New Technology, Old Ideas Solve Texas Water, Resource Problems
Compared to recent history, it's been a relatively wet winter in Texas, with hopes that timely spring rainfall will continue to boost crops and refill lakes, ponds and reservoirs. These were all but dried up in the devastating drought of 2008 and 2009. Despite this year's reprieve from Mother Nature, the safest thing is to anticipate that Texas water will continue to be short most of the time and in many places.
Harvesting rainfall as human drinking water is an ancient practice taking on new life in water deficient areas of Texas.
Check out this excellent story written for the Texas Farm Bureau publication by Texas Agriculture Field Editor Matt Felder.
Harvesting rainfall for drinking water demonstrates in a compelling way how ideas as old as history itself, combined with new technologies and old fashioned American ingenuity, can go a long way toward solving some of our perpetually troubling resource problems. Water is only one of them. Capturing that gift of the Almighty—precious rainfall—to alleviate shortages has an almost poetic connotation to it.
Texas has made major strides in capturing the wind for electrical power, as Texas pioneers used it to bring water up from below parched range.
The wide-ranging, sometimes intense sunlight of Texas can be an energy bonanza when the technology catches up to it. Already, solar panels in home applications are paying off.
None of this is to say that we should abandon our traditional sources of energy. Fossil fuels—hopefully free from the regulatory insanity of cap and trade—are in our future for many decades to come. We should look for it, and drill for it anywhere we can, in an environmentally responsible way. This of course, we now have the technology to do. We must also forge ahead in developing biofuels, which will help alleviate our thirst for foreign oil and will benefit consumers, agriculture and rural Texas.
A mix of the old and new, responding to market forces is happening here in Texas—in response to resource crisis. That's why, when you come right down to it, Texas' greatest resource is—Texans.
Questions and Answers
Texas Ag Talks entry focuses on drought issues.
I bought a new home here in Waco in May of 2008. One of the things that caused me to fall in love with the place was a lush lawn of St. Augustine grass
Water will become our most valuable asset—probably the most precious commodity we'll have available in the next 50 years." I heard that statement from a farmer the other night as I sat in on the Texas Farm Bureau District 8 Policy Development meeting.
I’ve been thinking lately about the term “factory farm.” I know it angers animal agriculture producers, and it hacks me off, too—I think because it’s spit out of the mouths and keyboards of agriculture’s enemies like a vile and evil thing. Perhaps we overreact. It’s past time I looked into this. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing overall.
The Texas Farm Bureau recently launched an interactive Web site devoted to changing archaic Texas eminent domain law. While many people may have heard of eminent domain, most probably do not know much about what exactly it is.
Agricultural sector is no longer a neglected area now days. Many countries took their tourism establishment in the villages, making beautiful cottages and motels keeping resemblance with the rural landscape, to show the natural beauties, institutions, customs and language of the common people to the tourist.
Agriculture goods that should be exported to other countries. Here is the list of agriculture products exported around the world.
In this article I discussed about the cattle feeds manufacturer of India. If anyone becomes interested to know about this he/she can get helps from this article.
Depending on the type of weed, when they take over your crop, your soybean yield can be cut by up to 83%. Yes, you read that correctly: 83%! That is not to say that all weeds will do that or that even one particular weed will cut your crop harvest by 83%, but the potential is there.
Breeding animals is a really pleasurable hobby. It provides you a feeling of accomplishment once you hatch your chick, turtle or whatever it might be you are breeding.
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples recently announced a county grant program to control feral hogs, which are rapidly becoming Texas' number one pest problem
I bought a new home here in Waco in May of 2008. One of the things that caused me to fall in love with the place was a lush lawn of St. Augustine grass
Those of us interested in preventing cruelty to animals in the Texas livestock industry have watched with interest as the drama in Ohio has played out in recent days.
Texas Farm Bureau Public Relations Director Gene Hall writes the Texas water crisis and the related issues Texas legislature will deal with. This article focuses on groundwater rights and who owns it.
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