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Ag robot speeds data collection, analyses of crops as they grow![]() Champaign IL (SPX) Mar 14, 2018 A new lightweight, low-cost agricultural robot could transform data collection and field scouting for agronomists, seed companies and farmers. The TerraSentia crop phenotyping robot, developed by a team of scientists at the University of Illinois, will be featured at the 2018 Energy Innovation Summit Technology Showcase in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 14. Traveling autonomously between crop rows, the robot measures the traits of individual plants using a variety of sensors, including ... read more  | 
 
Malaysia's honey hunters defy angry bees to harvest treetop treasureUlu Muda, Malaysia (AFP) March 13, 2018 On a moonless night deep in the Malaysian rainforest, two men perched precariously on high branches use a smoking torch to draw thousands of bees from a treetop hive, braving the angry swarm to collect their prized honey. ... more  
Scientists engineer crops to conserve water, resist droughtChampaign IL (SPX) Mar 08, 2018 Agriculture already monopolizes 90 percent of global freshwater - yet production still needs to dramatically increase to feed and fuel this century's growing population. For the first time, scientis ... more  
Agricultural sustainability project reached 21 million smallholder farmers across ChinaPhiladelphia PA (SPX) Mar 12, 2018 Smallholder farmers who cultivate perhaps only a few hectares of land dominate the agricultural landscape in places like China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing their efficiency while reduc ... more  
Scientists monitor crop photosynthesis, performance using invisible lightChampaign IL (SPX) Mar 06, 2018 Twelve-foot metal poles with long outstretched arms dot a Midwestern soybean field to monitor an invisible array of light emitted by crops. This light can reveal the plants' photosynthetic performan ... more  | 
 
Nepal avalanche kills seven 
Typhoon flooding kills 5, strands thousands in central Philippines Vietnam flood death toll hits 40 as Typhoon Kalmaegi looms Floods strand people on roofs as typhoon pounds Philippines Jamaicans mobilize aid in aftermath of Melissa's wreckage Spain regional leader resigns, a year after deadly floods French warship delivers 40 tonnes of aid to hurricane-hit Jamaica Three killed, four missing in Nepal avalanche Tens of thousands shelter as typhoon slams into Philippines Thousands evacuated as typhoon bears down on Philippines  | 
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| Previous Issues | Mar 13 | Mar 12 | Mar 09 | Mar 08 | Mar 07 | 
 
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Soil cannot halt climate changeHarpenden AL5 (SPX) Mar 06, 2018 Unique soils data from long-term experiments, stretching back to the middle of the nineteenth century, confirm the practical implausibility of burying carbon in the ground to halt climate change, an ... more  
Indonesia scrubbing the 'world's dirtiest river'Majalaya, Indonesia (AFP) March 2, 2018 The scabies on Indonesian rice farmer Yusuf Supriyadi's limbs are a daily reminder of the costs of living next to the "world's dirtiest river". ... more  
Where fresh is cool in Bay of BengalCape Cod MA (SPX) Mar 08, 2018 Each summer, the South Asian monsoon transforms parts of India from semi-arid into lush green lands able to support farming. The annual infusion of rainfall and resulting runoff into the Ganges, Bra ... more  
Genetic tweak makes plants use 25% less waterParis (AFP) March 6, 2018 Researchers on Tuesday unveiled a genetic modification that enables plants to use a quarter less water with scant reduction in yield. ... more  
Carrefour's chicken blockchain set to lay eggsParis (AFP) March 6, 2018 French supermarket group Carrefour said Tuesday it would expand its blockchain-based food traceability programme, which is currently in place for some chickens, to eight other products including eggs by the end of the year. ... more  | 
![]() Cape Town averts dry taps in 2018: official  
'Doomsday' seed vault gets makeover as Arctic heats upLongyearbyen (AFP) March 2, 2018 Designed to withstand a nuclear missile hit, the world's biggest seed vault, nestled deep inside an Arctic mountain, is undergoing a makeover as rising temperatures melt the permafrost meant to protect it. ... more  | 
 
