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How do plants rest photosynthetic activity at night?![]() Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 21, 2018 Photosynthesis, the process by which plants generate food, is a powerful piece of molecular machinery that needs sunlight to run. The proteins involved in photosynthesis need to be 'on' when they have the sunlight they need to function, but need to idle, like the engine of a car at a traffic light, in the dark, when photosynthesis is not possible. They do this by a process called 'redox regulation'--the activation and deactivation of proteins via changes in their redox (reduction/oxidation) states ... read more |
Oil palm: few areas in Africa reconcile high yields and primate protectionParis, France (SPX) Aug 21, 2018 Continued growth in global demand for palm oil is expected to mean an expansion in oil palm plantations in Africa. The continent offers the low-lying tropical ecosystems oil palm prefers, hence an o ... more
UConn scientists create reverse osmosis membranes with tunable thicknessStorrs CT (SPX) Aug 21, 2018 Currently, more than 300 million people around the world rely on desalinated water for part or all of their daily needs. That demand will only grow with larger populations and improved standards of ... more
Australia ramps up aid to farmers as drought bitesSydney (AFP) Aug 19, 2018 Financial aid for drought-stricken Australian farmers will be increased to Aus$1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) as they endure the driest conditions in half a century, the prime minister said Sunday. ... more
China's rainbow trout gets a new name: 'salmon'Beijing (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 When Chinese state TV accidentally revealed much of the "salmon" sashimi eaten in the country was actually rainbow trout, domestic fish farmers faced a crisis of consumer confidence. ... 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 20 | Aug 17 | Aug 16 | Aug 15 | Aug 14 |
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Blocking sunlight to cool Earth won't reduce crop damage from global warmingBerkeley CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Injecting particles into the atmosphere to cool the planet and counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to ... more
Does rain follow the plowTucson 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 perpe ... more
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 Peru
US jury orders Monsanto to pay $290mn to cancer patient over weed killerSan Francisco (AFP) Aug 11, 2018 A California jury ordered chemical giant Monsanto to pay nearly $290 million Friday for failing to warn a dying groundskeeper that its weed killer Roundup might cause cancer. ... more |
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The American diet is unsustainable, study showsWashington (UPI) Aug 9, 2018 Too much food, not enough land - that's the American diet. ... more
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
NASA finds Amazon drought leaves long legacy of damagePasadena CA (JPL) Aug 10, 2018 A single season of drought in the Amazon rainforest can reduce the forest's carbon dioxide absorption for years after the rains return, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. This ... more
Monsanto owners call weed killer 'safe' after jury orders big payoutBerlin (AFP) Aug 11, 2018 Monsanto's German owners insisted Saturday that the weed killer Roundup was "safe," rejecting a California jury's decision to order the chemical giant to pay nearly $290 million for failing to warn a dying groundskeeper that the product might cause cancer. ... more |
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First satellite to measure global winds set for launch Paris (AFP) Aug 19, 2018
A satellite designed to measure Earth's global wind patterns is set to be hoisted into orbit Tuesday from the Arianespace launch site in French Guiana.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Aeolus mission - named for the guardian of wind in Greek mythology - promises to improve short-term weather forecasting and our understanding of manmade climate change.
"Meteorologists urgently need rel ... more |
Envistacom contracted for DAGRS GPS systems 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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To improve children's diets, conserve forests Washington (UPI) Aug 17, 2018
According to new research, children who live closer to forests are more likely to eat healthier, more nutritious foods.
The findings are the latest to link forest conservation to human health. Several studies have linked proximity forests, trees and green space with positive human health and behavior outcomes.
"The data show that forests aren't just correlated with improvements i ... more |
Ethiopia opens plant to turn waste into energy Addis Ababa (AFP) Aug 19, 2018
Ethiopia on Sunday inaugurated a power plant which converts waste into energy, next to a filthy open-air dump in Addis Ababa where a landslide last year killed more than 110 people.
Named Reppie, the facility is the first of its kind in Africa, according to the government and the British company Cambridge Industries behind the project, and will turn 1,400 tons of waste per day into energy. ... more |
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Constellation begins construction on 10MW solar array in Maryland Ocean City, MD (SPX) Aug 21, 2018
Constellation, an Exelon company, is breaking ground on a 10 megawatt (DC) solar energy project that will account for around 20 percent of the Town of Ocean City's annual energy use.
