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Dead tress across Mongolian lava field offer clues to past droughts![]() Tucson AZ (SPX) Mar 19, 2018 The extreme wet and dry periods Mongolia has experienced in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are rare but not unprecedented and future droughts may be no worse, according to an international research team that includes a University of Arizona scientist. The research team developed a climate record stretching 2,060 years into Mongolia's past by using the natural archive of weather conditions stored in the annual rings of Siberian pines. The 10 researchers then combined that information on pas ... read more  | 
 
Background radiation in UAE's agricultural topsoil found to be lower than global averageWashington DC (SPX) Mar 19, 2018 A team of researchers in the United Arab Emirates have revealed the presence of a significantly lower level of background radiation present in the nation's agricultural topsoil in comparison to the ... more  
Harnessing the power of soil microbes for more sustainable farmingBerkeley CA (SPX) Mar 16, 2018 There's a farm in Arkansas growing soybeans, corn, and rice that is aiming to be the most scientifically advanced farm in the world. Soil samples are run through powerful machines to have their micr ... more  
Top bottled water brands contaminated with plastic particles: reportMiami (AFP) March 15, 2018 The world's leading brands of bottled water are contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process, according to a major study across nine countries published Wednesday. ... more  
Ag robot speeds data collection, analyses of crops as they growChampaign 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 ... 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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Thawing permafrost causing the 'browning' of northern lakesQuebec City, Canada (SPX) Mar 06, 2018 As ice the melts, the organic carbon found in permafrost is being released once again after ages of confinement in the soil. It is making its way into Arctic and subarctic lakes and ponds, and modif ... more  
Estimates overstated for Mongolian rangelands damaged by livestockFort Collins CO (SPX) Mar 08, 2018 Livestock and wildlife graze on rangelands, grasslands, savannas and marshes that cover 45 percent of Earth's land surface. Damage or degradation on these lands is a major concern globally, and the ... more  
Commercial pesticides: Not as safe as they seemWashington DC (SPX) Mar 12, 2018 New regulations are needed to protect people and the environment from toxic pesticide ingredients that are not currently subject to safety assessments. This is the conclusion of the first comprehens ... more  
Land-use planning could reconcile agricultural growth with conservation of natureLeipzig, Germany (SPX) Mar 08, 2018 Increasing agricultural production usually leads to various negative side effects in agricultural landscapes, such as local decline in wildlife and loss of ecosystem functions. But what would happen ... more  
Thousands of farmers march in Madrid over 'surreal' droughtMadrid (AFP) March 7, 2018 Thousands of farmers from Spain's parched southeast, marched in Madrid Wednesday to ask the government for help as their crops are threatened by a "surreal" drought that is also putting jobs at risk. ... more  | 
![]() Soil cannot halt climate change  
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  | 
 
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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: officialCape Town (AFP) March 7, 2018 Cape Town will not be forced to shut-off normal water supplies in 2018 in response to a three-year-long drought as previously feared, the region's governing party said Wednesday. ... more  
'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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China launches land exploration satellite Jiuquan, China (XNA) Mar 18, 2018  
China launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert of the country's northwest at 3:10 p.m. Saturday. 
The satellite is the fourth of its kind and mainly used for exploration of land resources by remote sensing. 
A Long March-2D rocket carried the satellite into space. 
The launch was the 268th mission of the  ... more | 
Indra Expands With Four New Stations The Ground Segment Managing Galileo Satellites Madrid, Spain (SPX) Mar 15, 2018  
Indra has been awarded a contract for implementing four new Uplink Stations (ULS), thus expanding the ground segment of the European global positioning system, Galileo. Awarded by the company Thales Alenia Space (France), this contract also includes maintenance and upgrades for all Uplink stations. 
The new stations will join the ten uplink stations that Indra has already put into service a ... more | 
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Growing need for urban forests as urban land expands Newtown Square PA (SPX) Mar 19, 2018  
A new USDA Forest Service study projects that urban land in Lower 48 states will more than double between 2010 and 2060, which will affect forest and agricultural lands that are being converted to urban uses as well as expand the importance of urban forests in relation to environmental quality and human well-being. 
