PLANET EARTH

Global Update: June 24, 2010

Contact Marri Carrow at 202-789-0789

Download the PDF United States Risks Losing Export Market to Colombia --Canada Ratifies FTA with Colombia-- While the United States sits on the sidelines, competition for market share in Colombia heats up as U.S. competitors negotiate free trade agreements (FTA). This week, Canada ratified an FTA with Colombia and the European Union is expected to complete an agreement this summer. According to the U.S. Grains Council, the continued delay in ratifying the U.S-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) is having a profound impact on U.S. agriculture. “Despite the fact that Colombia has been the largest market for U.S. agriculture exports in South America and the third-largest market in the Western hemisphere, behind only Canada and Mexico, we have lost significant market share in just a short period,” said USGC Chairman Rick Fruth. U.S. exports of agricultural commodities declined sharply from $1.6 billion in 2008 to $907 million in 2009, a 46 percent decline.

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Global Update: June 17, 2010

Contact Marri Carrow at 202-789-0789

Download the PDF Ambassador Yeutter to Speak at USGC Annual Meeting  The Honorable Clayton Yeutter, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is scheduled to speak at the U.S. Grains Council’s 50th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting next month. The meeting, to be held July 18-21, 2010, will celebrate the Council’s 50 years of international market development for U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products. Ambassador Yeutter’s affiliation with the Council began in the 1960s when he returned to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and became involved in international affairs. “I was impressed that [the Council] had already established a number of offices and had excellent people doing a superb job of getting the recipient companies interested in feed grains; not an easy task at the time,” Ambassador Yeutter said.

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Global Update: June 10, 2010

Contact Marri Carrow at 202-789-0789

Download the PDF USGC’s Spring China Crop Tour Concludes Huge US Corn Potential Opportunity exists for China to import a “huge” amount of U.S. corn to meet its current market demand, before the 2010 crop enters the market, said U.S. Grains Council Assistant Director in China Sam Niu Yishan. This observation came subsequent to the Council’s spring tour of Northeast China’s corn crop production and supply, which concluded June 3, 2010. Separated into three groups, nine experts in the international grains trading field, including members of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, traveled more than 3000 kilometers (1,864 miles) throughout the Chinese Provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin. The team also met with officials from Heilongjiang Grains Bureau and Jilin Agricultural Committee to exchange opinions on China’s crop production as well as its 2010 planting adversities. “China’s 2010 corn planting acreage is lower than expected, due to abnormal rains, snow and temperatures this spring,” said Yishan. While planting corn is more desirable due to current corn market conditions, Yishan said 2 to 3 percent of intended corn planting did not occur. Instead, farmers planted other crops such as green beans, sunflowers and corn silage.

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Global Update: June 3, 2010

Contact Marri Carrow at 202-789-0789

Download the PDF Pearson to Keynote at U.S. Grains Council 50th Anniversary Meeting The Honorable Daniel R. Pearson, vice chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, is slated to deliver the keynote address July 20 at the U.S. Grains Council’s 50th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting. The meeting, to be held July 18-21, 2010, will celebrate the Council’s 50 years of international market development for U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products. Pearson intends to look to the future and echo the meeting’s theme, "50 Years of Leadership, Acting on Opportunity," while his remarks will be heavily influenced by the lessons learned through active U.S. agricultural engagement in the global marketplace. He will also cover the challenges that lie ahead in the U.S. feed grains sector.

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Global Update: May 27, 2010

Contact Marri Carrow at 202-789-0789

Download the PDF Independent Study Highlights Success of USDA, FAS Market Development Programs From the facilitation of a buyer’s conference in Southeast Asia to spearheading feeding trials in Jordan, the U.S. Grains Council aligns its strategies with goals outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as part of a shared effort to increase export opportunities for U.S. producers. Through FAS-administered programs, such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program, the Council is able to increase U.S. market opportunities for U.S. grains and co-products. But just how effective are such programs and do they contribute to the U.S. farmer’s bottom line? A recent independent study led by IHS Global Insight Inc. reveals that USDA’s international market development programs have a positive and significant impact on U.S. agricultural trade and the work done by agricultural cooperatives like the U.S. Grains Council. According to the study: • For every additional $1 expended by government and industry on market development, U.S. food and agricultural exports increased by $35; • Without the increased investment in market development since 2002, U.S. agricultural exports would have been $6.1 billion lower in 2009; • Export gains associated with the programs increased the average annual level of U.S. farm cash receipts by $4.4 billion and net cash farm income by $1.5 billion. At the same time, U.S. domestic support payments were reduced by roughly $54 million annually due to higher prices from increased demand abroad, thus reducing the net cost of the programs.

