Discovery of 240-Million-Year-Old Reptile Species
Two-hundred-forty-million years ago, a serpent-like creature swam the seas near southern China. Based on newly discovered fossils, scientists say the creature looked like a mythical Chinese dragon with a long neck, torpedo-shaped body, and long tail. In February 2024, an international team of scientists unveiled the entire fossilized body for the first time. The reptile […]
ICARDA Helps Farmers Worldwide Keep Crops Growing
Wheat farmers in the United States can have their entire crop wiped out by a pest. In Morocco, drought conditions have made growing food difficult. Extreme weather in Ethiopia has resulted in challenges meeting the food demands of the country’s population. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, or ICARDA for short, […]
Water and Blues: Texas Flood
Last summer, the state of Texas was in the middle of a severe drought. Heavy rains and tornadoes over the recent Memorial Day weekend, however, have saturated the ground and caused flooding across much of the north and eastern part of the state. Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and parts of Kansas have all experienced record […]
After the Disaster
As long as there has been nature there have been natural disasters. They can strike in an instant, leaving in its wake of devastation that can take months and even years to clean up. Luckily, we live in a country with the fundamental capabilities to support its citizens in crisis. Those not able to help […]
More Upheaval in Egypt’s Government
Last summer, btw reported on the appointment of Egypt’s Interim President following the ouster of former President Mohmmed Morsi. At that time, Hazem Beblawi was also made temporary prime minister. While the county’s president holds most of the government’s powers, the prime minister handles the day-to-day affairs of the economy. Last week, Beblawski resigned abruptly and […]
Measuring Risk and Reward of Drilling in the Arctic
The long-running national debate over our dependence on non-renewable energy such as oil, natural gas and coal is not likely to end soon. While industry experts and lawmakers disagree over the severity of the problem and potential solutions, the reality remains that our supply of fossil fuels cannot possibly keep up with the growing demand […]
Looking Back at Two Decades of NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a treaty (like a formal contract) that was signed into law by the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada in 1994. It was created to increase trade between the three North American nations by lowering (and finally eliminating) trade barriers. Those barriers were mostly duty […]