Seawater

SaliCrop's Novel Seed Enhancement Tech Makes Deserts Bloom

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2024

KFAR VITKIN, Israel, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme weather events—heatwaves, droughts, extreme cold snaps—pose significant threats to agriculture, contributing to the phenomenon of desertification. Globally, fertile lands are increasingly being degraded, losing the ability to sustain life and grow food. AgriTech start-up SaliCrop, Ltd., has pioneered a breakthrough seed treatment to transform arid terrain into flourishing landscapes to growing food.

Key Points: 
  • AgriTech start-up SaliCrop, Ltd., has pioneered a breakthrough seed treatment to transform arid terrain into flourishing landscapes to growing food.
  • SaliCrop's proprietary seed enhancement technology is the brainchild of Ṛcā Godbole, Ph.D., co-founder and CSO of SaliCrop.
  • SaliCrop's has developed  hundreds of seed enhancement protocols designed to improve plant resilience to the impacts of climate change by intentionally exposing the seeds to controlled abiotic stressors.
  • "Our climate-smart seed enhancement technology has empowered tomatoes to better withstand extreme climate events," adds Devir.

SaliCrop's Novel Seed Enhancement Tech Makes Deserts Bloom

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2024

KFAR VITKIN, Israel, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme weather events—heatwaves, droughts, extreme cold snaps—pose significant threats to agriculture, contributing to the phenomenon of desertification. Globally, fertile lands are increasingly being degraded, losing the ability to sustain life and grow food. AgriTech start-up SaliCrop, Ltd., has pioneered a breakthrough seed treatment to transform arid terrain into flourishing landscapes to growing food.

Key Points: 
  • AgriTech start-up SaliCrop, Ltd., has pioneered a breakthrough seed treatment to transform arid terrain into flourishing landscapes to growing food.
  • SaliCrop's proprietary seed enhancement technology is the brainchild of Ṛcā Godbole, Ph.D., co-founder and CSO of SaliCrop.
  • SaliCrop's has developed  hundreds of seed enhancement protocols designed to improve plant resilience to the impacts of climate change by intentionally exposing the seeds to controlled abiotic stressors.
  • "Our climate-smart seed enhancement technology has empowered tomatoes to better withstand extreme climate events," adds Devir.

Energy Recovery Announces $28 Million in Desalination Contracts for Flagship PX Q400 Energy Recovery Device

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Energy Recovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: ERII) today announced the award of contracts totaling over $28 million to supply its newest top-of-the-line PX® Pressure Exchanger® energy recovery device (ERD), the PX Q400 , to mega desalination projects in the Gulf region.

Key Points: 
  • Energy Recovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: ERII) today announced the award of contracts totaling over $28 million to supply its newest top-of-the-line PX® Pressure Exchanger® energy recovery device (ERD), the PX Q400 , to mega desalination projects in the Gulf region.
  • These facilities will produce nearly 1.5 million cubic meters of water for municipal use in the Gulf, a significantly water-stressed region, and the awards demonstrate confidence in Energy Recovery’s latest innovation, the PX Q400.
  • “The PX Q400 is the new gold standard ERD for SWRO desalination,” said Rodney Clemente, Energy Recovery Senior Vice President of Water.
  • When installed, the PX Q400 devices are projected to prevent more than 600,000 metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to removing roughly 130,000 passenger cars from the road each year.

Israel isn’t complying with the International Court of Justice ruling — what happens next?

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

More than a week has passed since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mandated provisional measures against Israel following South Africa’s accusation of genocide.

Key Points: 
  • More than a week has passed since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mandated provisional measures against Israel following South Africa’s accusation of genocide.
  • It must also report back to the court within a month on the implementation of these measures.

No adherence

  • According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 27,000 Palestinians have now been killed and more than 66,000 injured since the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
  • Israel has also targeted several medical facilities in Gaza, including Nasser hospital, since the ICJ ruling.
  • The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called Rafah a “pressure cooker of despair.”

In direct contravention

  • Such action would be in direct contravention of ICJ’s explicit order that Israel ensures basic services and humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza.
  • These developments underscore the gravity of the conditions in Gaza following the ICJ ruling, and highlight the urgent need for Israel to comply with the orders.