Learn about environmental factors and conditions that affect human health, what is being done nationally and internationally to mitigate those problems, and how you and your family can lower the risks to your health from environmental hazards.

Does Sunscreen Really Protect Your Skin?


Sunscreen is supposed to let you get enough sunshine for good health while shielding you from harmful rays that can cause sunburn and skin cancer. Does your sunscreen offer the protection you need, or leave you exposed to UV radiation and harmful chemicals?

Life is Short: Life Expectancy Declines for American Women
Life expectancy for American women is declining for the first time since the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918, according to a new study. Life expectancy is going down or failing to improve for nearly 1 in 5 U.S. women. Smoking and obesity are seen as major causes for the loss of life expectancy among American women.

Dear EarthTalk: What is the deal with plastics recycling these days? Can you explain what the different numbers molded onto the bottom of plastic containers stand for? –Tom Croarkin, Fairfield, CT

The confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome, as different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others only accept jugs, containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms.

Recycling by the Numbers
The symbol code we’re familiar with—a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows—was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers.

The numbers, which 39 U.S. states now require to be molded or imprinted on all eight-ounce to five-gallon containers that can accept the half-inch minimum-size symbol, identify the type of plastic. According to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade group, the symbols also help recyclers do their jobs more effectively.

Easy Plastics to Recycle
The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles.

Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo and motor oil. Plastic labeled with the number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope. Like plastic designated number 1, it is widely accepted at recycling centers.

Plastics Less Commonly Recycled
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and even some baby bottle nipples, gets number 3. Like numbers 4 (wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene) and 5 (polypropylene containers used in Tupperware, among other products), few municipal recycling centers will accept it due to its very low rate of recyclability.

Another Useful Plastic to Recycle
Number 6 goes on polystyrene (Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing “peanuts” and insulation. It is widely accepted because it can be reprocessed into many items, including cassette tapes and rigid foam insulation.

Hardest Plastics to Recycle
Last, but far from least, are items crafted from various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle and, as such, are seldom collected or recycled. More ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the local waste stream, and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly.

* Get Ready to Recycle--Set up your household to make recycling easy. Keep recycling waste containers or baskets in strategic locations in your house along with ordinary waste baskets. It is easier to toss recyclables in a separate container than it is to rummage through the trash later to separate everything. Use the same types of containers for recyclable trash as you would for any other trash throughout the house.

Having only one container for recyclable trash in the kitchen or garage is not likely to foster participation in household recycling, because few people would want to walk to the other end of house to dispose of every piece of paper.

Bathrooms can generate a fair amount of recyclable waste, shampoo bottles, empty facial tissue boxes, and empty toilet paper tubes.

Any home office or room where students study is a place where a container for recyclable material would be useful. Alternately, a bathroom recycle container of sufficient size could be used to accommodate the recyclable waste generated in nearby rooms.

• Use towels, rags, and sponges for most cleaning and wipe-ups. Keep a large enough supply of rags and wash cloths so you will always have some clean ones. Even if you need to buy a supply of small towels and wash cloths to get yourself started, the initial cost will be quickly offset by your reduced need to buy disposable substitutes, and you might think they work better than disposables. (See the Reuse Products page.) If you frequently need a damp rag or wash cloth close at hand, just find an ordinary old plastic bottle or old spray bottle and fill it with your own home-made cleaning solution. You could mix up a mild cleaner of one part vinegar to seven parts water, or something much stronger with diluted alcohol, bleach, or ammonia. (Do not mix bleach and ammonia. The combination creates an asphyxiating gas.) See the Cleaning and Custodial Supply page of the Waste Prevention Information Exchange for ideas.
• Use cloth napkins. Buy a large supply of inexpensive cotton napkins to use every day, the initial cost will be quickly offset by your reduced need to buy disposable paper substitutes. See the Reuse Products page.
• Invest in a set of cloth grocery bags. They hold more, are easier to carry, protect glass jars and bottles better, last seemingly forever, and save energy and resources. Even if you recycle your paper or plastic grocery bags, you consume some energy and resources. See the Reuse Products page.
• Collect and use plastic food storage containers. More durable than plastic bags, leak less, reduce odors in the refrigerator, keep moths out of dry goods in the cupboard.
• Invest in rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. You can run almost anything, from flashlights to digital cameras, with rechargeable batteries. In the long run it is cheaper and better for the environment..

