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Postgenomic
Postgenomic collects posts from hundreds of science blogs and then does useful and interesting things with that data.
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This thing was constructed on June 9, 2008, and it was categorized as coffee, energy.
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Organic, fair-trade, coffee makes significant steps toward promoting sustainable farming and strengthening the economic infrastructure of developing countries. The improvements in production introduced by the Solar Trade Corporation, marketers of Cafe Solar, add a new layer to this effort to blend ecologically-minded cultivation with the development of local producers and cooperatives.
Drying coffee beans using sunlight is a slow process, requiring a fairly large surface area and labor-intensive raking while increasing the chance that mold will spread among the beans. Drying equipment has proven more efficient in terms of labor, but demands either firewood (leading to deforestation) or diesel fuel. In light of these problems, the Solar Trade Corporation worked in conjunction with the Mesoamerican Development Institute to develop efficient, low-cost, solar-powered drying machines. The project benefits consumers as the solar devices dry the coffee at a lower temperature, preserving more essential oils and improving the flavor; producers benefit more directly as the partnerships forged between the Solar Trade Corporation and local growers gives producers greater control over development while reducing production costs.
. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
