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A rose inspires smart way to collect and purify water![]() Austin TX (SPX) Jun 03, 2019 The rose may be one of the most iconic symbols of the fragility of love in popular culture, but now the flower could hold more than just symbolic value. A new device for collecting and purifying water, developed at The University of Texas at Austin, was inspired by a rose and, while more engineered than enchanted, is a dramatic improvement on current methods. Each flower-like structure costs less than 2 cents and can produce more than half a gallon of water per hour per square meter. A team led by ... read more |
Ancient DNA tells the story of the first herders and farmers in east AfricaSt. Louis MO (SPX) Jun 03, 2019 A collaborative study led by archaeologists, geneticists and museum curators is providing answers to previously unsolved questions about life in sub-Saharan Africa thousands of years ago. The result ... more
Striking French workers block world's biggest Nutella plantRouen, France (AFP) June 3, 2019 A factory in northern France that makes a quarter of the world's Nutella has been blockaded for a week by workers striking for more pay, causing key ingredients to run low, unions said Monday. ... more
Despite culls, import bans, swine fever to hit pork market for yearsHanoi (AFP) June 4, 2019 Millions of pigs have been culled as African Swine Fever cuts through China and beyond, devastating global food chains, with pork prices expected to soar from the food markets of Hong Kong to American dinner tables. ... more
Brazil suspends beef exports to China over 'atypical' mad cow caseRio De Janeiro (AFP) June 4, 2019 Brazil's government said Monday it had suspended beef exports to China after an "atypical" case of mad cow disease was identified in the state of Mato Grosso, an agricultural hub. ... 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 | Jun 06 | Jun 05 | Jun 04 | Jun 03 | May 31 |
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The real future food is lab-grown insect meatWashington DC (SPX) Jun 03, 2019 Livestock farming is destroying our planet. It is a major cause of land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degeneration, deforestation - and of course, climate change. P ... more
French watchdog bans sale of common pesticideParis (AFP) May 28, 2019 The French food safety agency ANSES on Tuesday barred the sale of epoxiconazole, a widely-used pesticide, citing a "worrying danger" to humans. ... more
UD researchers examine the age of groundwater in Egyptian aquifersNewark DE (SPX) May 27, 2019 Most of the water used by people in Egypt comes from the Nile River, which originates from precipitation over mountainous areas in the Ethiopian highlands. In areas far from the Nile River Valley, h ... more
Comet Provides New Clues to Origins of Earth's OceansMoffett Field CA (SPX) May 24, 2019 The mystery of why Earth has so much water, allowing our "blue marble" to support an astounding array of life, is clearer with new research into comets. Comets are like snowballs of rock, dust, ice, ... more
Sydney imposes first water restrictions in decadeSydney (AFP) May 28, 2019 Sydney on Tuesday announced its first major water restrictions in a decade, putting limits on homes and businesses amid a record-breaking drought. ... more |
![]() Farmers have less leisure time than hunter-gatherers, study suggests
Trump unveils $16 bn aid for farmers hurt by China trade warWashington (AFP) May 23, 2019 President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a new $16 billion aid package to help farmers caught in the crossfire his trade war with China. ... more |
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Tradition meets tech as Kenya's herders adapt to climate changeMerille, Kenya (AFP) May 24, 2019 For generations, Kaltuma Hassan's clan would study the sky over Kenya's arid north for any sign of rain - some wind here, a wisp of cloud there - to guide their parched livestock to water. ... more
Scientists extract yeast from ancient pottery, recreate 5,000-year-old beerWashington (UPI) May 22, 2019 When researchers in Israel examined fragments of clay jars used to house beer and mead several thousand years ago, they discovered colonies of yeast hiding in the shards' nano-sized pores. ... more
Water cycle wrappedParis (ESA) May 20, 2019 As our climate changes, the availability of freshwater is a growing issue for many people around the world. Understanding the water cycle and how the climate and human usage is causing shifts in nat ... more
Seasonal Monsoon Rains Block Key Ocean CurrentPasadena CA (JPL) May 20, 2019 Our oceans and the complex "conveyer belt" system of currents that connects them play an important role in regulating global climate. The oceans store heat from the Sun, and ocean currents transport ... more
Swine fever sending pork prices higherParis (AFP) May 20, 2019 In a cruel irony in the Chinese Year of the Pig, outbreaks of African Swine Fever are forcing huge culls that could send pork prices to levels never seen before. ... more |
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New mineral classification system captures Earth's complex past Washington DC (SPX) Jun 04, 2019
The first minerals to form in the universe were nanocrystalline diamonds, which condensed from gases ejected when the first generation of stars exploded. Diamonds that crystallize under the extreme pressure and temperature conditions deep inside of Earth are more typically encountered by humanity. What opportunities for knowledge are lost when mineralogists categorize both the cosmic travelers a ... more |
China's satellite navigation industry scale to exceed 400 billion yuan in 2020 Beijing (XNA) May 27, 2019
The output value of China's satellite navigation industry is expected to surpass 400 billion yuan (about 57.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020, according to the ongoing 10th China Satellite Navigation Conference on Thursday.
"Currently, we have built the complete industry chain which is made up of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) basic products, application terminals and systems, ... more |
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A forest 'glow' reveals awakening from hibernation Salt Lake City, UT (SPX) May 28, 2019
Winters in the northern hemisphere are brutal. The harsh conditions drive some species to hibernate; bears reduce their metabolic state to conserve energy until spring. Forests also endure winter by conserving energy; they shut down photosynthesis, the process by which a green pigment called chlorophyll captures sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce the chemical energy that fuels the plan ... more |
Plastic water bottles may one day fly people cross-country Richland WA (SPX) Jun 04, 2019
A research group led by Washington State University scientists has found a way to turn daily plastic waste products into jet fuel.
