Energy Inefficiency in Industrial Agriculture: You Are What You Eat: Working Paper Series--09-09

Modern industrial farming technologies for growing fruits, vegetables and grains have changed substantially in recent decades. In many locations such as Arizona, these industries are highly energy and water-intensive operations. As such, the sustainability of these operations is called into question. The economic, social and climate implications of energy use in agriculture are worth further discussion. Based on the idea of a sustainable energy budget, the production processes of various foods are analyzed which prove to be very energy inefficient. Various primary and secondary sources are used to evaluate a series of industrial production methods to produce food. The conclusions are presented in a series of calculations based on the direct fossil fuel inputs used in production. Fossil fuel based industrial agriculture raises numerous issues requiring more advanced analysis. The environmental, ecological and social justice issues of modern industrial agriculture require a reassessment form myriad perspectives: farm subsidies, consumer demand and preferences, engineering technologies and water policy

You can make a positive return by investing in residential solar systems: An Arizona case study: Working paper series--09-04

The new federal tax credit on a solar panel system makes an investment financially worthwhile. The actual 14 month production history of a 2919 watt solar system is used to calculate the net present value of the savings on APS electricity bills over the 25 year lifespan of the system. The NPV is estimated at $1,625 with an internal rate of return of 8.3$1,000 the IRR changes substantially as smaller systems are analyzed. An Addendum to WPS 09-04: April 5, 2010. This is an important addendum to our March 2009 paper. In the original paper we treated the APS buyback payment as independent of the Federal tax credit and the Arizona tax credit as being subtracted from the allowable costs for the federal tax credit. Recent rulings have made both of these calculations incorrect. The federal tax credit is independent of the $1,000 state tax credit, so the 30$300. However, section 136 of the IRS code for Energy Conservation subsidies provided by public utilities stipulates that, pursuant to the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978, the rebate from the public utility is considered as gross income. Using an estimated marginal tax rate of 28% (head of household, income $117k to$190k) the additional income tax is $2,446. Modifying our previous calculations, the total out of pocket expenditures by the homeowner is$8,385 instead of the $6,239. The increased income tax, however unrelated to the intent of Congress in passing the energy bill, changes the financial viability of any investment. The return of investment drops to 5.04$521 as opposed to the original positive $1,625. (The assumed interest rate is 5.7%). PDF file reflects this Addendum on its cover page

Energy and water use in Arizona agriculture: Working paper series--08-08

Increasing energy and water concerns in Arizona are the driving forces to improve the efficiency of agricultural production within the state. In this article we address the energy and water uses in growing a variety of crops in Arizona. The goal of the research project is to identify and quantify all energy and water uses from the production of the initial seed, through the treatments of the soil and various chemical introductions, all the way until the crop is harvested in the field. Thus, the analysis is "from seed to the edge of the field." Using a series of secondary data sources, the paper provides ranges for the energy and water consumption for the predominant crops grown in the major agriculture areas of the state

The Medical Culture of Appalachia

The Appalachian Region, commonly known as Appalachia and located in the Eastern United States, has assimilated a unique society, medical and otherwise, due to its geographic and cultural isolation. Geography, along with the institutions of religion and family, have created a fatalistic, health illiterate society in which members have a lack of self-efficacy (the ability of a person to engage in healthy behaviors) and often remain in denial about their health status. Health care professionals working in the region face unique challenges and are often inept at dealing with their patients’ specific cultural needs. Specific strategies must be developed to tackle the distinctive health issues created by Appalachian culture if the myriad of health issues in the region are to be mitigated