Agricultural floodplain stimulus money is available
Republicans hit the agriculture plan
U.S. donates dairy surplus to schools
Michelle Obama goes organic and brings in the bees
Sales of organic food slump by up to 30 percent
Obama garden sparks debate
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Profile Story
Ten feet underground, there lives something thought extinct until recently. This semi-mythical creature can grow up to 3 feet in length, has a mouth without teeth that it uses to spit at attackers, comes out of its burrow late at night to graze and smells like lilies. It is known as the Driloleirus americanus, or the Giant Palouse Earthworm.
This worm lives in solidarity, without knowing that several feet above him there sits a man, hunched over a desk, fighting to save him.
Steven Paulson, of Lenore, Ida., has spent the last several years petitioning to get the Giant Palouse Earthworm on the endangered species. The process, which has of yet taken nearly five years, started with a graduate student from the University of Idaho discovered the worm in 2005 on Smoot Hill, about 10 miles south of Pullman.
Prior to this, the creature was thought to be extinct by many members of the Palouse. It was abundant at one time, but in the last 20 years or so it has become harder and harder to find. Before 2005 the last known discovery of the earthworm was in 1988 and before that it was 1970, Paulson said.
There are only a few known habitats of the Palouse Earthworm left, Paulson said. These locations are scattered throughout Pullman and Moscow, but the worm originally lived in a larger area.
"It's original habitat was the entire Palouse Prairie," Paulson said. "The official area is the Palouse bio-region. That is the scientific finding that we included in our petition to get it listed as an endangered species."
The listing process is a complicated one, said Tom Buckley, an external affairs officer at the Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife office, a branch of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
In this process, a concerned group, in this case it was Paulson (backed by environmental group Friends of the Clearwater, of which he is a boardmember, and the Palouse Prairie Foundation, of which he is a member), contacts Fish and Wildlife Services with a petition about the biological information about the species they are concerned about.
Fish and Wildlife then has 90 days to review this material, said Michelle Eames, a endangered species biologist at the Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife office. The reviewing group does not do any other research, they just look over the petition and decide whether the material is substantial enough to investigate the matter further, she said.
In the case of the Giant Palouse Earthworm, the Paulson and backers threatened to sue when a decision was not released after the 90-day period.
Paulson was granted further review, but was denied "emergency listing" which would mean the group saw immediate need to move forward quickly with the evaluation, he said.
After granted evaluation, the committee at Fish and Wildlife Services moves on to a 12-month status review, in which they look at threat factors facing the endangered species, Eames said.
"There are five factors, such as elements affecting the habitat, commericial overuse of the area, disease and innadequacy of current habitat," Eames said.
There are then three conclusions that the committee can come to, Buckley said. The group can decide the species needs help, but that it is going to be put on hold because there are budget issues or species with a higher priority of saving, the warrant can go strait to a a proposal by FWS that the species be listed as endangered or threatened, or the warrant can be denied, he said.
If the proposal is listed, there are 60 days for the public to comment on their opinion of the status of the species. Informal meetings are also held in the area that the species is held in order to garner the public's opinion, Eames said.
"We have these meetings in the area around the communities where the species primarily lives because those are the people who are familiar with and concerned about the issue," Buckley said.
In the case of the Giant Palouse Earthworm, Paulson had to sue once again during this part of the process, in order to receive a response.
"We had to wait a whole year to go by, then we had to threaten to sue for their failure to issue a 12-month finding," Paulson said.
When a finding was issued, it said that the request was denied because of something that was "erroneous," he said. In the petition it listed that the Giant Palouse Earthworm lived in the Palouse bio-region, but that it had also been found once in Ellensburg, Wash., outside of this bio-region. The FWS said that because this information was incorrect, the entire petition was erroneous as well, Paulson said.
"They said that because the assumption of the habitat, which was described in scientific literature, was wrong, that the petition didn't have merit," Paulson said.
The earthworm advocates took this to court again, to challenge the decision, this last February.
The judge found in favor of FWS, saying that they had the right to decide what should be listed on the endangered species list, Paulson said.
