State
Mississippi tries to force KiOR into liquidation
AP
By JEFF AMY
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The state of Mississippi is trying to force biofuel
maker KiOR into liquidation, setting up a confrontation with one of Silicon
Valley's most prominent venture capitalists.
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=rhueG9Jw
Decision could impact Pascagoula LNG export application
BY JENNIFER A. DLOUHY
Hearst Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision to
authorize Cheniere Energy's plans to build a second natural gas export
facility marks a milestone for the Houston-based company as well as its
proposed facility in Corpus Christi, Texas.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/01/06/6003539/decision-could-impact-pascagoula.html?sp=/99/102/
Pascagoula leaders agree to downtown land swap with NOAA
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
January 06, 2015 at 8:19 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Pascagoula leaders tonight approved a land swap
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for two downtown
properties.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/01/pascagoula_leaders_agree_to_la.html#incart_river
Oil Spill
BP report: $50 billion invested in U.S. since 2009
The Advertiser
BP's business activities in the U.S. helped generate close to $143
billion in economic impact in 2013 and supported nearly 220,000
American jobs, the company's U.S. Economic Impact Report 2014
revealed.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/money/business/2015/01/06/bp-report-billion-invested-us-since/21335391/
Regional
Despite plunging oil prices, Gulf on brink of boom
USA Today
PORT FOURCHON, La. – Whoever is warning that slumping crude prices
will curb oil production hasn't told the tenants of this bustling
oil port.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2015/01/06/deep-water-oil-production-gulf/20752155/
Opinion
Are we compromising our local water supply?
By Beth Baker
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Mississippi State University
MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A simple step toward improving water quality is as
close as the home bathroom cabinet.
http://msucares.com/news/print/extension_outdoors/2014/eo20141219.html
BILL CRAWFORD; MDOC controversy reveals weaknesses in contract procurement
Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Corrections controversy has exposed
weaknesses in the state's contract procurement processes.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/01/06/6003249/bill-crawford-mdoc-controversy.html?sp=/99/728/
Press Releases
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| USDA Observes Kick Off of the International Year of Soils |
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|WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today begins its |
|celebration of the International Year of Soils to highlight the importance of healthy |
|soils for food security, ecosystem functions and resilient farms and ranches. |
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|"Healthy soil is the foundation that ensures working farms and ranches become more |
|productive, resilient to climate change and better prepared to meet the challenges of |
|the 21st century," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during an event today at USDA|
|headquarters. "We join the world in celebrating this living and life-giving resource." |
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|With an increasing global population, a shrinking agricultural land base, climate |
|change and extreme weather events, the nations of the world are focusing their |
|collective attention to the primary resource essential to food production-the soil. The|
|United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), working within the framework |
|of the Global Soil Partnership, spearheaded the adoption of a resolution by the UN |
|General Assembly designating 2015 as the International Year of Soils. The year of |
|awareness aims to increase global understanding of the importance of soil for food |
|security and essential ecosystem functions. |
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|"Most people don't realize that just beneath our feet lies a diverse, complex, |
|life-giving ecosystem that sustains our entire existence," said Jason Weller, chief of |
|USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "We are helping producers unlock |
|the power of soil health as part of an important and very successful national campaign.|
|Our campaign demonstrates our renewed commitment to soil conservation and soil health."|
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|NRCS is coordinating activities to mark USDA's involvement in the International Year of|
|Soils. Nearly 80 years ago, NRCS, formerly the Soil Conservation Service, was created |
|to improve the health and sustainability of our nation's soils. The agency's original |
|mission continues to this day – providing assistance to producers looking to improve |
|the health of the soil on their land. |
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|Conservation that works to improve soil health is one of the best tools NRCS has to |
|help landowners face these impending challenges – and maintain and improve their |
|productivity with the use of soil management systems that includes cover crops, |
|conservation tillage and no-till and crop rotations. These systems reduce sediment loss|
|from farms and ranches, buffer the effects of drought, flood and other severe weather; |
|sequester carbon and create biodiversity in our rural landscape. |
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|"International Year of Soils provides an opportunity for us to learn about the critical|
|role soil conservation and improved soil health play in the economic and environmental |
|sustainability of agriculture," Weller said. |
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|Working with the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and other partners, NRCS will |
|be showcasing the importance of soil with monthly themes created by SSSA: |
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|January: Soils Sustain Life |
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|February: Soils Support Urban Life |
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|March: Soils Support Agriculture |
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|April: Soils Clean and Capture Water |
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|May: Soils Support Buildings/Infrastructure |
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|June: Soils Support Recreation |
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|July: Soils Are Living |
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|August: Soils Support Health |
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|September: Soils Protect the Natural Environment |
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|October: Soils and Products We Use |
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|November: Soils and Climate |
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|December: Soils, Culture and People |
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|For more information, visit NRCS's soil health webpage or the International Year of |
|Soils webpage. |
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