A trio of scientists has found that humans may owe the relatively mild climate in which their ancestors evolved to tiny marine organisms with shells and skeletons made out of calcium carbonate. (University of California-Berkeley press release)
The main natural habitat of the polar bear is under increasing threat as a consequence of the dramatic thinning of Arctic sea ice, potentially leading to an ecosystem catastrophe. (University College London press release)
Dramatic declines over the past 30 years in sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean appear to be part of a complex and interrelated set of environmental changes that are already affecting traditional ways of life, according to researchers. (National Science Foundation)
University of Georgia researchers are building the tools to measure the flow of greenhouse gases to help scientists know how many trees, crops and other plants are needed to take out the carbon that fuel-burning is putting into the air. (University of Georgia press release)
Scientists at Columbia University have found that currents connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans are colder and deeper than originally believed, a discovery that may help climate modelers better predict the intensity of the Asian monsoon or El Nino. (The Earth Institute at Columbia University)
New results from analysis of ocean floor sediment cores show that a period of extensive global warming 55 million years ago are consistent with theoretical predictions of how Earth's climate would respond to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (University of Santa Cruz)
The industrial pollutant ozone, long known to be harmful to many kinds of plants, can also affect the very earth in which they grow. (Southern Research Station - USDA Forest Service)
Computer-based simulations of U.S. agriculture show that, by the year 2060, the benefits of climate change to American croplands could be less than previous work had indicated. (National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)
A strong link has been confirmed between sea surface temperatures and precipitation in Africa's semi-arid Sahel, according to a new study. (The Earth Institute at Columbia University)
The National Center for Atmospheric Research and other institutions are launching a far-reaching project this month to help the government keep polluted areas in compliance with Clean Air Act standards in the event of rising global temperatures. (National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)
New evidence suggests asthmatic children who require medication are more vulnerable to effects of very low levels of ground-level ozone. (NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
New research shows that fires in the Canadian boreal forest may be contributing significant amounts of mercury to the atmosphere above the northeastern United States. (American Chemical Society)
Atmospheric scientists have found that greenhouse gases released from oil and natural gas exploration and processing in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas create regional air pollution levels similar to those found in large urban centers elsewhere in the United States. (University of California � Irvine)
New research that looks at solar activity over the last 11,000 years suggests that the Sun's contribution to warming the Earth will reduce slightly over the next 100 years. (British Antarctic Survey)