Paulson has since spent all his free time rewriting the petition in order to try again, he said.
"Getting any species on the endangered species list is a tremendously expensive and time-consuming project," he said.
The first petition took him nearly a year and a half to complete, and he said the rewrite will take him nearly as long, as the process of getting an animal considered is dificult, "especially under the Bush and Reagan administrations," he said.
So far, President Obama has only made small changes to policy, but more may be in store, Buckley said.
Still, as he prepares to embark on a multi-year battle in order to save a creature he has never actually scene, Paulson remains dedicated to his cause.
"It is important to our area," he said.
This worm lives in solidarity, without knowing that several feet above him there sits a man, hunched over a desk, fighting to save him.
Steven Paulson, of Lenore, Ida., has spent the last several years petitioning to get the Giant Palouse Earthworm on the endangered species. The process, which has of yet taken nearly five years, started with a graduate student from the University of Idaho discovered the worm in 2005 on Smoot Hill, about 10 miles south of Pullman.
Prior to this, the creature was thought to be extinct by many members of the Palouse. It was abundant at one time, but in the last 20 years or so it has become harder and harder to find. Before 2005 the last known discovery of the earthworm was in 1988 and before that it was 1970, Paulson said.
There are only a few known habitats of the Palouse Earthworm left, Paulson said. These locations are scattered throughout Pullman and Moscow, but the worm originally lived in a larger area.
"It's original habitat was the entire Palouse Prairie," Paulson said. "The official area is the Palouse bio-region. That is the scientific finding that we included in our petition to get it listed as an endangered species."
The listing process is a complicated one, said Tom Buckley, an external affairs officer at the Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife office, a branch of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
In this process, a concerned group, in this case it was Paulson (backed by environmental group Friends of the Clearwater, of which he is a boardmember, and the Palouse Prairie Foundation, of which he is a member), contacts Fish and Wildlife Services with a petition about the biological information about the species they are concerned about.
Fish and Wildlife then has 90 days to review this material, said Michelle Eames, a endangered species biologist at the Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife office. The reviewing group does not do any other research, they just look over the petition and decide whether the material is substantial enough to investigate the matter further, she said.
In the case of the Giant Palouse Earthworm, the Paulson and backers threatened to sue when a decision was not released after the 90-day period.
Paulson was granted further review, but was denied "emergency listing" which would mean the group saw immediate need to move forward quickly with the evaluation, he said.
After granted evaluation, the committee at Fish and Wildlife Services moves on to a 12-month status review, in which they look at threat factors facing the endangered species, Eames said.
"There are five factors, such as elements affecting the habitat, commericial overuse of the area, disease and innadequacy of current habitat," Eames said.
There are then three conclusions that the committee can come to, Buckley said. The group can decide the species needs help, but that it is going to be put on hold because there are budget issues or species with a higher priority of saving, the warrant can go strait to a a proposal by FWS that the species be listed as endangered or threatened, or the warrant can be denied, he said.
If the proposal is listed, there are 60 days for the public to comment on their opinion of the status of the species. Informal meetings are also held in the area that the species is held in order to garner the public's opinion, Eames said.
"We have these meetings in the area around the communities where the species primarily lives because those are the people who are familiar with and concerned about the issue," Buckley said.
In the case of the Giant Palouse Earthworm, Paulson had to sue once again during this part of the process, in order to receive a response.
"We had to wait a whole year to go by, then we had to threaten to sue for their failure to issue a 12-month finding," Paulson said.
When a finding was issued, it said that the request was denied because of something that was "erroneous," he said. In the petition it listed that the Giant Palouse Earthworm lived in the Palouse bio-region, but that it had also been found once in Ellensburg, Wash., outside of this bio-region. The FWS said that because this information was incorrect, the entire petition was erroneous as well, Paulson said.
"They said that because the assumption of the habitat, which was described in scientific literature, was wrong, that the petition didn't have merit," Paulson said.
The earthworm advocates took this to court again, to challenge the decision, this last February.
The judge found in favor of FWS, saying that they had the right to decide what should be listed on the endangered species list, Paulson said.
