Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Future Risk Of Hurricanes: The Role Of Climate Change
Researchers are homing in on the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to assess the likely changes, between now and the middle of the century, in the frequency, intensity,...
Beavers' dams found good for songbirds
NEW YORK, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. and Canadian scientists say they've discovered beaver dams are beneficial for migratory songbirds, providing critical habitat -- especially in semi-arid areas.
Redondo Beach may at last go smoke-free
After previous rejections of the idea, the City Council has given preliminary approval to banning lighting up at the beach. ...
Ocean acidification threat to UK coral reefs
Two-thirds of cold water corals could disappear by the end of the century, scientists predict
Thinning Of Greenland Glacier Attributed To Ocean Warming Preceded By Atmospheric Changes
The sudden thinning in 1997 of Jakobshavn Isbræ, one of Greenland's largest glaciers, was caused by subsurface ocean warming, according to research in the journal Nature Geoscience. The research team...
Satellite Image Analysis Reveals South Ossetian Damage
Satellite images captured before and after the Aug. 7-8 clash between Georgia, South Ossetian separatists and Russia reveal that 424 civilian structures near Tskhinvali were damaged by Aug. 19 --...
Deep Magma Matters: Volcanic Eruptions More Complex And Harder To Predict
New research by a team of US and UK scientists into volcanoes has found that they function in a far more complex way than previously thought, making future eruptions even...
Turning freshwater farm ponds into crab farms
Work by researchers at North Carolina State University is leading to a new kind of crab harvest - blue crabs grown and harvested from freshwater ponds, instead of from...
Bomb-proof thermometer created
TEDDINGTON, England, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- British scientists say they have designed a high-speed thermometer that can measure the temperature inside explosions without being damaged by the impact.
Wildfires Cause Ozone Pollution to Violate Health Standards
Wildfires can boost ozone pollution to levels that violate U.S. health standards. A new study by NCAR scientists found that California wildfires in 2007 tripled the number of ozone violations...
North Greenland had record summer snowmelt
NEW YORK, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. atmospheric scientists say satellite data indicates northern Greenland experienced a record number of melting days this summer.
'Fingerprinting' Method Tracks Mercury Emissions From Coal
Researchers have developed a new tool that uses natural "fingerprints" in coal to track down sources of mercury polluting the environment.
Paraguay to join OLPC project
Paraguay will join the 'One Laptop Per Child' scheme, aiming to providing free laptops to 1.5 million schoolchildren in the next five years.
Opinion: Manufacturing, jobs and low technology
Low technology has opportunities for our manufacturing industries and jobs, and is a fast way to help cut carbon emissions, writes Valerie Yule.
Powering Our Automotive Future with--Pond Scum
Corn--or the cellulose in everything from wood chips to crop stalks--are often touted as the basis of the fuel of the future. But Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates is...
Carbon Dioxide Auction Launches U.S. Effort to Combat Climate Change
Power plant owners and speculators yesterday bid for the right to emit carbon dioxide (CO2) as part of a new multistate government program designed to reduce global warming pollution. Interested...
European Chemical Clampdown Reaches Across Atlantic
Hundreds of chemicals likely to be identified by the European Union (E.U.) as "substances of very high concern" are produced throughout the U.S., sometimes in large quantities. In fact, chemicals...
Global Financial Crisis Endangers Conservation Gains
A recession would likely push conservation to the bottom of government priority lists for years to come, warns an expert who says environmentalists should be "really worried."
Fisheries waste 'costs billions'
The world's fishing fleets are losing billions of dollars each year through depleted stocks and poor management, according to a UN report.
Water policy 'failing to deliver'
The UK's existing water policy will fail to cope with future extreme weather events, a National Trust report warns.
Atlanta firm to develop Ohio University algae bioreactor
(PhysOrg.com) -- Atlanta firm Green Bios Technologies has licensed a new type of algae bioreactor from Ohio University developed by internationally renowned engineering professor David Bayless. The company plans to...
Preserved by Ice: Glacial Dams Helped Prevent Erosion of Tibetan Plateau
New research suggests that the edge of the Tibetan plateau might have been preserved for thousands of years by ice and glacial debris at the mouth of many tributaries to...
Pickleweed tolerates irrigation with seawater and high levels of boron
Reuse of agricultural drainage water (DW) for irrigation is one of the few on-farm water management options available to growers on the west side of California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV)...
Arctic Soil May Contain Nearly Twice Greenhouse-Gas Producing Material Than Previously Estimated
Frozen arctic soil contains nearly twice the greenhouse-gas-producing organic material as was previously estimated, according to new research. The research team discovered a previously undocumented layer of organic matter on...
Soil ecology: What lies beneath
More creatures live in soil than any other environment on Earth. But what are they all doing there? Amber Dance reports on the world's widest biodiversity.
Vapour spies to reveal climate clues
Isotope analysis will provide new tools for weather modelling.
Starbucks In Hot Water Over Water Use
Environmentalists are boiling mad at the chain for allegedly wasting millions of gallons a year. Susan Koeppen looked into it.
NCAR Launches Intensive Study into Future Hurricane Risk
NCAR has launched an intensive study, with federal agencies and the insurance and energy industries, to examine how global warming will influence hurricanes in the next few decades. The project...