Tag: farming
Why do relaxing farming life sims stress me out so much?
Self-driving electric tractor promises eco-friendly, hands-off farming
The autonomous tractor world is heating up, apparently. CNH Industrial has unveiled what it says is the “first” electric light tractor prototype with self-driving features, the New Holland T4 Electric Power. The machine promises zero emissions, quieter operation than diesel models and (according to CNH) lower running costs while reducing the amount of time farmers spend behind the wheel. Sensors and cameras on the roof help the vehicle complete tasks, dodge obstacles and work in harmony with other equipment. You can even activate it from your phone.
The T4 Electric Power’s 120HP motor produces a 25MPH top speed comparable to regular tractors. The battery is large enough to handle a day’s work “depending on the mission profile,” CNH says. That suggests the tractor might need a mid-day top-up, but that might not necessarily be a problem when the T4 can reach a full battery in an hour using off-the-shelf fast chargers.
Like Ford’s F-150 Lightning, this tractor can serve as a power pack on wheels. It has outlets to plug in common tools like drills, and it serves as a backup power source for emergencies. You can attach hydraulic, mechanical and Power Take Off implements. Production of the completed T4 Electric Power is expected at the end of 2023, with more models on the way.
There’s also an environmentally conscious option for farmers who prefer the familiarity of fuel. An equally new T7 Methane Power LNG (shown at middle) is billed as the “world’s first” liquid natural gas tractor. It can run on biomethane sourced from livestock manure — instead of letting methane slip directly into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change, farmers can put the chemical to work powering their equipment. The CO2 emissions reduction for a 120-cow farm is supposedly equivalent to that of 100 “western households” without sacrificing diesel-like performance. The T7 LNG doesn’t have a launch date, and is only characterized as a “pre-production prototype.”
Prices aren’t available, and they may be important when farmers often have to work with tight budgets. However, CNH is betting that its technology will ultimately save money. The T4 Electric reportedly cuts operating costs by up to 90 percent thanks to the zero-fuel design and lower maintenance, and its hushed powerplant lets it work both at night and nearer to animals. The T7 LNG, meanwhile, lets farms make their own fuel, fertilizer and sellable excess electricity. Food growers could recoup at least some of their investment even as they reduce their impact on the planet.
UK sleepwalking into food supply crisis, says farming union
Warzone 2 XP farming glitch nerfed, but not patched, in DMZ
Warzone 2 XP farming is out of control, or at least it was. As an incredibly popular weapon XP glitch has been nerfed in the battle royale game by developers Raven Software and Infinity Ward, which helps players get massive amounts of money in the free Call of Duty game and use that to level up weapons. The Warzone 2 XP glitch is seemingly still possible in the FPS game for now, but your rewards for trying it have been reduced.
RELATED LINKS: Best Warzone 2 guns, Best Warzone 2 loadout, Warzone 2 map
20,000 Trees and a Rollercoaster – Take Farming Further!
The Climate Issue Government Leaders Aren’t Addressing: Livestock Farming
They’ve reviewed every agreement announced at 26 different climates. The results?
Livestock is mentioned in only three agreements, and the only action each of them proposes is “management”. Nowhere is there a word about reduction. It’s as though nuclear non-proliferation negotiators had decided not to talk about bombs. You cannot address an issue if you will not discuss it. The call to stop farming animals should be as familiar as the call to leave fossil fuels in the ground. But it is seldom heard.
Livestock farming, a recent paper in the journal Sustainability estimates, accounts for between 16.5% and 28% of all greenhouse gas pollution. The wide range of these figures is an indication of how badly this issue has been neglected. As the same paper shows, the official figure (14.5%), published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, is clearly wrong. Everyone in the field knows it, yet few attempts have been made to update it. Even if the minimum number (16.5%) applies, this is greater than all the world’s transport emissions.
And it is growing fast. In the 20 years to 2018, global meat consumption rose by 58%. A paper in Climate Policy estimates that, by 2030, greenhouse gases from livestock farming could use half the world’s entire carbon budget, if we want to avoid more than 1.5C of global heating. An analysis by Our World in Data shows that even if greenhouse gas pollution from every other sector were eliminated today, by 2100 food production will, on its current trajectory, bust the global carbon budget two or three times over. This is largely because of animal farming, which accounts for 57% of greenhouse gases from the food system, though it provides just 18% of the calories.
The article also notes an academic paper which calculated that if livestock pastures in just the world’s richest nations were returned to wild ecosystems, it would fully offset 12 years worth of global carbon emissions. “This issue has become even more urgent now we know the heating impact of methane is rising.
“Livestock farming is the world’s greatest source of methane released by human activities. Yet there is no mention of it in the global methane pledge launched at last year’s climate summit.”
Thanks to Slashdot reader AleRunner for sharing the article.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Harvestella review: a traditional JRPG with a farming twist
Harvestella is a JRPG. This may seem like an incredibly obvious thing to say about a role-playing game from Square-Enix, but it’s the most important thing to know going in. Billed as a life sim RPG, and with a title that evokes farming, you could be forgiven for expecting something along the lines of Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, but with more monster biffing. Instead, Harvestella sits firmly in the epic quest camp, with your adventuring being supported by your rural activities.
Anyone looking to build a pastoral paradise is going to be sorely disappointed, as the farming elements are somewhat rudimentary. Even calling your property a farm is a bit of a stretch. Even after a few upgrades, my plot is more of a large garden, maybe an allotment, if I’m being generous.
Time for rethink on farming poultry as experts warn bird flu has slipped ‘through our fingers’
Square Enix’s take on the farming RPG is out now
Harvestella, Square Enix’s swing at the farm ’em up, is out now. It bundles crop management together with monsters to biff in a fantasy world where a new season called Quietus is muscling in like an extra mean version of winter. You’ll find a launch trailer below.