Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Not-So-Permafrost: Big Thaw of Arctic Soil May Unleash Runaway Warming
"Drunken" trees listing wildly, cracked highways and sinkholes--all are visible signs of thawing Arctic permafrost. When this frozen soil warms, it releases carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases as...
Seaweeds wage war on corals
The world's struggling coral reefs now have a new challenge to overcome - seaweeds are releasing chemicals that prevent them from recovering, research has found.
Palin Said Apt To "Cut, Kill, Dig, Drill"
Sarah Palin, McCain's vice presidential running mate, has had frequent run-ins with environmentalists.
Seas Will Rise Much Faster Than Thought, Study Says
Melting Greenland ice could cause oceans to swell by more than a foot over the next hundred years, according to a study of the ancient Laurentide ice sheet.
In Olympic Wake, Beijing Sees Clear Air
A massive effort to clear up the skies over Beijing for the Olympics paid off with China's capital seeing its cleanest air in a decade, the city's environmental authority said.
African crop yields benefit from 'pinch' of fertiliser
A technique using small doses of fertiliser — pioneered by African scientists — is increasing crop yields on the continent.
Beach performs weekly balancing act
Although a single wave can shift the sea bed, research has found beaches change very little over a week, suggesting nature has its own way of achieving equilibrium.
Opinion: Australia needs to ride the GM wave
Burying our heads in the sand by ignoring GM technology is a short-term, high-risk strategy that will undermine the competitiveness of our agrifood sector in the long term, believes Dr...
UN Chief: Next US President Must Lead on Climate
Ban Ki-Moon marks 20th anniversary of IPCC, calls on next U.S. president to lead on climate change.
Hurricane Gustav: The Essential Time Line
Follow Gustav's path from its formation in the eastern Caribbean to its eventual landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the Louisiana coast.
THE ROUNDUP: Science and Nature News Around the Web
For the first time in history, North Pole can be circumnavigated; "lost world" beneath Caribbean to be explored; more.
Train Safety: Season Of Mists And Leaves On The Line
The season of mists, mellow fruitfulness, and leaves on the line is almost upon us. But, scientists have discovered that rather than blaming the train companies, passengers suffering annual delays...
World's glaciers facing huge threat: UN
The United Nations said Monday that swathes of mountain ranges worldwide risk losing their glaciers by the end of the century if global warming continues at its projected rate.
Geoengineering: The radical ideas to combat climate change
Artificial clouds and creating colossal blooms of oceanic algae are among the ideas scientists say must now be considered
Guardian Daily: hurricane dampens Republicans; and Sir Simon rattles Liverpool
New Orleans and the Republicans await the hurricane and Simon Rattle goes home to Liverpool
Geoengineering is not the solution to global warming, argues Greenpeace's Doug Parr
Tinkering with our entire planetary system is not a silver bullet. It's an expression of political despair, writes Greenpeace's Doug Parr
Extreme and risky action including geo-engineering the only way to tackle global warming, say scientists in collection of Royal Society papers
Royal Society papers suggest ways to combat global temperature rise through geo-engineering
Ancient Amazon Actually Highly Urbanized
In 1925 British adventurer Colonel Percy Fawcett disappeared into the wilds of the Amazon, never to be heard from again after going there in search of a lost city he...
Recreated wetlands center of debate
CHESAPEAKE, Va., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Activists allege ongoing attempts to revitalize wetlands in Virginia and North Carolina will not restore the sites to their original value.
No wolf hunting season expected in Nevada
CARSON CITY, Nev., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Nevada say despite the recent classification of gray wolves as "game" animals, there shouldn't be a hunting season...
Ghana's grass-roots bid to save country's last forests
For five years now the heat has been less intense and the rainfall more abundant in a small cocoa farming area in Ghana's Upper Volta region, thanks to villagers bent...
Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold, Insect Infestation
Grain storage bins are routinely monitored for temperature to control insect and mold problems. Now an scientists have preliminary research findings showing that monitoring carbon dioxide -- along with humidity...
Baltic States Failing To Protect Most Damaged Sea
Nine Baltic sea states all scored failing grades in an annual WWF evaluation of their performance in protecting and restoring the world's most damaged sea.
European agency warns of possible Botox side effects: report
Months after US authorities sounded the alarm, European officials are warning of dangerous possible side effects from the wrinkle-smoothing injection Botox, according to a German news report.
After blasting Cuba, Hurricane Gustav aims at US
Hurricane Gustav took aim at the United States early Sunday as it swept into the Gulf of Mexico from western Cuba, where it tore off roofs, flattened buildings and plunged...
Satellite phones make cowboys wildfire sentinels
(AP) -- The craggy gullies where Idaho cowboy Paul Nettleton runs 1,200 head of cattle are often precious minutes from reliable cell phone coverage. That could spell disaster in...
Amazon deforestation on the rise
(AP) -- Amazon deforestation jumped 69 percent in the past 12 months - the first such increase in three years - as rising demand for soy and cattle pushes...
Algae bloom causes 'crab jubilee'
PORTSMOUTH, Va., Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Algae blooms in Virginia estuaries are depriving the ecosystem of oxygen, killing fish and driving crabs to struggle to breath.