24/7 Farm  News Coverage
December 20, 2024
WATER WORLD
UK's biggest water supplier wins lifeline as customer bills hiked



London (AFP) Dec 19, 2024
Britain's largest water supplier Thames Water, which is drowning in debt, won a financial lifeline Thursday as regulators allowed it to massively hike customers' bills, though by less than the company demanded. Water regulator Ofwat said Thames Water, which supplies around 16 million homes and businesses in London and elsewhere in southern England, could increase average bills by 35 precent between now and 2030. Thames, riddled with GBP16 billion-worth ($20 billion) of debt, is in desperate need ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Tackling climate, nature separately risks worsening crises: UN
Paris (AFP) Dec 17, 2024
Overconsumption and unsustainable farming are fuelling overlapping crises in nature and the climate, putting crucial ecosystems such as coral reefs at imminent risk of destruction, a landmark UN report said Tuesday. ... more
FARM NEWS
Early warning system aims to curb locust swarms
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 20, 2024
Desert locusts, known for their devastating impact on crops, typically live solitary lives until environmental triggers like intense rainfall prompt them to form massive swarms. A single swarm spann ... more
WATER WORLD
Cutting edge satellite monitors water levels in Ohio River Basin
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
The Ohio River Basin, spanning from Pennsylvania to Illinois, covers an area nearly as large as France and is home to over 25 million people. A collaborative effort between NASA and the French space ... more
FARM NEWS
The energy return on investment of global agriculture
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
Agriculture provides a fundamental energy source for humans: food. Yet, growing food also demands significant energy inputs. Researchers Kajwan Rasul and colleagues have examined the global energy r ... more
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FARM NEWS
Japan farmer who stole 200 kg spring onions blames summer heat
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 19, 2024
A Japanese court on Thursday convicted a man who stole more than 200 kilogrammes (440 pounds) of spring onions from a rival farmer after record summer heat ruined his own crops, local media reported. ... more
WATER WORLD
The future of UK's indebted water supplier hangs in the balance
London (AFP) Dec 19, 2024
Britain's largest water supplier Thames Water is set to find out Thursday whether the water regulator will permit it to massively hike customers' bills to fund improvements to its outdated infrastructure. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
World falls short of drought deal at Saudi-hosted talks
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Dec 14, 2024
Negotiators failed to produce an agreement on how to respond to drought at Saudi-hosted UN talks, participants said on Saturday, falling short of a hoped-for binding protocol addressing the scourge. ... more
WATER WORLD
Six rare giant catfish surface in Cambodia
Phnom Penh (AFP) Dec 13, 2024
Conservationists in Cambodia on Friday celebrated the discovery of six highly endangered Mekong giant catfish in the critical Southeast Asian waterway plagued by illegal fishing, habitat loss and plastic waste. ... more

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS


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CLIMATE SCIENCE
Crunch time for Saudi-hosted drought, desertification talks
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Dec 11, 2024
Landmark talks on desertification are set to conclude in Saudi Arabia this week amid doubts that pledged funds will make a meaningful difference in the fight against the growing scourge. ... more
WATER WORLD
'Forever chemicals' widespread in European waters: report
Copenhagen (AFP) Dec 10, 2024
Contamination of so-called forever chemicals in European waters often exceeds regulatory thresholds set to reduce potential risks to human health and the environment, the EU's environment agency warned Tuesday. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Three quarters of Earth's land permanently drier over past 30 years warns UN
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
A new report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reveals that 77.6% of Earth's land has experienced permanent drying over the last three decades, with drylands expanding by 4.3 ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
IMF and Ecuador reach agreement to unlock $500 mn
Washington (AFP) Dec 9, 2024
IMF staff and Ecuador have reached agreement on a loan program review, clearing the way for the disbursement of around $500 million to help safeguard macroeconomic stability, the major financial institution said Monday. ... more
FARM NEWS
Gene editing and plant domestication vital to safeguard global food security
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 09, 2024
The intensifying effects of the climate crisis are severely threatening the world's food supply, pushing scientists to explore new strategies to ensure agricultural sustainability. Modern crops, bre ... more
FARM NEWS
Neem seed extract improves effectiveness of pesticide
College Station TX (SPX) Dec 09, 2024
Pesticides can be made more effective and environmentally friendly by improving how they stick to plant surfaces, thanks to new research led by Dr. Mustafa Akbulut, professor of chemical engineering ... more
TECHNOLOGY NEWS


