al Conferma Pay launches Visa-powered virtual card payments globally via mobile app By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 14:56:00 +0200 Fintech company Conferma Pay has teamed up with Full Article
al Solar Energy Firm Signs Large Deal for New York Project, 1215 Times Its Average Size By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PST This project, along with two other new projects, increases the company's order backlog by 65%. Full Article UGE:TSX.V; UGEIF:OTCQB
al Oil Price and WPX Energy Shares Rebound as President Trump Tweets He Expects Russia and Saudi Arabia to Reach Deal By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PST Shares of WPX Energy traded 25% higher after President Trump tweeted that he expected a deal between Russia and Saudi Arabia to scale back oil production. Full Article
al Oil & Gas Major's Pending Assets Sale Uncertain By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PST The status and potential implications of this deal involving BP as the seller are discussed in a Raymond James report. Full Article
al Uranium's Stealth Bull Market Garners Momentum By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PST With the supply/demand balance moving in favor of miners, the outlook for uranium stocks is the brightest it has been in years, according to McAlinden Research Partners. Full Article
al New Deal 'Step In Right Direction Toward Turnaround for Energy Firm' By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PST The new agreement and its potential impact on Point Loma Resources are discussed in a Mackie Research Capital Corp. report. Full Article
al ION Geophysical Shares Trade 70% Higher after Reporting 53% Rise in Q1 Sales By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 PST Shares of ION Geophysical traded higher after the company reported Q1/20 financial results that included a 53% year-over-year increase in revenue. Full Article
al Can reserve networks protect coral reefs from climate change? By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:45:45 +0100 A new study has conducted a preliminary investigation into the design of reserves that would help protect coral reefs from climate change. The results indicate that, 15 per cent of coral reefs in the Bahamas, the study area, would be able to withstand rising temperature, and would therefore be appropriately placed in reserves. Full Article
al Green Economy promotes economic and social development By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 19 May 2011 11:56:15 +0100 Adopting the Green Economy approach will reap greater environmental, social and economic benefits, compared with a society that focuses on economic growth as the measure for future development, according to a recent UN report. Using two per cent of global GDP to ???green??? key sectors could be enough to trigger the transition towards a green economy. Full Article
al Mapping helps visualise complex environmental risk assessment By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:14:47 +0100 Scientists involved in a pan-European project to develop better methods of risk assessment say maps that show such cumulative risks geographically are easy to interpret and should be considered as practical tools for conveying risk information to decision makers and the general public. Full Article
al Environmental impacts of electric vehicle batteries weighed up By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:15:33 +0100 A recent study has assessed the lifecycle environmental impact during the production and use phase of three battery types for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full performance battery electric vehicles (BEV). The study indicates that newer lithium-ion (Li-ion) technologies outperform current nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and identifies processes contributing to 13 environmental impacts Full Article
al Urban vegetation could be an undervalued carbon sink By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:17:35 +0100 Urban vegetation could have been overlooked as valuable above-ground carbon storage, according to researchers. They estimated that 231,521 tonnes of carbon were stored in above-ground vegetation in a UK city, the majority of which (97 per cent) in trees. This was 10 times the amount estimated from national figures for the same city area. Full Article
al First steps to eliminate hazardous chemicals in plastic By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:18:09 +0100 By ranking the ???hazard potential??? of a wide range of chemicals used to make common plastics, Swedish researchers have highlighted which plastic polymers are made from the most hazardous chemicals. These should be prioritised for assessing the risk of causing human or environmental harm. Full Article
al Hypoxia becoming more widespread along Baltic Sea coastline By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:16:03 GMT Hypoxia (low levels of oxygen) is widespread in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, according to recently published research. The trend of increasing hypoxia since the 1950 is alarming, although improvements can be seen in some areas as a result of measures to reduce inputs of organic material. Full Article
al ???Cool??? paving materials make summer in the city more comfortable By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 31 May 2012 15:28:27 +0100 Using ???cool??? materials to construct roads and walkways is an effective way of lowering urban temperatures to make cities more comfortable in hot weather. According to a recent study, surface temperatures were reduced by 12??C and ambient temperatures were reduced by 1.9??C after cool pavements were installed in a city park in Greece. Full Article
al Four key techniques to encouraging pro-environmental behaviour By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 31 May 2012 15:28:58 +0100 A new analysis of how to encourage pro-environmental behaviour highlights four effective techniques: goal-setting, prompts or reminders, witnessing the behaviour of others and introducing new behaviours that correspond with existing beliefs. Full Article
