Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Tornado Surrounded by Instruments as Scientists Aim to Catch Their "Perfect Storm"
On May 1, more than 100 scientists will head out to the Midwest for the second part of VORTEX2 , the most ambitious study of tornadoes in history. They plan...
Russian Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station Despite Malfunction
The unmanned Russian cargo ship Progress 37 safely docked at the International Space Station Saturday despite a failure that forced cosmonauts to take remove control.
Study at sea assesses ash impacts
Scientists hope to gather "unique data" on the impact of volcanic ash from the eruption in Iceland on marine biology.
Australia abandons greenhouse gas goals
MELBOURNE, April 28 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government has shelved its ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Turkey and Azerbaijan reach transit accord
ISTANBUL, Turkey, April 28 (UPI) -- Turkey and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on terms for the transit of Azeri natural gas through Turkey to Europe.
'Tornado Alley' actually four regions?
New analysis identifies four distinct regions in the eastern half of the U.S. as worthy of the tornado alley label. United States - Meteorology - Earth...
Stocks pull back on Europe's deepening debt woes
NEW YORK --Investors are once again worried that debt problems in Greece and Portugal could threaten the global economic recovery.
Policy changes needed to protect southeast Mexico's farmers, forests
(PhysOrg.com) -- If it is to ensure a bright future for Campeche farmers and the tropical forests surrounding them, the Mexican government must institute new policies that are more responsive...
Pakistan to shutter gas filling stations
LAHORE, Pakistan, April 27 (UPI) -- As part of the government's energy conservation drive, Pakistan's compressed natural gas filling stations across the country will be closed every Tuesday.
New Zealand expands energy, mining sectors
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 27 (UPI) -- Despite New Zealand's global image as an environmentally sensitive nation, its government intends to open up highly protected conservation areas to mining.
Inter-species swan romance afoot near Calgary
Birds of a different feather are getting together on a lake outside of Calgary. The pairing of two species of swans - one a trumpeter, the other a mute -...
Thai businesses to cut greenhouse gases
BANGKOK, April 27 (UPI) -- Major Thai businesses have set an ambitious target to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.
EPA Report: Clear and Compelling Evidence of Climate Change Across America a Wake-Up Call
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a report on "Climate Change Indicators" reviewing 24 critical indicators of the planet's environmental health for visible impacts of climate change. For...
AgriLife Research wheat studies pay off
AMARILLO -- Research came full circle on April 16 as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service amended the Karnal bunt quarantine areas in Arizona, California and Texas, according...
Agricultural biodiversity research plan dropped
The CGIAR has abandoned a proposed agricultural biodiversity 'megaprogramme' which would have formed part of the network's research revolution.
On Our Radar: Australia Shelves Carbon Trading Plan
A carbon emissions trading plan founders in the Australian Parliament.
Questions fly over ash-cloud models
Uncertainty remains on dangers of volcanic plume to jet aircraft.
China's Motives on Climate and Energy
Is China's "green" focus more about energy security than climate stability?
Massive payout for 'toxic sofa' victims
£20 million in payouts to people injured by dimethyl fumarate in leather sofas made in China
Young salamanders' movement over land helps stabilize populations
Researchers can now describe how species of stream salamanders find new homes by moving both within streams and over land to adjacent streams during multiple life stages, and how this...
Tinkering to Avert Disaster
Some people in government are beginning to pay attention to the burgeoning field of geoengineering -- the large-scale, deliberate manipulation of the climate to counteract the effects of global warming.
Workers struggle to contain oil spill
Where a BP-leased rig sank last week, killing 11, oil is continuing to gush beneath the water’s surface. Shoreline communities brace for possible fallout. Work crews continued their attempts Monday to stanch the...
Toxic soil lurks beneath Carson neighborhood
The discovery of methane gas and benzene has transformed a 50-acre neighborhood into an environmental case study — a reminder of Southern California’s history as a center of the oil industry. When Ron...
End of the line for Cambodia’s bamboo trains
For decades the precarious bamboo platforms have ferried people and goods in the nation’s hinterlands. But increasingly there is little room, or need, for them. ...
Military Officials Have a Hard Time Using Climate Data, New Report Says
A new report suggests that "multiple barriers" are impeding the flow of information between...
USDA invents crop yield calculator program
WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- A U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist says he's developed a computer program that estimates crop yields based on available water.
Oil Slick from Rig Collapse Seen from Space
The oil slick resulting from an oil rig collapse can be seen from space in NASA satellite photo.
USGS to fund 47 earthquake projects
RESTON, Va., April 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Geological Survey says it will award about $4 million for 2010 earthquake research at 47 universities, state geological surveys and private...