Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

September 25, 2014

Termites evolved complex bioreactors 30 million years ago
Copenhagen, Denmark (SPX) Sep 25, 2014
Achieving complete breakdown of plant biomass for energy conversion in industrialized bioreactors remains a complex challenge, but new research shows that termite fungus farmers solved this problem more than 30 million years ago. The new insight reveals that the great success of termite farmers as plant decomposers is due to division of labor between a fungus breaking down complex plant components and gut bacteria contributing enzymes for final digestion. b>Sophisticated management in termite fun ... read more

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Snail shells show high-rise plateau is much lower than it used to be The Tibetan Plateau in south-central Asia, because of its size, elevation and impact on climate, is one of the world's greatest geological oddities. At about 960,000 square miles it covers sli ... more		Nanotubes help healing hearts keep the beat Carbon nanotubes serve as bridges that allow electrical signals to pass unhindered through new pediatric heart-defect patches invented at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital. A team led by ... more		Water-quality trading can reduce river pollution Allowing polluters to buy, sell or trade water-quality credits could significantly reduce pollution in river basins and estuaries faster and at lower cost than requiring the facilities to meet compl ... more
				Big changes in the Sargasso Sea Over one thousand miles wide and three thousand miles long, the Sargasso Sea occupies almost two thirds of the North Atlantic Ocean. Within the sea, circling ocean currents accumulate mats of Sargas ... more		Politics Divide Coastal Residents' Views of Environment From the salmon-rich waters of Southeast Alaska to the white sand beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast to Downeast Maine's lobster, lumber and tourist towns, coastal residents around the U.S. share a com ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Researchers develop unique waste cleanup for rural areas Washington State University researchers have developed a unique method to use microbes buried in pond sediment to power waste cleanup in rural areas. The first microbe-powered, self-sustaining ... more		CO2 emissions set to reach new 40 billion ton record high in 2014 Carbon dioxide emissions, the main contributor to global warming, are set to rise again in 2014 - reaching a record high of 40 billion tonnes. The 2.5 per cent projected rise in burning fossil ... more		AALTO plans Zephyr stratospheric hub in northern Australia and seeks local payload partners Ancient guano drove Chincha coastal power UAH lands first DARPA award for biological sciences department		Changes in coastal upwelling linked to temporary declines in marine ecosystem In findings of relevance to both conservationists and the fishing industry, new research links short-term reductions in growth and reproduction of marine animals off the California Coast to increasi ... more
				NASA, Partners Target Megacities Carbon Emissions Driving down busy Interstate 5 in Los Angeles in a nondescript blue Toyota Prius, Riley Duren of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is a man on a mission as he surveys the vast ... more		Wasp 'SWAT team' to the rescue of Indonesian cassava crop An "eco-friendly SWAT team" of 2,000 tiny wasps was released in Indonesia Wednesday to battle bugs threatening to devour cassava crops, a major staple and source of income for millions. ... more

Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun; A Japanese Solar Venture - by Bradley L. Bartz

Climate: Now to turn summit prose into action Having renewed their commitment to saving Earth's climate, governments face daunting challenges in the coming months to draft a global pact and set targets for slashing carbon emissions, analysts said Wednesday. ... more		Turkish leader presses Europe on Syria refugees Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday urged European governments to provide greater support to Syrian refugees after the launch of Western airstrikes in the country. ... more		Sidekick autonomy software guides YFQ-42A test mission for CCA program Infleqtion lists shares on NYSE as neutral atom quantum firm Top Chinese gaming companies continue to challenge		Guilt-free doughnuts: UN summit hails palm oil pledges Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme joined a raft of international food companies pledging Tuesday at a UN Summit to stop using palm oil, considered a major contributor to deforestation. ... more
Los Cabos celebrity haunt races to recover from storm Mexico's popular Los Cabos beach resort, a favorite haunt of US tourists and celebrities, is scrambling to clean up the destruction left by Hurricane Odile before its peak season starts. ... more		Floods kill at least 55 in northeast India At least 55 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in flash floods and mudslides in India's northeast after days of heavy rain, local authorities said Wednesday. ... more		US, EU outrage over life sentence for Uighur scholar Outraged Western powers have rounded on China over a life sentence handed to a prominent Uighur academic, accusing Beijing of silencing a moderate voice in a move that analysts say risks inflaming tensions in the restive Xinjiang region. ... more		Chimps raised by humans don't get along with other chimps It's estimated there are more than 700 pet chimpanzees currently living in the United States, many of them smuggled illegally from Africa. Should any of these 700 chimp owners grow disenchanted as their adorable infant quickly turns into a moody 200-pound ape - and many will - they'll likely call a local zoo or wildlife organization. ... more

	Hong Kong students march on financial district Striking students marched on Hong Kong's financial district Wednesday, taking their protest for greater democratic rights to the commercial centre for the first time. ... more		US capital votes to allow concealed firearms City council members voted unanimously but reluctantly Tuesday to allow residents and visitors alike to carry concealed weapons n the streets of the US capital. ... more

Curiosity Rover Uncovers Diverse Organic Molecules on Mars in First-of-Its-Kind Chemical Test

SETI Institute Launches Lab to Study Human Dimensions of Finding Life Beyond Earth

JWST reveals water-ice clouds on a cold Jupiter-mass world

China puts former top economic planner on trial		US tests for toxic spill from Mexico mine		UN summit urges ambitious climate deal		Genetic switch regulates a plant's internal clock based on temperature		Study assess impact of temperature on soil decomposition
Microplastic pollution discovered in St. Lawrence River sediments		UTSA microbiologists discover regulatory thermometer that controls cholera		Answer to restoring lost island biodiversity found in fossils		Insects' fear limits boost from climate change		2014 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Sixth Lowest on Record

Sensing Neuronal Activity With Light

White tiger kills youth at New Delhi zoo

Kurdish refugees in Turkey adjust to harsh new reality

Alarm over fate of monarch butterfly

US tests for toxic spill from Mexico mine

World urged to change course at UN climate summit

OSI laying off hundreds from troubled China food plant

UN summit urges ambitious climate deal

Artificial 'beaks' that collect water from fog: A drought solution?

Antifreeze proteins in Antarctic fishes prevent freezing...and melting

Nile River monitoring influences North-East Africa's future

The future of global agriculture may include new land, fewer harvests

Indonesia faces challenging problems to quell ongoing forest fires

More land, fewer harvests

Boosting global corn yields depends on improving nutrient balance

Smithsonian Scientists Discover Tropical Tree Microbiome in Panama

Fossil fuel divestment brightens climate summit

Auf Wiedersehen to plastic at Berlin's no-packaging store

Sandia magnetized fusion technique produces significant results

Los Alamos researchers uncover new properties in nanocomposite oxide ceramics for reactor fuel, fast-ion conductors

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