Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World articles from May 2001

Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World archives from May 2001

Solar orchards in the Australian outback.(alternative energy in Broken Hill, New South Wales)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The self-styled "sunburn country" has long pioneered the use of solar power. Go to some remote outback settlements and it seems almost every dwelling is equipped with electricity-generating solar panels. Now the country is embarking on a...

ARS develops disease-resistant sugarcane.(United States, Agricultural Research Service)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A test that helps select disease-resistant sugarcane cultivars more accurately and efficiently has been developcd by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the agency's Sugarcane Field Station in Canal Point, Fla. The new...

Paper mulch coated with vegetable oil offers biodegradable alternative to plastic.(Agricultural Research Service)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Paper is gaining over plastic in mulches used to grow commercial fruits and vegetables as well as the home-grown varieties, according to USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies in Peoria, Ill. A main reason for this trend is that...

A wireless system saves water.(automated irrigation, agriculture)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A computer-controlled irrigation system has the potential to reduce water consumption in drought-stricken Florida's citrus farms. The system, designed by two University of Florida (UF) agricultural engineers and a Brazilian colleague, has...

Butter can measure worldwide air pollution.(research by Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Lancaster University, England)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... When professor Kevin Jones goes shopping for laboratory supplies, one of his first stops is the local grocery store, specifically, the dairy section. Jones is one of a team of environmental scientists who have found another use for butter --...

Insecticides reduced in runoff from Bt cotton.(Bacillus thuringiensis, genetic engineering)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Runoff water from Mississippi fields planted with genetically engineered cotton was virtually free of insecticides during a four-year USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. To measure pesticide runoff, the scientists planted cotton...

Sightseer's guide features engineering attractions.(The Sightseer's Guide to Engineering, online service)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... A new Web site that promotes engineering-related tourist attractions includes destinations with connections to agriculture and food production. The Sightseer's Guide to Engineering offers a state-by-state listing of more than 240 travel...

Engineers and farmers collaborate to make plastic car parts out of elephant grass.(University Warwick, Biomass Industrial Crops Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group in the United Kingdom, are collaborating with a group of elephant grass (Miscanthus) farmers to use elephant grass to produce biodegradable plastic car parts. ...

Zeroing in on Forest Enemies.(aerial spraying)
May 1, 2001... Computer modeling improves aerial spraying accuracy The large area, steep terrain and difficult access that characterizes forest land offers few options for managers treating aerially-extensive pest outbreaks and infestations. The USDA...

X-treme Weather.(forecasting effects of extreme weather on crops)
May 1, 2001... Forecasting effects on crops can help countries avoid disasters Most mid-latitude tropical countries are prone to extreme weather that causes crop failure and leads to negative impacts on the economy. An example is Mexico where 85...

Stalking a New Fuel Source.(ethanol)
May 1, 2001... Leftover corn plants can be turned into ethanol Ethanol makes up 0.5 percent of transportation fuels as a 10 percent-by-volume blend in 10 percent of U.S. gasoline supplies. Annually, 6 percent of U.S. corn is converted to 1.5 billion...

Phosphorus In, Phosphorus Out.(using nitrogen and phosphorus found in manure)
May 1, 2001... Changing dairy cow diets can reduce environmental problems One of the fundamental challenges facing the livestock/feed industries today is finding ways to reuse nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), found in manure. ...

Organic pork could fill producer niche.(marketing research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... "Between 40 and 80 percent of all consumers is the potential market for organic and natural pork products, with perceived safety being the drawing factor," says W. Parker Wheatley, applied economist at the University of Minnesota (U of M). ...

"Green industry" is big business in Illinois.(survey of industries dealing with plant materials)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... With about $2.9 billion in sales, Illinois' "green industry" is outdoing corn, soybeans and combined production of beef and pork, University of Illinois (UI) researchers say. In 1999 more than 9,000 green industry businesses including lawn...

