• Scottish scientists say: Bright future for solar power in space
• India's 2012 monsoon rains to arrive on time
• US: Take in Yosemite views -- by computer

• Eco-friendly Vastu house first of its kind in Scotland
• Ecobuild attracts 60,000 people in UK, Vastu exhibition draws interest
• US: Maharishi School students win first place at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

• Peru warns against beaches due to bird deaths
• US shale causes rise in waste gas pollution
• Tree disease threatens $2 billion California citrus industry

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Scottish scientists say: Bright future for solar power in space
16 May 2012 - Solar power gathered in space could be set to provide the renewable energy of the future thanks to innovative research being carried out by engineers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Last month, a team of science and engineering students at Strathclyde developed an innovative 'space web' experiment, which was carried on a rocket from the Arctic Circle to the edge of space. The experiment, known as Suaineadh -- or 'twisting' in Scots Gaelic, was an important step forward in space construction design and demonstrated that larger structures could be built on top of a light-weight spinning web, paving the way for the next stage in the solar power project. (more)

India's 2012 monsoon rains to arrive on time
15 May 2012 - India's 2012 monsoon rains are likely to hit the southern coast on time on 1 June, the weather department said on Tuesday, brightening farm output prospects as farmers can plant crops like cotton and paddy on time and reap good yields. (more)

US: Take in Yosemite views -- by computer
15 May 2012 - Just in time for spring snowmelt: a webcam pointed at one of Yosemite National Park's main attractions, the soaring 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls. The HD camera went live on North America's tallest fall Monday, allowing anyone with computer access to watch in stunning detail as shadows race across the towering granite monolith over which Yosemite Creek crashes in a series of plunges and cascades. It's the fourth webcam the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy has set up -- the other three are pointed toward the park icons Half Dome, Yosemite's most recognizable granite feature, and El Capitan, the 3,000-foot sheer-faced monolith popular with climbers. It joins a smattering of others across the nation, including one at Yellowstone's renowned geyser Old Faithful. (more)

Africa: Bird watching can help eco-tourism fly high in a green economy
14 May 2012 - Migratory birds undertake some of the most daring journeys in the animal kingdom, often covering thousands of kilometers to migrate. And the growing fan base of these winged adventurers is now presenting economic opportunities through sustainable tourism. World Migratory Bird Day 2012 was celebrated on the weekend. There is a growing trend among bird tour operators to practice sustainable and socially responsible ecotourism, while relying on local goods and services or supporting local conservation projects. (more)

Chinese researchers quantum teleport photons over 60 miles
14 May 2012 - Since 1997, researchers have been able to quantum teleport photons with a major record being set by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China in Shanghai. In 2010, that team successfully teleported a photon over 16km. Now that same team has released new findings, in which they claim to have teleported photons nearly 100km, or over 60 miles. (more)

Electric car takes off on Kenya to South Africa adventure
14 May 2012 - For the first time, an electric vehicle is attempting an unassisted journey from Nairobi to Johannesburg, South Africa -- a distance of 4,800 kilometers (2,982 miles). Called Mission Africa, the journey is part of the UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, and aims to demonstrate the reliability and energy efficiency of electric vehicles under extreme conditions and also highlight the lack of electricity in many communities in Africa. (more)

Madagascar: Map reveals key wildlife hotspots
14 May 2012 - Scientists have developed a technique that pinpoints key biodiversity hotspots, which they say will lead to more effective conservation strategies. Researchers used the system to identify vital habitats in Madagascar, which is home to a vast array of unique species. Writing in Science, they say their methodology identifies exact areas that support a wide variety of organisms. (more)

South Africa joins world astronomy body
14 May 2012 - South Africa has joined the international JIVE radio astronomy research institute, the National Research Foundation (NRF) said on Sunday. This marked a new level of partnership between Europe and South Africa in science, said NRF deputy CEO Dr Gansen Pillay. 'It is expected to act as an additional mechanism in promoting the growth of science in South Africa, with developmental benefits well beyond the field of radio astronomy,' he said. (more)