A USDA Forest Service study published in the Journal of Forestry, "U.S. Urb ... more | 
Manure could heat your home Waterloo, Canada (SPX) Mar 12, 2018  
Farm manure could be a viable source of renewable energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Researchers at the University of Waterloo are developing technology to produce renewable natural gas from manure so it can be added to the existing energy supply system for heating homes and powering industries. 
That would eliminate particularly harmful gases released ... more | 
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Seminole Financial Services Surpasses Three-Quarters of a Gigawatt in Renewable Energy Financing Belleair Bluffs FL (SPX) Mar 16, 2018  
Seminole Financial Services ("SFS"), a leading finance provider in the renewable energy space, is celebrating over $1.48 billion in financing of solar and wind installations throughout the United States, equaling more than 770 megawatts (MW) in installed capacity. 
Expanding its "One-Stop Shop" capabilities to better serve the needs of its customers, SFS is now also an approved lender under ... more | 
BP sees onshore wind as the cheapest future source of electricity Washington (UPI) Mar 15, 2018  
 In a report on energy efficiency trends, British energy company BP said onshore wind could become the most economical source of electricity within 30 years. 
 A technology outlook for 2018 by the British supermajor finds coal is currently the largest source of global energy generation. There's enough on hand, the report read, to keep the grid satiated for more than a century based on curr ... 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 | 
China widens Xi's corruption crackdown Beijing (AFP) March 18, 2018  
 Millions of Chinese public sector workers will be exposed to the harsh policing tactics of the Communist Party as President Xi Jinping brings his corruption crackdown to China's sprawling bureaucracy. 
The campaign to clean up the party's pervasive corruption has arguably been Xi's most popular initiative, pressuring its 89 million members to toe the line - with more than 1.5 million officia ... more | 
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Robotic spiders and bees: The rise of bioinspired microrobots Manchester UK (SPX) Mar 06, 2018  
Jumping robot spiders and swarms of robotic bees sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers at The University of Manchester are already working on such projects and aiming to lead the world in micro robotics. 
But what will these kinds of robots be used for and is it something we should be worried? Dr Mostafa Nabawy is the Microsystems Research Theme Leader at The University  ... more | 
Large-scale climatic warming could increase persistent haze in Beijing Beijing, China (SPX) Mar 19, 2018  
Over the past decades, Beijing, the capital city of China, has encountered increasingly frequent persistent haze events (PHEs). Severe PHEs not only lead to a sharp decrease in visibility, causing traffic hazards and disruptions, and, hence, affecting economic activities, but also induce serious health problems such as respiratory illnesses and heart disease. 
While the increased pollutant  ... more | 
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Australia bushfires destroy homes, kill cattle Sydney (AFP) March 19, 2018  
 High temperatures and strong winds have fuelled large grass and bushfires in Australia, officials said Monday, reducing dozens of houses to ash and killing cattle. 
Up to 70 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed in the picturesque seaside village of Tathra on the south coast of New South Wales when a fire tore through the area on Sunday. 
Some 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) were a ... more | 
New Zealand cools on climate refugee plan Wellington (AFP) March 16, 2018  
 New Zealand says it will not adopt world-first plans to allow climate change refugees without approval from the Pacific island nations the measure is intended to help. 
Both the ruling Labour Party and its Green coalition partner went into last year's election with a platform of allocating refugee places for islanders displaced by rising seas. 
The initial plans were modest, about 100 plac ... more | 
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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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New 3-D measurements improve understanding of geomagnetic storm hazards Washington DC (SPX) Mar 14, 2018  
Measurements of the three-dimensional structure of the earth, as opposed to the one-dimensional models typically used, can help scientists more accurately determine which areas of the United States are most vulnerable to blackouts during hazardous geomagnetic storms. 
Space weather events such as geomagnetic storms can disturb the earth's magnetic field, interfering with electric power grid ... more | 
Global biodiversity 'crisis' to be assessed at major summit Paris (AFP) March 16, 2018   Earth is enduring a mass species extinction, scientists say - the first since the demise of the dinosaurs and only the sixth in half-a-billion years. 
The reason? Humanity's voracious consumption, and wanton destruction, of the very gifts of nature that keep us alive. 
Starting Saturday, a comprehensive, global appraisal of the damage, and what can be done to reverse it, will be conducted ... more | 
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