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Archeological plant remains point to southwest Amazonia as crop domestication center![]() Washington DC (SPX) Aug 07, 2018 The remains of domesticated crop plants at an archaeological site in southwest Amazonia supports the idea that this was an important region in the early history of crop cultivation, according to a study published July 25, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jennifer Watling from the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and colleagues. Genetic analysis of plant species has long pointed to the lowlands of southwest Amazonia as a key region in the early h ... read more |
Starbucks and Alibaba join forces as China coffee war brewsShanghai (AFP) Aug 2, 2018 Starbucks coffees will be delivered to Chinese consumers with the help of e-commerce giant Alibaba, the companies said Thursday, as two of the world's biggest names in retail join forces in a China coffee war that is rapidly heating up. ... more
Deadly heatwaves threaten China's northern breadbasketParis (AFP) Aug 1, 2018 The North China Plain, home to nearly 400 million people, could become a life-threatening inferno during future heat waves if climate change continues apace, researchers have warned. ... more
Cuba to study whether climate change is hurting sugar harvestsHavana (AFP) July 28, 2018 Cuba is studying whether to adjust its sugar-harvest calendar in response to damaging changes in the island's climate, an official newspaper reported Saturday. ... more
China could face deadly heat waves due to climate changeBoston MA (SPX) Aug 01, 2018 A region that holds one of the biggest concentrations of people on Earth could be pushing against the boundaries of habitability by the latter part of this century, a new study shows. Research ... 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 | Aug 06 | Aug 03 | Aug 02 | Aug 01 | Jul 31 |
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NASA's 'Space Botanist' Gathers First DataPasadena CA (JPL) Jul 24, 2018 Just days after its successful installation on the International Space Station, NASA's newest Earth-observing mission, the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTR ... more
Sri Lanka waives debt for 200,000 women in drought areasColombo (AFP) July 25, 2018 Sri Lanka announced Wednesday it would waive debts for 200,000 women unable to repay microfinance loans and cap lending rates after a number of borrowers in drought-hit areas killed themselves. ... more
In Colombia, human rights activists live in constant fearCaloto, Colombia (AFP) July 25, 2018 One day after Luis Dagua last left his farm in Colombia's southwest his body was found, his head shattered with a rock. ... more
Ancient farmers transformed Amazon and left an enduring legacy on the rainforestExeter UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 Ancient communities transformed the Amazon thousands of years ago, farming in a way which has had a lasting impact on the rainforest, a major new study shows. Farmers had a more profound effec ... more
China's persistent food and drug safety problemBeijing (AFP) July 24, 2018 Chinese authorities are scrambling to defuse public outrage over a safety scandal involving rabies vaccines, just one of a string of food and drug scares to hit the country in recent years. ... more |
![]() We can feed the world if we change our ways
Japan lifts ban on Canadian wheat importsTokyo (AFP) July 20, 2018 Japan on Friday lifted a ban on Canadian wheat imports more than a month after it halted shipments following the discovery of unauthorised genetically modified (GM) plants there. ... more |
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China's 'livestock revolution' demands 'new transition'London, UK (SPX) Jul 23, 2018 Demand for animal protein and increasing wealth fuelled a tripling in the domestic production of livestock in China between 1980 and 2010, and the rise, despite some improvements in efficiencies at ... more
Dying groundskeeper to testify in Roundup cancer trialSan Francisco (AFP) July 23, 2018 A California groundskeeper dying of cancer is slated to testify Monday before jurors hearing evidence in his lawsuit blaming Monsanto weed killer Roundup for his terminal illness. ... more
HRW urges Brazilian lawmakers to reject new pesticide lawSao Paulo (AFP) July 20, 2018 Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday called on Brazilian lawmakers to reject a proposed law to relax regulations on the use of pesticides as it published a report blaming powerful landowners for the poisoning of rural residents. ... more
Environmental changes in the Mekong Delta spell trouble for farmersUrbana IL (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 The Mekong Delta is home to 15 million people, many of whom rely on the delta's rich soil and water resources for farming and fishing. But their livelihoods are being threatened by rising sea levels ... more
Dying groundskeeper links Monsanto's Roundup to cancerSan Francisco (AFP) July 24, 2018 A California groundskeeper dying of cancer said Monday he would "never" have used Monsanto weed killer Roundup, had he known it could lead to his terminal illness. ... more |
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Radar better than weather balloon for measuring boundary layer University Park PA (SPX) Aug 07, 2018
Improving forecasting for a host of severe weather events may be possible thanks to a more comprehensive method for measuring the Earth's boundary layer depth, developed by Penn State researchers.
The boundary layer is the layer of atmosphere that is closest to the Earth, less than one mile from the surface. Because it is the layer that is most affected by the convective heat from the Eart ... more |
UK could develop independent satellite system after leaving EU London (Sputnik) Aug 03, 2018
The Guardian has reported that the UK law enforcement and military will continue to access the encrypted signal of the Galileo satellite system post-Brexit.
According to the sources, the EU chief Brexit negotiator is contemplating an offer to the UK that will give London an advantage over the use of the encrypted service compared to other third-party nations.
