A renewable streetlight that fights mosquitoes.

Researchers in Malaysia have created a light that not only combats climate change; it fights mosquito-borne diseases too. The LED street light is a renewable energy hybrid, incorporating both a solar panel and a wind turbine. Mosquitoes are drawn to the lamp because it emits carbon dioxide, the same gas that humans naturally give off. Lead researcher Dr Chong Wen Tong said the CO2 given off is “relatively low” and outstripped by the benefits of the clean energy it provides. A fan then prevents the mosquitoes from escaping. The researchers hope that the new form of lighting could help to prevent dengue fever, a virus that is widespread in the tropics and for which there is currently no vaccine. Two pilot lamps are currently in use on the campus at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur where the researchers are based and six installed elsewhere in Kuala Lumpur. The product is now set to enter the market. The product has much more longevity than traditional street lighting, but the pilot cost £20,000 to produce and the individual lamps currently cost around £1,700. Solving the power issue and preventing diseases and nuisance of mosquitoes; its a worthy innovation. Story credit;the guardian.

AGRICULTURE ; KEY TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE.

Attention is turning towards the role of agriculture and the management of natural resources to ensure global warming does not exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 2°C.Scientists believe that any greater temperature rise would be catastrophic for the planet, exceeding survival thresholds of crop, tree and fish species. Climate change threatens to derail efforts to end poverty and hunger, and achieve the sustainable development goals. A focus on agriculture is key to combat climatic change and here are some of the pointers. The poorest are hit hardest Climate change disproportionately affects the world’s poorest countries - particularly small island developing states, landlocked countries, arid and semi-arid areas - where people are most dependent on natural resources. In a cruel twist, these countries have contributed the least to causing climate change. Food producers are most vulnerable Drought, floods, sea level rises, and hurricanes destroy crops, livestock and fish resources and devastate ecosystems, irrigation systems and infrastructure. Family farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk and foresters - the same people who provide the bulk of the planet’s food – are those whose lives and livelihoods will be most affected. A threat to global food production Agricultural production needs to increase globally by an estimated 60% by 2050 to meet projected demands for food and feed from a growing and changing world population. However, scientists predict that production may fall by as much as 2% each decade for the rest of this century as a consequence of rising temperatures. The socio-economic impact could be devastating. Stressing the planet The expected increase in extreme weather events will only add to the challenge of current food production systems, which are already under stress through degradation of land and water resources and loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services resulting from unsustainable practices. Today, a third of farmland is degraded, up to 75% of crop genetic diversity has been lost and 22% of animal breeds are at risk. More than half of fish stocks are fully exploited, and in the first decade of this century, some 13m hectares of forests were converted into other land uses each year. Reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint Agriculture, forestry and fisheries can make a significant contribution to global mitigation efforts by reducing their carbon footprint, adopting low emission growth strategies and enhancing carbon storage in soils, forests and aquatic systems. While agriculture and deforestation account for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, forests retain as much carbon as in the whole atmosphere, and soil makes up the greatest pool of terrestrial organic carbon. The agricultural sector has considerable transformational potential as it is uniquely positioned to simultaneously address all three dimensions of sustainability. Agro-ecology schooling Sharing knowledge with farmers on agro-ecological approaches and how to adapt them to local conditions through farmer field schools and other networks can have a positive long-term impact on climate change. For some time now, FAO has been working with countries and partners in developing and promoting approaches that avoid deforestation, over fishing and focus on improving soil fertility and increased ecosystems services that lower emissions while ensuring human and ecosystem well-being. Transforming food systems Modern food systems are heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Moving away from dominant input-intensive food systems and pursuing climate-resilient approaches to agriculture can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the cost of shifting to sustainable agricultural practices will require long-term public and private investment and cannot be borne alone by poor farmers, fisherfolk, foresters, and indigenous communities. Saving energy One third of the food the world produces is lost or wasted. That amounts to about US$2.6 tn per year, including $700 bn of environmental costs and $900 bn of social costs. Reducing food losses through improved access to post-harvest technologies, and reducing waste through consumer education and initiatives like FAO-UNEP’s Save food can help cut the energy bill. Ultimately, the agri-food value chain will have to gradually decouple from fossil fuel dependence to deliver more food with less and cleaner energy. The big picture The big picture Action on climate change must be part of the bigger picture of sustainable development, taking into account the fight against hunger and poverty while investing in renewable resources. Nearly 80% of the world’s poor live in rural areas, and most depend on agriculture for their living. Achieving zero hunger by 2030 largely depends on ensuring that agricultural systems and rural communities are healthy, productive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of climate change. Measuring and monitoring A better understanding of the influence of a changing climate on agricultural sectors has to be the first step. Providing essential information for climate change adaptation planning and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, FAO has developed tools for assessing the impact of climate change, monitoring natural resources and harmful emissions. read more here;http://www.theguardian.com/fao-partner-zone/2015/dec/01/10-reasons-why-agriculture-is-key-to-combating-climate-change

AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATIC CHANGE.!!!

