EARTH PORTATION curated News January 31st

AIR - Why Is There More Methane in the Atmosphere?

Levels of the potent greenhouse gas continue to rise and scientists aren't sure where most of it is coming from, though likely suspects include fracking, increased coal mining in China and a melting Arctic .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-there-more-

ANIMALS - Animals take a swim – in pictures

Animals take a swim - in picture .. ...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/jan/30/animals
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

ANIMALS - Male dog guards female dog for 10 hours to rescue her (Video)

Puppy love: Male dog guards female dog for 10 Hours after she fell into a deep gutter and had to be fished outThey're supposed to be man's best friends, but as these two prove, dogs have just as much love for each other as they do for us. Here are the pictures which show the devotion of one male dog who spent 10 hours guarding a female who had fallen down a deep gutter in southern China's Hunan province. The white male's barking woke up Peng Xuem ...

http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2014/01/male-dog-guards-female-

ANIMALS - Mexican gray wolf population on the rise

There are more Mexican gray wolves in the wild in the New Mexico and Arizona than last year.The results of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's annual survey were released Friday. There are at least 83 of the endangered predators in the two states, marking the fourth year in a row the population has increased. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle says the population is at an all-time high. In fact, it has nearly doubled fro ...

http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2014/01/mexican-gray-wolf-popul

ANIMALS - Penguins suffering from climate change, scientists say

Heatwaves killing Magellanic penguin chicks in Argentina, and Adelie penguins in Antarctica are finding it harder to fee .. ...
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/30/penguins-
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

ART - Rare gem: This woman crafts artistic jewelry -- without hands

Annette Gabbedey has been a jeweler for decades and an artist for as long as she can remember. She creates intricate, delicate designs made of gold and precious stones. And she does all of it without having any fingers.“I’ve always been gifted at doing anything with my hands,” Gabbedey told TODAY .. ...
http://www.today.com/style/rare-gem-woman-crafts-artistic-je

BEES - Keeping mason bees in your fridge (and other ideas for helping wild pollinators)

Honeybees aren't the only pollinators who need our help. Let's not forget the wild ones too .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/keeping-mason-bees-you

BOOKS - Book Excerpt: Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships

John Welwood on the evils of the world as symptoms of the pain of wounded, disconnected hearts ..
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/excerpts.php?id

BOOKS - Book Excerpt: The End of Poverty

Jeffrey D. Sachs with the next steps to end extreme poverty around the world by 2025 .. ...
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/excerpts.php?id

BOOKS - Book Excerpt: The Lord Is My Shepherd

Leonardo Boff on the nurturing challenges we face as Earth's caretakers .. ...
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/excerpts.php?id

EARTH - ALL the rivers in the United States on a single beautiful interactive map!

A recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that 55 percent of U.S. rivers and streams are in poor condition. When we see a number like that we might not realize how many rivers there are in the US.. .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/clean-water/all-rivers-

EDUCATION - Enjoy dinner with Yale experts and other luminaries at LEAP benefit

Yale notables and local luminaries will share their expertise while engaging in informal conversation at intimate dinners throughout New Haven on Thursday, Feb. 27 during a benefit for the LEAP (Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership) youth services program .. ...
http://news.yale.edu/2014/01/30/enjoy-dinner-yale-experts-an

EDUCATION - This is what happens when you slack off. Stay in school.

Shock advertising has been the topic of discussion for some time, it can certainly be controversial, but, does it work? The consensus is that it can work, but only in the short term. This new campaign from the Learn For Life Foundation of Western Australia is quite striking within the genre and it’s definitely shocking. In this video campaign you see a few school drop-outs being blown up on the beach.“This is what happens when you slack off. Sta ...
http://www.good.is/posts/this-is-what-happens-when-you-slack

ENERGY - Technology Choice Is Finally Coming to Residential Demand Response

In case you didn’t know what to watch for in the demand response market in 2014, Greentech Media offered some trend predictions in December. Some, like the need for load shedding all year round, have already come to pass. Another trend is the convergence of demand response and energy efficiency, which has already started to happen in the commercial and industrial market and is now coming to the residential market. Companies that were once just e ...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/bring-your-own-t

ENVIRONMENT - Coastal flooding threatens entire Welsh coast

University students moved from Aberystwyth promenade homes as officials set up evacuation support centres for residentsResidents, hoteliers and business people along the whole of the Welsh coast have been told to prepare for coastal flooding on Saturday as high tides coincide with gale force winds and a heavy swell.Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the flooding had the potential to be as severe as that which caused devastation in places such as ...

