Rising Commodity Prices Affecting Everything

As Prices Rise, Farmers Spurn Conservation: Thousands of farmers are taking their fields out of the government’s biggest conservation program, which pays them not to cultivate. They are spurning guaranteed annual payments for a chance to cash in on the boom in wheat, soybeans, corn and other crops. Last fall, they took back as many acres as are in Rhode Island and Delaware combined. ::New York Times see also TreeHugger: Food Prices, Food Eaters Run Riot, Food Fight: Is Corn Food or Fuel?, Food vs Fuel: The Debate Rumbles OnAs Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof Thieves peeled long strips of lead from the roof of St. Michael and All Angels, until a barking dog sent them fleeing from this tiny Leicestershire village. But by then, they had left a hole of about 100 square feet in the top of the 800-year-old church. ::New York Times See also TreeHugger: Meth Heads Go For Recycling, "Recycling" Could Be Bad For National Security, Big Brother is Watching (and Yelling?)