September 2014

Ammonium nitrate truck explodes

September 30th, 2014

"A truck transporting ammonium nitrate has exploded in South West Queensland, destroying bridges, sections of the road, and two firefighting trucks.


The vehicle was reportedly carrying more than 50 tonnes of AN when it rolled, just south of Charleville, late on Friday night, according to the ABC.


Ammonium nitrate is a key ingredient in creating explosives.


The truck initially caught fire, and had firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze, when it exploded, injuring eight people.


Luckily the driver was pulled from the truck immediately after the initial roll over occurred, with no one being injured in the subsequent blast.


"As I understand the auxiliaries performed a snatch and grab (of the driver), they witnessed certain fire activities which gave the indication they needed to get out as soon as they could," chief superintendent for the south west region Lindsay Hackett explained, according to the Toowoomba Chronicle.


It is understood that the blast itself was caused after fuel leaked into the ammonium nitrate load.


“We've had a primary and a secondary explosion out there - it's quite a devastating scene," assistant fire commissioner for the south west region Tom Dawson told the ABC."


Read more from Australian Mining.

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How drones could limit fertilizer flow into Lake Erie

September 10th, 2014

A toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie this summer left the city of Toledo, Ohio, without drinking water for three days. Now environmentalists and farmers are working to prevent future blooms by evaluating fertilizer use in hopes of cutting excess runoff. Special correspondent Christy McDonald of Detroit Public Television reports on how drones may be a tool for maximizing crops and minimizing pollution.


TRANSCRIPT


"GWEN IFILL: Now, in the aftermath of the water quality emergency that plagued Lake Erie last month, some residents who live along its shores are calling for solutions.  And they are looking outward, to the countryside.


Reporter Christy McDonald of Detroit Public Television has our story.


CHRISTY MCDONALD: Farmer Jeff Sandborn thinks this drone could help solve the tainted water problem that left Toledo, Ohio without access to safe drinking water for three days earlier this summer.  That’s because experts believe the toxic algal bloom in Lake Erie that turned tap water noxious was caused by the fertilizer runoff from farms like Sandborn’s throughout the Great Lakes Basin.


JEFF SANDBORN, Owner, Sandborn Farms: We only have so much land that can grow crops, productive crops.  And this planet continues to have more people on it, so we have to do a better job on the land we have and get more out of the resources we put in, get higher yields to feed more people, is what it boils down to.  We’re here to feed an ever-growing population.


CHRISTY MCDONALD: Unfortunately, pressure to increase food production can have a negative impact on the environment, and, today, many are convinced Lake Erie’s problem starts on the farm.


Fertilizers that feed crops, like nitrogen and phosphorus, also feed the blue-green algae in the water.  Experts believe changes in farming practices have led to an increased amount of phosphorus runoff in recent years.


Kristy Meyer works for the Ohio Environmental Council, an advocacy group, where part of her time is spent sharing with other farmers best management practices for controlling runoff."


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Green revolution meeting considers Africa's food future

September 3rd, 2014

"African ministers and business leaders have gathered in Ethiopia to consider ways to trigger a green revolution and improve the continent's food security.


The African Green Revolution Forum, being held in Addis Ababa, will focus on delivering agriculture-led economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa.


In June, the Africa Union issued a declaration to double food productivity and halve poverty by 2025.


Almost 1,000 delegates are expected to attend the four-day meeting.


"I am proud that many African nations are becoming economic powerhouses, but without a viable agricultural sector and a strong rural economy, there cannot be a viable future for Africa," warned International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) president Kanayo Nwanze.


"Scaling up productivity in African agriculture so that it contributes to the prosperity of the women and men living in rural areas is an absolute prerequisite of prosperity for our continent."


Figures show that 200 million Africans are chronically malnourished and five million people die each year as a result of hunger.


It was against this stark backdrop that heads of state and government attending the 23rd African Union Summit adopted the Malabo Declaration, which included a call for a greater effort to accelerate agricultural growth."


 


Read more from BBC News, Science, and Environment

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