Researchers Study Tallest Man-Made Tsunami
June 30, 2005Japanese scientists are simulating the awesome force of a tsunami with a man-made 8-foot-tall wave that will help determine the power and behavior of a tsunami, allowing engineers to devise better seawalls and develop more precise evacuation plans for coastal communities at risk of a direct hit. (Associated Press)
Tsunami Warning System Ready by July 2006
June 30, 2005A detection system to warn of tsunamis like the one that devastated the coasts of south Asia last December will be operational by July 2006, the United Nations science and culture organization UNESCO says. (AFP)
Does Dirty Air Cool the Climate?
June 30, 2005New research suggests tiny pollutant particles, once airborne, can reflect sunlight back into space, easing temperatures in what is known as aerosol cooling. (Christian Science Monitor)
No Rainfall Record Despite L.A. Storms
June 30, 2005After an epic season of mudslides, floods and sinkholes, the rainfall total in Los Angeles for the year ending June 30 fell just short of a record, with 37.25 inches, well above the normal 15 inches. (Associated Press)
'Carbon Free' Power Station Planned in Scotland
June 30, 2005Energy major BP and three partners are planning to build a plant in Scotland which would be the first in the world to generate "carbon free" electricity from hydrogen, the companies say. (Reuters)
How Ice Melts: Longstanding Mystery Solved
June 30, 2005A breakthrough new study supports a leading theory that melting starts when the fundamental structure of matter begins to crack. (LiveScience.com)
Oceans at Risk from Global Warming
June 30, 2005Thousands of marine species are at risk from global warming because of acidification of the world's oceans, scientists say. (Reuters)
Warming May Harm Africa's Sand Dune Fields
June 30, 2005Global warming could drastically alter Africa's southern sand dune systems, spreading desert-like conditions and destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people before the end of the century, new research warns. (Associated Press)
Global Warming Might Create Lopsided Planet
June 29, 2005Extra precipitation expected as a result of global warming could create a lopsided world in which sea ice increases around the South Pole while the far north melts away. (LiveScience.com)
Global Warming Makes Sea Less Salty
June 29, 2005Since the late 1960s, much of the North Atlantic Ocean has become less salty, in part due to increases in fresh water runoff induced by global warming, and researchers have now quantified this fresh water influx, allowing them to predict the long-term effects on a "conveyor belt" of ocean currents. (LiveScience.com)
British Think-Tank Opposes Nuclear Power as Way to Fight Global Warming
June 29, 2005A British think tank opposed what it said were draft plans by the Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations to expand the use of nuclear energy as a way to fight global warming. (Reuters)
Future Climate Could Be Hotter than Thought
June 29, 2005Global temperatures in the future could be much hotter than scientists have predicted if new computer models on climate change are correct, researchers say. (Reuters)
EU 'Must Cut Emissions by 40%
June 29, 2005The European Union needs to reduce greenhouse gases by 40 percent by 2030 to reach its long-term goal of curbing global warming, the European Environment Agency says. (Associated Press)
Ontario Urges Cutbacks as Electricity Use Soars
June 29, 2005Ontario asked electricity users to cut back, the second appeal to conserve energy this week as demand soared because of a heat wave that has swept the province. (Reuters)
Bret Downgraded to Tropical Depression
June 29, 2005Tropical Storm Bret was downgraded to a tropical depression after moving inland from the Gulf coast of Mexico about 360 miles south of the Texas border, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Associated Press)
