Agri-environment schemes (AES) have been implemented throughout Europe to mitigate against the negative effects of agricultural intensification. Although these schemes have shown positive effects on the abundance and richness of certain species and taxa, the impact of AES on reproduction of target species at the local and landscape scale is poorly understood. This large-scale study looked for the effect of selected AE measures on bumblebee reproduction. Results indicate that bumblebee reproduction is significantly higher on sown flower patches when compared to conventional management. Although the increase is most pronounced at the plot scale, higher reproduction was found in landscapes surrounding larger sown plots (at least one hectare) compared to smaller sown plots.

Considering the impact on soil carbon, biodiversity and ecotoxicity is important when assessing the environmental footprint of dairy products, suggests a new study, which explored the impacts of organic and conventional milk production in three types of system established in Western Europe. The study found that organic milk production had a significantly lower impact on ecotoxicity and biodiversity than conventional milk production, and suggests that including soil carbon changes in the assessment would result in greater reductions in the carbon footprint of organic, rather than conventional, milk — in some cases by up to 18%.

Electronic waste (e-waste) contains a large variety of heavy metals which threaten the environment and human health. New research has assessed environmental and technological preferences for materials in products of individuals within the US electronics industry. Strict international legislation, such as the EU's RoHS Directive, was found to reduce the use of lead for companies that market their products abroad.

A new study has evaluated disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed during the treatment of ballast water. As some of the DBPs produced are hazardous, the study concludes that more information is needed to ensure DBPs from treatment methods do not harm human health or aquatic environments.

A recent study has described a simple method to screen the toxicity of materials used in consumer products. Using utility meter products as examples, the study found, for example, that stainless steel and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) had high toxicity potentials and suggests less toxic, but equally effective and priced, alternatives that could be used instead.

Farmers could help to maintain populations of bees and other pollinators by sowing inexpensive seed mixes on their land, a new study suggests. Researchers surveyed pollinators visiting study plots in Berkshire, UK, and explored how sowing different seed mixes and using different management techniques affected the flowers produced and the pollinators visiting them.

This study assessed the effects of herbicides on non-target plants in Denmark and Canada. The findings showed that some plants are more sensitive to herbicides in the reproductive stages of their life cycle and can experience delays in flowering and reduced seed production. The authors say future ecological assessments should consider reproductive outcomes.

Nutrient leaching, the movement of plant nutrients from soil to water, can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, which reduces the oxygen available in water, causing species and habitat loss. Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA), which is based on ecological principles and integrates crop production and animal husbandry, may limit this effect. This study investigated the impact of ERA on agricultural fields in Finland, showing that the practice can reduce nitrogen leaching and may help to achieve agricultural nitrogen-reduction targets.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives — linked to health problems in animals — have been found in levels exceeding EU thresholds in some outdoor textiles, leather goods and ski waxes, according to a recent analysis of everyday consumer items. Better quality control in the processing and manufacture of goods coated with the substances is among the recommendations made by researchers to reduce human exposure to these toxic chemicals.

Researchers have presented a comprehensive new classification manual of asbestos-containing products (ACP), materials (ACM) and waste (ACW) in a recent study. They also mapped suitable landfill sites for the proper disposal of ACW in Italy and developed guidance on assigning ACW to correct European Waste Catalogue (EWC) codes. The research will help operators engaged in asbestos waste disposal across Europe and should contribute to aims for the total removal of asbestos from the EU.

Personal care products (PCPs) are a diverse group of products, including toothpaste, shampoo, make-up and soaps. The number and use of these products has increased over recent decades, generating concern about their impact on the environment. This literature review analysed over 5 000 reports of environmental detection of 95 different chemicals from PCPs. The analysis reveals toxic levels of PCP chemicals in raw and treated wastewater, and in surface water. The researchers recommend treatment methods focusing on antimicrobials, UV filters and fragrance molecules.

A new study has analysed the environmental impact of 15 products containing nanosilver, highlighting the contribution of this novel material to the items’ overall environmental burden. The findings show that nanosilver impacts, such as fossil fuel depletion and human-health impacts, are relative to content, and can be marginal when considered in the context of the product’s other materials. Based on their results, the researchers recommend considering the overall impacts and benefits of nano-enabled products in evaluation and environmental guidance on their development.

The presence of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water is an emerging health concern. DBPs come in many classes and are chemically diverse, making them challenging to monitor. Swedish researchers have evaluated a new method for the simultaneous determination of a broader range of DBPs than typically possible using other available techniques. The method uses gas chromatography (a laboratory technique that separates and analyses vaporisable compounds in a mixture), together with a halogen-specific detector (XSD). Having been tested in real water samples from two municipal waterworks in Sweden, the method has been optimised for the simultaneous determination of a wide range of neutral DBPs.

