Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Gene-tracing project gets an upgrade
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: National Geographic's effort to map tens of thousands of years of human migration, known as the Genographic Project, has entered a new phase.
Detecting tunnels using seismic waves not as simple as it sounds
You'd think it would be easy to use seismic waves to find tunnels dug by smugglers of drugs, weapons or people. You'd be wrong.
VIDEO: The Great Smog of 1952 recalled
Sixty years after 4,000 Londoners died following the Great Smog we speak to a woman who lived through it and look at its legacy for the capital's air quality.
Advice for bag-in-box wine drinkers: Keep it cool
Bag-in-box wines are more likely than their bottled counterparts to develop unpleasant flavors, aromas and colors when stored at warm temperatures, a new study has found. Published in ACS' Journal...
Graphene towers promise 'flexi-electronics'
The 3D ‘monoliths’ — grown between forming ice crystals — add elasticity to the super-strength and conductivity of graphene sheets.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.11930
Wind speeds in southern New England declining inland, remaining steady on coast
Oceanographers at the University of Rhode Island have analyzed long-term data from several anemometers in southern New England and found that average wind speeds have declined by about 15 percent...
Gaps in life expectancy between rich and poor set to increase over next 10 years: UK study
Health inequalities between England's richest and poorest areas have widened in the ten years between 1999 and 2008. Researchers warn, in a new study, that over the next ten years,...
Multi-million-dollar University of Windsor fish project axed
A major multi-million-dollar research project involving the University of Windsor has ground to a halt after ice fishermen in Pangnirtung on Baffin Island said it was scaring wildlife.
Taiwan concerned over China high-tech talent poaching
Taiwan Wednesday voiced concern over "malicious talent poaching" in reaction to a report that a high-tech firm run by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin's son was aggressively recruiting staff from...
Japan eyes reduced emission cut target
Japan may backpedal on its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter, an official said Wednesday, dealing a further blow to already deadlocked global warming talks in Doha.
World Bank: Arab World hit hard by climate change
(AP)—The Middle East and North Africa will be especially hard hit by climate change in the coming decades, the World Bank said in a report Wednesday, saying the region will...
VIDEO: The lift that travels 350m below ground
The deep underground world where skyscraper lifts are tested
UCLA report aims to serve as L.A. road map on environmental issues
The plan includes eliminating the DWP's use of coal to generate electricity and better land use in the city's so-called toxic hot spots.Los Angeles mayoral and City Council candidates should...
Iran's subtle, persistent voice for environmentalism
Mohammad Darvish is on an often lonesome quest to elevate Iran's environmental IQ, even daring to oppose nuclear power. So far Iran's leaders are tolerating it.TEHRAN — His son is...
To Fight Climate Change, College Students Take Aim at the Endowment Portfolio
Students are demanding that university endowment funds rid themselves of coal, oil and gas stocks in hopes of bringing climate change onto the national political agenda.
Supreme Court hears arguments in L.A. storm water runoff case
The Supreme Court justices seem split on how to rule. But they question whether Los Angeles County should be freed from liability for storm water pollution.WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court...
Dot Earth Blog: A Climate Scientist Proposes a 'Fair Plan' for Limiting Warming
A climate scientist sees room for optimism on limiting warming.
Green Blog: A Park, an Oyster Farm and Science: Epilogue
What was gained -- and lost -- when the Interior Department told an oyster farm at Point Reyes National Seashore to shut down?
Green Blog: Sand Dunes Alone Will Not Save the Day
Preserving and rebuilding natural sand dunes helps protect coastal communities. But other mitigation efforts are needed for these natural barriers to realize their full storm-buffering potential.
Writing Messages With Water
The main principle behind ‘hydroglyphics’ is that by changing the properties of a surface, you can make your own special prints using water.
CO2 emissions could feed algae biofuel bonanza
A major Ontario industrial operation is making a bet that algae might solve its greenhouse gas emissions problems.
Potent greenhouse gas: California's N2O emissions may be nearly triple current estimates
Using a new method for estimating greenhouse gases that combines atmospheric measurements with model predictions, scientists have found that the level of nitrous oxide in California may be 2.5 to...
US wildfire risk worsening according to climate projections
Scientists have projected drier conditions likely will cause increased fire activity across the United States in coming decades. Other findings about US wildfires, including their amount of carbon emissions and...
Fossilized rain may resolve Earth paradox
The young Earth may not have been a churning ball of scalding hot water, but a planet slightly cooler than today with more temperate oceans, according to two new studies.
Housing sales data used to estimate value of urban natural resources
Trees, water and lawn clearly matter to urban dwellers. For city planners balancing green space with other demands, the question has been just how much green space matters to residents.
Blaming Hurricane Sandy On Global Warming Was Good Politics - But Terrible Science
Which esteemed body does not like any attribution of hurricanes to global warming? read more
Numerical study suggests subsea injection of chemicals didn't prevent oil from rising to sea surface
The 2010 blowout of the Macondo well in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the region's largest oil spill in U.S. history. As the Deepwater Horizon (DWH)...
Eco campaigners bash Germany's gas-guzzling cars
Environmental campaigners have taken aim at famous German car brands like Porsche, Audi and BMW, criticising their high CO2 emissions as well as Germany's tax system they say promotes gas...