1/15/09 Marine Monuments & Packing Problems

Marine Monuments & Packing Problems plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. In one of his last acts as leader of the free world, President Bush created several marine monuments. Outgoing Ag Secretary Ed Schafer talks about their importance. SCHAFER: Creating 3 new marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean that will cover an area that's as large as the size of the country of Spain. These areas that will be protected include coral reefs which are rich in biodiversity, waters that shelter a wide variety of sea birds and fish and sea beds where active underwater volcanoes and thermal vents can be found as well. USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service says Mexico has agreed to delay the effective date of a rule that would force U.S. meat exporters to significantly change their shipping methods. Mexico wants U.S. packers to discontinue the use of combo bins. These one ton containers have been used for the last 12 years. The new effective date for the Mexican rule is now January 30th. Mexico officials site food safety concerns as their reason for this change. The new rule would require much smaller packages because they are easier to inspect, especially when sorting through frozen product. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. An optimist will look at a dire situation and put a positive spin on it, someway, somehow. Perhaps Americans should look at the nation's fuel struggles through optimist's eyes. The oil industry is discovering that the American public adjusted their lifestyles and learned how to not use as much gasoline and instead opt for alternative forms of transportation. Even the recent lowering of fuel prices does not have Americans reverting to their former excessive gasoline usage. Airlines who suffered greatly with the oil price spikes in 2008 are taking that experience and using it as the shove they needed for seeking alternative fuels. In fact, Continental Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to have a demonstration flight powered in part with alternative fuel derived from algae. The biofuel performed exceedingly well and no modifications to the plane's engines were performed. It may be sooner than we thought that America can be freed from its dependence on the oil industry. Like the railroad barons of the past, oil barons may very soon find themselves put out of commission. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.