Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Michigan oil spill nearly cleaned
MARSHALL, Mich., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The primary cleanup effort to an oil spill in southern Michigan is about 90 percent complete, officials with pipeline operator Enbridge said. ...
Weather or Not?: Last Winter's Record Snow Driven by Short-Term Meteorologic Patterns, Not Long-Term Climate Change
Just six months ago residents of the eastern U.S. were shoveling themselves out of the snowiest winter ever--weather that prompted mockery of global warming among some people . Now, scientists have a new...
Moscow wheezes as smog cloud blankets city
Muscovites Wednesday coughed their way through the hottest days of weather on record in the Russian capital as a smog cloud created by peat fires blanketed the city for a...
London looks to energy future
LONDON, July 28 (UPI) -- A long-term energy and climate change policy outlined by the British government looks for ways to secure a low-carbon future, officials said. ...
Tropical cyclone birth predicted with supercomputer
Predicting whether or not a storm system will grow into a hurricane is difficult. But a new supercomputer model has taken a leap forward in this effort. ...
Latest 'green' packing material? Mushrooms; Packing foam engineered from mushrooms and agricultural waste
A new packing material that grows itself is now appearing in shipped products across the country. The composite of inedible agricultural waste and mushroom roots is called Mycobond, and its...
China Gorges flooding set to peak
Officials in China say floodwaters which have left some 1,250 people dead or missing are expected to peak within the next day.
Spread of Deadly Cryptococcal Disease in Northwest Linked to Global Warming
A deadly infectious disease once thought to be exclusively tropical has gained a toehold in the Pacific Northwest, and health experts suspect climate change is partially to blame. [More] ...
Researchers' 'Posseidon' adventure could save shipping industry millions
Researchers could save the world’s shipping industry millions of pounds in repairs to broken down vessels after developing a computerized warning system which keeps the ‘lifeblood’ of a ship flowing....
Clashing Pacific and Atlantic Patterns Shaped Super Snows
New research reveals the conditions that shaped the extreme snows of last winter.
New Titanic expedition will create 3D map of wreck
A team of scientists will launch an expedition to the Titanic next month to assess the deteriorating condition of the world's most famous shipwreck and create a detailed three-dimensional map...
Athens presses for South Stream pipeline
SOFIA, Bulgaria, July 27 (UPI) -- The South Stream gas pipeline to Europe will top the agenda during bilateral talks between Greek and Bulgarian officials Tuesday in Sofia, officials...
U.S., Canada explore Arctic boundaries
WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- A joint mission conducted by the United States and Canada will help delineate the continental shelf of the Arctic, the U.S. State Department announced. ...
Carbon emissions threaten fish populations
Humanity's rising carbon dioxide emissions could have a significant impact on the world's fish populations, according to groundbreaking new research. Baby fish may become easy meat for predators as the...
Nepal foresters ready to sell carbon stocks
Nepal is ready to measure and sell the carbon stored in its forests.
Arctic Ice July - Update #5
Arctic Ice July - Update #5 The sharp decline in ice extent slowed somewhat during July. Some people are claiming this as a sign of recovery. If you are going downhill at...
China says air pollution worsening
China's air pollution increased this year for the first time since 2005, the environmental protection ministry has said, due to sandstorms, a rise in construction and industrial projects, and more...
Smaller oil slicks harder to find but seen as good sign
The capped BP well has led to broken up oil patches on the surface. But undersea plumes are still a concern. ...
Protect B.C.'s Flathead River Valley, UNESCO urges
UNESCO is recommending protection for a pristine swath of wilderness in southeastern B.C., asking that it be made part of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which stretches across Alberta and Montana...
U.S. students win rocket challenge in U.K.
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 26 (UPI) -- A team of Pennsylvania students won first place in the third annual Transatlantic Rocketry Challenge in Farnborough, England, officials say. ...
More than water key in other Earths search
POTSDAM, Germany, July 26 (UPI) -- The hunt for Earth-like planets in the universe, which usually looks for where water might exist, should consider photosynthesis instead, German scientists say. ...
Maddox Flynn doing well after NYC surgery
Edmonton toddler Maddox Flynn will stay in New York City a little bit longer to recover from a complex operation earlier this month to remove a benign tumour that caused...
National Weather Service Taps RENCI to Explore Decision Support Services for Weather Emergencies
NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Science and Technology will provide $400,000 to the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) to develop and evaluate technologies that will help the emergency management...
Stanford Researchers Developing Rocket-Powered Sewage Treatment System
Rocket Sewage This nitrous oxide-powered rocket thruster designed at Stanford can also be used in a sewage treatment plant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Stanford University In what sounds like the most over-engineered...
Predictions of Coal, CO2 Production Flawed, Says Latest Research
(PhysOrg.com) -- The CO2 emission estimates used for government policy decisions assume unlimited coal and fossil fuel production for the next 100 years, an unrealistic premise which skews climate change...
Clean technology in 'hot water'
What if work performed in space could improve the treatment of household and nuclear waste on Earth? That's what investigators are hoping to do with the results of a fluid...
Researchers create global map of tree height
Mapping changes over time could help track forest carbon content
Urban Air Pollutants Can Damage IQs Before Baby s First Breath
In a sweltering summer in New York City back in 1999, Yolanda Baldwin was eight months pregnant with her first child. She lived near a gas station and across the...