[smallpoxgirl]

Folks have apparently recently figured out that the great eastern forest of North America was anything but, it was actually a well managed nut plantation developed over 1000's of years by the local residents. Hence the massive chestnut, hickory, oak forests of the eastern US.

Apparently the practice of letting pigs forage in the forest was very common in the colonial and frontier days. The pigs would find and eat the chestnuts, acorn, hickory nuts etc. I've heard that it significantly limited the reproduction of those trees and changed the makeup of the forests rather dramatically.

I think it's hard for even those of us that grew up in Eastern woodlands to really imagine what those forests would have been like. Almost all of the "forest" in the eastern US is scrubby stuff less than 100 years old. There are some very small patches of old growth, but not much.

[flashtoonz]

For those folks that are interested, creating a self-sustaining Food Forest near your home, it isnt as hard as you may think. Geoff Lawton also found and documented a 2,000 year old Food Forest system in Morocco that will feature in our new DVD on how to do-it-yourself with minimum effort. We posted that 300 Year old Food Forest link on You Tube and hope to put more stuff up soon.



<link removed per COC. Kathy>

[katkinkate]

I've heard that much of the Amazon rainforest was 'managed' by the nomadic tribes for food production as well. They knew where and when various foods were due to grow/ripen and their wanderings were on a set schedule and they managed the forest as they went.

[roccman]

Hmmmm...

Bout time for a diversion to get McCain within "stealing distance"...wonder what that would be?

Link

[Cloud9]

Ah, stealing a page from the old Democrat play book.

[WyoDutch]

Ah yes... plucky little Israel... ready to fight to the last American.

Meanwhile, here at home....

[bromius]

Interesting video. It didn't mention any inputs to the system. I wonder if such things would be necessary, or if the rates of nutrient withdrawl are sufficiently balanced by natural replenishment via nitrogen fixation, chemical processes in soil, etc...

[Subjectivist]

Vietnam boosting coal


The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) has released new data revealing that nearly 70% of its annual plan target for coal production was met during the first eight months of this year.

PRESS RELEASE: Production through August totalled 24.58Mt, or 68.3% of the annual plan, with 21.38Mt used domestically and 866,000t exported. In all, Vinacomin said, the output generated revenues of 35.3 trillion VND (US$1.55 billion).

This month, the group said it is expecting to mine 2Mt and sell 2.5Mt, including 2.34Mt in the domestic market and 155,000t for export. It will focus on balancing demand with inventory as it constructs its 2018 production and business plan, giving attention to techniques and technologies as it restructures along with organisation and management system, workforce, finance and stricter management of its natural resources.

The new data comes after approval last week by Vietnam’s prime minister Nguyen Xuân Phúc of changes to a coal development master plan that will support the country’s industry through 2030.

Some of those upcoming projects include the construction of new sorting plants, the development of a processing and concentrating centre, facility relocations, and the adjustment of project boundaries.

http://www.miningmagazine.com/resources ... ting-coal/

[Tanada]

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Association (VECEA) and the German Development Cooperation Organisation (GIZ) held a ceremony in Hanoi on January 31 to present the Vietnam Energy Efficiency Industry Awards 2017.

The Colusa-Miliket Foodstuff JSC won the first prize at the ‘best energy efficiency solutions’ category.

By replacing coal material with husk for boilers, installing highly efficient inverters, changing the lighting system, and conserving pipelines for steam production, the company reduced 25 percent of energy intensity for a product in 2016 (compared to 2010) and 225 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Efficient energy usage and saving measures have helped the company save about 608 million VND (26,812 USD) of energy production cost annually.
The Polytechnical Mechanical, Thermal, Electrical and Refrigeration Engineering Company Limited (Polyco) earned the first prize at the ‘original and innovation energy efficiency solutions’ category thanks for its creative solutions to reducing 1,260 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

More importantly, such measures as installing the layered refrigeration systems, making efficient use during peak hours, and recovering heat from boilers during production have been widely applied in the food processing industry, helping customers save 369 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) in 2013-2016 and reduce 10 percent of energy consumption of products in 2016 (compared to 2013).

The second and third prizes were granted to Vietnam Stanley Electric, Braun Vietnam and Synztec Vietnam companies, Tan Hiep water plant and Hanoi meat processing factory.

The Vietnam Energy Efficiency Industry Awards 2017 were launched from November 20, 2017 to January 15, 2018.

All industrial enterprises operating in the country and having annual energy consumption from 300 TOE per year (equal to two million kWh per year) and having carried out energy efficiency solutions from 2011 to 2016 were eligible to apply.

