Hungry School Kids & Vilsack's Christmas Wish

Hungry School Kids & Vilsack's Christmas Wish

Hungry School Kids & Vilsack’s Christmas Wish plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Portland has been seeing an alarming rise in the number of hungry kids at school. One elementary school has seen a 6% rise in students that qualified for free- or reduced-price meals since last year. The new report, based on the American Community Survey, said child poverty in Portland Public Schools was at a five-year high. The district's free lunch figures confirm an increase from last year. Students who live below the poverty line are not the only ones who can receive subsidized school meals. The federal government provides free meals to students whose families earn up to 130 percent of the poverty level, or about $29,000 for a family of four.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he really only has one wish this Christmas season.

VILSACK: I wish that in 2012 the 98% of American’s who do not farm and who do not ranch, have a greater appreciation and express that appreciation for farmers and ranchers than they have in the past.I think our life would be a lot better and the world would be a lot happier place if we in the United States understood and appreciated that our farmers give us enormous diversity; affordable, safe and abundant food which we take for granted and I would wish in 2012 we all just tipped our hat to farmers and ranchers.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

The strong aversion some people feel towards wind turbines often leaves me scratching my head in wonder. Those opposed to wind turbines generally cite a noise factor, but this doesn’t necessarily hold up, as can be seen in the newest ad graphic from GE Global Research which shows the decibel level of a rotating wind turbine is roughly the same if not lower than the average household refrigerator. The same graphic also shows that a window ac, vacuum, blender, and lawnmower all have a decibel level well above that of a wind turbine; the vacuum has nearly twice the decibel level! Also it’s a requirement that wind turbines be placed no closer than three hundred meters away from the nearest residence, nearly a thousand feet. But because the stigma of “noisy wind turbines” seems to be sticking no matter the scientific data offered to the contrary, Australia Renewable Energy Solutions has created the “virtually silent” Eco Whisper wind turbine. Its “silent running” is possible due to the unique design of thirty blades angled outward from the hub and joined by an outer ring. Hopefully, with such designs wind turbines will soon be accepted for the silent, efficient, clean energy generators they are.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network. 

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