|
|
India's devastating rains match climate change forecasts![]() Paris (AFP) Aug 24, 2018 Once-a-century rains that have pounded the Indian state of Kerala and displaced 1.3 million people are in line with the predictions of climate scientists, who warn that worse is to come if global warming continues unabated. The monsoon rains upon which farmers in the southwestern state depend for their food and livelihoods dumped two-and-a-half times the normal amount of water across the state last week, according to Indian meteorologists. It is difficult to attribute any single extreme weather ... read more |
Study uses seismic noise to track water levels in underground aquifersBoston MA (SPX) Aug 30, 2018 Seismic noise - the low-level vibrations caused by everything from subway trains to waves crashing on the beach - is most often something seismologists work to avoid. They factor it out of models an ... more
Environmentally friendly farming practices used by a third of global farmsPullman WA (SPX) Aug 29, 2018 Nearly one-third of the world's farms have adopted more environmentally friendly practices while continuing to be productive, according to a global assessment by 17 scientists in five countries. ... more
Portable freshwater harvester could draw up to 10 gallons per hour from the airWashington DC (SPX) Aug 29, 2018 For thousands of years, people in the Middle East and South America have extracted water from the air to help sustain their populations. Drawing inspiration from those examples, researchers are now ... more
Plant biodiversity essential to bee healthWashington (UPI) Aug 22, 2018 New research suggests bees can maintain healthy colonies in agricultural regions if provided habitat islands with sufficient plant biodiversity. ... 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 29 | Aug 28 | Aug 27 | Aug 24 | Aug 23 |
|
'No grass': Europe's livestock sector stricken by droughtParis (AFP) Aug 26, 2018 "Our cows have been living off hay cut in June, there isn't any grass," says Jean-Guillaume Hannequin, a farmer in eastern France, who like his counterparts across much of northern Europe is wondering how he will feed his animals this winter. ... 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
UConn scientists create reverse osmosis membranes with tunable thicknessStorrs 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 ... 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
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 |
![]() How do plants rest photosynthetic activity at night?
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 |
|
Volkswagen in dispute with Mexican farmersPuebla, Mexico (AFP) Aug 22, 2018 Mexican farming communities accused German auto giant Volkswagen on Tuesday of "arbitrarily" provoking a drought in the central state of Puebla to protect its newly manufactured cars from hail. ... 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
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
The behavior of water: scientists find new properties of H2ONew York NY (SPX) Aug 16, 2018 A team of scientists has uncovered new molecular properties of water--a discovery of a phenomenon that had previously gone unnoticed. Liquid water is known to be an excellent transporter of it ... more
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 |
|
|
|
|
NASA launching Advanced Laser to measure Earth's changing ice Washington DC (SPX) Aug 23, 2018
Next month, NASA will launch into space the most advanced laser instrument of its kind, beginning a mission to measure - in unprecedented detail - changes in the heights of Earth's polar ice.
NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) will measure the average annual elevation change of land ice covering Greenland and Antarctica to within the width of a pencil, capturing 60 ... more |
UK plans own satellite system after Galileo exclusion London (AFP) Aug 29, 2018
Britain will invest in the possible creation of its own satellite-navigation system, the UK government announced Wednesday, after being excluded from the EU's Galileo programme because of Brexit.
At the same time, London said it was continuing to negotiate with the European Union about remaining in the Galileo programme.
Britain will invest Pounds 92 million ($119 million, 102 million euros), ... more |
|
|
'Natural enemies' theory doesn't fully explain rainforests' biodiversity Washington (UPI) Aug 23, 2018
Tropical forests are home to a rich diversity of tree species. Scientists have previously argued competition among "natural enemies" explains the ecosystem's unique biodiversity. But new research suggests such an explanation is not sufficient on its own.
