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Larger cities have smaller water footprint than less populated counterparts![]() University Park PA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018 Global sustainability is important now more than ever due to increasing urban populations and the resulting stress it can have on natural resources. But increased populations in cities may lead to greater efficiency, as a team of Penn State researchers discovered when they analyzed the water footprint of 65 mid- to large-sized U.S. cities. "Human life on the planet has never been more complex," said Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of civil engineering. "We're so intertwined with so many aspects ... read more |
New spheres trick, trap and terminate water contaminantHouston TX (SPX) Oct 09, 2018 Rice University scientists have developed something akin to the Venus' flytrap of particles for water remediation. Micron-sized spheres created in the lab of Rice environmental engineer Pedro ... more
Fertilizer can accumulate over time, causing water quality problems decades laterWashington (UPI) Oct 8, 2018 Fertilizer can accumulate over time, causing environmental damage several decades later. ... more
Iran risks losing 70% of farmlands: environment chiefTehran (AFP) Oct 5, 2018 Iran faces losing 70 percent of its farmlands if urgent action is not taken to overcome a litany of climate woes, the country's environment chief Isa Kalantari told AFP. ... more
Illinois research accurately predicts US end-of-season corn yieldUrbana IL (SPX) Oct 04, 2018 Crop yield predictions are a key driver of regional economy and financial markets, impacting nearly the entire agricultural supply chain. That's why economists, agricultural researchers, government ... 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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Satellites safeguard Europe's potato industryParis (ESA) Sep 26, 2018 The drought that swept through Europe this year has hit European farmers hard. Sustained high temperatures and the lack of rain have badly affected the agrofood industry, including the important pot ... more
Soil holds the secret to mitigating climate changeEast Lansing MI (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Food production doesn't have to be a victim of climate change. New research from Michigan State University suggests that crop yields and the global food supply chain can be preserved by harnessing t ... more
Soil health on the menu with retrieved coffee beansWashington DC (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Coffee is one of Brazil's biggest crops. Brazil's favorable climate helps coffee beans ripen and be ready for picking during a concentrated period of weeks. This makes mechanical harvesting an econo ... more
How fruits got their eye-catching colorsDurham NC (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Red plums. Green melons. Purple figs. Ripe fruits come in an array of greens, yellows, oranges, browns, reds and purples. Scientists say they have new evidence that plants owe their rainbow of fruit ... more
Ancient African herders had lasting ecological impact on grazed landsChampaign IL (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Ancient animal herders added to the ecological richness and diversity of the African savanna thousands of years ago - an effect that persists to the present day, a new study finds. The herders' prac ... more |
![]() Down to the Kernel: NASA Space Imaging Helps Predict Crop Yields
Sunflower pollen protects bees from disease, study findsWashington (UPI) Sep 26, 2018 Great access to sunflowers and their pollen could help keep vulnerable bee populations pathogen-free. ... more |
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Austrian fruit grower jailed over bee deathsVienna (AFP) Sept 26, 2018 An Austria fruit grower was handed a rare prison sentence Wednesday for having illegally spread an insecticide which led to the deaths of dozens of neighbouring bee colonies. ... more
Greenpeace 'occupies' Indonesia palm oil plant with rock bandJakarta (AFP) Sept 25, 2018 Greenpeace activists Tuesday scaled storage tanks at an Indonesian palm oil refinery along with a popular rock band which played pro-environment songs, protesting against a commodity found in everything from soap to biscuits. ... more
3D electron microscopy uncovers the complex guts of desalination membranesUniversity Park PA (SPX) Sep 24, 2018 Careful sample preparation, electron tomography and quantitative analysis of 3D models provides unique insights into the inner structure of reverse osmosis membranes widely used for salt water desal ... more
EU palm oil ban sows bitter seeds for Southeast Asian farmersLangkat/Ijok, Indonesia (AFP) Sept 24, 2018 Indonesian palm oil farmer Kawal Surbakti says his livelihood is under attack, but the threat is not from insects or hungry orangutans eating his prized crop. ... more
South African villagers tap into trend for 'superfood' baobabMutale, South Africa (AFP) Sept 24, 2018 From before dawn, 54-year-old grandmother Annah Muvhali weaves between baobab trees that loom over her rural South African home, collecting fruit that enthusiasts worldwide hail as a "superfood". ... more |
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Methane's effects on sunlight vary by region Berkeley CA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018
Scientists investigating how human-induced increases in atmospheric methane also increase the amount of solar energy absorbed by that gas in our climate system have discovered that this absorption is 10 times stronger over desert regions such as the Sahara Desert and Arabian Peninsula than elsewhere on Earth, and nearly three times more powerful in the presence of clouds.
A research team f ... more |
Boeing to provide technical work on JDAM GPS-guided bombs Washington (UPI) Oct 4, 2018
Boeinghas received a $45 million contract modification for technical services related to the Joint Direct Attack Munition, a kit that allows for bombs to be upgraded with precision guidance systems.
Boeing will provide JDAM studies and analysis, upgrades and other services under the modification, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., ... more |
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Secondary forests have short lifespans St Louis MO (SPX) Oct 08, 2018
Secondary forests, or forests that have regrown after agriculture use, only last an average of 20 years, according to a recently released scientific paper.