Guatemala: Unprecedented Maya mural found, contradicts 2012 'Doomsday' myth
12 May 2012 - In the last known largely unexcavated Maya megacity, archaeologists have uncovered the only known mural adorning an ancient Maya house, a new study says-and it's not just any mural. In addition to a still vibrant scene of a king and his retinue, the walls are rife with calculations that helped ancient scribes track vast amounts of time. Contrary to the idea the Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012, the markings suggest dates thousands of years in the future. Perhaps most important, the otherwise humble chamber offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Maya society. (more)

France: Self-bending light boomerangs could help surgeons
11 May 2012 - Self-bending light beams capable of turning a corner like a boomerang are darting around an optics laboratory in France. The beams are just a few micrometres across, and could improve the way in which materials are carved on the microscopic scale, or help surgeons make curving incisions in the body that dodge specific regions or tissues. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Eco-friendly Vastu house first of its kind in Scotland
2 April 2012 - The first Vastu house in Scotland, in addition to upholding rigourous Maharishi Vastu (Vedic architecture) design principles, is also built according to eco-friendly technology. The house is powered by wind energy, which means that electricity is generated through a small wind turbine on the property. The house also makes use of ground-source heating. Both these features have yielded great savings for the homeowners in electricity and utility bills every month. (more)

Ecobuild attracts 60,000 people in UK, Vastu exhibition draws interest
2 April 2012 - Henry Brighouse, an expert in Maharishi Vastu architecture in the United Kingdom, commented on the recent Ecobuild exhibition in London, in which he participated along with other Vastu coordinators. Ecobuild is one of Britain's biggest building expos of the year, he said, and in 2012, it 'attracted over 60,000 visitors, with 1,600 exhibitors of a dazzling array of technological innovations for really tackling the challenges we're seeing for creating a sustainable future.' The Maharishi Vastu exhibit drew great interest all through the event. (more)

US: Maharishi School students win first place at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
21 March 2012 - Pearl Sawhney and her brother, Surya, students at Maharishi School in Iowa, USA, won first place this month at the Iowa Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. They also were chosen, as one of two student teams in the state, to present at the 50th National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Maryland. (more)

Developing the full potential of the mind, enlivening total brain functioning
3 March 2012 - Transcendental Meditation unfolds the inner creative intelligence of everyone, by providing direct experience of the field of pure creative intelligence at the source of thought--Transcendental Consciousness. EEG research studies have shown that during Transcendental Meditation, when the individual experiences the deeply settled, silent state of Transcendental Consciousness, coherence begins to increase throughout the entire brain simultaneously. (more)

Maharishi Vastu and Passive House energy efficient design: Fully compatible
5 February 2012 - Eastern orientation of a building to the rising sun, a key principle of Maharishi Vastu architecture design, does not have to conflict in any way with the principle of gaining maximum solar energy by intelligently using the south face of the buildings--a main focus of Passive House construction. In fact, there are numerous examples of the abundant use of solar energy, as well as other sustainable features, in Maharishi Vastu homes and buildings. (more)

Dr Travis presents neuroscience of Transcendental Meditation in Germany
23 December 2011 - Maharishi University of Management Professor Fred Travis has again taken the knowledge of the neuroscience of the Transcendental Meditation Technique to audiences abroad, most recently on a speaking tour of universities in Germany. (more)

Brain mapping shows global EEG coherence during Transcendental Meditation
3 December 2011 - Noted scientist and brain researcher Dr Alarik Arenander described the process of brain mapping by explaining that brain waves are nothing more than electrical impulses that are picked up on the scalp of the individual. The brain waves, he said, 'really reflect on a very fundamental level our consciousness and our mental activities. . . . We can put a person in a room and measure their brain waves and determine whether they're waking, whether they're in deep sleep, whether they're dreaming, whether they're transcending'--experiencing the deepest level of the mind, a state of restful alertness, during Transcendental Meditation. (more)

