Latest science news in Earth & Climate
China falls back into crisis mode with discovery of tainted infant formula
Except for two weeks of near-perfection during the Olympics, China has been awash in bad news, including riots, a massive quake and now tainted formula and sick babies. ...
History of worldwide wildfires is studied
EUGENE, Ore., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. and European scientists say there was a dramatic decline in wildfires from 1870 to 1970, following a period of increased fires...
Proposed Extraction Process May Have Economic, Environmental Benefits
A researcher from the University of Alberta has proposed an experimental electrical heating process to draw oil from largely untapped deposits, which could yield major rewards for oil production and...
Long-lost Einstein telescope found, restored
Albert Einstein's long-lost telescope, forgotten for decades in a Jerusalem storage shed, goes on display this week after three years and $10,000 spent restoring the relic.
'Climate-proof' crop hunt begins
A global search begins for food crops carrying traits that are able to withstand future changes to the climate.
Feature: Rebuilding Vietnams war-torn forests
Vietnam was once a land of dense forest. But nearly two-thirds of its tree cover was destroyed by war, overharvesting and clearing for agriculture. Today, trees are on the way...
Opinion: The leaf blowers of La-La Land
When the weather prompts, lawns will be mowed and the leaf blowers will be proudly flaunted in the affluent villas of La-la Land, writes Ian Nance.
Lucky reef avoids ocean warming
A reef off Western Australia appears to be protected from coral bleaching, due to unusual conditions that keep it supplied with cold water from the deep.
Iran Sinking as Groundwater Resources Disappear
Excessive groundwater extraction in Iran is resulting in some of the fastest sinking land in the world, according to new satellite image analysis.
Sophisticated Monitoring Array To Address Mystery Of Uranium Plume
Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site near...
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinkage Grows
NASA has issued a preliminary report confirming environmentalists' fears of disappearing sea ice at the Arctic.
Windbags On The Weather Beat
Steve Hartman knows as well as anyone that TV plays a crucial role broadcasting vital information during natural disasters like hurricanes. But where's the common sense - and the real...
Wayward wallaby still hopping free
Zookeepers and police were chasing reports Monday of a wayward wallaby, spotted days after escaping a children's zoo in western England.
'Diverters' put on power lines to protect birds
Death comes from above and below for birds on the causeway that separates Lake Audubon from Lake Sakakawea along the Missouri River in North Dakota.
New hope for tapping vast domestic reserves of oil shale
Researchers in Canada and Turkey report discovery of a new process for economically tapping vast resources of crude oil in the United States, Canada, and other countries now locked away...
Eruption reported at Reunion's volcano
A volcano on France's Indian Ocean island of Reunion started erupting on Sunday, forcing authorities to raise the alert for a possible emergency.
Robot reveals reef's riches
An innovative robotic submarine is set to transform environmental monitoring by dramatically reducing the cost of data collection.
Ancient global warming computer simulated
A University of Sydney science student has used supercomputer simulations of an ancient hothouse climate to unravel how the Earth heated up about 13 million years before humans existed.
Fire and drought lead to worse floods
Victoria's weather is growing hotter and drier and with more than 50 fires now blazing throughout the state, research conducted at Monash University has proved it is also getting more vulnerable...
Climate change may increase agricultural pests
Climate change could change the nature and severity of plant pests and diseases affecting agriculture, according to a senior CSIRO scientist.
UN roadmap to reducing climate change risk
The United Nations Foundation and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, has released thier final report of the Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
Quake causes mass coral kill
Researchers say over 300 kilometers of coastline heaved more than a meter upwards, exposing – and killing – corals in unprecedented numbers
Earth from Space: Arctic Bloom
This Envisat image captures a plankton bloom stretching across the Northeast Passage in the Barents Sea, a rather deep shelf sea with an average depth around 230 m.
'Cane storm surge data needs improvement
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- The maps used to predict the critical rise of storm surge during recent hurricanes on the U.S. Gulf Coast contained different data,...
Conservationists worry about acai craze
SAN CLAMENTE, Calif., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Acai has gone from being a mostly unknown Amazonian fruit to a global sensation as a something of a wonder berry,...
Scientists monitor growing Lake Erie algae bloom
(AP) -- Giant floating fields of algae are back in strength this year on Lake Erie and scientists are trying to figure out why.
Scientist concedes 'honest mistake' about weaponized anthrax
Peter B. Jahrling, who aided the federal probe of the 2001 mailings, says he erred when he told White House officials that material he examined probably had been altered to...
Scotland's emissions on the rise
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Scottish officials said greenhouse gas emissions rose 5.4 percent between 2005 and 2006 because of the country's dependence on coal-fired power.