Totnes, United Kingdom (AFP) Dec 9, 2021 Hunched over and heads down in concentration, three workers at Moor Trees, a nursery in southwestern England, shell red seed pods and toss them one by one into a bucket. The seeds are placed in pots and covered in soil, and those which germinate over the next two years will then be planted in the ground and hopefully … Continue reading England tree scheme takes root amid climate emergency

Paris (AFP) Dec 8, 2021 Faced with the prospect that climate change will drive ever deadlier heat waves, rising seas and crop failures that will menace the global food system, countries, corporations and cities appear to have come up with a plan: net zero. The concept is simple: starting now, to ensure that by a certain date – usually 2050 – they absorb as much … Continue reading As climate ‘net-zero’ plans grow, so do concerns from scientists

Paris (AFP) Dec 9, 2021 Pressure on land and water resources has increased and poses a risk to not only feeding the next generation but the environment and security as well, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization warned Thursday. It’s latest report on the state of the world’s limited land and water resources for food production found that many are already stressed, yet face even … Continue reading Poor soil, water putting food security at risk: FAO

Bayonne, France (AFP) Dec 10, 2021 Rivers overflowed their banks across a large swath of southwest France on Friday after heavy rains lashed the region overnight, leading to evacuations of dozens of residents. Warm southern winds that have melted snowbanks in the Pyrenees mountains in recent days also contributed to the flooding, which could persist for several days. “Despite one person injured, we have no … Continue reading Southwest France hit by flooding after heavy rains

Washington DC (UPI) Dec 10, 2021 Speaking “baby talk” to infants not only helps parents and caregivers connect with the young ones in their charge, but it may also help babies learn to make words, a study published Friday by the journal Speech, Language and Hearing found. Mimicking the sound of a smaller vocal tract clues babies into how words should sound coming out of … Continue reading ‘Baby talk’ helps infants learn words, study finds

Boston MA (SPX) Dec 10, 2021 The human gut is home to thousands of species of bacteria, and some of those bacteria have the potential to treat a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. Some species may help to combat colon cancer, while others could help treat or prevent infections such as C. difficile. One of the obstacles to developing these “living biotherapeutics” is that many of … Continue reading A step toward “living biotherapeutics”

Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Dec 10, 2021 We are one of the most medicated generations of humans to live on our planet. Cardiometabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and coronary artery disease continue to increase in prevalence and together constitute the highest cause of mortality worldwide. Affected people often have to take multiple daily medications for months or even years. Researchers from the Bork group … Continue reading The impact of drugs on gut microbes is greater than we thought

Antalya, Turkey (AFP) Dec 10, 2021 Turkey and its neighbours pledged Friday to do a better job addressing the threats posed by pollution to people’s health and the natural habitats of the Mediterranean Sea. From plastic waste to slimy mucilage forming on their coasts, the ring of tourism-dependant Mediterranean countries have battled a steady stream of environmental problems, raising the issue’s importance in voters’ eyes.http://dlvr.it/SF9jx7 Continue reading Turkey and neighbours pledge to clean up Mediterranean

Istanbul (AFP) Dec 11, 2021 Shrouded by acrid smoke, a young Afghan crouches sorting waste he has pulled from the trash bins of Istanbul, anxious that Turkey will soon strip him of even this subsistence. “I start at eight in the morning and finish at eight at night,” said Issam Raffur, who has spent four of his 20 years in Turkey. “It is very hard … Continue reading Illegal but essential, migrants recycle Istanbul’s waste

Bremen, Germany (SPX) Dec 09, 2021 As a natural sink for carbon, the ocean is a central element of the Earth’s climate system. The amount of carbon removed from the system in the long run depends on how much particles containing carbon are stored in the seabed. Here, the availability of dissolved oxygen is of central importance, as it is consumed during the microbial decomposition … Continue reading Reduced ocean circulation during ice age increased carbon storage in the deep sea