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Biologists warn of peril from biological invasions as White House cuts funding![]() Providence RI (SPX) May 02, 2019 As the Trump Administration prepares to cut in half the budget for the National Invasive Species Council, a group of invasive species experts led by a University of Rhode Island professor has issued a warning about the growing peril of biological invasions and the increasing threat they pose to the economy, environment, public health and national security. "Defunding invasion policy and management at the federal level at a time when the rate of invasions into the U.S. are increasing and is exacerb ... read more |
NASA Study: Human Influence on Global Droughts Goes Back 100 YearsNew York NY (SPX) May 02, 2019 Human-generated greenhouse gases and atmospheric particles were affecting global drought risk as far back as the early 20th century, according to a study from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Stud ... more
Do additives help the soil?Kelowna, Canada (SPX) May 02, 2019 A UBC researcher is using her latest study to question whether soil additives are worth their salt. Miranda Hart, who teaches biology at UBC's Okanagan campus, says despite a decades-long prac ... more
Canada ups loans to farmers after China blocks canolaOttawa (AFP) May 1, 2019 Canada increased loans to farmers Wednesday after China blocked shipments of canola - its most valuable crop - amid diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Beijing. ... more
When apple trees blossom, worker bees rockChevreville, France (AFP) May 2, 2019 In an apple orchard outside Paris, a constant hum among the blossoming trees bears witness to thousands of worker bees pollinating millions of flowers in just three weeks. ... more |
IMF approves $206 mn aid to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah
Flights cancelled, roads flooded as rare storm soaks UAE Sri Lanka plans $1.6 bn in cyclone recovery spending in 2026 Brazil megacity Sao Paulo struck by fresh water crisis Indonesians reeling from flood devastation plea for global help Levee break near Seattle prompts evacuation order Flash flood kills dozens in Morocco town At least 20 dead in eastern Bolivia floods Press Release from Business Wire: Textron Inc. Flash floods kill 37 in Moroccan coastal town |
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| Previous Issues | May 01 | Apr 30 | Apr 29 | Apr 28 | Apr 26 |
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Forest fires blight Europe amid drought fearsBerlin (AFP) April 25, 2019 Weather experts warn of drought in Europe over its summer as firefighters tackled forest fires on Thursday, and farmers fretted over wilting crops and a repeat of 2018's arid conditions. ... more
We now know how insects and bacteria control iceSalt Lake City UT (SPX) Apr 16, 2019 Contrary to what you may have been taught, water doesn't always freeze to ice at 32 degrees F (zero degrees C). Knowing, or controlling, at what temperature water will freeze (starting with a proces ... more
Papa roach: Chinese farmer breeds bugs for the tableYibin, China (AFP) April 19, 2019 As farmer Li Bingcai opened the door to his cockroach farm in southwest China, an insect the size of a dart flew into his face. ... more
Rapid urbanization increasing pressure on rural water supplies globallyOxford UK (SPX) Apr 17, 2019 An international team of researchers has carried out the first systematic global review of water reallocation from rural to urban regions - the practice of transferring water from rural areas to cit ... more
The scientists are developing a technology for water purification by electric dischargesTallinn, Estonia (SPX) Apr 17, 2019 The environment around us is becoming increasingly polluted. This includes one of our most precious natural resources - water. Clean water is essential to human survival. Due to increased pollution, ... more |
![]() Water that never freezes
Amid intense drought, deadly rains lash AfghanistanKabul (AFP) April 16, 2019 Torrential rainstorms have lashed drought-stricken Afghanistan in recent days, bringing widespread flooding that has killed at least five people and washed away homes including in the capital Kabul, officials said Tuesday. ... more |
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Solving the mystery of fertilizer loss from Midwest croplandEast Lansing MI (SPX) Apr 16, 2019 Farmers can't predict their annual corn harvest with certainty, but with the help of new research from Michigan State University, they can now pinpoint specific parts of their fields that consistent ... more
Papa roach: Chinese farmer breeds bugs for the tableYibin, China (AFP) April 16, 2019 As farmer Li Bingcai opened the door to his cockroach farm in southwest China, an insect the size of a dart flew into his face. ... more
The Hong Kong beekeeper harvesting hives barehandedHong Kong (AFP) April 14, 2019 High up in the hills above Hong Kong, Yip Ki-hok uses nothing but his bare hands to remove a honey-filled nest of swarming bees - a remarkable skill he learned after the hardship of China's famine years. ... more
How much nature is lost due to higher yields?Leipzig, Germany (SPX) Apr 15, 2019 Around 80 percent of land area in Europe is used for settlement, agriculture and forestry. In order to increase yields even further than current levels, exploitation is being intensified. Areas are ... more
Historic water levels at Iraq reservoirs and dams: officialsSamarra, Iraq (AFP) April 11, 2019 Water levels in Iraq's reservoirs and dams have reached historic heights, officials have told AFP, with thousands of families facing possible displacement by more flooding. ... more |
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Scientists track giant ocean vortex from space Washington DC (SPX) May 02, 2019
Researchers have found a new way to use satellites to monitor the Great Whirl, a massive whirlpool the size of Colorado that forms each year off the coast of East Africa, they report in a new study.
Using 23 years of satellite data, the new findings show the Great Whirl is larger and longer-lived than scientists previously thought. At its peak, the giant whirlpool is, on average, 275,000 s ... more |
China launches new BeiDou satellite Xichang (XNA) Apr 23, 2019
China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 10:41 p.m. Saturday.
Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 44th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the first BDS-3 satellite in inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.
