|
|
New solar panel produces electricity and clean water![]() Washington (UPI) Jul 10, 2019 Electricity and clean water are two of the world's biggest needs - and scientists in Saudi Arabia may have a solution. According to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, engineers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have developed a solar panel that produces electricity and clean water. The technology's creators said water and energy production are interconnected. Solar farms use fresh water to keep their panels dust-free and operating a maximum e ... read more |
When Drought Threatens Crops: NASA's Role in Famine WarningsGreenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 02, 2019 NASA's satellite imagery and model forecasts regularly help agricultural and aid agencies to monitor the performance of crops worldwide and prepare for food shortages. "In the 1970's the U.S. ... more
Managing Freshwater Across the United StatesGreenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 05, 2019 The varied landscapes of the United States have unique relationships with water. On the East Coast, rain is a regular occurrence. In the West, drought is a constant threat. Rivers and lakes fed by r ... more
Monsoon rains soak India's financial capitalMumbai (AFP) July 1, 2019 Heavy rains flooded parts of India's financial capital of Mumbai on Monday, as the country's four-month summer monsoon swung into full force. ... more
Insecticides that threaten bees also harm damselflies, study findsWashington (UPI) Jul 5, 2019 New research suggests damselflies are being harmed by thiacloprid, a common neonicotinoid insecticide used by farmers to kill aphids and whiteflies. ... 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 |
|
|

| Previous Issues | Jul 10 | Jul 09 | Jul 08 | Jul 05 | Jul 04 |
|
Lithuania declares emergency as drought hits farmersVilnius (AFP) July 3, 2019 Lithuania declared an emergency on Wednesday as a severe drought hit the Baltic EU state, threatening to slash this year's harvest by up to half. ... more
Cooler for parts of Europe, Spain battles wildfiresParis (AFP) June 30, 2019 A welcome temperature drop came to western parts of Europe on Sunday, after almost a week-long heatwave, but hundreds of Spanish firefighters and soldiers continued to battle three major blazes. ... more
More Manila water shortages ahead as reservoir feeding city driesBulacan, Philippines (AFP) July 1, 2019 Fishermen now pick their catch from the shallow, muddy slosh of the depleted reservoir which feeds the Philippine capital, as drought once again leaves Manila residents with up to 17-hour-a-day water shortages. ... more
The Water Future of Earth's 'Third Pole'Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 27, 2019 Himalaya. Karakoram. Hindu Kush. The names of Asia's high mountain ranges conjure up adventure to those living far away, but for more than a billion people, these are the names of their most reliabl ... more
Health warnings and speed limits as Europe bakes in heatwaveParis (AFP) June 25, 2019 As Europe sizzled Tuesday at the start of a heatwave tipped to break records, drivers on Germany's famously speedy motorways were ordered to slow down and fans at the women's World Cup were showered in health warnings. ... more |
![]() Dry lakebeds and fights for water as drought grips India's
Bordeaux winemakers cheer heatwave: 'It's magic!'Bordeaux (AFP) June 26, 2019 The heatwave that is roasting parts of Europe is more than welcome in the French region of Bordeaux, where wine producers say a sudden intense burst of sun after a wet spring could produce a superior vintage. ... more |
|
Canada, China diplomatic row provokes farm troublesSaint-Thomas, Canada (AFP) June 27, 2019 Quebec hog farmer Serge Menard is worried about the future of his herd and his farm in the wake of China's ban on Canadian meat exports - the latest screw to turn in an escalating diplomatic row. ... more
Looking for freshwater in all the snowy placesGreenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 21, 2019 Snowflakes that cover mountains or linger under tree canopies are a vital freshwater resource for over a billion people around the world. To help determine how much freshwater is stored in snow, a t ... more
Scientists map huge undersea fresh-water aquifer off US NortheastNew York NY (SPX) Jun 24, 2019 In a new survey of the sub-seafloor off the U.S. Northeast coast, scientists have made a surprising discovery: a gigantic aquifer of relatively fresh water trapped in porous sediments lying below th ... more
Qu Dongyu becomes first Chinese to head UN food agency FAORome (AFP) June 23, 2019 Qu Dongyu on Sunday became the first Chinese national to be elected to head the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, clinching the post in the first round of voting. ... more
Rare wolf killed in Bangladesh after first appearance in decadesDhaka (AFP) June 16, 2019 The first Indian grey wolf to be seen in Bangladesh in eight decades has been beaten to death by farmers after preying on their livestock, wildlife experts said Sunday. ... more |
|
|
|
|
Animal observation system ICARUS is switched on Konstanz, Germany (SPX) Jul 09, 2019
The International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS) is a cooperative project between the Russian space agency Roscosmos and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) under the leadership of Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz.
With the space-based observation system, scientists want to find out m ... more |
Second Lockheed Martin-Built GPS III Satellite Ready for July 25 Liftoff TITusville FL (SPX) Jul 09, 2019
The GPS satellite constellation is about to get its next heathy dose of new technology and more advanced capabilities. The second next-generation, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)-built GPS III satellite - nick-named "Magellan" by the U.S. Air Force - is sealed up and ready for its planned July 25 launch.
On June 26, Lockheed Martin Space and United Launch Alliance (ULA) technicians completed en ... more |
|
|
Gabon's timber industry reeling after corruption scandal Libreville (AFP) July 7, 2019
Tropical timber is piling up at Gabon's main port as the country's logging industry reels from a corruption scandal that brought down the vice president and ushered in a veteran environmentalist to oversee its forestry.
