|
|
Sierra Leone's chimpanzees pay price of human expansion![]() Freetown (AFP) Oct 30, 2018 They have their hands full at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where record numbers of orphaned chimps are being delivered to their care, victims of the relentless expansion of human activity. Poachers hunt them for their meat, farmers shoot them to protect their crops and a lack of political will means more and more of their habitat is being surrendered to urban development and forestry. Founder of the sanctuary Bala Amarasekaran does not mince his words. "Over the past 10 years, the envi ... read more |
Chocolate's origin 1,500 years earlier than thought, archaeologists findWashington (UPI) Oct 29, 2018 Researchers have made a sweet discovery: Cacao, from which chocolate is made, was grown 1,500 years earlier than previously thought, and in South America, not Central America. ... more
Cypriot farmers fear no-deal Brexit may hit livelihoodsAvd�mou, Cyprus (AFP) Oct 30, 2018 Olive farmer Andreas Fotiou steered carefully along a dusty lane in southwest Cyprus, en route from his village to nearby groves - locations that could have clashing trade regimes, post-Brexit. ... more
'Big dry' drags on as Australia sets up drought-proof fundSydney (AFP) Oct 26, 2018 Australia is setting up a billion-dollar fund to "future proof" the country against droughts, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday, as farmers struggle with a "big dry" forecast to continue for months. ... more
France suspends use of popular pesticide after dozens sickenedParis (AFP) Oct 26, 2018 The French government on Friday ordered a three-month ban of a widely used pesticide after dozens of people, many of them farm workers, fell ill in western France in recent weeks. ... more |
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 Philippines evacuates one million, woman dead as super typhoon nears |
|
|

| Previous Issues | Oct 29 | Oct 28 | Oct 26 | Oct 25 | Oct 24 |
|
Summer drought may shrink supplies of French spudsWarhem, France (AFP) Oct 18, 2018 It's harvest time and the chips are down for potato producers in northern France where a long summer drought could see French spuds shrink in size and volume. ... more
Judge slashes award but upholds verdict in Monsanto cancer trialSan Francisco (AFP) Oct 23, 2018 A San Francisco judge on Monday upheld a jury verdict that found Monsanto liable for not warning a groundskeeper that its weed killer product Roundup might cause cancer, but slashed the damages award. ... more
'Himalayan Viagra' under threat from climate change: researchersWashington (AFP) Oct 22, 2018 A prized caterpillar fungus that is more valuable than gold and is nicknamed "Himalayan Viagra" in Asia, where it is seen as a wonder drug, is becoming harder to find due to climate change, researchers said Monday. ... more
'Himalayan Viagra' under threat from climate change: researchersWashington (AFP) Oct 23, 2018 A prized caterpillar fungus that is more valuable than gold and is nicknamed "Himalayan Viagra" in Asia, where it is seen as a wonder drug, is becoming harder to find due to climate change, researchers said Monday. ... more
Climate summit host Poland says smart forest management keyRome (AFP) Oct 16, 2018 Poland's President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday said smart forest management is key to fighting climate change and to help farming, weeks before he leads a major UN climate summit. ... more |
![]() Chile denies a glacier spat has chilled ties to Argentina
Water woes as drought leaves Germany's Rhine shallowBerlin (AFP) Oct 19, 2018 Months of drought have left water levels on Germany's Rhine river at a record low, exposing a World War II bomb and forcing ship operators to halt services to prevent vessels from running aground. ... more |
|
Syracuse geologists contribute to new understanding of Mekong River incisionSyracuse NY (SPX) Oct 22, 2018 An international team of earth scientists has linked the establishment of the Mekong River to a period of major intensification of the Asian monsoon during the middle Miocene, about 17 million years ... more
New research identifies two types of drought across China and how they evolveBeijing, China (SPX) Oct 18, 2018 Flash drought is a rapidly intensifying water deficit process accompanied by high temperatures in a short period of time. Recently, heat extremes have become more frequent in a warming climate, and ... more
A warmer spring leads to less plant growth in summerVienna, Austria (SPX) Oct 18, 2018 Climate change influences plant growth, with springtime growth beginning earlier each year. Up to now, it was thought that this phenomenon was slowing climate change, as scientists believed this pro ... more
Applying auto industry's fuel-efficiency standards to agriculture could net billionsNew York NY (SPX) Oct 18, 2018 Adopting benchmarks similar to the fuel-efficiency standards used by the auto industry in the production of fertilizer could yield $5-8 billion in economic benefits for the U.S. corn sector alone, r ... more
China prices rise as cost of food spikesBeijing (AFP) Oct 16, 2018 A spike in the price of fruit and vegetables pushed up China's inflation rate in September, official figures showed Tuesday. ... more |
|
|
|
|
Location of large mystery source of banned ozone depleting substance uncovered Bristol UK (SPX) Oct 29, 2018
The compound, carbon tetrachloride, contributes to the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer, which protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
As a result, the production of carbon tetrachloride has been banned throughout the world since 2010 for uses that will result in its release to the atmosphere. However, recent studies have shown that global emissions have not declined as expec ... more |
China launches twin BeiDou-3 satellites Xichang (XNA) Oct 16, 2018
China sent twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan Province, at 12:23 p.m. Monday.
The satellites are the 39th and 40th of the BeiDou navigation system, and the 15th and 16th of the BeiDou-3 family.
The launch was the 287th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.
span class=" ... more |
|
|
Fears for Amazon after Bolsonaro wins Brazil presidency Paris (AFP) Oct 29, 2018
Environmentalists and rights groups reacted with dismay Monday to the victory in Brazil of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right champion of agribusiness who has threatened to pull his country from the Paris climate accord.
Bolsonaro, who won 55 percent of the vote in a run-off on Sunday, issued a series of campaign pledges that left many fearing for the future of the Amazon, known as ... more |
Efficient electrochemical cells for CO2 conversion Washington DC (SPX) Oct 26, 2018
Scientists at Stanford University have developed electrochemical cells that convert carbon monoxide (CO) derived from CO2 into commercially viable compounds more effectively and efficiently than existing technologies. Their research, published October 25 in the journal Joule, provides a new strategy for capturing CO2 and converting it into chemical feedstocks.
CO2 capture from emission sou ... more |
|
|
Highly efficient wet-processed solar cells with molecules in the same orientation Kanazawa, Japan (SPX) Oct 29, 2018
Solar cells are a cost-effective, alternate source of energy. A subtype of these, organic solar cells make use of organic polymers inside the cell. Using these polymers makes the cells light-weight and increases their flexibility.
Organic solar cells are produced by two different chemical methods: dry processing and wet processing, with the latter being a faster method. There are several p ... more |
Extreme weather forcing renewable operators to strengthen project economics London, UK (SPX) Oct 18, 2018
Global sustainable energy consultancy, K2 Management, has launched a report titled; Pre-Construction Projects: The battle to reduce uncertainty and improve business case bankability, at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Offshore WINDPOWER 2018 Conference, which kicked off in Washington, D.C.
The report identifies major project development trends in the fast-growing renewables sec ... more |
|
|
21 dead in east China mining accident Beijing (AFP) Oct 29, 2018
The death toll from a mining accident in east China rose to 21 on Monday after rescuers pulled two more bodies from the mine following a nine-day search, state media said.
The tunnel where 22 miners were working was blocked at both ends by coal after pressure caused rocks to fracture and break on October 20, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Only one miner was rescued alive. The caus ... more |
Who am I? Hunt for heritage drives Chinese to DNA tests Beijing (AFP) Oct 26, 2018
Chinese executive Miao Qing spits into a specially designed container, destined for a lab where her saliva will be analysed and sequenced, offering an insight into her genetic make-up and - more importantly - her ancestry.
A combination of factors - a lack of formal records or destruction during China's wars and the Cultural Revolution - have meant there are few ways for Chinese to trace ... more |
|
|
Humans help robots learn tasks Stanford CA (SPX) Oct 29, 2018
In the basement of the Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford University, a screen attached to a red robotic arm lights up. A pair of cartoon eyes blinks. "Meet Bender," says Ajay Mandlekar, PhD student in electrical engineering.
Bender is one of the robot arms that a team of Stanford researchers is using to test two frameworks that, together, could make it faster and easier to teach ... more |
Report: European air pollution remains at deadly levels Washington (UPI) Oct 29, 2018
While air pollution continues to fall, its levels throughout Europe sit high enough to jeopardize to human health, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency.
Air pollution numbers - particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ground level ozone emissions - remain too high, exceeding limits set by the European Union and the World Health Organization, according to a re ... more |
|
|
Indigenous fire practice protecting the Gibson Desert's biodiversity Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Oct 18, 2018
Traditional Indigenous burning practices are protecting plant biodiversity in Australia's Gibson Desert, according to University of Queensland research.
The study analysed how environments dominated by flammable spinifex grasses and fire-sensitive desert myrtle shrubs reacted to wildfires, and to the low-intensity burning practices of the Pintupi people.
UQ School of Agriculture and ... more |
Cephalopods could become an important food source in the global community Copenhagen, Denmark (SPX) Oct 30, 2018
Among chefs and researchers in gastronomy there is a growing interest in exploring local waters in order to use resources in a more diverse and sustainable manner, including using the cephalopod population as a counterweight to the dwindling fishing of bonefish, as well as an interest in finding new sources of protein that can replace meat from land animals.
"We know that wild fish stocks ... more |
|
|
US tornado frequency shifting eastward from Great Plains DeKalb IL (SPX) Oct 22, 2018
A new study finds that over the past four decades, tornado frequency has increased over a large swath of the Midwest and Southeast and decreased in portions of the central and southern Great Plains, a region traditionally associated with Tornado Alley.
The study, by meteorology professor Victor Gensini of Northern Illinois University and Harold Brooks of NOAA's National Severe Storms Labor ... more |
Switzerland's Richemont, China's Alibaba team up Zurich (AFP) Oct 26, 2018
Swiss luxury goods group Richemont announced Friday a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to develop platforms in China for high-end products.
Under the deal, Richemont's online unit Yoox-net-a-porter and Alibaba will set up a joint venture with two mobile phone applications - Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter - to serve the Chinese market, a statement said.
Net-a-porter and Mr ... more |
|
|
Parker Solar Probe breaks record, becomes closest spacecraft to Sun Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 30, 2018
Parker Solar Probe now holds the record for closest approach to the Sun by a human-made object. The spacecraft passed the current record of 26.55 million miles from the Sun's surface on Oct. 29, 2018, at about 1:04 p.m. EDT, as calculated by the Parker Solar Probe team.
The previous record for closest solar approach was set by the German-American Helios 2 spacecraft in April 1976. As the P ... more |
Tigers dwindling: just six sub-species remain, says study Tampa (AFP) Oct 25, 2018
Six different sub-species of tigers exist today, scientists confirmed Thursday, amid hopes the findings will boost efforts to save the fewer than 4,000 free-range big cats that remain in the world.
The six include the Bengal tiger, Amur tiger, South China tiger, Sumatran tiger, Indochinese tiger and Malayan tiger, said the report in the journal Current Biology.
Three other tiger subspeci ... 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 |