Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Virginia Probes Climate Science
Investigation: Attorney General has gone too far, research supporters and critics agree.
Coral and global warming: Diversity in some coral populations may affect their survival
Diversity in some coral populations may significantly influence their response to extreme temperature disturbances -- such as those predicted from climate warming. A team demonstrated natural selection acting on the...
New study ranks countries on environmental impact
A new study led by researchers in Australia has ranked most of the world's countries for their environmental impact. The world's 10 worst environmental performers according to the proportional environmental...
Roots meshed in waste materials could clean dirty water
Plant roots enmeshed in layers of discarded materials inside upright pipes can purify dirty water from a washing machine, making it fit for growing vegetables and flushing toilets, according to...
Hidden Costs of Oil Revealed; Will it Matter?
Devastating Environmental Toll from Gulf Oil Spill not Expected to Radically Alter Risky Extraction Methods
Study: UVA light doesn't cause melanoma
HOUSTON, May 6 (UPI) -- A University of Texas study has contradicted previous research by finding early life exposure to ultraviolet-A light does not cause melanoma in a fish...
First detailed underwater survey of huge volcanic flank collapse deposits
A scientific team led by Dr Peter Talling of the UK's National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is currently aboard the Royal Research Ship James Cook to map extremely large landslide deposits...
Shape of lake basin is key factor in plankton disease epidemics in Midwest
Of all the things that might control the onset of plankton disease epidemics in Michigan lakes, the shape of the lakes' bottoms might seem unlikely. But that's indeed the case, according...
Greenhouse-gas numbers up in the air
To control emissions, countries must first account accurately for their carbon. That will take considerable effort, reports Jeff Tollefson.
A new way to use herbicides: To sterilize, not kill weeds
Using herbicides to sterilize rather than to kill weedy grasses might be a more economical and environmentally sound weed-control strategy, according to a study by agricultural scientists and a cooperator.
Going to the Mountain
We finally left Tana on May 2, fully loaded with all our equipment and supplies. Herpetologists love the rain, as it keeps the frogs and reptiles active, but the cost...
Li Ka-shing eyes Israel for oil-sands, water tech
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa is keen on investing in Israeli technology companies specializing in oil-sands and water technologies, Israel's Finance Ministry said on Tuesday.
Russia sends warship after tanker is hijacked by Somali pirates
A crew of 23 Russians is aboard the Liberian-flagged MV Moscow University, reportedly carrying a cargo worth more than $50 million. The tanker, bound for China, was seized off Yemen. A Russian warship...
Sugarcane farming practices contribute to global warming
(PhysOrg.com) -- The global market for sugarcane is expanding, and new research at UQ is informing improved farming practices to reduce its environmental footprint.
Suicide bombers, gunmen storm governor's compound in Afghanistan
Five attackers, two police officers and a provincial council member are killed in an hours-long battle. The Taliban claim responsibility. ...
Brush battle pits Rastafarian against tax collector
A former Marine in San Diego County who refused to pay the bill after authorities had what they called fire-prone weeds cleared could lose his land. He says the plants...
BP gives Congress gloomy outlook on gulf oil spill
In the worst case, the disaster could grow at 12 times the rate of current estimates, BP officials say at a Capitol Hill briefing. ...
Scientific cooperation shows potential of bioprocessing for improving exploitabiliy of wheat bran
A combination of enzymes and fermentation modifies bran structure and changes the bioavailability of the bioactive compound, according to new studies forming part of the European Union's large-scale...
Concerns Up and Down the Food Chain
Biologists are increasingly alarmed for wildlife offshore, where the damage from a spill can be invisible but still deadly.
Ugandan science needs a ministry
A Ugandan S&T ministry would provide the country's science base with the clarity, cohesion and direction it needs, says Edward Tujunirwe.
While Gulf Soils, Energy Quest Stalls
Students call for lawmakers to invest in energy education as one way to move beyond oil.
Ocean Drilling Expedition off Antarctica May Predict Ice Sheet's Response to Warmer Global Temperatures
(PhysOrg.com) -- New results from a drilling expedition off Antarctica may help scientists learn more about a dramatic turn in climate 34 million years ago, when the planet...
Zettabytes Now Needed to Describe Global Data Overload
Humankind will generate over one sextillion bytes of digital information this year, surging into the realm of the "zettabyte."
Can weather really affect the outcome of an election?
The weather forecast for Thursday is cool and cloudy. So could that affect the outcome of the election?
U.S. Reveals 5113 Nukes in Stockpile, Estimate by 'Nuclear Geek' Was Off by Only 87
Yesterday, the Obama Administration released the total number of nuclear warheads in the U.S....
Bear rescued from tree in Oxnard, on the way back to wild
A 200-pound black bear was tranquilized Tuesday morning, wrangled into a harness and lowered from a tree in an Oxnard neighborhood, where it had perched for three hours as TV...
Maya plumbing, first pressurized water feature found in New World
A water feature found in the Maya city of Palenque, Mexico, is the earliest known example of engineered water pressure in the new world, according to a collaboration between two...
Iran losing interest in Nabucco?
TEHRAN, May 4 (UPI) -- Iran could play a role in the Nabucco gas pipeline for Europe if conditions are favorable but there are no plans to follow up...