• Find uses for things you discard. Consult your phone directory to see if your community has a reuse center. Other options for reuse are as indicated below:
  • Computers
    • Consult the Electronic Products Management Directory.
  • Demolition Waste from Remodeling and Construction
    • Consult the Construction and Demolition Debris Recyclers Directory for facilities that collect specific types of construction and demolition debris for reuse or recycling.
  • Electronics
    • Consult the Electronic Products Management Directory.
  • Everything Else
    • List your reusable items in a Materials Exchange.
    • Consult the CIWMB Reuse Website.
    • Donate to charity.

• Packaging
  • Buy food in large quantities or in bulk. Grains and cereal are especially easy to purchase this way. Avoiding small individual packages of any product or consumable greatly reduces the amount of paper or boxboard that you buy and throw away. Of course, don't buy large quantities if the food would spoil before it is used.
  • Vote with your dollars. When comparing products of different manufacturers, consider giving preference to those that use less packaging.
• Unwanted Mail
  • Fight back! You can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

• Reduce needless consumption and the generation of waste.
• Reuse any item that can be reused or give it to a person or charity that can reuse it.
• Recycle whatever discards remain if you can and only dispose what you must.

Please keep in mind that recycling is your least preferred option. Reducing the generation of waste so there is no waste left to recycle would be the ideal. Make it your goal. Also keep in mind the concept of "cycle" in the term "recycle". For there to be a complete cycle, the things you send to be recycled must come back to you. So, look for recycled content products whenever you buy, otherwise you are not truly recycling.
The terms reuse and recycle have specific meanings, but they are often confused, switched, and misused, especially in commerce. Just so you know which is which, you might want to review the definitions of these terms on the definitions page.

Q: What is an earthquake and what causes them to happen?
Ans: An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Stresses in the earth's outer layer push the sides of the fault together. Stress builds up and the rocks slips suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake. An EQ occurs when plates grind and scrape against each other. In California there are two plates the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate consists of most of the Pacific Ocean floor and the California Coast line. The North American Plate comprises most the North American Continent and parts of the Atlantic Ocean floor. These primary boundary between these two plates is the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is more than 650 miles long and extends to depths of at least 10 miles. Many other smaller faults like the Hayward (Northern California) and the San Jacinto (Southern California) branch from and join the San Andreas Fault Zone. The Pacific Plate grinds northwestward past the North American Plate at a rate of about two inches per year. Parts of the San Andreas Fault system adapt to this movement by constant "creep" resulting in many tiny shocks and a few moderate earth tremors. In other areas where creep is NOT constant, strain can build up for hundreds of years, producing great EQs when it finally releases.
Q: Can we cause earthquakes? Is there any way to prevent earthquakes?
Ans: Earthquakes induced by human activity have been documented in a few locations in the United States, Japan, and Canada. The cause was injection of fluids into deep wells for waste disposal and secondary recovery of oil, and the use of reservoirs for water supplies. Most of these earthquakes were minor. The largest and most widely known resulted from fluid injection at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado. In 1967, an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 followed a series of smaller earthquakes. Injection had been discontinued at the site in the previous year once the link between the fluid injection and the earlier series of earthquakes was established. (Nicholson, Craig and Wesson, R.L., 1990, Earthquake Hazard Associated with Deep Well Injection--A Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1951, 74 p.) Other human activities, even nuclear detonations, have not been linked to earthquake activity. Energy from nuclear blasts dissipates quickly along the Earth's surface. Earthquakes are part of a global tectonic process that generally occurs well beyond the influence or control of humans. The focus (point of origin) of earthquakes is typically tens to hundreds of miles underground. The scale and force necessary to produce earthquakes are well beyond our daily lives. We cannot prevent earthquakes; however, we can significantly mitigate their effects by identifying hazards, building safer structures, and providing education on earthquake safety.

