Nature & Environment : Science World Report

May 08, 2012 08:20 AM EDT

New Research Brings Satellite Measurements and Global Climate Models Closer

One popular climate record that shows a slower atmospheric warming trend than other studies contains a data calibration problem, and when the problem is corrected the results fall in line with other records and climate models, according to a new University of Washington study.

May 08, 2012 07:12 AM EDT

70 Percent of Beaches Eroding on Hawaiian Islands Kauai, Oahu, and Maui

An assessment of coastal change over the past century has found 70 percent of beaches on the islands of Kaua'i, O'ahu, and Maui are undergoing long-term erosion, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Hawai'i (UH) report released today.

May 07, 2012 02:20 PM EDT

European Mountain Plant Population Shows Delayed Response to Climate Change

A modeling study from the European Alps suggests that population declines to be observed during the upcoming decades will probably underestimate the long-term effects of recent climate warming on mountain plants. A European team of ecologists around Stefan Dullinger from the Department of Conservati...

May 07, 2012 01:16 PM EDT

Gaseous Emissions from Dinosaurs May Have Warmed Prehistoric Earth

Sauropod dinosaurs could in principle have produced enough of the greenhouse gas methane to warm the climate many millions of years ago, at a time when the Earth was warm and wet. That's according to calculations reported in the May 8th issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

May 07, 2012 12:40 PM EDT

Climatic Effects of a Solar Minimum

An abrupt cooling in Europe together with an increase in humidity and particularly in windiness coincided with a sustained reduction in solar activity 2800 years ago. Scientists from the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ in collaboration with Swedish and Dutch colleagues provide evidence fo...

May 07, 2012 12:24 PM EDT

GPS on Commercial Ships Could Improve Tsunami Warnings

Commercial ships travel across most of the globe and could provide better warnings for potentially deadly tsunamis, according to a study published May 5 by scientists at the University of Hawaii - Manoa (UHM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

May 02, 2012 04:07 PM EDT

Dog Excrement Keeps The Lights On At Arizona Park

Students from Arizona State University have come up with a novel way to reduce waste around the local dog park and cut energy costs using a "dog waste digester" -- a device that creates poo-powered electricity.

Apr 27, 2012 11:40 AM EDT

Polluting China for the Sake of Economic Growth

China's economic growth will continue to be energy-intensive and highly polluting for the foreseeable future with emissions and efficiency far below capital growth on the agenda, according to a study published in the International Journal of Global Energy Issues.

Apr 27, 2012 09:40 AM EDT

U.S. Risks Losing Gains in Fight Against Hunger: Report

The U.S. government risks losing the gains it has made in fighting world hunger unless it maintains its effort of the last three years in improving global agricultural practices and food security, a private group said on Thursday.

Apr 27, 2012 08:16 AM EDT

Lower Food and Fuel Costs Could Result from MU Researcher's Battle against Soy Pest

Americans rarely see soybeans on their plates, but soybeans account for two-thirds of the world's animal feed and more than half the edible oil consumed in the U.S., according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Apr 27, 2012 07:57 AM EDT

Fires Blaze North of Omsk

April usually brings a sharp increase in fire activity throughout Central Asia, as farmers begin to prep their fields for the coming season. This year is no exception.

Apr 27, 2012 07:44 AM EDT

'Warming Hole' Delayed Climate Change over Eastern United States

Climate scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have discovered that particulate pollution in the late 20th century created a "warming hole" over the eastern United States-that is, a cold patch where the effects of global warming were temporarily obscured.