Priming crops to face impact of climate change
CONFRONTED with the need of increasing global food production – farmers are constantly challenged with altering conditions and emergent soil-borne pathogens brought on by human-induced climate change. Recent data estimate that 40 percent of food crops are lost to plant pests and diseases every year, largely impacting both global food security and the livelihood of smallholder […]
Climate action must address needs of women and children
BY DR SHARIFAH MUHAIRAH SHAHABUDIN THE world is witnessing a climate emergency, disrupting all living beings on earth and its natural environment. The change in climate has seen devastating floods, extreme heat waves, strong storms, and severe droughts. The rising sea levels are threatening to submerge coastal communities, while extreme heat becomes intolerable to the human […]
Researchers identify genes to help fruit adapt to droughts
RESEARCHERS from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell University have completed the first study that provides a comprehensive picture of changes in gene expression in response to water stress in tomatoes and identified genes that could help plant breeders develop fruit that can cope with drought conditions. Led by BTI Assistant Professor Carmen Catalá, who is also a […]
Global Leaders Tackle Conservation at UN Biodiversity Conference
CANADA’S Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the delegates of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Being one of the countries promoting conservation, Canada stepped up to be the host of COP15, which takes place from December 7 to 19, 2022. Biodiversity is a crucial topic of […]
EDF celebrates first-year milestone in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: After building the very first methane coalition in Malaysia, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) hosted a first-year anniversary gathering with its local partners – the Centre for Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia (CETDEM), the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC), CERAH, Science Media Centre (SMC) Malaysia and Universiti Technology Petronas (UTP). The gathering was held […]
Using mathematical models to achieve energy security
THE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a red flag in a recent report that there will be a serious impact if we reach another 1.5 0C in surface temperature. Commenting on the report Dr Viknesh Andiappan, an energy planning specialist told The Petri Dish that mathematical skills are necessary to tackle climate change-related issues. […]
United in Science: We are heading in the wrong direction
GENEVA: Climate science is clear: we are heading in the wrong direction, according to a new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which highlights the huge gap between aspirations and reality. Without much more ambitious action, the physical and socioeconomic impacts of climate change will be increasingly devastating, it warns. The report, United […]
USM-Petronas join hands to offer carbon dioxide mitigation
UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA (USM) through the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering, has entered a research and technological collaboration with Petronas. The project entitled ‘Conversion of CO2 and Petcoke to Fuel Gas (Carbon Monoxide and Syngas) Using Microwave Heating’ is in line with CO2 mitigation plans, which seek ways to develop long-term strategies for […]
Methane from agricultural activities
BY SALMINA BARVIN BT MD SAMEENUDEEN AGRICULTURE sustains humanity and provides livelihoods for over 800 million people—27 percent of the global workforce. But many agricultural practices emit a substantial amount of greenhouse gases, including large amounts of methane, which is many times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming our planet and adds to dangerous air […]
Zooplankton under serious threat from climate change
BY DR NURUL HUDA AHMAD ISHAK RISING temperatures pose a high risk to marine and coastal ecosystems. This is a well-recognised fact. More than half of the world’s marine species may be now standing on the brink of extinction by 2100. The climate and ocean are closely linked. When oceans get hotter, they can hold more […]