|
|
UConn scientists create reverse osmosis membranes with tunable thickness![]() Storrs CT (SPX) Aug 23, 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 desalination is reverse osmosis (RO), a process in which seawater is forced through a membrane capable of removing salts ... read more |
Bringing home the bacon: China pork braces for trade war bluesBaiyang, China (AFP) Aug 22, 2018 Twice a day, Chinese pig farmer Jia Tiechui's workers flip levers to deliver plops of soybean-based feed to 18,000 hogs, whose appetite is getting costlier as the US trade war bites. ... more
The wheat code is finally crackedWashington DC (SPX) Aug 23, 2018 The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) published in the international journal Science a detailed description of the genome of bread wheat, the world's most widely cultivated cr ... more
Study: Human wastewater valuable to global agriculture, economicsChampaign IL (SPX) Aug 22, 2018 It may seem off-putting to some, but human waste is full of nutrients that can be recycled into valuable products that could promote agricultural sustainability and better economic independence for ... more
Rice Uni system selectively sequesters toxins from waterHouston TX (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Rice University scientists are developing technology to remove contaminants from water - but only as many as necessary. The Rice lab of engineer Qilin Li is building a treatment system that ca ... 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 |
|
|

| Previous Issues | Aug 21 | Aug 20 | Aug 17 | Aug 16 |
|
New research collection targets insect pests of pulse cropsAnnapolis MD (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Around the world, pulse crops - such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils - are an important staple in the modern food supply, and their cultivation is growing in the United States and many other ... more
Britain's dry summer reveals ancient sitesLondon (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 Previously hidden archaeological sites have emerged in fields across Britain after the hot, dry summer exposed new cropmarks, the Historic England agency said Wednesday. ... more
New pesticide may harm bees as much as those to be replacedParis (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 A new class of pesticides positioned to replace neonicotinoids may be just as harmful to crop-pollinating bees, researchers cautioned Wednesday. ... 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
Vietnam's caged bears dying off as bile prices plummetThai Nguyen, Vietnam (AFP) Aug 17, 2018 Two moon bears are gently removed from the cramped cages where they have been held for 13 years, rescuers carefully checking their rotten teeth and matted paws before sending them to their new home in a grassy sanctuary in northern Vietnam. ... more |
![]() Blocking sunlight to cool Earth won't reduce crop damage from global warming
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 PeruLima (AFP) Aug 7, 2018 Nine people in Peru died from eating contaminated food at a funeral, officials said Tuesday. ... more
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 |
|
|
|
|
NASA captures monsoon rains bringing flooding to India Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 23, 2018
NASA provided estimates monsoon rainfall that affected India from Aug. 13 to 20. The above average monsoon rains resulted in severe flooding in parts of India. Hardest hit was the state of Kerala located in the southwest corner near the bottom of the peninsula where at least 350 fatalities have been reported and many as 800,000 people displaced as a result of the extreme flooding and ensuing mud ... more |
US Air Force declares second Lockheed Martin GPS 3 satellite ready for launch Denver CO (SPX) Aug 23, 2018
As the first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite prepares to ship to the launch pad, the U.S. Air Force has declared that the second GPS III satellite is complete, fully tested and ready to launch.
The Air Force's "Available for Launch" declaration is the final acceptance of Lockheed Martin's second GPS III Space Vehicle (GPS III SV02) - declaring it technically sound and ready to laun ... more |
|
|
Frequent fires make droughts harder for young trees, even in wet eastern forests Urbana IL (SPX) Aug 22, 2018
Forests in the eastern United States may have had it easy compared to their western counterparts, with the intense, prolonged droughts and wildfires that have become typical out west in recent years. But as the climate changes over time, eastern forests are also likely to experience longer droughts.
And although wildfires are comparatively rare, prescriptive fires are increasingly used in ... more |
Less drain on freshwater supplies with seawater fuel discovery Nottingham UK (SPX) Aug 22, 2018
Researchers have found that seawater can replace freshwater to produce the sustainable fuel Bioethanol, reducing the need to drain precious resources.
The study - 'The establishment of a marine focused biorefinery for bioethanol production using seawater and a novel marine yeast strain' - has been published in Scientific Reports and was carried out by researchers at the University of Notti ... more |
|
|
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 |
|
|
Trump administration moves to relax coal pollution rules Washington (AFP) Aug 22, 2018
President Donald Trump's administration announced a plan Tuesday to weaken regulations on US coal plants, giving a boost to an industry that former leader Barack Obama had hoped to phase out to cut harmful emissions that drive global warming.
The Environmental Protection Agency's new Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule would allow states the flexibility to set their own standards for performa ... more |
Anaesthetist 'killed family with gas-filled yoga ball' Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 23, 2018 An anaesthetist gassed his wife and daughter to death using a yoga ball filled with carbon monoxide, a Hong Kong court has heard.
Prosecutors told the High Court that Khaw Kim-sun left the inflatable ball in the boot of a car where the gas leaked out and killed them, according to reports from court Wednesday.
His wife and 16-year-old daughter were found on a roadside in a locked yellow M ... more |
|
|
Must do better: Japan eyes AI robots in class to boost English Tokyo (AFP) Aug 21, 2018
English-speaking AI robots will be helping out in some 500 Japanese classrooms from next year as the country seeks to improve its English skills among both children and teachers.
The education ministry plans a pilot project costing around 250 million yen ($227,000) to improve Japanese students' notoriously weak oral and written English, an official told AFP.
"AI robots already on the m ... more |
The Australians putting the brakes on fast fashion, fearing for environment Sydney (AFP) Aug 22, 2018
In a small shop along one of Sydney's busiest streets, Sarah Freeman is encouraging Australians to slow down and break their addiction to fast fashion.
Shocked by the speed at which Australians buy and throw away cheap garments, she is trying to harness an ancient concept - libraries - to persuade shoppers to rent instead of purchase clothes.
"Today's society just seem to wear clothes ... more |
|
|
Can we have a fire in a highly vacuumed environment Toyohashi, Japan (SPX) Aug 23, 2018
Toyohashi University of Technology researchers have discovered that non-flaming combustion (smoldering) of a porous specimen can sustain, even under nearly 1% of atmospheric pressure.
The thermal structure of a 2-mm-diameter burning specimen at very near extinction condition was successfully measured using an embedded ultra-fine thermocouple, clarifying the key issues that lead to fire ext ... more |
New research reveals corals could be trained to survive environmental stress Kaust, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Aug 22, 2018
Scientists have discovered the first molecular evidence that when exposed to environmental stress corals and anemones can optimize their gene expression enabling them to acclimatize to extreme conditions such as those experienced during climate change.
"In a nutshell, we could train toughened corals in nurseries to improve their thermal resilience, helping them to better cope with rising s ... more |
|
|
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 |
China, US to resume trade talks in late August Beijing (AFP) Aug 16, 2018
China will send a senior negotiator to the United States in late August to resume trade talks, its commerce ministry said Thursday, the first public meeting on the dispute in weeks as the trade conflict intensifies.
Beijing and Washington have slapped tariffs on tens of billions of dollars worth of each other's goods since they held their last high-level meeting in June, raising fears that t ... more |
|
|
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 |
|
| Buy Advertising | Media Advertising Kit | Editorial & Other Enquiries | Privacy statement |
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement |