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  Tucson AZ (SPX) Aug 14, 2018 What makes it rain? Many people joke it only takes washing the car or forgetting an umbrella to make rain fall, though in reality, those things are two of many rain-making myths that have been perpetuated throughout the years. In the 19th century, the "rain follows the plow" myth was used to justify settlement of the Great Plains. The cultivation of semi-arid to arid land was said to increase rainfall by moistening the soil and humidifying the atmosphere. Subsequent research debunked the myth, tho ... read more |
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Farmers in war-torn Afghanistan hit by worst drought in decadesMazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan (AFP) Aug 12, 2018 After his wheat crop failed and wells dried up, Ghulam Abbas sold his animals and joined thousands of other farmers migrating to cities as Afghanistan's worst drought in living memory ravages the war-torn country. ... more  
Investors shun Bayer stock over US pesticide rulingFrankfurt Am Main (AFP) Aug 13, 2018 Investors fled shares in German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer Monday, fearing a massive damages ruling against one of newly-acquired US firm Monsanto's flagship products could signal a wave of costly lawsuits. ... more 
Cultivated areas halve in Iraq as drought tightens gripBaghdad (AFP) Aug 4, 2018 Areas under cultivation in Iraq have halved this summer compared to last year due to a drought that has led to a ban on water intensive crops, the government said. ... more 
Nine die of pesticide poisoning in PeruLima (AFP) Aug 7, 2018 Nine people in Peru died from eating contaminated food at a funeral, officials said Tuesday. ... more |
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Philippines president says corruption scandal protests justified
Philippines commission to probe widening flood project scandal Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes off Russian Far East, tsunami warning lifted Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes off Russian Far East, tsunami warning issued S.Sudan flooding displaces 100,000 in matter of weeks: UN Afghan deputy PM visits earthquake hit area Death toll from Indonesia flooding rises to 23 Death toll from Indonesia flash floods rises to 19 Deadly floods inundate Indonesia's Bali and Flores islands Surveillance camera captures tornado in eastern Australia |
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| Previous Issues | Aug 13 | Aug 11 | Aug 10 | Aug 09 | Aug 08 |
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Glyphosate under fire from San Francisco to Sri LankaParis (AFP) Aug 11, 2018 Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto's weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy all across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as "probably" being carcinogenic. ... more 
Trump's trade beef with China may backfire on meatShanghai (AFP) Aug 12, 2018 A key objective of President Donald Trump's trade war is to pressure Beijing to "buy American", but when it comes to millions of dollars of US meat imports, China may simply take its business elsewhere. ... more  
Monsoon, landslides kill 20 in southern IndiaNew Delhi (AFP) Aug 9, 2018 At least 20 people were killed Thursday in landslides triggered by heavy rains in southern India, an official said, pushing the nationwide monsoon death toll for this year to over 700. ... more 
Dying groundskeeper battles chemical giant MonsantoSan Francisco (AFP) Aug 8, 2018 Cancer-stricken Dewayne Johnson vowed to fight to his death in a David versus Goliath court battle against agrochemical giant Monsanto, whose weed killer he blames for robbing him of his future. ... more 
As temperatures rise, Earth's soil is 'breathing' more heavilyRichland, WA (SPX) Aug 09, 2018 The vast reservoir of carbon stored beneath our feet is entering Earth's atmosphere at an increasing rate, most likely as a result of warming temperatures, suggest observations collected from a vari ... more |
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 Half a degree less warming can avoid precipitation extremes 
Heat brings relief for French vineyardsParis (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. ... more  |
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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 
Heatwave kills a tonne of Swiss fishGeneva (AFP) Aug 7, 2018 Roughly a tonne of fish have been killed in recent days by high temperatures in Swiss waters caused by the European heatwave, public broadcaster RTS reported Tuesday. ... 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 |
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 Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 09, 2018 
Scientists with NASA/Caltech's Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis project (ARIA) used new satellite data to produce a map of ground deformation on the resort island of Lombok, Indonesia, following a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake on August 5.
The false-color map shows the amount of permanent surface movement that occurred, almost entirely due to the quake, over a 6-day period between sat ... more |
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 Washington (UPI) Aug 7, 2018 
Envistacom has announced it has received a contract for the DAGRS handheld GPS navigation system that is used for many military purposes.