Brain plasticity as a tool to create perfection in life
3 December 2011 - The new Vedic Physiology course highlights the scientific principle of brain plasticity. 'If you change your brain, you can change your life,' explained Dr Arenander, who developed the course with his wife, Dr Cynthia Arenander. 'This in modern physiology is called brain plasticity. Your brain is plastic; it's moldable. . . . The possible permutations of your brain connectivity and dynamics are almost literally innumerable.' Because this change is always ongoing, he said, we can choose to increase the orderliness of our brain functioning through Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's technologies of consciousness. (more)

Dr John Hagelin gives keynote speech at unity conference
15 November 2011 - Dr John Hagelin, a world-renowned physicist and Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, has recently spoken at major conferences in the United States. Dr Hagelin was invited to be a keynote speaker for what is considered one of the most important conferences concerning unity. The conference speakers consisted of individuals, scientists, physicists, and philosophers who are interested in unity. (more)

Dr Norman Rosenthal addresses leading investment company on Transcendental Meditation research
15 November 2011 - Dr Norman Rosenthal has been touring the United States to promote his bestselling book, Transcendence. He recently spoke to a prestigious investment company in the Northeast region about the scientifically verified efficacy of the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Peru warns against beaches due to bird deaths
6 May 2012 - Peru's Health Ministry is urging people to stay away from Pacific beaches from Lima northward after recent large-scale deaths of pelicans and dolphins. Neither the Health Ministry nor Peru's oceanographic institute has determined the cause of the deaths, and there is no indication the deaths of the birds and the mammals are related. Peru's agricultural safety service ruled out Friday that the pelicans could have died of avian flu, which could be contagious to humans. February, some 877 dolphins and, more recently, at least 1,200 pelicans have been found dead on Peruvian beaches for unexplained reasons. (more)

US shale causes rise in waste gas pollution
2 May 2012 - The US shale energy boom is fuelling a rise in the burning of waste gas after years of decline, a World Bank source told Reuters ahead of the release of new data, giving environmentalists more ammunition against the industry. Global gas flaring crept up by 4.5 per cent in 2011, the first rise since 2008 and equivalent to the annual gas use of Denmark, preliminary data from the World Bank shows. The preliminary data -- which will be released in detail later in May -- shows that global gas flaring crept up to around 140 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2011, up from 134 bcm the previous year. The wasted gas causes immense environmental damage, both locally and on a global scale. The World Bank estimates that the flaring of gas adds some 360 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in annual emissions, almost the same as France puts into the atmosphere each year or the equivalent to the yearly emissions from around 70 million cars. 'The problem is that international oil companies are not penalized for flaring gas,' Greenpeace's Kronick said. The damage flaring does to local communities is also immense. (more)

Tree disease threatens $2 billion California citrus industry
20 April 2012 - California orange and lemon growers are bracing for a deadly bacterial disease that could ravage the state's $2 billion citrus industry after the first infected tree in the state was identified in a suburban Los Angeles yard. The tree ailment, called Huanglongbing, citrus greening or yellow dragon disease, is usually spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny, aphid-like winged insect that feeds on the leaves of citrus trees. The first appearance of the disease in California was confirmed on 30 March when a lemon-pomelo hybrid tree in Hacienda Heights, east of Los Angeles, tested positive. Experts believe it was transmitted by an infected bud shoot grafted onto the tree by a friendly neighbour and amateur horticulturist. The disease poses no health risk to humans or animals, but its effect on citrus trees is lethal and without a known cure. The bacteria has previously devastated crops in China, Brazil, and Florida. How far the disease might ultimately spread in California is unknown, but the psyllid can fly up to about 1,100 yards (1,000 metres) a day. (more)

Hundreds of dolphins found dead in Peru
19 April 2012 - Scientists and Peruvian officials are investigating a mass die-off of hundreds of dolphins along the South American country's coast. A total of 877 dolphin carcasses have been counted recently along the shore in the northern regions of Piura and Lambayeque, Deputy Environment Minister Gabriel Quijandria said Thursday. Officials have been studying possible factors in the dolphins' deaths including a virus or seismic oil exploration that has recently been carried out off northern Peru. An analysis of the beached dolphins' internal organs hasn't found the sort of symptoms that experts have seen in other cases when dolphins have been affected by seismic tests, Quijandria said in a radio interview. (more)

