Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Slosh and Berm: Building Sand Barriers off Louisiana Coast to Hold Back Oil Spill Has Low Probability of Success
In an effort to stem the tide of oil washing ashore in Louisiana, small "berms" of sand now plug gaps in barrier islands along the coast. Such structures...
REDD alert for forest climate change policy
Programmes that cut emissions by halting deforestation could be negated by a rise in forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon, says a study.
Glaciers in Tibet were never really large
The Tibetan Plateau is the largest and highest mountain region on Earth with glaciers whose meltwater provides the water supply for more than 1.3 billion people through several of the...
Why Cameron is Diving Deep on Gulf Oil
A deep-diving filmmaker explains his efforts to help resolve the gulf oil crisis.
Video: Louisiana's Slimy New Reality
Waves of spilled crude oil have smeared more than 140 miles of Louisiana's coastline and a harsh reality comes into focus of suffering wildlife. Mark Strassmann reports.
Aquatic life declines at early stages of urban development
The number of native fish and aquatic insects, especially those that are pollution sensitive, declines in urban and suburban streams at low levels of development - levels often considered protective...
Florida braces for oil spill
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 4 (UPI) -- Officials in Florida said they are growing concerned about the potential for an environmental disaster from the oil spill in the Gulf of...
Pakistan expects gas pipeline work soon
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 4 (UPI) -- Physical work on a natural gas pipeline from the South Pars gas field in Iran to Pakistan will start after the appropriate surveys,...
Mining in Africa is spreading TB, study suggests
Mining for gold, diamonds, and precious minerals is dangerous work, but in sub-Saharan Africa the activity could be driving an entire continent's tuberculosis epidemic, a new study has found.
Flooring can affect how consumers make purchase decisions, researcher finds
Can the difference between carpet and hard tile flooring affect how you make decisions? New research suggests that the way people judge products may be influenced by the ground beneath...
Outcrop of long-sought rare rock on Mars found
A mineral-scouting instrument has found an outcrop of rock rich in carbonate minerals in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater on Mars.
Coal Firms to Strip-Mine Historic West Va. Mountain?
In 1921, 20 miners died fighting for labor rights on West Virginia's Blair Mountain. Now coal firms want to literally open the mountain for business. ...
The complex lives of bubbles revealed
(PhysOrg.com) -- The mystery surrounding what happens when bubbles collide has finally been busted. And knowing how bubbles bounce apart and fuse together could improve the quality of ice-cream and...
Wildlife rescue effort is a challenge in the gulf
A team of experts combs the bayous and open waters off Louisiana for dead or suffering creatures. The search is nothing like the one in the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. The small...
Tarball encounters at beach no health hazard
(AP) -- Oil has now washed up on the beaches of three Gulf states. How dangerous is it?
Study: Oil may spread thousands of miles
BOULDER, Colo., June 3 (UPI) -- U.S.-led scientists say they've made a detailed computer modeling study that suggests oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill might soon cover thousands...
Moratorium Shuts Down Oceanographer's Research on Deep-Sea Life
The six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has had an...
Tip Sheet: UNC Researchers Help Tackle Gulf Oil Spill
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are involved in frontline efforts to deal with the disastrous Gulf oil spill. Topics include projecting its spread; research that...
Policing the Pesticide Applicators
In response to a court decision last year that pesticide discharges are pollutants to be regulated, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed permit requirements for large pesticide applicators.
Italian scientists at risk of charges over earthquake deaths
Scientists and officials told they could face a manslaughter trial over the L'Aquila earthquake in which more than 300 diedSeven senior Italian officials and scientists were today told they risked being tried for...
Mars rocks point to wetter past
Mars harbours rocks rich in carbonate minerals, suggesting there was more water there in the past than previously thought.
'Final warning' over UK pollution
The European Commission threatens to take the UK to the European Court of Justice if the air quality in the country does not improve.
Before and After: Coral as Litmus Test
The only upside (?) to the gulf oil catastrophe is that it offers scientists a rare opportunity to study exactly how a massive release of oil and chemicals a mile...
Xstrata scraps Queensland mining projects
CANBERRA, Australia, June 3 (UPI) -- Swiss Mining giant Xstrata announced it has suspended $496 million of expenditures in Australia mining projects in response to the country's planned resources...
E.P.A. Sets Sulfur Dioxide Standard
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its long-awaited health standard for sulfur dioxide emissions.
Lukoil ambitious about West Qurna-2
MOSCOW, June 3 (UPI) -- Russian oil company Lukoil is preparing for major drilling operations in the giant West Qurna-2 oil field in Iraq, executives said.
Psychologist: Oil Spill Worst Disaster in U.S. History
Psychologically speaking, is the oil spill disaster more like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina? Researchers suggest neither; it falls in a third category and is among the worst in U.S. history.
Purdue technology may aid in oil spills
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., June 3 (UPI) -- U.S. engineers say they've developed a membrane that can separate oil from water and which might be used to clean up oil...