Gasoline prices are the lowest they’ve been in a decade, and according to recent data from the Department of Energy, Americans are buying more gas than ever. While low gas prices are good for consumers, they may be troublesome to those who worry about greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, two important federal policies are pushing ahead to decrease transportation sector emissions by increasing vehicle efficiency and the use of renewable fuels: the federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). [node:read-more:link]

In August, the Humane Society of the United States put the poultry industry on notice: With the cage-free egg war all but won, the group would train its fire on broiler chicken producers. [node:read-more:link]

W hen considering the role of water in an economy, it is useful to reflect on the “Diamond-Water Paradox” made famous by Adam Smith: “Nothing is more useful than water: but it will purchase scarcely anything; scarcely anything can be had in exchange for it. A diamond, on the contrary, has scarcely any use-value; but a very great quantity of other goods may frequently be had in exchange for it.” [node:read-more:link]

Water scarcity is increasingly acknowledged to be a major risk in many parts of the world (World Economic Forum). Projections indicate that water-related problems may significantly worsen over the next several decades due to rising water demands as a result of demographic, socioeconomic, and technological changes, and due to the effects of climate change (World Water Assessment Program; Jiménez Cisneros and Oki). [node:read-more:link]

This article provides an overview of water scarcity challenges in economic sectors beyond the farm gate that may affect agricultural water access and costs. The relative importance of other large, water-using sectors varies by region but includes municipal, energy and industrial uses. Energy-intensive sectors in particular need careful consideration due to the water consumption embedded in energy use. [node:read-more:link]

The specter of global food insecurity, in terms of capacity to meet food demand, will not be limited by water or even climate change but rather by inadequate and misdirected investments in research and development to support the required increases in crop yields. [node:read-more:link]

This first of a three-part introspective series for communities takes a serious look at why Iowa's rural population continues a downward spiral and the personal responsibility we all have to grow. The article was originally published in the October, 2016 issue of "Iowa County," a monthly publication of the Iowa State Association of Counties.  * Today's column is a "state of the state" of much of rural Iowa, and suggests questions and topics citizens should be discussing among themselves and with their elected officials. [node:read-more:link]

Charges of “terrible” trade deals, the shipping of jobs overseas and the dangers of globalization dominated the presidential campaign. But many states are aggressively courting foreign companies to boost and diversify their economies.  “People make it too complicated,” said Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, a big proponent of foreign — especially Chinese — investment in his state. “Globalization is clearly a huge trend that’s been going on for some time and is only going to continue. [node:read-more:link]

Voter support for marijuana legalization reached a new high as California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational pot, joining four other states and Washington, D.C., with similar laws.  Voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas passed medical marijuana measures, pushing the number of states with such laws past two dozen.  The California vote makes the use and sale of recreational cannabis legal along the entire West Coast and gives legalization advocates powerful momentum. Massachusetts is the first state east of the Mississippi to allow recreational use. [node:read-more:link]

Initiative 732, the nation’s first state ballot measure to impose a carbon tax on fossil fuels, failed Tuesday on a crowded slate of statewide initiatives facing Washington voters. Initiative 732, which sought to apply a tax on energy-derived coal, oil gas  garnered just 42 percent after ballot counts around the state, including an early Wednesday update in King County.  King County was the lone county in Washington to support the measure. [node:read-more:link]