Modified Toyota Prius

For many motorists, 75 cents and 100 miles per gallon of gasoline would be a dream. For Oakwood resident Alan Shedd, it’s a reality. For nearly six months, Shedd, an engineer with Jackson Electric Membership Corp., has been testing his company’s plug-in hybrid electric Toyota Prius, one of the first of its kind. As part … Read more

Spray on Photovoltaics?

Discoveries in nanotechnology have led to what many consider the next generation of solar technology: ultra-thin amorphous silicon, organic and inorganic solar cells derived from nanocrystals that convert sunlight into electricity at a fraction of the cost of silicon-based solar cells. They are also more flexible, less brittle, and can even be painted onto structures, … Read more

Magnetic levitation promises huge efficiency gains in wind power generation

The common windmill design used to capitalize on air currents, while centuries old, operates at around 1% efficiency in terms of the power it harvests from the wind, due to the deflective blade design and friction losses. But a new technology unveiled last year in China seeks to dramatically boost the output of wind-driven generators … Read more

Strawboard

Leonard Opel, the founder and one of the owners of Meadowood Industries, has discovered a way to make a beautiful, durable panel out of rye grass straw without using any formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals to bind the straw. In 1976, Leonard and a partner, Dale Rose, began doing some preliminary research and test-ing to … Read more

Tracing the evolution of organic/sustainable agriculture

Historical evidence traces an ebb and flow of concern for stewardship and long-term food production over the years. As social, economic and environmental conditions evolved, so did the issues impacting sustainable use of resources. It is not surprising that particularly difficult times and places spawned the most dramatic “learning curves” in terms of both successful … Read more

Mega-trends in Agriculture

Agricultural exports of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are on the rise. The Americas are the world’s leading net exporter of agricultural products, although the hemisphere’s share of world agricultural trade has been declining since 2000 due to a slowdown in its agricultural exports (which grew by 7.1% per year between 2000 and 2005). … Read more

PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTS IN INNOVATION According to Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) Survey

“The survey results demonstrate a tremendous commitment to innovation in the Canadian agriculture and agri-products sector,” said CSTA President Dorothy Murrell. “And the commitment to the future is even stronger.” CSTA members report that by 2012, they plan to be investing $106.4 million in research and development. The CSTA survey indicates that canola tops company … Read more

A Philosophy of Living

Truth, beauty, and goodness are qualities of divinity. At the same time, they are qualities that we can live. They infuse the nitty-gritty of our everyday existence. Living these values does not turn us into God, but they represent what we can comprehend of God. Everyone, whether religious or not, has tasted supreme truth, beauty, … Read more