Southern China Aims To Announce Air Quality Data Daily
September 30 — Authorities aim to announce daily air quality data on southern mainland China -- a major source of air pollution in Hong Kong -- by the end of the year, Hong Kong's leader said. (Associated Press)

Study: Sun's Changes to Blame for Part of Global Warming
September 30 — Increased output from the Sun might be to blame for 10 to 30 percent of global warming that has been measured in the past 20 years, according to a new report. (LiveScience.com)

Global Sea Levels Could Rise 30 Centimeters by 2100
September 30 — World sea levels could rise 30 centimeters (12 inches) by the end of the century and freak weather will become more common due to rapid global warming, according to a new study by a German research institute. (Reuters)

Hundreds Flee Wildfire in Los Angeles Suburbs
September 30 — More than 3,000 firefighters were battling a wildfire ripping through a 6,800-hectare (17,000-acre) swath of suburban Los Angeles, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. (AFP)

Evacuated Return Home in Vietnam; Typhoon Toll Rises to 63
September 30 — Vietnam's death toll from Typhoon Damrey rose to 63 as many of the 300,000 people evacuated ahead of the storm trickled back to their devastated villages across the country's north. (AFP)

Hawaii Creates State Marine Refuge
September 30 — Hawaii has banned fishing around the tiny islands and atolls of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles. (Associated Press)

Spain Grapples with Drought after Record Dry Spell
September 30 — Spain is grappling with how to deal with a record dry spell as the hydrologic year comes to an end after 12 months which have seen less rain fall than for more than a century. (AFP)

Researchers Say Increasing Oxygen Helped Mammals Grow and Spread
September 29 — Mammals, once tiny creatures scampering on the forest floor, grew larger as the amount of oxygen in the air increased over millions of years, a new study says. (Associated Press)

Feds Drop Boreal Toad from Protected List
September 29 — A toad that environmentalists say is being killed off by an invasive fungus that may have originated in Africa is no longer a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced. (Associated Press)

House Backs Changes in Endangered Species Act
September 29 — In a bid to reshape decades of U.S. environmental policy, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to overhaul the Endangered Species Act and make it harder to shield the habitat of plants and animals threatened with extinction. (Reuters)

Scientists Rush to Identify New Species in Melting Arctic
September 29 — The Arctic Circle is experiencing its warmest summer on record and as more sea ice vanishes, scientists are racing to discover new species -- which teem in the unknown world just below the ice -- before they are gone forever. (ABC)

Oceans Becoming More Acidic: Scientists
September 29 — Scientists are warning that the world's oceans are becoming more acidic as they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Geologists Report Quake Cluster in Idaho
September 28 — A cluster of earthquakes south of Cascade, Idaho, has been shaking items off shelves and jolting residents out of their sleep for nearly a week. (Associated Press)

Forecasts Say Major Hurricane Likely in October
September 28 — Meteorologists examining the conditions that spawned hurricanes Rita and Katrina say there is a strong likelihood that another intense hurricane will occur in October. (Los Angeles Times)

Steps to Limit Global-Warming Gas
September 28 — Capturing and storing the carbon dioxide generated by power plants and factories could play an important role in limiting global warming caused by humans, says an international climate research group associated with the United Nations. (The New York Times)

Climate Change Transforming Alaska's Landscape
September 28 — Lakes and wetlands in the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska are drying at a significant rate, and the shift seems to be driven by climate change. (Science Daily)

NASA Satellites Show Arctic Sea Ice Melting Faster as Temperatures Climb
September 28 — New satellite observations show sea ice in the Arctic is melting faster, while air temperatures in the region are rising sharply, scientists said. (Associated Press)

Sea Shells' Beauty and Peril
September 28 — Detailed studies of sea shells reveal a structure more sophisticated than any marine biologist had imagined, but increasing carbon dioxide concentrations may threaten their existence. (USA Today)

Gorillas Observed Using Simple Tools
September 28 — For the first time, biologists have documented gorillas in the wild using simple tools, such as poking a stick in a swampy pool of water to check its depth. (Associated Press)

Scientists Capture Giant Squid in Photos
September 28 — The giant squid can be found in books and in myths, but for the first time a team of Japanese scientists has captured on film one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep sea in its natural habitat. (Associated Press)

Sea Turtles Get Post-Rita Send-Off in Keys
September 27 — Officials released 81 endangered, infant green sea turtles off the Florida Keys. (Associated Press)

Rita May Worsen Red Tide in South Texas
September 27 — Rita's path left South Texas hot and dry -- conditions ideal for one of the worst red tides -- and swells from the storm have created fears that the toxic algae could spread. (Associated Press)

Gulf Currents that Turn Storms into Monsters
September 27 — An atmospheric scientist who has spent decades studying how hurricanes reach their peak strength said he became worried when he saw that Hurricane Katrina's track in the Gulf of Mexico would carry it right over an oceanographic phenomenon known as the Loop Current, a region of very warm waters. (The New York Times)

No One Can Say If Warming Caused Katrina, Rita
September 27 — Scientists say it's not easy to tell if global warming caused hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but they forecast more unpredictable weather as the Earth warms. (Reuters)

Effect of Greenhouse Gases Increases 20 Percent Since 1990
September 27 — The effect of greenhouse gases on the Earth's atmosphere has increased 20 percent since 1990, a new government index says. (Associated Press)

Flooding in Mexico, Central America Kills Three
September 27 — Intense rains throughout southern Mexico and parts of Central America have caused rivers to overflow, killing at least three people and forcing thousands to flee their homes, officials said. (Associated Press)

'Milky Seas' Detected from Space
September 27 — Mariners over the centuries have reported surreal, nocturnal displays of glowing sea surfaces and now the first satellite detection of this strange phenomenon, believed to be bacteria-driven, may aid future research. (BBC)

Smallest Creatures in Ocean Hold Valuable Secrets
September 27 — Ocean microbes provide the planet with oxygen and help combat global warming, but researchers say not enough is known about their role in Earth's atmospheric health. (Reuters)

Caribbean Corals Hit by Warm, Storm-Spawning Seas
September 26 — Corals in the Caribbean are being damaged by the same warm seas that have fueled Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the WWF conservation group said. (Reuters)

Ice Explorer Readies for Launch
September 26 — Europe's CryoSat spacecraft is about to launch on a three-year mission to study the Earth's ice caps. (BBC)

