Earth & Environment

‘Blue holes’ may hint at life’s origins

TEXAS A&M (US) — Researchers say underwater caves may provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth—and perhaps suggest marine life on other planets. Continue…

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 12:07 - 0 Comments

Earth & Environment - Jan 31, 2012 10:47 - 2 Comments

Volcanoes likely sparked Little Ice Age

U. COLORADO-BOULDER (US) — Four massive tropical volcanic eruptions that occurred over a span of 50 years may have triggered Earth’s enigmatic Little Ice Age. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 30, 2012 13:03 - 0 Comments

American ozone depletes European wheat

U. LEEDS (UK) — Air pollution from North America causes Europe to lose 1.2 million tons of wheat a year, a new study shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 27, 2012 14:27 - 0 Comments

Harvest biofuel algae with microbubbles

U. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Thanks to microbubble technology, harvesting algae for use as a biofuel could become easier and more affordable. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 27, 2012 12:30 - 1 Comment

Restored wetlands may never recover

UC BERKELEY (US) — Even after a century of restoration efforts, some wetlands are never able to return to their original natural state. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 26, 2012 13:17 - 0 Comments

Better crops from the roots up

U. NOTTINGHAM (UK) — By altering root growth, scientists believe they are a step closer to breeding hardier crops that are more adaptable to environmental conditions and better able to fend off parasites. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 26, 2012 13:12 - 2 Comments

Lower emissions, less money, long life?

U. LEEDS (UK) — Countries with high incomes and high carbon emissions do not achieve higher life expectancies than those with moderate incomes and lower carbon emissions, a new study finds. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 24, 2012 17:16 - 3 Comments

Ocean sensors gauge pH on global scale

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A team of researchers has reported results from the broadest worldwide study of ocean acidification—or pH level—to date. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 24, 2012 12:18 - 4 Comments

Forced flood turned farmland to muck

U. ILLINOIS (US) — Deliberate flooding of the Mississippi River in May 2011 is expected to create long-lasting, if not permanent, agricultural damage to hundreds of acres of farmland, according to a new study. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 23, 2012 11:52 - 1 Comment

Amazon basin shows signs of stress

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Human land-use activity has begun to change the regional water and energy cycles of parts of the Amazon basin. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 20, 2012 11:21 - 1 Comment

Sunlight-oil mix is deadly for fish embryos

UC DAVIS (US) — In shallow water, even small oil spills can have a significant effect on marine life, according to new research that indicates common chemical analyses of oil spills may be inadequate. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 19, 2012 12:17 - 2 Comments

Climate conflict: Sea level vs. surface temp

PENN STATE (US) — Engineering our way out of global climate warming may not be as easy as simply reducing the incoming solar energy, a research team concludes. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 18, 2012 12:08 - 0 Comments

Bitter orange trees taste yucky to bugs

CORNELL (US) — Orange trees engineered to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of bugs may protect Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry from a deadly bacterial disease. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 13, 2012 12:30 - 8 Comments

High insecticide levels in dead honeybees

PURDUE (US) — Honeybee populations have been in serious decline for years, and scientists may have identified one of the factors that cause bee deaths around agricultural fields. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 12, 2012 10:45 - 0 Comments

With less hail, flood risk may rise in Rockies

U. COLORADO-BOULDER (US) — Climate changes may mean summertime hail could disappear from the eastern flank of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains by 2070, a new study shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 10, 2012 17:02 - 0 Comments

Gulf ‘swirl’ key to recovery after oil spill

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A new computer model shows how bacteria, topography, and water currents combined to remove methane and other chemicals from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 29, 2011 11:05 - 0 Comments

Worm compost keeps seedlings safe

CORNELL (US) — Worm compost is not only an ideal fertilizer, it may also prove to be an organic way to protect seeds from a pathogen that has been a scourge to farmers. (more…)