Maria Helena Semedo, UNFAO deputy director-general describes the importance of agriculture in addressing climate change at COP21, Maria Helena Semedo, UNFAO deputy director-general. Climate change can risk all progress made so far in fighting poverty, hunger and food security, says Maria Helena Semedo, UNFAO deputy director-general for Natural resources. Agriculture should be considered a solution and not a threat,” she stresses, adding that FAO’s work on climate change is aimed at strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers through a number of actions and strategies. These include providing technologies to improving production, to the implementation of systems as agro-ecology and climate smart agriculture. Working with policy makers on a global approach to climate change, FAO has helped develop a variety of solutions available for farmers, fishermen and foresters to choose the ones that best suit their needs.Because it cuts across all 17 sustainable development goals of the 2030 agenda, failing to address climate change risks achieving the global goals. Read more here and watch video here;http://www.theguardian.com/fao-partner-zone/2015/dec/01/no-other-sector-is-more-sensitive-to-climate-change-than-agriculture?CMP=ema-1702&CMP=

CAT MUSIC.

David Teie has developed music that’s designed specifically for cats. , Teie has been working on “species-specific” music since 2009. He figured starting with cats would be more practical than starting with, say, elephants.

The music is supposed to offer our beloved fuzzballs a comforting, enriching experience that allows us to bond more deeply with them. The process of designing cat music began with studies to figure out what sounds “elicit feline feelings.”

 As opposed to feline “Feelings.” We get our first taste of rhythm in our mothers’ wombs, but cats encounter them only after they’re born. I checked this out, and it’s true: Newborn kittens arrive deaf and blind and a cat's first comfort sound, for example, is likely its mother's purr, a very different rhythm than our moms’ slow and steady heartbeats.


 Cat music is based on this and other sounds that make a cat's ears pivot. Watch video here; http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2015/11/musician_creates_perfect_music_for_cats_thanks_to_scientists_video.html

VACCINATION OF HORSES AGAINST THE HENDRA VIRUS.

The disease is carried by bats and can be fatal for horses and humans.Hunter Valley vets are reporting a drop off in the number of people getting their horses vaccinated for Hendra virus.Ian Gollan recommends getting horses vaccinated, even though there have been no cases of the deadly disease locally.Read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-01/vets-urge-horse-owners-to-remain-vigilant-over-hendra-vaccinati/6988886

VETERINARIANS AND THE HENDRA VIRUS IN HORSES.

Horse owners concerned about the Hendra vaccine ,Unvaccinated horses die through lack of treatment. Veterinarians are skeptical about call out now,and they have made it clear that if horses are not vaccinated,they will not be handled. Currently, most vets refuse to treat sick or injured horses if the animal has not been vaccinated against the deadly virus, for reasons of legality and personal safety.However, in some extreme cases, horses have died while vets await blood test results to clear the animal of Hendra."I am working off of what horse owners are saying to me, and they are not happy with a few things that have reared their ugly head in recent times," Mr Pearce said."I've always thought to myself that [the vets] have a fair argument, but why can't vets use personal protective equipment (PPE) when they go to treat these horses?"If a vet is prepared to put on the gear, treat a horse, then they are doing the right thing."Those arguments don't stand up as far as I'm concerned because they have the protective equipment there for them to use, which would significantly reduce any risk they have."Mr Pearce speculated the reason vets refused to treat unvaccinated sick horses was not just about safety concerns, but he would not specify what other reasons there may be."I don't believe this argument is about PPE. There has to be something else that puts these vets in a situation where they say they won't treat horses unless they have been vaccinated," Vets are very cautious when handling sick horses especially if they have not taken the hendra vaccine, because some vets have died from exposure during treatment and also because of prosecution. A balance must be maintained among all parties to prevent further death. Read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-18/hendra-policy-opponents-gain-new-voice/6950790

HENDRA VIRUS IN HORSES.

Horses that came into contact with urine from black flying foxes were most likely to catch the virus, It has long been known that bats are the natural hosts of the Hendra virus and could pass it to horses, but exactly how that happens has been difficult to prove. Dr Hume Field is a science and policy advisor with US conservation group EcoHealth Alliance, and the former principal scientist with the Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases. He said a recent study of 3,000 bats from Charters Towers in north Queensland, to Sydney in New South Wales, indicated urine was the most likely link."The study took samples from urine, faeces, saliva, and nasal discharge and the clear evidence was that urine, by far, was the most common source in which the virus was found," Dr Field said."Faeces was further down the line and saliva and nasal discharge were very infrequent."But despite urine being the most likely source of contamination, Dr Field said more information was needed to establish how horses come into contact with it. if you had a horse that was resting or grazing under a tree where flying foxes were feeding, and flying foxes urinate a lot when foraging in trees, there is the potential for that horse stranding underneath to get directly contaminated."It can happen through the nose, the mucus membranes of the eyes or as well horses can ingest some urine on grass."Dr Hume said researchers had also identified which species of flying fox were more likely to pass on the disease, and said horse owners in areas where black flying foxes were common should be most wary. Dr Hume said the study explored three species; red flying foxes, black flying foxes, and grey-headed flying foxes.He said various information over the years made scientists think that not all flying foxes were the same when it came to the Hendra virus risk they posed.But this study into 3,000 animals across three species offered a better understanding, he said."It was abundantly clear that all of the positive detections of Hendra viruses came from black flying foxes and none came from little red flying foxes and none came from grey-headed flying foxes," he said."We know there are antibodies in all of those species, so they all get infected at some stage." The Department of Agriculture said vaccination was the best defence, and everyone should make their own choice. vaccination may be enforced in some cases to prevent death in horses. read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-27/hendra-urine-queensland/6650128