The Janzen-Connell hypothesis posits that each species in a tropical forest has a natural enemy. Competition between natural enemies, ... more |
Biodegradable plastic blends offer new options for disposal Washington DC (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Imagine throwing your empty plastic water bottle into a household composting bin that breaks down the plastic and produces biogas to help power your home. Now, researchers have taken an early step toward this futuristic scenario by showing that certain blends of bioplastics can decompose under diverse conditions. They report their results in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology. ... more |
|
|
Air pollution can put a dent in solar power Boston MA (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Ian Marius Peters, now an MIT research scientist, was working on solar energy research in Singapore in 2013 when he encountered an extraordinary cloud of pollution. The city was suddenly engulfed in a foul-smelling cloud of haze so thick that from one side of a street you couldn't see the buildings on the other side, and the air had the acrid smell of burning. The event, triggered by forest fire ... more |
Wind energy prices at all-time lows as wind turbines grow larger Berkeley CA (SPX) Aug 27, 2018
Wind energy pricing remains attractive, according to an annual report released by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). At an average of around 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), prices offered by newly built wind projects in the United States are being driven lower by technology advancements and cost reductions.
"Wind energy pric ... 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 |
World leaders ignore rights in China: censored author Yan Edinburgh (AFP) Aug 29, 2018
Chinese author Yan Lianke, whose works are banned in his heavily censored homeland, has urged world leaders not to shy away from confronting China about its human rights record.
Yan, who offers frank portrayals of Chinese life prompting years of state censorship, said leaders flocking to China have become too focused on economic ties.
The 60-year-old novelist told AFP that Beijing needs ... more |
|
|
Activists urge killer robot ban 'before it is too late' Geneva (AFP) Aug 27, 2018 Countries should quickly agree a treaty banning the use of so-called killer robots "before it is too late", activists said Monday as talks on the issue resumed at the UN.
They say time is running out before weapons are deployed that use lethal force without a human making the final kill-order and have criticised the UN body hosting the talks - the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons ... more |
Algal blooms a threat to small lakes and ponds, too Columbus OH (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Harmful algae isn't just a problem for high-profile bodies of water - it poses serious, toxic threats in small ponds and lakes as well, new research has found.
A team of researchers from The Ohio State University examined water samples from two dozen ponds and small lakes in rural Ohio and found plenty of cause for concern, with particularly high levels of toxins at one lake.
Toxins ... more |
|
|
A World On Fire Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 24, 2018
The world is on fire. Or so it appears in this image from NASA's Worldview. The red points overlaid on the image designate those areas that by using thermal bands detect actively burning fires. Africa seems to have the most concentrated fires. This could be due to the fact that these are most likely agricultural fires.
The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these ... more |
Shedding light on shallow waters Paris (ESA) Aug 28, 2018
Keeping an eye on our waters is more important than ever, as widespread drought continues to sweep Europe this summer.
Earth's changing sea levels are crucial indicators of how our environment is fairing, but monitoring it manually can be a labour-intensive, expensive, and at times even dangerous task.
Coastal areas provide additional complications, as shifting seabeds and currents m ... more |
|
|
Nice sunny days can grow into heat waves Potsdam, Germany (SPX) Aug 24, 2018
Be it heavy downpours or super-hot spells, summer weather becomes more persistent in North America, Europe and parts of Asia. When those conditions stall for several days or weeks, they can turn into extremes: heatwaves resulting in droughts, health risks and wildfires; or relentless rainfall resulting in floods.
A team of scientists now presents the first comprehensive review of research ... more |
Trump's trade pledges have backfired, energy trade group says Washington (UPI) Aug 24, 2018
U.S. President Trump is admired for fulfilling campaign promises, but some of those actions are harming his own ambitions on energy, a trade group said.
On the campaign trail, Trump promised to "use every tool under American and international law to end these (trade) abuses." Nearly two years into his term, he's made good on that pledge by targeting North American, European and Chinese ... more |
|
|
How scientists predicted corona's appearance during total solar eclipse Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 29, 2018
It was Aug. 14, 2017, just one week before the Moon would cross paths with the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow across the United States. The entire country buzzed with anticipation for the fleeting chance to see the corona, the Sun's tenuous outer atmosphere.
But the wait was uniquely nerve-wracking for a group of scientists at Predictive Science Inc., a private research company in San D ... more |
To attract mates, male fruit flies sing songs with their wings Washington (UPI) Aug 24, 2018
Fruit flies are agile fliers. Evading the swat of a human hand is easy. But for males, wings aren't just a tool for travel and evasion. They're an instrument - an instrument the would-be dads use to woo females.
With the help of powerful microphones and neuron tracking technology, scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark identified the song motor circuit male fruit flies depend on fo ... 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 |