List of All Articles with Tag 'mat'

More than 60 officials are held in separate jails, as car bombs target the country's prisons authority.

By Susanna Twidale and Sarah McFarlane LONDON Voluntary carbon markets have shrunk for the first time in at

Some of the world’s most celebrated wines – and the historic cultures of the communities which produce them – are under threat, scientists have warned. The harvesting of grapes on steep slopes is known as “heroic” viticulture – named so for the difficulty in producing fruitful harvests on such challenging terrain, typically without the use of mechanised tools, and many such vineyards across Europe have been designated Unesco world heritage sites. But researchers have warned that farmers and scientists must work together to protect this centuries-old tradition in the likes of Italy, Spain and Portugal, where climate change is threatening to disrupt the delicate equilibrium cultivated and maintained for generations. Scientists set out their concerns in a paper last month published in the journal iScience, warning that soil degradation and drought – such as those which devastated swathes of Europe last year – are the most worrying risks posed by climate change. Furthermore, the researchers from the University of Padova warned of a simultaneous threat posed by the “rural exodus and a gradual abandonment of mountain landscapes” which have “characterised” the past 50 years. “The new generation is not attracted to continue working under extreme conditions if economic benefits are insignificant,” they wrote, and warned that the technological modernisation of society is “degrading” the rural cultural background of previous generations. “The risk is not only losing an agricultural product or seeing a landscape change, negatively impacting the local economy,” said lead author Dr Paolo Tarolli and his co-writers. “The risk is losing entire communities’ history and their cultural roots.” Vineyards are considered “heroic viticulture” sites if they have a slope steeper than 30 percent, are located on small islands or at an altitude higher than 500 metres above sea level, or if they incorporate vines grown on terraces – conditions key to developing the wines’ prized flavours. Some of the most famous examples include the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Portugal’s Alto Douro region, and the Spanish Canary Islands. The increased frequency of weather extremes driven by climate change accelerates soil degradation, the researchers warned, pointing to the ability of intense rainfall to “quickly trigger slope failures” without optimum water conservation processes. Meanwhile, prolonged droughts can threaten already difficult and costly irrigation processes on such slopes. “The key to success lies in combining the traditional knowledge of winemakers with innovation and scientific rigor,” the researchers said. “In this way, farms can work closely with scientists to optimise investments for a more functional, sustainable, and safe agricultural landscape – a winning alliance to face these diverse natural and anthropogenic challenges.” The warning came just days after researchers at the University of East Anglia and London School of Economics suggested that climate change is likely to increase the potential for UK wine production over the next two decades. Wine growing conditions in parts of the UK could grow to resemble those in famous growing regions of France and Germany, they suggested, with new areas in England and Wales finding they are able to grow varieties rarely found at present, including still pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and riesling. But, the study published in the journal OENO One also warned that British weather will remain unpredictable, and that producers will therefore need to remain “agile”. Read More Why climate change could be good news for UK wine ‘A new way of looking at whisky’: The rise of English distilleries Independent Wine Club fair weather friends: Wines for summer sipping Follow your tastebuds to find the hidden Algarve, a foodie’s paradise far from the madding crowd

Orsted A/S’s potential $2.3 billion impairment on its US projects is just the latest in a string of

The storm leaves roads and towns along Florida's 'nature coast' inundated with knee-deep floodwaters.

By Gloria Dickie (Reuters) -Hurricane Idalia's arrival on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday signaled activity in the Atlantic's hurricane alley

Russia's military bloggers profit from the growing advertising market on Telegram, the BBC has found.

Some of the world's greatest scientists have struggled with math—just like the rest of us.

The Environmental Protection Agency and US Army on Tuesday released a new rule that dramatically shrinks what qualifies as federal waters, following a Supreme Court decision in May that rolled back protections for US wetlands.

The forecast for Idalia is alarming: a so-called rapid intensification as it tracks through the Gulf of Mexico, tapping into some of the warmest waters on the planet ahead of making landfall in Florida this week.

In a record-breaking year of disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing nearly $3 billion Monday for communities to build resiliency against climate change-fueled extreme weather.

The UN says countries must act urgently to protect children from the harmful effects of climate change.