Nature & Environment : Science World Report

May 16, 2012 05:49 AM EDT

EU Airline Carbon Cash Should Help Fill Climate Fund

EU nations should pledge that funds from paying for airline emissions will help poor countries deal with global warming, the bloc's climate chief said on Tuesday, after finance ministers stopped short of a firm commitment.

May 15, 2012 05:07 PM EDT

Plants Disappear as a Result of Climate Changes

Climate changes mean that species are disappearing from European mountain regions. This is shown by new research involving biologists from the University of Gothenburg, the results of which are now being publishing in the journals Nature and Science.

May 15, 2012 03:40 PM EDT

Undersea Warriors, Undersea Medicine: The Future Force

U.S. Navy divers take on dangerous tasks every day-and starting this week, they will be part of a multinational effort near Estonia to help clear the Baltic Sea of underwater mines left over from as long ago as the First and Second World Wars.

May 15, 2012 02:42 PM EDT

Oxygen-separation Membranes Could Aid in CO2 Reduction

It may seem counterintuitive, but one way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere may be to produce pure carbon dioxide in powerplants that burn fossil fuels. In this way, greenhouse gases - once isolated within a plant - could be captured and stored in natural reservoirs, deep in Earth...

May 15, 2012 01:36 PM EDT

Statistical Analysis Projects Future Temperatures in North America

For the first time, researchers have been able to combine different climate models using spatial statistics - to project future seasonal temperature changes in regions across North America.

May 15, 2012 11:47 AM EDT

When the Soil Holds Not Enough Phosphorus

Plants cannot survive without phosphorus. It forms the backbone of many crucial molecules (such as DNA) and is a key player in energy transfer reactions. Low availability of phosphorus is a major environmental stress for plants and can lead to great losses in crop production.

May 15, 2012 09:52 AM EDT

Secret Soil Cracks Linger, Despite Surface Sealing

Deep cracks in soil can remain open underground even after they have visibly sealed on the surface, a new study has found.

May 15, 2012 09:42 AM EDT

Measuring CO2 to Fight Global Warming

If the world's nations ever sign a treaty to limit emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide gas, there may be a way to help verify compliance: a new method developed by scientists from the University of Utah and Harvard.

May 15, 2012 07:43 AM EDT

During the first week of May, 2012, Mexico's PopocatÃ©petl Volcano maintained a high level of activity. Nearby seismographs recorded periods of harmonic tremor (long lasting, low frequency earthquakes that occur during some volcanic eruptions), along with occasional bursts of spasmodic tremor (sho...

May 14, 2012 04:50 PM EDT

Nearly One-tenth of Hemisphere's Mammals Unlikely to Outrun Climate Change

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere's mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won't move swiftly enough to outpace climate change.

May 14, 2012 04:29 PM EDT

The Gut Could Reveal Effect of Climate Change on Fish

As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.

May 14, 2012 03:01 PM EDT

'Lessons from Hurricane Ike' Prompts Action

As teachers go, Hurricane Ike isn't likely to win any popularity contests. But the 2008 storm, the third-costliest hurricane in U.S. history, taught severe-storm experts much about how to protect Houston and Galveston from the ravages of future storms.