A New Way For Tires To Go Green

Lettuce in tires? We've heard of similar out-of-the-box thinking from tire engineers in the past, such as using walnut shells in winter tire compounds. But lettuce?  It is not as crazy as you think as reported by the Calgary Herald in a story shared by Tire Review magazine. Read below for more of this week's Super Six stories:

• Scientists at the University of Calgary have discovered that the lettuce plant might be able to produce a new form of rubber. 
  
  
• A USDA program is promoting seed and crop diversification to help American agriculture flourish.
  
  
• No matter which team you are pulling for in Sunday's Super Bowl, I think we can all agree that avocado should be part of the party, especially considering recent reports of the fruit's huge health benefits. The USDA shares some facts about the avocado industry and recipes.
  
  
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has made a statement regarding efforts by the National Pork Producers Council, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to urge the renewal of Trade Promotion Authority. 
  
  
• According to AGC of America, construction employment rose in 40 states last year compared to 2013 with Texas and North Dakota leading the way. Surely the boom in shale oil production played a big role in that.
  
  
• According to WorldOil, the current collapse in oil pricing is not just about Saudi Arabia and a resurgent U.S. oil industry fighting for marketshare, OPEC members such as Iraq are aggressively producing oil to grab marketshare.
  
  
• Can you imagine a 6-story building made out of all wood? It is a reality in British Columbia and involves a new technology called cross-laminated timber developed in Switzerland, according to a bcbusiness.ca.
  
  
• Speaking of innovation in the forestry industry, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy is developing technologies to convert leftover forest residues into quality feedstocks, as reported by the Forest Business Network.

We hope you find these weekly articles interesting and helpful and welcome your comments on topics you would like to see covered in the "Super Six."