Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program



New Zealand Investigates A Mystery: Where Did Its New Cases Come From?NPR, 8/14/2020Could the virus have spread via freight? "It is theoretically possible, but all indications are that it is not very likely," says?Donald Schaffner, a food microbiologist at?Rutgers University. New Zealand's food safety authority released a statement on Thursday reminding that the general scientific consensus is that the risk of COVID-19 transmission by food or food packaging is "negligible."COVID Update: New Zealand Reports 13 New Cases, Total Now 69The Science Times, 8/16/2020A theory for how the contagious disease managed to return to the country is through freight. A number of the new confirmed positives are employees at an Americold facility, right in Auckland. Americold is a US-based freight company with a cool storage facility in the city.?Donald Schaffner,?food microbiologist at?Rutgers University?in New Jersey, said that this is possible in theory but that indications suggest otherwise. Furthermore, the food safety authority for New Zealand released a statement on Thursday, August 13, saying that the risk of acquiring COVID-19 from food or food packaging is "negligible."Kashmir crisis mars independence celebrations in Pakistan, IndiaCGTN, 8/16/2020"Nine countries have nuclear weapons, but Pakistan and India are the only ones rapidly increasing their arsenals," said Professor?Alan Robock?of?Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Pakistan and India currently each have about 150 nuclear warheads at their disposal, with the number expected to climb to more than 200 by 2025. "Such a war would threaten not only the locations where bombs might be targeted but the entire world," Robock warned.Geoengineering is just a partial solution to fight climate changeMorning Ag Clips, 8/18/2020Could we create massive sulfuric acid clouds that limit global warming and help meet the 2015 Paris international climate goals, while reducing unintended impacts? Yes, in theory, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Earth System Dynamics... :Our research shows that no single technology to combat climate change will fully address the growing crisis, and we need to stop burning fossil fuels and aggressively harness wind and solar energy to power society ASAP," said co-author?Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor in the?Department of Environmental Sciences?in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at?Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "This mitigation is needed whether society ever decides to deploy geoengineering or not."Invasive Spotted Lanternflies Reach Eight New Jersey CountiesSmithsonian Magazine, 8/18/2020A six-legged threat has eight New Jersey counties under quarantine, Alaa Elassar reports for CNN. An invasive insect called the spotted lanternfly has spread to the Garden State... "We are still in the expansion and growth phase for this invasive bug and management needs to be implemented immediately," says?Rutgers entomologist Anne Nielsen?to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Nielson adds that she's getting reports of more of the insects this year than last year, especially in central and southern New Jersey.As bad as Tropical Storm Isaias was, here's why experts say N.J. dodged a , 8/18/2020But as bad as it was, Isaias could have been even worse. "Much worse," said?New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson, who teaches at Rutgers University and oversees the Rutgers NJ Weather Network. "I shudder to think of the tree damage and power outages should a Cat 1 or 2 storm impact a significant portion of the state." While tropical storm winds range from 39 to 74 mph, Category 1 hurricanes generate sustained winds as strong as 74 to 95 mph, and Category 2 storms pack top winds of 96 to 110 mph. "Stronger winds pack much more force than weaker ones," Robinson noted.For the food industry, a difficult juggle with real-world consequences: uphold food safety standards while protecting your employees from Covid-19The Counter, 8/20/2020At this point, the basic tenets of Covid-19 safety are well-known, said?Don Schaffner, a?Rutgers?food scientist and extension agent. "We know it's about physical distancing, and if you can't physically distance, then wear masks and face coverings," he said. "Further down would be hand washing and hand sanitizing, and cleaning and sanitizing surfaces."Climate change is driving apple orchards higher up in the Himalayas, and geoengineering could be a stopgapResearch Matters, 8/21/2020"Locally, geoengineering might help for a while, but globally, it could do more harm," warns Dr?Alan Robock. He is a distinguished professor at the?Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University in the US, and one of the authors of the study."How To Treat Trees After Tropical StormJersey Shore Online, 8/21/2020"What has happened to the trees in the neighborhood? Why are they brown on one side or burnt looking?" These are the questions that the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County have been fielding from residents. The sight of the trees looking sickly or dead is causing them great stress. The trees are stressed, too, but not dead, according to a report from the agriculturists. They just need time to recuperate. The storm brought a great deal of wind and salt to shore communities. Calls have come in from such areas as Bayville, Seaside, Gilford Park, Island Beach State Park, and LBI, said?Deborah Fuentes of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Open areas and parking lots have trees showing windburn, too. A similar situation is probably happening up and down the coast.Fleeing the city for a quieter life? Bring a tennis racket -- to swat the cicada killer waspsNBC News, 8/22/2020This year, for several weeks, Carl has been fighting cicada killer wasps, also known as giant cicada killers, which have been digging tunnels in our front yard and leaving a large trail of soil outside each hole. The?New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station?at Rutgers University explains they&'re also known as sand hornets - although they&'re not actual hornets.Nothing says August like Jersey tomatoes | Gardener StateMy Central Jersey, 8/23/2020As the tomato canning industry grew in New Jersey, the?Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station, or NJAES, in conjunction with Campbell's Soup Company released the "Rutgers' tomato in 1935. It quickly became the standard by which other hybrid tomatoes were judged and by the 1950s it was the premier tomato for canning. Of course, the Rutgers tomato was not the only tomato released from Rutgers NJAES with great taste. The "Ramapo" tomato was introduced in 1968 and was a favorite, and in 2016, the "Rutgers 250"was released, honoring the university&'s 250th anniversary. Most recently, 2020 saw the release of a very sweet tasting grape tomato with attractive yellow and red bi-coloring named "Scarlet Sunrise."International Research by Nancy McKeon (SEBS'21)Morning Ag Clips, 8/23/2020Honors student?Nancy McKeon (SEBS'21), double major in Public Health and Environmental Institutions, Behavior and Policy, is entering her senior year with a wealth of hands-on research experience connecting these two majors. "It's impossible to view public health without taking into account the environment, both built and natural, and effective policy is critical towards bettering a community's health." But the icing on the cake was seeing that her work, mapping surgery-capable facilities in Colombia, South America, contribute to a paper in the prestigious journal, The Lancet Global Health.Agritourism resources during COVID-19Morning Ag Clips, 8/23/2020Rutgers Cooperative Extension?has compiled considerations for farms offering agritourism this season. Secretary Fisher urges farmers to review this information for those who plan on hosting fall activities. This includes materials about staffing levels, employee training, communicating farm rules to visitors, personal hygiene plans, visitor numbers, social distancing, wearing face coverings, general safety tips and much more. Rutgers will also be hosting webinars on August 31 and September 1 for those interested considering agritourism.Geoengineering's benefits limited for apple crops in IndiaMorning Ag Clips, 8/24/2020Geoengineering -- spraying sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to combat global warming -- would only temporarily and partially benefit apple production in northern India, according to a Rutgers co-authored study... "This study reminds us that there is no perfect technical method to address the impacts of global warming, and that we need to mitigate global warming and adapt as best we can," said co-author?Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor in the?Department of Environmental Sciences?in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. "To reduce the impacts of global warming, in this case on the production of deciduous fruits such as apples, we need to leave the fossil fuels in the ground and move to powering society with wind and solar power as quickly as possible."We invite you to send an email to?InTheNews@aesop.rutgers.edu?alerting us when you are quoted in a story or if your program is mentioned in the news. Please send links of news,?as it happens, as some media outlets do not retain online links beyond a week.Visit the newly redesigned SEBS and NJAES Newsroom at?sebsnjaesnews.rutgers.edu. ................
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