribatholithic pegmatite dikes, cutting the pre-Ordovician low-grade metasedimentary rocks of the surrounding Schist-Graywacke Complex. Cassiterite, rutile, ilmenite and tantalite-(Fe) occur disseminated in the border facies of the External Unit, especially throughout the tourmaline-bearing leucogranite and the apical aplites. Additionally, cassiterite, rutile and Ta-rich rutile developed locally in the intragranitic pegmatite dikes. Two types of peribatholithic pegmatites can be distinguished at Cruz del Rayo: (i) granite-like pegmatites, with columbite-( Fe) I and II and cassiterite, in which the influence of metasomatic fluids led to formation of the late albite unit and crystallization of tantalite-(Fe), and (ii) greisen-like bodies, which contain high amounts of columbite-(Fe), columbite- (Mn), tantalite-(Mn) I and II as well as cassiterite. The primary oxide assemblage in both types of the peribatholithic pegmatite dikes would have crystallized as a result of magmatic differentiation of the residual melts coming from the Jlama granitic cupola. However, crystallization of the secondary assemblage, richer in Fe and Ta, is interpreted mainly as a consequence of interaction with external fluids coming from the metamorphic host rocks, more or less mixed with meteoric fluids, although partial dissolution and re-precipitation could have played an important role, as well. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Multiple monazite growth in the reskutan migmatite: evidence for a polymetamorphic Late Ordovician to Late Silurian evolution in the Seve Nappe Complex of west-central Jmtland, Sweden

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:25 GMT

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Monazite from granulite-facies rocks of the reskutan Nappe in the Scandinavian Caledonides (Seve Nappe Complex, Sweden) was dated using in-situ U-Th-total Pb chemical geochronology (CHIME). Multi-spot analyses of a non-sheared migmatite neosome yielded an age of 439 3 Ma, whereas a sheared migmatite gave 433 3 Ma (2σ). Although the obtained dates are rather similar, a continuous array of single dates from c. 400 Ma to c. 500 Ma suggests possibly a more complex monazite age pattern in the studied rocks. The grouping and recalculation of the obtained results in respect to Y-Th-U systematics and microtextural context allowed distinguishing several different populations of monazite grains/growth zones. In the migmatite neosome, low-Th and low-Y domains dated at 455 11 Ma are considered to have grown under highgrade sub-solidus conditions, most likely during a progressive burial metamorphic event. The monazites with higher Th and lower Y yielded an age of 439 4 Ma marking the subsequent partial melting event caused by decompression. The youngest (423 13 Ma) Y-enriched monazite reveals features of fluid-assisted growth and is interpreted to date the emplacement of the reskutan onto the Lower Seve Nappe. In the sheared migmatite, the high-Th and low-U (high Th/U) monazite with variable Y contents yielded an age of 438 4 Ma, which is interpreted to date the partial melting event. Relatively U-rich rims on some of the monazite grains again reveal features of fluid-assisted growth, and thus their age of 424 6 Ma is interpreted as timing of the nappes emplacement. These results call, however, for further more precise, isotopic (preferably ion microprobe) dating of monazite in the studied rocks. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Journal of Geosciences - changes planned since 2013

ProQuest LLC — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:24 GMT

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The current policy asking for modest contribution towards the extra costs of colour printing remains unaffected, as will be the possibility to present colour illustrations free of charge in the online version. [...]from the issue 1/2013, we will have to stop providing free paper reprints.