Four Injured by Tornadoes Spawned by Rita
September 26 — A tornado spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Rita ripped through Mississippi State University's campus, injuring four people at a nearby mobile home park and forcing the cancellation of some classes. (Associated Press)

Rita Landfall Spot Reduces Loss of Life
September 25 — Hurricane Rita weakened slightly and made landfall in a tiny, evacuated shrimping village surrounded by marsh and a wildlife refuge, perhaps the best place to avoid deaths and economic damage. (Associated Press)

New Orleans May Be Pumped Dry Again Soon
September 25 — Areas of the city newly flooded by Hurricane Rita could be pumped dry again within a week after levee damage is repaired, far sooner than initially predicted, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman said. (Associated Press)

Powerful Typhoon Damrey Hits Southern China
September 25 — Typhoon Damrey, the strongest in three decades with wind speeds of near 115 mph, hit southern China, state media reported. (AFP)

Typhoon Saola Brings Heavy Rain, Strong Winds to Japan
September 25 — A strong typhoon brought heavy rain and strong winds to Japan as it passed near Tokyo, the meteorology agency said. (AFP)

Tsunami Actually Aided Crops in Indonesia
September 25 — Rice, vegetables, peanuts and fruit are all thriving on tsunami-affected land in Indonesia's Aceh province, which suffered the worst damage and loss of life in the December 26 disaster. (Associated Press)

Early Snowmelts Heating Alaska Arctic
September 25 — Spring snowmelt in Alaska's Arctic is occurring progressively earlier, accelerating the region's climate change and helping produce its warmest summers in at least 400 years, according to a new study. (Reuters)

Secrets of Largest Fish Revealed
September 24 — High-tech electronic tags on the whale shark, the world's largest fish, have revealed how and where they find food. (BBC)

Flood Alert as Monsoon Rains Kill 15 in Western India
September 24 — India's western state of Gujarat was on flood alert after two days of lashing monsoon rains that killed at least 15 people, officials said. (AFP)

South Atlantic Hurricane Rings Climate Alarm Bells
September 24 — UK meteorologists say that Hurricane Catarina which hit Brazil in March 2004 - the first and only hurricane ever recorded in the South Atlantic - may have been caused by global warming. (New Scientist)

Hurricane Rita Affecting Bird Migration
September 23 — For millennia, fall's Gulf of Mexico hurricanes have butted gale-force winds against the southbound journeys of migrating birds, but somehow the birds have been able to sense storm paths and survive. (Associated Press)

Poor New Orleans Neighborhood Floods Again
September 23 — Hurricane Rita's steady rains sent water pouring through breaches in a patched levee, cascading into one of the city's lowest-lying neighborhoods in a devastating repeat of New Orleans' flooding nightmare. (Associated Press)

Scientists Dispute Hurricane Blaster Idea
September 23 — Atmospheric scientists say it is wishful thinking that we could destroy or even influence something as huge and powerful as a hurricane, and they have abandoned such a quest years ago, after more than two decades of inconclusive government-sponsored research. (Associated Press)

More Scientists Say Global Warming Causes Stronger Hurricanes
September 23 — Three new reports authored by prominent scientists published in the journals Nature and Science bolster the theory that global warming is causing stronger hurricanes, with substantial evidence to show that category 4 and 5 storms are becoming more common. (ABC News)

Huge Bolivian Amazon Fire under Control
September 23 — A massive fire in the Amazon forests of northern Bolivia, fed by drought and high winds, was brought under control, officials said. (AFP)

Rare Bird Species Back from Brink
September 22 — The numbers of stone curlews had declined dramatically since the end of World War II largely because of modern farming techniques, but an alliance of farmers and landowners has managed to save the bird from possible extinction. (BBC)

Rita May Cause Tens of Billions in Damage
September 22 — Hurricane Rita has the potential to flood an area almost twice the size of New Orleans when it reaches shore in a couple days, causing tens of billions of dollars in damage to the Houston metropolitan area. (Associated Press)

Spy Imagery Agency Prepares to Record Rita
September 22 — Peering from space using the government's most covert satellites, a little-known spy agency is turning its cameras toward Hurricane Rita and the destruction it is expected to inflict on the Gulf Coast. (Associated Press)

New Hurricane Model Gets Workout
September 22 — The Advanced Research Weather research and forecasting model being developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research is using data from ocean buoys, weather satellites, aircraft and other sources to make daily predictions about Hurricane Rita. (Discovery.com)

Names for Storms, Hurricanes Running Out
September 22 — Before this year is out, TV forecasters and coastal residents may have to break out their Greek dictionaries if the Atlantic hurricane season keeps up its frantic pace. (Associated Press)

Climate Change Hurts Africa Most: Scientists
September 22 — Africa contributes least to global climate change, but is bearing the brunt of the phenomenon that is expected to exacerbate food shortages in the long term, scientists warned. (Reuters)

Report Says Global Warming Could Spark Conflict
September 22 — Rising world temperatures could cause a significant increase in disease across Asia and Pacific Island nations, leading to conflict and leaving hundreds of millions of people displaced, a new report says. (Reuters)

NASA Technology Monitors Wildlife Habitats from the Air
September 22 — Using NASA technology, scientists have been able to identify habitats to help forest managers monitor and protect two rare species, California spotted owls in the Sierra Nevada and the Delmarva fox squirrel in the mid-Atlantic U.S. (Science Daily)

Magnitude 4.7 Quake Rocks California, No Damage Reported
September 22 — An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale shook central California, seismologists said, jangling nerves but generating no immediate reports of damage or injuries. (AFP)

Research Indicates Health Effects of Air Pollution Are Underestimated
September 21 — A 20-year study of residents of Los Angeles indicates that air pollution may be especially harmful as researchers find that the contribution of particulate matter to chronic health problems may be as much as three times greater than current estimates. (Scientific American)

European Union Tackles Air Pollution in Multi-Billion Euro Plan
September 21 — Wide-ranging proposals to clean up Europe's polluted air won approval from the European Commission after a debate over the package's multi-billion euro price tag threatened to sink it. (Reuters)

Heat Wave Makes Plants Warm Planet
September 21 — A new study shows that during the 2003 heat wave, European plants produced more carbon dioxide than they absorbed from the atmosphere. (BBC)

Indian Ruins Show Signs of Ancient Tsunami
September 21 — The ruins of an ancient temple built by a long-vanished kingdom in southern India are being excavated by archaeologists who say the Hindu sanctum may have been destroyed by a tsunami. (Associated Press)

