Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Study urges less urban sprawl, more forest
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Less urban sprawl and more forests are keys to decreasing water runoff and disastrous flooding, U.S. scientists said. ...
Gulf Plume Resists Oil-Eating Microbes
Gulf microbes may break down oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster more slowly than expected.
Mangrove Forest Inventory Shows Steep Declines
These coastal buffer zones are smaller, in worse shape than previously thought.
Oil Plume May Be Breaking Down Slowly
There are preliminary indications that the oil in the gulf might pose a continuing threat to wildlife, although much research remains to be done, a study says.
Feds: BP's Gulf well to be killed after Labor Day
(AP) -- The U.S. government said Thursday the final plugging of BP's blown-out Gulf well will begin sometime after Labor Day.
Titanic Is Falling Apart
Sunday, scientists will set sail to preserve the crumbling wreck in 3-D—and to find out just how long Titanic might last. ...
On Our Radar: Candidates Spar on Oil Drilling
Senator Barbara Boxer argues that Carly Fiorina's support for additional oil drilling could threaten the jobs of nearly 400,000 workers whose livelihoods depend on the coastal economy.
Paving slabs that clean the air
The concentrations of toxic nitrogen oxide that are present in German cities regularly exceed the maximum permitted levels. That’s now about to change, as innovative paving slabs...
Lowering Daisy's emissions: Battle against agricultural climate offenders
Agriculture accounts for approximately nine per cent of Norway's total emissions of greenhouse gases. Now, researchers are acquiring actual gas measurements and new knowledge about what causes the emissions --...
International math prize awarded in India
HYDERABAD, India, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- India's president awarded the prestigious Fields Medal to young mathematicians from Israel, France and Switzerland at a ceremony in Hyderabad. ...
Climate change brings wasps to Baffin Island
Researchers collecting bugs in the Canadian Arctic this summer have confirmed wasps are breeding on Baffin Island, which they say is further evidence of climate change.
Climate sceptics mislead the public over hacked emails inquiry | Bob Ward
The Global Warming Policy Foundation's investigation omits awkward truths that would get in the way of a conspiracySelf-proclaimed climate change sceptics are preparing to reignite the controversy over the emails hacked from the...
Climate protest camp targets RBS
Dozens of climate change protesters set up camp close to the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh.
Mediator takes reins on gulf oil spill claims
'No more beating up on BP,' Kenneth Feinberg tells claimants. Next week, he will take over from the oil giant the $20-billion fund for spill compensation claims.Wayde Bonvillain, who makes...
Bees warm up with a drink, too!
When we venture out on a cool morning, nothing energizes our body like a nice warm drink and new research reveals that bees also use the same idea when they're...
'Fertilizer forecast' under development
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say reducing runoff of plant nutrients that eventually wash into local water sources could someday be as easy as checking a weather...
Merkel embarks on energy trip
BERLIN, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday embarked on an energy tour through Germany, shortly before her government will unveil its energy concept for...
Kraft Seeks High-Tech Packaging To Keep Chocolate Bars from Melting At High Temperatures
While M&Ms have famously claimed that a thin candy shell ensures they melt in your mouth rather than your hand, the same can't be said for chocolate bars, which seem to melt...
Orcas kill minke whale in Trinity Bay
A Newfoundland tour boat operator has recorded a video of orcas attacking a minke whale in Trinity Bay.
Martian Environment Is Ideally Suited For Crop Farming, Study Says
Mars Farm NASA/KSC Mars Greenhouse Project If we ever decide to colonize Mars, it might be fairly simple to grow crops in that red soil, according to a new study. Mars' reduced...
Black rockfish breed off West Vancouver
A fish that had been all but wiped out in waters east of Vancouver Island is breeding off West Vancouver's Lighthouse Park after being reintroduced.
Does the shape of crude oil remnants impact rate of biodegradation?
Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers have received a $60,000 one-year National Science Foundation grant to study how naturally occurring microbes can best be used to eat away remaining crude...
African policymakers urged to make use of space data
Two UN agencies have joined forces to convince African policymakers of the potential use of space technology in disaster management.
Rescued Turtles Go Free in Gulf
About 350 turtles remain at rehabilitation centers and will be released as soon as they have fully recovered.
Kiev looks to domestic oil and gas
KIEV, Ukraine, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Domestic production of hydrocarbons will help bring stability to the Ukrainian economy, the first deputy prime minister said. ...
Cool! Researchers find way to use HVAC ducts for wireless monitoring technology
A new study by a team including a professor from North Carolina State University has found a way to implement wireless monitoring technology -- with uses ranging from climate...
A Dip in Slimy Waters
Nitrogen is polluting many waterways on the Nantucket Sound side of Cape Cod.
Protecting the UK's rarest coral
The waters around Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel are home to more species of marine life than any other part of Britain.