Posted by Daniel Stellar | Oct 29, 2009 | 4 Comments
At the Columbia Water Center we frequently refer to the water/energy nexus. I am often asked what is meant by this term. Broadly speaking, the water/energy nexus refers to the myriad cyclical ways in which water and energy relate to, and impact, each other. Water is necessary in the production of virtually all types of [...]
Posted by Meaghan Daly | Oct 20, 2009 | 1 Comments
For many who have been following the saga of the Everglades of South Florida, it seemed that restoration and conservation plans formed during the last decade were only getting more complicated and mired in bureaucracy. That is, until Gov. Charlie Crist stepped up to the plate to make a game-changing proposition to buy back land [...]
Posted by Columbia Water Center | Oct 15, 2009 | 0 Comments
Blog Action Day 2009’s theme this year is Climate Change. Thousands of people on blogs all over the world are writing today on this single issue, and the Columbia Water Center is joining them.
On Climate
In a recent study at Columbia University, correlations were drawn between sea surface temperature on the coast of Africa and [...]
Posted by Ju Young Lee | Sep 18, 2009 | 0 Comments
Among various uses of corn, the three major uses—food, animal feed, and biofuel production—compete in demand. Here we analyzed the percentage of corn for animal feed compared to total domestic consumption of corn (including feed, food, seed, and industrial uses) in US, China, and India.
Posted by Ju Young Lee | Sep 18, 2009 | 0 Comments
We found top three importers and exporters of wheat in 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2008.
Posted by Ju Young Lee | Sep 18, 2009 | 0 Comments
Using wheat production and population data for China, US, and India since 1960, we analyzed per capita wheat production. Because per capita wheat consumption is fairly stable over time (though it can change a little bit by changing lifestyle, diet, economic status, etc), from per capita wheat production, it can be shown whether a country is self-sustained, in need of significantly huge import, or in excess for export.
Posted by Ju Young Lee | Sep 18, 2009 | 1 Comments
China shows the biggest improvement in yield over last 50 years; it improved almost by six times, while United States only doubled and India tripled. Although China and India showed very similar yield level in 1960s, China started to take off around early 1970. United States shows a relatively little change in yield and China caught up US in terms of yield around 1982. Since 2000, US and India have been showing almost stagnant yield at a similar level, while China has steadily improved its yield even higher.
Posted by Meaghan Daly | Aug 22, 2009 | 1 Comments
As the United States searches for sources of alternative energy and a means to reduce its production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, solar power plants have emerged as a leading candidate to address both of these problems. While these plants do indeed provide an additional means of producting energy that could potentially reduce the amount [...]
Posted by Meaghan Daly | Jul 12, 2009 | 5 Comments
In the American Southwest, water is a valuable resource that is almost always in short supply. Yet, despite the frequent discrepancy between supply and demand, homeowners and municipal managers alike have been obligated - by law - to let the rain that runs off of their roof or falls in their jurisdiction to go its [...]
Posted by Ju Young Lee | Jul 4, 2009 | 1 Comments
Fourth of July fireworks across the United States are definitely a long tradition that millions of people eagerly wait and enjoy. The concern is that fireworks traditionally have included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn and that perchlorate is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people (it affects the functioning of the thyroid gland) and wildlife. However, the good news is that we are making the right way to “green” fireworks, green as in environmentally friendly. According to American Chemical Society news, Fourth of July fireworks might go green in near future.