More than 1,000 Missing after South Asian Storm
September 21 — At least 800 people remained missing in southern India and hundreds of fishermen were unaccounted for in Bangladesh after a severe storm in the Bay of Bengal killed 50 people, officials said. (Reuters)

Rita Unleashes Category 5 Fury Over Gulf
September 21 — Gaining strength with frightening speed, Hurricane Rita swirled toward the Gulf Coast as a Category 5, 175-mph monster as more than 1.3 million people in Texas and Louisiana were sent packing. (Associated Press)

Some Atlantic Fish Stocks Facing Extinction: Report
September 20 — Threatened fish that are supposed to be protected by international fishing bans are still being caught by foreign and Canadian fishermen who claim the catches from the Grand Banks are unintentional, says a new study. (Globe and Mail, Toronto)

Judge Orders Study on California Frog
September 20 — A federal judge has ordered officials to study whether 66 common agricultural pesticides are harming a red-legged frog. (Associated Press)

Bury Climate-Warming Gas, Scientists Say
September 20 — Deep underground storage of carbon dioxide could prevent between 20 and 40 percent of global emissions between now and 2050, according to a report by UN scientists. (AFP)

Hurricane Expert Sees Storms Increasing
September 20 — Expect more hurricanes, large and small, in the next 10 to 20 years, the director of the federal National Hurricane Center says. (Associated Press)

Experts: New Orleans Safe to Resettle Soon
September 20 — Tests for hazardous chemical contamination in the water and flood sediment are part of the larger question of what the long-term environmental impact of Hurricane Katrina will have in Louisiana, but early results are promising. (Associated Press)

Katrina, Drought to Cost U.S. Farmers Billions
September 20 — U.S. farmers face losses of more than two billion dollars from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and a prolonged drought, the government said. (AFP)

NASA Cooperative Airborne Laser Mapping Studies Katrina Damage
September 20 — Through a cooperative research program, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are exploring the use of innovative airborne laser mapping systems to quantify coastal change along the entire coastline affected by Hurricane Katrina. (Space Daily)

Rita Strengthens into Category 2 Hurricane
September 20 — Rita strengthened rapidly to a Category 2 hurricane as it lashed the Florida Keys with flooding rain and strong wind and sparked fears the storm could eventually bring new misery to the Gulf Coast. (Associated Press)

Wildfires Flare Again in Portugal, Villages Evacuated
September 18 — Hundreds of firefighters battled five forest fires in central and northern Portugal that burnt several houses, prompted the evacuation of two villages, and closed roads. (AFP)

Biologists Encouraged by Ferrets' Progress
September 17 — Wildlife biologists believe that black-footed ferrets released into the wilds of Colorado are thriving and breeding as the state tries to build a self-sustaining population of the mammal considered to be the rarest in North America. (Associated Press)

An Uncertain Future for San Joaquin River
September 17 — Today maps still show the San Joaquin River meandering to the Pacific via San Francisco Bay, but its waters, trapped behind dams, disappear into California's intricate plumbing system- channels that most maps don't show. (Associated Press)

44 Oil Spills Found in Southeast Louisiana
September 17 — More than 500 specialists are working to clean up 44 oil spills ranging from several hundred gallons to nearly 4 million gallons, the U.S. Coast Guard said in an assessment that goes far beyond initial reports of just two significant spills. (MSNBC)

Judge Dismisses States' Global Warming Suit
September 16 — A New York federal judge dismissed a global warming lawsuit brought by eight states and the city of New York against five utilities, saying the issue is one for Congress or the president, not the judiciary. (Reuters)

Bird Sings Complex Harmonies
September 16 — Possibly the most complex vocalizing by any creature aside from humans has been heard by scientists standing in an Ecuadorian bamboo forest listening to plain-tailed wrens; the sheer number of singers and their impressive synchronicity puts the birds at the top of the world pops, according to a recent study. (Discovery.com)

Sun Activity Produces Impressive Auroras
September 16 — A huge sunspot has been blasting Earth with magnetic clouds for weeks, producing some of the most vibrant and visible summertime auroras in years, according to NASA scientists. (Associated Press)

UN: Ozone Hole May Shrink in 2005
September 16 — The hole in the ozone layer this year will probably be slightly smaller than the all-time largest of 2003, signaling that depletion is still occurring but possibly at a slower rate, a U.N. agency says. (Associated Press)

Monsoon-end Torrent Hits North India, Chaos in New Delhi
September 16 — The Indian capital was thrown into chaos as lashing rains deluged the city of 14 million and adjoining states, snarling traffic, disrupting flights, and uprooting trees, officials say. (AFP)

Study: More Hurricanes in Strongest Classes
September 16 — The number of hurricanes in the most powerful categories, like Katrina and Andrew, has increased sharply over the past few decades, according to a new analysis sure to stir debate over whether global warming is worsening these deadly storms. (Associated Press)

Federal Forecasters Got Hurricane Right
September 16 — For all the criticism of the federal government's confused response to Hurricane Katrina, at least two federal agencies got it right: the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center. (Associated Press)

Fish Used to Assess Environmental Damage
September 16 — Scientists harvested fish off the Mississippi coast as part of efforts to assess environmental damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina's storm surge and toxic floodwaters. (Associated Press)

Oil Spills along Mississippi River Contained: Coast Guard
September 16 — All the oil spilled in six major Louisiana incidents after Hurricane Katrina has been contained and almost none of it flowed directly into the Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard says. (Reuters)

Ophelia Gentler on Hurricane-battered U.S. than Katrina
September 16 — Ophelia, the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina, was downgraded to a tropical storm after drenching the southeastern coast of North Carolina, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes but claiming no victims. (AFP)

Draining of New Orleans Flood Waters Expected by October 2
September 15 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pumping floodwaters out of New Orleans at a faster pace than anticipated and should finish draining the city by October 2, the head of the corps said. (AFP)

Katrina Called Most Destructive U.S. Storm
September 15 — Hurricane Katrina has become the most destructive such storm ever to strike the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. (Associated Press)

Engineers Say a Key Levee Won't Be Repaired for Months
September 15 — Hurricane Katrina washed away a 17-foot-tall earthen levee that had protected St. Bernard Parish, east of New Orleans, from the waters of a shipping canal, and the Army Corps of Engineers says that the ravaged parish would be left defenseless against even small storms at least until early next year. (The New York Times)

Katrina Lays Bare Superfund Woes
September 15 — The receding floodwaters in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are exposing hazardous chemicals and other dangerous waste, but they're also revealing the accomplishments - and the limits - of government programs designed to clean up such pollution. (Christian Science Monitor)

