Onward and Upward!
Current irrigation practices are based on supply-side public water principles. Irrigation systems are designed by engineers to supply water to irrigate fields at a scheduled frequency to support plant growth. By disregarding the demand of the crops this model often over-irrigates and frequently causes water logging and groundwater contamination. The principle of the demand-side crop … Read more
Scientists at Oklahoma State University, the Punjab Agricultural University, and Texas A&M have investigated the use of alternative cropping systems to reduce irrigation water use and improve environmental conditions in a study funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). A simulation model was used (CropMan) to assess the biological structures, processes and economic practicality … Read more
Water may seem to be the most abundant resource available on Earth. But the reality is that 97 percent of all water is saltwater, 2 percent is held in snow and icebergs and only 1 percent is freshwater. More and more demands are being placed on this 1 percent of the world’s water that is … Read more
The water shortage is becoming an increasingly worrying crisis. As the situation grows ever more acute, it is feared that water will once again become a cause of disputes and that there could even be wars over water resources. Even before the State of Israel was founded, its leaders realized that in order to ensure … Read more
As the global economy continues to evolve, scientific discovery, technological invention and commercial innovation are fast becoming the hallmarks of our socioeconomic well-being. Although, transforming science into technology can be fraught with intimidating doses of hard work and hard thinking, the hard truth of the matter is that bringing technology to the marketplace is just … Read more
They’d rather strike out on their own. In fact, nearly 71 percent of the 1,474 youth who participated in a 2006 Junior Achievement survey said they wanted to be self-employed sometime in their lives—up by 6.9 percentage points since 2004. Credit the opportunities that come from growing up in a technological society, experts said. That’s … Read more
Schools are adding more courses and other activities to cultivate the business ideas of budding workers who are increasingly bypassing corporate jobs for their own startups. The move to embrace this academic discipline comes as today’s college students see the business world differently than past generations. With unprecedented access to technology, students can start a … Read more
Media reports on boomers’ march into their senior years carry a consistent theme: “Guess what, they don’t know they’re old.” Entrepreneur Magazine cites a survey from the Boomer Project (www.boomerproject.com) that found that the average 54-year-old considered himself 41. Further testing showed a psychological age of 39. Rather than believe our years are advancing, we … Read more
The strategy gained prominence last year when Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and banker who pioneered the global microfinance movement, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Grameen Bank, which Yunus founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the mid 1970s, offers lines of credit as low as $9 for beggars to buy bread, candy, toys and other … Read more
The Energy for Sustainability program supports fundamental research and education in energy production, conversion, and storage and is focused on energy sources that are environmentally friendly and renewable. Sources of sustainable energy include sunlight, wind, and biomass. Hydrogen and alcohols are potential energy carriers that can be derived from renewable sources. Research to produce and … Read more