Washington DC (SPX) Jul 27, 2020 Following reports that Brazil’s current deforestation rate – 1 million hectares – is the highest in a decade, a peer-reviewed study published in Science finds that 18-22%, and possibly more, of Brazil’s annual exports to the European Union are potentially contaminated with illegal deforestation, while identifying for the first time the specific producers of soy in Brazil responsible for … Continue reading Revealing Brazil’s rotten agribusinesses

Leipzig, Germany (SPX) Jul 27, 2020 Covid-19 and the associated global economic, health and societal distortions have shed light on the alarming threat of infectious diseases emerging at an increasing rate. Around 60 percent of emergent infectious diseases are zoonotic, originating in animals; among the most prominent are Sars, Mers, Ebola, HIV and Covid-19. More than two-thirds of those originate in wild species. Many voices … Continue reading Clear strategies needed to reduce bushmeat hunting

Paris (AFP) July 22, 2020 Renewable energy sources such as the wind and the sun overtook fossil fuels as the European Union’s main generators of electricity in the first half of this year, according to a new report published on Wednesday. “In the first half of 2020, renewables – wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy – generated 40 percent of of the EU-27’s electricity, whereas fossil … Continue reading Renewables now EU’s biggest source of electricity: study

New York (AFP) July 21, 2020 Nine global corporations unveiled an initiative Tuesday to step up efforts to move to a “net zero” carbon emissions society, while Apple announced its own plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. A new coalition including US-based Microsoft, Germany’s Mercedes-Benz AG, France’s Danone and Anglo-Dutch Unilever aims to “develop and deliver research, guidance, and implementable roadmaps to enable allhttp://dlvr.it/RcHKjP Continue reading New corporate initiatives aim for carbon neutrality

Panic buying and competition for consumer attention between in-store and online transactions have created a brave new world of retail that is bound to continue into a post-pandemic reality. The E-Commerce Times reached out to several firms that guide brands on how to prepare for, and adapt to, changes in consumer behavior and product demand — and what this means for the future of retail.http://dlvr.it/RcHKP6 Continue reading Panic Buying Sparks New E-Tail Strategies

Seoul (AFP) July 22, 2020 A huge fleet of Chinese fishing boats has been operating illegally in North Korean waters catching hundreds of millions of dollars worth of squid, a study showed Wednesday. The competition from hundreds of larger, better-equipped Chinese vessels was forcing North Korean fishermen to poach in Russian waters, according to a group of international researchers involved in the Global Fishing Watchttp://dlvr.it/RcCbPT Continue reading Chinese vessels fishing illegally in N.Korea waters: study

Phoenix AZ (SPX) Jul 17, 2020 Honeywell is introducing the HGuide n380, a new inertial navigation system that communicates position, orientation and velocity of an object – such as an autonomous vehicle or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – even when global navigation satellite signals are unavailable. Smaller, lighter and lower-priced than previous Honeywell inertial navigation systems, the HGuide n380 is built using Honeywellhttp://dlvr.it/RcCbNZ Continue reading Honeywell expands navigation options for precise data in areas without GPS

Ann Arbor MI (SPX) Jul 20, 2020 A new robotic prosthetic leg prototype offers a more natural gait while also being quieter and more energy efficient than other designs. The key is the use of new small and powerful motors, originally designed for a robotic arm on the International Space Station. The streamlined design offers a free-swinging knee and regenerative braking, which charges the battery … Continue reading Space station motors make a robotic prosthetic leg more comfortable, extend battery life

Dhaka (AFP) July 21, 2020 Deadly flooding will persist in Bangladesh for the next 10 days, officials warned Tuesday, as South Asia battles torrential monsoon rains which have already pounded the region for weeks. In flood-prone Bangladesh – where almost one-third of the impoverished nation is underwater – officials warned of an extended disaster in one of the worst deluges in recent years. “The flood … Continue reading Bangladesh faces further flood crisis in monsoon-hit South Asia

Washington (AFP) July 21, 2020 Facebook placed an informational disclaimer Tuesday on a post from President Donald Trump claiming mail-in voting would lead to a “corrupt” election. The move, without removing the post, appears to follow through on the social network giant’s pledge to step up efforts to fight misinformation, including from world leaders, shifting slightly from its hands-off policy on political speech. Thttp://dlvr.it/Rc78y2 Continue reading Facebook slaps disclaimer on Trump post on mail voting