Katrina Forces California to Gauge Flood Risks
September 15 — Residents of neighborhoods below the banks of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries are taking a hard new look at the aging flood protection system, wondering whether the 6,000 miles of levees in northern and central California can survive a major earthquake, a prolonged winter storm or an unusually warm spring. (Associated Press)

Major Quake Could Be Worse than Katrina
September 15 — As many as 18,000 people dead, more than $250 billion in damages, hundreds of thousands of people left homeless: that's not the latest estimate of Hurricane Katrina's toll on the Gulf Coast but a worst-case scenario if a major earthquake were to hit Los Angeles, say researchers. (Associated Press)

Models Indicate Pacific Coast Quake More Likely
September 15 — Computer modeling shows that an earthquake off the coast of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia could be more likely than scientists first thought, but they believe the risk still remains small. (Associated Press)

Haze Makes a Comeback to Two Malaysian Coastal Towns
September 15 — Smoke from forest fires on Indonesia's Sumatra Island hit two coastal towns in Malaysia and turned the air quality "unhealthy". (AFP)

Scientist: Global Warming Options Exist
September 15 — Global warming poses a threat to the Earth, but humans can probably ease the climate threats brought on by rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, global climate specialist Richard Alley told an audience at the University of Vermont. (Associated Press)

Experts Probe Tree Deaths in Arizona
September 15 — Scientists and environmentalists are investigating the deaths of hundreds of cottonwood, willow, and other trees along the Upper Santa Cruz River north of Nogales. (Associated Press)

States Sue U.S. Over Tree-Eating Beetles
September 15 — Four states sued the Bush administration over an invasive, tree-eating beetle that has entered the U.S. as a stowaway on cargo ships. (Associated Press)

Zimbabwe to Import Endangered Tigers
September 15 — Zimbabwe plans to import four endangered Siberian tigers from China for the country's national park, a project condemned by wildlife experts as potentially cruel and dangerous. (Associated Press)

NASA Weather Satellites to Study Clouds
September 15 — NASA is poised to launch two weather satellites next month to study the structure of clouds and learn more about how they affect weather and climate change. (Associated Press)

Satellites Spot Mighty Mississippi - in the Atlantic
September 15 — Scientists using satellite imagery found that at least 23 percent of the water released from the mouth of the Mississippi River from July through September 2004 traveled quite a distance: into the Gulf of Mexico, around the Florida Keys, and into the Atlantic Ocean. (Science Daily)

Centuries of Stress Caused Biggest Quake
September 14 — Nearly four centuries of pent-up stress and energy were brewing under the surface before the biggest ever recorded earthquake rocked Chile in 1960, scientists say. (Reuters)

Hawaii Telescopes Record Cosmic Explosion
September 14 — Telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii recorded the most distant cosmic explosion ever seen, probably caused by the collapse of a massive dying star, according to University of Hawaii astronomers. (Associated Press)

Bison Numbers Swell at Yellowstone
September 14 — The Yellowstone National Park bison population has reached an estimated 4,900 animals, hundreds more than last winter and the highest level documented, a park spokeswoman says. (Associated Press)

Exposed to a Flood of Filth, Homes Must be Bulldozed
September 14 — The putrid floodwaters left by Hurricane Katrina are so bad that Louisiana's top environmental official warned that many houses will have to be bulldozed because of contamination. (USA Today)

Tropical Deforestation Affects Rainfall in the U.S. and Around the Globe
September 13 — A new NASA-funded study suggests large-scale deforestation in tropical regions affects rainfall patterns over a considerable region. (Science Daily)

NASA Satellite Data Used by INPE Provides Rapid Analysis of Amazon
September 13 — Researchers say data from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites can allow researchers to rapidly and reliably detect changes in Amazon land cover, a clear advantage over traditional satellite data. (Science Daily)

Portugal to Build World's Largest Solar Power Station
September 13 — Portugal, one of the most oil-dependent nations in Europe, will begin work on the world's biggest solar energy power station next year, officials say. (AFP)

Red Tide Blamed for Fish Kills in Florida
September 13 — A tenacious red tide bloom that has lingered in the Gulf of Mexico off Tampa Bay all year now is being blamed for recent fish kills 100 miles off southwest Florida, state biologists say. (Associated Press)

Wasteland Revealed as New Orleans Floods Seep Away
September 13 — Flood waters receded swiftly in storm-stricken New Orleans, revealing a shattered landscape of ruined homes, wrecked cars, and a thick foul-smelling sludge. (AFP)

Katrina: Environmental Experts Worried about Pollution in Gulf of Mexico
September 13 — Environmental scientists painted a grim picture of the impact of Hurricane Katrina, fearing chemical pollution from devastated sites could contaminate groundwater, fisheries, and seafood. (AFP)

How Did Modest Katrina Morph into Monster?
September 13 — Well before Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast of the United States, it was clear to storm experts who studied satellite photos and other data that powerful forces of nature, and possibly human influences on the Earth's environment, would create a weather milestone of devastating fury. (Houston Chronicle)

Dartmouth Flood Observatory Tracks the Aftermath of Katrina
September 13 — Researchers with the Dartmouth Flood Observatory at Dartmouth College have been working with state and federal officials to help map and analyze the flooding that has occurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina. (Science Daily)

Ophelia Strengthens into Hurricane off U.S. Coast
September 13 — Thousands of people fled their homes in North Carolina's barrier islands as tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane again and wobbled toward the southeast U.S. coast. (Reuters)

Meteor Dust May Affect the Weather, Study Says
September 13 — A team of researchers and a million-to-one observance suggests that when meteors vaporize in our atmosphere, they leave behind much more debris than scientists previously thought. (National Geographic News)

Experts Warn Salvadoran Volcano May Erupt
September 13 — Officials said they are stepping up emergency preparations after a study by experts indicated that the rumbling Ilamatepec volcano is likely to erupt soon. (Associated Press)

Stone Salamanders Preserve Climate Record
September 13 — Specimens from the past 3,000 years suggest that salamanders have grown bigger as the climate has warmed and may continue to change as temperatures rise and lakes dry up. (Nature)

Satellites Enlisted in Search for New Species
September 13 — Conservation biologists have recruited sophisticated satellites to help discover and protect unknown species before they disappear. (National Geographic News)

