Author: pragwater

Violence against women a global health problem of epidemic proportions

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Violence against women a global health problem of epidemic proportions

gender_violence_map

Surface Runoff Calculator Widget

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This Wolfram-Alpha widget calculates the surface runoff (mm) based on the value of precipitation (mm) and the Natural Resource Conservation (NRCS) Curve Number (CN).  More information on the methodology can be obtained from the following reference:  Fangmeier, D. D., W. J. Elliot, S. R. Workman, R. L. Huffman, and G. O. Schwab, 2005. Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Fifth Edition. pp. 528.  Values of CN for various land covers, soils and antecedent moisture conditions are available in the NRCS Pond Construction Handbook.  Click here to download

Note to user:  Sorry about all the digits to the right of the decimal point.  I couldn’t find a way to control this when creating the widget.

DISCLAIMER: The information is provided “as is”. The authors and publishers of this information disclaim any loss or liability, either directly or indirectly as a consequence of applying the information provided herein, or in regard to the use and application of said information. No guarantee is given, either expressed or implied, in regard to the accuracy, or acceptability of the information.

 

 

CROP WATER USE ( HARGREAVES ET EQUATION) NEW WOLFRAM ALPHA WIDGET

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CROP WATER USE ( HARGREAVES ET EQUATION) NEW WOLFRAM ALPHA WIDGET. Reference: Hargreaves, G. H. and Z. A. Samani, Reference Crop Evapotranspiration from Temperature. Appl. Eng. Agric., ASAE. 1(2). 1985,. pp.96-99.

Widget Application: Suppose you want to schedule irrigation by replacing the water evapotranspired by your crop each day. 1. Click on the appropriate link to get yesterdays solar radiation for your location: Puerto Rico or Northern Caribbean, 2. Check the internet for the average daily air temperature at your location (average = (minimum + maximum)/2), 3. Get the appropriate crop coefficient for your crop from this link, and 4. Finally, enter solar radiation, air temperature and crop coefficient into the widget to estimate ET. Multiply ET x acres x 1069.0663 to get the number of gallons of water you need to apply to your field.

NOAA CREST SUMMER CAMP at UPRM

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Students from across Puerto Rico attended the NOAA CREST Summer Camp this week on the UPRM Campus.  This afternoon, they attended a workshop by Dr. Eric Harmsen, which focused on the use of GOES-PRWEB for scheduling irrigation in Puerto Rico.  Irrigation scheduling is important for water conservation and for achieving optimal crop yields.  The presentation is provided below:

DOWNLOAD PDF PRESENTATION HERE

IMG_1125 IMG_1126 IMG_1119 IMG_1120 IMG_1121 IMG_1122 IMG_1123 IMG_1124

New Chilean agriculture-climate observation centre to boost early warning for drought events

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New Chilean agriculture-climate observation centre to boost early warning for drought events

20130621-095755.jpg

Food Security: Nine principles that promote it

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Thanks Rhea Harmsen for this great post on Food Security.

rheaharmsen's avatarRhea Harmsen

Food Security: Nine principles that promote it

A very interesting article in Grist by Dr. Vandana Shiva about the food security of the world and the forces that control it was followed by a revealing exchange of comments between a big corporation executive and environmentalists and sustainable agriculture advocates.

http://grist.org/sustainable-food/dr-vandana-shiva-occupy-our-food-supply/?fb_ref=fbrw

I felt there were so many issues being thrown around (including a very disturbing suggestion that overpopulated poor countries should simply let a portion of their population starve out to restore the natural balance as per their food production/distribution capacity), that I thought of some broad principles (common sense stuff) that could help us think about where we actually want to go.

Granted, I’m not an expert in food security but I am passionate about it. Yes, so many nations don’t have it, and their policy makers seem barely aware of it. So, we the people, could start to move…

View original post 1,356 more words

Smart Irrigation

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ews_sim_infographic

Gender Equality is Essential to Progress

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Gender Equality is Essential to Progress

Peace is only possible, according to Baha’i teachings, once women have been accorded full participation across all fields of human endeavor. Until such gender equality becomes reality, Baha’is believe a climate in which international peace will emerge cannot be fully realized.  Read more….

v42 n01 - International service opens new vistas

Teen’s tech promises 20-sec phone charge

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Teen’s tech promises 20-sec phone charge

women_in_science

Small Scale Farming: Simple, Successful, Sustainable

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Small Scale Farming: Simple, Successful, Sustainable

Sugeno-san is a philosopher. His love affair with the land is poetry. “These trees are planted by our ancestors. These ‘tambos’ — the orderly descending terraces of rice paddy fields — are blessings from our communal mountains and forests. We smallholder farmers are the guardians of this Earth. It is our ancestral connection with their spirits. We pay our respects by respecting the land.” I realise that this deep and profound link between our planet and our humanity is being shattered by our human greed and ever-rising consumption.  Read more…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com