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India's Silicon Valley faces man-made water crisis![]() Bangalore, India (AFP) March 17, 2018 Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj's small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India's drought-stricken tech hub. Gleaming new apartment blocks are still springing up all over the city known as India's Silicon Valley - even though there is nowhere near enough mains water to supply those already living and working there. Many rely entirely on supplies shipped in by tankers filled from giant borew ... read more  | 
 
World needs 'greener' water policies as demand rises: UNParis (AFP) March 19, 2018 Governments should focus on "greener" policies to improve the supply and quality of water as climate change and a growing global population threaten the water security of billions, the United Nations said on Monday. ... more  
World water forum opens after dire UN warningBras�lia (AFP) March 19, 2018 The world must race to avert disastrous loss of water supplies, Brazil's President Michel Temer told a conference Monday, after the UN said some 5.7 billion people may run short of drinking water by 2050. ... more  
Drought-stricken Cape Town counts the costCape Town (AFP) March 19, 2018 South African winemaker Marlize Jacobs looks out across the parched brown earth that sustains her award-winning vines, surveying the effects of the water crisis ravaging Cape Town and surrounding areas. ... more  
Dead Sea's revival with Red Sea canal edges closer to realityGhor Al-Haditha, Jordan (AFP) March 18, 2018 Israel and Jordan have long pursued a common goal to stop the Dead Sea from shrinking while slaking their shared thirst for drinking water with a pipeline from the Red Sea some 200 kilometres away. ... 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 19 | Mar 16 | Mar 15 | Mar 14 | Mar 13 | 
 
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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  
Two soldiers killed in Nigeria communal violence: armyKano, Nigeria (AFP) March 15, 2018 At least two soldiers were killed Wednesday in renewed violence between herders and farmers in central Nigeria's Plateau state days after similar violence killed 25 in unrest linked to land, water and grazing rights. ... 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 light  
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  | 
 
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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 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  | 
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ESA testing detection of floating plastic litter from orbit Paris (ESA) Mar 20, 2018  
The millions of tonnes of plastic ending up in the oceans every year are a global challenge. ESA is responding by looking at the detection of marine plastic litter from space, potentially charting its highest concentrations and understanding the gigantic scale of the problem. 
We dump around 10 million tonnes of plastic in the oceans annually. Though most conspicuous along coastlines, plast ... 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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Latin America's 'magic tree' slowly coming back to life Dibulla, Colombia (AFP) March 19, 2018  
 The guaimaro, a highly prized tree bearing nutritious fruit, once abundant throughout South America, is slowly being coaxed back from near extinction in Colombia. 
Widely adaptable, the tree is resistant to drought - though not, sadly, to man. Deforestation has decimated the bountiful tree, whose leaves and fruit have for centuries sustained animals and humans alike. 
"Without trees, ther ... more | 
Modified biomaterials self-assemble on temperature cues Durham NC (SPX) Mar 20, 2018  
Biomedical engineers from Duke University have demonstrated a new approach to making self-assembled biomaterials that relies on protein modifications and temperature. The hybrid approach allows researchers to control self-assembly more precisely, which may prove useful for a variety of biomedical applications from drug delivery to wound healing. 
The research appears online on March 19 in N ... more | 
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Saft deploys Intensium Mini for solar energy storage at industrial plant in Spain Paris, France (SPX) Mar 20, 2018  
Saft has installed two Li-ion energy storage systems to boost the operational efficiency of the existing solar PV plant at EXKAL's Marcilla manufacturing facility in Navarra, Northern Spain. 
The Saft Intensium Mini E systems provide peak shaving to reduce peak demand charges from the site's electricity supplier as well as increasing self-consumption of solar power. The result is that EXKAL ... 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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Residents get first look at town devastated by Australia bushfire Sydney (AFP) March 20, 2018   Residents got their first look Tuesday at the devastation wrought by a bushfire that ravaged a town in Australia, but fears over asbestos and unstable structures mean even those with houses still standing cannot move back. 
Sixty-nine homes were incinerated in Tathra on the south coast of New South Wales, and another 39 damaged, after a blaze fanned by gusty winds and hot, dry conditions swep ... more | 
A lesson from Darwin Santa Barbara CA (SPX) Mar 19, 2018  
When British naturalist Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he took notice of the giant kelp forests ringing the islands. He believed that if those forests were destroyed, a significant number of species would be lost. These underwater ecosystems, Darwin believed, could be even more important than forests on land. 
Since then, much scientific research has focused on th ... 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 urges US to not act emotionally; US trade groups say same and more Beijing (AFP) March 20, 2018   Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called on the United States Tuesday to not act "emotionally" and to avoid a trade war, as President Donald Trump considers new punitive measures against Beijing. 
After announcing tariffs on global steel and aluminium imports, Trump is now mulling new actions against China over its "theft" of US intellectual property. 
Washington has long accused Beijing of forci ... 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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