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Maryland residents push back on proposed chicken manure plant

Residents in Crisfield, Md., have persuaded local officials to table discussion on a proposal for a plant that will convert chicken manure into reusable energy, according to local media reports. City officials voted to table the discussion Wednesday after having heard many residents’ concerns, which include potential odor problems, increased traffic, flooding issues and its location in a town whose economy relies on tourism.   [node:read-more:link]

M&Ms’s New Ad Is Selling Renewable Energy And Wind Power

Last year, Mars, the world’s biggest chocolate maker and the corporate home to brands like M&Ms, Twix, and Snickers, pledged $1 billion to fight climate change through investments in renewable energy, sustainable food sourcing, and more. Beyond the two wind farms it currently operates in Scotland and Texas, the company also promised to add wind and solar farms to another nine countries by 2018 and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 27% by 2025, and 67% by 2050. Now, a couple of the company’s most popular mascots are getting in on it. [node:read-more:link]

Anheuser-Busch signs wind farm power deal as part of global renewable energy goal

Anheuser-Busch InBev has signed a deal to buy power produced by an Oklahoma wind farm as part of its global goal to have 100 percent of its purchased electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. A-B, its U.S. subsidiary based in St. Louis, announced a power purchase agreement with Italian renewable energy company Enel Green Power for a portion of the energy produced at Enel Green Power's Thunder Ranch wind farm located in Garfield, Kay and Noble counties in Oklahoma.Enel Green Power has been growing its footprint across the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

US West's wildfires spark calls to thin tree-choked forests

Wildfires that are blackening the American West in one of the nation's worst fire seasons have ignited calls, including from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to thin forests that have become so choked with trees that they are at "powder keg levels." The destruction has exposed old frictions between environmentalists and those who want to see logging accelerated, and it's triggered a push to reassess how lands should be managed to prevent severe wildfires.Zinke's directive Tuesday for department managers and superintendents to aggressively prevent wildfires was welcomed by Ed Waldron, fire man [node:read-more:link]

Migrant farmhand shortage has unique impact on area farmers

A shortage of labor caused by the national decline in migrant farmhands is being felt on farms around Michigan.As the flow of migrant workers into the United States has decreased, many farmers have turned to visa-purchasing programs to secure workers. But the solutions for farmers are not equal.“It is difficult for these guys to apply and get here to work,” she said. “It is near impossible. And we need these people.”Farmers like Martin typically hire workers who present green cards, in compliance with federal laws. [node:read-more:link]

Colorado Development fund to benefit rural counties

Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Venture Capital Authority will allocate $9 million, and perhaps as much as $3 million more, to a rural economic development investment fund.   The agencies created the new fund to benefit innovation in rural areas that might not have access to other funding sources. Industries that could benefit include value-added agriculture, advanced manufacturing,  health and wellness, tourism and outdoor recreation, energy and natural resources, clean tech, technology and information. [node:read-more:link]

Lawsuit challenges USDA organic livestock standards delay

The Organic Trade Association has filed a lawsuit demanding that USDA officials “keep up with the industry and the consumer in setting organic standards,” the group said in a statement. The suit alleges that USDA violated the Organic Foods Production Act and illegally delayed the effective date of the final livestock standards that were developed by the industry in accordance with processes established by Congress. [node:read-more:link]

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