Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Video: Digital Dead Sea Scrolls
HP offers the Palm Pre 2 with a brand spanking new operating system, Microsoft announces Office 365, and Google gets tasked with digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Old logging practices linked to high erosion rates
Clear-cut logging and related road-building in the 1950s and 1960s in southern Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains disrupted soil stability and led to unprecedented soil erosion made worse during heavy rainstorms, report...
From bees to coral reefs: Mutualisms might be more important to global ecosystem than previously thought
Relationships among organisms, or mutualisms, might be more important to global ecosystem health than previously thought, new research shows.
UNESCO puts controversial Obiang prize on hold
A controversial UNESCO research prize has been suspended indefinitely.
Australia: mining expansion and taxes
CANBERRA, Australia, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Mining giant Rio Tinto said it plans to spend $3 billion to expand its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western...
Colombia wins biodiversity award
NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A Colombian program to protect sea life while providing employment has won a top award marking the International Year of Biodiversity, officials said.
Disease in rural China linked to polluted coal
In remote, rural areas of southwestern China, villagers cook and dry their clothes by burning pieces of coal they pick up off the ground. This fuel releases a toxin that...
Fox, Cablevision dispute stretches into 5th day
(AP) -- The dispute between Fox and Cablevision that has left 3 million cable subscribers in the New York area without Fox programming has stretched into its fifth day.
Mounting research shows increased health risks from volcanic air pollution
Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano has been erupting since 1983. But, in March 2008, an additional eruption vent opened at the volcano's summit, resulting in triple the amount of sulfur dioxide gas...
Ban presses EU for climate leadership
BRUSSELS, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- European member states can lead the way in tackling the delicate issues of climate change, the U.N. secretary-general told the European legislature.
A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack
'Ice asks no questions ... reads no newspapers, listens to no debates. It is not burdened by ideology', writes Henry Pollack in this call to arms on climate changeGrab an ice cube...
International disaster charter celebrates 10th anniversary
Natural disasters occur yearly on all continents, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and turning millions into refugees. In 1999, as a result of Hurricane Mitch in Central America, the International...
The good oil on an ancient crop
The University of Western Australia is trialling an ancient oilseed crop that could tolerate harsh conditions and be used in food and cosmetics.
Scientist warns of increasing drought
BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The United States and other heavily populated countries could experience severe and prolonged drought in coming decades, a scientific study says.
Tech can’t solve climate probs
Researchers warn against the thinking of using technology fixes to solve climate change issues – one of the biggest challenges for us.
EPA proposes nine more Superfund sites
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has proposed adding nine "Superfund" hazardous waste sites to the National Priorities List.
Magma in Ethiopia to Predict Future Eruptions
Cracks caused by magma eruption affect future eruptions.
Water's choice: A tale of two numbers and the order they predict
(PhysOrg.com) -- Well-ordered structure or chaotic jumble? That's the choice when water is mixed with a salt and cooled down. Now, thanks to a rule discovered by scientists at Pacific...
racking Mercury Levels Through Fish Scales
Environmental Pollutant: Novel combination of techniques provides a fast, sensitive method to measure the toxic metal.
Researcher: Lessons Learned with Deepwater Horizon, More Research Needed for Gulf Oil Impacts
"Possible long-term impacts on sentinel species are ominous."
Elephant seals improve maps of Antarctic seafloor
(PhysOrg.com) -- Oceanographers are using data collected by elephant seals to improve their map of the seafloor on Antarctica's continental shelf. The new map results from a collaboration between Daniel...
Air Canada must create nut-free zones
Air Canada has been ordered to accommodate people with severe nut allergies by creating nut-free buffer zones around allergic travellers.
Dot Earth: Energy Action Amid Climate Discord
Conserving energy is seen as a smart choice even in places with few climate concerns.
Martian lakes, seas formed by emerging underground aquifers
Researchers at the Planetary Science Institute have found a new explanation for how seas and lakes may have once developed on Mars.
Nord Stream seeks cash for Phase II
ZUG, Switzerland, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The Nord Stream pipeline consortium expects a strong commitment from lenders for the second phase of the project, the chief financial officer said.
Family tree could identify species vulnerable to invaders, climate change
Change has been the norm for Wisconsin's forests over the last 50 years, and the next 50 are unlikely to pass quietly.
Going cold on climate change clams?
Press coverage has cast further doubt on climate scientists' claims that man-made global warming is real and adversely affecting the planet.
Statoil sinks cash into North Sea oil
STAVANGER, Norway, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil announced it signed a $378 million deal for a drilling rig meant to improve recovery at a North Sea...