Alaska Scientists: Volcano Harmed Salmon
September 12 — An overflow of volcanic ash, rocks, water, and ice from Mount Chiginagak was the cause for a puzzling absence of fish in King Salmon River this season, scientists said. (Associated Press)

Typhoon Khanun Leaves Trail of Destruction
September 12 — At least 14 people were killed in China as Typhoon Khanun ground its way inland, causing widespread damage and forcing the evacuation of more than a million people in coastal areas. (AFP)

Hong Kong Issues Health Alert on Air Pollution
September 12 — Hong Kong issued a health warning as air pollution reached high levels, with the city cloaked in dense smog. (AFP)

Scientists Study How to Clean Salty Water
September 12 — Scientists from Sandia National Laboratories have started a study to investigate how to best clean salty water to make drinking water. (Science Daily)

Group: Hippos Face Extinction in Congo
September 12 — Only 887 hippos are left in the Congo, once home to the world's largest population of the water-loving mammal, and they soon will be extinct in the African country, an international environmental group warned. (Associated Press)

Bald Eagle Tests Positive for Mercury
September 12 — An ailing bald eagle found by an Indiana farmer tested positive for mercury poisoning, but state wildlife officials say it's unclear if the bird was poisoned by eating tainted fish it caught in area waterways. (Associated Press)

South Dakota Scientists Document Land-Use Changes
September 12 — Scientists from the EROS Data Center are leading a project to document changing landscapes in South Dakota and elsewhere by matching three decades of satellite images with what is happening on the ground. (Associated Press)

Survey: More Sea Squirts on Georges Bank
September 12 — Sea squirts have been found on 88 square miles of the ocean floor on Georges Bank, but the colonies were not as thick as a year ago when they threatened to smother portions of the ocean floor, researchers say. (Associated Press)

Hurricane Ophelia Taunts Coastal Carolinas
September 11 — Hurricane Ophelia sat nearly stationary off the coast of the Carolinas, taunting coastal residents made wary by the destruction that Katrina caused along the Gulf Coast. (Associated Press)

More than One Million Evacuated as Typhoon Khanun Slams into East China
September 11 — More than a million people were evacuated from their homes in China's eastern province of Zhejiang as Typhoon Khanun hit the region, state media reported. (AFP)

Captive Breeding Seen as Lifeline for Amphibians
September 11 — Amphibian experts are likely to urge captive breeding to slow a catastrophic rate of extinctions threatening a third of all species of frogs and salamanders, a leading scientist said. (Reuters)

Haze Returns to Haunt Malaysian Coastal Town
September 11 — Smoke haze from forest and ground fires in Indonesia's Sumatra Island has spread to a coastal town in neighboring Malaysia. (AFP)

North Carolina to Study Global Warming
September 11 — North Carolina is gearing up to study the effects of global warming on the state, and lawmakers have given final approval to a bill creating a commission on global climate change. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Sun's String of Fury Continues as 7th Major Flare Erupts
September 10 — An ongoing series of seven major solar flares, including two today, could disrupt communications on Earth and generate colorful sky shows for people at high northern latitudes for the next several days. (LiveScience.com)

Retreating Glaciers Worrying Greenlanders
September 10 — The gargantuan chunks of ice breaking off the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier and thundering into Arctic waters make a spectacular sight - but to Greenlanders it is also deeply worrisome. (Associated Press)

Hundreds Evacuated as Heavy Rains Lash India's Mumbai
September 10 — Hundreds of people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Mumbai after a spell of heavy rains caused light flooding in some districts. (AFP)

Papua New Guinea Still Unsure of Quake's Impact
September 10 — Efforts to assess the impact of an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter Scale deep under the sea in a remote region of Papua New Guinea were hindered by a lack of communication with local villages, emergency officials said. (Reuters)

Earthquake in California Could Be More Devastating than Katrina
September 10 — Four years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) detailed some of the worst natural disasters that could befall the United States, including a major earthquake in California. (AFP)

Ophelia Strengthens, May Hit Southeast
September 10 — A hurricane watch was posted for the Southeast coast as Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane once again and meteorologists said its meandering course could take a sharp turn toward land. (Associated Press)

World Seen Winning Battle of Water Scarcity
September 9 — The world is gradually winning its battle to overcome drinking water shortages through better resource management, an international conference on rivers held in Australia this week heard. (Reuters)

Hawaii Scientists to Study Tsunami Warning
September 9 — University of Hawaii scientists want to study how local residents and authorities would respond to the state's tsunami siren warning system in the event a killer wave was approaching the islands. (Associated Press)

Mexico Beats Deadline, Stops Using CFCs
September 9 — Mexico has stopped producing ozone-depleting chemicals four years before a deadline set by an international agreement, the environment secretary announced. (Associated Press)

Scientists Measure Pesticide Runoff from Golf Courses
September 9 — A government study that measures fertilizer and pesticide runoffs on golf courses could lead to better management of chemicals in other grassy areas such as parks and cemeteries. (LiveScience.com)

Japan Begins Hunt for 60 Whales
September 9 — Japanese whaling ships returned to port with the first three of 60 whales they plan to catch along the nation's northern coast as they began the season's research program that opponents criticize as commercial whaling. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Behind Prehistoric Die-Off
September 9 — Global warming triggered the worst mass extinction in the Earth's history some 250 million years ago, according to a computer model of the climate during the great prehistoric die-off. (Discovery.com)

Katrina Weakened, But Didn't Wipe Out, Invasive Rodents
September 9 — Hurricane Katrina's path of destruction dealt at least a temporary setback to the nutria, the South American rodent species that is devouring wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico, according to experts. (National Geographic News)

Expert: Confusion Hurt Katrina Response
September 9 — Experts accurately predicted the landfall and intensity of Hurricane Katrina, but "confusion" and "misinterpretation" of data may have hampered response efforts, suggested one of the world's leading storm forecasters. (Discovery.com)

Katrina Rings Alarms on Climate Change
September 9 — Hurricane Katrina may serve as a wake-up call on climate change for developing nations, many of which are vulnerable to devastation from global warming, the World Bank's top environmental official says. (Reuters)

New Orleans' Toxic Tide
September 8 — As engineers began pumping out the Big Easy this week, creating small but visible wakes of water behind street signs and tree trunks, the water they're moving carries a volatile mix of everything imaginable - from household paints, deodorants, and old car batteries to railroad tank cars, sewage treatment plants, and landfills. (Christian Science Monitor)

