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Brazil agriculture minister defends pro-business stance on indigenous lands![]() Bras�lia (AFP) Jan 18, 2019 Brazil's agriculture minister on Friday defended a policy of wanting to develop agribusiness on indigenous lands, and dismissing "hysteria" about the issue of protecting the Amazon rainforest. Tereza Cristina da Costa told invited foreign journalists in Brasilia that she was "favorable" to opening up indigenous land to business interests, "but the law needs to be changed" to allow that to happen. She said that past policies of preserving such territory had impoverished communities by preventing ... read more |
Human diet causing 'catastrophic' damage to planet: studyParis (AFP) Jan 16, 2019 The way humanity produces and eats food must radically change to avoid millions of deaths and "catastrophic" damage to the planet, according to a landmark study published Thursday. ... more
Ancient quinoa found in Ontario, suggesting early links between indigenous groupsWashington (UPI) Jan 16, 2019 The discovery of ancient quinoa seeds outside of Ontario suggests early indigenous groups were exchanging perishable goods as early as 900 B.C. ... more
Desalination produces more toxic waste than clean waterParis (AFP) Jan 14, 2019 More than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe produce far more toxic sludge than fresh water, according to a first global assessment of the sector's industrial waste, published Monday. ... more
60 percent of coffee varieties face 'extinction risk'Paris (AFP) Jan 16, 2019 Three in five species of wild coffee are at risk of extinction as a deadly mix of climate change, disease and deforestation puts the future of the world's favourite beverage in jeopardy, new research warned Wednesday. ... 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 20 | Jan 17 | Jan 16 | Jan 15 | Jan 14 |
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UK Space Agency COMPASS project aims to to improve crop yields for Mexican farmersHarwell 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 ... more
Feds, states can help biochar live up to its soil-saving potentialHouston TX (SPX) Jan 15, 2019 Even though every dollar spent on soil improvement can save much more in environmental costs down the road, startup costs can sometimes make it hard for farmers to implement best environmental pract ... 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 |
![]() Deere puts spotlight on high-tech farming
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 |
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US startup eyes next generation of burgers with relishLas Vegas (AFP) Jan 9, 2019 Can a "high-tech" burger help save the planet? ... more
Engineers, zoologists reveal how gulls 'wing morph' for stable soaringToronto, Canada (SPX) Jan 03, 2019 A unique collaboration between University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists and U of T Engineering's aviation expert Professor Philippe Lavoie provides new insights into how gulls configure their ... 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
China tobacco monopoly's global unit plans Hong Kong IPOHong Kong (AFP) Jan 2, 2019 The international wing of the world's largest cigarette maker - a Chinese state-owned tobacco monopoly - plans to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange, filing documents showed Wednesday. ... more
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 |
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Researchers develop new zoning tool that provides global topographic datasets in minutes Tempe AZ (SPX) Jan 18, 2019 Fluvial landscapes and the availability of water are of paramount importance for human safety and socioeconomic growth. Hydrologists know that identifying the boundaries of floodplains is often the first crucial step for any urban development or environmental protection plan.
Floodplain zoning is usually performed using complex hydrodynamic models, but modeling results can vary widely acro ... more |
Magnetic North's erratic behavior forces update to global navigation system Washington (UPI) Jan 14, 2019
Magnetic North is shifting rapidly, throwing off the World Magnetic Model that powers a variety of global navigational systems.
Scientists were originally scheduled to release an updated model this week - a fix for the accumulating anomalies - but due to the government shutdown, the update's release has been delayed until the end of the month.
Scientists with the British Geolog ... more |
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Model Bundchen 'surprised' by Brazil minister criticism on environment Sao Paulo (AFP) Jan 17, 2019
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen on Wednesday defended her work as an environmental activist, after the country's new agriculture minister accused her of issuing criticism "without knowledge."
"It surprised me to see my name mentioned in a negative way for defending and protesting in favor of the environment," the model wrote to her 4.8 million Twitter followers.
"Since 2006 I have ... more |
Scientists turn carbon emissions into usable energy Ulsan, South Korea (SPX) Jan 21, 2019
A recent study, affiliated with UNIST has developed a system that produces electricity and hydrogen (H2) while eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main contributor of global warming.