The contract, announced Tuesday by the company, is valued at up to $480 million over five years and covers both U.S. Army and Navy customers. The contract will include prototype design and other technical services to update the system.
The AN/P ... more |
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 Corvallis OR (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 
The largest field-based study of genetically modified forest trees ever conducted has demonstrated that genetic engineering can prevent new seedlings from establishing.
The "containment traits" that Oregon State University researchers engineered in the study are important because of societal concerns over gene flow - the spread of genetically engineered or exotic and invasive trees or thei ... more |
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 Exeter UK (SPX) Aug 08, 2018 
Trying to tackle climate change by replacing forests with crops for bioenergy power stations that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) could instead increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, scientists say.
Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) power stations are designed to produce energy and store the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) in bedrock deep underground.
But a st ... more |
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 Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 07, 2018 
Even solar cells made of a perfect miracle material would never be able to convert 100 % of sunlight to electrical energy. This is because the theoretical maximum achievable power is limited by the position of the energy bands of the electrons, and by unavoidable radiation of photons (the thermodynamic or Shockley-Queisser limit). Maximum power conversion efficiency for silicon is about 33 %, fo ... more |
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 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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 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 |
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 Stockholm (AFP) Aug 13, 2018 
China has allowed a Swedish doctor to examine publisher Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swede who vanished into Chinese custody in January in murky circumstances for the second time, Sweden said Monday.
"Swedish medical personnel have on Monday, August 13, been able to carry out a visit with detained Swedish citizen Gui Minhai. This is welcome," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in a ... more |
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 Boston MA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 
Roboticists are envisioning a future in which soft, animal-inspired robots could be safely deployed in difficult-to-access natural and man-made environments, such as in delicate surgical procedures in the human body, or in spaces too small and unpredictable to be conquered with rigid robots or too dangerous for humans to work with rigid robots in. Centimeter-sized soft robots have been created, ... more |
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 Washington (UPI) Aug 9, 2018 
New research suggests federal environmental regulations enacted under the Clean Air Act are responsible for significant reductions in air pollution emissions over the last several decades.
Between 1990 and 2008, the United States' manufacturing output grew, but industrial air pollution decreased by 60 percent.
The new study, forthcoming in the American Economic Review, showed man ... more |
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 Leeds UK (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 
Historic levels of particles in the atmosphere released from pre-industrial era fires, and their cooling effect on the planet, may have been significantly underestimated according to a new study.
Fires cause large amounts of tiny particles, known as aerosols, to be released into the atmosphere. These aerosols, such as the soot in smoke or chemicals released by burning trees, can cool the p ... more |
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 Kaust, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 
The relationship between corals and the micro-algae that enable them to build reefs is considerably older and more diverse than previously assumed, according to an international team of scientists.
The team's research suggests that coral-algal partnerships have endured numerous climate change events in their long history, and offers a glimmer of hope that at least some are likely to surviv ... more |
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 Champaign IL (SPX) Aug 09, 2018 
The effects of global climate change taking place in the Arctic may influence weather much closer to home for millions of Americans, researchers report.
The United States has experienced many changes in severe-weather behavior over the past decade, including fewer tornado touchdowns in than in the past. A new study suggests that atmospheric circulation changes that coincide with a loss of ... more |
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 Beijing (AFP) Aug 8, 2018  China on Wednesday posted a forecast-busting surge in exports for July, but while its surplus with the US dipped slightly analysts warned that the full impact of US sanctions was yet to be felt.
The figures come as the world's two largest economies exchange threats of stiff duties on billions of dollars worth of goods, fuelling fears of a full-blown trade conflict that could hit global growt ... more |
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 Warwick UK (SPX) Aug 14, 2018 
Historic space weather may help us understand what's coming next, according to new research by the University of Warwick.
Professor Sandra Chapman, from Warwick's Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, led a project which charted the space weather in previous solar cycles across the last half century, and discovered an underlying repeatable pattern in how space weather activity changes ... more |
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 Corvallis OR (SPX) Aug 09, 2018 
The compounds behind the perfumes and colognes you enjoy have been eliciting olfactory excitement since dinosaurs walked the Earth amid the first appearance of flowering plants, new research reveals.
Oregon State University entomologist George Poinar Jr. and his son Greg, a fragrance collector, found evidence that floral scents originated in primitive flowers as far back as 100 million yea ... more |
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