Paulson has since spent all his free time rewriting the petition in order to try again, he said.
"Getting any species on the endangered species list is a tremendously expensive and time-consuming project," he said.
The first petition took him nearly a year and a half to complete, and he said the rewrite will take him nearly as long, as the process of getting an animal considered is dificult, "especially under the Bush and Reagan administrations," he said.
So far, President Obama has only made small changes to policy, but more may be in store, Buckley said.
Still, as he prepares to embark on a multi-year battle in order to save a creature he has never actually scene, Paulson remains dedicated to his cause.
"It is important to our area," he said.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Current Events
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Profile Proposals
Person: Dave Skinner, the president of the Palouse Prairie Foundation
Why: The Palouse Prairie Foundation submitted paperwork to get the Palouse Earthworm declared an endangered creature. The claim was just turned out, but the group has said that they will try again to get this request granted.
Who else: I could also talk to the other members of the foundation, and people at the Department of Fish and Wildlife that helped with the proposal, or those who worked with Skinner during the fight.
Where: If I center the story around the earthworm, I feel that I could reach a broader audience, and go into a local paper, like the Evergreen. However, just the foundation profile would be for an agricultural magazine.
Who: Xianming Chen, a plant pathologist here in Pullman
Why: Chen was on a team of scientists who recently discovered a gene that will help create wheat that is resistant to stripe rust, which causes a large amount of crop loss in this area.
Who else: Other members of Chen's team, as well as members of the WSU faculty who may want to comment on this international discovery and the recognition that will come because of it.
Where: This story would be best in a newspaper that was geared toward academics. Agricultural based audiences may also enjoy it.
Who: Kenna Eaton, general manager of the Moscow Food Co-op
Why: This is a trend story. People are more and more interested in local and organic food. The co-op carries food that is produced locally. So in doing a 'day in the life' of Eaton may provide a better look into what this means to the consumer. Local and organic is more than just a sticker, what does it mean to local economies and to health?
Who else: The other members of the staff at the co-op as well as customers
Where: This would run in a local newspaper. Larger papers might pick it up, however, as it is a huge trend right now.
Why: The Palouse Prairie Foundation submitted paperwork to get the Palouse Earthworm declared an endangered creature. The claim was just turned out, but the group has said that they will try again to get this request granted.
Who else: I could also talk to the other members of the foundation, and people at the Department of Fish and Wildlife that helped with the proposal, or those who worked with Skinner during the fight.
Where: If I center the story around the earthworm, I feel that I could reach a broader audience, and go into a local paper, like the Evergreen. However, just the foundation profile would be for an agricultural magazine.
Who: Xianming Chen, a plant pathologist here in Pullman
Why: Chen was on a team of scientists who recently discovered a gene that will help create wheat that is resistant to stripe rust, which causes a large amount of crop loss in this area.
Who else: Other members of Chen's team, as well as members of the WSU faculty who may want to comment on this international discovery and the recognition that will come because of it.
Where: This story would be best in a newspaper that was geared toward academics. Agricultural based audiences may also enjoy it.
Who: Kenna Eaton, general manager of the Moscow Food Co-op
Why: This is a trend story. People are more and more interested in local and organic food. The co-op carries food that is produced locally. So in doing a 'day in the life' of Eaton may provide a better look into what this means to the consumer. Local and organic is more than just a sticker, what does it mean to local economies and to health?
Who else: The other members of the staff at the co-op as well as customers
Where: This would run in a local newspaper. Larger papers might pick it up, however, as it is a huge trend right now.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Media and War
The role of mass media is forever changing within the society in which we live. It is impossible to say, to any degree of certainty, what role media plays versus what role it should play. We can, however, examine media coverage of various events and determine whether they are filling a “watchdog” capacity, or critiquing the government and leaders of a society, or are filling in more as a support, supplying the propaganda and articles that create the society that people should believe in.
Which role should media play? In an ideal world, the media would be completely unbiased, and would simply report the facts. However, in any world where humans, and therefore feelings, are present it is impossible to keep all opinion out of any piece.
