Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

March 03, 2015

New NASA Soil Moisture Mapper Completes Key Milestone
Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 03, 2015
Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, today sent commands to unfurl the massive 20-foot-wide (6-meter) reflector antenna on NASA's new Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, launched Jan. 31. The deployment of the mesh reflector antenna, which supports the collection of SMAP's radar and radiometer instrument measurements in space, marks a key milestone in commissioning the satellite. SMAP will soon begin its three-year science mission to map glo ... read more

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Africa, From a CATS Point of View From Saharan dust storms to icy clouds to smoke on the opposite side of the continent, the first image from NASA's newest cloud- and aerosol-measuring instrument provides a profile of the atmosphere ... more		3-D Views of February Snow Storms from GPM The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory captured a 3-D image of a winter storm on Feb. 17, 2015, that left 6 to 12 inches of snow over much of Kentucky, southwestern West Virgini ... more		Cholera epidemic kills 41 in Mozambique The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Mozambique that broke out after widespread flooding has risen by almost 50 percent in two weeks to 41, health officials said Monday. ... more
				Mystery of the reverse-wired eyeball solved From a practical standpoint, the wiring of the human eye - a product of our evolutionary baggage - doesn't make a lot of sense. In vertebrates, photoreceptors are located behind the neurons in the b ... more		Emperor penguins may have suffered in ice age cold: study They prefer freezing conditions but Antarctica's emperor penguins may have struggled with the cold during the last Ice Age when temperatures cooled, a study suggested Monday. ... more

Human 2 Mars Conference Mat 5-7 2015 - Washington DC

Nuclear Decommissioning Conference Europe May 2015

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Salish Sea seagull populations halved since 1980s The number of seagulls in the Strait of Georgia is down by 50 per cent from the 1980s and University of British Columbia researchers say the decline reflects changes in the availability of food. ... more		'Blue-green algae' proliferating in lakes The organisms commonly known as blue-green algae have proliferated much more rapidly than other algae in lakes across North America and Europe over the past two centuries - and in many cases the rat ... more		South Korea pledges to phase out coal plants at COP30 EU defends carbon tax as ministers take over COP30 negotiations Blade-coating advances promise uniform perovskite solar films at industrial scale		Aggressive plant fungus threatens wheat production The spread of exotic and aggressive strains of a plant fungus is presenting a serious threat to wheat production in the UK, according to research published in Genome Biology. The research uses a new ... more
				China's leaders meet with 'rule of law' on agenda When Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to "safeguard the rights of people in line with law" in his New Year address, Xu Liangju was in a cell for seeking government action over the killing of her teenage son. ... more		Smog film goes viral in China with 155 mn views in one day An online documentary on China's notorious smog has become a viral sensation with more than 155 million views just one day after it was released, state media said Monday. ... more

American birders anxious to explore, protect Cuban species With travel and communication beginning to open up between Cuba and United States, biologists and birders - both amateur and formally accredited - are eager to get to the island nation to see the wildlife. ... more		Heavy toll as Australian farmers struggle through drought On the road to Walgett a sign welcomes visitors: "Farming is not a way of life, it keeps everyone alive." But with drought taking a heavy toll on the region, farming has become a battle for survival. ... more		New Laboratory Showcases Advanced Satcom Capabilities for Australian Defence Force Polish PM denounces 'sabotage' of railway line to Ukraine South Korea proposes first military talks with North in years		New media, New China: Xinhua relaunch on barred networks China's official news agency Xinhua has re-launched its English-language presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, it announced - all of which are blocked in China. ... more
Arson to blame for Argentine forest fires: government Fires that have ravaged some 20,000 hectares of forest in Argentina's remote Patagonia region were deliberately set, according to Argentine officials on Monday. ... more		Greenpeace rebukes paper giant over farmer's death Environmental group Greenpeace said Monday it had suspended cooperation with paper giant Asia Pulp and Paper after an Indonesian farmer was allegedly beaten to death by guards linked to the company. ... more		China ivory carving ban a 'symbolic' move: wildlife group Beijing has imposed a one-year ban on imports of ivory carvings as critics say rising Chinese demand threatens African elephants with extinction, but campaigners described the move as "more symbolic than effective" Friday. ... more		China media pooh-pooh Japan's luxury lavatories The built-in bottom washers and pre-warmed seats of Japan's luxury toilets faced a storm in a U-bend on Thursday as Chinese state-run media launched a thunderous tirade against them. ... more

	Hong Kong lawmakers arrested over democracy protests Three Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were arrested and then released Monday over their involvement in mass protests for free elections, the latest targets of a police probe campaigners say is tantamount to intimidation. ... more		Technical problems delay El Salvador vote results Technical problems have prevented election authorities from getting a tally in El Salvador's tightly contested congressional vote, officials said on Monday. ... more

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Giant fire engulfs Argentina's Patagonia region

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Pollution is driving force behind growth of nuisance algal scums

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Climate-warmed leaves change lake ecosystems

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Ocean acidification slows algae growth in the Southern Ocean

New Florida Tech study links coral disease to a warming Atlantic

Parasitism runs deep in malaria's family tree

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Death toll from Afghan avalanches tops 200: officials

French, Philippine leaders appeal for climate action

Supersonic electrons could produce future solar fuel

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