Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Scientists say the Big One could be even bigger
The Big One predicted for the San Andreas fault could end up being bigger than earthquake experts previously thought.
NASA sees Otto become eighth hurricane of the Atlantic season
At 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 8, Otto strengthened into a hurricane, becoming the eighth hurricane of the Atlantic Ocean season. NASA's Aqua satellite and the NOAA GOES-13 satellite captured...
Global warming affects tropical life more
SEATTLE, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Global warming is greatest in the Northern Hemisphere but its impact on life could be much greater in the tropics, a U.S. study says.
Row over shipping emissions plan
Environmentalists at the UN climate talks in Tianjin have criticised big developing nations for blocking plans for efficiency standards on shipping.
Volcano fuels massive phytoplankton bloom
Advocates for seeding regions of the ocean with iron to combat global warming should be interested in a new study published today in Geophysical Research Letters. A Canada-US team led...
Nobel winners warn on visa curbs
The UK's cap on immigration threatens the country's future as a centre of scientific excellence, a group of Nobel prize-winning scientists warns.
Report critical of government response to gulf oil spill
The administration underestimated the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico after the BP disaster as well as the effect of the spill after the damaged well was...
Air Force's Salvage of High-Tech Satellite Going Well
A contingency plan to raise the altitude of the U.S. Air Force�s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite after an engine glitch is going well.
China faces hurdles amid quest for a Nobel Prize
It's Nobel season, and China is engaged in an annual bout of hand-wringing: Why can't the country that invented the compass and gunpowder — and that recently rocketed from poverty...
Long-distance communication, microbial style
Scientists knew that the microbe Shewanella oneidensis transformed the electronic structure of the iron oxide it touched in the ground as well as without direct contact. Scientists from Pacific Northwest...
WWF: Little hope for climate protection
By STEFAN NICOLAUPI Europe CorrespondentBERLIN, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Worldwide pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are falling far short of what's needed to avoid catastrophic climate change, environmental...
Sustainability of the global livestock industry questioned
Sure, the perfectly prepared medium-rare steak you enjoyed last night was from a local farm that raises grass-fed cattle. And the mushrooms and onions sautéed on top? Organically grown. Along...
Petrels avoid oil spill damage
Some long-lived seabirds skip breeding to avoid being harmed by oil spills, a study shows.
Smallest fish found in Shetland
Europe's smallest marine fish is found in Scottish waters for the first time, and for only the fourth time within the UK.
EU weighs North Sea policies
BRUSSELS, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The European Commission should develop a policy for the North Sea that calls for action on maritime policy and the environment, a lawmaker said.
Israeli government scientist fired for his views on evolution and climate change
Dr Gavriel Avital was sacked for 'denying the tenets of evolution and global warming'Quite why Dr Gavriel Avital was even selected to be chief scientist at Israel's ministry of education is probably the...
Racehorses came from European stock
Most founding mothers of a prized horse breed were British and Irish — not Arabian.
Suit blames PG&E for gas explosion
SAN BRUNO, Calif., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Pacific Gas and Electric is called on to hand over $100 million to a victims fund because of negligence in a deadly...
SERVIR: Program brings satellite imagery, decision support tools to Himalayan region
NASA and USAID are expanding SERVIR to the Himalayas to address critical issues such as land cover change, air quality, glacial melt and adaptation to climate change. The agencies are...
Redirection reduces impact of erosion
The life expectancy of cooling plates in heat exchangers at Rio Tinto Alcans Yarwun alumina refinery has increased from a few days to as long as 12 months with help...
Dairy industry not to blame in greenhouse gas emissions, new study says
Forget all the tacky jokes about cow flatulence causing climate change. A new study reports that the dairy industry is responsible for only about 2.0 percent of all US greenhouse...
Bass return to Snowy River
A program to re-stock the Snowy River with Australian Bass appears to have been successful, with the fish population slowly increasing.
Businesses Seek Clarity on Climate Goals
Companies plead not for inaction but for ambitious, clear and measurable targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Bangladesh monsoon rains 'lowest since 1994'
Bangladesh has experienced its driest monsoon season for more than a decade despite heavy rains in neighbouring India and Pakistan that caused flooding, officials said Wednesday.
The carbon dioxide precipice
Few recognize the magnitude of the threat climate change poses to our planet; some activists and scientists are trying to change that.It is time for more of us to step forward. By...
Canada calculating polar bear's value
Environment Canada plans to spend up to $44,000 on a study to appraise the polar bear's value as a national icon.
ScienceShot: An Earlier Start for Dinosaurs?
Footprints in Polish sediments suggest precursor species appeared soon after a global catastrophe
Deforestation examined in U.N. report
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Deforestation continues to threaten the world's biodiversity, but there are positive signs of conservation in many countries, a United National report says.