Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'
19 February 2019 - The world's insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a 'catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems'. according to the first global scientific review. ... insects are by far the most varied and abundant animals, outweighing humanity by 17 times. They are 'essential' for the proper functioning of all ecosystems, the researchers say, as food for other creatures, pollinators, and recyclers of nutrients. (more)

British start-up breeds high performance bugs for animal feed
19 February 2019 - British start-up Beta Bugs is breeding high performance strains of black soldier fly for the insect feed sector, and is selecting traits like growth rate, protein content, fat composition, and even temperature tolerance according to clients' needs. The company breeds certain strains of fly, resulting in highly optimized insects. The feed is made from fly maggots. (more)

Hot property: U.S. mobile homes' affordability slips as corporates move in
19 February 2019 - When Russ Watson decided to move to a mobile home community in Florida in 2011, it was to be near his father and in a space that was affordable. But over the next few years, ownership of Park Place -- which has about 475 homes -- changed hands, Watson said: first to an investment group and next to one of the country's largest owners of mobile home parks, Sun Communities. After that, Watson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, things changed. The company made improvements, but it also negotiated new five-year leases with residents that included a 4 percent annual rent hike, he said. And, he added, managers became less responsive. Watson eventually moved out -- as did others, he said. ... Watson's experience echoes a pattern seen across Florida and the country ... (more)

Machine learning 'causing science crisis'
18 February 2019 - Machine-learning techniques used by thousands of scientists to analyse data are producing results that are misleading and often completely wrong. ...A growing amount of scientific research involves using machine learning software to analyze data that has already been collected. ... The 'reproducibility crisis' in science refers to the alarming number of research results that are not repeated when another group of scientists tries the same experiment. It means that the initial results were wrong. One analysis suggested that up to 85% of all biomedical research carried out in the world is wasted effort. (more)

Common weed killer glyphosate increases cancer risk by 41%, study says
15 February 2019 - Glyphosate, an herbicide that remains the world's most ubiquitous weed killer, raises the cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41%, a new analysis says. Researchers from the University of Washington evaluated existing studies into the chemical -- found in weed killers including Monsanto's popular Roundup -- and concluded that it significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the immune system. (more)

U.N. warns of locust surge on both sides of Red Sea
15 February 2019 - A locust outbreak in Sudan and Eritrea is spreading rapidly along both sides of the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday (15 February), flagging a possible threat to crops and food security. ... Adult locust swarms can fly up to 150 km a day with the wind and adult insects can consume roughly their own weight in fresh food per day. A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security. (more)

Precious antibiotics still being used to boost animal growth: OIE
14 February 2019 - Farmers in 45 countries still use antibiotics to boost animal growth, despite warnings from health experts and bans on the practice in many parts of the world, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday (14 February) (more)

US: More young adults binge-drinking well into their 20s
14 February 2019 - More young men and women [in the U.S.] are binge-drinking into their mid- and late-20s today than a generation ago, increasing their risk of accidental injuries, deaths, and a variety of chronic illnesses, researchers say. (more)