Latest science news in Earth & Climate
EPA, Army Corps urged to consider separating Great Lakes, river basin
The once-radical idea of somehow plugging the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to stop the flow of unwanted species from spilling between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin is...
Climate summit 'held to ransom'
The UK prime minister is expected to accuse a small group of countries of holding the climate summit talks to ransom.
Deepest explosive eruption on sea floor: Underwater remotely operated vehicle Jason images discovery
Oceanographers using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason discovered and recorded the first video and still images of a deep-sea volcano actively erupting molten lava on the seafloor.
New Maps Reveal Tsunami Risks in California
SAN FRANCISCO--Just days before the fifth anniversary of the 2004 Sumatran Tsunami, California officials on Thursday released a new map of the state's tsunami hazard, which details how...
Not easy being green
(PhysOrg.com) -- It was a battle to save a cherished piece of nature from the forces of economic growth. Preservationists formed groups to present their case, and public figures across...
International Climate Change: Dispatches from Copenhagen
First-person reports from the UN climate change summit, from a graduate student in forest ecology and an undergraduate in environmental anthropology at Michigan Technological University.
Chicken or egg question looms over climate debate
Which came first, the warmer temperatures or the clearer skies? Answers to that and similar "chicken or egg" type questions could have a significant impact on our understanding of both...
Copenhagen climate summit: Five possible scenarios for our future climate
With talks in Copenhagen descending into chaos, the prospects for stabilising temperatures below 'dangerous' levels look increasingly slim. Here are five possible scenarios for our future climate1C – Vital for low-lying island states...
More than half of U.S. lakes rated good
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A random sampling of 1,028 U.S. lakes rated the condition of 56 percent as good and the rest poor or fair, the Environmental Protection...
Data to expose 'ghost mountains'
Scientists who have mapped one of the most enigmatic mountain ranges on Earth give a first glimpse of their data.
Sens. back federal grants for green tech
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Extending measures in U.S. economic recovery provisions until 2012 would encourage the development of renewable energy, lawmakers said.
Race Against Time to Save Climate Summit
World Leaders Hold 2nd Impromptu Meeting as U.N. Asks for Extension; U.S., Chinese Meeting Yields No Concrete Compromise
Beached whales killed by ingesting plastic
FOGGIA, Italy, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Seven sperm whales that beached at Foggia, Italy, died from ingesting plastic in the ocean, a scientist at Tusica University said Friday.
Acid oceans: the 'evil twin' of climate change
(AP) -- Far from Copenhagen's turbulent climate talks, the sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters reposing along the shoreline and kelp forests of this protected marine area stand...
New study turns up the heat on soot's role in Himalayan warming
A new modeling study from NASA confirms that when tiny air pollution particles we commonly call soot -- also known as black carbon -- travel along wind currents from densely...
Replicating Climate Change to Forecast its Effects
(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are replicating the effects of climate change to see what the future holds for soybeans, wheat and the soils where they grow.
IEA: Energy Revolution Required to Combat Climate Change
COPENHAGEN--Revolutionizing the energy industry to achieve a target concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of no more than 450 parts per million (ppm) would require building 17...
U.N. Document: Summit Falling Short
Pledges For Carbon Cuts Won't Stop Global Temperature From Rising 3 Degrees Celsius In Coming Decades
China continues grip on coal
BEIJING, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- While the Chinese government is embracing energy efficiency and investing in new green technology, China continues to burn coal at record rates.
New pictures reveal rich Antarctic marine life in area of rapid climate change
(PhysOrg.com) -- New photographs of ice fish, octopus, sea pigs, giant sea spiders, rare rays and beautiful basket stars that live in Antarctica`s continental shelf seas are revealed this week...
Global warming a tough sell for the human psyche
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Copenhagen talks on climate change were convened with a sense of urgency that many ordinary folks don't share. Why is that?...
Computer simulation strengthens link between climate change and release of subsea methane
(PhysOrg.com) -- A first-of-its-kind computer simulation that mirrors real-world observations of methane bubbling up from a seabed in the Arctic Ocean provides further evidence that warming oceans may unleash vast...
Defending the Temperature Tax
Dr. Ross McKitrick's response: "You can't have it both ways, saying the models and temperature data are reliable enough to justify long-term global treaties, but not reliable enough to base...
James Randi, Global Warming And The Meaning Of Skepticism
James “the Amazing” Randi is an icon of skepticism. The man has done more — over a span of several decades — to further the cause of critical thinking and...
Universal energy access key to climate policy, says UN
Technology transfer that gets energy to poor people is essential for a successful climate agreement, say UN experts.
Fertilizer use not always helpful in revegetation efforts
Companies and communities trying to restore vegetation on damaged northern landscapes should think twice about using fertilizer to stimulate growth according to new research published in the November issue of...
Why Earth's Upper Atmosphere Is Cooling
Emissions of carbon dioxide may warm the lower atmosphere, but they cool the upper atmosphere. NCAR scientist Stan Solomon explains how it works, but essentially the difference has to do...
Japan mines toxic e-waste for precious materials
Seeking to turn an environmental problem into an economic opportunity, high-tech companies in resource-poor Japan are mining mountains of toxic e-waste for precious materials.