English is so difficult. The word ‘mean’ here has three different meanings, one of which is to understand. The first occurrence of ‘mean’ infers an average. The second ‘mean’ occurrence implies or conveys understanding. The third ‘mean’ is a value … Continue reading →
In the United States, one president is preparing to leave, while the next one is preparing to take over. With each presidential transition, there are plans to dismantle policies created during one administration so life will return to better days. … Continue reading →
Land use change has gotten complicated. Tracking changes in climate have added more than simply physical changes in land use. The first step in understanding the more sophisticated land use change implications is to understand what land is changing. The … Continue reading →
Moving averages are the most basic tool, taught in undergraduate courses as an introduction to forecasting. Prior to the pandemic, commodity futures charts were the go-to illustration of the benefits of moving averages for undergraduate students. Moving averages smooth out the … Continue reading →
The more things change, it seems the more they stay the same. This Biomass Rules chart with data from 2006, appeared in Chapter 19: Williams, James L. and Mark Jenner. Petroleum Dependence, Biofuels – Economies Of Scope And Scale; US … Continue reading →
Paying $3 for a drive-thru coffee is a rational choice when the alternative is no coffee at all. It is also reasonable to pay $4 for a box of corn cereal. If one, 12-ounce box of cereal provides 8 bowls … Continue reading →
Food is as old as dirt. However, in 2024 the word ‘food’ is poorly understood. Pandemics, supply-chain challenges, trade wars, real wars; have all contributed to growing concern about access to food. Clarifying and aligning definitions of food will take … Continue reading →
Manure doesn’t have to be a liability or associated with a 4-letter expletive. Cultural shifts begin with the seminal definition of the issue in question. If the initial definition is negative, options are bound by the limits of the definition. … Continue reading →
Over the course of my career maps and mapping software have continued to evolve. Maps are compelling and visually informative. As this graphic interface has evolved, there are rules about what is proper and what is not. Like so many … Continue reading →
From the archives of fun papers I have written, this one from when I was a manure economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2001. We had been working through the politics of manure production and use with the … Continue reading →
