Nature & Environment : Science World Report

Mar 11, 2012 02:03 PM EDT

Japan Mourns Tsunami Dead; Grapples with Aftermath

With a moment of silence, prayers and anti-nuclear rallies, Japan marked on Sunday one year since an earthquake and tsunami killed thousands and set off a radiation crisis that shattered public trust in atomic power and the nation's leaders.

Mar 09, 2012 04:34 PM EST

Mid-Atlantic Suburbs Can Expect an Early Spring Thanks to the Heat of the Big City

If you've been thinking our world is more green than frozen these days, you're right. A recent study has found that spring is indeed arriving earlier - and autumn later - in the suburbs of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The reason? The urban landscape traps heat in the summer and holds it throughout...

Mar 09, 2012 03:02 PM EST

Scientists Warn EPA on Monsanto Corn Rootworm

A group of plant scientists is warning federal regulators that action is needed to mitigate a growing problem with biotech corn that is losing its resistance to plant-damaging pests.

Mar 09, 2012 01:53 PM EST

1 Year after the Japan Tsunami, USC Engineers Help California's Ports Prepare

On the one-year anniversary of the devastating Japanese tsunami, engineers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Tsunami Research Center are working with the State of California to better understand the damaging currents caused by tsunamis.

Mar 09, 2012 11:07 AM EST

Environmentally Friendly Cleaning and Washing

Detergents are everywhere - in washing powders, dishwashing liquids, household cleaners, skin creams, shower gels, and shampoos. It is the detergent that loosens dirt and fat, makes hair-washing products foam up and allows creams to be absorbed quickly. Up until now, most detergents are manufactured...

Mar 09, 2012 09:35 AM EST

La Nina Done by End-April, Dry Spell may Plague US South

The La Nina weather pattern blamed for a devastating drought in Texas and a bad dry spell in South America should be gone by the end of April, but its impact will persist in large swathes of the southern United States which may complicate conditions for farmers planting their spring crops.

Mar 09, 2012 09:15 AM EST

Effects of Flooding on Cairo

When faced with a choice between a deluge or a controlled deluge in May 2011 that would protect the city of Cairo, Illinois, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chose the latter by ordering an intentional breach of the Mississippi River levee at Bird's Point, but was it the right decision?

Mar 08, 2012 01:42 PM EST

National Building Audit to Reset Crucial Energy Use Benchmarks

Long-delayed effort by EIA will quantify a decade of energy efficiency gains and focus decision-makers around higher standards. By Maria Gallucci, InsideClimate News The recent explosion of efficiency efforts across the country has slashed energy use in U.S. buildings, but by how much, exactly? A...

Mar 08, 2012 10:53 AM EST

Scientists Detect Seismic Signals from Tornado

An Indiana University geophysical experiment detected unusual seismic signals associated with tornadoes that struck regions across the Midwest last week -- information that may have value for meteorologists studying the atmospheric activity that precedes tornado disasters. The experiment by IU re...

Mar 07, 2012 03:19 PM EST

Nanotrees Harvest the Sun's Energy to Turn Water into Hydrogen Fuel

University of California, San Diego electrical engineers are building a forest of tiny nanowire trees in order to cleanly capture solar energy without using fossil fuels and harvest it for hydrogen fuel generation. Reporting in the journal Nanoscale, the team said nanowires, which are made from abun...

Mar 07, 2012 11:38 AM EST

Spiders on the Move in Flood-ravaged Australia

Thousands of spiders have cast eerie webs over vast areas of flood-hit Australia after being forced to seek shelter by the rising waters.

Mar 07, 2012 11:27 AM EST

Poland to Veto EU Climate Decisions Friday: Government Sources

Poland is set to veto on Friday the European Union's 2050 road-map laying out emission reduction goals beyond 2020 as well as another document detailing the bloc's stance on global climate deal negotiations, two government sources said on Wednesday.