Britain to limit funding for new power-only biomass plants 22/7/2013

New standalone biomass power plants in Britain will not be eligible for some subsidies unless they generate heat at the same time, under new government proposals, meaning many new plants could be canceled, an industry lobby said. ...more

Scientists build app to automatically identify species based on their calls 22/7/2013

A software and hardware system, detailed in the current issue of the journal PeerJ, has been used at sites in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica to identify frogs, insects, birds, and monkeys. ...more

Studying butterfly wings could create new colors and hues 22/7/2013

By studying butterfly wings, scientists think they can create new coatings for manufactured materials that could change color by design or from different angles. ...more

Solar Impulse plane completes Across America mission 19/7/2013

While a flyby of the Statue of Liberty had to be canceled due to a rip in the left wing, the single-seat solar-powered Solar Impulse plane has successfully finished its journey across the United States, landing at JFK International Airport in New York City on July 6. ...more

Steam detected at damaged Fukushima reactor 19/7/2013

A damaged reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suddenly began releasing steam again, but it did not appear to be a result of renewed nuclear reactions — a worst-case situation that could lead to a large new release of radioactive materials. ...more

The EPA gets a new boss — finally 19/7/2013

It’s been 136 days since President Obama nominated Gina McCarthy to head the U.S. EPA. ...more

Brazil's military takes on illegal loggers to protect nearly-extinct tribe 19/7/2013

Brazil has launched a military campaign to evict illegal loggers working from the fringes of an indigenous reserve home to the Awá people. Inhabiting the Amazon rainforest in northeastern Brazil, only around 450 Awá, also known as Guajá, survive today. ...more

These beautiful modern-art paintings are made of fly puke 19/7/2013

Artist John Knuth doesn’t actually make his paintings, which have an intriguing, almost pointillist appearance. Instead, like Damien Hirst, he lets his assistants do all the work. ...more

Dubai weight loss challenge offers gold coins to biggest losers 19/7/2013

Need some motivation to cut that flab? If you live in Dubai, you can win gold to do just that. A new campaign “You are Worth ... Your Weight in Gold” is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and achieving optimal body weight. ...more

Cosmetics from camel milk 18/7/2013

Dubai, Gulf News - A beauty treatment practiced by Bedouins for centuries will come out of the Arabian desert as a Dubai company plans to launch camel milk-based cosmetics, XPRESS has learnt. ...more