Radio Sputnik has discus ... more |
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Mapping blue carbon in mangroves worldwide Baton Rouge LA (SPX) Aug 06, 2018
Mangroves are tropical forests that thrive in salt water and are found in a variety of coastal settings from deltas to estuaries to weathered reefs and limestone rocks worldwide. Mangroves can store greater amounts of carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem, which helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
When carbon is stored in the ocean or coa ... more |
Industrial breakthrough in CO2 usage Munich, Germany (SPX) Jul 30, 2018
Professor Arne Skerra of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has succeeded for the first time in using gaseous CO2 as a basic material for the production of a chemical mass product in a biotechnical reaction.
The product is methionine, which is used as an essential amino acid, particularly in animal feed, on a large scale. This newly developed enzymatic process could replace its curre ... more |
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Europe may thrive on renewable energy despite unpredictable weather Washington DC (SPX) Aug 01, 2018
Researchers in Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom have shown how long-term weather patterns affect wind and solar renewable energy technologies across Europe. Using 30 years of meteorological data, the scientists have examined and further modelled the impact of renewable energy on the electricity sector out to the year 2030.
The work suggests that despite the unpredictable nature ... more |
Searching for wind for the future Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Jul 19, 2018
Using outputs from a high-resolution regional climate model, KAUST researchers have confirmed the potential for wind as a significant energy resource across the Arabian Peninsula. This is an important first step in developing a strategy for Saudi Arabia's wind energy sector.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the University of Notre Dame in the United States, Marc Genton's research g ... more |
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U.S. coal consumption last year at historic low Washington (UPI) Aug 6, 2018
Coal consumption in the U.S. power sector last year was the lowest in more than 30 years and the fourth straight year for a decline, the government stated.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in a daily brief on Friday that the nation's power sector consumed 661 million short tons of coal last year, the lowest level since 1983.
"Electric power sector coal consumpt ... more |
China deploys huge police force to prevent fraud protest Beijing (AFP) Aug 6, 2018 Hundreds of police patrolled the streets of Beijing's financial district Monday as Chinese authorities thwarted a planned protest against money lost in risky peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms and a lack of government help.
Protesters told AFP they had come from every corner of China in hopes that by gathering en masse the government would recognise their grievances and take action.
Po ... more |
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Chip labour: Robots replace waiters in China restaurant Shanghai (AFP) Aug 5, 2018 The little robotic waiter wheels up to the table, raises its glass lid to reveal a steaming plate of local Shanghai-style crayfish and announces in low, mechanical tones, "Enjoy your meal."
The futuristic restaurant concept is the latest initiative in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's push to modernise service and retail in a country where robotics and artificial intelligence are increasing ... more |
Chile enacts historic ban on plastic bags Santiago (AFP) Aug 3, 2018
Chile made history on Friday when it became the first country in South America to ban the commercial use of plastic bags.
"I want to share with you the joy that as of today we're enacting the law," said President Sebastian Pinera at a public ceremony in the centre of Santiago, after which he handed out cloth bags to passers-by.
Large businesses have six months to phase out the use of pla ... more |
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Residents cleared from Portugal village near forest fire Lisbon (AFP) Aug 3, 2018 A village in a tourist area in southern Portugal was evacuated Friday as more than 400 firefighters tackled a forest fire, emergency services said.
With Europe still on high alert during a record-breaking and deadly heatwave, Portugal has seen the mercury reach almost 46 degrees Celcius - with more hot days to come.
Firecrews used aeroplanes and helicopters as well as 121 vehicles on th ... more |
Predatory sea corals team up to feed on stinging jellyfish Edinburgh UK (SPX) Aug 03, 2018
Cave-dwelling corals in the Mediterranean can work alongside one another to catch and eat stinging jellyfish, a study reveals.
Scientists have shown for the first time that corals can cooperate to capture and devour jellyfish which are swept against the walls by ocean currents.
A team including researchers from the University of Edinburgh made the discovery when they spotted jellyfis ... more |
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Earth risks tipping into 'hothouse' state: study Tampa (AFP) Aug 6, 2018
The planet urgently needs to transition to a green economy because fossil fuel pollution risks pushing the Earth into a lasting and dangerous "hothouse" state, researchers warned on Monday.
If polar ice continues to melt, forests are slashed and greenhouse gases rise to new highs - as they currently do each year - the Earth will pass a tipping point.
Crossing that threshold "guarantees ... more |
Are tech titans teetering atop the market? New York (AFP) Aug 5, 2018
Silicon Valley giants have become a gargantuan force on Wall Street, as demonstrated by Apple recently topping $1 trillion in stock-market valuation.
But should we fear that a new tech bubble is ready to burst?
Here are some questions and answers about the sector:
- What does the tech sector represent on Wall Street? -
Apple ended the formal trading week worth a history-making ... more |
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the curious case of the hot corona Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 30, 2018
Something mysterious is going on at the Sun. In defiance of all logic, its atmosphere gets much, much hotter the farther it stretches from the Sun's blazing surface.
Temperatures in the corona - the tenuous, outermost layer of the solar atmosphere - spike upwards of 2 million degrees Fahrenheit, while just 1,000 miles below, the underlying surface simmers at a balmy 10,000 F. How the Sun m ... more |
Microbes go dark to stay warm in cooler climates Baltimore MD (SPX) Aug 07, 2018
Microorganisms in colder climates darken themselves to capture more heat from the sun and improve their ability to survive, according to a study from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The scientists, in a study to be published in Current Biology on August 2, examined yeasts collected at different latitudes, and found that dark-pigmented ones were more frequentl ... more |
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