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/31/coastal-flood
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

ENVIRONMENT - Giant boulders plough through Italian farm - in pictures

A landslide in northern Italy caused several boulders to roll down a hillside in Ronchi di Termeno, destroying a barn, barely missing a farmhouse and leaving a trail of destruction through vineyard .. ...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/jan/31/giant-b
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

GARDENS - Gardening provides high-to-moderate physical activity for children

Gardening, often considered to be an activity reserved for adults, is gaining ground with children as new programs are introduced that promote gardening's "green" attributes. Physical benefits of getting out in the garden have also been reported for adults and seniors—now, a study from researchers in South Korea finds that children, too, can reap the benefits of digging, raking, and weeding. Researchers Sin-Ae Park, Ho-Sang Lee, Kwan-Suk Lee, Ki- ...
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-01-gardening-high-to-mode

GARDENS - Three native aromatics indicated for use in Mediterranean extensive green roofs

Green roofs are being studied as a means to increase vegetation and preserve aesthetics in old Mediterranean cities. In order to preserve ancient cities' local character and biodiversity, researchers are looking to native plant species that can withstand the low water environments that are necessary in lightweight green roof design. Xerophytes—species of plants that have adapted to survive in environments with little water—fit well in green roof ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-native-aromatics-mediterranean-

GARDENS - Well-watered citrus tested in cold-acclimating temperatures

Commercial citrus growers are often challenged by environmental conditions in winter, including low seasonal rainfall that is typical in many citrus growing regions. Growers must rely on irrigation to sustain citrus crops through dry winters, so understanding how to determine citrus irrigation needs is critical for successful operations. Authors of a study published in HortScience noted that current methods used to determine moisture needs for ci ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-well-watered-citrus-cold-acclim

HOMES - Modern prefab gets closer to the right mix of quality and price with the Solo 40

Seen at the Interior Design Show in Toronto, the latest from Altius shows the evolution of an idea ..

http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/modern-prefab-gets-clo

HOMES - On Designboom: A gorgeous house built on stilts

One way to guarantee a view and to tread lightly is to build high in the sky .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/modular-design/designboom-gorgeous

HOMES - Tiny Home Dome in Oregon costs $200 to build

Jeffery the Natural Builder builds a geodesic gem in the woods .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/tiny-home-dome-oregon-

MOVIES - 'Secret' Seinfeld project confirmed by Jerry Seinfeld

The comedian has said he is working on a 'secret project' that will reunite the Seinfeld cast, and it will appear 'very, very soon'• Jerry Seinfeld on how to be funny without sex and swearingJerry Seinfeld has confirmed that the cast of Seinfeld have got back together for a "secret project" that will appear "very, very soon."Rumours have been circulating that Seinfeld was planning some sort of return to the 90s sitcom that bears – and made – his ...

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jan/31/secret-s
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

MOVIES - Feature Film Review: Old Goats

An appealing film reveals the bright side of retirement for three men .. ...
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=25

MUSIC - Turn Eggplant, Saucer, or Anything Into An Instrument

Attach this customizable synthesizer to any material and make music with your fingers or mouth. Continue reading .. ...
http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/turn-eggplan

PEOPLE - 'Full circle': Man finds stranger who saved him from suicide 6 years ago

It was a Good Samaritan encounter that changed a young man’s life forever.Six years ago, on a bitterly cold January morning, Jonny Benjamin was coaxed away from a ledge on London’s Waterloo Bridge by a total stranger walking to work .. ...
http://www.today.com/news/full-circle-man-finds-stranger-who

PERMACULTURE - Landless Chilean Farmer Wins Lawsuit Against Monsanto

José Pizarro Montoya from Santigua, Chile, has won a landmark case against Monsanto for breach of contract .. ...
http://www.good.is/posts/landless-chilean-farmer-wins-lawsui

PERMACULTURE - Young farmers win award for cows app

The app keeping tabs on farm herd .. ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/2596431

SCIENCE - Acid Bath Offers New Way to Make Stem Cells

Just physically squeezing cells or bathing them in acidic conditions can readily reprogram them into an embryonic state .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/acid-bath-offers-n

SCIENCE - China's PandaX WIMP detector set to begin operations soon

(Phys.org) —China's PandaX Dark Matter Experiment is in final preparations to begin operating sometime early this year, representatives for the project have told the press. Its mission is to capture evidence of a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) colliding with the nucleus of a xenon atom—evidence of dark matter .. ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-china-pandax-wimp-detector.htm

SCIENCE - Forensic experts compile guide on how to ID child abuse, starvation

Forensic science experts have just published a comprehensive overview of forensic research that can be used to identify child abuse and starvation .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140131101205.ht

SCIENCE - Inside the Head of a Science Cartoonist

It’s a brilliant mess .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/inside-the-head-of

SCIENCE - It's alive! Scientists combine liquid crystals and living bacteria

(Phys.org) —The prospect of integrated living organisms into a non-living substrate has long held a compelling appeal for those investigating active matter – the study of a type of easily-deformable out of equilibrium soft matter that focuses on the properties of assemblages of self-propelled interacting particles, and an important physical model of living systems. Recently, scientists at Kent State University, Argonne National Laboratory and Nor ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-alive-scientists-combine-liquid

SCIENCE - Lab clocks 'hot' electrons: Plasmon-generated electrons timed moving from nanorods to graphene

