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Peatland contributions to UK water security![]() Leeds UK (SPX) May 21, 2018 Peatlands are vital to UK water security and must be protected to preserve the UK's water supply, say scientists. Scientists from the University of Leeds have developed a new global index that identifies water supplied from peatlands as a significant source of drinking water for the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The scientists estimated that in the UK 72.5% of the storage capacity of water supply reservoirs is peat-fed water. In the Republic of Ireland they estimated that drinking water fed by p ... read more |
UN, EU call for global action to protect beesBrdo Castle (Kranj), Slovenia (AFP) May 19, 2018 The United Nation's food agency and the European Union on Saturday called for global action to protect pollinators, and bees in particular, which are crucial for ensuring food security. ... more
French farmers furious over plans to release bearsPau, France (AFP) May 18, 2018 A furious debate is disturbing the peace in the French mountains: do plans to release two bears into the countryside represent a victory for biodiversity, or an intolerable threat to farmers? ... more
Chinese Terracotta Warriors archaeologist dies aged 82Beijing (AFP) May 19, 2018 The Chinese archaeologist credited with discovering the emblematic ancient Terracotta Warriors, Zhao Kangmin, has died aged 82, state media said. ... more
A green approach to making ammonia could help feed the worldOrlando FL (SPX) May 18, 2018 A UCF research team with collaborators at Virginia Tech have developed a new "green" approach to making ammonia that may help make feeding the rising world population more sustainable. "This n ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18 Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media |
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| Previous Issues | May 18 | May 17 | May 16 | May 15 | May 14 |
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Even low concentrations of silver can foil wastewater treatmentCorvallis OR (SPX) May 21, 2018 Research at Oregon State University has shed new light how an increasingly common consumer product component - silver nanoparticles - can potentially interfere with the treatment of wastewater. ... more
In Guadeloupe, going green means going bananasCapesterre-Belle-Eau, France (AFP) May 16, 2018 Yellow is the new green in the French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe. ... more
With more refined palates, China's thirst for wine growsBeijing (AFP) May 16, 2018 China's growing thirst for wine has spawned a new crop of connoisseurs, inspired prize-winning domestic producers and even attracted a top international tasting competition. ... more
Australian stores limit baby formula as China demand hits stocksSydney (AFP) May 16, 2018 One of Australia's biggest supermarket chains said Wednesday some stores were moving baby formula behind counters and restricting sales as it emerged customers were clearing shelves and selling it online in China for more than double the price. ... more
GRACE-FO Will Help Monitor DroughtsPasadena CA (JPL) May 15, 2018 You may not notice water in the ground under your feet, but it plays an important role in keeping you alive. Plants draw water from soil into their roots and use it to grow. If there's not enough, t ... more |
![]() Critics attack Brazil's 'poison law' on pesticides
Cassava breeding hasn't improved photosynthesis or yield potentialUrbana IL (SPX) May 14, 2018 Cassava is a staple in the diet of more than one billion people across 105 countries, yet this "orphaned crop" has received little attention compared to popular crops like corn and soybeans. While a ... more |
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Green economy to boost jobs but farmers hard hit: UNGeneva (AFP) May 14, 2018 Promoting a greener economy could create 30 million jobs over the next decade, largely offsetting employment losses linked to the shift, the UN said Monday, although farming would be especially hard-hit. ... more
Beavers do good work cleaning waterExeter, UK (SPX) May 10, 2018 Beavers could help clean up polluted rivers and stem the loss of valuable soils from farms, new research shows. The study, undertaken by scientists at the University of Exeter using a captive beaver ... more
Engineered polymer membranes could be new option for water treatmentSouth Bend IN (SPX) May 07, 2018 The world's freshwater resources are in short supply. According to the United Nations, water scarcity affects an estimated 1.9 billion people and 2.1 billion people live with drinking water services ... more
Engineers upgrade ancient, sun-powered tech to purify waterBuffalo NY (SPX) May 04, 2018 The idea of using energy from the sun to evaporate and purify water is ancient. The Greek philosopher Aristotle reportedly described such a process more than 2,000 years ago. Now, researchers ... more
Researchers levitate water droplets to improve contaminant detectionWashington DC (SPX) May 04, 2018 In a new study, researchers showed that using sound waves to levitate droplets of water in midair can improve the detection of harmful heavy metal contaminants such as lead and mercury in water. Det ... more |
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UAE Space Agency conducts MeznSat preliminary design review Abu Dhabi (UAE) May 21, 2018
The UAE Space Agency, working in partnership with Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), has reviewed the preliminary design of the MeznSat 3U CubeSat, which is being developed to monitor and study the Earth's atmosphere.
The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) was held during a meeting at Masdar Institute, and Chaired by Khaled Al H ... more |
Swift improves position accuracy and availability for precision farm and shipping customers San Francisco CA (SPX) May 15, 2018
Swift Navigation, a San Francisco-based tech firm that is building centimeter-accurate GPS technology to power a world of autonomous vehicles, has announced the latest firmware upgrade to its flagship product Piksi Multi GNSS Module.
This marks the fifth major point release to Piksi Multi and is available free of charge to Swift customers. The firmware release also enhances Duro, the rugge ... more |
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Forest loss in one part of US can harm trees on the opposite coast Seattle WA (SPX) May 17, 2018
Large swaths of U.S. forests are vulnerable to drought, forest fires and disease. Many local impacts of forest loss are well known: drier soils, stronger winds, increased erosion, loss of shade and habitat. But if a whole forest disappears, new research shows, this has ricocheting effects in the atmosphere that can affect vegetation on the other side of the country.