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Iraq force that helped beat IS turns to reconstructionAl Qurnah, Iraq (AFP) March 7, 2018 Three months ago, Ibrahim Ali was using his digger to smash down defensive embankments built by Islamic State group jihadists in northern Iraq. ... more  
Cuban cigars: a treasure from Havana to BeijingPinar Del Rio, Cuba (AFP) March 2, 2018 When they rip the big green leaves from the tobacco plant, Cuban farmers know they're touching gold. ... more  
'Noah's Ark' seed vault chalks up a million crop varietiesLongyearbyen (AFP) Feb 26, 2018 Norway's 'doomsday' seed bank, which seeks to protect the world's crops from natural disasters, on Monday said it had gathered more than a million varieties as it marked its 10-year anniversary. ... more  
The secret to tripling the number of grains in sorghum and perhaps other staple cropsCold Spring Harbor NY (SPX) Feb 28, 2018 A simple genetic modification can triple the grain number of sorghum, a drought-tolerant plant that is an important source of food, animal feed, and biofuel in many parts of the world. In new ... more  
Life under extreme drought conditionsPotsdam, Germany (SPX) Feb 28, 2018 The core region of the Atacama Desert in South America is one of the most arid places on earth. Sometimes it is raining only once in a decade or even less, the annual precipitation is far less than ... more  | 
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Full house for EDRS Paris (ESA) Mar 14, 2018  
The EDRS-SpaceDataHighway has now begun regularly relaying Earth images from Sentinel-2A, which marks the last of four Copernicus satellites in orbit being brought under the EDRS service. 
After several months of rigorous testing, the system has added the last 'colour vision' Sentinel to the list of Sentinels it serves, bringing the satellite's vibrant images to Earth faster than ever and c ... more | 
GMV leads a project for application of EGNOS to maritime safety Madrid, Spain (SPX) Mar 07, 2018  
Satellite navigation systems (GNSS) have now been widely taken up by the public at large as a geolocation and guidance service, but the technology developed to date has a much wider potential use range. These systems are nowadays some of the most trustworthy for improving navigation safety, representing a crucial aid for many means of transport. 
Although GPS, GLONASS and Galileo are alread ... more | 
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Elephant declines imperil Africa's forests Durham NC (SPX) Mar 13, 2018  
Poaching and habitat loss have reduced forest elephant populations in Central Africa by 63 percent since 2001. This widespread killing poses dire consequences not only for the species itself but also for the region's forests, a new Duke University study finds. 
"Without intervention to stop poaching, as much as 96 percent of Central Africa's forests will undergo major changes in tree-specie ... more | 
Startup scales up CNT membranes to make carbon-zero fuels for less than fossil fuels New York NY (SPX) Mar 12, 2018  
Mattershift, an NYC-based startup with alumni from MIT and Yale has achieved a breakthrough in making carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes at large scale. The startup is developing the technology's ability to combine and separate individual molecules to make gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from CO2 removed from the air. 
Tests confirming that Mattershift's large-scale CNT membranes match the char ... more | 
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Macron pledges 700 million euros for new solar projects New Delhi (AFP) March 11, 2018  
 French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for solar projects in developing countries, as world leaders met in India to promote greater investment in renewable energy. 
Macron, who in December warned that the global shift to a green energy future was too slow, said France would extend an extra 700 million euros ($861.5 million) through loans and donatio ... more | 
First UK wind farm transfers from commercial to community ownership Bristol UK (SPX) Mar 06, 2018  
Over 400 individuals raise an impressive 2.8m pounds in just two weeks to refinance the Mean Moor community wind farm in Cumbria. It's thought to be the first wind farm in the country to be transferred to community ownership from a commercial developer. 
Thanks to support from Energy4All, and financing from ethical investment company, Thrive Renewables, three renewable Energy Co-operatives  ... more | 
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Michigan utility company to go zero coal Washington (UPI) Feb 20, 2018  
 Coal will no longer be used as an energy source for Michigan residents as more renewables come on stream in the decades ahead, a utility company said. 
 Public utility company Consumers Energy, which provides gas and electricity to about 60 percent of the state population, said it would no longer be using coal as a power source by 2040. By then, the company said it expects more than 40 pe ... more | 