After in-orbit tests, the satellite will work wi ... more |
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Attacks on Brazil's ecological paradises threaten biodiversity Rio De Janeiro (AFP) May 2, 2019
Brazil is home to more than half of the world's plant and animal species, but its ecological paradises are facing growing threats from big business and criminal outfits who have found a champion in far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, experts say.
Brazil's rich biodiversity is under attack from multiple fronts, including landowners who cut down multi-storied trees to make way for soya bean c ... more |
Biodegradable bags can hold a full load of shopping after 3 years in the environment Plymouth NY (SPX) May 01, 2019
Biodegradable and compostable plastic bags are still capable of carrying full loads of shopping after being exposed in the natural environment for three years, a new study shows.
Researchers from the University of Plymouth examined the degradation of five plastic bag materials widely available from high street retailers in the UK.
They were then left exposed to air, soil and sea, env ... more |
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Improving the lifetime of bioelectrodes for solar energy conversion Bochum, Germany (SPX) Apr 30, 2019
The use of proteins involved in the photosynthetic process enables the development of affordable and efficient devices for energy conversion. However, although proteins such as photosystem I are robust in nature, the use of isolated protein complexes incorporated in semi-artificial electrodes is associated with a considerably short long-term stability. In consequence, the technological applicati ... more |
BayWa r.e. sells its first Australian wind farms to Epic Energy Melbourne, Australia (SPX) May 02, 2019
Global renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler BayWa r.e. has sold the first of its new Australian wind farm developments to leading energy infrastructure company Epic Energy.
The two wind farms, known as Timboon West and Yawong, are located in Western Victoria and were acquired by BayWa r.e. in 2017 as part of their investment in the Future Energy team and pipeline of ... more |
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Contentious India-backed Australia mine clears major hurdle Sydney (AFP) April 9, 2019
A major Australian coal mine project near the Great Barrier Reef was controversially approved by the federal government Tuesday, days before national elections are expected to be called.
The controversial Queensland project backed by India's Adani would significantly boost coal production, but must now get approval from state and local governments.
The project faces fierce opposition and ... more |
US comments on Hong Kong 'gross interference': China Beijing (AFP) April 29, 2019
China on Monday lashed out at the United States for voicing alarm over the jailing of leaders of Hong Kong's democracy movement, calling Washington's comments a "gross interference".
Four prominent activists were last week jailed for their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, which paralysed Hong Kong's central business district for months and infuriated Beijing with its show of ang ... more |
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An army of micro-robots can wipe out dental plaque Philadelphia PA (SPX) Apr 30, 2019 A visit to the dentist typically involves time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant scraping with mechanical tools to remove plaque from teeth. What if, instead, a dentist could deploy a small army of tiny robots to precisely and non-invasively remove that buildup?
A team of engineers, dentists, and biologists from the University of Pennsylvania developed a microscopic robotic cleaning crew. ... more |
Mozambique community shattered by trash deluge Pemba, Mozambique (AFP) April 30, 2019
The people of Chibuabuar, an informal settlement of modest wooden homes perched on a hillside between a highway and the coast of Pemba in north Mozambique, thought they had escaped the worst of Cyclone Kenneth.
But on Sunday night, the vast rubbish dump that towers over their informal neighbourhood gave way, sending mounds of trash crashing into the valley, demolishing five houses and pushin ... more |
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Forest fires blight Europe amid drought fears Berlin (AFP) April 25, 2019 Weather experts warn of drought in Europe over its summer as firefighters tackled forest fires on Thursday, and farmers fretted over wilting crops and a repeat of 2018's arid conditions.
In Germany, Europe's biggest economy, farmers are fearful at the start of the growing season following below-average rainfall earlier this year - bad news after last year's drought.
Unless significant r ... more |
Aussie scientists find antidote for deadly box jellyfish sting Sydney (AFP) May 1, 2019
Australian researchers believe they have found an antidote to a sting from the world's most venomous creature, the much-feared box jellyfish.
Researchers at the University of Sydney had been investigating how the venom is so deadly that one box jellyfish can kill 60 people.
The team noticed the venom needs cholesterol to kill human cells and decided to test whether existing drugs could s ... more |
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Storms kill 35 in India New Delhi (AFP) April 17, 2019
Thunderstorms swept across western India killing at least 35 people and leaving widespread damage, officials said Wednesday.
Strong winds barrelled through Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states felling walls, trees and electricity lines. The storms have also been blamed for at least 25 deaths in Pakistan this week.
At least 10 people were killed in the desert state of Rajasthan, w ... more |
UK's May sacks defence minister Williamson over Huawei leak London (AFP) May 1, 2019
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday sacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson following a probe into the leak of news that Britain had conditionally allowed China's Huawei to develop its 5G network.
"The Prime Minister has this evening asked Gavin Williamson to leave the government, having lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defence Secretary and as a member of ... more |
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Scientists discover what powers celestial phenomenon STEVE Washington DC (SPX) Apr 26, 2019
The celestial phenomenon known as STEVE is likely caused by a combination of heating of charged particles in the atmosphere and energetic electrons like those that power the aurora, according to new research. In a new study, scientists found STEVE's source region in space and identified two mechanisms that cause it.
Last year, the obscure atmospheric lights became an internet sensation. Ty ... more |
Malaysia destroys almost four tonnes of ivory Port Dickson, Malaysia (AFP) April 30, 2019
Malaysian authorities incinerated almost four tonnes of elephant tusks and ivory products worth about $3.2 million on Tuesday, as they crack down on rampant wildlife-smuggling across the country's borders.
The small Southeast Asian nation has become a transit point in the illicit trade in ivory, which typically arrives from Africa and is sent on to major Asian markets such as China and Vietn ... more |
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