Vietnam is one of the most dynamically developing countries in Asia, facing rising demand for electricity, which is expected to double in the coming years.

Industrial production is currently the most energy consuming sector, accounting for 47 percent of the country's total energy consumption.

According to the Electricity Industry Development Plan VII announced in 2016, the Government of Vietnam has set a target of saving 10 percent of energy between 2016 and 2020.-VNA

LINK

[Tanada]

South China Sea Tensions: Vietnam Builds On Disputed Islands Where China Has Military Infrastructure

Hanoi is also building ship docks on Namyit Island and Sand Cay
Vietnam occupies 21 features in Spratlys while China has seven
Vietnam has reclaimed over 120 acres of new land on the Spratlys

Taking a leaf out of China's playbook, Vietnam has begun building infrastructure on three islands under its administration in the South China Sea. Satellite images show work being carried out on Pearson Reef, Namyit Island and Sand Cay, all on the disputed Spratly Islands.

The images from Planet Labs, a San Fransico-based earth imaging company, show Hanoi building what appears to be a large two-section marina or harbor on Pearson Reef, reports Radio Free Asia.

Vietnam has occupied the reef since 1978 and has previously reclaimed about six acres of land there in 2014. While Vietnam administers 21 features on the Spratly Islands, including Pearson, China occupies seven. This includes militarised islands like Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief, and Subi reefs.

However, the work on Pearson Reef gained pace over the last year. Compared to the images taken in 2020, those from last month show a sudden spurt in development at the northern part of the reef.

The satellite images taken in October showed a barge pulled up and what looks like plumes of sediment in the water. Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, told RFA that it is "likely that they brought sand and backhoes in and are piling it on that southern edge of the island to expand it."

As for Namyit and Sand Cay, authorities seem to be building ship docks to improve access and provide shelter to boats.

However, Vietnamese analysts have maintained that the work is to "prevent erosion and landslides" and "not to expand or change the island features."

Lt. Col. Luu Van Nhiem, a senior official at the Naval squadron 11, First Regional Coast Guard, recently told local media that the country was seeking to civilianize islands in the South China Sea to promote economic development and to protect sovereignty.

Though the Vietnam government has not officially commented on the work, the country reportedly began reclamation work on islands under its administration much before 2014.

Satellite images taken in 2015 had shown an expansion of the land area of Sand Cay and West London Reef in the Spratly archipelago and the addition of buildings. The work included military installations and appeared to have started before China began a flurry of reclamation projects in 2014.

Though Hanoi's island reclamation bid was then condemned by Beijing, it later outpaced Vietnam by reclaiming almost 3,000 acres. Figures say Vietnam has only reclaimed over 120 acres of new land on the Spratlys.

The countries also share a tumultuous past after Chinese forces opened fire on Vietnamese soldiers in 1988 in the South China Sea over Vietnam's bid to reclaim Johnson Reef. The incident happened when the Vietnamese Navy’s Brigade 125 sent three ships carrying nearly 100 officers and soldiers to Johnson Reef. The soldiers were transporting construction materials when four Chinese vessels arrived. A battle ensued, which ended bitterly for Vietnam. Since then, Johnson Reef has been occupied by China.

LINK

[theluckycountry]

Hanoi...

By replacing coal material with husk for boilers, installing highly efficient inverters, changing the lighting system, and conserving pipelines for steam production, the company reduced 25 percent of energy intensity for a product in 2016 (compared to 2010) and 225 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

The traditional method of planting rice in Vietnam is to use water buffalo to plow the field, spread dung on the field to fertilize it, and then smooth it down by dragging a log. This softens up the soil to enable the transplanting of rice seedlings, which are placed by hand in the fields, which are then flooded by rain or river water. The only change in the last decades has been the application of chemical fertilizer in place of dung, which is spread by casting the fertilizer into the air by hand, letting it settle on the plants and water.
https://www.ideglobal.org/key-project/c ... n-vietnam#

All they need to do is increase natural gas and oil inputs, make more fertilizer, to grow more rice, to generate more husks, and hence become even more efficient. Those clever communist Vietnamese.

[theluckycountry]

Biden visits Vietnam to bolster alliance confronting China

HANOI — President Biden was given an enthusiastic welcome in Vietnam on Sunday, as he drove past Ho Chi Minh’s expansive mausoleum and eventually to the Communist Party headquarters, where he and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong solidified a new diplomatic arrangement that will enhance ties between the two countries in the face of China’s influence.

Hat in hand to a little communist dictatorship, Oh how the mighty have fallen. Didn't the US lose a war there against these pesky communists? History is a funny thing