MADISON, Wis. - Farm officials say Wisconsin's specialty crops industry, which includes fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers, will get most of a $750,000 grant awarded to the state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The money is to be used to make specialty crops more competitive, and is part of $49 million awarded nationally. For example, the Wisconsin Grape Growers will get $35,000 to develop educational materials of use to consumers and winemakers about popular grape varieties. The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association gets $16,500 to study whether marshes are useful for wind and solar energy production.
The state Agriculture Department also gets money for cooperative projects, such as $35,000 for SavorWisconsin.com., an online site that allows specialty crop farmers to promote their businesses directly to consumers.
The International Agrycultural news quoted from Chicago Tribune..
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
October 13, 2009
International Day for Natural Disaster ReductionTHE observance of the International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 14, 2009, takes place in a year that is seeing its share of natural calamities. It focuses on making “Hospitals Safe from Disasters,’’ a carry-over theme from the previous year.
Natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, get media attention, inspire action, and remain in our memories. But the suffering caused by chronic and small scale disasters such as flooding, landslides, and water contamination often escape the limelight.
A report by the World Bank estimates that three and a quarter billion people or more than half of the world’s population are exposed to at least one natural disaster a year and that in the last 50 years, the severity of impacts from natural disasters has increased, due in part to the loss of healthy ecosystems in the regions affected. Although natural disasters are often presented as rare and unexpected, the reality is that they now occur more frequently, affect more people, and cause higher economic damage than ever before.
These natural disasters exert an enormous burden on development. Each year natural disasters take a toll on nations, a toll that is measured in deaths, injuries, property damage, and economic losses. Cities are increasingly home to such types of disasters and serve as places for tackling the underlying issues that leave people vulnerable to these threats. Already we see the hints of the way climate change will affect cities, including the rise in sea level.
A new survey finds that the risks from natural disasters can be drastically reduced if local communities are involved in implementing policies enacted on the national level. Urban disaster risk reduction goes hand in hand with poverty reduction, and it can easily be linked to international efforts to achieve a better standard of living for the growing number of urban dwellers struggling to make both ends meet.
While humanitarian action to lessen the impact of disasters will always be vitally important, the global community is facing a critical challenge: How to better anticipate, manage, and reduce disaster risks by integrating the potential threat into its planning and policies. From a human perspective, all disasters are health issues and damage to health systems affect nations as a whole and all sectors of society. It has, therefore, become imperative to have disaster safe hospitals as part of a disaster safe community.
Disasters are not unchangeable facts of life but are a result of human vulnerability to natural hazards. Disaster reduction is, therefore everybody’s concern. It is only in investing in tangible risk reduction that we can reduce weakness to these misfortunes.
Quoted: mb.com.ph
International Day for Natural Disaster ReductionTHE observance of the International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 14, 2009, takes place in a year that is seeing its share of natural calamities. It focuses on making “Hospitals Safe from Disasters,’’ a carry-over theme from the previous year.
Natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, get media attention, inspire action, and remain in our memories. But the suffering caused by chronic and small scale disasters such as flooding, landslides, and water contamination often escape the limelight.
A report by the World Bank estimates that three and a quarter billion people or more than half of the world’s population are exposed to at least one natural disaster a year and that in the last 50 years, the severity of impacts from natural disasters has increased, due in part to the loss of healthy ecosystems in the regions affected. Although natural disasters are often presented as rare and unexpected, the reality is that they now occur more frequently, affect more people, and cause higher economic damage than ever before.
These natural disasters exert an enormous burden on development. Each year natural disasters take a toll on nations, a toll that is measured in deaths, injuries, property damage, and economic losses. Cities are increasingly home to such types of disasters and serve as places for tackling the underlying issues that leave people vulnerable to these threats. Already we see the hints of the way climate change will affect cities, including the rise in sea level.
A new survey finds that the risks from natural disasters can be drastically reduced if local communities are involved in implementing policies enacted on the national level. Urban disaster risk reduction goes hand in hand with poverty reduction, and it can easily be linked to international efforts to achieve a better standard of living for the growing number of urban dwellers struggling to make both ends meet.
While humanitarian action to lessen the impact of disasters will always be vitally important, the global community is facing a critical challenge: How to better anticipate, manage, and reduce disaster risks by integrating the potential threat into its planning and policies. From a human perspective, all disasters are health issues and damage to health systems affect nations as a whole and all sectors of society. It has, therefore, become imperative to have disaster safe hospitals as part of a disaster safe community.
Disasters are not unchangeable facts of life but are a result of human vulnerability to natural hazards. Disaster reduction is, therefore everybody’s concern. It is only in investing in tangible risk reduction that we can reduce weakness to these misfortunes.
Quoted: mb.com.ph
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tamils should not shed tears anymore...
A visiting Tamil Nadu parliamentary delegation today called for the release of the displaced people in camps in Vavuniya, the restoration of democracy and a political solution to the conflict.
In an address made at the Jaffna library this morning head of the visiting delegation T.R.Balu said a political solution is necessary to resolve the conflict which had lasted for more than 25 years.He added that the Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils had a strong bond, a relationship which is also reflected in the ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Also speaking here Kanimozhi, daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, said that the Tamil people should not shed tears anymore, the displaced people should be reunited with their families and democracy restored in the country.During the visit to Jaffna the Tamil Nadu delegation had talks with Social service Minister Douglas Devananda and the Northern Province Governor Major General Chandrasiri.
They also garlanded the statue of the late Chelvanayagam.
People lined up the streets in Jaffna to welcome the visiting Tamil MPs from Tamil Nadu who were scheduled to visit the IDP camps in Vavuniya this evening
Quoted : spot.lk
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