Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Curiosity Rover Grows by Leaps and Bounds
(PhysOrg.com) -- In one week, Curiosity grew by approximately 1 meter (3.5 feet) when spacecraft technicians and engineers attached the rover's neck and head (called the Remote Sensing Mast) to...
Germany to fight EU hard coal decision
BERLIN, July 23 (UPI) -- Germany is angry that the European Commission wants member states to close loss-making coal mines within the next four years. ...
After the Climate Bill Failure
Can the statutes we have now achieve the target set by President Obama last December to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent reduction by 2020?
Good News in Gulf: Government Reduces Area Closed to Fishing by One-Third
For the first time in months, the government has good news for Gulf of...
Indian Ocean sea levels 'rising at different rates'
Researchers have identified distinct patterns of sea-level rises in the Indian Ocean, and say this could aid climate change readiness.
On Our Radar: China Tops Energy Charts
The United States is outflanked as the world's top energy consumer.
New methodology improves winter climate forecasting
It's hot out right now, but new research from North Carolina State University will help us know what to expect when the weather turns cold. Researchers have developed a new...
Dead penguins wash up on Brazil's beaches
Scientists believe cause to be starvation from changing water temperatures or overfishing after 500 birds found in 10 daysHundreds of penguins that have apparently starved to death are washing up on the beaches...
'Glass' boxes proposed for aircraft
DENTON, Texas, July 20 (UPI) -- Aircraft black boxes, the flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders, should be replaced with real-time data transmission systems, a U.S. researcher has...
A Russian Warning on Retreating Ice
Sea ice in the Arctic is again in rapid retreat this summer, putting the region on pace to match the record lows seen in 2007, the head of Russia's environmental...
Ottawa pumps more cash into carbon sequestration
Ottawa is spending an additional $2.2 million on a so-called "carbon sequestration" project that straddles the Saskatchewan-North Dakota border.
Bridges That Build Themselves
Bridges That Build Themselves The two oldest types of bridge are the arch bridge and the corbel bridge. It takes a lot of time and effort to build them, but they...
Why Do We Cry? Eight Half-Baked Ideas
Crying is a waste of perfectly good water. So why we do it? I have no idea, so I would like to hear your ideas. To get the ball rolling,...
Engineers Find New 'Lake,' Prompting Emergency Floodwater Release from Falcon Dam
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin has discovered that a 200-square-mile lake has formed in the Rio Grande Basin of northern Mexico,...
Biophysicist explores the science behind the mind-body practice of tai chi
(PhysOrg.com) -- Shin Lin moves with a measured grace that comes from years of practicing tai chi, the centuries-old Chinese martial art that emphasizes serenity and calm over combat. When...
Koreans reserve Australian LNG
SAN RAMON, Calif., July 20 (UPI) -- A deal to supply liquefied natural gas to South Korea from a development in Australia gives the project more importance for the...
Yemen battles food insecurity
SANAA, Yemen, July 20 (UPI) -- Internal conflict in Yemen is putting stress on an agricultural sector also plagued by drought and narcotics use, international reports indicate. ...
Energy explorers flock to Egypt
CAIRO, July 20 (UPI) -- The Egyptian Energy Ministry signed off on lucrative natural gas deals to tap into one of the richest basins in the Mediterranean, energy companies...
Russia to build a new spaceport
Russia will invest £527m in a new spaceport in the country's Far East, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announces.
Subway screech caused by heat: TTC
Sweltering summer temperatures are partly to blame for an increase in an ear-piercing screeching caused by subway train wheels grinding against the rails, says the Toronto Transit Commission.
BP oil spill cap still closed
Oil is slowly trickling out of BP's blown-out well into the Gulf of Mexico but scientists aren't convinced the cap that stopped the flow last week is making things worse.
Volcanic ash team return to ocean
A team of scientists return to the North Atlantic to get more data on how volcanic ash affects the region's marine biology.
Why Inuit fear Alaskan oil drilling
Inuit living on the edge of the Arctic Ocean fear their unique way of life could be destroyed if oil drilling goes ahead.
U.S. lets BP keep well sealed for now
Officials find no serious pressure problems with the capping operation that has stopped oil from gushing into the gulf. ...
Footloose Glaciers Crack Up: What Happens When Glaciers Float On Ocean Surface
(PhysOrg.com) -- Glaciers that lose their footing on the seafloor and begin floating behave very erratically, according to a new study led by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San...
On Our Radar: China's Environmental Woes
China's gold mining industry faces regulatory scrutiny after its worst disaster in years: the accidental release of 2.4 million gallons of acid-laced waste into the Ting River.
Taking Lessons From Engineering Disasters
Disaster can spur innovation, and experts say analysis of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will probably improve complex deep-water drilling technology.
Seasoning Feedstocks With Curry Spices Cuts Methane Emissions from Livestock by 40 Percent
Cutting Emissions from Cows Annie Kavanagh via Wikimedia UK researchers seeking to cut back on greenhouse gases have found a deliciously potent weapon for fighting agricultural methane emissions: curry. It turns out two...