| 
	
 | 
World water problems on tap at Brazil conference![]() Bras�lia (AFP) March 17, 2018 Brazil - the country with the world's greatest fresh water reserves - hosts an international conference next week on growing fears over the fragility of drinking water supplies in a heating planet. Under the slogan "sharing water," the 8th World Water Forum will bring together 15 heads of state and government, 300 mayors and dozens of experts in the Brazilian capital Brasilia from Sunday to March 23. An estimated 40,000 people are expected to attend, organizers say. Participants will meet ... read more  | 
 
World's largest cities depend on evaporated water from surrounding landsFort Collins CO (SPX) Mar 21, 2018 Urbanization has taken billions of people from the rural countryside to urban centers, adding pressure to existing water resources. Many cities rely on renewable freshwater regularly refilled by pre ... more  
NZ dairy giant Fonterra posts loss on China writedown, CEO to goWellington (AFP) March 20, 2018 New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra slumped to a first-half loss Wednesday after massive write-downs on its China business, and announced long-time chief executive Theo Spierings' departure. ... more  
Algorithm could streamline harvesting of hand-picked cropsChicago IL (SPX) Mar 21, 2018 Farmers are the latest beneficiaries in a world of data analytics. Over the past few years, precision agriculture has been helping farmers make smarter decisions and producing a bigger yield. But mo ... more  
Agriculture must make water use go further: expertsBras�lia (AFP) March 20, 2018 In a world where water risks running short for many, the especially thirsty agricultural industry must learn how to manage the vital resource better, experts said Tuesday. ... more  | 
 
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 CORRECTED: Thousands evacuated as typhoon bears down on Philippines Afghan govt says quake kills 20, injures over 500 Third quake in three months rattles Turkey's Sindirgi Spain regional leader resigns, year after deadly floods  | 
| 
 | 

| Previous Issues | Mar 20 | Mar 19 | Mar 16 | Mar 15 | Mar 14 | 
 
 | 
 
US Supreme Court gives go ahead to Flint water lawsuitsWashington (AFP) March 19, 2018 The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the go ahead to two class-action lawsuits filed by residents of Flint, Michigan in response to a lead-contaminated water crisis. ... 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  
Dead tress across Mongolian lava field offer clues to past droughtsTucson 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 r ... 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: report  
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 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  
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  | 
  | 
| 
 | 
| 
Sentinels helping to map minerals Paris (ESA) Mar 21, 2018  
The traditional way of mapping Earth's geology and mineral resources is a costly and time-consuming undertaking. While satellites cannot entirely replace the expert in the field, they can certainly help - as a recent effort in Africa shows. 
Geological maps identify different types of rock, faults, groundwater and deposits. They are not only essential for building infrastructure and assessi ... 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 | 
 | 
| 
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 | 
 | 
| 
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 | 
 | 
| 
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 | 
Xi gets second term with powerful ally as VP Beijing (AFP) March 17, 2018   China's rubber-stamp parliament unanimously handed President Xi Jinping a second term Saturday and elevated his right-hand man to the vice presidency, giving him a strong ally to consolidate power and handle US trade threats. 
Xi's reappointment by the Communist Party-controlled legislature was a foregone conclusion, but all eyes had been on whether his former anti-corruption enforcer, Wang Q ... more | 
 | 
| 
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 | 
Researchers turn plastic pollution into cleaners Bristol, UK (SPX) Mar 19, 2018  
Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered a way to re-use a common plastic to break down harmful dyes in our waste water. The paper published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces by a joint UK and Brazilian research team describes how synthetic dyes, used in the clothing industry world-wide, could be treated by the plastic found in packaging and cutlery - polystyrene. 
A sm ... more | 
 | 
| 
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 | 
Half a degree more global warming could flood out 5 million more people Princeton NJ (SPX) Mar 20, 2018  
The 2015 Paris climate agreement sought to stabilize global temperatures by limiting warming to well below 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue limiting warming even further, to 1.5 C. 
To quantify what that would mean for people living in coastal areas, a group of researchers employed a global network of tide gauges and a local sea level projection framework to exp ... more | 
 | 
| 
Eastern Mediterranean summer will be 2 months longer by 2100 Tel Aviv, Israel (SPX) Mar 21, 2018  
The eastern Mediterranean - an area that covers Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and southern Turkey - is experiencing monumental climate changes poised to significantly affect regional ecosystems and human health. According to a new Tel Aviv University study, these changes will alter the duration of summer and winter in the region by the end of this century. 
The summer, a dry and hot ... 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 | 
 
 | 
| 
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 | 
Sudan, the world's last male northern white rhino, dies aged 45 Ol Pejeta, Kenya (AFP) March 20, 2018  
 Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, has died in Kenya at the age of 45, after becoming a symbol of efforts to save his subspecies from extinction, a fate that only science can now prevent. 
When Sudan was born in 1973 in the wild in Shambe, South Sudan, there were about 700 of his kind left in existence. 
At his death, there are only two females remaining alive and the hope is that  ... more | 
 | 
| Buy Advertising | Media Advertising Kit | Editorial & Other Enquiries | Privacy statement | 
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement |