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US farmers more cautious than hopeful after China trade deal![]() New York (AFP) Dec 4, 2018 President Donald Trump says American farmers will see immediate benefits from the trade detente with Beijing, but farm belt representatives are still cautious about declaring victory. Trump took to Twitter Monday to declare that his weekend agreement with Xi Jinping for a cease-fire on new trade tariffs meant "Farmers will be a very BIG and FAST beneficiary of our deal with China," with the Chinese to resume purchases of US agricultural goods "immediately." Trump's comments were followed by Whit ... read more |
US groundwater in peril: Potable supply less than thoughtTucson AZ (SPX) Dec 04, 2018 The U.S. groundwater supply is smaller than originally thought, according to a new research study that includes a University of Arizona hydrologist. The study provides important insights into ... more
Soil tilling, mulching key to China's potato cropBoston MA (SPX) Dec 04, 2018 When you think of China, do you think of potatoes? Maybe not, but in the Loess Plateau region of northwestern China, potato is the main food crop. Even though it is such an important crop ther ... more
Study shows regions increasingly suffer hot, dry conditions at the same timeStanford CA (SPX) Dec 03, 2018 A new study from Stanford University suggests that the kind of hot, dry conditions that can shrink crop yields, destabilize food prices and lay the groundwork for devastating wildfires are increasin ... more
Scientists reveal substantial water loss in global landlocked regionsManhattan KS (SPX) Dec 03, 2018 Along with a warming climate and intensified human activities, recent water storage in global landlocked basins has undergone a widespread decline. A new study reveals this decline has aggravated lo ... more |
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 Japan observes tiny tsunami following 6.7 magnitude quake |
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| Previous Issues | Dec 04 | Dec 03 | Nov 30 | Nov 29 | Nov 28 |
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Escaping death and rebirth on Varanasi's sacred riverbanksVaranasi, India (AFP) Nov 23, 2018 Boats loaded with wood arrive almost constantly at the ghats of Varanasi for around 200 cremations per day on the banks of India's holy Ganges river. ... more
French wine market to shrink further, but organics surge: reportParis (AFP) Nov 23, 2018 Sales of French wines made with organically grown grapes are set to double between now and 2022, even as the downward trend for overall wine consumption appears firmly in place, an industry research group reported Friday. ... more
Drought-fueled dust storm blankets SydneySydney (AFP) Nov 22, 2018 A large dust storm swirled over eastern Australia on Thursday, driven over the coast by a weather front barrelling across the drought-stricken interior. ... more
Monsanto appeals Roundup cancer verdictSan Francisco (AFP) Nov 21, 2018 Monsanto on Tuesday said it was asking a US appeals court to toss out a damning verdict in a landmark Roundup weed-killer cancer trial and grant it another hearing. ... more
New study details the genetic evolution of domesticated animalsWashington (UPI) Nov 20, 2018 How has the domestication process impacted the evolution of gene regulation among dogs, cows, pigs, rabbits and other tamed animals? That's the question researchers at the Earlham Institute are trying to answer. ... more |
![]() Half of the world's annual precipitation falls in just 12 days, new study finds
Real-time feedback makes hotel guests slash shower powerParis (AFP) Nov 19, 2018 Providing hotel guests real-time feedback on the power they use in the shower sharply curbs the amount of energy consumed even though they do not pay for it, according to new research released Monday. ... more |
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Afghan opium producers hit hard by drought in 2018Kabul (AFP) Nov 19, 2018 Afghan opium producers were hit hard by the worst drought in living memory this year and excessive supply, with output and prices falling sharply as the area under poppy cultivation shrank, an annual survey said Monday. ... more
Competition for shrinking groundwaterSanta Barbara CA (SPX) Nov 16, 2018 Groundwater, which has been used to irrigate crops, satiate livestock and quench thirst in general for thousands of years, continues to be a vital resource around the world. But according to r ... more
Middle Eastern desert dust on the Tibetan plateau could affect the Indian summer monsoonCollege Park MD (SPX) Nov 16, 2018 More than a century ago, British meteorologist Henry Blanford noted a connection between springtime snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya mountain range and the intensity of the summer mons ... more
Drought-hit Cape Town should cut down 'alien' trees: studyCape Town (AFP) Nov 16, 2018 The South African city of Cape Town, which nearly ran out of water this year, could beat future droughts by cutting down non-native trees including pine, acacia and eucalyptus, according to a study released Friday. ... more
Activists board ship off Spain in palm oil protest: GreenpeaceMadrid (AFP) Nov 17, 2018 Greenpeace said Saturday six of its activists boarded a tanker off Spain loaded with "dirty" palm oil to protest against a Nature-damaging commodity found in everything from soap to biscuits. ... more |
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Greenhouse gas detergent recycles itself in atmosphere Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 03, 2018
A simple molecule in the atmosphere that acts as a "detergent" to breakdown methane and other greenhouse gases has been found to recycle itself to maintain a steady global presence in the face of rising emissions, according to new NASA research. Understanding its role in the atmosphere is critical for determining the lifetime of methane, a powerful contributor to climate change.
The hydrox ... more |
UK will build its own satellite-navigation system after Brexit London, UK (Sputnik) Dec 03, 2018
UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would explore the possibility of building its own satellite navigation system instead of relying on the EU's Galileo, compelling another minister in her Cabinet to resign.