The onset of the Permo-Carboniferous glaciation: reconciling global stratigraphic evidence with biogenic apatite [delta]^sup 18^O records in the late Visean

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:24:36 GMT

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The δ^sup 18^O values of phosphatic microfossils recovered from NW Ireland are used to determine the timing and magnitude of cooling associated with the onset of the Carboniferous glaciation. Microfossil fish δ^sup 18^O^sub apatite^ demonstrates a +2.4[per thousand] (V-SMOW) shift, which, once corrected for δ^sup 18^O^sub seawater^ changes owing to evolving ice volumes, equates to an approximate 4.5 C reduction in equatorial sea surface temperature between the earliest Asbian and the mid-Brigantian (late Visean). Both conodont and microfossil fish δ^sup 18^O^sub apatite^ indicate stabilization of an 'icehouse' climate during the Brigantian and into the Serpukhovian. Substantial late Visean cooling identified herein is in good agreement with global glacioeustatic records. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

New single crystal ^sup 40^Ar/^sup 39^Ar ages improve time scale for deposition of the Omo Group, Omo-Turkana Basin, East Africa

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:24:32 GMT

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Six tuffaceous beds within the Omo Group of the Omo-Turkana Basin have been dated using the ^sup 40^Ar/^sup 39^Ar single crystal total fusion method on anorthoclase, yielding eruption ages. The Omo Group constitutes up to 800 m of subaerially exposed sediments surrounding Lake Turkana within the East African Rift system in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. Rhyolitic explosive eruptions produced tuffs and pumice clasts that are considered to have been deposited shortly after eruption. The new age data on feldspars from the pumice clasts range from 4.02 0.04 Ma for the Naibar Tuff of the Koobi Fora Formation to 1.53 0.02 Ma for Tuff K of the Shungura Formation. The Orange Tuff in the KBS Member of the Koobi Fora Formation was dated at 1.76 0.03 Ma, providing good control in this part of the sequence where formerly there was a 200 ka gap. Data are consistent with earlier measurements and significantly improve age resolution within the Omo Group, which has yielded many vertebrate fossils, including hominin fossils comprising a number of species. We suggest new age estimates for a limited number of hominin specimens. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Climatic oscillations at the onset of the Mesozoic inferred from palynological records from the North Indian Margin

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:24:32 GMT

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The beginning of the Mesozoic, the Early Triassic, is characterized by several ecological perturbations following the end-Permian mass extinction. They are reflected in multiple C-isotope excursions coupled with climatic changes. Here we present palynological data from two accurately dated sections from the North Indian Margin (Pakistan and South Tibet). The climate of the Early Triassic was controlled by persistent monsoon circulation. The spore/pollen ratios, used as a proxy for humidity changes, indicate several significant climatic changes coinciding with C-isotope excursions. Comparison with published climate model simulations reveals that the climatic shifts were induced by orbital forcing and probably represent eccentricity cycles. Humidity peaks indicate an insolation forced shift of the intertropical convergence zone towards the North Indian Margin. Comparison with palynological data from Norway and other proxies reveal that the profound climatic change from humid to drier climate across the Smithian-Spathian boundary represents a global event, which affected southern and northern mid-latitudes and coincided with major ammonoid and conodont extinction events. This implies that increased greenhouse gas concentrations owing to recurring volcanic pulses increased the climate system sensitivity, resulting in climatic changes in distant parts of the world. Our data strongly support a link between C-isotope excursions, climatic changes and biotic responses. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Major early thrusting as a control on the Palaeoproterozoic evolution of the Lewisian Complex: evidence from the Outer Hebrides, NW Scotland

ProQuest LLC — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:24:31 GMT

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New structural, metamorphic and geochronological data suggest that the Lewisian Complex of the Outer Hebrides can be interpreted as a Proterozoic orogen in which a thrust sheet of juvenile arc material was driven over Archaean gneisses at an early stage. Incubation and loading of the underlying Archaean gneisses triggered prograde metamorphism and extensive ductile deformation with a strong gravitational flattening component combined with top-to-the-WNW transport. Large shear zones developed at this time are of local importance, but are not fundamental structural boundaries. The recognition of early orogenic thrusting followed by extensive ductile deformation shows a close resemblance to the sequence of events recognized within the Nagssugtoqidian orogen, with which the Lewisian Complex is correlated. As in the Nagssugtoqidian orogen, younger penetrative ductile deformation often masks the major structural boundaries formed by older thrusts. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]