Environment

Life on Earth: Our Planet would have become habitable sooner than expected

July 1, 2018

Zircons are minerals born in the magma that can pass through the billions of years by transmitting the memory of their birth. Measurements of the isotopes they contain suggest that the Hadean Land has formed a continental crust faster than expected, thus helping to create a habitable and inhabited world. Cosmologists are looking for the first stars and […]

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Why BLACK PLASTIC pollutes the planet and threatens our HEALTH

July 1, 2018

Used extensively in the electronics industry, black plastic containing toxic substances is mixed with other plastics during recycling, used for food-consuming goods or toys. The plastic is everywhere. Every year, humans produce about 400 million tonnes . But not all plastics are equivalent. Depending on their use, is sometimes added their additives to color, make them resistant to heat , more solid and more flexible, etc. Some […]

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Ocean deserts are also progressing

June 29, 2018

Ten years of space observations from the SeaWifs satellite have shown the extension of areas with very low plankton production. According to the authors of the study, the cause is the warming of surface water, which slows vertical trade. Since 1997, the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor ( SeaWifs) satellite , which could be translated  as a wide-field oceanic sensor, has been scrutinizing chlorophyll production in the global […]

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AIRPLANE: The impact of night flights on GLOBAL WARMING

June 29, 2018

Stick your head to the porthole and gaze at the sparkling islets of the cities through golden clouds. What could be more pleasant and innocent than to rejoice in the magical vision offered by the Earth seen from the air, thanks to a sunset? According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of  Reading , England, when […]

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Sustainable development: Osmotic energy promises a bright future

June 29, 2018

Nearly three years after the launch of the first osmotic power plant in Norway, two researchers are taking stock of this technology by analyzing its efficiency and the potential of the industry. The results are encouraging. Nearly half a billion people could eventually consume this electricity produced from freshwater and seawater without any gram of CO 2 being emitted. The town […]

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Sustainable development: Save energy

June 29, 2018

Until June 4th is the week of “Sustainable Development”. Think of simple actions: being sober and efficient in the use of energy can reduce its bill and not participate in global warming. First tip: make sure to maintain your equipment because the savings are also derived from a good general condition. The production of energy necessary for our daily […]

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GMOs and the ENVIRONMENT

June 28, 2018

It is difficult to control GMOs and their release into the wild. To protect the environment, experiments and cultures are well framed by European directives. Speech to  Marc Fellous (INRA, Agronomy UMR, Chairman of the Commission for Biomolecular Engineering – Text from 2002 but whose general principles remain true). Experiments with genetically modified plants in France The construction or creation […]

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Fertilizers, a dangerous agricultural pollution?

June 26, 2018

The application of agricultural crops nourishes the soil with massive doses of chemical fertilizers. The trio nitrogen, phosphate and potassium (NPK) is the basis of all these products. Soils and groundwater are exposed to these massive dosages that change their environment and make the water unsafe. In agriculture , chemical fertilizers are administered to increase crop yield. They are responsible for massive soil […]

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Will atmospheric nitrogen replace fertilizers?

June 25, 2018

N-Fix, a process developed in the UK, is touted as the next agricultural revolution. It would give cultivated plants the opportunity to use atmospheric nitrogen, and thus to dispense with fertilizers. There is no need for chemical combinations or genetic manipulation: it would be enough to introduce the good bacteria into the seeds. And innovation would be commercialized […]

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PROFITABLE AGRICULTURE WITH LESS HERBICIDES? It’s possible!

June 25, 2018

The massive use of herbicides in agriculture is a question. But could we do without it? To find out, INRA has been experimenting for 12 years in Burgundy. The research engineer Nicolas Munier-Jolain draws up a rather positive assessment of these crop protection systems. Using some levers, the amount of herbicides used was divided by 3! The plants weeds , more […]

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Nitrates: water pollution will continue for decades

June 25, 2018

What happens to nitrates resulting from the application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on our crops? A study conducted over 30 years has just provided figures that challenge. For example, fertilizer applied in 1982 is expected to be involved in the contamination of aquatic systems for five decades. Obviously, the soil holding capacity has been underestimated. To improve plant […]

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Nitrous oxide, the new enemy of the ozone layer

June 12, 2018

Since the ban on CFCs, which devoured stratospheric ozone, nitrous oxide (N 2 O), mass produced by agriculture, has become the main enemy of this protective layer, and is a powerful gas for greenhouse effect. Two studies show the very harmful effects. Part of the stratosphere (whose floor is between 8 and 20 km altitude) contains a higher […]

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Bacteria unveil the unknown life of the oceanic crust

June 12, 2018

Difficult to access, the bottom of the oceans remains today largely unknown while it shelters the largest ecosystem of the planet, within the oceanic crust, under marine sediments. An unexplored environment that an international drilling program is beginning to reveal. The underwater laboratories were installed at 4,400 meters deep, on the mid-Atlantic ridge (yellow dot on […]

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Why does the ocean lose its nitrogen?

June 12, 2018

In the largest ocean area where the oxygen level is so low that it is not measurable, nitrogen escapes to the atmosphere. Located in the South Pacific, this region contributes significantly to the loss of nitrogen from the global ocean. In a study published in  Nature , scientists reveal the main mechanisms involved.  A CTD probe was used to […]

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Sustainable development

May 20, 2018

Interview 1/5: thinking long term with sustainable development?  What is sustainable development and is this concept applicable? François Moisan, Executive Director of Strategy and Research at ADEME (Environment and Energy Management Agency), is well versed in these issues and responds to the ABCofAgri microphone. The concept of sustainable development (SD) emerged from the very beginning of the 1970s. […]

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