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Wild sunflowers provide resilient diversity![]() Washington DC (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 Beauty and utility in one bright package, sunflowers are one of just a few commercial crops with origins in the United States. Today, sunflowers are grown in more than 70 countries. The value of the global sunflower crop is estimated to be over $20 billion. But the world's fifth largest oilseed crop is facing a genetic challenge. As sunflowers were domesticated, breeders selected traits such as higher yield and uniform height. Over time, other desirable traits, like resistance to specific pests, w ... read more |
Study quantifies effect of 'legacy phosphorus' in reduced water qualityMadison WI (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 For decades, phosphorous has accumulated in Wisconsin soils. Though farmers have taken steps to reduce the quantity of the agricultural nutrient applied to and running off their fields, a new study ... more
How improved valves let grasses 'breathe,' cope with climate changePalo Alto, CA (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 New work from a joint team of plant biologists and ecologists from Carnegie and Stanford University has uncovered the factor behind an important innovation that makes grasses - both the kind that ma ... more
Increasing plant yield in wake of looming phosphate supply limitsChapel Hill NC (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have pinpointed a key genetic switch that helps soil bacteria living on and inside a plant's roots harvest a vital nutrient with limited ... more
Molecular mechanism responsible for blooming in spring identifiedMunich, Germany (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 Plants possess molecular mechanisms that prevent them from blooming in winter. Once the cold of win-ter has passed, they are deactivated. However, if it is still too cold in spring, plants adapt the ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18
Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media Philippines evacuates one million, woman dead as super typhoon nears |
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What makes farmers try new practices?Urbana IL (SPX) Mar 17, 2017 Change is never easy. But when it comes to adopting new agricultural practices, some farmers are easier to convince than others. A group of researchers at the University of Illinois wanted to know w ... more
Greenhouse gases: First it was cows now it's larvaeGeneva, Switzerland (SPX) Mar 15, 2017 Chaoborus spp is a small fly species that is found all over the world (except in Antarctica). The insect spends one to two years of its life cycle under water in a larval state, in lakes no deeper t ... more
Cocoa industry agrees plan to tackle deforestationLondon (AFP) March 16, 2017 Major chocolate makers, including Ferrero, Nestle and Mars, agreed Thursday a landmark initiative to tackle deforestation in top cocoa producers Ivory Coast and Ghana - a move hailed by Prince Charles. ... more
Syria regime bombed Damascus water source: UNGeneva (AFP) March 14, 2017 The Syrian government intentionally bombed the Ain al-Fijeh spring in December, leaving more than five million people in Damascus without access to water, a UN probe said Tuesday, branding the strike a "war crime". ... more
Popular weedkiller doesn't cause cancer: EU agencyBrussels (AFP) March 15, 2017 The EU's chemicals agency said Wednesday that glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used weedkillers, should not be classed as a carcinogen. ... more
13 killed in Kenya in drought-related violenceNairobi (AFP) March 15, 2017 Thirteen people, mostly women and children, have been killed in central Kenya this week in a cycle of violence between rival farming tribes hit by drought, police and the Red Cross said. ... more |
![]() Study: Suburban bees prefer to forage on farms, not in the city
Microbes measure ecological restoration successAdelaide, Australia (SPX) Mar 15, 2017 The success of ecological restoration projects around the world could be boosted using a potential new tool that monitors soil microbes. Published in the journal Molecular Ecology, University of Ade ... more
Seawater threat to California Central Coast aquifersStanford CA (SPX) Mar 15, 2017 Researchers from Stanford and the University of Calgary have transformed pulses of electrical current sent 1,000 feet underground into a picture of where seawater has infiltrated freshwater aquifers ... more
Vicious circle of drought and forest loss in the AmazonPotsdam, Germany (SPX) Mar 15, 2017 Logging that happens today and potential future rainfall reductions in the Amazon could push the region into a vicious dieback circle. If dry seasons intensify with human-caused climate change, the ... more
Nigeria water shortages hit Boko Haram displacedMaiduguri, Nigeria (AFP) March 13, 2017 Tens of thousands of people who fled Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria are facing a severe lack of water, compounding widespread food shortages and security fears, aid workers said Monday. ... more |

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Paris (ESA) Mar 21, 2017
Some of the most wonderful pictures taken by astronauts from space are of aurora dancing over our planet. Now the photos are more than just pretty pictures thanks to an ESA project that makes them scientifically usable.
Aurora offer a visual means to study space weather, the conditions in the upper regions of our atmosphere. These colourful displays are produced when electrically charged p ... more Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 21, 2017SAGE III Achieves First Light from Space Station Perch Los Alamos NM (SPX) Mar 21, 2017Less radiation in inner Van Allen belt than previously believed Paris (ESA) Mar 21, 2017Glitter helps to monitor ocean waves |
London (UPI) Mar 13, 2017
Scientists studying the Northern Lights say they think their research will lead to new technology to reduce outages from satellite navigation systems.
