24/7 Farm  News Coverage
January 12, 2017
24/7 Disaster News Coverage
WATER WORLD
Hydropower in China impacts the flow of the Mekong River



Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Jan 10, 2017
A study led by researchers from Aalto University in Finland reveals that the hydropower projects in China have caused major river flow changes to the Mekong River since the year 2011. An analysis of river flows in Northern Thailand indicates that the hydropower operations considerably increased dry season flows and decreased wet season flows. Furthermore, the study shows that the dry season flows have also become increasingly variable. The river flow impacts were largest in 2014 after ... read more

WATER WORLD
Changing rainfall patterns linked to water security in India
Changing rainfall is the key factor driving changes in groundwater storage in India, according to a new study led by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar published in the journal Nat ... more
FARM NEWS
21 farmers granted bail in Myanmar army land-grabbing case
Twenty-one farmers were granted bail by a Myanmar court on Tuesday after being jailed over a land-grab dispute with the military that has highlighted acute challenges faced by the rural poor. ... more
WATER WORLD
In Damascus, an old solution to water shortages: the hammam
Anwar al-Ades hasn't bathed properly in two weeks because of water shortages in Syria's capital Damascus, but all that is about to change at the city's oldest bathhouse. ... more
WATER WORLD
Murky Amazon waters cloud fish vision
Cichlids are a remarkably diverse family of fish, with many African freshwater species known for their incredible visual system. These cichlids' complex vision results from a diverse array of visual ... more
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WATER WORLD
18 dead as torrential rains submerge Thai south
Heavy rains continued to hammer Thailand's flood-ravaged south on Saturday, bringing the death toll up to 18 and leaving thousands of villages partially submerged, authorities said. ... more
WATER WORLD
UN slams 'war crime' as 5.5 mn in Damascus without water
Five and a half million people in Damascus are now suffering water shortages, the UN said Thursday, warning that targeting water sources constitutes a "war crime". ... more
FARM NEWS
How we shop hurts endangered species
The hidden danger to wildlife posed by imported consumer goods - an espresso coffee in Beijing, a tofu salad in Chicago - can now be pinpointed and measured, researchers said Wednesday. ... more
FARM NEWS
A trip to the land of endangered ancient olive trees
The sun sets in eastern Spain and dozens of ancient olive trees cast long shadows on the ground. ... more
FARM NEWS
Chickens are smarter and more complex than given credit for
The chicken isn't as dull or dumb as most people think, according to Lori Marino, senior scientist for the Someone Project - a research effort focused on the psychology, behavior and emotions of domestic farm animals. ... more


Strip tillage, rowcovers for organic cucurbit production

WATER WORLD
Zimbabwe water crisis gives rise to backdoor sellers
From jobless youths hired to dig wells to illegal sellers supplying water in buckets and large tanks, some enterprising Zimbabweans are cashing in on the country's desperate water shortages. ... more
FARM NEWS
Zambia drafts in air force to combat pests
Zambia has ordered the national air force into action to fight a plague of pests that has invaded maize crops and threatened vital food supplies. ... more

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First colour image for joint UK and Algerian CubeSat
AlSat Nano, a UK-Algeria CubeSat mission, has captured its first full colour image following its launch in September 2016. The image was taken by the Open University C3D2 instrument's wide field camera on 3rd December, 2016, over the Arkhangelsk Oblast region, on the North West coast of Russia. It was captured under twilight conditions at dawn, showing the coastline to the top, and a brief winte ... more
Newly proposed reference datasets improve weather satellite data quality

NASA Study Finds a Connection Between Wildfires and Drought

Astronomers consider how climate change mitigation may impact astronomy

China to offer global satellite navigation service by 2020
China plans to form a BeiDou network consisting of 35 satellites for global navigation services by 2020, said a white paper released by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday. The country plans to start providing basic services to countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-century Maritime Silk Road in 2018, said the document titled "China's Space Activities in 2016." ... more
Austrian cows swap bells from 'hell' for GPS

Russia, China Making Progress in Synchronization of GLONASS, BeiDou Systems

Alpha Defence Company To Make Navigation Satellites For ISRO



Philippine minister says Dora can't explore pristine Palawan
American children's television network Nickelodeon will not be allowed to build an underwater theme park on one of the nation's most pristine islands, the Philippine environment minister said Wednesday. Nickelodeon's parent firm announced Monday it would build a "themed attraction" inspired by its cartoon characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants as part of a 400-hectare ... more
Study: Trees with thicker bark are more resistant to fire

Measuring trees with the speed of sound

In cool forests, foraging bees prefer the warmth of darker flower petals

Dual-purpose biofuel crops could extend production, increase profits
Today many biofuel refineries operate for only seven months each year, turning freshly harvested crops into ethanol and biodiesel. When supplies run out, biorefineries shut down for the other five months. However, according to recent research, dual-purpose biofuel crops could produce both ethanol and biodiesel for nine months of the year - increasing profits by as much as 30%. "Currently, ... more
Open-source plant database confirms top US bioenergy crop

Species diversity reduces chances of crop failure in algal biofuel systems

Potential biofuel crops in Hawaii may successfully sequester carbon in soil



Renewable energy investment value fell 18% in 2016: study
Global investment in renewable energy dropped by 18 percent in 2016 due to sharp falls in equipment prices and a slowdown in China and Japan, a study found Thursday. After reaching record levels in 2015, investment fell last year to $287.5 billion, according to researchers at Bloomberg New New Energy Finance (BNEF). The fall was due in part to "further sharp falls in equipment prices, pa ... more
U.S. solar groups to speak after Trump inauguration