With little suspense, Xi to secure lifetime presidency Beijing (AFP) March 10, 2018   China's rubber-stamp parliament is set Sunday to hand President Xi Jinping free rein to rule the rising Asian superpower indefinitely, with potential abstentions offering the only suspense in the historic vote. 
The National People's Congress is all but certain to approve a constitutional amendment that has stunned many in China, sparking an unusual bout of criticism that censors have scrambl ... more | 
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Tokyo Tech's six-legged robots get closer to nature Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 13, 2018  
A study led by researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) has uncovered new ways of driving multi-legged robots by means of a two-level controller. The proposed controller uses a network of so-called non-linear oscillators that enables the generation of diverse gaits and postures, which are specified by only a few high-level parameters. The study inspires new research into how mul ... more | 
China 'winning' war on smog, helping life expectancy: study Beijing (AFP) March 13, 2018  
 China appears to be "winning" its war on air pollution, making so much progress that life expectancy could rise by more than two years, according to a US university study. 
The Chinese government has been waging a battle to clear its skies of smog that has cut life expectancy in some regions and prompted its citizens to buy masks and air purifiers to protect themselves during peak pollution d ... more | 
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More homes built near wild lands leading to greater wildfire risk Madison WI (SPX) Mar 14, 2018  
More than 10 million acres burned across the country during the 2017 U.S. wildfire season at a cost of more than $2 billion - the largest bill ever. 
And while many factors affect the risk for wildfires, new research out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that a flurry of homebuilding near wild areas since 1990 has greatly increased the number of homes at risk from wildfires while ... more | 
Self-driving robots collect water samples to create snapshots of ocean microbes Honolulu HI (SPX) Mar 14, 2018  
For the first time, scientists from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UH Manoa) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) will deploy a small fleet of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles (LRAUVs) that have the ability to collect and archive seawater samples automatically. These new robots will allow researchers to track and study ocean microbes in unprecedented detail. 
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Why is it so hot at night in some cities Paris, France (SPX) Mar 14, 2018  
During the nighttime, it is hotter in the city than in nearby suburbs or the countryside. But just how much hotter differs between cities. Researchers from the CNRS and MIT joint research laboratory and the Centre Interdisciplinaire des Nanosciences de Marseille have shown that the determining factor is how cities are structured: more organized cities, like many in North America with straight an ... more | 
China's industrial output posts strong start to 2018 Beijing (AFP) March 14, 2018   China's industrial output strengthened in the first two months of the year, official data showed Wednesday, led by production at state enterprises. 
Output at factories and workshops expanded 7.2 percent year-on-year in January and February combined, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, beating the 6.2 percent recorded in December and the 6.2 percent forecast in a Bloomberg News surv ... more | 
 
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Three NASA satellites recreate solar eruption in 3-D Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 12, 2018  
The more solar observatories, the merrier: Scientists have developed new models to see how shocks associated with coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, propagate from the Sun - an effort made possible only by combining data from three NASA satellites to produce a much more robust mapping of a CME than any one could do alone. 
Much the way ships form bow waves as they move through water, CMEs set ... more | 
Sumatran tiger kills Indonesian man Jakarta (AFP) March 11, 2018  
 A Indonesian man has been mauled to death by a Sumatran tiger in a remote village, authorities said Sunday, the second deadly attack this year. 
Yusri Effendi, 34, was found with fatal wounds to his neck by workmates and local villagers in Riau province on Sumatra island on Saturday evening, the local conservation agency said. 
The victim was working on a building to lure the edible-nest s ... more | 
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