Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Distressed damsels stress coral reefs
Damselfish are killing head corals and adding stress to Caribbean coral reefs, which are already in desperately poor condition from global climate change, coral diseases, hurricanes, pollution, and overfishing. Restoring...
The great pond experiment: Pond communities bear a lasting imprint of random events in their past
A seven-year experiment shows that pond communities bear the imprint of random events in their past, such as the order in which species were introduced into the ponds. This finding...
Rich Nations Pledge $4B To Stop Deforestation
Program Aimed at Developing World to Begin Before Cancun Climate Talks Later in Year
Video: Man-Made Islands to Contain Oil Spill
Harry Smith spoke with Adm. Thad Allen about a preliminary plan to create barrier islands to prevent the Gulf oil spill from spreading.
Deeper wells reduce arsenic risk
PALO ALTO, Calif., May 28 (UPI) -- Drilling deeper water wells would reduce the risk of arsenic for tens of millions of people throughout southern Asia, scientists in California...
Oil Flow Is Stemmed, but Could Resume, Official Says
The “top kill” technique has stopped the flow of oil in the gulf, the admiral in charge of the U.S. effort said, but the challenge would be to sustain it.
In reversal, Californians turn against offshore oil drilling, Times/USC poll finds
Half of California's registered voters oppose new oil drilling off the state's coast, according to a new Los Angeles Times/USC poll.
Gulf oil spill: BP resumes 'top kill'
Company says operation pumping thick mud into ocean floor to plug oil leak could continue for two more daysBP has resumed its high-risk "top kill" operation to stem the oil and gas...
Scientists detect huge carbon 'burp' that helped end last ice age
Scientists have found the possible source of a huge carbon dioxide 'burp' that happened some 18,000 years ago and which helped to end the last ice age...
NC State to develop next generation HazMat boots
The rubber boots that emergency personnel wear when responding to situations where hazardous materials (HazMat) are present may be functional, but they're not very comfortable. New research coming out of...
A Mud That’s More Complex Than the Garden Variety
The drilling fluid being used to kill the gulf well is a dense slurry of water, clay and minerals.
Electric Ash Found in Iceland Plume Miles From Volcano
Ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was charged even over Europe—a find that's both good and bad news for air traffic, scientists say. ...
Social Networking Losing the "Cool Crowd?"
Study: Reputation-Conscious Youth Are Least Likely To Trust Social Networking Sites
Schwarzenegger appointee is removed from transportation board after voting against administration
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has removed one of his own appointees off a state transportation board -- the second board member he has dumped in nine months the day...
Estimates Suggest Spill Is Biggest in U.S. History
A federal team determined that the rate of oil gushing is at least twice what was previously acknowledged.
Oil Spill Poses Risk to Gulf Power Plants
Electricity facilities on the Gulf coast rely heavily on water and are taking steps to protect the plants should the oil come their way. ...
Stellar explosions provide the key to understanding the fate of the universe
The mysteries of the universe and how we came to be are set to be unlocked by a technique for modeling fluids, similar to one which is becoming increasingly popular...
Gulf oil spill: Leak is far greater than Exxon Valdez disaster
The blown-out BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico had been gushing at a rate of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day, spewing at least 18 million to 28...
US oil spill clean-up boats recalled after crews fall ill
All 125 commercial fishing boats helping oil recovery efforts off Louisiana's Breton Sound area have been recalled after four workers reported health problems, officials said.
Move Over, Polar Bear
A new study in this week's Nature reports that smaller mammals like gophers also face great risk as the planet warms.
Helping canola bloom on time
Scientists are helping to breed canola plants that flower at the right time to produce high yields despite drought and climate change.
Scary scenario for climate future
ANU has interviewed citizens about climate change, looking at how opinions change when considering increasingly severe scenarios.
Pharmacists' time wasted
Research from New Zealand has found that too much of pharmacists' time is spent clarifying minor prescription errors by doctors.
Int'l conference to save forests opens in Oslo
(AP) -- Last December, an international conference on climate change approved global plans prevent deforestation. But those plans have not been implemented, and now a smaller meeting of nations...
Making sense of climate science
The Science Museum's new gallery aims to deepen the understanding of those who accept man-made global warming and inform those who are unsureIf there were ever a subject that required calm and considered...
Pentagon Offers Cyber Security Proposal
Pentagon's William J. Lynn Would Extend Umbrella to Protect Utilities, Financial Services
Climate Watchdog Denies 'Hippie Agenda'
The precarious state of the economy means tougher times - and a good deal of frustration - for policymakers whose job is to advocate potentially costly action aimed...
Image: Phytoplankton Bloom in the North Atlantic
(PhysOrg.com) -- Late May 2010 brought peacock-hued swirls of blue and green to the North Atlantic. The iridescent waters formed a giant arc hundreds of kilometers across, extending from west...