Specter of Drought Hangs Over Europe
June 29, 2005Persistent hot weather following months of low rainfall raised the specter of serious drought in many parts of Europe. (AFP)
Portuguese Livestock Farmers Struggle through Severe Drought
June 28, 2005Known as the breadbasket of Portugal for its wheat production, the entire southern province of Alentejo where the white-walled village of Nossa Senhora da Cola is located is suffering from "extreme" drought conditions. (AFP)
China Says 771 Killed and Missing in Floods, Warns Of Epidemics
June 28, 2005China raised the number of killed and missing in this year's floods to 771, and warned scorching temperatures in previously inundated areas create "ideal" conditions for infectious diseases. (AFP)
Italian Heat Wave 'Puts One Million People at Risk'
June 28, 2005A heat wave in Italy has put the health of one million people at risk and the government has warned the situation could be even worse than the summer of 2003 when 20,000 people died due to soaring temperatures. (Associated Press)
Global Warming to Raise Storm Damage Costs
June 28, 2005The cost of cleaning up storm damage will balloon unless the world takes urgent action to cut harmful emissions warming the globe, the Association of British Insurers says. (Reuters)
NOAA Scientists Say Reports Altered
June 28, 2005Many scientists at NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency responsible for balancing hydroelectric dams against endangered salmon, say they know of cases where scientific findings were altered at the request of commercial interests, according to a survey released by two watchdog groups. (Associated Press)
Thousands Cut Off in Northern India by River Flood from Tibet
June 27, 2005Thousands of people, including hundreds of tourists, remained stranded in northern India after a river flood from neighboring Tibet washed away bridges, roads and houses, officials say. (AFP)
Monsoon Blankets 90 Percent of India
June 27, 2005India's monsoon rains, which play a crucial role in determining its economic growth, have covered 90 percent of the country and are expected to sweep the other regions over the next two days. (AFP)
Southern China Steps Down from Highest Flood Alert
June 27, 2005Southern China's densely populated Guangdong province stepped down from the highest flood alert level after rains killed 65 people there, but officials warned against complacency. (AFP)
Heat Wave Alert as Southern Europe Bakes
June 27, 2005Southern Europe was on heat wave alert faced with baking temperatures and drought conditions, two years after the heat claimed tens of thousands of lives across the continent. (AFP)
2003 Heat Wave Killed 20,000 in Italy
June 27, 2005The heat wave that hit much of Europe in 2003 killed almost 20,000 people throughout Italy, more than double the previous official estimate of the toll and taking it above that recorded in neighboring France. (AFP)
Pakistan Heat Wave Death Toll nears 200
June 27, 2005A searing heat wave across Pakistan has killed at least 196 people, with relief from annual monsoon rains not expected for days. (AFP)
Timing of Next Indonesia Tsunami a Mystery
June 27, 2005Scientists say they know of fault areas that have caused earthquakes in the past and are accumulating pressures that will probably lead to more quakes someday, but it's difficult to predict when they will occur because they lack data from miles and miles deep in the earth. (Associated Press)
Space Ring Could Shade Earth and Stop Global Warming
June 27, 2005A wild idea to combat global warming suggests creating an artificial ring of small particles or spacecrafts around Earth to shade the tropics and moderate climate extremes. (LiveScience.com)
Fires Rage across Western U.S.