During war time, the role of media professionals is even more under suspicion. If journalists are too involved in supporting the war, they are criticized, but if they are questioning the government they are also challenged.
One of the best ways for journalists to make sure they are getting the full story, or at least the story they are meant to hear, is to work as an embedded journalist. Embedded journalists actually spend their time in the war zone and with the people that they are covering. A lot of time this still leads to stories that are affected by the people with which they are working. This can be difficult, but Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside with the U.S. Army said that a lot of these journalists and photographers can become close friends. He spoke fondly of one particular photographer. “He had more combat experience than I did,” Whiteside said. Not only that, but using only a generator from the local village, he was able to upload his pictures for the paper of the next day. Whiteside talked about how much this meant to journalistic coverage of the war. Embedded journalists are looking for the story that focuses on things that are going wrong, Whiteside said, and he would have journalists embedded with him that would find some sort of corruption and run with it, completely ignoring all the progress that was being made. He also talked about how the Army, and any group, worked to spin the stories in a way that would be the most beneficial to them. He also talked about how he doesn’t mind reading negative reports of action in Iraq, because the journalists are only reporting what they see, which, according to him, is far less than what is actually happening.
Coverage of war is especially important because they take place overseas, so all the information about what is happening must be garnered from war coverage presented by the media. It is impossible to know all of what is happening around the world, but many try to do so buy watching or reading the news. News programs from different countries, however, present different viewpoints.
It is interesting to watch the change in media coverage over the course of our current “War on Terror.” On September 11, 2001, when the terrorist first occurred, nearly all of the media coverage was of the mindset that justice must be served. Now, however, over seven years later, the attitude about the war has taken on a negative light, which is prevalent in popular media. For example, in an article entitled “Bush: U.S. feels ‘quiet, unyielding anger’" on September 12, 2001, author Ian Chrisopher McCaleb of CNN talked about President Bush’s odyssey, and the difficult day that he has had to endure along with the American people. Though the article has a somber air, as it is concerning a tragedy in our nation, it also has a somewhat optimistic air. It concerns what will happen next, and what President Bush is planning in order to reassure the people of the United States that this tragedy will not go unanswered. Years into the war, however, and CNN publishes the article “Obama: U.S. to withdraw most Iraqi troops by August 2010” written on February 27, 2009. This is different to start with, because it covers the speech of a different president, but also the tone of the article is different. There is still some hopefulness, but now it is not for justice but instead to the end of what was started years before. The author does present quotes from both the democratic and republican sides of the congress, but the quotes that he chose from John McCain as a Republican senator, helped to show even Republicans are looking forward to an end of the war, and the movements that are going to be made under the administration of Barack Obama. The real question to examine however is whether the media has propagated this sentiment in the people, or whether they are simply reporting what people want to see and hear.
In his article called “Metacoverage of Mediated Wars: How the Press Formed the Role of Media and of Military News Management in the Iraq Wars of 1991 and 2003” in the academic journal American Behavioral Scientist, Frank Esser compared the coverage of war to the coverage of political campaigns. He said that they are similar because “they are both mediated events and rely on media and public relations/publicity channels to mobilize support, generate interest, convey information, legitimize action, and communicate with the public.” This is interesting because it also nearly impossible to cover a political election season (which essentially turns into a war) without some sort of bias. Voters want to know about their own candidate, yes, but they also want to know about the faults of the other candidate. In many war situations, particularly in the beginning, people want to hear the good parts about their country, and the faults of the country they are fighting against.
Another change over the years is the type of journalism, which allows us more one-sided but more immediate access to news. The emergence of blogs has created a huge impact on the media community. It has created a world where anyone can essentially be a journalist and present the news that they wish people to see. Often these bloggers are looked down upon by traditional journalists, but in his article “News-the blogger war” for the Valley Advocate, Mark Roessler, talked about how bloggers can be just as influential as traditional media outlets. He says that both sides are losing out in this battle between them because “by trying to marginalize bloggers, traditional media have missed what could be the remedy for slumping sales and status. And by trying so hard to command respect as independent pioneers, many bloggers have argued themselves out of what they're really after: a job.”