In a new paper published in the journal Applied Energy, WSU's Hanwu Lei and colleagues melted plastic waste at high temperature with activated carbon, a processed carbon with increased surface area, to produce jet fuel.
"Waste plastic is a huge problem wo ... more |
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New York state winters could pose solar farm 'ramping' snag for power grid Ithaca NY (SPX(SPX) Jun 03, 2019
By adding utility-scale solar farms throughout New York state, summer electricity demand from conventional sources could be reduced by up to 9.6 percent in some places.
But Cornell University engineers caution that upstate winters tell a different tale. With low energy demand around midday in the winter, combined with solar-electricity production, New York's power system could face volatil ... more |
Can sound protect eagles from wind turbine collisions? Washington DC (SPX) May 23, 2019
Every year, bald and golden eagles are killed when they inadvertently fly into wind turbine blades. One possible way to prevent these deaths is to chase the birds away with acoustic signals - sound. To determine what types of sounds are most effective in deterring the birds, researchers at the University of Minnesota and their colleagues tested the behavioral responses of bald eagles to a batter ... more |
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Chile to close eight coal-fired power stations Santiago (AFP) June 4, 2019
Chile announced Tuesday it would close eight coal-fired power stations over the next five years as part of a plan to switch entirely to renewable energy by 2040.
The closures, announced by Chile's conservative President Sebastian Pinera, account for 20 percent of the country's energy capacity, or 23,000 megawatts.
"The steps that we are announcing today are a concrete and real way of tra ... more |
Hong Kong remembers Tiananmen, fearful for its own future Hong Kong (AFP) June 4, 2019 Crowds began arriving for a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong on Tuesday evening marking 30 years since China's bloody Tiananmen crackdown, a gathering tinged with symbolism as the city struggles to preserve its own cherished freedoms.
The eye-catching spectacle - in which tens of thousands of Hong Kongers clutch candles, sing songs and listen to emotional speeches - is the only place in Chin ... more |
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Robots activated by water may be the next frontier New York NY (SPX(SPX) Jun 03, 2019
New research from the laboratory of Ozgur Sahin, associate professor of biological sciences and physics at Columbia University, shows that materials can be fabricated to create soft actuators - devices that convert energy into physical motion - that are strong and flexible, and, most important, resistant to water damage.
"There's a growing trend of making anything we interact with and touc ... more |
India rubbish mountain to rise higher than Taj Mahal New Delhi (AFP) June 4, 2019
India's tallest rubbish mountain in New Delhi is on course to rise higher than the Taj Mahal in the next year, becoming a fetid symbol for what the UN considers the world's most polluted capital.
Hawks and other birds of prey hover around the towering Ghazipur landfill on the eastern fringe of New Delhi, stray cows, dogs and rats wander at will over the huge expanse of smoking filth.
Tak ... more |
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Forest fires accelerating snowmelt across western US, study finds Portland OR (SPX) May 07, 2019
Forest fires are causing snow to melt earlier in the season, a trend occurring across the western U.S. that may affect water supplies and trigger even more fires, according to a new study by a team of researchers at Portland State University (PSU) , the Desert Research Institute (DRI), and the University of Nevada, Reno.
It's a cycle that will only be exacerbated as the frequency, duration ... more |
Earth's rotation is helping mix the water in Italy's Lake Garda Washington (UPI) Jun 5, 2019
The rotation of the Earth is encouraging the mixing of water in Italy's picturesque Lake Garda, according to the findings of a new study.
Ventilation and water mixing are essential for lake ecosystems. New research, published this week in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests the rotation of the Earth aids water mixing in long, narrow lakes like Lake Garda.
Scientists in the N ... more |
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Tornado strikes Canada capital region, no injuries Ottawa (AFP) June 3, 2019
A tornado on Sunday knocked down trees and damaged homes in Ottawa as it ripped through parts of Canada's capital and the surrounding Quebec province.
No injuries were reported.
Environment Canada issued a weather warning just before 6 pm local time, saying a funnel cloud had been spotted at the Gatineau airport, moving eastward.
Images and video of the tornado soon spread on social ... more |
China to investigate FedEx: state media Beijing (AFP) June 1, 2019 Chinese authorities will investigate US delivery company FedEx over harming the interests of its clients, state media reported Saturday.
FedEx earlier this week apologised for misrouting some Huawei parcels after the Chinese telecom giant said it was reviewing its ties with the package service over the incident.
"Related Chinese government departments announced on June 1 that because US ... more |
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The sun follows the rhythm of the planets Dresden, Germany (SPX) May 30, 2019
One of the big questions in solar physics is why the Sun's activity follows a regular cycle of 11 years. Researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), an independent German research institute, now present new findings, indicating that the tidal forces of Venus, Earth and Jupiter influence the solar magnetic field, thus governing the solar cycle.
In principle, it is not ... more |
Frogs find disease-free haven in New Guinea, scientists want to keep it that way Washington (UPI) Jun 3, 2019
The island of New Guinea in the Indonesian archipelago remains one of the last refuges free of chytrid fungus, a deadly frog infection that has already wiped out 90 frog species around the world.
The authors of a new study, published this week in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, have a plan to keep New Guinea disease free and its frog population healthy, but they sa ... more |
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