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Scientists discover plant 'brain' controlling seed development![]() Birmingham UK (SPX) Jun 07, 2017 A new study by scientists at the University of Birmingham has revealed a group of cells that function as a 'brain' for plant embryos, capable of assessing environmental conditions and dictating when seeds will germinate. A plant's decision about when to germinate is one of the most important it will make during its life. Too soon, and the plant may be damaged by harsh winter conditions; too late, and it may be out-competed by other, more precocious plants. In a study published in Proceedings ... read more |
Understanding a river's 'thermal landscape' may be the key to saving itWashington DC (SPX) Jun 05, 2017 River temperatures have long been an area of study, but until recently, the field has been hampered by technological constraints. Fine-scale measurements over large distances and long time periods h ... more
Brexit risks disrupting EU agriculture market, experts warnBrussels (AFP) June 6, 2017 EU farm and food businesses may pay a big price for Brexit if new trade barriers pop up and dim the British appetite for products like Irish cheddar, French wine and Danish bacon, experts and advocates warn. ... more
Slovenia's 'eco-hero' who crushed a cement giantTrbovlje, Slovenia (AFP) June 4, 2017 When he saw swallows nesting in the barn for the first time in almost two decades, Slovenian farmer Uros Macerl felt vindicated. His exhausting battle against a polluting industrial giant had been worthwhile. ... more
As temperatures rise, plants take up more carbonWashington (UPI) Jun 5, 2017 New research suggests plants begin to take up more carbon once they're acclimated to warmer temperatures. ... more |
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 Japan observes tiny tsunami following 6.7 magnitude quake Philippines evacuates hundreds of thousands as super typhoon nears Tornado kills six, injures 750 as it wrecks southern Brazil town |
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| Previous Issues | Jun 06 | Jun 05 | Jun 02 | Jun 01 | May 31 |
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Myanmar's edible bird nest industry comes home to roostBokpyin, Myanmar (AFP) June 6, 2017 The cries of amorous swiftlets echo around the dark room, an unlikely gold mine for traders in southern Myanmar who are cashing in on rising demand for the edible nests from China's growing middle class. ... more
Blockchain seen as tool in food safetyNew York (AFP) June 4, 2017 The food industry is turning to the same technology used by virtual currencies to strengthen food safety and inventory management by tracking meats and crops from farm to table. ... more
Bacteria may supercharge the future of wastewater treatmentMadison WI (SPX) Jun 01, 2017 Wastewater treatment plants have a PR problem: People don't like to think about what happens to the waste they flush down their toilets. But for many engineers and microbiologists, these plants are ... more
Cape Town cuts back to survive worst drought in 100 yearsCape Town (AFP) June 1, 2017 As Cape Town suffers its worst drought in a century, residents have been told to restrict showers to two minutes and flush toilets only when "absolutely necessary". ... more
Historical rainfall levels are significant in carbon emissions from soilAustin TX (SPX) May 30, 2017 Scientists have known that microbes living in the ground can play a major role in producing atmospheric carbon that can accelerate climate change, but now researchers from The University of Texas at ... more
Squeezing every drop of fresh water from waste brineRiverside CA (SPX) May 30, 2017 Engineers at the University of California, Riverside have developed a new way to recover almost 100 percent of the water from highly concentrated salt solutions. The system will alleviate water shor ... more |
![]() China's 'toilet revolution' targets dirty lavatories
Bordeaux pins hopes for ravaged vineyards on June bloomSaint-Emilion, France (AFP) May 26, 2017 When a severe, unseasonal cold snap gripped Bordeaux vineyards in late April, winegrowers sprang into action. ... more
LA lawns use 70 billion gallons of water a yearSalt Lake City UT (SPX) May 28, 2017 In summer 2010, Los Angeles was losing about 100 gallons of water per person per day to the atmosphere through the evaporation and plant uptake of lawns and trees. Lawns accounted for 70 percent of ... more
In China, maggots finish plates, and food wastePengshan, China (AFP) May 29, 2017 Thousands of voracious white maggots wiggle frenetically while tearing through trayfuls of leftover meat, vegetables and fruits in an unusual farm in southwestern China. ... more
Water efficiency in rural areas is getting worse, even as it improves in urban centersRaleigh NC (SPX) May 26, 2017 A nationwide analysis of water use over the past 30 years finds that there is a disconnect between rural and urban areas, with most urban areas becoming more water efficient and most rural areas bec ... more |
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Paris (ESA) Jun 02, 2017
While the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite is in orbit delivering a wealth of information about our home planet, engineers are putting its twin, Sentinel-3B, through a series of vigorous tests before it is shipped to the launch site next year.