Sited near the intersection of Routes 50 and 90 (about 10 miles west of downtown Ocean City), the solar array will provide energy for several of the town's key buildings, including its city hall, convention ce ... more |
Denmark gets nod for renewable energy support scheme Washington (UPI) Aug 17, 2018
Denmark, a holdout on Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas project, has consent to move forward with renewable energy strategies, the European Commission said.
The European Commission said Friday it approved of renewable energy schemes proposed by a Danish government looking to meet half of its energy needs from renewable resources by 2030 and make a complete break from fossil fuels by 2050.
... more |
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German insurer Munich Re to curb coal activities Frankfurt Am Main (AFP) Aug 6, 2018
German re-insurance giant Munich Re said Monday it would scale back investments in coal-related businesses and stop insuring new plants and mines extracting the fuel, to help the battle against climate change.
Chief executive Joachim Wenning, writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, said Munich Re will no longer invest in shares or bonds issued by companies that generate "more than 3 ... more |
No children? Pay a tax, Chinese academics suggest Beijing (AFP) Aug 17, 2018
Two Chinese academics have proposed a controversial idea to encourage childbirth as their country faces an ageing population: Make people with no or fewer than two children pay into a "maternity fund".
The suggestion sparked a furious social media debate in a country whose population has faced drastic family planning policies under the Communist Party, which enforced a one-child policy for d ... more |
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Robot wars: China shows off automated doctors, teachers and combat stars Beijing (AFP) Aug 19, 2018
Robots that can diagnose diseases, play badminton and wow audiences with their musical skills are among the machines China hopes could revolutionise its economy, with visitors to a Beijing exhibition offered a glimpse of an automated future.
The popular stars of this year's World Robot Conference, which ends Sunday, were undoubtedly the small, amateur-made "battle bots" which smashed, hammer ... more |
Flushed contact lenses are big source of microplastic pollution Washington (AFP) Aug 20, 2018
Contact lenses that are flushed down the toilet or dropped in sink drains contribute vastly to microplastic pollution in the oceans, researchers warned Monday.
The amount of plastic waste created by lenses and their packaging in the United States alone is equal to 400 million toothbrushes each year, said researchers at Arizona State University who described their findings at the National Mee ... more |
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Canada's westernmost province declares wildfires emergency Ottawa (AFP) Aug 15, 2018
British Columbia declared a province-wide state of emergency Wednesday as Canada's military joined firefighters in trying to douse 556 wildfires burning across the craggy region.
The province's public safety minister, Mike Farnworth, said the measure - which allows for officials to take "every action necessary" to protect the public - would be in effect for 14 days.
It is only the seco ... more |
UConn scientists create reverse osmosis membranes with tunable thickness Storrs CT (SPX) Aug 21, 2018
Currently, more than 300 million people around the world rely on desalinated water for part or all of their daily needs. That demand will only grow with larger populations and improved standards of living around the world.
Accessing the oceans for drinking water, however, requires desalination technologies that are complicated and expensive. The most commonly used technology for desalinati ... more |
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Stalling summer weather patterns set stage for extreme heat Washington (UPI) Aug 20, 2018
Summer weather patterns are slowing down, a new survey confirms.
As a result of summer weather stalling, a string of warm days are more likely to turn into a heat wave, and light showers are more likely to become a torrential downpour, triggering flooding.
Research suggests a slowdown of planetary waves, atmospheric waves in the upper troposphere, are behind the stalling patterns ... more |
Malaysian PM to scrap China-backed $22 bn projects Beijing (AFP) Aug 21, 2018
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad confirmed during a visit to Beijing on Tuesday that three China-backed projects totalling $22 billion will be cancelled until his country can find a way to pay its debts.
The projects include a railway connecting Malaysia's east coast to southern Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, and two gas pipelines.
"I explained to (the Chinese leaders) why we can't ... more |
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Parker Solar Probe marks first mission milestones on voyage to Sun Laurel MD (SPX) Aug 20, 2018
Just two days after launch on Aug. 11, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA's Parker Solar Probe achieved several planned milestones toward full commissioning and operations, announced mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, in Laurel, Maryland.
On Aug. 13, the high-gain antenna, which Parker Solar Probe uses to communicate high- ... more |
Scientists confirm theory of Darwin's moth Washington (UPI) Aug 17, 2018
Scientists have confirmed Darwin's moth as a textbook example of the evolutionary phenomena known as industrial melanism. Researchers did so using image analysis and avian vision models, a first.
In the mid-19th century, famed evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin described the divergent forms of Britain's peppered moth, Biston betularia.
Darwin realized the moth's natural pale f ... more |
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