The finding presents a major problem for large-scale restoration policy, which often focuses on commitments to restore a certain number of hectares by a given year. But the benefits of restoration depend on those forests persisting. It ... more |
A biofuel for automated heat generation Tomsk, Russia (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
Pyrolysis - a process of biomass decomposition - can be organized automatically for heat generation out of the most common type of biomass such as peat and straw. That is, it is sufficient to heat biomass to a certain temperature and then the process proceeds in the autothermal mode due to its own heat release. This technology was studied by scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University in the ar ... more |
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ASU researcher innovates solar energy technology in space Tempe AZ (SPX) Oct 08, 2018
Experts predict that by 2050 we're going to have global broadband internet satellite networks, in-orbit manufacturing, space tourism, asteroid mining and lunar and Mars bases.
More than a gigawatt of solar energy will be needed to power these activities, or the equivalent of 3.125 million photovoltaic panels. However, because it is currently the most expensive component on a satellite, sci ... more |
Wind turbines contribute to climate change: study Washington (AFP) Oct 4, 2018
Wind turbines, designed as an alternative to fossil fuels, still contribute to climate change due to the way they redistribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere, according to a study published Thursday.
Researchers from Harvard University found that powering the entire United States with wind energy would cause a 0.54 degree Celsius ground temperature rise in the area where the turbines we ... more |
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Thousands join German forest demo after court reprieve Buir, Germany (AFP) Oct 6, 2018
Thousands of anti-coal demonstrators descended on Germany's Hambach forest Saturday, celebrating an unexpected court victory that suspended an energy company's planned razing of the woodland for a growing open-cast mine.
The ancient forest near Cologne has been occupied by activists for the past six years, becoming a symbol of resistance against coal mining in Germany, a country that despite ... more |
Interpol's former Chinese chief accused of bribery Beijing (AFP) Oct 8, 2018
The former Chinese head of Interpol, who went missing last month, was accused of accepting bribes on Monday, becoming the latest top official to fall in President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption dragnet.
After days of concealing the fate of Meng Hongwei - who is also China's vice minister for public security - from the international community, the public security ministry said Monday he had a ... more |
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Model helps robots navigate more like humans do Boston MA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018
When moving through a crowd to reach some end goal, humans can usually navigate the space safely without thinking too much. They can learn from the behavior of others and note any obstacles to avoid. Robots, on the other hand, struggle with such navigational concepts.
MIT researchers have now devised a way to help robots navigate environments more like humans do. Their novel motion-plannin ... more |
US cruise ship captain on trial over French pollution charges Marseille (AFP) Oct 8, 2018
The American captain of a massive cruise ship faces trial in Marseille on Monday accused of using fuel with sulphur levels above European limits, as the Mediterranean port city grapples with the polluting effect of its drive to increase boat tourism.
The Azura, capable of carrying more than 3,000 passengers, is one of the largest in the fleet operated by P&O Cruises, whose parent company Car ... more |
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Blaze in Portugal national park brought under control Lisbon (AFP) Oct 7, 2018
A forest fire near Lisbon was brought under control Sunday after more than 700 Portuguese firefighters and police officers were mobilised to tackle the latest blaze to ravage the popular tourist area, officials said.
Twenty-one people, mostly firefighters, were injured in the fire, which sparked overnight in the mountainous region of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and was fanned by violent ... more |
130-year-old brain coral reveals encouraging news for open ocean Princeton NJ (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
When nitrogen-based fertilizers flow into water bodies, the result can be deadly for marine life near shore, but what is the effect of nitrogen pollution far out in the open ocean?
A 130-year-old brain coral has provided the answer, at least for the North Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the United States. By measuring the nitrogen in the coral's skeleton, a team of researchers led by ... more |
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Tornado batters area near Canadian capital Ottawa Ottawa (AFP) Sept 22, 2018
More than 200,000 people in Canada's capital region of Ottawa were without power on Saturday and two people were critically injured after a powerful tornado ripped apart dozens of homes and threw cars into the air.
After visiting the hard-hit Dunrobin area, in the city's west, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson likened it to an aerial bombing, adding that Friday's tornado was among "the top two or thre ... more |
FT journalist given seven days to leave Hong Kong Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 8, 2018
A leading Financial Times journalist has been given seven days to leave Hong Kong as a backlash mounted Monday against an unprecedented challenge to freedom of the press in the city.
Victor Mallet, the FT's Asia news editor and a British national, angered authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong by hosting a speech at the city's press club by Andy Chan, the leader of a tiny pro-independence poli ... more |
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Parker Solar Probe Changed the Game Before it Even Launched Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 05, 2018
On Oct. 3, 2018, Parker Solar Probe performed the first significant celestial maneuver of its seven-year mission. As the orbits of the spacecraft and Venus converged toward the same point, Parker Solar Probe slipped in front of the planet, allowing Venus' gravity - relatively small by celestial standards - to twist its path and change its speed. This maneuver, called a gravity assist, reduced Pa ... more |
India watches for deadly virus as lion deaths spike Ahmedabad, India (AFP) Oct 2, 2018
Ten endangered Asiatic lions have died in the last two weeks in India, authorities confirmed Tuesday, four of them from a virus that killed around 1,000 lions in Tanzania in the 1990s.
The new deaths take the toll at the Gir sanctuary in the western Gujarat state, home to India's entire population of around 500 wild Asiatic lions, to 21 since September.
India's National Institute of Viro ... more |
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