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Spain, Portugal struggle with extreme drought![]() Madrid (AFP) Nov 21, 2017 Spain and Portugal are grappling with a devastating drought which has left rivers nearly dry, sparked deadly wildfires and devastated crops - and experts warn that prolonged dry spells will become more frequent. The national weather office says 94 percent of Portugal is enduring what it classifies as an "extreme" drought. "The country has never experienced a drought like this in the sense that it worsened significantly in October, a time of the year when the situation normally improves," a cli ... read more |
Brazil exports murder-tainted illegal logging: GreenpeaceRio De Janeiro (AFP) Nov 22, 2017 Endangered Amazon hardwood trafficked by a Brazilian exporter allegedly behind the massacre of nine farmers this year is being sold unimpeded around the world, according to environmental pressure group Greenpeace. ... more
Intercropping formula promises food security in Sahel AfricaWashington DC (SPX) Nov 22, 2017 Two crops or one? Sometimes, growing two crops simultaneously on the same piece of land - called intercropping - can benefit farmers. But it needs careful planning and resource management. In ... more
Spain, Portugal struggle with extreme droughtMadrid (AFP) Nov 21, 2017 Spain and Portugal are grappling with a devastating drought which has left rivers nearly dry, sparked deadly wildfires and devastated crops - and experts warn that prolonged dry spells will become more frequent. ... more
Portuguese cattle farmers desperately wait for rainAlpalhao, Portugal (AFP) Nov 21, 2017 Antonio Granadeiro, a cattle farmer who has already lost 20 cows this year, surveys with sadness the fields of his ranch in Alentejo in central Portugal, which have yellowed from the lack of rain. ... more |
Hurricane left millions of tons of debris in Jamaica: UN
Typhoon Kalmaegi hits Vietnam after killing 140 in Philippines Vietnam evacuates thousands from coast ahead of Typhoon Kalmaegi Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam CORRECTED: Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam Camels replace cows as Kenya battles drought Jamaica still 'digging out' from hurricane, but Red Cross hopes toll stays low Death toll tops 100 as Philippines digs out after typhoon Typhoon death toll soars past 90 in the Philippines Typhoon death toll climbs to 66 in the Philippines |
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| Previous Issues | Nov 22 | Nov 21 | Nov 20 | Nov 17 |
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Cleaning Okinawan pig farm wastewater with microbial fuel cellsOnna, Japan (SPX) Nov 22, 2017 One of the greatest threats to the environment today is wastewater left over from production activities. Agricultural practices, such as pig farming, produce a large amount of wastewater containing ... more
Archaeologists find earliest evidence of winemakingToronto, Canada (SPX) Nov 21, 2017 Excavations in the Republic of Georgia by the Gadachrili Gora Regional Archaeological Project Expedition (GRAPE), a joint undertaking between the University of Toronto (U of T) and the Georgian Nati ... more
Crunch time for food securityNottingham UK (SPX) Nov 21, 2017 Feelings often run high where insects are concerned, with many people even squeamish to look on them, let alone touch or swallow them. And yet insects present a huge nutritional opportunity as an in ... more
Urbanization may have a positive effect on the soilsMoscow, Russia (SPX) Nov 21, 2017 Soil scientist from RUDN University (Russia) and his colleagues modeled how the expansion of the boundaries of the city of Moscow would affect the rural landscape in the next 30 years. Scientists ca ... more
Colorado River's connection with the ocean was a punctuated affairEugene OR (SPX) Nov 20, 2017 The Colorado River's initial trip to the ocean didn't come easy, but its story has emerged from layers of sediment preserved within tectonically active stretches of the waterway's lower reaches. ... more
Neutrons probe oxygen-generating enzyme for a greener approach to clean waterOak Ridge TN (SPX) Nov 20, 2017 A new study sheds light on a unique enzyme that could provide an eco-friendly treatment for chlorite-contaminated water supplies and improve water quality worldwide. An international team of r ... more |
![]() Why does hot water freeze faster than cold water
Alibaba takes $2.9 billion stake in food retailerBeijing (AFP) Nov 20, 2017 Alibaba said on Monday it would take a major stake in one of China's top food sellers for $2.9 billion as the e-commerce giant expands further into the retail world. ... more
Peruvian farmer scores small win in court over German energy giantHamm, Germany (AFP) Nov 13, 2017 A Peruvian farmer won a small but significant legal victory Monday when a German court said his appeal against energy giant RWE, which he accuses of contributing to climate change that is threatening his Andean home, had merit. ... more
Weed-killer prompts angry divide among US farmersLittle Rock, United States (AFP) Nov 13, 2017 When it comes to the herbicide dicamba, farmers in the southern state of Arkansas are not lacking for strong opinions. ... more
Cooling in high and mid-latitudes led to aridification in Northern AfricaPotsdam, Germany (SPX) Nov 14, 2017 It is one of the driest regions of the Earth, yet, in a cave in the Egyptian Sahara, paintings have been found depicting people swimming. This stone-age art is thought to be up to ten thousand years ... more |
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Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 23, 2017
High in the atmosphere, above weather systems, is a layer of ozone gas. Ozone is Earth's natural sunscreen, absorbing the Sun's most harmful ultraviolet radiation and protecting living things below. But ozone is vulnerable to certain gases made by humans that reach the upper atmosphere. Once there, they react in the presence of sunlight to destroy ozone molecules.
