Earth & Environment

Mammals may not get to cool climates in time

U. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. Continue…

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 11:44 - 2 Comments

Earth & Environment - May 14, 2012 13:45 - 3 Comments

In wine country, trout struggle to survive

UC BERKELEY (US) — The competition between farmers and fish for precious water is intensifying in California. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 14, 2012 11:08 - 0 Comments

Natural land a welcome mat for ladybugs

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Having large tracts of natural habitat around crop fields invites pest-gobbling ladybugs, which could save farmers an estimated $4.6 billion a year on insecticides. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 11, 2012 11:05 - 1 Comment

Jersey-sized ice basin at risk of collapse

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Scientists have uncovered a sub-glacial basin about the size of New Jersey under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet by using ice-penetrating radar instruments flown on aircraft. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 11, 2012 11:04 - 0 Comments

‘Map of Life’ tracks animals around the globe

U. COLORADO/YALE (US) — The “Map of Life” online database aims to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet, and is now available to the public. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 10, 2012 11:00 - 1 Comment

Poll: Less support for U.S. climate policy

STANFORD (US) — Political rhetoric and cooler-than-average weather may be the reason support for government action on global warming has dropped in the last two years, a new survey shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 8, 2012 11:47 - 0 Comments

Plants spring up sooner in warming climate

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say scientists. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 4, 2012 14:02 - 0 Comments

In the tropics, stalagmites tell climate story

CALTECH (US) — Researchers are using stalagmites to reconstruct a history of the climate in the tropics throughout the late Pleistocene era. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 3, 2012 14:53 - 0 Comments

Reborn beaches are tsunami’s silver lining

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit south central Chile in 2010 triggered a reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and a resurgence of species unseen for years along the country’s sandy beaches. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 3, 2012 12:09 - 0 Comments

‘Tough love’ for energy reform so far

STANFORD (US) — To meaningfully affect energy security or the environment, America’s approach to clean energy needs reform, according to two writers. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 3, 2012 11:07 - 1 Comment

Extinction’s toll could rival climate change

MCGILL (CAN) — Loss of biodiversity appears to affect ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution, and other major forms of environmental stress. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 30, 2012 14:48 - 0 Comments

Wind-churned plastics litter deep ocean

U. WASHINGTON (US) — By skimming only the surface, decades of research into how much plastic litters the ocean may vastly underestimate the true amount of debris in some cases, new findings show. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 30, 2012 10:41 - 0 Comments

Ice ‘fingerprints’ predict sea level rise

U. TORONTO (CAN) — Geophysicists have found a way to identify the sea level fingerprint left by a particular ice sheet—allowing better estimates of its impact on global sea level. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 27, 2012 9:50 - 0 Comments

Invasive plants boast autumn advantage

SYRACUSE U. (US) — Invasive plants have a critical advantage—their leaves continue to function in the fall, long after their native cousins have hunkered down for the winter. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 25, 2012 11:51 - 1 Comment

In Hawaii, 40-square-miles and many tough choices

STANFORD (US) — After a two-year effort, researchers and Hawaii’s largest landholder have mapped the ecological future of a large chunk of Oahu. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 24, 2012 9:51 - 2 Comments

Corn cost rising, unless crop heads north

STANFORD/PURDUE (US) — Within 30 years, the U.S. corn belt could be forced to move to the Canadian border to escape devastating heat waves brought on by rising global temperatures. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 23, 2012 10:52 - 1 Comment

No protocol ready for Deepwater oil spill

UC SANTA BARBARA / UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Scientists have created the first complete conceptual model for understanding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and any similar disasters in the future. (more…)