June 27, 2005More than 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles) of brush and forest have been eaten up by 19 fires in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah in recent days, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. (AFP)
Mystery of World's Fastest-growing Lakes Solved
June 27, 2005In Alaska, thousands of mysterious lakes are all the same shape and have grown steadily for thousands of years, the geological record shows, and a new study indicates heat waves are the likely cause. (LiveScience.com)
Scientists: Cod off Nova Scotia Declining
June 27, 2005The collapse of cod stocks off Nova Scotia changed the marine ecosystem so dramatically that it may be impossible for cod to recover, according to a study by Canadian scientists that could have ramifications for cod stocks at Georges Bank. (Associated Press)
Intense Earthquake off Northeastern Indonesia on Tsunami Anniversary
June 26, 2005An intense earthquake occurred in northeastern Indonesia on the six-month anniversary of a massive quake and tsunamis in the country, seismologists say. (AFP)
Fresh Temblor Adds to California Quake Spate
June 26, 2005A moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale rattled northern California, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, seismologists say. (AFP)
Asia Makes Strides in Protecting Wildlife, but Some Species Appear Doomed
June 26, 2005The struggle to protect Asia's endangered wildlife has enjoyed rare progress over recent years but government inaction means many species are still doomed to extinction, activists say. (AFP)
Endangered Species Act Faces Broad New Challenges
June 26, 2005More than three decades after the Endangered Species Act gave the federal government tools and a mandate to protect animals, insects and plants threatened with extinction, the landmark law is facing the most intense efforts ever to limit its reach. (The New York Times)
The Race to Alaska Before It Melts
June 26, 2005The sea-level edge of the Exit Glacier, just outside the town of Seward, Alaska, and one of the most visited bodies of ice in the north, has receded by nearly 1,000 feet over the last 10 years - and many believe it's just one of several environmental changes due to global warming - urging some to visit the state sooner rather than later. (The New York Times)
China Grapples with Disease after Deadly Floods
June 26, 2005Workers erected flood barriers and disinfected towns and villages against water-borne diseases as China braced for more rain after deluges that left at least 730 people dead or missing. (AFP)
Monsoons Bring Relief to Baking India
June 25, 2005India's monsoon rains, vital for its farm-reliant economy, have advanced to cover more areas of the country and bring relief from a searing June heat wave that has claimed 334 lives, a weather official says. (AFP)
Energy on Ice
June 25, 2005Recent efforts to unlock a frozen source of natural gas deep under the permafrost and ocean floor have energized prospects for a methane-hydrate industry. (Science News)
Scientists Studying Gulf's 'Dead Zone'
June 24, 2005Through mid-July, scientists from NOAA's National Coast Data Development Center and the agency's Fisheries Service at Stennis Space Center will look at data about dissolved oxygen from the "dead zone" areas in the Gulf of Mexico. (Associated Press)
French Watchdogs Call for Early Action to Cope with Climate Change
June 24, 2005France needs to introduce an early strategy to cope with climate change, whose effects will ripple across almost every sector of society and the economy, a report unveiled by government experts says. (AFP)
Freezer Food: Global Seed Bank Set for Arctic
June 24, 2005Using its natural environment as a freezer of sorts, Norway has announced it will create a seed bank on a remote Arctic island that aims to protect the genetic materials of critical world food crops from such threats as plant epidemics, climate change, war and natural disasters, officials say. (Associated Press)
Jordan River Threatened by Dams and Sewage
June 24, 2005The Jordan River is heavily polluted with sewage and is in danger of drying up after decades of conflict and intense agricultural use, environmentalists say. (Reuters)
EU Fights Groundwater Pollution, Sets Quality Rule
June 24, 2005The European Union agreed to new cleanliness standards for groundwater, meaning water which trickles down through rocks will have to meet the same quality standards for nitrate and pesticide pollution as rivers and lakes in intensively farmed areas. (Reuters)
Researchers Say Ocean Evidence Points to a Million-Year El Nino
June 24, 2005The last time the Earth was warm the waters of the Pacific Ocean may have been stuck in an El Nino pattern that lasted more than a million years, scientists say. (The New York Times)
Global Warming Evident in Timor Sea Corals, Say Scientists