Published This breakthrough has been led by Professor Guntae Kim in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Jaephil Cho in the Department of Energy Eng ... more |
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Signal Energy Australia to build 333MW Darlington Point Solar Plant in New South Wales Chattanooga TN (SPX) Jan 17, 2019
Signal Energy Australia, Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Signal Energy, LLC, has been selected by Edify Energy and Octopus Investments to build the 333MWdc/275MWac Darlington Point Solar Plant in western New South Wales, Australia.
Signal Energy, LLC is a leading design/build general contractor providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to the renewable energy ... more |
Lidar lights up wind opportunities for Tilt in Australia Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 18, 2019
Tilt Renewables, a leading developer, owner and manager of renewable energy generation assets in Australia and New Zealand, has confirmed the use of wind Lidar technology from ZX Lidars to remotely measure wind conditions above ground without the need for a traditional met mast. Initial deployment has been to a remote site in complex terrain primarily for the purpose of confirming the quality of ... more |
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Death toll in China mining accident rises to 21 Beijing (AFP) Jan 13, 2019
The death toll in a coal mine roof collapse in northern China has risen to 21 after rescuers found two more miners dead on Sunday, state media reported.
A total of 87 people were working underground in the Shaanxi province mine at the time of the accident on Saturday afternoon, according to official news agency Xinhua, citing local authorities.
Rescuers had been searching for two remain ... more |
Canada asks China clemency for convicted drug trafficker Montreal (AFP) Jan 16, 2019
Canada urged Beijing on Tuesday to grant clemency to a Canadian sentenced to death for drug trafficking, after his sentence reignited a diplomatic dispute that began last month.
Ottawa has warned its citizens about the risk of "arbitrary enforcement" of laws in China following a court's sentencing of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, to death on Monday, increasing a previous 15-year prison term ... more |
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WSU smart home tests first elder care robot Pullman WA (SPX) Jan 15, 2019
A robot created by Washington State University scientists could help elderly people with dementia and other limitations live independently in their own homes.
The Robot Activity Support System, or RAS, uses sensors embedded in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities.
It navigates through rooms and ... more |
Fixing the environment: when solutions become problems Paris (AFP) Jan 14, 2019
In a world where climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, ozone depletion, and other environmental problems overlap, a fix in one arena can cause trouble in another.
Here are a few examples of what might be called Earth's "zero-sum" dilemma in the 21st century.
- Water vs. ocean pollution -
A study released Monday shows for the first time that more ... 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 |
Desalination produces more toxic waste than clean water Paris (AFP) Jan 14, 2019 More than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe produce far more toxic sludge than fresh water, according to a first global assessment of the sector's industrial waste, published Monday.
For every litre of fresh water extracted from the sea or brackish waterways, a litre-and-a-half of salty slurry, called brine, is dumped directly back into the ocean or the ground.
The su ... more |
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Australian towns among hottest spots on Earth as heatwave sizzles Sydney (AFP) Jan 16, 2019 Australian towns were among the hottest places on Earth this week as a severe heatwave hit the continent's southeast, with forecasters warning of more record-breaking temperatures before the weekend.
The past four days were among the country's top 10 warmest on record, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in some spots, the Bureau of Meteorology said Wednesda ... more |
From sizzle to fizzle: Hong Kong's red-hot property market cools Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 16, 2019
For young Hong Kongers like Wilson Leung getting a foothold on the city's property ladder has long been a near impossible task but with the notoriously overpriced housing market facing a downturn, they now have a chance of realising their dream.
The crammed financial hub regularly tops the list of cities with the least affordable housing in the world, with even cheap apartments out of the re ... more |
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Lunar eclipse in the UK morning sky London, UK (SPX) Jan 18, 2019
Next Monday morning (21 January), skywatchers across the UK will be able to see a total eclipse of the Moon. This spectacular event is easy to see and is the last chance for UK observers to see a total lunar eclipse in its entirety until 2029.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes exactly between the Sun and the Moon. The Sun is behind Earth, and the Moon moves into Earth's shadow ... more |
Romeo and Juliet: the last hopes to save Bolivian aquatic frog La Paz (AFP) Jan 16, 2019
Almost a year after conservationists sent out a plea to help save a species of Bolivian aquatic frog by finding a mate for the last remaining member, Romeo, his very own Juliet has been tracked down deep inside a cloud forest.
Not only did the wildlife conservation team return with a potential mate for Romeo, who had been 10 years a bachelor, but also another four members of the Sehuencas wa ... more |
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