NASA Scans Hurricane Damage to Shuttle Ops
September 8 — With two space shuttle facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina and hundreds of workers left homeless, NASA is reassessing the prospects of launching another mission next year. (Associated Press)

Scientists Expect Major Environmental Damage
September 8 — Biologists expect to find major destruction when they take their first close-up look at Hurricane Katrina's impact on wildlife habitats and Louisiana's vital fishing industry, the state's top conservation official says. (Reuters)

Coastal Erosion Has Made Louisiana Vulnerable to Hurricanes
September 8 — Human activity has led to coastal erosion and receding wetlands in Louisiana, depriving the southern U.S. state of its natural storm barrier, said experts who had been warning that a catastrophic like Hurricane Katrina was lurking just around the corner. (AFP)

Tropical Storm Becomes Hurricane off Florida
September 8 — Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane as it stalled 70 miles off the northeast Florida coast, churning waves that caused beach erosion and drenching. (Associated Press)

32 Dead or Missing as Typhoon Completes Zigzag over Japan
September 8 — Powerful typhoon Nabi left Japan and dissipated after criss-crossing the country in a path of destruction that left 32 dead or missing in Japan and South Korea and flooded nearly 10,000 homes. (AFP)

Alberta Industry, Environmentalists to Discuss Fate of Threatened Caribou
September 8 — Industry and environmental groups are trying to put aside their differences to find a way to save Alberta's threatened woodland caribou from booming energy and forestry development. (Canadian Press)

Environmentalists Sue to Save Woodpecker
September 8 — Environmentalists who fear a plan to divert water to eastern Arkansas farms will harm the habitat of the recently rediscovered ivory-billed woodpecker filed a federal lawsuit. (Associated Press)

Pensacola Opposes Contaminated Soil Plan
September 8 — The Pensacola, Florida city council has voted unanimously to oppose the federal government's plan to leave mounds of contaminated soil untreated at a former wood treating plant. (Associated Press)

Study Finds British Soil Losing Carbon
September 8 — Rising temperatures resulting from climate change are likely causing soil in England and Wales to lose large amounts of carbon, possibly further contributing to the greenhouse gas effect, according to a new British study which suggests the same trend could be affecting other countries. (Associated Press)

Vegetation Growth May Quickly Raise Arctic Temperatures
September 8 — Warming in the Arctic is stimulating the growth of vegetation and could affect the delicate energy balance there, causing an additional climate warming of several degrees over the next few decades. (Science Daily)

Global Warming Could Hit India Agriculture: Study
September 8 — Global warming will push temperatures in India up by 3-4 degrees Celsius (5-7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the turn of the century, hitting agriculture and infrastructure, a joint India-UK study said. (Reuters)

European Union Lawmakers Cite Disasters in Push on Climate Change
September 8 — European Union lawmakers called for "ambitious world action" to halt climate change, lamenting the growing number of natural disasters fueled by changes in the earth's atmosphere. (AFP)

Wheat Fungus May Pose Global Threat: Report
September 8 — A resilient new strain of wheat fungus from east Africa is threatening to spread to the Middle East, Asia and the Americas and bring catastrophic crop damage, scientists say. (Reuters)

Tainted Loons at Heart of EPA Battle
September 8 — The scruffy loon chick let out an unpracticed version of the water bird's famed call as researchers tested it for mercury from its native northern New England, home to one of America's highest known concentrations of the dangerous toxin. (Reuters)

Report: Kentucky 8th in Mercury Plant Emissions
September 8 — Kentucky ranked eighth nationally in mercury emissions from power plants that fouled waterways, an environmental group says. (Associated Press)

Canary Islands Fire Destroys 1,300 Hectares of Forest
September 8 — A huge forest fire which has raged for two days has destroyed about 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of woodland on the tourist island of La Palmas in the Canaries. (AFP)

Three Quakes Hit Alps, Woman Injured in Mudslide
September 8 — A woman mountain climber was injured in a landslip as an earthquake struck eastern France, one of three to shake the northern Alpine region, all 4.9 or less on the Richter scale. (AFP)

Rare White Giraffe Photographed
September 8 — A researcher in Africa has finally spotted the rare white giraffe that he's been seeking for twelve years, and he's got a photograph to prove it. (LiveScience.com)

Grass Hailed as Potential Source of Clean Energy
September 7 — A tall, decorative plant that can be grown in Europe and the United States could provide a significant amount of energy without contributing to global warming, scientists say. (Reuters)

Popular Walrus Cam to Go Offline for Hunt
September 7 — Popular Web cameras that allow viewers to watch live video of Pacific walruses will be shut off this week at the request of Alaska Natives. (Associated Press)

Controversy Swirls around Wind Farm Plan
September 7 — An energy company wants to build 130 wind turbines, each taller than the Statue of Liberty, near a nature reserve to provide power to tens of thousands of homes. (Associated Press)

Court Sets Deadline to Clean California Air
September 7 — A federal appeals court upheld a decision giving San Joaquin Valley air regulators until 2010 to clean up soot and other particles that help make the area one the nation's most polluted basins. (Associated Press)

Large Solar Flare May Bring Disruptions
September 7 — A large solar flare was reported and forecasters warned of potential electrical and communications disruptions. (Associated Press)

Portugal Warns Continuing Drought Could Extend into 2006
September 7 — A drought in Portugal which has withered crops, killed livestock and sparked deadly forest fires this year could extend into 2006 and beyond, an official warns. (AFP)

Japan Braces for Round Two with Killer Typhoon
September 7 — Japan braced for another hit by a powerful typhoon that battered the southern island of Kyushu and parts of South Korea, leaving at least 17 people dead and several others missing. (AFP)

Storm Surge the Fatal Blow for New Orleans
September 7 — Hurricane storm surges have resulted in limited flooding of the city of New Orleans before - but Hurricane Katrina's winds pushed in a devastating surge of water from the Gulf of Mexico that overwhelmed the city's system of levees built to hold back the surrounding Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. (CNN)

Hurricane storm surges have resulted in limited flooding of the city of New Orleans before - but Hurricane Katrina's winds pushed in a devastating surge of water from the Gulf of Mexico that overwhelmed the city's system of levees built to hold back the s
September 7 — Tiny, unmanned surveillance planes are being pressed into action for reconnaissance over Katrina-ravaged New Orleans in what defense contractors call the biggest civilian deployment ever for the technology. (LiveScience.com)