June 24, 2005Scientists aboard Australia's national research vessel say corals found about 600 kilometers (373 miles) north of Darwin could already be showing signs of global warming. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Tsunami Alert System Takes Shape
June 24, 2005Six months after the December tsunami, there are many ongoing efforts to prevent such a disaster in the future, including a high-tech network of ocean monitoring technology and community response drills. (BBC)
U.S. May Develop Tsunami Warning System
June 23, 2005The United States is discussing with other nations a joint venture to develop an early-warning system to detect tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. (Associated Press)
NASA Researchers Studying Tropical Cyclones
June 23, 2005NASA hurricane researchers are deploying to Costa Rica next month to investigate the birthplace of eastern Pacific tropical cyclones. (Science Daily)
Hopes for Home Power Generation
June 23, 2005Many homes could generate their own power by wind or solar energy and sell the surplus, the UK government says. (BBC)
California Turns to Goats to Stop Wildfires
June 23, 2005From hilly San Francisco to more rural settings, California landowners, businesses and officials have hired goats to devour the grass and brush that fuel wildfires. (Reuters)
South Asia Heat Wave Kills at Least 375
June 23, 2005At least 375 people have died from sunstroke and dehydration in a month-long heat wave sweeping India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as South Asia endures one of its hottest summers on record, authorities say. (Reuters)
Carmakers Must do More to Cut Carbon Dioxide Pollution
June 23, 2005Car manufacturers need to step up efforts to meet their pledge to cut carbon dioxide pollution from vehicles by 2008, the European Union says. (Reuters)
Popocatepetl Spews Giant Vapor and Ash Column
June 23, 2005Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano spewed a giant vapor and ash column some 900 meters (3,000 feet) high, local authorities say. (AFP)
Global Warming Threatens Tibetan Rail Link
June 23, 2005An official from China's National Climate Center warned warmer winter and summers in a fragile environmental region will ruin a rail link to Tibet by 2050. (The Washington Times)
NASA Satellite Data Capture a Big Climate Effect on Tiny Ocean Life
June 22, 2005Tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, can change dramatically in both size and population due to the physical processes associated with El Nino and La Nina, affecting ocean ecology and influencing Earth's climate by impacting carbon storage in the ocean. (Science Daily)
Photosynthesis Found Where the Sun Don't Shine
June 22, 2005Scientists have discovered the first organism known to rely on photosynthesis in a place where the sun never shines, a creature that lives well more than a mile under the sea and captures dim radiation coming from hydrothermal vents. (LiveScience.com)
Warm Water Temps May Be Harming Sockeye
June 22, 2005As many as 200,000 sockeye salmon disappeared last year between the Ballard Locks and spawning grounds above Lake Washington and scientists suspect rising water temperatures could be the culprit. (Associated Press)
Severe Pollution Blights China's Pearl River Delta
June 22, 2005China's Pearl River estuary is so badly polluted the fish that once thrived in its waters have virtually vanished. (AFP)
Scientists Pinpoint Quake-prone Region in Mississippi Valley
June 22, 2005Scientists believe they have lifted the veil on an earthquake-prone region in the southern United States that lies more than 2,000 kilometers (1,650 miles) from the nearest boundary in the Earth's plates, the major source of quakes. (AFP)
Bangladesh Has Longest Wait for Monsoon in 33 Years
June 22, 2005Meteorologists in Bangladesh, which suffered the shortest winter in a decade, blamed global warming for the country's most overdue monsoon in 33 years. (AFP)
EU Wants 20 Percent Cut in Energy Use by 2020
June 22, 2005Europe should reduce its energy consumption by 20 percent by 2020 through more efficient technology, the EU executive Commission says, helping cut dependency on oil and to meet climate change targets. (Reuters)
'Apollo Program' Urged for Green Power
June 22, 2005A Stanford University scientist believes America needs an Apollo-style program to encourage the development of alternative energy sources -- in part by allowing fossil fuels to become more expensive. (MSNBC)
In 100 Years, Boston's Winters Could Be Colder
June 21, 2005An oceanic "conveyor belt" that helps keep New England relatively warm could begin to slow in a century, according to new research from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (The Boston Globe)
Anatahan Volcano North of Saipan Rumbles
June 21, 2005The Anatahan Volcano north of Saipan has resumed rumbling in recent days, spewing steam and ash as high as 50,000 feet, the U.S. Geological Survey says. (Associated Press)