Other countries also look at the media inside of our country, however, and talk about that. They cover events in our country different than we do, yes, but they also comment on our commentary. In an article called “Pentagon plans propaganda war” for the BBC, Tom Carver covers a story about “underhanded tactics” that George Bush and the American press will talk over the course of the war on terror. This article was written in 2002, when a lot of Americans were still reeling from the terrorist attacks. The article was not one that would have appeared in most American newspapers of the time, but it could, and most certainly has, appeared in a similar form today. In fact, it has. In an article for SalemNews.com entitled “War Reporting and Propaganda in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Tim King wrote that we are still being accused of propaganda. Now, however, news media is being accused of covering too much death and the bad side of the stories. So, instead of being charged with being too gullible, journalists are being blamed for being too critical. Not only is the role of media in war hard to define, but it is also constantly changing in the eyes of the public.
Which role should media play? In an ideal world, the media would be completely unbiased, and would simply report the facts. However, in any world where humans, and therefore feelings, are present it is impossible to keep all opinion out of any piece.
During war time, the role of media professionals is even more under suspicion. If journalists are too involved in supporting the war, they are criticized, but if they are questioning the government they are also challenged.
One of the best ways for journalists to make sure they are getting the full story, or at least the story they are meant to hear, is to work as an embedded journalist. Embedded journalists actually spend their time in the war zone and with the people that they are covering. A lot of time this still leads to stories that are affected by the people with which they are working. This can be difficult, but Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside with the U.S. Army said that a lot of these journalists and photographers can become close friends. He spoke fondly of one particular photographer. “He had more combat experience than I did,” Whiteside said. Not only that, but using only a generator from the local village, he was able to upload his pictures for the paper of the next day. Whiteside talked about how much this meant to journalistic coverage of the war. Embedded journalists are looking for the story that focuses on things that are going wrong, Whiteside said, and he would have journalists embedded with him that would find some sort of corruption and run with it, completely ignoring all the progress that was being made. He also talked about how the Army, and any group, worked to spin the stories in a way that would be the most beneficial to them. He also talked about how he doesn’t mind reading negative reports of action in Iraq, because the journalists are only reporting what they see, which, according to him, is far less than what is actually happening.
Coverage of war is especially important because they take place overseas, so all the information about what is happening must be garnered from war coverage presented by the media. It is impossible to know all of what is happening around the world, but many try to do so buy watching or reading the news. News programs from different countries, however, present different viewpoints.
It is interesting to watch the change in media coverage over the course of our current “War on Terror.” On September 11, 2001, when the terrorist first occurred, nearly all of the media coverage was of the mindset that justice must be served. Now, however, over seven years later, the attitude about the war has taken on a negative light, which is prevalent in popular media. For example, in an article entitled “Bush: U.S. feels ‘quiet, unyielding anger’" on September 12, 2001, author Ian Chrisopher McCaleb of CNN talked about President Bush’s odyssey, and the difficult day that he has had to endure along with the American people. Though the article has a somber air, as it is concerning a tragedy in our nation, it also has a somewhat optimistic air. It concerns what will happen next, and what President Bush is planning in order to reassure the people of the United States that this tragedy will not go unanswered. Years into the war, however, and CNN publishes the article “Obama: U.S. to withdraw most Iraqi troops by August 2010” written on February 27, 2009. This is different to start with, because it covers the speech of a different president, but also the tone of the article is different. There is still some hopefulness, but now it is not for justice but instead to the end of what was started years before. The author does present quotes from both the democratic and republican sides of the congress, but the quotes that he chose from John McCain as a Republican senator, helped to show even Republicans are looking forward to an end of the war, and the movements that are going to be made under the administration of Barack Obama. The real question to examine however is whether the media has propagated this sentiment in the people, or whether they are simply reporting what people want to see and hear.