al Contaminated vegetables from polluted gardens may pose health risk By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:37:58 +0100 City dwellers who grow their own fruit and vegetables may be consuming high levels of pollutants. In a recent study, researchers found that vegetables grown on plots in Berlin, Germany, often contained higher concentrations of some heavy metals than shop-bought vegetables, with those grown close to busy roads containing the greatest quantities. Full Article
al Regulatory barriers to industrial symbiosis in metal sector By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:41:01 +0100 A new study has investigated the possibility of a regional industrial symbiosis of metal industries across the Sweden-Finland border. The analysis suggests that it is technologically feasible, but that regulatory support may be inefficient, particularly with respect to changing the status of a waste product to a by-product. Full Article
al Intensive agriculture leaves lasting legacy on soil health By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:42:18 +0100 The long-lasting and negative effects of intensive farming on soils persist even where complex animal communities have been reintroduced to the soil in attempt to restore the natural balance, according to a recent study. The findings highlight the possible effects of historical land use on soils' ability to deliver ecosystem services. Full Article
al Local communities inform urban green space management By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:49:22 +0100 A new tool has been developed, with input from the public, to measure and compare the quality of green spaces in urban areas. A UK case study suggests that litter and vandalism are among the factors most likely to prevent local residents from using and benefiting from green spaces. Full Article
al Global air quality to worsen significantly under ???business as usual??? human activity By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:47:09 GMT Global air quality will significantly deteriorate by 2050 unless further steps are taken to cut current emissions from human activities, according to recent research. Most people around the world will be affected by worsening air quality with hotspots of particularly poor air occurring in China, northern India and the Middle East. Full Article
al A happy neighbourhood depends on interplay of local environmental features By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:26:21 GMT A new German study suggests that residents??? level of satisfaction with their urban neighbourhood can be predicted from their perceptions of multiple and co-occurring burdens, such as poor air quality, lack of green space, noise and low cleanliness. Full Article
al Citizen science fosters environmentally-friendly behaviour By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 7 Feb 2013 11:45:03 GMT Citizen science is not only a tool for collecting valuable scientific data, it can also enable participants to reconnect with nature and encourage pro-conservation behaviour, new research has shown. Participants in a French butterfly monitoring programme reported making wildlife-friendly changes to their gardens as a result of taking part in the initiative. Full Article
al Evidence for effects of chemical pollution on riverbed invertebrates By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 7 Feb 2013 11:45:30 GMT To date, it has been difficult to collect data that are robust enough to demonstrate specific effects of chemical pollution in rivers on aquatic wildlife. However, a recent study combining detailed chemical, toxicological and ecological data in three European river basins now provides evidence linking cause and effect by revealing significant differences in the effects of differently polluted sediments on the organisms living in the river basins and the riverbed biodiversity. Full Article
al Urban wasteland areas can be re-developed as rich ecological sites By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 7 Mar 2013 12:41:54 GMT Researchers in Berlin have demonstrated that urban wasteland areas can be used as suitable habitats for a range of grassland species. Using simple and cost-effective measures to sow grassland seed mixtures, they found that such areas flourished despite poor soil conditions and high levels of impact from people. Full Article
al ???Poor gain??? from extra treatment of wastewater to remove pharmaceuticals By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:23 +0100 A recent study compared the decentralised treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater at hospitals with centralised treatment at conventional and upgraded wastewater plants. The results suggest that additional (post) treatments may not always provide significant benefits. Full Article
al Product design screening method helps reduce toxic materials in consumer goods By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:25 +0100 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. Full Article
al Historical water use reflects changes in global socio-economic development By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:22:49 +0100 A recent study has revealed how water use has changed across the world over the last 60 years. Growing populations and economic development, particularly in newly-emerging countries, have increased water demand, but technological developments have led to water efficiencies and savings, which moderate these demands. Full Article
al Bacterial genes involved in making toxic methylmercury are identified By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:40:59 +0100 Research into mercury has identified two genes in bacteria that appear to be required for turning the metal into its most toxic form, methylmercury. The study adds to a growing body of research that helps us to understand the transformations that mercury undergoes in the environment and the microbes involved in these transformations. Full Article