Researchers at the University of Bath in England found for the first time that turbulence does not take place within the Northern Lights and instead that unknown mechanisms are responsible for the outages of Global Navigation Satellite Sy ... more Los Angeles CA (UPI) Mar 07, 2017DevOps process reduces GPS OCX development time for Raytheon Beijing (AFP) Feb 21, 2017Police in China's restive Xinjiang to track cars by GPS New Delhi (Sputnik) Feb 15, 2017GLONASS station in India to expedite 'space centric' warfare command |
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Santiago (AFP) March 18, 2017
Douglas Tompkins's widow vividly remembers the suspicions the late billionaire raised when he started buying up land in Patagonia, the natural paradise at the bottom of South America.
Some accused him of preparing a storage site for American nuclear waste, she says. Others said he was starting a cult, still others that he wanted to launch a Jewish state - even though he was raised Episcopal ... more Washington DC (SPX) Mar 15, 2017Did humans create the Sahara desert? Washington (UPI) Mar 14, 2017Louisiana wetlands hurting from accelerated sea level rise Sydney (AFP) March 13, 2017Huge swathe of Australian mangroves 'die of thirst' |
Upton NY (SPX) Mar 21, 2017
Even plants have to live on an energy budget. While they're known for converting solar energy into chemical energy in the form of sugars, plants have sophisticated biochemical mechanisms for regulating how they spend that energy. Making oils costs a lot.
By exploring the details of this delicate energy balance, a group of scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National ... more Hampton VA (SPX) Mar 16, 2017NASA Study Confirms Biofuels Reduce Jet Engine Pollution Cambridge, UK (SPX) Mar 15, 2017Scientists harness solar power to produce clean hydrogen from biomass Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Mar 13, 2017Petrol and jet fuel alternatives are produced by yeast cell factories |
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London, UK (SPX) Mar 21, 2017
The government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) further strives toward the realisation of generating 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy resources by the year 2020. The installation of a 150 kWp clean power project on the Caribbean twin islands state, to be implemented shortly by the clean energy provider PV Energy Limited, marks the first step in Barbuda towards the final goal of ... more Espoo, Finland (SPX) Mar 21, 2017Nanotube film may resolve longevity problem of challenger solar cells Barrington RI (SPX) Mar 15, 2017Nuera Solar Announces Partnership with The Solar Village Project Washington (UPI) Mar 14, 2017EU close to 2020 renewable energy target |
Washington (UPI) Mar 16, 2017
More than 100,000 acres off the coast of North Carolina go on the auction block Thursday for potential wind energy development, the U.S. government said.
The U.S. Department of Interior pounded the gavel to open the seventh offshore wind auction, putting 122,405 acres off the North Carolina coast on the block for commercial wind energy leasing.
In August 2014, the Bureau of Ocean ... more Washington (UPI) Mar 17, 2017North Carolina offshore wind hailed as job creator London (UPI) Mar 13, 2017Flagship English Channel wind farm nears completion Paris (UPI) Mar 06, 2017French, Spanish companies set for more wind power off coast of France |
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Washington (AFP) March 17, 2017 World Bank investments in commercial financial institutions is indirectly allowing land-grabs, evictions and pollution in Southeast Asia, a watchdog group charged in a report Friday.
By investing in banks and other so-called financial intermediaries, World Bank funds can increase poverty, social strife and promote projects which hasten climate change, according to a report by Inclusive Devel ... more Mumbai (AFP) March 19, 2017Adani to begin work on Australia mine by August: report Prague (AFP) March 19, 2017Czech energy group bucks green trend with bet on coal Washington (AFP) March 17, 2017World Bank indirectly backs harmful SE Asian projects: report |
Hong Kong (AFP) March 17, 2017
An Andy Warhol portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong will be auctioned in Hong Kong in a landmark sale that could fetch $15 million - but mainland buyers may be wary of putting in a bid.
The classic 1973 screen print by the legendary US pop artist will go under the hammer at Sotheby's next month with the highest estimate the auction house has ever seen for a painting in Asia.
It ... more Hong Kong (AFP) March 17, 2017Hong Kong protesters jailed for 3 years for anti-China clashes Hong Kong (AFP) March 18, 2017Fashion renaissance: from slick city to hip Hong Kong Beijing (AFP) March 14, 2017'Tell it like it is': China delegate rips meek Congress |
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Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 21, 2017
The next rovers to explore another planet might bring along a scout. The Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot (PUFFER) in development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, was inspired by origami. Its lightweight design is capable of flattening itself, tucking in its wheels and crawling into places rovers can't fit.
