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Heat brings relief for French vineyards![]() Paris (AFP) Aug 7, 2018 Torrid temperatures across much of France have made the past few weeks unbearable for many, but with grape harvests kicking off this week, the country's winemakers say the heat could not have come at a better time. "Grape vines like the sun," said Bernard Farges, president of the wine grower's association for the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur appellations. "It rained a lot last spring in nearly all winegrowing regions, especially in the south... so the vines aren't suffering from the drought," ... read more |
Despair as crippling drought hammers Australian farmersMurrurundi, Australia (AFP) Aug 8, 2018 A crippling drought is ravaging vast tracts of Australia's pastoral heartlands, decimating herds and putting desperate farmers under intense financial and emotional strain, with little relief in sight. ... more
Archeological plant remains point to southwest Amazonia as crop domestication centerWashington 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 s ... 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 |
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 07 | Aug 06 | Aug 03 | Aug 02 | Aug 01 |
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Wildfires, drought hit Sweden's Sami reindeer herdersStockholm (AFP) July 27, 2018 Sweden's unprecedented drought and devastating wildfires are destroying vital grazing pastureland for indigenous Sami reindeer herders, whose livelihoods are already under attack from mining and logging as global warming changes the face of the Arctic. ... more
EU court extends GMO rules to new techniquesLuxembourg (AFP) July 25, 2018 Plants and animals created by new techniques of genetic modification should be treated as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and follow European rules aimed at preventing damage to the environment and health, the EU's top court said on Wednesday. ... more
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 rainforest
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 |
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We can feed the world if we change our waysLancaster UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 Current crop yields could provide nutritious food for the projected 2050 global population, but only if we make radical changes to our dietary choices, a new study shows. Researchers from Lanc ... more
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
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 |
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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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A kernel of promise in popcorn-powered robots Ithaca NY (SPX) Aug 07, 2018
Cornell University researchers have discovered how to power simple robots with a novel substance that, when heated, can expand more than 10 times in size, change its viscosity by a factor of 10 and transition from regular to highly irregular granules with surprising force.
You can also eat it with a little butter and salt.
"Popcorn-Driven Robotic Actuators," a recent paper co-authore ... 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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California scorched by raging wildfires the size of LA Mendocino, United States (AFP) Aug 8, 2018
Tens of thousands of firefighters battled relentless flames ripping across California on Tuesday, as the death toll from a series of infernos that erupted last month hit 11.
The raging Mendocino Complex fire comprising twin blazes in the state's north has now ravaged almost 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) - approximately the size of sprawling Los Angeles - in less than two weeks, becoming ... more |
New study shows some corals might adapt to climate changes Miami FL (SPX) Aug 08, 2018
New research shows that not all corals respond the same to changes in climate. The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science-led study looked at the sensitivity of two types of corals found in Florida and the Caribbean and found that one of them - mountainous star coral - possesses an adaptation that allows it to survive under high temperatures and acidity cond ... more |
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Europe bakes again in near-record temperatures Paris (AFP) Aug 7, 2018
Europe baked in near-record temperatures on Monday but some respite was on the horizon after weeks of nonstop sunshine as people come to terms with what may prove to be the region's new normal in an era of climate change.
Here is a roundup of recent developments:
- France nearing a peak -
Temperatures were expected to peak at around 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in south ... 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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Spacecraft to speed through Sun's atmosphere and snag solar wind Pasadena CA (SPX) Aug 08, 2018
A new NASA mission, set to launch on August 11, will whip through the Sun's sizzling outer atmosphere, or corona, flying closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before it. Observations by the mission, called the Parker Solar Probe, will lead to better predictions of space weather and address fundamental mysteries about the Sun's dynamic corona.
One of these mysteries has to do with high-spee ... 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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