The Sentinel-3 mission is designed as a two-satellite constellation to give optimum global coverage and data delivery for Europe's environmental mon ... moreexactEarth Launches Revolutionary Global Real-Time Maritime Tracking and Information Service Paris (AFP) May 30, 2017Earth is a jewel, says astronaut after six months away Luxembourg (SPX) May 30, 2017SES-14 integrates NASA ultraviolet space spectrograph |
Washington DC (SPX) May 30, 2017
Although computer models of archaeological sites are ideal software tools for managing spatially referenced data and commonly used to yield insights which contribute to the protection of heritage materials, some scientists question their credibility, calling for these long-term trends be 'ground truthed' in order to ensure that calculated rates of change reflect observed phenomena 'in the field' ... more Tokyo (AFP) June 1, 2017Japan launches satellite in bid for super accurate GPS system exactEarth Broadens Small Vessel Tracking Offering Shanghai (XNA) May 30, 2017Chinese firms develop BeiDou navigation applications |
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Washington DC (SPX) Jun 07, 2017
Scientists have pinpointed a new source of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that's more potent than carbon dioxide. The culprit? Tiny bits of decomposing leaves in soil. The new discovery, led by Michigan State University (MSU) researchers and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is featured in the current issue of the journal Nature Geoscience.
"This study looked at the geometr ... more Washington DC (UPI) Jun 2, 2017Forensic analysis of wood's chemical signatures could curb illegal logging Ottawa (AFP) June 1, 2017Canada provides Can$867 mn to beleaguered softwood sector Brisbane, Australia (SPX) May 31, 2017PNG expedition discovers largest trees at extreme altitudes |
Madison WI (SPX) Jun 07, 2017
Winter is no time to flower, which is why so many plants have evolved the ability to wait for the snow to melt before investing precious resources in blooms.
Waking up to flower as the warmer, longer days of spring arrive - and the risk of a damaging frost recedes - requires a process called vernalization, in which flowering is blocked until the plant senses a sufficient cold spell.
... more Lausanne, Switzerland (SPX) Jun 07, 2017Splitting carbon dioxide using low-cost catalyst materials Montreal, Canada (SPX) Jun 01, 2017Cold conversion of food waste into renewable energy and fertilizer Nagoya, Japan (SPX) May 30, 2017Nagoya University researchers break down plastic waste |
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Houghton MI (SPX) Jun 05, 2017
In a new study published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, a team from Michigan Technological University calculated the cost of combusting coal in terms of human lives along with the potential benefits of switching to solar.
Tens of thousands of Americans die prematurely each year from air pollution-related diseases associated with burning coal. By transitioning to solar photovo ... more Turku, Finland (SPX) Jun 07, 2017New low-cost material for lighting and diagnostics produces white light imitating sunlight Beijing, China (SPX) Jun 05, 2017Artificial transpiration for solar water purification Washington (AFP) June 2, 2017Paris withdrawal sets business world at odds with Trump |
Washington (UPI) Jun 5, 2017
The largest regional investor in renewable energy, the Asian Development Bank said Monday it was pegging clean energy to development in Pacific economies.
In an annual regional update, the ADB said it was working to promote renewable energy strategies in the Pacific region by helping to drive the low-carbon economy forward. The ADB's current portfolio of energy sector projects in the re ... more Anaheim, CA (SPX) May 28, 2017GE Energy Financial Services Surpasses $15 Billion in Renewable Energy Investments Washington (UPI) May 25, 2017U.S. states taking up wind energy mantle Solomons MD (SPX) May 10, 2017Scientists track porpoises to assess impact of offshore wind farms |
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Sydney (AFP) June 6, 2017
Indian mining giant Adani on Tuesday said it will start work on a huge US$16 billion coal project that environmentalists warn will damage Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Billionaire chairman Gautam Adani said in Townsville that the board had made its "final investment decision" which marked the "official start" of the Carmichael coal mine, destined to be one of the world's largest.
The ... more Beijing (AFP) May 25, 2017From coal miner to writer of China's hit TV show Beijing (AFP) May 8, 2017Gas leak kills 18 miners in central China Washington DC (SPX) Apr 26, 2017India's coal plant plans conflict with climate commitments |
Beijing (AFP) June 5, 2017
A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who disappeared late last year has been officially charged with "subversion of state power", his wife said Monday, after his case attracted international attention.
Jiang Tianyong took on numerous high-profile cases, including those of Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetan protesters and victims of the 2008 contaminated milk powder scandal before being dis ... more Fangshan, China (AFP) June 5, 2017Chinese skinny-dippers defy public morals Hong Kong (AFP) June 4, 2017Thousands gather at Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil Beijing (AFP) June 1, 2017US returns criminal suspect to China |
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Boston MA (SPX) Jun 05, 2017
A new surgical technique devised by MIT researchers could allow prosthetic limbs to feel much more like natural limbs. Through coordination of the patient's prosthetic limb, existing nerves, and muscle grafts, amputees would be able to sense where their limbs are in space and to feel how much force is being applied to them.