Scientists have discovered a novel way to produce bioplastic, which could be more cost-effective on a commercial scale than current techniques. The new technique, which uses microscopic algae to synthesise a widely used polyester, has the potential to revolutionise plastic production, say the researchers.

Throughout history people have turned to nature for relief from illnesses and this remains true today. With new technologies, researchers have an even greater ability to identify natural products that may lead to treatment or prevention of a wide range of health problems.

Biodegradable waste, or bio-waste, from urban areas is being used to produce a bio-based material to replace plastic — this is relevant to the sustainable development of a circular economy (CE), which requires the innovative use of waste materials. Understanding public attitudes to such materials, and the drivers influencing their uptake, is key to their viability. This study explores how consumers respond to products made from regenerated bio-waste.

The post Finish him: Mortal Kombat post-production work to be centred in Adelaide appeared first on The Lead SA.

The post Strong Cooper Basin production helps oil and gas companies in tough time appeared first on The Lead SA.

 
 000
 WTNT84 KNHC 140307
 TCVAT4
 
 HUMBERTO WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 6
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL092019
 1107 PM EDT FRI SEP 13 2019
 
 .TROPICAL STORM HUMBERTO
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-140415-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.A.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 1107 PM EDT FRI SEP 13 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...MLB...
 

 
 000
 WTNT82 KNHC 250947
 TCVAT2
 
 KAREN WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 13
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL122019
 547 AM EDT WED SEP 25 2019
 
 .TROPICAL STORM KAREN
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 PRZ001>013-VIZ001-002-251100-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1012.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 547 AM AST WED SEP 25 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...SJU...
 

 
 000
 WTNT81 KNHC 192045
 TCVAT1
 
 NESTOR WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 10
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL162019
 445 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 2019
 
 .POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE NESTOR
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 FLZ027-028-034-118-127-128-134-192145-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1016.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 445 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...TAE...
 

 
 000
 WTNT85 KNHC 072352
 TCVAT5
 
 DORIAN WATCH/WARNING INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 59A
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL052019
 752 PM EDT SAT SEP 7 2019
 
 .POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE DORIAN
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 MEZ017-029-030-080100-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1005.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 752 PM EDT SAT SEP 7 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...CAR...
 

The bulk of the cuts --eighty percent-- will come from the exploration and production business.

Plans are also underway for initiatives that expand oil export capacity.

Longer-term, the outlook for US production is not all gloom as domestic demand will clearly return.

Norway's ministry of petroleum and energy revealed Wednesday that the country has decided to cut its oil production.

The supertankers will hold more than half of its North Dakota crude production.

America does not grow enough fruits and vegetables to satisfy USDA recommendations for all citizens. This infograhic makes the argument easy to understand.

Production of the 2011 Nissan Leaf has begun at the company’s Oppama, Japan facility.

British loo roll company Nouvelle erects an outdoor advertisement that doubles as a massive roadside bird feeder.

Coffee, olive oil and fish are just some of the adulterated and intentionally mislabeled foods regularly passed off as something they’re not.

The style-conscious soap wizards at Method unveil plans for a wind and solar-powered manufacturing facility that will also include rooftop food production.

Two major home improvement retailers in the U.K. pledge to pull gardening products containing bee-harming insecticides from their shelves.

Switching out some surprisingly toxic household products for cleaner, greener alternatives can help save your health, money and the planet.

An all-natural mix that’s wheat-free, gluten-free and made with organic ingredients.

Are you a cyberslacker? Turns out checking Facebook and laughing at LOLcats makes you a more productive worker, research shows.

Fair Trade USA has just released an app that allows users to upload the location of fair trade products that they find for sale. No smartphone? No problem. Use

Moisture-resistant building products are the first line of defense against rotting and mold, problems that can devalue our homes and cause serious health issues

VOC emissions from shampoo, cleaners and paint impact air quality as much as vehicle emissions, according to a new study from NOAA.

Biodegradable products may not be as good for the environment as advertised. New research from North Carolina State University shows that biodegradable material

It's not what you buy that makes you green, but what you don't.

University of Minnesota researchers claim to have created a 'perfect' soap molecule that's better for the environment.

The BuildingGreen Top 10 Green Building Products were announced at Greenbuild 2011.

In response to the rapidly expanding green home building market, the USGBC teams up with Home Depot to launch a database of LEED-qualifying products ranging fro

The Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday that U.S. ethanol production was down about 1 percent.

From the venerable, eco-conscious publisher comes a new place to find great gifts, fairly made jewelry and sustainable fashion.

We don't want greenhouse gas emissions, but we do want energy. What if we could bury one to get more of the other?

Study debunks the myth that telecommuters are disconnected and thus less productive. Results from the study were published in the June issue of Communication Mo