Currently, several NASA a ... more Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 22, 2017NASA Links Port-City Sea Levels to Regional Ice Melt Washington DC (SPX) Nov 21, 2017Satellite Imagery Aids Rescue Efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria Paris (ESA) Nov 23, 2017Forty years of Meteosat |
Paris (ESA) Nov 22, 2017
Europe's next four Galileo navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to lift them into orbit are being readied for their 12 December launch from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Tuesday saw Galileo satellites 19-22 declared ready for flight, along with their Ariane. Combined activities are now under way, culminating in the satellites meeting their rocket in the Final As ... more Washington DC (SPX) Nov 23, 2017DARPA digging for ideas to revolutionize subterranean mapping Beijing (XNA) Nov 10, 2017China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System Expands Into a Global Network Melbourne FL (SPX) Nov 10, 2017Harris develops fully digital navigation payload for future GPS III sats |
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Edinburgh UK (SPX) Nov 22, 2017
Deforested areas of the Amazon Basin have a limited ability to recover because of recent changes in climate, a study shows.
Limited growth in a drier climate has restricted the amount of carbon that new trees can lock away from the atmosphere, reducing their ability to counteract the effects of global warming.
Forests replanted today would likely be able to recapture only two-thirds ... more Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Nov 22, 2017Brazil exports murder-tainted illegal logging: Greenpeace Warsaw (AFP) Nov 21, 2017Poland says compliant with EU court order against ancient forest logging Luxembourg (AFP) Nov 20, 2017EU court threatens Poland with heavy fines over ancient forest logging |
Surrey UK (SPX) Nov 21, 2017
The University of Surrey has developed a new and cost-effective catalyst to recycle two of the main causes behind climate change - carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
In a study published by the Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, scientists have described how they created an advanced nickel-based catalyst strengthened with tin and ceria, and used it to transform CO2 and CH4 into a syn ... more St. Louis MI (SPX) Nov 22, 2017The water world of ancient photosynthetic organisms London (AFP) Nov 20, 2017Coffee set to power London buses in green initiative Onna, Japan (SPX) Nov 22, 2017Cleaning Okinawan pig farm wastewater with microbial fuel cells |
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Saint Petersburg, Russia (SPX) Nov 21, 2017
Scientists from ITMO University suggested a new solar cell coating that combines features of an electrode and those of a light-trapping structure. The coating enabled researchers to cut down on reflected light and avoid solar cell overheating, thus increasing its overall efficiency by 20%.
Moreover, the suggested method may be attractive for industrial applications due to its relatively lo ... more Fukuoka, Japan (SPX) Nov 21, 2017Expanding wavelength range for solar energy conversion Toronto, Canada (SPX) Nov 22, 2017Artificial photosynthesis gets big boost from new catalyst Guelph, Canada (SPX) Nov 17, 2017Recurrent Energy secures debt financing for 20 MW California solar project |
Washington (UPI) Nov 22, 2017
Norwegian energy company Statoil said Wednesday its Dudgeon wind farm off the British coast is now feeding the grid from its 67 wind turbines.
The Dudgeon wind farm is about 25 miles off the coast of Norfolk. Its turbines, with a combined capacity of 402 megawatts, can meet the energy demands of around 410,000 average households at its peak. The Norwegian company, one of the main energy ... more Washington (UPI) Nov 15, 2017End tax credits for wind energy, Tennessee Republican says Washington (UPI) Oct 26, 2017New York sets high bar for wind energy Canberra, Australia (SPX) Oct 20, 2017Construction to begin on $160 million Industry Leading Hybrid Renewable Energy Project |
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Bonn (AFP) Nov 16, 2017
A score of mostly wealthy nations banded together at UN climate talks Thursday to swear off coal-fired power, a key driver of global warming and air pollution.
To cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) - the planet-saving target in the 196-nation Paris Agreement - coal must be phased out in developed countries by 2030, and "by no later than 2050 in ... more Bonn (AFP) Nov 16, 2017Anti-coal drive at UN climate talks stalked by pro-coal White House Hambach Coal Mine, Near Niederzier, Germany (AFP) Nov 5, 2017Protest at open-pit coal mine near Bonn ahead of UN climate talks Washington (UPI) Oct 17, 2017Coal still holds a slight edge as U.S. power source |
Shenyang, China (AFP) Nov 21, 2017
When Xiaoxiong and her lesbian lover wanted to hide their relationship from their parents, they decided to find men willing to marry them. They had a specific type in mind: Gay.