Juice producers get new alternative.(ultraviolet light)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved ultraviolet light (UV) processing to reduce pathogens in fruit and vegetable juices. The approval, which took two years, is good news for small and mid-sized juice processors,...

Americans Love Their Ham Sandwiches.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Americans Love Their Ham Sandwiches Annual Eatings per Capita [*] Ham 21.3 Peanut Bulter/PBJ 16 Burger 12.9 Cheese 11.5 Turkey 10.9 Hot Dog...

UK industries agree to cut carbon emissions.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... In line with the United Kingdom's (UK) climate change mitigation strategy, Environment Minister Michael Meacher announced that 15 energy-intensive industry sectors have agreed to meet carbon emission reduction targets. These companies, which...

ELWd Systems wins technology award.(Excellence in Technology -- 2001 award given by the International Erosion Control Association)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... ELWd Systems has won the Excellence in Technology -- 2001 award given by the International Erosion Control Association (TECA). ELWd Systems, a division of Forest Concepts, LLC, develops, manufactures and distributes wood products for...

Girl engineers: The next generation.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... To avoid a possible shortage of qualified workers in engineering and high-tech fields, a coalition of public and private groups have developed a plan. As part of National Engineers Week in February the coalition inaugurated its "Introduce a...

U.S. Commerce Department updated services -- www.usatrade.gov.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Small and medium-sized businesses looking to expand international sales can access more customized information including flexible market research, international partner search and international company profiles.

PopPlanet -- www.popplanet.org.(Web site of The Population Reference Bureau and the National Council for Science and the Environment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) sponsor this site to examine the relationship among population, health and environmental issues. PopPlanet features a bulletin board in...

AREERA -- www.reeusda.gov/part/areera.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... This site offers answers to frequently asked questions on the administrative guidance for multistate extension activities and integrated research and extension activities that implement the requirements of sections 105 and 204 of the...

Irrigation contest rewards new technologies.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... An Irrigation Association competition will award $10,000 to the entrant who creates the best in irrigation technology for small farms. The application deadline is Oct. 1, and the prize will be presented Nov. 5. The competition aims to...

Company name stands alone on new tractors.(AGCO Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... AGCO Corp. has for the first time attached the name AGCO [R] by itself to one of its product lines. The new AGCO ST line of compact tractors, introduced in February, offers six 4WD machines ranging from 24 to 44 horsepower. They are...

Panel predicts record low commodity prices.(United States House Committee on Agriculture seeks recommendations from economists)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Recent U.S. House Committee on Agriculture hearings sought recommendations from economists, agricultural experts and producer organizations to address the needs of the farm economy. "Not long ago, nearly all the top farm economists were...

Cotton and currency.(composition of U.S. paper currency)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing reports that U.S. paper currency is composed of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. During Fiscal Year 1997, roughly 9.5 billion bills of all denominations were printed in the United States,...

Look out Dow Jones: Here comes the soil carbon market.(storing of carbon in crop and grass land)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Crop and grass land in the United States could store enough carbon to offset 12 to 14 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted from vehicle tail pipes and industrial smoke stacks. That conclusion is based on a national estimate of how much...

Cargill consolidates malt operations.(Cargill Malt)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Cargill recently announced it is reorganizing and consolidating its North and South American malting operations and marketing divisions into one entity known as Cargill Malt. "We selected the new name to effectively convey to the...

Environment meets industry in Yale society.(International Society of Industrial Ecology launced at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A group of researchers, policy makers, industrial strategists and environmental advocates has launched the International Society of Industrial Ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. This new field of "industrial...

More ethanol means less consumer costs.(report released by Mike Johanns of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, chair of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, recently released an analysis outlining how increased ethanol use will spur the U.S. economy, save consumers money and create jobs. "Consumers are paying the price for...

