News
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A Failure to Police Chemical Plants
"The deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Tex., in April has highlighted glaring shortcomings in federal and state regulation of facilities that produce, store and use toxic chemicals.
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Bill Gates finds fertilizer fascinating
"Fertilizer. It’s not the most scintillating of conversation starters, not something one would bring up to impress a young lady on a first date, perhaps. It’s not the first thing one would think of when sitting down to a fancy meal in one of Dallas’ finest restaurants. And one would be foolish to believe fertilizer would concern a mother shopping for blue jeans or tee-shirts for her children.
But perhaps it should be. Bill Gates believes so.
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US military praises Pakistan’s steps to curb fertilizers used in Afghanistan bombs
"ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has taken a number of steps to prevent fertilizers made within its borders for agriculture from being used as explosives in roadside bombs that target American troops in Afghanistan, said a top U.S. military officer Monday.
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New Chemical Trick To Make Fertilizer That Won't Explode
"The same chemical that makes fertilizer so useful also makes it really cheap bomb fuel. Researchers at Sandia labs in Albuquerque wondered if they could render the explosive properties of fertilizer inert while still keeping the beneficial properties intact, and this week announced success in a test batch. Even better, they're sharing the innovation for free.
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Scotts drops phosphorus from lawn fertilizer
"Scotts Miracle-Gro has removed phosphorus from its popular Turf Builder line of lawn fertilizer to help reduce the type of harmful algae blooms that have plagued waterways such as Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Erie.
The Marysville maker of lawn-and-garden products sees the move as a milestone for its industry, which it says is partly responsible for the phosphorus runoff that feeds one of the nation’s most costly and challenging environmental problems — nutrient pollution.
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UN: Efficient Fertilizer Use Key to Clean Planet
"Study claims efficient fertilizer use could result in net savings worth more than $170 million.
A 20% improvement in fertilizer efficiency by 2020 would reduce nitrogen use by 20 million metric tons, according to a report commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Program.
The report was released at a forum held last week in Nairobi, Kenya, and was developed by nearly 50 experts from 14 countries.
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California hit by big freeze
Californians are bundling up with sweaters and gloves and stocking up on firewood as they brace for several nights of freezing temperatures.
The National Weather Service is forecasting morning frost on San Diego beaches. Big Sur, on the central coast, prepared for daytime highs almost 20 degrees below Boston's. Even the snowbird haven of Palm Springs faced the possibility of freezing temperatures at night.
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Glencore's Deal for Viterra Clears Final Regulatory Hurdle
MONTREAL — The $6.2 billion purchase of Viterra, Canada’s largest grain handler, cleared its final regulatory hurdle after approval by Chinese authorities.
Glencore International, the leader of the takeover consortium, said Friday that the Ministry of Commerce in China had approved the transfer of Viterra’s only asset in that country, a canola oil seed crushing plant operated in a joint venture with a Chinese trading company.
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Dear FertilizerWorks Patrons
It is with regret that we announce that the weekly posting of the Profercy Report has been discontinued at the request of the author.
We have partnered with Profercy in this endeavor for a number of years and we are very appreciative of their support. We will miss the valuable insight that they have reliably added to our website on a weekly basis.
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Potash Mines Stall as Food Prices Climb
"Alongside concerns about falling yields and rising food prices, potash producers are facing the short-term consequences of slow global growth and are deferring capital expenditures on new mines.
The past two weeks have seen several potash producers halt mine production or shelve plans to progress mine development in response to a softening market in which billion-dollar expansions are not feasible.
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