Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140099
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
J.L., Roanoke
A: That was a cold night in Rio, where the average midwinter low is about 63 degrees.
Brazil enjoys a moderate climate, but the highlands rise quickly a few miles inland from Rio to about 2,500 feet. There it frosts five to 10 times a year.
Scott Elich, a co-owner of Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, visited Brazil's coffee plantations three years ago, and the size of that region and economy cause him to accept the weather reports of damaging frost. There's too much activity and communication for anyone to pull a frost hoax, he figures.
Sunday morning's freeze was in a state that borders two others where frost damage occurred June 26-27.
There's no doubt the price of coffee will go up, but the frosts won't be the only reason. Coffee producers in several nations succeeded this year in forming a cartel that agreed to withhold 20 percent of production. The growers had been taking a beating the past four years as their beans fell as low as 70 cents a pound.
This week, the cartel and frost combined to push the commodity price to $2.36.
Elich says he hopes that price won't hold, but he dreads buying coffee next time. His last purchase was a three-month supply, so he won't have to buy again for several weeks.
He knows he'll have to pay more next time because suppliers must build up a cash reserve to pay the forthcoming price on beans that survive the frost and cartel hold-back.
Caribbean-clear?
Q: Why is the water so clear in the Bahamas and Caribbean, while Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach are not that clear?
N.N.
A: Wave action is the biggest factor, but it's not the only reason.
A couple of Florida scientists also were quick to say their region's water isn't always clear.
Generally speaking, though, from Palm Beach south the ocean has less energy, because the water's fairly shallow. Smaller waves stir up less sand.
Another factor may be coral reefs. Hard ocean bottoms don't provide as much sediment.
A third factor is seasonal. Plankton grows at certain times of the year, and these tiny organisms cloud the water as they provide fish food.
Farther north, there's more wave energy because deep water isn't as far out. Also, more rivers carry sediment into the ocean.
Third, sewage treatment plants in the Northeast produce nutrients that stimulate plankton growth.
Sources for this were Jamie Serino of the Florida Marine Research Institute in St. Petersburg, and the Dade County Environmental Resource Management Office.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.
by CNB