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| This Week's Titles: |
| Burning
Fat to Save Fuel Dollars |
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Cotton Still Important
For Georgia's Economy |
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| Recycle
Live Christmas Trees After The Holidays |
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| College
Research On Soybean Biodiesel |
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| Looking
Back Could Help Agricultural Weather Forecasting |
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| Burning
Fat To Save Fuel Dollars |
1:56 |
College scientists are conducting
research that will burn fat, instead of fuel dollars. |
As fuel prices continue
to stretch consumer and company energy budgets, many people
wonder when alternative fuels will reduce their energy pains.
Scientists with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences are working on using poultry fat
as an alternative fuel. Five fat raw materials recovered from
poultry processing wastewater are being studied as potential
sources of alternative fuel. Recovered fat is already being
put to good use at poultry plants "We can take this material,
this fat and recover it right on sight and turn it around, use
it right back in the plant, and actually replace boiler fuel.
If you can imagine they use a tremendous amount of energy to
heat water so they can clean the birds and equipment in the
plant. And what we've done is recover that fat that's going
to be lost in the wastewater, put it back into the plant right
into the boilers, and end up heating the water.' That was Brian
Kiepper with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Early results have shown that the collection, extraction, and
purification of concentrated-fat from poultry processing wastewater
is a feasible method of providing an alternative fuel for industrial
boilers. This work could also increase domestic energy security
by displacing foreign petroleum with domestic poultry fat. John
Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Cotton
Still Important For Georgia's Economy |
1:32 |
It may not be king, but cotton
remains an important factor in Georgia's economic health. |
Since the mid-nineties,
cotton acreage has increased in the state. Most of the cotton
production occurs in rural communities that depend on agriculture
for economic dollars. Agricultural economists with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
say food and fiber industries are important to these communities,
since they have limited options to agricultural production.
"It's important for the areas where it's produced in Georgia
because these are primarily rural areas who have very few alternatives
for economic development. So cotton and its associated activities
are very important to these local communities." That was Archie
Flanders with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences , who adds cotton production in Georgia is also important
to the nation's economy. The latest reports indicate over fifteen-thousand
jobs in the U.S. economy are associated directly and indirectly
with Georgia cotton production. John Harrell, University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Recycle
Live Christmas Trees After The Holidays |
1:19 |
Those live Christmas trees
can help the environment after the holidays. |
After the lights and ornaments
are removed, a decision must be made on what to do with the
now bare tree. David Moorhead, a forester with the University
of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
says don't send live Christmas trees on a trip to the landfill,
because they are not ready to retire. "Can be used for a variety
of things. Erosion control, fish habitat in private ponds, wildlife
brush pile, so there's a whole host of things you can do with
these trees to keep them out of a landfill and continue to provide
benefits." David Moorhead with the Warnell School Forestry and
Natural Resources. Most communities in Georgia have some form
of recycling program for Christmas trees. In most cases, this
involves bringing the tree to a designated site in early to
mid-January, where the trees are run through a chipper and turned
into mulch. Once the trees are chipped, the mulch has many benefits,
which also helps the environment. John Harrell, University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| College
Research On Soybean Biodiesel |
1:38 |
College scientists are working
to bring soybeans from fields to fuel pumps. |
As high fuel prices burn
more dollars out of consumers pockets, the demand is growing
to find cheaper, alternative fuels. Scientists with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
are working to develop a biodiesel fuel from soybean oil. Developing
soybean biodiesel could help soybeans make a comeback in Georgia.
"The oil side of soybean as a feedstock for biodiesel and I
think it's very exciting in that we know how to grow the crop
and we already know production things that need to be done in
order to be successful with it and with the new kind of use
I think we'll see some expanded acreage in the state of Georgia."
That was Roger Boerma with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds scientists want to l earn from past fuel
mistakes, and focus on environmental, economic, and national
security issues. Soybean biodiesel fuel is already being tested
in tractors, combines, and other farm equipment on research
farms. Despite the encouraging results from this research, biofuels
will not be the final answer to energy independence. But one
day in the near future we could see more vehicles running on
biodiesel, instead of conventional petroleum diesel. John Harrell,
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Looking
Back Could Help Agricultural Weather Forecasting |
1:50 |
College scientists are looking
to the past to help improve agriculture weather forecasting. |
Over the past fifty years,
improvements in agriculture technology have helped growers increase
crop yields. Despite these improvements, agriculture is still
dependent on weather, since temperature and precipitation are
the main factors that control crop growth and development. Scientists
with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences are testing a technique that involves
farmers who remember years in the past when significant weather
events occurred. "We looked at weather data for the current
year, and then looked at the previous twenty years, or fifty
years for a particular station and have a match, best match
for the year and use this in a way to sort of forecast what's
going to happen for the rest of the season or the rest of the
year. With that we can have a way to sort of project or predict
what the yields are going to be." That was Joel Paz with the
college of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A software
program was developed that included the material needed for
weather pattern recognition. Early test results from this program
are quite positive. During the next phase of the project, the
short-and long-term weather and climate predictions will be
integrated with a crop simulation model for yield prediction
on farms throughout the state. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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