U.s. and China reach historic agreement to reduce CO2 emissions

United States and China, the two biggest polluters in the world, today announced an agreement negotiated in secret with a view to reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases. Thus, China will impose, for the first time, limit the emission of pollutant gases, and the United States undertake to reduce them drastically until 2025.

The agreement between Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jingping, writes The Guardian, open good prospects for a global agreement on reducing emissions after 2020, at the United Nations Conference, in Paris, in 2015.

China, by far the largest emitter of polluting gases, agreed to limit the pollution until 2030 â€" or sooner, if possible. Previously, the country only agreed to reduce the growth of their pollutant levels. In addition, Prometheus also increase their use of clean energy in 20% until 2030.

The United States pledged to cut their emissions in 26 to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. It is recalled that the European Union had already agreed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 40% until 2030.

"[The USA and China] have the largest economies in the world and are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, so it is our responsibility to lead the global effort against climate change. I am proud to announce this historic agreement, "said Barack Obama.

According to Xi Jinping, this agreement "ensures that the international negotiations on climate change reach [completed] at the Conference of Paris, in 2015". "Let's make a deal when it comes to deeper cooperation in clean energy, environmental protection and other areas," he concluded.

Photos: Agustín Ruiz / Creative Commons

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The most beautiful landscapes of the United Kingdom

The photo contests are beautiful by nature, but when they have as their theme the landscape, become even more surreal. The Landscape Photographer of the Year, a British Prize and that aggregates the best landscapes of "island".

This year, the winner was Mark Littlejohn, who photographed a small Brook on the vast mountains of Glencoe, Scotland â€" first photo from our gallery.

According to the judges of the contest, the photograph captures a fleeting moment of beauty "in the Highlands. The second place went to a sunset over the marshes of Yorkshire (Photo 2). Other pictures, also awarded, captured the most by the British countryside and the hidden secrets of the region.

According to the Daily Mail, one of the objectives of the competition is to encourage people to visit the country-or the British tourists. It would be interesting, who knows, a similar contest in Portugal â€" soon we, that we have the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in Europe.

All these pictures are displayed in London's busiest station, Waterloo, from 1 December. Will be also released a book with all the winning photos.

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Bahamas: road construction altered genitals of mosquitofish

The construction of roads in the Bahamas took to changing the appearance and behavior of small native fish species, having created, including a new species of mosquito fish.

According to a survey by North Carolina State University, the mosquitofish was always abundant in small branches that only have water for the tide. Until recently, these fish acted exactly the same way there are several centuries ago. But from the moment I began to be built roads and crossings for vehicles in these aquatic areas, some of the population of mosquito fish lost access to ocean and continued to evolve in isolation.

Over the decades, the fish-mating mosquitoes began to change, as well as their genitals, found researchers. With fewer and fewer predators around, the fish began to have more energy for other activities â€" including reproduce.

"When there are several predators around, the reproductive behaviors are very charged, so the selection prefers male genitals that increase the speed and efficiency of fertilization, with without the consent of the woman," explained to The Dodo the principal investigator, Brian Langerhans.

"[So], there is a greater female preference in mating and more seductive behaviors. There's a very big pressure to have genitals that promote efficiency. We believe that the female is having male genitals slightly different preferences, "continued Langerhans.

For those who are not used to seeing fish genitalia, sexual organs don't appear big differences. But they are so significant that they should lead to the formation of a new species â€" all due to the construction of roads.

"Populations are increasingly differ in their morphology genitalia. Its ability to reproduce for decrease, which will lead to speciation, evolutionary process by which the living species are formed.

It was known that human activity was responsible for the loss of biodiversity across the globe, but the discoveries of Langherans and his team suggests that, in some cases, she can have implications that science is still far from finding out.

Foto: Nozo/Creative Commons

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As the astronauts from the International Space Station have become stars

It all started a year ago, when the Canadian Chris Hadfield started putting on their Twitter accounts and Facebook hundreds of photos taken at his space mission. This action isolated became trend when astronauts Reid Wiseman (USA), Maxim Suraev (Russia) and especially Alexander Gerst (Germany) started their own space adventure â€" which ended this week in Kazakhstan, after 166 days in orbit.