Another Storm Would Devastate U.S. Energy: Analysts
September 7 — U.S. oil and natural gas supplies would be devastated if another strong storm hits while the Gulf of Mexico is recovering from Hurricane Katrina, energy analysts say. (Reuters)

What Led to Katrina? Jury Still Out on Global Warming
September 6 — Everyone is clear global warming did not cause Katrina and that it is not causing more hurricanes, says a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, citing that the worldwide rate has held nearly steady at 90 a year for decades. (USA Today)

In Europe, High-Tech Flood Control, With Nature's Help
September 6 — Long ago and at a cost of some $8 billion over a quarter century, the Netherlands erected a futuristic system of coastal defenses that is admired around the world today as one of the best barriers against the sea's fury - one that could withstand the kind of storm that happens only once in 10,000 years. (The New York Times)

Group: Population Numbers May Doom Salmon
September 6 — Too many people using too much energy and natural resources make it inevitable that wild Pacific salmon will become extinct over the next century without a major overhaul in the way people live their lives, a group of 30 scientists, policy analysts and advocates concluded. (Associated Press)

Estimates Put Wolf Numbers Up in Rockies
September 6 — The number of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies has increased to more than 900 since last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated. (Associated Press)

Alaska Scientists Release Sawfly's Enemy
September 6 — A wasp from Canada could cut the numbers of billions of leaf-munching sawflies that for years have been attacking birch trees across Anchorage and other parts of the state, scientists said. (Associated Press)

The Snowball Effect of Global Warming
September 6 — In a twist to the proverbial snowball effect, warmer Arctic temperatures are stimulating plant growth, which darkens the landscape and causes more sunlight to be absorbed rather than reflected, meaning winter heating could increase by 70 percent, according to a new study. (LiveScience.com)

A Week after Storm, Levee Break Is Fixed
September 5 — A week after Hurricane Katrina, engineers plugged the levee break that swamped much of New Orleans and floodwaters began to recede, but along with the good news came the mayor's direst prediction yet: as many as 10,000 dead. (Associated Press)

Louisiana Wants Government to Save Coastline
September 5 — Since the 1930s, according to scientists, Louisiana has lost about 1,900 square miles of marsh and swamp, and stands to see another 700 square miles slip away by 2050 if drastic measures are not taken. (Associated Press)

Typhoon Nabi Batters Southwest Japan
September 5 — A typhoon lashed southwestern Japan, creating nine-meter (30 feet) high waves, cutting power supplies and disrupting transport and work at oil refineries. (Reuters)

Climate Change Raises Risk of Hunger
September 5 — About 50 million more people, most of them in Africa, could be at risk of hunger by 2050 due to climate change and reduced crop yields, scientists predict. (Reuters)

European Union to Help China Tackle Greenhouse Gas Emissions
September 5 — The European Union agreed to give China the technology for a coal-fired power station designed to combat global warming as part of a wider accord on energy issues and climate change. (Reuters)

Spain's Drought Worst on Record, No Relief Seen
September 5 — Spain has suffered the driest year on record and meteorologists do not forecast enough rain in the coming months to fill drained reservoirs, the National Institute of Meteorology says. (Reuters)

Road Salt Blamed As Stream Salinity Rises
September 5 — The amount of salt dissolved in streams in the Northeast is rising and chemicals used to clear snow and ice from the roads are being blamed. (Associated Press)

Congo Hosts Conference to Save Apes
September 5 — Governments and conservationists opened a week of talks in Congo's capital to study ways to save endangered apes around the world from extinction. (Associated Press)

Spawning Turtles Return to Mexico Despite Threat
September 5 — More than 100,000 protected Olive Ridley sea turtles have lumbered onto a Mexican beach in recent days to lay some 10 million eggs, just weeks after poachers massacred spawning turtles on the same stretch of sand. (Reuters)

Deep-water Fishing Wrecking Ireland's Coral Treasures
September 5 — Modern deep-water fishing techniques are seriously damaging huge sections of cold water coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean off Ireland's west coast, a marine biologist says. (AFP)

Florida Conducting Coral Reef Study
September 5 — Hovering above a coral reef, two divers in wet suits examine and measure the dozens of coral beneath them, recording their findings on clipboards and waterproof paper. (Associated Press)

Oregon Scientists Monitor Bulging Ground
September 5 — A recent survey of a bulge in the ground that covers about 100 square miles near the South Sister indicates the area is still growing, suggesting it could be another volcano in the making or a major shift of molten rock under the center of the Cascade Range. (Associated Press)

How to Tame the Fury of Hurricanes
September 5 — Scientists say Katrina will likely jump-start efforts to rebuild the wetlands and barrier islands that should have been the Gulf Coast's first line of defense. (Christian Science Monitor)

Moderate Earthquake Shakes Western Japan
September 4 — A moderate earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale hit western Japan, but there were no reports of casualties or damage. (Reuters)

Experts: Too Many People in Nature's Way
September 4 — The dead and the desperate of New Orleans now join the farmers of Aceh and the fishermen of Trincomalee, villagers in Iran and the slum dwellers of Haiti in a world being dealt ever more punishing blows by natural disasters. (Associated Press)

Gulf Barrier Islands Now More Vulnerable
September 4 — Hurricane Katrina swamped barrier islands along the Gulf Coast, further gnawing away at the dunes and beaches that act as hurricane speed bumps and leaving the coastal area even more vulnerable to big storms. (Associated Press)

Storm Surge the Fatal Blow for New Orleans
September 3 — Hurricane storm surges have resulted in limited flooding of the city of New Orleans before, but Hurricane Katrina's winds pushed in a devastating surge of water from the Gulf of Mexico that overwhelmed the city's system of levees built to hold back the surrounding Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. (CNN)

Another Storm Possible in Hard-Hit Region
September 3 — Katrina may seem like the last word in hurricanes, but there is a very real possibility that another major hurricane may hit New Orleans or some other portion of the 200-mile coastline devastated by Katrina in the weeks to come. (Associated Press)

China Raises Death Toll from Typhoon Talim to at Least 54
September 3 — China raised the death toll from Typhoon Talim to at least 54, while 23 more people were listed as missing. (AFP)

No Major Floods Expected in Bangladesh as Monsoon Season Nears End
September 3 — Flood-prone Bangladesh does not expect major floods this summer as lower than normal rainfall has given the country breathing space ahead of the end of the monsoon season this month, according to the country's flood warning center. (AFP)

Asian Peat Fires Add to Warming
September 3 — The destruction of tropical peatlands is contributing significantly to global warming, according to a study. (BBC)

