Nature & Environment : Science World Report

Mar 30, 2012 10:51 AM EDT

Extreme Weather Threatens Rich Ecosystems

Extreme weather such as hurricanes, torrential downpours and droughts will become more frequent in pace with global warming. Consequently, this increases the risk for species extinction, especially in bio diverse ecosystems such as coral reefs and tropical rainforests.

Mar 30, 2012 06:57 AM EDT

Studies Show How Pesticides Make Bees Lose Their Way

Scientists have discovered ways in which even low doses of widely used pesticides can harm bumblebees and honeybees, interfering with their homing abilities and making them lose their way.

Mar 29, 2012 03:12 PM EDT

New Seismic Hazard Assessment for Central America

A new study evaluates the seismic hazards for the entire Central America, including specific assessments for six capital cities, with the greatest hazard expected for Guatemala City and San Salvador, followed by Managua and San JosÃ©, and notably lower in Tegucigalpa and PanamÃ¡ City.

Mar 29, 2012 02:46 PM EDT

Montana State Study Compares Growth Around Yellowstone, Glacier and Other National Parks

The land around Yellowstone and Glacier national parks might look like it's filling up with people and houses, but it's nothing compared to the rate of development around some other U.S. national parks, according to a new Montana State University study.

Mar 29, 2012 02:31 PM EDT

Increasing Water Scarcity in California's Bay-Delta Will Necessitate Trade-offs; 'Hard Decisions' Needed to Balance Various Environmental Risks

Simultaneously attaining a reliable water supply for California and protecting and rehabilitating its Bay-Delta ecosystem cannot be realized until better planning can identify how trade-offs between these two goals will be managed when water is limited, says a new report from the National Research C...

Mar 29, 2012 12:01 PM EDT

Plan Now for Climate-related Disasters: U.N. Report

A future on Earth of more extreme weather and rising seas will require better planning for natural disasters to save lives and limit deepening economic losses, the United Nations said on Wednesday in a major report on the effects of climate change.

Mar 29, 2012 06:44 AM EDT

Scientists Pin Down Historic Sea Level Rise

The collapse of an ice sheet in Antarctica up to 14,650 years ago might have caused sea levels to rise between 14 and 18 meters (46-60 feet), a study showed on Wednesday, data which could help make more accurate climate change predictions.

Mar 28, 2012 04:31 PM EDT

States Keep Up with Ozone Mandates

States are doing an effective job of monitoring air quality, but the federal government remains the primary player in clearing the air, according to a new study by Rice University.

Mar 28, 2012 01:41 PM EDT

NRL Scientists Optimize Arctic Sea Ice Data Products

Scientists from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Marine Geosciences Division are assisting NASA, the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and the European Space Agency (ESA) in developing more accurate monitoring and sustainable forecasting of Arctic sea ice.

Mar 28, 2012 11:02 AM EDT

Orangutans in Indonesia's Aceh Forest May Die Out in Weeks

Forest fires and land clearing by palm oil firms could kill off within weeks about 200 orangutans in a forest in western Indonesia, an environmental group said on Wednesday.

Mar 28, 2012 09:36 AM EDT

World Scientists Define United Approach to Tackling Food Insecurity

Nearly one billion people in the world are undernourished, while millions suffer from chronic disease due to excess food consumption. Global demand is growing for agricultural products and food prices are rising, yet roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Climate...

Mar 28, 2012 06:50 AM EDT

Analysis: EPA Rule a New Setback for New Coal Plants

The first-ever U.S. proposal to restrict carbon dioxide emissions would have once been a major shock to electricity companies by making it uneconomic to build new coal-fired power plants.