Throughout this time, the astronauts were in constant contact with a global audience of more than half a million followers, between Twitter and Facebook.

"His mission underscores how social networks have become a component of space programs â€" especially for the international space station (ISS), which has long been debate about the need to find American financing," explains the Quartz.

This renewed interest in the ERA could mean an eye-opener for their primary financial backers, and all this is only possible due to the beauty of the Earth, our planet, and the technology.

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1. The three astronauts

2. South Africa

3. França

4.via Lactea

5. Saudi Arabia

6. Berlin (Germany)

7. Nuvens

8. Planeta Terra

9. Cologne (Germany)

10. Planeta Terra

1. Alaska

12.Barragem of Aswan (Egypt)

13. Aral Sea, Central Asia

14. Tagebau mines (Germany)

15.Ilha of Agilkia (Egypt)

16. Frankfurt (Germany)

17. África

18. Cologne (Germany)

19. Etna (Italy)

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American city will create tax on soft drinks

Berkeley, in the u.s. State of California became the first town in the United States and probably the world to impose a tax on sugary soft drinks. The introduction of the measure was the vote and, according to the local press, 75% of the voters were in favor of the tax.

To dissuade the residents of Berkeley to vote in favour, the soft drink industry has launched a massive campaign, which in addition to have cost €1,36 million had not any effect among consumers, referred to TreeHugger.

Excessive consumption and regular soft drinks is associated with a large number of health problems, including diabetes, obesity and lower life expectancy, according to several scientific studies. Public health authorities indicate that taxing these drinks may discourage frequent consumption.

Was ever attempted to introduce a similar proposal in San Francisco, but to no avail. Also Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, tried to limit the super size soft drinks, a proposal that eventually fail.

Foto: Steve Hopson/Creative Commons

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Western black rhinoceros is officially extinct

This Rhino has always been the rarest subspecies of the black rhinoceros and the poaching and the lack of conservation measures pushed it to the brink of extinction. Before disappearing, the animal could be found in the savannas of Central West Africa.

As this subspecies of rhinoceros that disappeared forever, also the white rhinoceros-of-North is on the verge of extinction â€" there are only six copies worldwide and all captive-as the Javan rhinoceros. The indication from the revision of the list of endangered species of the IUCN.

Rhinoceros-Southern white, such as the North, relative was almost on the brink of extinction in the early 19th century, but thanks to conservation measures the animal managed to survive. Currently, there are about 20,000 Rhinoceros-Southern white in freedom. If similar conservation measures had been applied to the Western black rhino and rhino-northern white maybe species have thrived. "These measures need to be strengthened now, especially the management of habitats to improve performance and prevent other rhinos if expire", asserts Simon Stuart, Chairman of the IUCN, cites the Inhabitat.

The revision of the list of threatened species revealed that a quarter of the world's mammals are at risk of extinction, as well as numerous species of plants. But the future for the oceanic fauna is also not encouraging. The IUCN indicates that five of the eight subspecies of tuna â€" a predator that is essential to the health of the marine ecosystem â€" are threatened or near threatened. The list also shows that 26 newly-discovered species of amphibians are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Foto: theseoduke/Creative Commons

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A shelf which turns into coffin

In some cultures it is tradition that the dead be buried with some of their belongings. Inspired by that usual, William Warren created the Shelves for Life, which run during the shelf life and coffin in death.

To build a coffin are required large amounts of wood and a lot of raw material turns out to be wasted on the trim and ornamentation of the casket, referred to Inhabitat. Many people buy their coffin before he died, to save you the trouble to the family at the time of his death. But, ironically, is a subject that the person can never enjoy.

The system of Shelves for Life, however, allows a person to make use of a piece of furniture for a living, while ensuring a final resting place. To have a dual use, this shelf-coffin becomes environmentally friendly since the same raw material is used twice, preventing the slaughter of more trees.

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