Resource: MediaGlobal

The ingenuity and traditional practices of colonial communities have long helped sustain their livelihoods. In Flowers Bank, a small village in the area of Belize, the art of cohune palm oil extraction once became a valuable income earner for slaves during the off-season months of the timber trade.

The methods used by slaves to process cohune nuts were labor intensive, but today, modern technology is enabling their descendants to produce valuable cohune oil while preserving the local ecosystem.

Resource: San Jose Mercury News     By Matt Wilson

The Lehigh Southwest Permanente facility located near Cupertino has new rules to follow.

On Sept. 19, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's board of directors voted unanimously to approve new regulations for existing Portland cement manufacturing facilities such as Lehigh.

Resource: fnbnews.com 

Archana Aroor, Mumbai

The Project Approval Committee (PAC) on Technology Mission on Coconut (TMOC) will fund 24 more projects in addition to the already approved 18 new projects this year.

This was informed to F&B News in a chat over telephone by an official from the Coconut Development Board (CDB).

Resource: Fiji Times 

Geraldine Panapasa Thursday, September 27, 2012

THE introduction of new technologies on Taveuni will boost copra production as government aims to ensure maximum returns are driven back to the economy.

This follows the announcement of a whole nut processing plant in Mua — one of many projects outlined by the Department of Agriculture. Permanent secretary for Agriculture Ropate Ligairi said the construction of the processing facility would open a window of opportunities for farmers, women and youths on the Garden Island.

Resource: Platts

Boston (Platts)--26Sep2012/539 pm EDT/2139 GMT

Public Service Company of Oklahoma will retire the 465-MW Northeastern-4 coal unit in Oologah in early 2016 and retrofit the identical Northeastern-3 with new emission-control equipment under an environmental compliance plan PSO filed Wednesday with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Resource: 7thSpace Interactive (press release)

Urban air pollution is an increasing health problem, particularly in Asia, where the combustion of fossil fuels has increased rapidly as a result of industrialization and socio-economic development. The adverse health impacts of urban air pollution are well established, but less is known about effective intervention strategies.

Resource: Bowhunting Magazine 

After five years of legal wrangling, Scent-Lok announced this week that it has claimed victory and won a dismissal of all lawsuits challenging the effectiveness of its activated carbon scent-elimination clothing. The Scent-Lok news release and a link to the final court document can be found below.

Resource: The Conference Board

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in August, improved in September. The Index now stands at 70.3 (1985=100), up from 61.3 in August. The Expectations Index increased to 83.7 from 71.1. The Present Situation Index rose to 50.2 from 46.5 last month.

Resource: Equities.com 

In addition to receiving free water quality testing from Gillece Services, customers can now enter to win a free Whole House Water Filtration System for their home through a new sweepstakes. With growing concern over drinking water quality as well as increased waste and side effects from bottled water, Gillece is educating customers and promoting products for improving water quality throughout the home.

Resource: The Hindu Business Line

Kochi, Sept. 23:  The Coconut Development Board has entrusted a project with SCMS Biotech Research Institute to develop a low-fat cream from tender coconut.

T.K. Jose, chairman, Coconut Development Board, expressed the hope that the product will be a boon to coconut growers.