Scientists time "hot" electrons as they transfer from excited plasmons in gold nanorods to graphene. Plasmonic nanoparticles are becoming known for their ability to turn light into heat, but how to use them to generate electricity is not nearly as well understood. Scientists are working on that, too. They suggest that the extraction of electrons generated by surface plasmons in metal nanoparticles may be optimized .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140130164450.ht

SCIENCE - New catalyst to convert greenhouse gases into chemicals

Researchers have developed a highly selective catalyst capable of electrochemically converting carbon dioxide -- a greenhouse gas -- to carbon monoxide with 92 percent efficiency. The carbon monoxide then can be used to develop useful chemicals .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140131083250.ht

SCIENCE - Schrodinger’s Rats and the Search for Ultimate Reality [Excerpt]

A young science writer undertakes a quest to discover the underpinnings of what’s real in the universe through encounters with London rats and ontic structural realists .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/schrodingers-rats-

SCIENCE - UH researcher works on plant-based plastics

A researcher with the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering has begun work to develop plant-based plastics and rubbers, preparing for a future when petroleum—currently the feedstock for most plastics—isn't so readily available .. ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-uh-plant-based-plastics.htm

SCIENCE - Ultrathin platinum films become magnetic when subjected to an electric field

Only a few elements in the periodic table are inherently magnetic. Iron is perhaps the best known, but cobalt and nickel also exhibit this type of ferromagnetism. Scientists have recently discovered, however, that gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other transition metals demonstrate magnetic behavior when formed into nanometer-scale structures. Yoshihiro Iwasa, Sunao Shimizu and colleagues from the Emergent Device Research Team at the RIKEN C ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-ultrathin-platinum-magnetic-sub

SPACE - Far Away Planets May Be Far Better For Life

Astronomers have come up with a shopping list of what a planet needs to support life, perhaps even better than our Earth does, making them "superhabitable." Michael Moyer reports.    .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/superhabit
Enclosure: audio/mpeg http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/podcast.mp3?fileId

SPACE - Hilarious 'Mars Fungus' Lawsuit Filed Against NASA

As if NASA didn’t have enough to worry about, the U.S. space agency is now faced with the scandal of the century — they’re being sued for not investigating a bona fide life form on Mars .. ...
http://news.discovery.com/space/hilarious-mars-fungus-lawsui

SPACE - One planet, two stars: New research shows how circumbinary planets form

Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine would have formed far from its current location in the Star Wars universe, a new study into its real world counterparts, observed by the Kepler space telescope, suggests .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140131130757.ht

SPACE - Will Heat from Our Dying Sun Make Mars Habitable? [Video]

Emily Rice, astrophysics researcher at the American Museum of Natural History answer questions submitted to Scientific American's Space Lab channel. .. ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-heat-from-our

TREES - Trees' diminished resistance to tropical cyclone winds attributed to insect invasions

Guam experiences more tropical cyclones than any other state or territory in the United States. These cyclones—called typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean—can be devastating to Guam's dense native forests. The impact of large-scale tropical cyclones affects the health of managed and unmanaged forests, urban landscapes, and perennial horticulture plantings for many years after the actual storm. In fact, the island's forests are often called 'typh ...
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-trees-diminished-resistance-tro

URBAN - Cantilevered Green Shield Protects McDonalds’ Customers from Adjacent Fuel Station

Read the rest of Cantilevered Green Shield Protects McDonalds’ Customers from Adjacent Fuel StationPermalink |Add todel.icio.us | diggPost tags: Betumi, eco design, fossil fuels, georgia, Giorgi Khmaladze, green roof, green shield, junk food, mcdonalds, petrol station, Rooftop Terrace, sustainable design, Urban design, vegetated roo .. ...

http://inhabitat.com/cantilevering-green-shield-protects-mcd

URBAN - Greening the cities - in pictures

From the utopian ideal of garden cities to regenerating wasteland with high line park projects, here is a selection of architects' grand plans from around the worl .. ...
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2014/jan/30/cities
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/20

WORK - Green Jobs: Executive Moves at Advanced Energy, Varentec and Vivint; Plus, Waxman Retires

Smart grid and grid edge Varentec, a maker of digital power routers along with control and analytics software, named David Konye as VP of Sales. Konye was previously with Schneider Electric, GE Fanuc, and Siemens. Varentec has backing from Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, and other VCs.  Ecobee, a smart thermostat maker, added Ann Perreault, formerly with Cooper Power Systems and Xcel Energy, as Director of Strategic Partnerships for Utilities.    P ...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Green-Jobs-Execu

WORK - When the job search becomes a blame game

A new book explores how white-collar job hunters in the U.S. blame themselves unnecessarily -- and suffer as a result -- when they cannot find work .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140130211424.ht

WRITE - Robot Poet Composes The Sands Of Time

"Skryf" takes its time composing verse so that when the last line of the poem is written, the first lines has been destroyed. Continue reading .. ...
http://news.discovery.com/tech/robotics/robot-poet-composes-