al Odour and environmental concerns of communities near waste disposal facilities By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:41:03 +0100 A recent study has investigated how waste disposal sites in southern Italy have affected residents living nearby. Villagers reported being annoyed by odours, but the perceptions of residents living in the village closest to the facilities were possibly influenced by receiving financial compensation for the presence of the facilities. Full Article
al A bleak future for Mediterranean coral as oceans become more acidic By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 2 May 2013 12:44:17 +0100 Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum), already endangered due to over-harvesting, is likely to suffer still further under increasing ocean acidification as a result of rising CO2 emissions. Research has shown that under more acidic conditions the structural development of red coral skeletons is abnormal and growth rate is reduced. Full Article
al The cost of air pollution impacts on health By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Tue, 14 May 2013 11:25:35 +0100 Researchers have developed a new model to assess the health-related external costs arising from air pollution from ten major emission sectors. Applying the model at national and Europe-wide levels, they suggested that the major contributors to costs were industrial power production, agriculture, road traffic and domestic combustion. Full Article
al Learning from experience: an evaluation of a UK Green Infrastructure project By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:50:44 +0100 The development of Green Infrastructure (GI) in a UK case study has been researched in a recent study. Some issues caused by an imbalance in stakeholder power and conflicting roles played by major stakeholders were identified with the project. Stakeholder participation is central to the concept of GI and the research reiterates the importance for those implementing GI to ensure that participation is effective and balanced. Full Article
al Living walls help cool buildings in hot climates By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:15:12 +0100 Covering walls with plants can significantly reduce the temperature of building walls during hot summer months. A recent study of three different types of these ???living walls??? in Italy suggests that they can be 20??C cooler than a bare wall on sunny days. An added advantage is that living walls can be retrofitted to existing buildings. Full Article
al Conservation managers and public unaware of invasive alien species??? true risks By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:54:41 +0100 Neither the public nor conservation managers are fully aware of the different risks posed by invasive alien species (IAS), new research suggests. A study examining perceptions of five invasive species in the UK shows that both conservation managers and the public regard some highly damaging species as ???low risk???, and that their awareness does not increase with the amount of scientific research on the topic. Full Article
al The first direct measures of how Cuvier's beaked whales respond to military sonar By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:32:16 GMT Two tagged Cuvier's beaked whales have shown intense and lasting avoidance behaviours in response to military sonar. In the first study of this kind, the whales showed significant responses to sonar at volumes that are currently assumed in the US to have no effect on behaviour. Full Article
al Surveyed professionals feel local authorities should have more influence in urban density By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 9:23:19 GMT Density in the urban environment can encompass a multitude of factors such as population or dwelling density or the density of green areas. A new study surveyed professionals regarding how decisions on urban density are made, and has revealed that many feel that developers make most of these decisions, but that local authority planners should have more influence. Full Article
al Sustainability drivers identified for smaller businesses in European protected areas By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 9:23:19 GMT Tourism businesses operating in protected conservation areas in Europe engage in a high number of sustainable practices, a recent survey of over 900 small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) reveals. Reasons for their sustainable behaviour include cutting costs, improving company image and lifestyle choices. Full Article
al A nation’s conservation success cannot be predicted by its wealth By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 05 Mar 2015 9:23:19 GMT Wealthier nations protect biodiversity no better than poorer nations, suggests new research. The study found no link between national GDP and the effectiveness of countries at conserving the species for which they have responsibility. Full Article
al New combined-analysis technique explores environmental impact of European trade By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 10:47:31 GMT The global production, trade and use of goods and services has a significant impact on the environment — and rates of consumption are rising. A new study combines two assessment methods to quantify the impact of European trade on the environment. It finds that, overall, the EU was a net importer of environmental impact from 2000 to 2010, that machinery, equipment and vehicles contributed most to the EU’s export impacts and that the EU’s trade balance (import impact minus export impact) is increasing over time. The two assessment methods complement one another well and could form the basis for future country or region-wide studies, suggest the researchers, by enabling a detailed analysis of individual steps within a product’s trade flow, while also providing a larger picture of the overall process. Full Article
al Ecological effects of deep-sea mining experiment still evident 26 years later By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 10:51:58 GMT In 1989, researchers dragged a plough harrow across the seafloor of the Peru Basin to recreate some of the effects of deep-sea mining. Twenty-six years later, a new team of researchers returned to the site to assess whether there were any long-term ecological effects. They found that the seabed ecosystem remained disrupted, with significantly fewer suspension feeder species, such as anemones and sea sponges, than in undisturbed areas of seafloor. This suggests that deep-sea mining could cause irreversible changes to marine food webs in highly disturbed areas. Full Article
