Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Study: Dried coal ash from spill dangerous
DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Sludge from the spill at a coal-fired power plant in Tennessee can dry into dust containing dangerous levels of arsenic, mercury and radium,...
Kenya Losing Lions, And Fast
Kenya's lions could be gone in 20 years, country's wildlife service says.
NASA's A-Train of satellites 'on track' with hurricane research
NASA has several satellites that orbit the Earth one behind the other on the same track. They're called the "A-Train" and one of the things they study is tropical cyclones....
Shakespeare meat pies recalled in Canada
OTTAWA, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with allergies to egg, milk, sulfites or soy not to eat Shakespeare-brand meat pies.
2nd lead poisoning case hits China, 1,300 sick
BEIJING (AP) -- China detained two factory officials after 1,300 children were poisoned by pollution from a manganese processing plant, state media said Thursday, days after...
Study shows how microbes convert mercury
DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've found organic matter in water and sediment apparently play a key role in helping microbes convert mercury into a...
Water system sensors to be tested
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- University of California-Irvine engineers say they've developed a sensor system designed to help protect water systems when earthquakes occur or pipes fail.
New monitoring system used by USDA
NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society says a monitoring system it uses to measure stream habitat has been adopted by a U.S. agency working to...
Scientists forecast heavier rainstorms
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests we can expect heavier rainstorms in the future thanks to the impact global climate change will have on precipitation...
Lawn fertilizer bans boost water quality
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A U.S. study shows banning or restricting the use of lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus can help reduce such pollution in lakes and...
Asian irrigation must be revitalised, warns report
Unless old water systems are modernised, Asian countries will have to import "politically untenable" amounts of food.
They're alive! Megacities breathe, consume energy, excrete wastes and pollute
A scientific trend to view the world's biggest cities as analogous to living, breathing organisms is fostering a deep new understanding of how poor air quality in megacities can harm...
A chemist's discovery breathes new life into the old South
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2009 -- One chemist plus one new scientific discovery yields. . . an economic and environmental miracle. Almost overnight, a whole new industry springs up...
How It Works: Protecting New Orleans With The World's Largest Water Pump
New Orleans sits smack dab between the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain, and when a hurricane comes rolling in, those bodies of water tend to spill into the streets. This summer,...
Protection plan deep-sea coral reefs considered
(AP) -- Deep beneath the crystalline blue surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern U.S. lies a virtual rain forest of coral reefs so expansive the network is...
From man to superman ... Bolt raises the pace of change
• Bolt's 100m record is 20 years early, experts say • Giant sprinter may be harbinger of future greats
Aussie ecology in for a shock
Climate change will hit Australia’s ecology hard, according to a recent report – but leaving room for change could help species adapt.
The greenhouse gas that saved the world
When Planet Earth was just cooling down from its fiery creation, the sun was faint and young. So faint that it should not have been able to keep the oceans...
Climate Change Could Harm Lake Fish: Light Determines Growth Of Fish In Lakes
Light is what determines the growth of fish in lakes. Climate change is expected to lead to browner lakes with less light penetration, which will lead to reduced growth of...
Prentice consults Nunavut leaders on climate change
Environment Minister Jim Prentice met with Nunavut's premier and his territorial counterpart in Iqaluit on Monday, as part of his consultations with all provinces and territories on Canada's national climate...
Water footprint of beer more on the farm than in the brewery
The total water involved in producing beer is overwhelmingly used on the farm rather than in the brewery, according to a report presented to World Water Week by major brewer...
Dozens dead in India of encephalitis
NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis has killed dozens of people in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state since the beginning of this year, officials...
Australia targets 20 pct renewable energy by 2020
Australia's government will ask the Senate Tuesday to approve plans to produce 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020 after the house rejected a proposed carbon trading scheme.
Revised Understanding Of San Andreas Fault Geometry Near Desert Hot Springs
The Mission Creek and Banning faults are two principal strands of the San Andreas fault zone in the northern Coachella Valley of southern California. The two faults merge at depth...
Tropical Storm Claudette makes landfall in Florida, moving into Mississippi
By mid-day today, Monday, August 17, Claudette's center had moved into southwestern Alabama and weakened into a tropical depression. She'll turn toward the north-northwest later today and soak Alabama with...
Heat, smog warnings continue in Montreal
High heat, humidity and smog warnings remained in effect for the island of Montreal on Monday.
Your Weather, Courtesy El Nino
The warm tropical Pacific water brought on by El Nino, which began again in mid-2009, greatly affects global patterns of temperature and precipitation.
Clash Over Rebirth of Mt. St. Helens
After 30 years of research, some people say it is time to restore public access to an area devastated by a volcanic eruption in 1980.