2001: AN ENGNEERING ODYSSEY.(conference of American Society of Association Executives)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... ASAE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING Sacramento, California, July 29 - August 1, 2001 With diverse technical sessions and tours, a keynote presentation that will introduce agricultural innovations and a broad selection of timely...

Sacramento Meeting Brings Change.(American Society of Agricultural Engineers)(Brief Article)(President's Page)
May 1, 2001... ASAE President Harmon Towne, Brock Mfg. We are starting to close in on the ASAE Annual International Meeting. In this issue you will find an overview of meeting activities. Due to membership input there will be some changes to the meeting...

Nominating Committee Seeks Your Input.(American Society of Association Executives)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The ASAE Nominating Committee is seeking nominees for several ASAE offices. The committee is charged with the responsibility of recommending candidates for: Board of Trustees * 2004-2005 ASAE President, This candidate should be an...

Good News!(American Society of Agricultural Engineers disability insurance bonuses)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Members insured in the ASAE Disability Income Plan as of April 30, 2001 will receive a premium credit of 30 percent of their premium due for the policy year May 1,2001 through April 30, 2002. These premium credits will lower the annual...

MEMBER NEWS.(National Society of Professional Engineers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Sonia M. Maassel Jacobsen, P.E., and Dale E. Wilkins, P.E., were each named a Top 10 Finalist in the National Society of Professional Engineers' (NSPE) 22nd Annual Federal Engineer of the Year Award program. The program recognizes outstanding...

Committee Updates PE Examination to Meet NCEES Guidelines.(American Society of Agricultural Engineers; National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The ASAE Professional Registration Committee (P-414) has been updating the licensing specifications for agricultural engineers from a task analysis begun in late 1999 at the request of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and...

MC500.(global positioning system receiver)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... MC500 high-precision, dual-frequency GPS receiver in rugged housing incorporates signal processing technology to provide signal reception, satellite tracking, multipath mitigation and jamming resistance. The MC500 uses real-time kinematic...

Balston [R] sample filters.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Balston [R] sample filters offer real-time sampling with high efficiency filtration. Its flow pattern continuously flushes the filter cartridge carrying contaminates out to the process stream, maximizing filter cartridge life. Axial velocity...

Rugged temperature probe.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Rugged temperature probe provides high accuracy temperature sensing under harsh conditions. The integrated stainless steel sensor well hermetically sealed connector resists moisture, vibration, mechanical shock, temperature shock and corrosive...

FACTORYpoint Pro [TM].(bar code computer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... FACTORYpoint Pro [TM] is a rugged, high-powered computer designed for demanding manufacturing bar code applications. It provides a NEMA 4 rated, drip-proof, dust-proof solution for dusty, dirty or wet environments. FACTORYpoint Pro has large...

Sonaswitch [R] Mini-S and Mini-A.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Sonaswitch [R] Mini-S and Mini-A are designed primarily for the OEM. The SonaSwitch Mini is a low-profile, self-contained sensor. All measurements are temperature compensated, to provide accuracy over a wide range of operating temperatures.

Instant Imagery [TM].(USA Millennium Mosaic takes satellite images of earth)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... Instant Imagery [TM] USA Millennium Mosaic is a seamless color satellite image mosaic of the continental United States produced at 15-meter spatial resolution. The Mosaic is composed of more than 450 Landsat 7 satellite scenes in a single image...

MC104 Portable Hydraulic Data Logger.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... MC104 Portable Hydraulic Data Logger has eight sensor inputs that include upgraded pressure inputs, two temperature and two flow or speed inputs. The user can display and print eight calculated channels: four peak pressure, two differential...

Model 6536C.(water conductivity measurement system)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... Model 6536C is a complete water conductivity measurement system for permanent field installation. Its ultra-low power consumption makes the instrument work well in locations where power is not readily available. Concentric graphite electrodes...

Tek Know TC 2000.(calibration unit)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... Tek Know TC 2000 combines a dry block calibrator, a liquid bath calibrator and a reference thermometer in a portable design. Stability and accuracy provide a temperature range of -40[degrees]C below ambient to 150[degrees]C. A full graphic LCD...