Over the past year and a half, PUFFER has been tested ... more Washington DC (SPX) Mar 17, 2017Toward Machines that Improve with Experience Boston MA (SPX) Mar 21, 2017'Tree-on-a-chip' passively pumps water for days Osaka, Japan (SPX) Mar 13, 2017Songs that make robots cry |
Atlanta GA (SPX) Mar 17, 2017
China's severe winter air pollution problems may be worsened by changes in atmospheric circulation prompted by Arctic sea ice loss and increased Eurasian snowfall - both caused by global climate change.
Modeling and data analysis done by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology suggest that sea ice and snowfall changes have shifted China's winter monsoon, helping create stagnant ... more Washington (AFP) March 15, 2017Trump to undo Obama auto emission rules: official Jakarta (AFP) March 17, 2017Indonesia summons UK envoy over coral reef destruction Miami (AFP) March 16, 2017Trump budget 'cripples' environment, science, critics say |
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Santiago (AFP) March 13, 2017
Some 6,000 people began returning home Monday after a forest fire forced their evacuation over the weekend, sweeping through central Chile and destroying more than a dozen dwellings, local authorities said.
The blaze began in forested areas of Vina del Mar, a popular resort area in the Valparaiso region, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Santiago, where hundreds of poor families live i ... more Boulder CO (SPX) Feb 28, 2017Humans sparked 84 percent of US wildfires, increased fire season over 2 decades Beijing (AFP) Feb 26, 2017China detains 24 after deadly hotel fire Sydney (AFP) Feb 13, 2017Australia fires ease as damage mounts after record heat |
Durham NC (SPX) Mar 17, 2017
Researchers have created a new model for predicting decompression sickness after deep-sea dives that not only estimates the risk, but how severe the symptoms are likely to be. The US Navy Diving Manual may incorporate the model into its next update, as will commercial products intended to help recreational divers plan their ascents to avoid "the bends." The results appear online in the journal P ... more Santa Barbara CA (SPX) Mar 17, 2017Diving with the sharks Madison WI (SPX) Mar 17, 2017Study quantifies effect of 'legacy phosphorus' in reduced water quality Paris (AFP) March 15, 2017Great Barrier Reef may never recover from bleaching: study |
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Madison WI (SPX) Mar 15, 2017
With tornado season fast approaching or already underway in vulnerable states throughout the U.S., new supercomputer simulations are giving meteorologists unprecedented insight into the structure of monstrous thunderstorms and tornadoes. One such recent simulation recreates a tornado-producing supercell thunderstorm that left a path of destruction over the Central Great Plains in 2011.
The ... more Paris (AFP) March 6, 2017French storm Zeus leaves two dead, 600,000 homes without power London (AFP) Feb 23, 2017One dead as Storm Doris hits British Isles Los Angeles (AFP) Feb 18, 2017Four dead as 'worse storm in years' buffets California |
Beijing (AFP) March 15, 2017
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday warned the United States against starting a trade war while expressing optimism that the world's two largest economies could keep relations steady despite Trump-era frictions.
"We don't want to see any trade war breaking out between the two countries. That wouldn't make our trade fairer," Li told reporters at a press conference closing China's annual p ... more Berlin (AFP) March 15, 2017G20 finance ministers to meet under America First shadow Newark DE (SPX) Mar 21, 2017Unforeseen impacts of the fair trade movement Berlin (AFP) March 16, 2017Merkel, Xi defend free trade ahead of G20 meet |
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Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 21, 2017
The movements of the stars and the planets have almost no impact on life on Earth, but a few times per year, the alignment of celestial bodies has a visible effect. One of these geometric events - the spring equinox - is just around the corner, and another major alignment - a total solar eclipse - will be visible across America on Aug. 21, with a fleet of NASA satellites viewing it from space an ... more Ithaca NY (SPX) Mar 17, 2017Cornell's FOTON studies 'space weather' to improve satellite communication Bath, UK (SPX) Mar 15, 2017New research on northern lights will improve satellite navigation accuracy Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 13, 2017Studying magnetic space explosions with NASA missions |
Santa Cruz CA (SPX) Mar 17, 2017
New research by Professor Beth Shapiro of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and University of Alberta Professor Duane Froese has identified North America's oldest bison fossils and helped construct a bison genealogy establishing that a common maternal ancestor arrived between 130,000 and 195,000 years ago, during a previous ice age.
Shapiro, Froese and colleagues used new techniques for ... more Beirut (AFP) March 18, 2017Lebanon rescues 3 Siberian tiger cubs en route to Syria Washington (UPI) Mar 15, 2017Study: Some bed bugs climb better than others London, UK (SPX) Mar 17, 2017New plant research solves a colorful mystery |
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