About 60 streets across Christchurch are still without water this morning as aftershocks continue to shake the city after Saturday''s earthquake.Council staff are working around the clock to restore water to between 15 and 20 per...
NZ Herald earthquakes
cybernanga writes "A group of researchers in South Africa has developed a filter that can purify water straight from the bottle. The filter sits inside a tube fitted on top of a bottle and purifies water as it is poured on a cup. From the article: ''The designer behind the filter, Dr Eugene Cloete, from the Stellenbosch University in South Africa, says the filter is only as big as an ordinary tea bag. He says the product is cost-effective and easy to use. "We are coming in here at the fraction of the cost of anything else that is currently on the market," says Dr Cloete on BBC World Service.''" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
KiwiRail is sending almost 300,000 litres of water to Christchurch.KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn said the water would arrive aboard a train early this afternoon and was in response to the city''s need for fresh water as a...
NZ Herald earthquakes
Kiwis are coming to terms with the devastation of one of their proudest cities.The 7.1 magnitude earthquake caused terror across Canterbury, damaged nearly 100 buildings and tore apart water pipes, sewerage, roads and footpaths.Mayor...
NZ Herald earthquakes
Promises of aid have started coming in after a massive earthquake hit Canterbury early yesterday morning, causing billions of dollars of damage, cutting water and power, and leaving many forced out of their homes after their houses...
NZ Herald earthquakes
Earthquake-zone residents are being urged to stay home and conserve supplies as authorities work to restore water services, repair roads and ensure the sewerage system is safe.A third of Christchurch was without water last night....
NZ Herald earthquakes
Sewage and water concerns are among the top priorities for emergency services in the wake of this morning''s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch.The city was left devastated after the quake struck 30km west of the city at...
NZ Herald earthquakes
Here is the current situation: Water Some outlying areas are still without water. Inner-city residents are being asked to save water by not flushing the toilet as there are fears the city''s water infrastructure may have been...
NZ Herald earthquakes
Power and water have been cut to parts of Christchurch after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 30km west of the city at 4.35am today.The quake was at a depth of 33km and was centred near Darfield.New Zealand Herald reporter...
NZ Herald earthquakes
An engineer has poured cold water on Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee''s draft energy strategy involving reduction of fossil-fuel power and more emphasis on wind generation.The Government has called for 90 per cent of New Zealand''s...
NZ Herald electricity
beschra writes "BBC writes of ''terra-forming'' Ascension Island, one of the islands Charles Darwin visited. He and a friend encouraged the Royal Navy to import boat loads of trees and plants in an attempt to capture the little bit of water that fell on the island. They were quite successful. The island even has a cloud forest now. From the article: ''[British ecologist] Wilkinson thinks that the principles that emerge from that experiment could be used to transform future colonies on Mars. In other words, rather than trying to improve an environment by force, the best approach might be to work with life to help it "find its own way."''" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
It''s doubtful that any other distillery will come up with a whisky that tastes like Gilpin Family Whisky because of its secret ingredient: urine. Researcher and designer James Gilpin uses the sugar rich urine of elderly diabetics to make his high-end single malt whisky. From the article: "The source material is acquired from elderly volunteers, including Gilpin''s own grandmother, Patricia. The urine is purified in the same way as mains water is purified, with the sugar molecules removed and added to the mash stock to accelerate the whisky''s fermentation process. Traditionally, that sugar would be made from the starches in the mash." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
jamie sends in news of comments by David Hoyle, a State Senator in North Carolina, about recently defeated legislation he sponsored that would have limited the ability of government to develop municipal broadband. Hoyle readily admitted that the cable industry had a hand in writing the bill. We discussed the cable industry''s extensive lobbying efforts in that region last year. From the article: "The veteran state senator says cities should leave broadband to the cable companies. ''It''s not fair for any government unit to compete with private enterprise,'' he says. In the last legislative session Sen. Hoyle tried to put a moratorium on any more local governments expanding into municipal broadband. When the I-Team asked him if the cable industry drew up the bill, Senator Hoyle responded, ''Yes, along with my help.'' When asked about criticism that he was ''carrying water'' for the cable companies, Hoyle replied, ''I''ve carried more water than Gunga Din for the business community — the people who pay the taxes.''" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Adding science to years of anecdotal claims, scientists find that dieters who drink two cups of water before meals lose more weight.
This weekend, ?Jay the Joke? joined a rather lengthy list of those who have landed in hot water or been pink-slipped because of something that happened while employed by ESPN.
An anonymous reader writes "Some specific bacteria colonies from Beer (the place, not the beverage) left for several days outside the ISS actually survived extreme temperatures, UV and other radiations, lack of water and all the like. They were later brought back to Earth for examination: such resistant bacteria may be the base of life support systems or bio-mining on colonies off Earth, and of course for terraforming, eventually. No clue in the article about how dangerous those bacteria might have become after the exposure or when they''ll start eating their examiners." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A traffic jam on the Beijing-Tibet expressway has now entered its ninth day and has grown to over 62 miles in length. This mother-of-all delays has even spawned its own micro-economy of local merchants selling water and food at inflated prices to stranded drivers. Can you imagine how infuriating it must be to see someone leave their blinker on for 9 days? Read more of this story at Slashdot.
theodp writes "The National Park Service is finding technology to be a double-edged sword. While new technologies can and do save lives, the NPS is also finding that unseasoned hikers and campers are now boldly going where they never would have gone before, counting on cellphones, GPS, and SPOT devices to bail them out if they get into trouble. Last fall, a group of hikers in the Grand Canyon called in rescue helicopters three times by pressing the emergency button on their satellite location device. When rangers arrived the second time, the hikers complained that their water supply tasted salty. ''Because of having that electronic device, people have an expectation that they can do something stupid and be rescued,'' said a spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park. ''Every once in a while we get a call from someone who has gone to the top of a peak, the weather has turned and they are confused about how to get down and they want someone to personally escort them. The answer is that you are up there for the night.''" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
"Have you seen HDMI cables online or in stores labeled ''120 Hz,'' ''240Hz'' and ''480 Hz''? It''s easy enough to slap such labels on HDMI cables but it''s a sham. HDMI cables can no more be manufactured for specific refresh-rate HDTVs than a garden hose can be manufactured specifically to water seeded lawns and sod lawns. The same water flows through..."
Biologist John Supan thinks he has developed what may be the holy grail for oyster lovers: a hardy breed of the delectable shellfish that stays fat enough for consumers to eat throughout the year. And unlike many oysters across the Gulf Coast, ruined by BP''s massive oil spill and the fresh water poured in to fight it, Supan''s oysters are all alive.