Drought in England could last beyond Christmas - agency
16 April 2012 - A drought affecting parts of England could last until after Christmas, Britain's environment agency warned on Monday, as rain over the spring and summer is unlikely to replenish low water levels. In a country more usually associated with damp and drizzle, drought has been declared in seventeen counties in England's southeast and central regions, after two dry winters left rivers and ground waters depleted. The lack of rain is taking its toll on the environment and farmers, causing problems for wildlife, wetlands, and crop production, the agency said in a statement. The impact of climate change on rainfall patterns is hard to predict -- but it could mean more intense bursts of rain in summer and longer wet periods in winter. Hotter summers are also more likely, however, leading to droughts. Dry and compacted ground due to drought also means that there is a greater risk of flash flooding if there is heavy rainfall. (more)

Pesticide use causing bee decline, two studies suggest
29 March 2012 - A common class of pesticide is causing problems for honeybees and bumblebees, important species already in trouble, two studies suggest. The new research suggests the chemicals used in the pesticide -- designed to attack the central nervous system of insects -- reduces the weight and number of queens in bumblebee hives. These pesticides also cause honeybees to become disoriented and fail to return to their hives, the researchers concluded. The two studies were published online Thursday in the journal Science. For more than a decade, pollinators of all types have been in decline, mostly because of habitat loss and perhaps some pesticide use. In the past five years, a new mysterious honeybee problem, colony collapse disorder, has further attacked hives. (more)

Canada first nation to pull out of Kyoto protocol
12 December 2011 - Canada on Monday became the first country to announce it would withdraw from the Kyoto protocol on climate change, dealing a symbolic blow to the already troubled global treaty. Environment Minister Peter Kent broke the news on his return from talks in Durban, where countries agreed to extend Kyoto for five years and hammer out a new deal forcing all big polluters for the first time to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Canada, a major energy producer which critics complain is becoming a climate renegade, has long complained Kyoto is unworkable precisely because it excludes so many significant emitters. (more)

North Mexico wilts under worst drought on record
2 December 2011 - The sun-baked northern states of Mexico are suffering under the worst drought since the government began recording rainfall 70 years ago. Crops of corn, beans, and oats are withering in the fields. About 1.7 million cattle have died of starvation and thirst. Life isn't likely to get better soon. The next rainy season isn't due until June, and there's no guarantee normal rains will come then. The hardest blow has been to seasonal farmers and ranchers with non-irrigated pastures in Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and San Luis Potosi.'The situation for the people of Zacatecas is truly dramatic because farmers were not even able to produce the food they need for their own consumption,' said Zacatecas Gov. Miguel Alonso. The scarcity of rainfall also has dried up drinking water supplies for an estimated 2.5 million people in more than 1,500 small communities in northern Mexico. (more)

US report: Arctic much worse since 2006
1 December 2011 - US federal officials say the Arctic region has changed dramatically in the past five years -- for the worse. It's melting at a near record pace, and it's darkening and absorbing too much of the sun's heat. A new report card from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rates the polar region with blazing red stop lights on three of five categories and yellow cautions for the other two. The Arctic acts as Earth's refrigerator, cooling the planet. What's happening, scientists said, is like someone pushing the fridge's thermostat much too high. The dramatic changes are from both man-made global warming and recent localized weather shifts, which were on top of the longer term warming trend, scientists said. The report, was written by 121 scientists from around the world. (more)

UN: Concentrations of greenhouse gases hit record
21 November 2011 - The UN weather agency says concentrations of global warming gases are at record levels from emissions that exceed scientists' worst-case scenarios. The World Meteorological Organization says heat-trapping carbon dioxide concentrations in the air have reached 389 parts per million -- the highest such concentrations since the start of the industrial era in 1750. WMO says that reflects a 20 per cent increase in nitrous oxide, 39 per cent rise in CO2 and 158 per cent jump in methane since then. Its report Monday cites fossil fuel-burning, loss of forests that absorb CO2, and use of fertilizer as main culprits. (more)