Tag Archives: update
USDA’s Farmland Price Update Report (August 2013)
By K. McDonald on August 5th, 2013 The USDA comes out with an annual farmland price report every August. The newly issued report summarizes farmland price changes since a year ago. Here are this year’s report highlights: ● The United States farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $2,900 per acre for 2013, up 9.4 percent from revised 2012 values. ● Regional changes in the average value of farm real estate ranged from a 23.1 percent increase in the Northern Plains region to no change in the Southeast region. ● The highest farm real estate values were in the Cornbelt region at $6,400 per acre. ● The Mountain region had the lowest farm real estate value at $1,020 per acre. ● The United States cropland value increased by $460 per acre (13.0 percent) to $4,000 per acre. ● In the Northern Plains and Corn Belt regions, the average cropland value increased 25.0 and 16.1 percent, respectively, from the previous year. ● In the Southeast region, cropland values decreased by 2.8 percent. ● The United States pasture value increased to $1,200 per acre, or 4.3 percent above 2012. ● The Southeast region had the largest percentage decrease in pasture value, 1.5 percent below 2012. ● The Northern Plains had the highest increase in pasture value, at 18.4 percent. (Click to enlarge) Note that separate maps like the above are included in the report for cropland and pastureland values. SOURCE: Land Values 2013 Summary (PDF) Continue reading
Biomass Power Growth Over the Years
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission‘s Office of Energy Projects has released another update for 2013, and it indicates that new renewables outpaced new coal, oil and nuclear in the first six months of 2013. From a broad perspective, renewables accounted for just under 25 percent of new electrical generating capacity installed from January through June. That seems encouraging, so I decided to look back on last year’s results and see how growth compares. So while it seems we’re on about the same pace in 2013, I think it’s safe to say more projects are typically completed and put into service during the second half of the year, so there’s a good chance we’re poised to exceed 2012 numbers. Even with all of the regulatory uncertainty we’ve seen over the last couple of years, biomass power capacity has continued to grow. As the Tailoring Rule evolves over the near year, it will be very interesting to check out how and if development is affected. Continue reading
New Report Claims UK Able To Achieve Zero Carbon With Renewable Energy
23 July 2013 The Center for Alternative Technology has released an update to its Zero Carbon Britain scenario, which shows that the UK can reduce carbon emissions with existing technology. The research shows that by making changes to our buildings, transport systems and behaviour, and by investing in a variety of renewable energy generation technologies suited to the UK (without a nuclear component), the UK can provide a reliable zero carbon energy supply without negatively impacting on quality of life. Smart demand management, plus the intelligent use of surplus electricity in combination with biomass to create carbon neutral synthetic gas and liquid fuels, means that that the UK can meet its entire energy demand without imports, and also provide for some transport and industrial processes that cannot run on electricity. In the scenario the biomass we require is provided by growing second generation energy crops on UK land. The UK’s cropland is still used for food production, and we produce the vast majority of the food required to provide for the UK population on home soil. The research suggests that by changing what we eat (mainly a significant reduction in meat and dairy products, coupled with increases in various other food sources) means we eat a more healthy and balanced diet than we do today while our agricultural system emits fewer greenhouse gases and uses less land both at home and abroad, thus decreasing the environmental impact of our food production globally. The scenario balances out some greenhouse gas emissions that cannot currently be eliminated from non-energy processes (industry, waste and agriculture) by using safe, sustainable and reliable methods of capturing carbon. The research showed that by restoring important habitats such as peatland, and by substantially expanding forested areas, we not only capture carbon but also provide wood products for buildings and infrastructure, rich environments for biodiversity and more natural spaces for all of us to enjoy. The research also highlights the need for further research on adaptation, economic transition and policy that would achieve sufficient greenhouse gas emissions reductions quickly and equitably. Continue reading
