Manitoba Co-operator

Warmer World Equals More Pests

Beetles killing trees in North America, bluetongue disease ravaging livestock in Europe, and borers destroying African coffee crops are examples of migrating invasive species not getting enough attention at global climate talks, scientists said Dec. 8. Invasive pests have plagued agriculture and nature for thousands of years as mankind’s migrations brought them to places without

Food Groups Sue U.S. For Ethanol Boost In Gasoline

Livestock producers and food industry groups filed a suit on Nov. 9 seeking to overturn a U.S. decision to allow higher levels of ethanol in gasoline, saying it could push up food prices. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Meat Association and other groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency, saying regulators overstepped their authority when


U. S. “Dead Zone” Smaller But More Severe

The “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, an area choked by low oxygen levels that threatens marine life, is smaller than expected this year but more deadly, the U. S. government said July 27. The zone, caused by a run-off of agricultural chemicals from farms along the Mississippi River, measured about 3,000 square miles

U. S. pipeline firms see ethanol in future

U. S. companies are boosting efforts to see if shipping ethanol through pipelines can be a less expensive, safer alternative to sending it on trucks and trains. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, one of the largest energy pipeline companies in North America, said in early December it has started sending batches of the biofuel through a

U. S. ethanol industry could face more bankruptcies

More U. S. ethanol distillers may be forced to seek bankruptcy protection if they fail to keep costs down as the industry gets squeezed by oil refiners and gyrating corn costs alike. VeraSun Energy Corp., the largest publicly traded U. S. ethanol company with 14 distilleries across eight states, said Oct. 31 it was seeking