U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to revive U.S. shipbuilding using massive fees on China-linked ship visits to American ports is causing U.S. coal inventories to swell and stoking uncertainty in the embattled agriculture market, as exporters struggle to find ships to send goods abroad.
Proposed U.S. port fees on China-built ships choking coal, agriculture exports
U.S. agriculture exports face uncertainty due to proposed shipping fees, traders say
White House not ruling out a U.S. carbon tax
Option 'not off the table' despite Manchin comment
Washington | Reuters –– The White House on Tuesday said it has not ruled out a carbon tax as a possible option for fighting climate change, even though U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a critical holdout in the closely divided Senate, said he was not discussing the topic in talks about U.S. spending and infrastructure bills. […] Read more
Trump-backed Canadian railway to Alaska faces high hurdles
Proponents say line could move grain, fertilizer as well as oil
Winnipeg/Washington | Reuters — A private-sector proposal endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump to build a railway from Canada’s oil sands to ports in Alaska would free landlocked crude but faces numerous steep challenges. Trump wrote on Twitter over the weekend that he would issue a permit for the Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A Rail) […] Read more
U.S. court finds for California’s work with Quebec on carbon market
Washington | Reuters — A U.S. federal district court has ruled that California’s co-ordination with Quebec in a cap-and-trade carbon emissions market is constitutional, a blow to the Trump administration made public in a filing late on Friday. In October, the Trump administration sued California for entering a climate agreement with Quebec, saying the state […] Read more
Trump administration scales back U.S. water protections
Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration finalized a rule on Thursday to pare back the types of waterways protected from pollution under federal law, easing burdens on industries such as agriculture and mining but angering environmental groups. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule could win political points ahead of the November election for Republican President […] Read more
In win for Big Oil, U.S. proposes biofuel mandate cut
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Obama administration has proposed slashing federal requirements for U.S. biofuel use in 2014, bowing to pressure from the petroleum industry and attempting to prevent a potential fuel crunch next year. The Nov. 15 decision was the first cut to renewable fuel targets written into a 2007 law, and was seen as a clear win […] Read more
U.S. upholds ethanol mandate
The United States on Friday upheld its program to turn a large share of the corn crop into ethanol for motor fuel, saying it did not cause undue economic harm despite steep competition for depleted U.S. grain supplies after the worst drought in 50 years. In August, as drought seared the Midwest, the governors of […] Read more
U.S. seen unlikely to hit advanced biofuel goal
The United States will likely fail to reach its long-term mandate for making advanced ethanol from trees, grasses and crop waste unless producers innovate significantly, a scientific advisory group said last week. The National Research Council’s comments are the latest sign that backers of alternative fuels must wait longer for “next-generation” ethanol. Touted as the […] Read more
U.S. Engine Makers Sue Over Ethanol Blends
Reading Time: < 1 minute U.S. automakers and engine makers sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 20 over its decision to allow higher blends of ethanol for newer cars, saying it could cause confusion at the pumps and damage engines in older vehicles. The EPA decided in October to allow cars built in 2007 or later to burn gasoline […] Read more
Warmer World Equals More Pests
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beetles killing trees in North America, bluetongue disease ravaging livestock in Europe, and borers destroying African coffee crops are examples of migrating invasive species not getting enough attention at global climate talks, scientists said Dec. 8. Invasive pests have plagued agriculture and nature for thousands of years as man-kind’s migrations brought them to places without […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