What’s next?

  • Nonetheless, the ICJ ruling sends a clear message to the international community, especially to states allied with Israel, reminding them of the collective responsibility to respect and uphold international law.
  • As such, the implications of the decision extend well beyond the immediate parties involved.
  • It raises concerns about Canada’s military exports, especially the $21 million of military equipment sent to Israel in 2022.

The Global South strikes back?

  • In a broader context, the ICJ’s involvement represents an example of the Global South striking back, as international law expert Heidi Matthews argues in her podcast.
  • South Africa’s historical fight against apartheid has made the Palestinian cause resonate for South Africans, lending credibility and moral weight to its case against Israel.
  • Nonetheless, despite the hope that the Global South may begin to effectively hold powerful nations to account, the international reaction to the ICJ ruling has been notably ambivalent.
  • But the specifics haven’t been disclosed, and there are few other organizations with the expertise and infrastructure to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza.

Upholding international law

  • The ICJ ruling calls for urgent action, not just from Israel, but also from the wider international community — including Canada — to uphold the tenets of international law and support humanitarian efforts.
  • Global Affairs Canada recently stated on social media that “Canada rejects any proposal that calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the establishment of additional settlements.
  • The world is watching, and Canada’s actions now must showcase its commitment to justice, human rights and the rule of law.


Basema Al-Alami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

‘A deeply troubling discovery’: Earth may have already passed the crucial 1.5°C warming limit

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

The worrying findings, based on temperature records contained in sea sponge skeletons, suggest global climate change has progressed much further than previously thought.

Key Points: 
  • The worrying findings, based on temperature records contained in sea sponge skeletons, suggest global climate change has progressed much further than previously thought.
  • Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions drive global warming.
  • To date, estimates of upper ocean warming have been mainly based on sea-surface temperature records, however these date back only about 180 years.
  • Earth may in fact have already reached at least 1.7°C warming since pre-industrial times – a deeply troubling discovery.

Getting a gauge on ocean heat

  • Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface and absorb an enormous amount of heat and carbon dioxide.
  • Global surface temperatures are traditionally calculated by averaging the temperature of water at the sea surface, and the air just above the land surface.
  • This makes it more difficult to accurately reconstruct stable baseline ocean temperatures.
  • But what if there was a way to precisely gauge ocean temperatures over centuries in the past?

Studying a special sponge

  • But they grow at a much slower rate and can live for many hundreds of years.
  • This means sclerosponges can provide a detailed diary of sea temperatures, down to a resolution of just 0.1°C.
  • We studied the sponge species Ceratoporella nicholsoni.
  • We looked at temperatures going back 300 years, to see whether the current time period which defines pre-industrial temperatures was accurate.
  • The sponge records showed nearly constant temperatures from 1700 to 1790 and from 1840 to 1860 (with a gap in the middle due to volcanic cooling).

What does this mean for global warming?

  • It shows human-caused ocean warming began at least several decades earlier than previously assumed by the IPCC.
  • Long-term climate change is commonly measured against the average warming over the 30 years from 1961 to 1990, as well as warming in more recent decades.
  • Add to that the average 0.8°C global warming from 1990 to recent years, and the Earth may have warmed on average by at least 1.7°C since pre-industrial times.
  • Read more:
    'Australia is sleepwalking': a bushfire scientist explains what the Hawaii tragedy means for our flammable continent

We must act now


Our revised estimates suggest climate change is at a more advanced stage than we thought. This is cause for great concern. It appears that humanity has missed its chance to limit global warming to 1.5°C and has a very challenging task ahead to keep warming below 2°C. This underscores the urgent need to halve global emissions by 2030.
Malcolm McCulloch receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Earnings

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 1, 2024

NOV Inc. (NYSE: NOV) today reported fourth quarter 2023 revenues of $2.34 billion, an increase of seven percent compared to the third quarter of 2023 and an increase of 13 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.