Wood is big money in the central African nation, which is almost 80 percent covered by forests. The timber industry accounts for 17,000 jobs and 60 percent of non-oil related ... more |
Applying pressure is way toward generating more electricity from waste heat Osaka, Japan (SPX) Jul 01, 2019
Researchers at Osaka University have been able to enhance the power factor of a promising thermoelectric material by more than 100% by varying the pressure, paving the way for new materials with improved thermoelectric properties. Thermoelectric materials have the unique ability to generate electricity from temperature differences and therefore could potentially be used to convert otherwise wast ... more |
|
|
Organic solar cells will last 10 years in space Moscow, Russia (SPX) Jul 11, 2019
Scientists from the Skoltech Center for Energy Science and Technology, the Institute for Problems of Chemical Physics of RAS, and the Department of Chemistry of MSU presented solar cells based on conjugated polymers and fullerene derivatives, that demonstrated record-high radiation stability and withstand gamma radiation of >6,000 Gy raising hopes for their stable operation on the near-earth orb ... more |
Stanford study shows how to improve production at wind farms Stanford CA (SPX) Jul 10, 2019
Solitary wind turbines produce the most power when pointing directly into the wind. But when tightly packed lines of turbines face the wind on wind farms, wakes from upstream generators can interfere with those downstream. Like a speedboat slowed by choppy water from a boat in front, the wake from a wind turbine reduces the output of those behind it.
Pointing turbines slightly away from on ... more |
|
|
Indian tycoon Adani rejects Australian mine criticism New Delhi (AFP) July 9, 2019
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani rejected criticism over the environmental impact of a huge coal mine planned by his company in Australia, saying renewables can't meet all his country's energy needs.
Conservationists have condemned the Adani plan, saying it will contribute to global warming, threaten local vulnerable species, and impact the already-damaged Great Barrier Reef.
Adani aims t ... more |
Protesters unmoved as Hong Kong leader says China extradition bill 'dead' Hong Kong (AFP) July 9, 2019 Hong Kong's embattled pro-Beijing leader on Tuesday said a China extradition bill that sparked unprecedented political unrest "is dead" - but protesters immediately dismissed her comments, threatening more mass rallies.
The international finance hub has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by a month of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets o ... more |
|
|
Tiny motor can 'walk' to carry out tasks Boston MA (SPX) Jul 08, 2019
Years ago, MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld had an audacious thought. Struck by the fact that all the world's living things are built out of combinations of just 20 amino acids, he wondered: Might it be possible to create a kit of just 20 fundamental parts that could be used to assemble all of the different technological products in the world?
Gershenfeld and his students have been making st ... more |
Cruise ship in Venice near-miss just weeks after dock incident Rome (AFP) July 8, 2019
A giant cruise ship very narrowly missed a yacht while being towed out of Venice late Sunday, just a month after a collision there renewed the controversy over the giant vessels.
The 12-deck Costa Deliziosa, which is nearly 300 metres (1,000 feet) long and carries more than 3,800 passengers and crew, was being towed out in stormy conditions when the near-miss happened.
A video posted by ... more |
|
|
A drier future sets the stage for more wildfires Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 11, 2019
November 8, 2018 was a dry day in Butte County, California. The state was in its sixth consecutive year of drought, and the county had not had a rainfall event producing more than a half inch of rain for seven months. The dry summer had parched the spring vegetation, and the strong northeasterly winds of autumn were gusting at 35 miles per hour and rising, creating red flag conditions: Any plann ... more |
Hundreds of sharks snarled by plastic in the world's oceans, scientists warn Washington (UPI) Jul 5, 2019
New research suggest previous studies have underestimated the number of sharks and rays entangled in plastic. The problem is likely much worse than scientists realized.
Researchers at the University of Exeter scanned the scientific literature, as well as Twitter, for reports of sharks and rays found tangled in plastic debris. The research team uncovered evidence of 1,000 entangled indiv ... more |
|
|
Alaska heat wave shatters city's record, disrupts jobs and lives Los Angeles (AFP) July 5, 2019
Temperatures in Alaska's largest city Anchorage have soared to a sweltering all-time record of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 centigrade) as a heat wave grips the US state which straddles the Arctic Circle.
Fourth of July fireworks were canceled due to risk of wildfires caused by "extreme dry weather conditions," as temperatures matching those in Miami highlighted rapid warming in a region consid ... more |
US slaps new duties on steel from Mexico and China Washington (AFP) July 8, 2019
The United States announced fresh duties on some Mexican and Chinese steel goods on Monday, saying those countries helped their manufacturers with unfair subsidies.
The decision comes two months after President Donald Trump agreed to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico and Canada after the three nations agreed on a revised North American free trade pact.
The Commerce Departmen ... more |
|
|
Details of Solar Science Mission Revealed at UK Astronomy Meeting London, UK (SPX) Jul 05, 2019
Named after a Celtic goddess of the Sun, SULIS is a UK-led solar science mission, designed to answer fundamental questions about the physics of solar storms. The mission consists of a cluster of small satellites and will carefully monitor solar storms using state-of-the-art UK technology, as well as demonstrating new technologies in space. Lead Investigator on the project, Dr. Eamon Scullion of ... more |
When spiders leave the nest, they turn aggressive Washington (UPI) Jul 2, 2019
Spiders who exhibit sociability and tolerance when they're first born often become aggressive when they leave the nest and plot out on their own. Now, scientists are beginning to understand why.
Most spiders are solitary creatures and, like other solitary animals, solo spiders tend to behave aggressively toward other spiders. But most spiders aren't born aggressive. Spiderlings spend th ... more |
|
| Buy Advertising | Media Advertising Kit | Editorial & Other Enquiries | Privacy statement |
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement |