Latest science news in Earth & Climate
L.A. County sees an upward trend in West Nile infections
The year is shaping up to be the worst in Southern California since 2004. ...
Biological Selenium Removal: Solution To Pollution?
Unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin," can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which...
SKorea to set up first carbon trading company
South Korea will set up its first carbon trading company to help regulate greenhouse gas emissions, officials said Wednesday.
Unusually hot temperatures slow plants' carbon uptake, scientists find
Tall grasses exposed to an unusually warm year of weather lose some of their ability to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere the following year, according to a U.S. study...
Arctic Ice in "Death Spiral," Is Near Record Low
The sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk to the second smallest area on record, despite 2008's "natural" summer conditions. The ice may disappear in the summer within a...
Fallow deer 'groans' attract female deer
NOTTINGHAM, England, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A British study has determined female fallow deer are attracted to the low timber and deep vibrations exhibited by dominant male deer
Small glaciers cause most ice loss
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've determined small glaciers, not large ones, account for most of Greenland's recent loss of ice caused by global...
Yellowstone Snowmobile Plan Melts Away
A judge threw out plans to allow more than 500 snowmobiles a day into Yellowstone National Park, saying that many snowmobiles would increase air pollution, disturb wildlife and cause too...
A Cold Stare Can Make You Crave Some Heat
Social iciness feels so cold to those on the receiving end that they will crave a hot drink, a new study has found.
Feature: Safety in the pipeline
A Western Australian research team is monitoring thousands of kilometres of undersea gaspipes to make sure they can survive any effects climate change may bring about. Denice Rice reports.
World Drilling Congress 2008
Extra: Marina Mandarin Location: Singapore Start Date: 24 November 2008 End Date: 27 November 2008 Category: Mining, Oil, Gas
In praise of plastic: Susan Mossman explores its many uses
Plastic has attracted a lot of bad press recently, with environmental campaigners and government ministers alike highlighting its potentially damaging long term environmental implications. After the BBC's Chris Jeavans spent...
Another Huge Quake to Strike China Within 10 Years?
The May 12 quake that devastated China's Sichuan Province increased stress along three nearby fault lines, doubling the chances of another major seismic event in coming years, scientists say.
HURRICANE IKE PHOTOS: The Aftermath
See how the major storm pummeled the Texas coast, shredding buildings, flooding streets, and knocking out power for millions of people.
Feature: Reading climate signatures in the Southern Ocean
The polar regions are sensitive barometers of environmental change – what we see at both the poles foreshadows what we can expect elsewhere on the globe in a changing climate,...
New Geomorphological Index Created For Studying Active Tectonics Of Mountains
To build a hospital, nuclear power station or a large dam you need to know the possible earthquake risks of the terrain. Now, researchers from the Universities of Granada and...
Fuel Emissions From Marine Vessels Remain A Global Concern
The forecast for clear skies and smooth sailing for oceanic vessels has been impeded by worldwide concerns of their significant contributions to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that impact...
Warming endangers sea sponges
Research has found that sea sponges are at risk from global warming, as their symbiotic relationship with microbes breaks down at 33 degrees Celsius.
Seaweeds wage war on corals
The world's struggling coral reefs now have a new challenge to overcome - seaweeds are releasing chemicals that prevent them from recovering, research has found.
Hurricane Ike Spurs 2,000 Rescues; Thousands More Await
An estimated 140,000 Texas residents ignored evacuation orders before the hurricane hit. Now many are stranded amid debris and floodwaters, stuck in attics or on roofs, and without power.
Better hams with space technology
Space technology is now being used to help Spanish ham experts ensure that hams awarded the highly prized ‘jamon` label are worthy of the name. Technology used to measure the...
São Paulo to invest $63 million on climate research
São Paulo will invest US$63 million in interdisciplinary research on global climate change and its impact on Brazil.
Voluntary co-operation can work on global problems
Voluntary collaboration between governments and international organisations can be an effective way to address global scientific issues, says Michael Williams.
Saltwater Solution To Save Crops
Technology under development could offer new hope to farmers in drought-affected and marginal areas by enabling crops to grow using salty groundwater.
Scientists Point To Forests For Carbon Storage Solutions
Scientists who have determined how much carbon is stored annually in upper Midwest forests hope their findings will be used to accelerate global discussion about the strategy of managing forests...
Automated System Provides Early Warning Of Natural Disasters
When disaster threatens, the first hours are crucial. Researchers have developed an automated system to provide early detection, forecasting, and warning of natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.
Crop management strategies key to a healthy Gulf, planet
Improved management of crops and perennials could go a long way toward alleviating the problem of hypoxia, which claims thousands of fish, shrimp and shellfish in the Gulf of Mexico...
Scientists dismiss whale poop reports
HAMPTON, Va., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A scientist says reports of so-called whale poop along Chesapeake Bay in Virginia were actually potato sponges washing ashore.