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UK Space Agency COMPASS project aims to to improve crop yields for Mexican farmers![]() Harwell UK (SPX) Jan 11, 2019 SIAP, the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food - part of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture (SAGARPA) - has signed a declaration of intent with the UK Space Agency to provide historic, statistical and satellite data to support Rezatec's development of a crop yield optimisation tool for Mexican farmers and other supply chain stakeholders. The Mexican COMPASS project is funded by the UK Space Agency under its International Partnership Programme (IPP) - a five ... read more |
Rice plants engineered to be better at photosynthesis make more riceWashington DC (SPX) Jan 11, 2019 A new bioengineering approach for boosting photosynthesis in rice plants could increase grain yield by up to 27%, according to a study publishing January 10 in the journal Molecular Plant. The appro ... more
Fish farmers of the CaribbeanSanta Barbara CA (SPX) Jan 11, 2019 There are only so many fish in the sea. And our appetite for seafood has already stressed many wild fisheries to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the planet's growing population will only further incr ... more
Cow breathalyzers help scientists measure methane emissionsWashington (UPI) Jan 10, 2019 Researchers in Texas have developed new technology for measuring the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere by cattle. ... more
Kosher high-tech office lures Jerusalem's ultra-OrthodoxJerusalem (AFP) Jan 9, 2019 The office in central Jerusalem at first glance resembles many other start-ups - until you notice the religious books and entrepreneurs in traditional black suits. ... more |
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 Philippines evacuates hundreds of thousands as super typhoon nears |
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| Previous Issues | Jan 10 | Jan 09 | Jan 08 | Jan 07 | Jan 04 |
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A 'bran' new way to preserve healthy food with natural ingredientsUniversity Park PA (SPX) Jan 04, 2019 A natural antioxidant found in grain bran could preserve food longer and replace synthetic antioxidants currently used by the food industry, according to researchers at Penn State. "Currently, ... more
Scientists engineer shortcut for photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth by 40 percentUrbana IL (SPX) Jan 04, 2019 Plants convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis; however, most crops on the planet are plagued by a photosynthetic glitch, and to deal with it, evolved an energy-expensive process called ... more
Drop beef and save millions of lives, slash emissions: WEFGeneva (AFP) Jan 3, 2019 Switching from beef to alternative proteins could save millions of lives and dramatically slash greenhouse gas emissions, the World Economic Forum said Thursday. ... more
Climate change takes toll on French oyster farmersCancale, France (AFP) Jan 01, 2019 Gulping down oysters has long been a favourite New Year's Eve ritual for the French, but as winters get warmer and summers get drier many growers worry there will soon be fewer of the prized mollusks to go around. ... more
Bricked in by poverty, Cambodia's farmers fight debt bondagePhnom Penh (AFP) Jan 2, 2019 Bopha should be in school but instead toils seven days a week in a searing brick kiln on the outskirts of Phnom Penh - a 14-year-old trapped in debt bondage in a boom industry preying on the poverty of Cambodia's farmers. ... more |
![]() Scientists: 'Time is ripe' to use big data for planet-sized plant questions
Iran sees 'revival' of imperilled Lake UrmiaMiandoab, Iran (AFP) Dec 30, 2018 It is one of the worst ecological disasters of recent decades, but the shrinking of Iran's great Lake Urmia finally appears to be stabilising and officials see the start of a revival. ... more |
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China customs gives green light for US rice importsBeijing (AFP) Dec 28, 2018 China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, a move that comes during a 90-day tariff truce between the two countries which are engaged in a bruising trade war. ... more
Tree-ring analysis explains physiology behind drought intoleranceCorvallis OR (SPX) Dec 27, 2018 Tree rings tell the story of what's happening physiologically as fire suppression makes forests more dense and less tolerant of drought, pests and wildfires, new research shows. Scientists at ... more
Health checkups for alpine lakesEdmonton, Canada (SPX) Dec 27, 2018 The best tool for assessing the health of mountain lakes comes in a very small package. According to new research by University of Alberta biologists, alpine species of zooplankton are excellent bio ... more
Collecting clean water from air, inspired by desert lifeColumbus OH (SPX) Dec 27, 2018 Humans can get by in the most basic of shelters, can scratch together a meal from the most humble of ingredients. But we can't survive without clean water. And in places where water is scarce - the ... more
New management strategies may help Los Angeles avoid future water crisesWashington (UPI) Dec 19, 2018 Los Angeles' population continues to grow, putting added pressure on the city's water supply. ... more |
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Satellite images reveal global poverty Aarhus, Denmark (SPX) Jan 08, 2019
How far have we come in achieving the UN's sustainable development goals that we are committed to nationally and internationally? Yes, it can be difficult to make a global assessment of poverty and poor economic conditions, but with an eye in the sky, researchers are able to give us a very good hint of the living conditions of populations in the world's poor countries.
If we are to achieve ... more |
US Air Force contracts Lockheed Martin to continue GPS ground control supprt Colorado Springs CO (SPX) Jan 11, 2019
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS Control Segment Sustainment II (GCS II) contract to continue to sustain and further modernize the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation's ground control system through 2025. This is the follow-on contract to Lockheed Martin's current GCS contract awarded in 2013.
Under the GCS II contract, the continued upgrade of the GPS ... more |
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Beech trees are dying, and nobody's sure why Columbus OH (SPX) Jan 10, 2019
A confounding new disease is killing beech trees in Ohio and elsewhere, and plant scientists are sounding an alarm while looking for an explanation.
