| Looking for solutions to the carbon conundrum
You extract nutrients to feed the crops, harvest what you want and the rest is garbage. Personally I'd like to see a greater shift to crop cycling.
If farming shifted northwards, remember that those living near the equator will start depending on us for food instead. This would simply be a shift of who is exporting and who is importing, and although economically profitable for us, remember that this is merely a shift, and in all likelihood, only the extremely wealthy will benefit thus the disparity between the rich and the poor will only increase. Posted 01/02/08 at 10:23 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .
Internet EBay Cuts Listing Fees, Overhauls Feedback System
EBay today announced changes to its auction fee structure and is introducing new feedback rules to try to make its system friendlier to both buyers and sellers. The company is cutting the listing fee by up to 50% and compensating by increasing its commissions on sold items. The biggest shakeup will occur for sellers of low-priced items. For items under $25, eBay is raising the commission from 5.25% to 8.25%. This threatens the relatively strong market for used video games and music CDs. One important change to sellers is that the gallery feature, which previously had an attached fee, is now entirely free. The premium listing features Gallery Plus, Picture Pack, and Feature Plus will continue on with discounted fees. The news broke during a conference held in Washington with 200 of eBay's top North American sellers. The changes apply to North America (beginning February 20), and additional changes are forthcoming for Germany and the United Kingdom.
Coopers Mills Dam Repair Costs Presented, Work to Start in 2009
Even if Whitefield voters in March endorse Coopers Mills dam repairs, the work won't start this year, predicted board of selectmen chairman Steve McCormick.
"There are too many departments involved" in the permit process, he told budget committee members Feb. 7.
What will most likely be presented to voters will be an article for $5,000 in design costs and $22,000 for the permit process that must be followed under Endangered Species Act requirements. The Sheepscot River is one of eight federally protected Maine rivers containing native populations of endangered Atlantic salmon.
Chuck Vaughan, chairman of the committee that has been pursuing the repair project since Whitefield voters last November approved saving and repairing the dam, presented cost estimates to the budget committee.
Oconee Democrats to reorganize Feb. 23
Please allow me to give a few good reasons why my fellow citizens should attend the Oconee Democratic Party combined precinct re-organizational meetings on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Walhalla. I have heard many of our own elected officials say they were not leaving the Democratic Party, rather the party had left them. One problem, the same folks are still in office and we still maintain the same troubles, except with a higher tax burden, expanded government and less freedom. It is time for a change and it begins at the local level with this grassroots organizational meeting. We will elect precinct officers and county executive committee members to carry out the local Democratic Party agenda. Resolutions include addressing clean elections and paper-verified ballots, control of unregulated growth, county litter control efforts, protecting our drinking water, increasing representation on our school board and county council seats and letting the voters decide on whether to allow or deny funding issues related to local option sales tax increases.
January 2008
The two were intolerably civil to each other, and neither said anything that struck me as remotely controversial. In fact, with each debate the orthodoxy of Obama's positions becomes more pronounced. We spent the first 40 minutes on health care, and I thought Hillary clearly won that portion of the debate. She understands how difficult any change will be, and more important she understands that not everyone wants change--that those with health care may actually fear it. If Obama holds a similar position, I could not discern it from what he said. On the war, they are both terrible. Hillary says, "we will end the war in Iraq and we will resolve the war in Afghanistan." The only rule for this debate seemed to be that neither candidate would dare use the word 'victory.' We know they want out of Iraq, but have we now conceded defeat in Afghanistan as well? Our conflict with the Taliban and al Qaeda is to be 'resolved'? When Tony Soprano says he's going to resolve a problem, we know what that means, but what on earth does it mean when Hillary says it? The low point for Obama came when he said that the NIE on Iran had shown that engagement and talking could lead to the Iranians changing their behavior.
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