In his article called “Metacoverage of Mediated Wars: How the Press Formed the Role of Media and of Military News Management in the Iraq Wars of 1991 and 2003” in the academic journal American Behavioral Scientist, Frank Esser compared the coverage of war to the coverage of political campaigns. He said that they are similar because “they are both mediated events and rely on media and public relations/publicity channels to mobilize support, generate interest, convey information, legitimize action, and communicate with the public.” This is interesting because it also nearly impossible to cover a political election season (which essentially turns into a war) without some sort of bias. Voters want to know about their own candidate, yes, but they also want to know about the faults of the other candidate. In many war situations, particularly in the beginning, people want to hear the good parts about their country, and the faults of the country they are fighting against.
Another change over the years is the type of journalism, which allows us more one-sided but more immediate access to news. The emergence of blogs has created a huge impact on the media community. It has created a world where anyone can essentially be a journalist and present the news that they wish people to see. Often these bloggers are looked down upon by traditional journalists, but in his article “News-the blogger war” for the Valley Advocate, Mark Roessler, talked about how bloggers can be just as influential as traditional media outlets. He says that both sides are losing out in this battle between them because “by trying to marginalize bloggers, traditional media have missed what could be the remedy for slumping sales and status. And by trying so hard to command respect as independent pioneers, many bloggers have argued themselves out of what they're really after: a job.”
Other countries also look at the media inside of our country, however, and talk about that. They cover events in our country different than we do, yes, but they also comment on our commentary. In an article called “Pentagon plans propaganda war” for the BBC, Tom Carver covers a story about “underhanded tactics” that George Bush and the American press will talk over the course of the war on terror. This article was written in 2002, when a lot of Americans were still reeling from the terrorist attacks. The article was not one that would have appeared in most American newspapers of the time, but it could, and most certainly has, appeared in a similar form today. In fact, it has. In an article for SalemNews.com entitled “War Reporting and Propaganda in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Tim King wrote that we are still being accused of propaganda. Now, however, news media is being accused of covering too much death and the bad side of the stories. So, instead of being charged with being too gullible, journalists are being blamed for being too critical. Not only is the role of media in war hard to define, but it is also constantly changing in the eyes of the public.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Current Events
Ney York Times: Testing May Help Verify Foods as Organic
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/science/03obmilk.html
New testing methods will ensure that consumers are actually getting the organic products, specifically milk, that they are paying for. It was recently discovered that some producers are subsitituting regular milk for organic, but still charging organic prices. These tests will eliminate this worldwide.
PilotOnline: Farm bill aims to end agricultural pollution
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/farm-bill-offers-millions-help-end-agricultural-pollution
A new farm bill is going to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay and to implement greener farming processes. Virginia alone received over $7 million.
Reuters: Subsidy debate weighs farmers v. children: Vilsack
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5216AE20090302
Considerations are in play to make it so those farmers earning over $500,000 will no longer receive subsidies. The money will instead go to childrens nutrition programs.
The Star-ledger: N.J. open space groups oppose bill backing green energy for farms
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/nj_open_space_groups_oppose_bi.html
Farmers in New Jersey are striving to use more wind power on their farms. Open space activists, however, are pusing for alternatives to this method as the wind turbines will take up too much rom and will need to regulated strongly in order to work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/science/03obmilk.html
New testing methods will ensure that consumers are actually getting the organic products, specifically milk, that they are paying for. It was recently discovered that some producers are subsitituting regular milk for organic, but still charging organic prices. These tests will eliminate this worldwide.
PilotOnline: Farm bill aims to end agricultural pollution
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/farm-bill-offers-millions-help-end-agricultural-pollution
A new farm bill is going to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay and to implement greener farming processes. Virginia alone received over $7 million.
Reuters: Subsidy debate weighs farmers v. children: Vilsack
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5216AE20090302
Considerations are in play to make it so those farmers earning over $500,000 will no longer receive subsidies. The money will instead go to childrens nutrition programs.
The Star-ledger: N.J. open space groups oppose bill backing green energy for farms
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/nj_open_space_groups_oppose_bi.html
Farmers in New Jersey are striving to use more wind power on their farms. Open space activists, however, are pusing for alternatives to this method as the wind turbines will take up too much rom and will need to regulated strongly in order to work.
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