Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

February 19, 2015

UI engineers find switchgrass removes PCBs from soils
Ames IO (SPX) Feb 19, 2015
University of Iowa researchers have found a type of grass that was once a staple of the American prairie can remove soil laden with PCBs, toxic chemicals once used for cooling and other industrial purposes. The researchers report that switchgrass successfully removed up to 40 percent of the PCBs from contaminated soils in lab experiments. When boosted by a PCB-oxidizing microorganism, the removal rate reached 47 percent. The finding may lead to a natural, environmentally friendly approach to ... read more

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Turning smartphones into personal, real-time pollution monitors As urban residents know, air quality is a big deal. When local pollution levels go up, the associated health risks also increase, especially for children and seniors. But air pollution varies widely ... more		Ancient rocks show life could have flourished on Earth 3.2 billion years ago A spark from a lightning bolt, interstellar dust, or a subsea volcano could have triggered the very first life on Earth. But what happened next? Life can exist without oxygen, but without plentiful ... more		New ozone-destroying gases on the rise Scientists report that chemicals that are not controlled by a United Nations treaty designed to protect the Ozone Layer are contributing to ozone depletion. In the new study, published in Nature Geo ... more
				Potential new breathalyzer for lung cancer screening Researchers from Chongqing University in China have developed a high sensitive fluorescence-based sensor device that can rapidly identify cancer related volatile organic compounds - biomarkers foun ... more		Researcher finds evidence of climate change in ancient Northern China Using a relatively new scientific dating technique, a Baylor University geologist and a team of international researchers were able to document--for the first time--a drastic climate change 4,200 ye ... more

Nuclear Decommissioning Conference Europe May 2015

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Mapping seascapes in the deep ocean Researchers from University of Southampton have developed a new, automated method for classifying hundreds of miles of the deep sea floor, in a way that is more cost efficient, quicker and more obje ... more		Size matters to adapt to diverse environments and avoid extinction A new University of Toronto study may force scientists to rethink what is behind the mass extinction of amphibians occurring worldwide in the face of climate change, disease and habitat loss. ... more		South Korea pledges to phase out coal plants at COP30 Wearable Lets Users Control Machines and Robots While on the Move Gold electron spins mapped in full resolve decades-old surface debate		Heavy snowstorm causes travel chaos in Istanbul A heavy fall of snow on Wednesday caused travel chaos in Istanbul, forcing the temporary closure of Turkey's main airport and causing hundreds of traffic accidents. ... more
				New map of human epigenomes is most expansive ever At team of geneticists from across the country have built the most comprehensive map of human epigenomes - both expansive and detailed. It's the culmination of almost a decade of research into gene expression. ... more		New drug shields monkeys from AIDS: study Scientists said Wednesday a new drug tested on monkeys provided an astonishingly effective shield against an animal version of the AIDS virus, a major gain in the quest for an HIV vaccine. ... more

Pygmy attacks on Bantu rivals in DR Congo leave 27 dead: UN Pygmy militia attacks against Bantu villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week claimed the lives of 27 people, the United Nations said on Wednesday. ... more		MIT creates self-assembling underwater chair Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a chair that uses magnets to assemble itself from six pieces underwater. ... more		Zelensky meets Macron seeking air defence deal for Ukraine: AFP New Laboratory Showcases Advanced Satcom Capabilities for Australian Defence Force Polish PM denounces 'sabotage' of railway line to Ukraine		Dutch 'put production before safety' in quake-hit area A Dutch public commission said Wednesday government and energy companies had put production ahead of safety in Europe's biggest gas field, triggering a series of minor earthquakes. ... more
Chinese MH370 relatives protest at Malaysia PM's office Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers gathered outside the Malaysian prime minister's office Wednesday to demand his government rescind its declaration that all on board the plane were presumed dead. ... more		Flu shot protects against new strain H7N9: study The flu vaccine may not have protected most people against influenza circulating widely this season, but a study Tuesday showed it was effective against the new H7N9 strain that emerged in China in 2013. ... more		Chinese cosmetic tourists reap regret in South Korea Chinese businesswoman Chen Yili paid a South Korean hospital thousands of dollars to reshape her face in the hope she would look more like the glamorous stars she saw on television. ... more		Shanghai gets muted Chinese New Year after crush Shanghai is toning down Chinese New Year celebrations by cancelling events and limiting people at tourist spots after a stampede killed 36 people seven weeks earlier. ... more

	Nigerian military claims success, civilians killed in air strike Nigeria on Wednesday claimed to have killed more than 300 Boko Haram militants in a counter-offensive, as Chad pushed into rebel-held areas but an air strike left at least 20 civilians dead. ... more		Australia mulls tougher food screening after China hepatitis scare Tougher food screening measures could be introduced in Australia with frozen berries from China linked to a growing number of hepatitis A infections, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said Wednesday. ... more

Can America Beat China Back to the Moon?

Copernicus Sentinel-6B begins mission to advance ocean science

PLD Space expands rocket subsystem testing leadership in Europe

Capturing and storing carbon in soil: Is it real and can it scale?		Distant species produce love child after 60 million year breakup		Thames study: Rivers can be a source antibiotic resistance		Complex nerve signaling traced back to common ancestor		Finding winners and losers in global land use
Large scale study warns of unsustainable ecological decline in rural China		World crop diversity survives in small urban and rural farms		Genetic evidence shows penguins have 'bad taste'		Harm and response		NASA measures frigid cloud top temps of the Arctic air outbreak

Going negative

Plants survive better through mass extinctions than animals

More infectious diseases emerging because of climate change

Yet another blizzard hits US east coast

Snow, ice, cold: Winter piles on in eastern US

Lengthy tails of luna moths deflect bat attacks

Scientists sound storm warning on African climate change

China man gets $189,000 for six years on death row

Minor tsunami hits Japan after undersea quake

Climate change hampering world food production: scientists

Iran MPs wear medical face masks to protest pollution

Warring forces in South Sudan 'recruiting children': rights group

Philippine military seeks to quell coup rumours

Scuba divers lead charge against invasive lionfish

Wild ponies ride to the rescue of unique Czech ecosystem

Limited climate change accord likely in Paris: IPCC expert

Hong Kong captain jailed for 8 years over ferry tragedy

Big Yang Theory: Chinese year of the sheep or the goat?

China approves Asian bid for Australian food group

New paper-like material could boost electric vehicle batteries

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