Latest science news in Earth & Climate
MIT moves toward greener chemistry
Phosphorus, a mineral element found in rocks and bone, is a critical ingredient in fertilisers, pesticides, detergents and other industrial and household chemicals. Once phosphorus is mined from rocks, getting...
Amazon may be headed for another bad drought
Drought has cut Peru's Amazon River to its lowest level in 40 years and it is already below the minimum set in 2005, when a devastating dry spell damaged vast...
Scientists figure out magical 'banana' free kick
Thirteen years after Roberto Carlos stunned onlookers with his amazing "banana" free kick that seemed to defy the law of physics, scientists have finally worked out how he did it.
Water in Earth's mantle key to survival of oldest continents
Earth today is one of the most active planets in the Solar System, and was probably even more so during the early stages of its life. Thanks to the plate...
Caltech mineral physicists find new scenery at Earth's core-mantle boundary
Using a diamond-anvil cell to recreate the high pressures deep within the earth, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have found unusual properties in an iron-rich magnesium- and...
New discovery could pave the way for identification of rogue CFC release
A new discovery by scientists at the Universities of East Anglia and Frankfurt could make it possible in future to identify the source of banned CFCs that are probably still...
Oil platform explodes off Louisiana
The crew is rescued and there are no signs of a leak, but the accident sparks new debate about wells in the gulf.The opening scene was all too familiar. Black...
Test-tube calf embryos more likely to survive Texas summers
Researchers have found that embryo transfer can double dairy cow pregnancy rates during the summer and increase the number of heifers born as compared with conventional artificial insemination commonly used...
Massive Networks of WoW Gamers, Etsy Crafters to be Focus of NSF-funded Study of Creative Collaborations
Using two of the planet's largest, creative online communities as their laboratory, two Indiana University Bloomington researchers hope to understand how the inner workings of such massive, networked collaborations could...
Asteroid Diversity: Mixed Bag of Space Rocks Found Near Earth
A new survey of asteroids near Earth shows these space rocks are a mixed bag, with some shiny and bright, others dark and dull.
Shapeshifting Robot Plane Flies in Bad Weather
Shapeshifting edges could allow a new type of robot plane to be flown into storms to aid in search-and-rescue missions at sea.
Deforestation Rate Continues to Plunge in Brazil
The Brazilian government says that a preliminary survey by a low-resolution satellite shows that...
China Sustains Blunt 'You First' Message on CO2
The official who led China's delegation in recent climate negotiations says the right to a better life in poor countries trumps the responsibility to cut emissions.
Climatologist Says History Shows Earl's Potential
Art DeGaetano, Cornell University professor of climatology and the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell, says insight into the potential impact of...
Idaho farmers growing vegetables with geothermal energy
Most people know about the geothermal system in Boise's Downtown and Warm Springs area. It's one of the oldest in the country.
Hurricane Alley Heats Up with Stormy Threesome
August & September are prime time for hurricane formation.
Brazil iron ore reserves keep multiplying
RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Brazil further boosted its iron ore reserves with the announcement of a major new discovery of iron and phosphate deposits in the...
Challenge to Nord Stream rejected
ZUG, Switzerland, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Appeals challenging a permit to build the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline in Finnish waters were rejected, the pipeline consortium said Thursday. ...
UN: Climate funds shouldn't divert poverty aid
(AP) -- The U.N.'s climate chief says poor countries are right to expect that any funding they receive to combat global warming be kept separate from development aid or...
Natural disasters do not necessarily create peace, research finds
A devastating tsunami hit southern Asia in December 2004. After the tsunami, both politicians and journalists believed that the natural disaster could help to bring peace to Sri Lanka and...
Future Mars Colonists Could Learn To Terraform By Studying Darwin's Methods
Ascension Island Charles Darwin's artificial forest captures moisture from clouds that drift over the volcanic peaks on Ascension Island. Google Earth The father of evolution apparently played God with a tropical ecosystem 160...
Ban: Global warming requires global action
VADUZ, Liechtenstein, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The global community needs to act collectively to tackle the challenges of climate change, the U.N. secretary-general said in Liechtenstein. ...
Texas company fingered in pipeline blast
HOUSTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Texas pipeline operator Enterprise Products Partners violated the law in a June gas explosion that killed one worker and injured eight others, a regulator...
Bill Gates on R&D, a Carbon Tax and China's Climate Role
Bill Gates adds detail to his call for a research push to expand energy choices without overheating the planet.
Oil Biodegredation Stalled After Valdez Spill
Oil Spill: Microbes in beach sediments lack the oxygen to finish the job.
More CO2 means more poison ivy
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may threaten climate change and be bad news for humans but poison ivy likes it, U.S. researchers say. ...
Floods swamp south Sudan region
Some 57,000 people have been forced from their homes because of dramatic floods in south-western Sudan over the past month, officials say.
Weather clash causes snowy winter
The collision of two major weather events can explain unusually large snowfall in the US and Northern Europe, researchers say.