May announced on Friday that the UK was pulling out of the EU's satellite navigation system which was designed to compete with the US GPS system and is due to be launc ... more |
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Snowpack declines may stunt tree growth and forests' ability to store carbon emissions New York NY (SPX) Dec 03, 2018
Researchers conducting a 5-year-long study examining snow cover in a northern hardwood forest region found that projected changes in climate could lead to a 95 percent reduction of deep-insulating snowpack in forest areas across the northeastern United States by the end of the 21st century. The loss of snowpack would likely result in a steep reduction of forests' ability to store climate-changin ... more |
Why a curious crustacean could hold secret to making renewable energy from wood York UK (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
Scientists studying the digestive system of a curious wood-eating crustacean have discovered it may hold the key to sustainably converting wood into biofuel.
Gribble are small marine invertebrates that have evolved to perform an important ecological role eating the abundant supplies of wood washed into the sea from river estuaries.
They can also be something of a marine menace, consu ... more |
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Aluminum nitride to extend life of solar power plants Moscow, Russia (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
Today, solar power plants (SPP) are becoming increasingly popular, making it possible to collect and process solar energy on an industrial scale. So-called solar towers are among the most promising types of SPPs. This is a special structure that is a high tower with a water tank and a turbine system inside.
The tower is surrounded by heliostats - large spinning mirrors that absorb the sun` ... more |
Coordinated development could help wind farms be better neighbors Boulder CO (SPX) Nov 27, 2018
As onshore and offshore wind energy farms have proliferated globally in recent years, new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder highlights a previously underexplored consequence: a wake effect from upwind wind farms that can reduce the energy production of their downwind neighbors.
The study, undertaken in collaboration with the University of Denver (DU) and the National Renew ... more |
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For Poland's mining region, coal remains a way of life Knurow, Poland (AFP) Dec 2, 2018 "It's a family thing. My father, my grandfather were miners, so I am," says Arkadiusz Wojcik at a coal mine in the southern Polish town of Knurow.
Defying the danger to life and limb of descending into the mine on a daily basis, Poland's coal miners still pass down the job from father to son.
The occupation may be on its way out in much of the West, but in Poland's Silesian coal country ... more |
Hong Kong democrats 'furious' over new election ban Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 3, 2018
A Hong Kong legislator has been barred from standing in a local election after being accused of supporting independence from China, sparking fury Monday among the city's pro-democracy camp who warn of tightening ideological control.
The disqualification of popular lawmaker Eddie Chu is the latest blow to the democratic movement as room for opposition in semi-autonomous Hong Kong shrinks unde ... more |
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Artificial joint restores wrist-like movements to forearm amputees Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
A new artificial joint restores important wrist-like movements to forearm amputees, something which could dramatically improve their quality of life. A group of researchers led by Max Ortiz Catalan, Associate Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have published their research in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.
For patients m ... more |
India pollution watchdog fines Delhi over toxic smog New Delhi (AFP) Dec 4, 2018
India's environmental watchdog has slapped New Delhi's government with a $3.5 million fine for failing to enforce rules to reduce smog in the world's most polluted major city, officials said Tuesday.
The National Green Tribunal penalised the capital administration for its lack of oversight after it emerged some polluting industries were still burning harmful waste in the open.
The tribun ... more |
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NASA Terra Satellite Outlines Burn Scar from California's Camp Fire Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 28, 2018
Just like the Woolsey Fire's scar which was highlighted on the NASA Fire page on November 16, the Camp Fire scar is visible from space in this image taken by the Terra satellite on November 26, 2018. California experienced large amounts of rain during a winter storm that began on November 21, 2018.
This helped to dampen the 153,336 acre fire and allowed firefighters to contain the area bur ... more |
Tracing iron in the North Pacific Beijing, China (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
The micronutrient iron (Fe) is recognized as a key factor in controlling oceanic primary productivity, and subsequently impacting the carbon cycle and marine ecosystem. The high-latitude area of the North Pacific is one of the three main high-nutrient and low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions on Earth.
Also, the growth of phytoplankton is limited by the availability of Fe. Climate change, human a ... more |
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Heatwave death threat soars for elderly, city dwellers Paris (AFP) Nov 29, 2018 More than 150 million vulnerable people worldwide were exposed to potentially life-threatening heatwaves last year, scientists said Thursday, warning that climate change posed an unprecedented global health risk.
In a worldwide stocktake of public health trends, dozens of international agencies said people over 65, those living in large cities, and sufferers of heart and lung disease were al ... more |
W.House: Expect China to roll back punitive farm tariffs 'quickly' Washington (AFP) Dec 3, 2018
The United States expects China will remove retaliatory tariffs on US farm products "quickly" as part of the trade truce reached over the weekend, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Monday.
Beijing retaliated with steep duties on US crops in the trade war which has seen President Donald Trump hit $250 billion in Chinese goods with tariffs of 10-25 percent.
As a result, soybea ... more |
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Auroras help scientists study energy instabilities in space Washington (UPI) Nov 26, 2018
Scientists are using auroras to better understand the physics of explosive energy instabilities in space.
"An instability is a physical process whereby the energy output can essentially grow very quickly without limits," Colin Forsyth, physicist at the University College London's, told UPI in an email.
When a clean swell breaks and crashes on the beach, or when a pile of sand sud ... more |
New study explores ecosystem stability San Francisco CA (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
In an era of rapid ecological change, scientists are turning to historical periods of persistence to better understand what drives stability. A team from the California Academy of Sciences and the Field Museum of Natural History has examined the structural complexity of ancient ecosystems by looking at the number of species and how they're organized by function, such as top predators or decompos ... more |
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