Q: During an Earth Quake (EQ), should you head for the doorway?
Ans: Yes, only if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe. In modern homes, doorways are no stronger than any other parts of the house and usually have doors that will swing and can injure you. You are safer practicing the duck, cover, and hold under a sturdy piece of furniture.
Q: What emergency supplies do I need?
Ans:

1. Fire extinguisher
2. Adequate supplies of medications that you or family members are taking.
3. Crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies.
4. First-aid kit and handbook.
5. Flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries.
6. Portable radio with extra batteries.
7. Water for each family member for at least 3 days (allow at least 1 gallon per person per day) and purification tablets or chlorine bleach to purify drinking water from other sources.
8. Canned and package foods, enough for several days and MECHANICAL can opener. Extra food for pets if necessary.
9. Camp stove or barbecue to cook on outdoors (store fuel out of the reach of children).
10. Waterproof, heavy-duty plastic bags for waste disposal.

Fact Sheet 01: Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes

Descriptor	Magnitude	Average Annually
Great	8 and higher	1 ¹
Major	7 - 7.9	17 ²
Strong	6 - 6.9	134 ²
Moderate	5 - 5.9	1319 ²
Light	4 - 4.9	13,000 (estimated)
Minor	3 - 3.9	130,000 (estimated)
Very Minor	2 - 2.9	1,300,000 (estimated)
¹ Based on observations since 1900. ² Based on observations since 1990.

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Fact Sheet 02: Year-wise description of Earth Quakes

Number of Earthquakes Worldwide for 2000 - 2005. Located by the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center
Magnitude	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
8.0 to 9.9	1	1	0	1	2	1
7.0 to 7.9	14	15	13	14	14	9
6.0 to 6.9	158	126	130	140	140	116
5.0 to 5.9	1345	1243	1218	1203	1509	1307
4.0 to 4.9	8045	8084	8584	8462	10894	10264
3.0 to 3.9	4784	6151	7005	7624	7937	5782
2.0 to 2.9	3758	4162	6419	7727	6317	3249
1.0 to 1.9	1026	944	1137	2506	1344	20
0.1 to 0.9	5	1	10	134	103	0
No Magnitude	3120	2938	2937	3608	2939	642
Total	22256	23534	27454	31419	* 31199	* 21390
Estimated Deaths	231	21357	1685	33819	284010	1957

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What is an earthquake and what causes them to happen?

An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Stresses in the earth's outer layer push the sides of the fault together. Stress builds up and the rocks slips suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake. An EQ occurs when plates grind and scrape against each other. In California there are two plates the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate consists of most of the Pacific Ocean floor and the California Coast line. The North American Plate comprises most the North American Continent and parts of the Atlantic Ocean floor. These primary boundary between these two plates is the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is more than 650 miles long and extends to depths of at least 10 miles. Many other smaller faults like the Hayward (Northern California) and the San Jacinto (Southern California) branch from and join the San Andreas Fault Zone. The Pacific Plate grinds northwestward past the North American Plate at a rate of about two inches per year. Parts of the San Andreas Fault system adapt to this movement by constant "creep" resulting in many tiny shocks and a few moderate earth tremors. In other areas where creep is NOT constant, strain can build up for hundreds of years, producing great EQs when it finally releases.

Ash is the main solid waste which is put into use for various products and services. NTPC has adopted user friendly policy guidelines on ash utilisation.In order to motivate entrepreneurs to come forward with ash utilisation schemes, NTPC offers several facilities and incentives. These include free issue of all types of ash viz. Dry Fly Ash / Pond Ash / Bottom Ash and infrastructure facilities, wherever feasible. Necessary help and assistance is also offered to facilitate procurement of land, supply of electricity etc from Government Authorities. Necessary techno-managerial assistance is given wherever considered necessary. Besides, NTPC uses only ash based bricks and Fly Ash portland pozzolana cement (FAPPC) in most of its construction activities. Demonstration projects are taken up in areas of Agriculture, Building materials, Mine filling etc. The utilisation of ash and ash based products is progressively increasing as a result of the concrete efforts of these groups.

