Earth & Environment
Earth & Environment - Dec 28, 2010 12:09 - 0 Comments
Biomass dilemma: Double crop or not?
IOWA STATE (US) — An experiment to test the benefits of double-cropping to grow more biomass for ethanol production yields mixed results. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 24, 2010 12:39 - 2 Comments
Christmas trash gets a second chance
U. WARWICK (UK) — Most plastic packaging on gifts is almost impossible to recycle. A new technique could process 100 percent of household plastics instead of the tiny fraction currently recycled. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 23, 2010 21:02 - 0 Comments
How to shop green this year and next
CARNEGIE MELLON (US) — Have you been naughty or nice when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of your holiday shopping? Here are some tips to put you at the top of Santa’s green list next year. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 23, 2010 11:07 - 0 Comments
With fewer caribou, who’ll lead the sleigh?
CORNELL (US) — Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen, and their caribou cousins might not be around much longer if global warming and industrial development in their boreal forest homes continues, says conservation scientist Jeff Wells. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 22, 2010 12:24 - 0 Comments
Ocean’s acidity jolts marine microbes
USC (US) — Increases in carbon dioxide emissions—exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities—are making sea water more acidic and will ultimately have significant impact on marine life. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 22, 2010 12:07 - 1 Comment
‘Green’ fuel from red seaweed
U. ILLINOIS (US) — Engineers have developed a strain of yeast that can make short work of fermenting galactose—and in turn make red seaweed a more viable option for biofuel. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 21, 2010 14:45 - 0 Comments
Waterways a haven for nitrous oxide
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, has increased by more than 20 percent over the last century, partially fueled by nitrogen in waterways. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 21, 2010 9:05 - 2 Comments
Polar bears’ ice not so thin after all
U. WASHINGTON (US) — The fate of polar bear may not be as grim as previously thought. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 20, 2010 14:57 - 2 Comments
Will turbines turn tides into electricity?
U. WASHINGTON-SEATTLE (US) — Two turbines, each 30 feet wide, are being deployed in Puget Sound to test the feasibility of feeding power from ocean tides into an electrical grid. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 20, 2010 11:24 - 1 Comment
Warming escalates river zinc levels
U. COLORADO (US) — Climate change affecting the timing of the annual snowmelt may be responsible for rising concentrations of zinc in the Snake River on Colorado’s Western Slope. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 19, 2010 18:34 - 0 Comments
3-D images hint to Earth’s big split
STANFORD (US) — A new method of taking very detailed 3-D images of minute samples of material under extreme pressures is helping tell the story of the biggest transformation Earth has ever undergone. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 17, 2010 13:58 - 0 Comments
Easy math: Less habitat = less diversity
U. OREGON (US) — Evolutionary diversity is more sensitive to extinction or loss of habitat than previously thought, making it all the more important that conservation efforts take into consideration how species are related. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 16, 2010 17:47 - 1 Comment
Stored CO2 may be earthquake trigger
STANFORD (US) — Storing massive amounts of carbon dioxide underground in an effort to combat global warming could potentially cause small to moderate earthquakes. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 15, 2010 11:30 - 0 Comments
Fragile forests hard hit by warming
UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Forests of the Southwestern United States face a bleak future in light of climate change, with more severe—and more frequent—forest fires, higher tree death rates, more insect infestation, and weaker trees. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 12:15 - 0 Comments
Cloud cover will keep the heat on
TEXAS A&M (US) — Cloud feedback—warming due to increases in greenhouse gases caused by human activity—is expected to be responsible for a significant portion of warming over the next century. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 12:10 - 0 Comments
From space, keep tabs on groundwater
STANFORD (US) — Researchers have found a way to use satellites to see past crops and check water systems underground for signs of overuse. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 11:04 - 0 Comments
Stealth pathogen’s secrets exposed
U. WARWICK (UK) — Scientists have sequenced the genome of the “stealth bomber” of plant pathogens, discovering how it is able to sneak past a plant’s immune defenses. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 11:04 - 0 Comments
Drowsy bees can’t dance
U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Sleep-starved honey bees perform a less precise version of the waggle dance, a movement that tells hive mates where food is located. (more…)