A University of Washing ... more |
Key enzyme for production of second-generation ethanol discovered in Brazilian Amazon Sao Paulo, Brazil (SPX) May 18, 2018
Second-generation ethanol (also called cellulosic ethanol) open perspectives for optimizing alcohol production. Since 2G ethanol is obtained from from sugarcane straw and bagasse, it basically makes it possible converting waste into energy.
Holder of the world's best biomass and boasting the installed industrial capacity, the requisite specialized engineers and the right yeast, Brazil perf ... more |
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Recurrent Energy Secures Financing and Tax Equity Investment for North Carolina Project Guelph, Canada (SPX) May 18, 2018
Recurrent Energyhas closed on debt financing and tax equity investment commitment for the 74.8 MWac/102 MWp NC 102 solar photovoltaic project, located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
Prudential Capital Group will provide a $106.7 million debt facility for the project, including a tax equity bridge loan, term loan and revolving loan to the project. U.S. Bancorp Community Development Cor ... more |
European wind energy generation potential in a warmer world London, UK (SPX) May 21, 2018
The UK and large parts of northern Europe could become windier if global temperatures reach 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, according to a new study.
This has implications for wind energy generation among other things. The results suggest that wind could be a more important source of energy generation than previously thought, with stronger winds across the UK. The research team ... more |
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Dutch to close two oldest coal-fired plants by 2025 The Hague (AFP) May 18, 2018
The Dutch government Friday unveiled plans to shut the country's two oldest coal-fired electricity plants by 2025, as it seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The other three remaining plants, using coal to produce electricity, will have to close down by 2030, the year the Dutch has vowed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 49 percent.
Economy Minister Eric Wiebes said the ban on the old ... more |
Chinese Terracotta Warriors archaeologist dies aged 82 Beijing (AFP) May 19, 2018
The Chinese archaeologist credited with discovering the emblematic ancient Terracotta Warriors, Zhao Kangmin, has died aged 82, state media said.
Zhao was the first archaeologist to identify fragments of terracotta found by local farmers digging a well in 1974 as relics dating back to the Qin dynasty and the first to excavate the site.
The 8,000-man clay army, crafted around 250 BC for t ... more |
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Robot teaches itself how to dress people Atlanta GA (SPX) May 15, 2018
More than 1 million Americans require daily physical assistance to get dressed because of injury, disease and advanced age. Robots could potentially help, but cloth and the human body are complex.
To help address this need, a robot at the Georgia Institute of Technology is successfully sliding hospital gowns on people's arms. The machine doesn't use its eyes as it pulls the cloth. Instead, ... more |
People are pillaging the world's protected areas Tampa (AFP) May 17, 2018
Highways are being paved, oil is being drilled and entire cities are sprouting up inside many of the world's nature preserves, imperiling the very creatures they are meant to protect, researchers said Thursday.
The vast harm being wreaked by people inside protected areas that are home to endangered animals like the eastern black rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger and spectacled hare-wallaby was deta ... more |
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Earlier humans used dried fungi as tinder for fires during the Neolithic period Washington (UPI) Apr 26, 2018
Some 7,300 years ago in what's now Spain, humans collected and dried fungi for use as tinder to start fires. It's the earliest evidence of technological use of fungi, according to researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Archaeologists discovered remains of the novel fire-starting material among the artifacts left behind by the people of la Draga, a Neolithic community loc ... more |
Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia agree study of contentious Nile dam Addis Ababa (AFP) May 17, 2018
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have agreed to set up a scientific committee to study a dam Ethiopia is building on a tributary of the Nile, an Ethiopian minister said Thursday.
The announcement broke a long impasse in a dispute over Egyptian fears that the $4-billion (3.2-billion-euro) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, being built on the Blue Nile, will affect the river's downstream flows.
The ... more |
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5 killed in Cambodia lightning strike Phnom Penh (AFP) May 19, 2018
Five people, including a four-year-old child, were killed instantly in a lightning strike in southwestern Cambodia, officials said Friday, as the onset of the rainy season draws near.
The group was sheltering from a downpour in a mountainous area of Koh Kong province's Thmar Baing district on Thursday, police chief for minor crimes Lay Meng Laing told AFP, adding that three victims were from ... more |
Trump dampens chances of trade deal with China Washington (AFP) May 18, 2018 US and Chinese officials face a new round of tough trade talks on Friday as President Donald Trump discounted chances of a deal, but Beijing extended a potential olive branch.
Trump met with a Chinese delegation headed by Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday as talks aimed at easing frictions between the economic powers got underway.
"The two sides agreed to continue the discussions on Friday ... more |
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Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter set to soar high Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 17, 2018
As we develop more and more powerful tools to peer beyond our solar system, we learn more about the seemingly endless sea of faraway stars and their curious casts of orbiting planets. But there's only one star we can travel to directly and observe up close - and that's our own: the Sun.
Two upcoming missions will soon take us closer to the Sun than we've ever been before, providing our bes ... more |
Slovenia, a land with beekeeping in its genes Mocna, Slovenia (AFP) May 19, 2018
It was a Slovene who wrote the world's first modern beekeeping manual.
And Slovenia has gone on to lead the way in raising awareness of the plight of bees, as concern has grown over the health of the world's bee population in recent years.
Beekeeping is a cherished national tradition in Slovenia, with colourful beehives to be found dotted throughout fields, on the edge of forests, in gar ... more |
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