CXL02TG3.(accelerometer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... CXL02TG3 is a tri-axial high performance accelerometer for high-stability, low-noise applications such as inertial navigation, instrumentation and automotive testing. It combines MEMS accelerometers with a signal conditioning ASIC into one...

EMV 10255-XX.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... EMV 10255-XX drill mountable panel meters are custom-scaled, three-wire, 3.5-digit LCD voltmeters with factory set scaling. The meters are fitted with a threaded stud and have a low profile finish. A catalog of digital panel meters and data...

SEK Series.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SEK Series motor shaft encoder kits are for OEM motor manufacturers to mount inside or outside motors and frames. They consist of a sensing board with lead wires and mounting bracket plus a ring magnet and offer dual channel quadrature output....

UPS/SC-600.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... UPS/SC-600 precision relative humidity measurement kit is for engineering evaluation of the UPS-600 sensor and SC-600 conditioner card. It contains five precision resistive-type, condensation tolerant sensors and a thick film signal...

ANSI.Z535 Safety Signs.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... ANSI.Z535 Safety Signs meet ANSI.Z535.2 recommendations for safety sign standards. They are available in 10-inch x 14-inch configurations in three materials suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The signs rely on the use of symbols and pictograms...

Series RSF Rotatable Flowmeters.
May 1, 2001... Series RSF Rotatable Flowmeters provide fast turn around direct readings of air and water on the same instrument. Each flowmeter's polycarbonate tube shield helps protect the borosilicate glass flow tube and is marked with an airflow scale on...

Model UPS-600.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Model UPS-600 ceramic-coated RH sensor handles demanding high-humidity conditions. The ceramic-coated element allows for condensation tolerance. For noncondensing environments, Model UPS-500 and SC-500 signal conditioners are also available.

DDA 260.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... DDA 260 disk driver analyzer incorporates digitizer-on-a-chip technology. It provides fast sampling rate and long memory at 2 GHz bandwidth. It has a rich set of disk drive specific capabilities that allows engineers to rapidly evaluate the...

SuperTrim [TM] STC.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SuperTrim [TM] STC series of shallow-depth industrial panel mount PC workstations feature a sealed display front panel that meets NEMA Type 4 standards and are resistant to hose directed water and other contaminants. All three models feature...

SuperPleat [TM].(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SuperPleat [TM] is a cartridge filter media for use in pulse-jet dust/bag-house filtration. Made of spunbonded polyester, it is heat resistant up to 270[degrees]F. SuperPleat retains sharp pleats so that more filtering area is available in the...

Brochure from Panduit Corp.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Brochure from Panduit Corp. presents Panduit wire management products for OEMs. The 12-page publication focuses on total systems solutions and includes descriptions of Panduit products such as terminals, disconnects, splices, ferrules, power...

SME6700 and SMD6400.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SME6700 and SMD6400 series plastic discrete emitters and detectors are surface mountable infrared components. An unlensed, top-emitting and sensing package provides ease of interface while the small size facilitates end application...

HFH High Temperature Flowmeters.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... HFH High Temperature Flowmeters require neither inlet nor outlet straight plumbing. They are for rugged hydraulic use withstanding temperatures up to 400[degrees]F (204[degrees]C) and pressures up to 3.500 psig (240 bar). They employ a...

Tracing Engineering Trends.(in agriculturally related academic publications)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Periodical indexes can carry hidden messages Searching a bibliographic database can help us find the specific information we are looking for. But it can also tell us about other things -- such as the work of those whose articles are...

Deere tops "Most Admired" list.(Forbes' annual survey)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Fortune magazine's annual "America's Most Admired Companies" survey has ranked Deere & Company number one in the industrial and farm equipment category. Deere moved up two spots from last year to gain the top position in the survey of more...