This type of system could help to reduce the rejection rate of pro ... more Boston MA (SPX) Jun 07, 2017Tactile sensor gives robots new capabilities Berkeley CA (SPX) Jun 06, 2017Meet the most nimble-fingered robot ever built San Jose, United States (AFP) June 6, 2017Apple 'HomePod' speaker to take on Amazon, Google |
Trbovlje, Slovenia (AFP) June 4, 2017
When he saw swallows nesting in the barn for the first time in almost two decades, Slovenian farmer Uros Macerl felt vindicated. His exhausting battle against a polluting industrial giant had been worthwhile.
A role model to some, an "eco-terrorist" to others, Macerl recently picked up one of the world's most prestigious environmental awards for shutting down a cement plant owned by French c ... more Exeter UK (SPX) Jun 05, 2017Pollution 'devastating' China's vital ecosystem, research shows Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2017Mining for answers on abandoned mines Washington (AFP) June 1, 2017Scott Pruitt: EPA chief who urged Trump to ditch climate pact |
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Moscow (AFP) May 25, 2017
Russia on Thursday launched a probe into the deaths of three people in Siberian wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced the authorities to impose a state of emergency.
Two people were found dead in the town of Kansk in Russia's Siberian Krasnoyarsk region, according to investigators in the region, who said a fire spread in the area due to hot weather and strong wind.
T ... more Fort Mcmurray, Canada (AFP) April 30, 2017Fort McMurray recovery from 2016 forest fire plods along Wageningen, Netherlands (SPX) Apr 13, 2017Flammable floodplains are weak spot of Amazon forest Santiago (AFP) March 13, 2017Thousands return home after fleeing Chile forest fire |
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 07, 2017
Wearing white sneakers, a cowboy hat and overalls, Bernie Fowler walks into Maryland's Patuxent River every June to see how deep he can go and still see the tops of his shoes. As a young man he could see his feet on the river bottom as he stood chest-deep to net blue crabs. Now in his nineties, he ventures into the river to assess the water clarity. Fowler has been collecting this data point for ... more Tangier, United States (AFP) June 2, 2017Off US coast, Tangier Island disappearing under water Lorton, United States (AFP) June 6, 2017Envoys wade in to help US waters despite Trump climate snub Washington (UPI) Jun 5, 2017Fish uses special lips to eat razor-sharp, venomous coral |
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Washington (UPI) Jun 6, 2017
The Norwegian government reported a gain in cash from first quarter petroleum activities as oil prices rebounded in response to OPEC-led balancing efforts.
The Norwegian government's statistics office reported total revenue for the first quarter at $37.4 million, up 2.5 percent from the same period in the previous year.
Norway is one of the region's largest oil and gas producers ... more Maiduguri, Nigeria (AFP) June 4, 2017Storm destroys 1,000 refugee homes in Nigeria Moscow (AFP) May 30, 2017Death toll from Moscow storm rises to 15 Moscow (AFP) May 29, 2017Violent storm kills 13 in Moscow area |
Brussels (AFP) June 2, 2017 The EU and China failed Friday to formally endorse a joint statement on the Paris climate deal due to a lingering but separate trade row, a European source said.
The EU source said leaders from both sides had no problem with on the climate issue as both sides want to boost efforts to implement the 2015 Paris agreement following President Donald Trump's decision to pull Washington out of the ... more New York (AFP) June 1, 2017Goldman Sachs CEO defends Paris deal in first-ever tweet Washington (AFP) June 4, 2017Trump saw Paris climate pact as economic straitjacket Beijing (AFP) June 1, 2017China manufacturing down for 1st time in 11 months: Caixin |
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Miami (AFP) May 31, 2017
A new NASA mission aims to brush by the sun, coming closer than any spacecraft in history to its scorching heat and radiation in order to reveal how stars are made, the US space agency said Wednesday.
After liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2018, the Parker Solar Probe will become the first to fly directly into the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona.
The plan for th ... more Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 30, 2017NASA's SDO sees partial eclipse in space Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2017NASA renames Solar mission to honor Eugene Parker Huntsville AL (SPX) May 24, 2017CLASP Sounding Rocket Mission Opens New Research Window in Solar Physics |
Yangon (AFP) June 5, 2017
Myanmar's wild elephants are being poached in record numbers with at least 20 killed this year due to surging demand for their hide, WWF said Monday, warning the species is facing a "crisis".
Hunters are increasingly targeting mothers and calves, using poisoned arrows to inflict a slow and agonising death before stripping them of their skin, the wildlife group said.
At least 20 elephant ... more Washington (UPI) Jun 1, 2017How and why did a house swift cross the Pacific Hong Kong (AFP) June 6, 2017African park ranger hits out at Hong Kong ivory trade Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 05, 2017How the Galapagos cormorant lost its ability to fly |
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