In a study published in the journal Forest Pathology, researchers and naturalists from The Ohio State University and metroparks in northeastern Ohio report on the emerging "beech leaf disease" epidemic, calling for speedy work to find a culpri ... more |
Yeast makes ethanol to prevent metabolic overload Groningen, Netherlands (SPX) Jan 08, 2019
Why do some yeast cells produce ethanol? Scientists have wondered about this apparent waste of resources for decades. Now, University of Groningen scientists think they have a solution: yeast cells produce ethanol as a 'safety valve', to prevent overload when their metabolic operation reaches a critical level. The implications of this new theory, which was published in Nature Metabolism on 7 Jan ... more |
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Seawater turns into freshwater through solar energy Turin, Italy (SPX) Jan 08, 2019
According to FAO estimates, by 2025 nearly 2 billion people may not have enough drinking water to satisfy their daily needs. One of the possible solutions to this problem is desalination, namely treating seawater to make it drinkable. However, removing salt from seawater requires 10 to 1000 times more energy than traditional methods of freshwater supply, namely pumping water from rivers or wells ... more |
Upwind wind plants can reduce flow to downwind neighbors Golden CO (SPX) Dec 19, 2018
New National Science Foundation and Department of Energy-funded research highlights a previously unexplored consequence of the global proliferation of wind energy facilities: a wake effect from upwind facilities that can reduce the energy production of their downwind neighbors.
In collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), faculty at the University of Colorado Boul ... more |
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Trump officially taps former coal lobbyist to lead EPA Washington (AFP) Jan 9, 2019
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday formally nominated Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
The nomination of Wheeler, who is currently the acting EPA chief, requires Senate confirmation.
Wheeler, 54, has been the interim agency administrator since Scott Pruitt resigned in July amid a flurry of ethics scandals, including over ex ... more |
Chinese ambassador accuses Canada of 'white supremacy' in Huawei case Ottawa (AFP) Jan 9, 2019
A Chinese envoy on Wednesday accused Canada and its allies of "Western egotism and white supremacy" for demanding the immediate release of two Canadians held for alleged spying.
In a letter published by The Hill Times newspaper, China's ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye also criticized the "groundless" detention of a top Chinese tech executive at the request of the United States.
China detai ... more |
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Artificial bug eyes Washington DC (SPX) Jan 10, 2019
Single lens eyes, like those in humans and many other animals, can create sharp images, but the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans have an edge when it comes to peripheral vision, light sensitivity and motion detection.
That's why scientists are developing artificial compound eyes to give sight to autonomous vehicles and robots, among other applications. Now, a report in ACS Nano des ... more |
Safer mining practices reduce hazardous exposures in small-scale mining in Nigeria San Francisco CA (SPX) Jan 09, 2019
A pilot program to reduce lead poisoning in Nigerian gold mining communities has brought extraordinary improvements to an area where hundreds of children had died from lead poisoning according to a study published this week. The study authors concluded that a two-year effort to introduce safer mining practices was effective at preventing deaths and reducing lead poisoning in highly exposed villa ... more |
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Trump threatens to axe emergency fire aid for California Washington (AFP) Jan 9, 2019
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he is cutting emergency federal aid sent to help California after devastating wildfires unless the Democratic-led state gets its "act together."
"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forrest fires that, with proper Forrest Management, would never happen," Trump tweeted, initially misspelling the word forest before repeating the ... more |
Social and environmental costs of hydropower are underestimated Sao Paulo, Brazil (SPX) Jan 11, 2019
While most developed countries have reduced the construction of large dams for the production of electricity in recent decades, developing countries, including Brazil, have embarked on even more massive hydropower developments.
These countries have not accounted for the environmental impacts of large dams, which include deforestation and the loss of biodiversity, or the social consequences ... more |
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Koala drinks from water bottle in Australia heatwave Sydney (AFP) Jan 1, 2019
As Australia swelters in an extreme heatwave, a video of a woman in the state of Victoria pouring water into the mouth of a thirsty koala has melted hearts online.
The vast continent has experienced intense heat over the past week, with the mercury up 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than usual for this time of year in southern Australia.
Numerous towns set new December ... more |
China says US trade talks 'laid foundation' to resolve concerns Beijing (AFP) Jan 10, 2019
China said Thursday that trade talks in Beijing with a US negotiating team had "laid the foundation" to resolve concerns held by both sides in a bruising trade war.
US officials visited Beijing from Monday to Wednesday for the first sit-down talks since President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on December 1 to a three-month truce in the escalating trade spat.
World mar ... more |
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Five things to know about January's total Lunar eclipse Syracuse NY (SPX) Jan 10, 2019
This month's rare total eclipse will be the last one visible from the United States until 2022.
Walter Freeman is an assistant teaching professor in the Physics Department at Syracuse University. Freeman answers five questions about the upcoming eclipse.
Freeman says: What should those in the viewing area of the Jan. 20-21 total lunar eclipse expect to see?
"Viewers will see a ... more |
Protesters urge end to wild boar 'massacre' in Poland Warsaw (AFP) Jan 9, 2019
Hundreds of protesters rallied in Warsaw on Wednesday demanding an end to a mass cull aimed at wiping out Poland's entire wild boar population in what authorities insist is a bid to fight a disease threatening the pork industry.
Environmentalists and scientists warn that the cull could upset the ecosystem and even inadvertently spread African swine fever (ASF), which is deadly to pigs. The d ... more |
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