al Alien invasions are rising: study shows location- level factors are the main drivers of success for invading bird species worldwide By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 10:53:30 GMT Invasions of alien species are rising at an alarming rate, largely due to growing global trade and transport routes. Preventing the successful establishment of alien species by better understanding the factors determining success is a step toward limiting the threat of future biological invasions. Statistical modelling using observed bird invasion data — including location, event and species-level factors showed which factors were key to successful establishment by the alien species. Full Article
al Microalgae could be used to effectively bio-refine brewery wastewater By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:20:00 GMT A circular economy, in which waste is minimised and resources are kept within the system, relies upon inventive ways of turning waste into a resource. A new study explored the possibility of using the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus to refine and process brewery wastewater. The alga efficiently removed pollutants from the effluent, produced biomass and biofuels in a range of different forms — and with different bioactive compounds — and encouraged waste barley and wheat to germinate at increased rates. This is especially important for breweries, as barley seeds are one of the main feedstocks for the industry — and thus are key to increasing its sustainability and circularity. Full Article
al Can 3D printing reduce environmental impacts in the automotive industry? By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:30:30 GMT As 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), begins to replace conventional manufacturing, the environmental impacts of its implementation must be assessed. This study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the environmental and resource implications of using AM to manufacture the metal parts of an engine in a light distribution truck. In the LCA, the impacts of both present and possible future states of AM technology were compared with current conventional manufacturing. The results suggest that there are potential environmental and resource benefits1 to AM technologies, but that these benefits rely on the achievement of a clean energy source and further technological development. Full Article
al Food waste: prevention in the service sector would have major environmental benefits By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thur, 16 Apr 2020 12:32:30 GMT Approximately 88 megatonnes (Mt) of food are wasted every year in the European Union, causing 186 metric tons (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) — a universal measure for all greenhouse gases. The impact of food waste on the climate, acidification and eutrophication is around 15–16% of the environmental impact of the entire food chain. In developed countries, food waste is high at the point of consumption— so significantly reducing food losses would require a food-waste reduction in households and the food-services sector. Full Article
al Global groundwater pumping lowers the flow of water bodies and threatens freshwater and estuarine ecosystems By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thur, 30 Apr 2020 17:18:30 GMT Groundwater is the earth’s largest freshwater resource and is vital for irrigation and global food production. In dry periods farmers pump groundwater to water crops, this is already happening at an unsustainable level in many places — exceeding the rate at which rain and rivers can refill the groundwater stores. This study seeks to identify where groundwater pumping is affecting stream flows and estimates where and when environmentally critical stream flows — required to maintain healthy ecosystems — can no longer be sustained. Full Article
al Routine monitoring of Mediterranean boats and marinas could help protect ecosystems from invasive alien species By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thur, 30 Apr 2020 17:16:30 GMT A survey of over 600 private boats docked in marinas throughout the Mediterranean showed that 71% are carrying non-indigenous species. In certain cases, non-indigenous species can become ‘invasive’ and have enormous and long-lasting impacts on ecosystems. The findings suggest that a common monitoring strategy may be necessary to prevent further disruptions to natural ecosystems. Full Article
al Regulatory barriers to industrial symbiosis in metal sector By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:49:21 +0100 A new study has investigated the possibility of a regional industrial symbiosis of metal industries across the Sweden-Finland border. The analysis suggests that it is technologically feasible, but that regulatory support may be inefficient, particularly with respect to changing the status of a waste product to a by-product. Full Article
al Lessons for WEEE management from Italy and Romania By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:20:07 GMT Improved public communications and standardised collection systems can greatly increase uptake of safe and sustainable waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) disposal and recycling. This is according to new insights from Italy and Romania, where WEEE collection rates have risen in response to these measures. Full Article
al Assessing the environmental impact of water supplies: a case study in Copenhagen By ec.europa.eu Published On :: Thu, 30 May 2013 12:59:27 +0100 New research has compared the environmental impact of four alternative methods of water supply in Copenhagen. Results indicated that rain and stormwater harvesting is the most environmentally sound approach, whilst desalination currently has a large environmental impact, mainly due to electricity use. However, if freshwater extraction is included as an impact, the environmental credibility of desalination is improved. Full Article