NTPC has been a leader in the industrial sector of India in undertaking scientific studies related to thermal power generation. NTPC has pioneered several scientific studies in collaboration with national/ international institutions to develop an environmental databank e.g. Detailed Geohydrological Studies to understand the
impact of ash pond leachate on ground water and Ecological Impacts Monitoring through Remote Sensing Data have been carried out at its operating stations as discussed below.

Environment Impact Asssement Studies:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies are inevitably undertaken to evaluate potential negative impacts as well as to formulate Environmental Management Plans to overcome the identified impacts. Based on the recommendations of Environmental Impact Assessment Study and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the conditions stipulated in the clearances from Ministry of Environment and Forests and State Pollution Control Boards, These studies consists of impact assessment in the area of the land use, water use,
socio-economic aspects, soil, hydrology, water quality, meteorology, air quality,terrestrial and aquatic ecology and noise. These studies are conducted before starting the construction as well as after operation of the plant and gives comprehensive status of the environment as existed before construction as well as in the post operational stages of the project. The EIA involves stage-by-stage evaluation of various parameters which affect the environment. Based on EIA study, wherever required, specific scientific studies are also conducted to scientifically assess the likely impact of the pollutants on the sensitive flora and fauna in the surroundings, as also, to take preventive and mitigatory measures, wherever required.

As a policy, NTPC lays special emphasis on land use and Bio-diversity by way of development of green belts, energy plantations, reclmation of abandoned Ash Ponds and EIA and ecological monitoring in the project areas and its surroundings.

Reclamation of Abandoned Ash ponds:

The reclamation of abandoned ash pond sites is a challenging task. NTPC has reclaimed temporary ash disposal areas at some of its projects namely Ramagundam, Talcher Thermal, Rihand, Singrauli and
Unchahar through plantation and converted these sites into lush green environments. Extensive plantations have also been undertaken on dry ash mound at NTPC-Dadri. It is planned to reclaim all the abandoned ash disposal areas by plantation.

Various types of wastes such as Municilal or domestic wastes, hazardous wastes, Bio-Medical wastes get generated in power plant areas, plant hospital and the townships of projects. The wastes generated are a number of solid and hazardous wastes like used oils & waste oils, grease, lead acid batteries, other lead bearing wastes (such as garkets etc.), oil & clarifier sludge, used resin, used photochemicals, asbestos packing, e-waste, metal scrap, C&I wastes, electricial scrap, empty cylinders (refillable), paper, rubber products, canteen (bio-degradable) wastes, buidling material wastes, silica gel, glass wool, fused lamps & tubes, fire resistant fluids etc. These wastes fall either under hazardous wastes category or non-hazardous wastes category as per classification given in Government of India’s notification on Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 1989 (as amended on 06.01.2000 & 20.05.2003). Handling and manegement of these wastes in NTPC stations have been discussed below.

With better awareness and appreciation towards ecology and environment, the organization is continually looking for innovative and cost effective solutions to conserve natural resources and reduce wastes. Some of the measures include:

• Reduction in land requirements for main plant and ash disposal areas in newer units.
• Capacity addition in old plants, within existing land.
• Reduction in water requirement for main plant and ash disposal areas through recycle and reuse of water.
• Efficient use of Fuel (Coal, Natural gas and Fuel oil) and
• Reduction in fuel requirement through more efficient combustion and adoption of state-of-the-art technologies such as super critical boilers

Environment Management During Operation Phase

NTPC's environment friendly approach to power has already begun to show results in conservation of natural resources such as water and fuel (coal, oil & gas) as well as control of environmental pollution. As already mentioned earlier, NTPC has chalked out a set of well defined activities that are envisaged right from the
project conceptualisation stage so that during the entire life cycle of the power plant, NTPC is fully compliant with various environment regulations and a pristine environment and ecological balance is maintained in and around its power station and townships. Following is brief description of some of the measures taken during the operation phase of the stations. Performance enhancement and up-gradation measures are undertaken by the organisation during the post operational stage of the stations. These activities have greatly helped to minimise the impact on environment and preserve the ecology in and around its power projects. These measures have been enumerated as follows.