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FARM NEWS
Agricultural land at river confluences reduces flood risks
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 09, 2024
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have demonstrated that agricultural land near river confluences can significantly reduce flood risks. Their study highlights the benefits of Eco-DRR (D ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
UN report urges investment in nature to reduce global drought costs
Paris, France (SPX) Dec 06, 2024
As droughts driven by environmental degradation and climate change threaten to impact three-quarters of the global population by 2050, a new report presented at COP16 of the United Nations Conventio ... more
WATER WORLD
Copenhagen takes on its biggest climate threat -- water
Copenhagen (AFP) Dec 6, 2024
In low-lying Copenhagen where rising sea levels, groundwater and rainfall pose a risk to infrastructure, the Danish capital is trying to adapt and protect urban areas from climate change. ... more
FARM NEWS
Brazil's beef industry: key to EU-Mercosur trade deal
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Dec 5, 2024
A central component of the drama around the trade deal South American countries want to seal with the European Union is the Brazilian beef industry and its practices. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
'Scary' drought empties one of Bosnia's largest lakes
Ostrozac, Bosnia And Herzegovina (AFP) Dec 5, 2024
Staring across what was once one of Bosnia's largest expanses of water, all that Saliha Kuljanin can see is boats left high and dry after months of drought emptied Lake Jablanicko. ... more
WATER WORLD
Billions could gain access to freshwater with new desalination technology
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 05, 2024
A major leap in desalination technology could help billions of people worldwide access freshwater, thanks to an innovative method that accelerates seawater evaporation more effectively than freshwat ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Drought hits food access for 26 million in southern Africa: UN
Johannesburg (AFP) Dec 4, 2024
A historic drought across southern Africa has jeopardised access to food for 26 million people, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned Wednesday, calling for urgent funding. ... more
FARM NEWS
China lifts final bans on Australian red meat as trade row nears end
Sydney (AFP) Dec 3, 2024
China has fully lifted suspensions on Australian red meat, Canberra said Tuesday, dismantling one of the final barriers in a four-year trade war that hammered US$13 billion of exports. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
UN warns global drought carries $300 bn annual cost
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Dec 3, 2024
Drought costs the world more than $300 billion each year, the United Nations warned Tuesday in a report published on the second day of international talks on desertification in Saudi Arabia. ... more
WATER WORLD
Making water harvesting easier with low-energy solutions
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 03, 2024
Efficiently harvesting water from the air and reducing humidity are increasingly vital for improving living conditions worldwide. However, conventional methods of reusing water-adsorption polymers-u ... more
FARM NEWS
Saudi Arabia bets on tech to make deserts bloom
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Dec 3, 2024
Saudi Arabia is investing in green innovation to transform its deserts, but accusations of greenwashing highlight the challenge of turning ambitious projects into climate solutions. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Landmark Drought Atlas calls for action to address global risks
Paris, France (SPX) Dec 03, 2024
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration with the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), has unveiled the World Drought Atlas, a comprehensive resource address ... more
TECHNOLOGY NEWS


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FARM NEWS
Unsustainable farming, forest loss driving Earth to 'precipice': UN
Paris (AFP) Dec 1, 2024
Unsustainable farming and deforestation are threatening the planet's capacity to sustain human societies, the UN warned Sunday, on the eve of international talks on land degradation and desertification. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Desertification talks open in Saudi Arabia as experts fire warning
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Dec 2, 2024
UN talks aimed at halting the degradation and desertification of vast swathes of land started in Saudi Arabia on Monday after scientists fired a stark warning over unsustainable farming and deforestation. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
New research calls for 'radical rethink' on drought
Paris (AFP) Dec 2, 2024
Record-breaking droughts are becoming a "new normal" for billions of people yet few countries are taking the threat seriously, researchers warned in a global snapshot of the scourge on Monday. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Nov 29, 2024
Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the top oil exporter pitches itself as an environmental defender despite criticism of its role at climate talks. ... more
WATER WORLD
Blast at Kosovo canal feeding key power plants a 'terrorist attack': PM
Pristina (AFP) Nov 30, 2024
An explosion on Friday damaged a canal supplying water to Kosovo's two main coal-fired power plants, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said, blaming a "terrorist attack" by neighbouring Serbia. ... more
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