Latest science news in Earth & Climate
US climate change bill is blocked
A US law that would have introduced a cap on carbon emissions is blocked by senators.
Nasa climate reports 'swayed by politics'
Appointees placed by the Bush administration acted to play down and distort global warming findings
Earthworm detectives provide genetic clues for dealing with soil pollution
The humble earthworm, famously acknowledged by Charles Darwin when he wrote "It may be doubted whether there are many other animals... which have played so important a part in the...
New round of climate talks opens in Germany
(AP) -- A tax on airline tickets and an auction of pollution rights are just two ideas likely to be studied at a 162-nation conference examining ways of raising...
Lower Crop Yields Due to Ozone a Factor in World Food Crisis
Rising background levels of ozone in the atmosphere are a likely contributor to the global food crisis, since ozone has been shown to damage plants and reduce yields of important...
Observatory: 60-Year-Old Bias in Data on Sea Temperatures
Researchers have uncovered measurement bias that arose from how British and American ships measured the temperature of surface water.
$58 million fails to save oysters
WASHINGTON, June 3 (UPI) -- Conservationists in Maryland and Virginia say a $58 million effort to restore oysters to Chesapeake Bay has failed miserably.
USDA puts $5M toward bird flu study
WASHINGTON, June 2 (UPI) -- The University of Maryland-College Park has received $5 million from the U.S. Agriculture Department to renew bird flu research efforts, the agency said.
New Geomorphological Index Created For Studying Active Tectonics Of Mountains
To build a hospital, nuclear power station or a large dam you need to know the possible earthquake risks of the terrain. Now, researchers have developed, based on relief data...
For barn swallows, feathers make the man, says CU-Boulder study
University of Colorado at Boulder Assistant Professor Rebecca Safran of the ecology and evolutionary biology department retrieves a North American barn swallow from a mist net for marking and release....
Moose on the loose in Scotland, wolves to follow?
ALLADALE (Reuters) - The howl of a wolf echoes through the glen, lumbering bears fish in the lochs and moose amble through the pine forest -- this is multi-millionaire Paul...
How power from the people could cut CO2 emissions - with government help
Microgeneration report calls for official incentives as UK criticised for doing less than others
Amazon Ambassador
In this history of the Amazon, a scholar builds his case for the benefits of rivers, rain forests and native inhabitants.
Spectrum auction at $2B and counting
The second week of the auction of public airwaves - which is expected to resulted in new cellphone providers - kicked off on Monday, with at least $2 billion destined...
Ontario, Quebec unveil carbon cap-and-trade plan
The governments of Quebec and Ontario have formally agreed to work together to cut greenhouse gas emissions and further integrate their economies.
Big Quakes Cause Temblors Worldwide
Scientists have agreed that strong earthquakes produce aftershocks within the region, but many did not believe that temblors of magnitude 7 and above could trigger smaller quakes on the other...
Fatal Utah coal mine collapse covered 50 acres
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 2007 underground collapse of a Utah coal mine, which resulted in the deaths of six miners and three rescuers, covered 50 acres, or the area...
Images reveal 'rapid forest loss'
Satellite images reveal the "rapid deforestation" of Papua New Guinea's rainforests over the past 30 years.
Complex dynamics underlie bark beetle eruptions
Forest management that favors single tree species and climate change are just two of the critical factors making forests throughout western North America more susceptible to infestation by bark beetles,...
Researchers boost yields of rice-waste biofuel
Scientists have developed a method that boosts the yield and slashes the cost of producing biogas from rice-harvest waste.
India to employ aircraft in cyclone forecasting
The United States is sharing its forecast technology with India to improve target prediction of cyclones whipping up in the Bay of Bengal.
National Avian Flu Research Project Receives New $5 Million
As a human avian influenza pandemic remains a very real global threat, the University of Maryland-based Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza Coordinated Agricultural Project, AICAP, has been re-funded with...
Iceland and Norway export whale
Icelandic and Norwegian companies begin exporting whalemeat to Japan, angering conservation groups.
Lead leaching and faucet corrosion in PVC home plumbing
Scientists in Virginia are reporting that home plumbing systems constructed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipes may be more susceptible to leaching of lead and copper into drinking water than...
How Sugar Changed the World
Sugar: The sweet stuff once played a major role in one of the sourest eras in modern times.
Scary Details of Sichuan Quake Revealed
Ground jolted at least 5 feet during China's earthquake.
Opinion: Appreciating natures services
Nature provides us with many services, but we need to better understand the processes behind them to ensure ongoing delivery and appropriate valuation, believes Gary Luck.
Kew Gardens Provides Climate For Agricultural Change
A device to help some of the most impoverished farmers in Africa maximize their crop yields is being tested at London's Kew Gardens. The sensor device gathers data on air...