Portuguese Firefighters Battle Six Forest Fires
September 3 — Nearly 400 firefighters were battling six forest fires burning out of control in parched central and northern Portugal, the civil protection agency says. (AFP)

Portuguese Nature Reserves Lose 18,000 Hectares to Wildfires in 2005
September 3 — Wildfires in Portugal have blackened 18,000 hectares (44,460 acres) of protected land so far this year, say officials. (AFP)

Endangered Plants Focus of New Study
September 3 — A network of botanical institutions is launching an unprecedented study of endangered native U.S. plants to determine their potential for recovery -- and in hopes of preventing their disappearance. (Associated Press)

U.S. Confirms Citrus Greening in Florida
September 3 — A plant illness that could endanger Florida's $9 billion citrus industry has been found for the first time in the United States, agriculture officials say. (Associated Press)

Iran Seeks to Save Rare Cheetahs
September 3 — Wildlife experts are celebrating the sightings of two groups of rare Asiatic cheetahs in central Iran during recent months, raising hopes that one of the world's fastest moving creatures could be saved from extinction, conservation officials say. (Associated Press)

Gazing at Breached Levees, Critics See Years of Missed Opportunities
September 2 — As federal flood-control officials directed efforts to block the 17th Street Canal, the source of most of the water swamping New Orleans, they faced growing criticism yesterday over decades of missed opportunities to prevent precisely this type of disaster. (The New York Times)

NASA's Science Resources Help Agencies Respond to Katrina
September 2 — NASA science instruments and Earth-orbiting satellites are providing detailed insight about the environmental impact caused by Hurricane Katrina. (SpaceRef.com)

U.S. Hurricane Disaster Shows Importance of Protecting Environment
September 2 — The havoc wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the United States is testimony to the importance of environmental protection, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan says. (AFP)

U.S. Disaster with Few Rivals
September 2 — As its effects uncoil throughout the nation, hurricane Katrina now seems likely to enter U.S. history as an iconic disaster on the level of the Chicago fire of 1871, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, and the Mississippi flood of 1927. (Christian Science Monitor)

Katrina's Growth Echoed 1935's "Storm of Century"
September 2 — Hurricane Katrina's rampage across the U.S. Gulf Coast is causing uneasiness among officials in South Florida, where an even stronger hurricane blasted the Florida Keys 70 years ago today. (National Geographic News)

Pumping Water Out May Take a Month
September 2 — Once beautiful New Orleans could be facing a month or more before all the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina and ruptured levees can be pumped out. (CBS)

Huge Oil Spill Covers Louisiana Marsh
September 2 — Two oil storage tanks, damaged by Hurricane Katrina, have spilled millions of barrels of oil into a marsh south of New Orleans, officials say. (AFP)

Forecast: Hurricane Season Far From Over
September 2 — Amid the unfolding disaster left by Hurricane Katrina, Colorado State University researchers say they expect more storms over the next two months, with a 43 percent chance an intense hurricane will hit the U.S. coast in September and a 15 percent chance in October. (Associated Press)

Extremely Strong Typhoon on Course to Hit Japan
September 2 — An extremely strong typhoon was churning towards Japan and was on course to hit the nation's main southern island next week, the meteorological agency says. (AFP)

Breaking Glaciers Imperil Arctic Lifestyle
September 2 — To Greenland's Inuit population, the frequency and size of the crumbling blocks are a powerful reminder that the ice sheet covering the world's largest island is thinning, which scientists say is one of the most glaring examples of global warming. (Associated Press)

Lava Bench Collapses in Hawaii
September 2 — Fresh molten rock from the Kilauea volcano is flowing into an area where a 12-acre bench of hardened lava crashed into the ocean last weekend. (Associated Press)

Twelve Killed, 13 Missing in Landslide in Indonesia's West Sumatra
September 2 — At least 12 people were killed and 13 others were missing after a landslide caused by torrential rain struck more than 40 homes in Indonesia's West Sumatra province, an official says. (AFP)

Peru Finds Giant Crocodile Fossil in Amazon
September 2 — Peruvian explorers have discovered the fossilized remains of a giant, 46-foot-(14-meter)-long crocodile deep in the Amazon jungle, lending credence to a theory that the world's largest rain forest was once a huge inland sea, a scientist says. (Reuters)

Camera Helps Identify Unknown Sea Creatures
September 2 — After fleeing in the face of Hurricane Katrina, ocean researchers have returned to the Gulf of Mexico where they are getting a revealing new look at the deep sea. (Associated Press)

Katrina Reignites Global Warming Debate
September 1 — Hurricane Katrina's fury has re-ignited the scientific debate over whether global warming might be making hurricanes more ferocious. (Associated Press)

Experts Debate Rebuilding New Orleans
September 1 — Even before the evacuation of flooded New Orleans has been completed, hurricane scientists, disaster experts and reconstruction officials are raising the question of whether the city should be rebuilt at all. (Knight Ridder)

Hazards Contained in Waters Not as Toxic as Feared
September 1 — Although the water that now covers much of New Orleans is a fetid broth of sewage, with gasoline from gas stations, solvents from dry cleaners and chemicals from household cleaners mixed in, it could have been a great deal worse, experts said yesterday. (The New York Times)

Typhoon Talim Pounds Taiwan, Leaving Three Dead, 59 Injured
September 1 — Three people were killed and 59 injured after Typhoon Talim pounded Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rains, forcing offices, schools and financial markets to close. (AFP)

China Evacuates 790,000 as Typhoon Slams into Coast
September 1 — China evacuated more than 790,000 people as powerful Typhoon Talim slammed into its east coast after barreling across Taiwan, where it left three dead and dozens injured. (AFP)

Northern Marianas Clean up after Typhoon Nabi
September 1 — Authorities in the U.S.-administered Northern Mariana Islands were attempting to restore power and water supplies after Typhoon Nabi battered the central Pacific territory a day earlier. (AFP)

UK Activists Club Together to Beat Climate Change
September 1 — Leading British environment and aid groups joined forces to lobby for world action to prevent potentially catastrophic global warming. (Reuters)

UK, China in Cleaner Power Plan
September 1 — Britain and the European Union will next week announce plans to hand China the technology for a power station designed to combat climate change. (BBC)

Space Sensors Show Massive Surge in Chinese Air Pollution
September 1 — The world's largest amount of the smog gas nitrogen dioxide is hanging over Beijing and northeast China, according to images released by the European Space Agency (ESA). (AFP)

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