An ordered route to improved performance of solar cells

U.S. offshore regulator joins solar power trade group

New York sets bar high for offshore wind
Stunning is how one renewable energy group described a decision by the state of New York to build the nation's largest offshore wind farm. Kit Kennedy, the director of energy and transportation initiatives at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said New York was setting the bar high with its wind energy commitments to 2030. "New York State will become the nation's leader on cl ... more
The answer is blowing in the wind

French power group aims to double wind capacity

New rules for micro-grids in Alberta



People aren't the only beneficiaries of power plant carbon standards
When the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Clean Power Plan in 2015 it exercised its authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions to protect public welfare. The Plan, now the focus of escalating debate, also put the nation on course to meet its goals under the Paris Climate Agreement. Given that other pollutants are emitted from power plants - along with carbon dioxide - research h ... more
China to cut coal capacity by 800 million tonnes by 2020

Norway fund blacklists more coal groups over climate concerns

Black coal, thin pickings: China's miners face decline

Human rights in Hong Kong at worst level for 20 years
Human rights in Hong Kong are at their worst since it was handed back to China by Britain 20 years ago, activists said Wednesday, as Beijing stands accused of tightening its hold on the semi-autonomous city. A new report by Amnesty International Hong Kong looking back at 2016 said rights in the city had rapidly deteriorated and had "failed on many fronts". The report cited the lack of ... more
China graft drive has punished 1.2 million: watchdog

Hong Kong's former leader abused power: prosecution

Pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker condemns 'violent attacks'



NASA showcases spaceflight, robotics and autonomous systems technology at CES 2017
Joining industry technology leaders, NASA hosted a booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-9, 2017, to display and discuss its advanced technologies for human and robotic space exploration and to showcase technology transfer to self-driving cars. For the second time, NASA exhibited mockups of the Space Launch System (SLS), which will carry the Orion crew explorati ... more
Brazil orders remote-controlled weapon stations from Elbit

Amazon Alexa virtual assistant shines at tech show

Robots show their 'personality' at big tech show

U.S. Army seeking biodegradable bullets
The U.S. Army has posted a solicitation for biodegradable ammunition to be used during training exercises. In the solicitation, the Army notes the branch manufactures and consumes hundreds of thousands of rounds for training events that may require 100 years or more to biodegrade. By replacing existing ammunition with biodegradable alternatives, the Army says it can reduce potent ... more
Father of Russian environmental movement dies

New lease of life for Jakarta's once-filthy rivers

Mayor of Beijing promises new environmental police force



Chile forest fire ravages 50 hectares, destroys homes
A huge forest fire has ravaged 50 hectares and destroyed homes in western Chile, prompting the authorities to issue a red alert on Monday. At least one person was known to have been hurt after the fire broke out on a hill near the major port city of Valparaiso, the National Emergencies Office (ONEMI) said in a report. The blaze has destroyed five homes and 50 hectares of woodland, ONEMI ... more
Satellite photo reveals multiple fires burning in Argentina

Hundreds flee wildfires near Jerusalem

NASA Sets Space Fire in Second Round of Fire Safety Experiments

Changing rainfall patterns linked to water security in India
Changing rainfall is the key factor driving changes in groundwater storage in India, according to a new study led by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The study shows that changing monsoon patterns - which are tied to higher temperatures in the Indian Ocean - are an even greater driver of change in groundwater storage than the pumpin ... more
In Damascus, an old solution to water shortages: the hammam

DARPA's networks of the sea enter next stage

Landmark global scale study reveals potential future impact of ocean acidification



Beaches packed as Sydney swelters through heatwave
Sydney sweltered through scorching temperatures topping 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, with beaches packed, bushfire warnings issued and people urged to stay hydrated. Some towns in the northwest of New South Wales state could reach a sizzling 47 degrees on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned. "We're gonna go, obviously Bondi Beach, have a dip in the ocean and cool off -- ... more
Large-scale tornado outbreaks increasing in frequency

Thousands evacuated as storm hits southern Philippines

Study predicts more extreme storms for California in the future

Amazon to deliver 100,000 new US jobs
Amazon on Thursday unveiled plans to create 100,000 US jobs over the next 18 months, as President-elect Donald Trump presses the business world to boost activities on American soil. The US tech and retail giant's plan to bring its American workforce to over 280,000 is the latest - and largest - of a string of job-creation announcements as Trump prepares to take office on a promise to boost ... more
Ma's million jobs pledge more PR than promise: analysts

Trump's China trademarks risk constitutional crisis: experts

Bitcoin plunges as China investigates exchanges

Daily Newsletters - Space - Military - Environment - Energy

Next-generation optics offer the widest real-time views of vast regions of the sun
A groundbreaking new optical device, developed at NJIT's Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) to correct images of the Sun distorted by multiple layers of atmospheric turbulence, is providing scientists with the most precisely detailed, real-time pictures to date of solar activity occurring across vast stretches of the star's surface. The observatory's 1.6-meter New Solar Telescope can now pr ... more
NASA moon data provides more accurate 2017 eclipse path

Moore Foundation provides libraries with a millione solar-eclipse viewers

Preparing for the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

Chimpanzees seek out genetically different mates
When chimps seek out a mate, they look for a chimpanzee with a very different genetic makeup. Genetic opposites attract, according to researchers at Duke University. Biologists tracked the mating behavior of chimpanzees living in Gombe National Park in Tanzania and found chimps can discern varying degrees of genetic similarity among potential mates. Chimps prefer to mate with the least ... more
Pretty in pink: Some algae like it cold

US lists a bee as endangered for the first time

Rusty patched bumble bee listed as endangered species





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