Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Russian grain production suffering
MOSCOW, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The grain harvest for Russia as of the first week of August was down 3 percent compared with the same time in 2009, the...
BP runs pressure test before final sealing of gulf oil well
Engineers suggest it's already permanently plugged, but U.S. officials say they're taking no chances. ...
Sugar battles oil spills
The environment has often suffered from the catastrophic effects of an oil spill, the most recent example being the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The search for ways...
Scientists argue Texas ocean 'dead' zone
HOUSTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A Texas researcher says claims by Louisiana scientists of a record-size ocean "dead zone" in his state's Gulf of Mexico waters may be overstated. ...
Petermann Glacier Calving 2010 - Update
Petermann Glacier Calving 2010 - Update Before I discuss the recent calving of the Petermann Glacier ice tongue, I want to give credit to the many scientists who were studying, predicting...
EU concerned about biodiversity
BRUSSELS, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The European Union needs to do more to push green energy initiatives while at the same time protecting biodiversity, a commissioner said from Brussels. ...
Ship spills oil and containers off Mumbai
MUMBAI, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- An estimated 400 tons of oil and 100 containers have spilled into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai after two ships collided. ...
Iran backing away from LNG options
TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Iran is reconsidering exports of liquefied natural gas in favor of conventional pipeline routes, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Co. said. ...
Harper defends Arctic seismic tests
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has waded into a growing debate over a controversial Arctic seismic testing program in Lancaster Sound, where federal scientists had hoped to map the seabed.
Forest fires help power the nitrogen cycle
When fire burns down a forest, nitrate levels go up, and the effects are persistent, according to recent research from University of Montana scientists. They found that charcoal deposited during...
Video: BP Seals Well, 'Top Kill' Successful
BP spent five hours in the gulf pumping concrete down the well, and sealed it. But all that spilled oil has strained the seafood industry in La., worth $2.4 billion...
Potentially active faults near Olympia, Washington State, US, identified
Seismologists have identified potentially active faults near Olympia, Washington State, adding to the number of faults that may be active in the area.
Greenhouse gas calculator connects farming practices with carbon credits
Using a web-based greenhouse gas calculator, researchers demonstrate how farming practices can influence greenhouse gas emissions.
Record heat forces northerners to adapt
Landslides and low water levels in the Northwest Territories in the wake of record-breaking warmth have prompted calls for changes in infrastructure planning.
Floods, landslides in China leave 1,300 missing
Rescuers are digging through mud and wreckage searching for 1,300 people missing after a series of flash floods and landslides in northwestern China.
Environmental research: Nature's choreography | Editorial
Researchers have shown how the Amazon rainforest depends on the Sahara desert for half of its fresh mineral nutrientsDeserts cover a third of the world's land surface, they have a powerful role...
Magma Mixing Causes Mount Hood's Explosive Eruptions
Oregon's tallest mountain is set off by explosive combination of magma types.
Madagascar's forests looted for rosewood
Since Madagascar underwent a violent change of government in 2009, the island nation's economy has collapsed and illegal logging has boomed as people seek any means of earning a living....
Ruptured Mich. oil pipeline shows lengthwise rip
(AP) -- Officials say a ruptured section of pipeline that spewed oil into a southern Michigan river had a lengthwise rip that likely is less than five feet long.
Federal science report details fate of oil from BP spill
The vast majority of the oil from the BP oil spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed much of which is in the...
Gulf fishermen aren't ready to ditch BP
Though oil is no longer gushing and fishing is now deemed safe, many hired to help in the cleanup effort say the steady paychecks trump the financial risks of casting nets. The...
Under Mandate to Get Results, Minerals Service Led Way Into Deep Water
The Minerals Management Service has been ridiculed as a pawn of the oil industry it was meant to oversee, and the Gulf Coast office has drawn particular scorn.
Recycled island: plastic fantastic? | Environment
Plastic flotsam is the bane of the Pacific Ocean – now Dutch conservationists want to turn some of it into an inhabited islandA floating city of half a million people on a...
We should use the recession to help save our fragile planet | Letters
Economic crisis and budget austerity provide an opportunity for serious reduction in carbon emissionsAll power to the Observer's elbow in restarting the fight against global warming (Editorial).Economic crisis and budget austerity have taken...
New Russian Climate Stance, U.S. CO2 Plan, Wolf Reprieve
Obama changes course on capturing CO2; Overheated Russian leaders talk up global warming.
Gulf seafood industry tries to shake an oily image
(AP) -- The rich fishing grounds of the Gulf of Mexico are beginning to reopen more than three months after crude began gushing from the sea floor. But those...
Einstellung Baby! Why Experts Fail
First solve these practice problems. Really. This'll be much cooler if you donate some brain power up front. • Problem #1: You have three jars. Jar A holds 9 units of water,...
Chevron wins Beaufort drilling bid
Chevron Canada is committing to spend $103 million to explore for Arctic oil and gas in a large area of the Beaufort Sea.