Searching out suitors for such a marriage of convenience proved difficult, so she created an online matchmaking forum to help others like her conform with family and societal pressures in China, where same-sex marria ... more Beijing (AFP) Nov 22, 2017Three dead, six wounded in rare shooting in China Beijing (AFP) Nov 21, 2017Chinese human rights lawyers jailed for two years Shenyang, China (AFP) Nov 21, 2017Secrets and wives: Gay Chinese hide behind 'sham marriage' |
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Geneva (AFP) Nov 17, 2017
"Robots are not taking over the world", the diplomat leading the first official talks on autonomous weapons assured Friday, seeking to ease criticism over slow progress towards restricting the use of so-called "killer robots".
The United Nations was wrapping up an initial five days of discussions on weapons systems that can identify and destroy targets without human control, which experts s ... more Washington DC (SPX) Nov 21, 2017New Challenges Await Competitors in NASA's 25th Annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge San Diego CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2017Speedy collision detector could make robots better human assistants Waterloo, Canada (SPX) Nov 22, 2017New technology makes artificial intelligence more private and portable |
Tucson AZ (SPX) Nov 23, 2017
Five years of advanced satellite images show that there is more artificial light at night across the globe, and that light at night is getting brighter. The rate of growth is approximately two percent each year in both the amount of areas lit and the radiance of the light.
An international team of scientists on Wednesday reported the results of a landmark study of global light pollution an ... more Miami (AFP) Nov 22, 2017Energy-saving LEDs boost light pollution worldwide Washington (UPI) Nov 20, 2017Oil droplets from frying pan can cause indoor air pollution New Delhi (AFP) Nov 19, 2017'My eyes are burning': Delhi half marathon goes ahead despite smog |
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Lisbon (AFP) Oct 30, 2017
The European Union is re-thinking civil protection assistance, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Monday, after a request from Portugal which this year suffered several deadly forest fires.
"We will consider, at Portugal's request, the reorganisation of civil protection in Europe," Juncker said at a press conference alongside Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. ... more Lisbon (AFP) Oct 24, 2017Portuguese govt survives no confidence vote over forest fires Lisbon (AFP) Oct 18, 2017Portugal interior minister resigns after deadly wildfires Lisbon (AFP) Oct 19, 2017Portugal forest fires death toll rises to 43 |
Sao Paulo, Brazil (SPX) Nov 21, 2017
Equipped with Newton's law of universal gravitation (published in Principia 330 years ago) and powerful computational resources (used to apply the law to more than 10,000 interacting bodies), a young Brazilian researcher and his former postdoctoral supervisor have just proposed a new physical model to explain the origin of water on Earth and the other Earth-like objects in the Solar System.
... more Washington (UPI) Nov 22, 2017Ocean acidification harms young mussels Austin TX (SPX) Nov 22, 2017New research could predict La Nina drought years in US Paris (AFP) Nov 21, 2017Expansion of tuna quotas 'step backward' for conservation |
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Los Angeles (AFP) Nov 22, 2017
The southwestern United States was gripped by a heat wave on Wednesday as experts warned of temperatures that would smash century-old records over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33C) in parts of southern California on Wednesday and Thursday, while Phoenix, Arizona, is predicted to swelter in 88F heat - about 20 degrees above seasonal n ... more Honolulu HI (SPX) Nov 14, 2017Heatwaves have at least 27 ways to kill you Berlin (AFP) Oct 30, 2017Central Europe storms leave seven dead Los Angeles (AFP) Oct 25, 2017California roasts under record-setting temperatures |
Hong Kong (AFP) Nov 21, 2017
Home may be where the heart is, but in Hong Kong it comes at a record price - more than $71 million for a single apartment.
A well-heeled buyer snapped up two adjacent mountain-top pads - each more than 4,000 square feet (370 square metres) - for an eye-watering combined price of US$149.1 million.
The smaller of the two properties closed at $71.7 million, making it Asia's most expensi ... more Manila (AFP) Nov 20, 2017Philippines offers China chance to run third telecom service Washington (UPI) Oct 20, 2017Studies suggests link between testosterone, stock market instability Dushanbe, Tajikistan (AFP) Nov 17, 2017China to build $1.6 bn aluminium plant in Tajikistan |
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Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 22, 2017
Using more than half a century of observations, Japanese astronomers have discovered that the microwaves coming from the Sun at the minimums of the past five solar cycles have been the same each time, despite large differences in the maximums of the cycles.
In Japan, continuous four-frequency solar microwave observations (1, 2, 3.75 and 9.4 GHz) began in 1957 at the Toyokawa Branch of the ... more Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 20, 2017NASA detects solar flare pulses at Sun and Earth Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 16, 2017FIREBIRD II and NASA mission locate whistling space electrons' origins Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 15, 2017Proposed NASA mission would investigate where space weather begins |
Seattle WA (SPX) Nov 23, 2017
Think, for a moment, about the last time you were out in nature. Were you in a city park? At a campground? On the beach? In the mountains?
Now consider: What was this place like in your parents' time? Your grandparents'? In many cases, the parks, beaches and campgrounds of today are surrounded by more development, or are themselves more developed, than they were decades ago.
But to y ... more Paris (AFP) Nov 22, 2017Raging debate: Does culling wolves curb poaching? Washington (UPI) Nov 22, 2017Some species more vulnerable to climate change than they appear Washington (UPI) Nov 21, 2017Norwegian court blocks wolf culling |
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