Key Points: 
  • NOV Inc. (NYSE: NOV) today reported fourth quarter 2023 revenues of $2.34 billion, an increase of seven percent compared to the third quarter of 2023 and an increase of 13 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Completion & Production Solutions generated revenues of $803 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of six percent from the third quarter of 2023 and an increase of nine percent from the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Rig Technologies generated revenues of $766 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 12 percent from the third quarter of 2023 and an increase of 24 percent from the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • NOV will hold a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter 2023 results on February 2, 2024 at 10:00 AM Central Time (11:00 AM Eastern Time).

Vallourec to support multi-energy project for TotalEnergies in Iraq

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Meudon, 16 January 2024 – Vallourec, a world leader in premium tubular solutions, has signed a contract with TotalEnergies for the supply of casing and tubing and associated accessories for the first phase of the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) in Iraq.

Key Points: 
  • Meudon, 16 January 2024 – Vallourec, a world leader in premium tubular solutions, has signed a contract with TotalEnergies for the supply of casing and tubing and associated accessories for the first phase of the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) in Iraq.
  • Vallourec has been a supplier to TotalEnergies for many years, drawing on its long experience in Iraq to provide its long-standing partner with a competitive premium offering that covers all its OCTG needs.
  • Group Chairman and CEO Philippe Guillemot commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen by TotalEnergies for the first stage of this flagship project in Iraq.
  • In addition to the drilling, our team is fully committed to working with our long-standing partner to support all future phases of this multi-energy project.”

Marotta Controls Named Lockheed Martin Elite Supplier

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 9, 2024

MONTVILLE, N.J., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marotta Controls , a rapidly growing Aerospace and Defense supplier, today announced that it has received the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) Elite Supplier Award.

Key Points: 
  • MONTVILLE, N.J., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marotta Controls , a rapidly growing Aerospace and Defense supplier, today announced that it has received the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) Elite Supplier Award.
  • Marotta Controls’ Marine Business Unit is among 37 suppliers receiving this honor; honorees represent the top one percent of suppliers supporting the RMS business area.
  • “This most recent award acknowledges the strength of our long-standing relationship with Lockheed Martin as a whole in which trust, collaboration, and on-time/on-budget delivery have been standard practices, across divisions and programs,” said Bill Dimas, Vice President, Business Development, Marotta Controls.
  • Over the past 13 years, the partnership has yielded:
    For more information about the Marotta Controls marine system capabilities, visit https://marotta.com/markets/marine/ .

ASC24 Finals Set for April in Shanghai: Focus on Cutting-Edge Large Language Model Inference and Seepage Simulation!

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Following the rigorous preliminary round, the chosen teams are set to clash in the finals hosted at Shanghai University from April 9 to 13.

Key Points: 
  • Following the rigorous preliminary round, the chosen teams are set to clash in the finals hosted at Shanghai University from April 9 to 13.
  • The competition spectrum encompasses tasks such as optimizing Large Language Model inference, Seepage Numerical Simulation, and tackling the HPL and HPCG benchmarks.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240110248028/en/
    ASC24 Opening Ceremony: Experts and Representatives of Participating Teams (Photo: Business Wire)
    The ASC24 Large Language Model (LLM) Inference Optimization Challenge has become a focal point of attention for all the participants.
  • In this challenge, participating teams are tasked with constructing and optimizing inference engines using the widely adopted open-source LLM, LLaMA2.

BCC Research Analysis Predicts Global Hydrogen Generation Market to Surpass $271.1 Billion by 2028

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 4, 2024

BOSTON, Jan. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Hydrogen Generation Market stands as a pivotal force in the paradigm shift toward sustainable energy solutions.

Key Points: 
  • BOSTON, Jan. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Hydrogen Generation Market stands as a pivotal force in the paradigm shift toward sustainable energy solutions.
  • This market revolves around the production and extraction of hydrogen, an elemental game-changer renowned for its clean energy attributes.
  • Boston: "According to the latest BCC Research study, the demand for Global Hydrogen Generation Market is estimated to increase from $166.7 billion in 2023 to reach $271.1 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% from 2023 through 2028."
  • Request a Copy of the Global Hydrogen Generation Market Report.