Linking High Ozone to Increased Death Rates
June 21, 2005Three teams of researchers conducting separate studies have concluded that high ozone pollution is linked to higher death rates, especially among older populations during the summer season. (The New York Times)
Manitoba Expects 1-1.5 Million Acres Left Unplanted
June 21, 2005Farmers in Manitoba have run out of time to plant up to 1.5 million acres of crops before insurance deadlines after excessive rains, particularly in the eastern half of the province, government officials say. (Reuters)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rise 1.8 Percent in 2002-03
June 21, 2005A cold winter and increased coal-burning power production raised carbon dioxide emissions in 15 European Union states by 1.8 percent between 2002 and 2003, the EU environment agency says. (Reuters)
Heat, Drought Back Haunting Europe on First Day of Summer
June 21, 2005With tens of thousands of deaths in a sizzling summer of 2003 still fresh on people's minds, Europe suffered in a new heat wave the first day of summer, while farmers warned of a historic drought. (AFP)
How Global Warming is Changing the Wild Kingdom
June 21, 2005The planet is warming, humans are mostly to blame, and plants and animals are going to dramatic lengths to cope - that's the consensus of a number of recent studies that used wildlife to gauge the extent of global warming and its effects. (LiveScience.com)
Tsunami Destroyed More than One Third of Housing in its Path
June 21, 2005More than a third of housing and hundreds of miles of roads hit by last year's tsunami were destroyed in Indonesia's Aceh province. (AFP)
Pelicans Return to North Dakota's Chase Lake
June 20, 2005Wildlife officials estimate 18,850 breeding pelicans have returned to Chase Lake in central North Dakota, but this time last year the nesting grounds were empty, leaving an ornithological mystery that biologists say may never be solved. (Associated Press)
Climate 'Key to African Future'
June 20, 2005Efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa will fail unless urgent action is taken to halt climate change, a coalition of aid and environment groups claims. (BBC)
Rare Tsunami Warning Exposes Flaws
June 20, 2005California officials say they are working to shore up the state's emergency notification system - including a proposed hot line to link state and local officials - because of scattered failures and confusion in the wake of a rare tsunami warning last week. (The Boston Globe)
Global Warming Expert Keeling Dies
June 20, 2005Charles D. Keeling, whose measurements showed a carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere that helped raise concern over global warming, died at age 77. (Associated Press)
More than 200 Killed by Indian Summer Heat
June 20, 2005More than 200 people have died across India due to a searing heat wave that has scorched the country before the arrival of the seasonal monsoon rains, officials say. (AFP)
NASA Extends TRMM Mission Once Again
June 20, 2005NASA intends to keep flying the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) beyond this summer, a decision that will require the U.S. space agency to waive safety guidelines that call for a controlled de-orbit of the aging spacecraft. (Space.com)
NASA Helps Highlight Lightning Safety Awareness Week
June 20, 2005June 19-25 is lightning safety awareness week and NASA's ongoing lightning research is helping to forecast thunderstorms and improve aviation safety. (Science Daily)
Indian Heatwave Toll Touches 183 as Monsoon Advances
June 19, 2005The death toll from a heatwave smothering much of India touched 183, as the weather office reported that annual monsoon rains are moving slowly toward the parched regions. (AFP)
It's Getting Cheaper to Tap the Sun
June 18, 2005Excitement over residential solar energy may not be running high everywhere, but providing homes with electricity and heat from the sun is getting more buzz than it has in decades as state programs developed in the last few years are making it possible for homeowners to cut the cost of a system by more than half. (The New York Times)
Series of Quakes in California Foreshadow a Big One. Or Not.
June 18, 2005California's earthquake on June 16 near Yucaipa struck close to the Banning fault, rather than the San Andreas, increasing the probability for a major earthquake in the near future. (The New York Times)
Fourth Major Quake Hits California This Week
June 17, 2005Just hours after a moderate earthquake shook most of Southern California, a strong quake (magnitude 6.6) struck off the state's northern coast to become the fourth significant shaker to jolt California this week. (Associated Press)
A Shaky Situation with Dangerous Potential
June 17, 2005The science of seismology is too young to be able to predict whether a major earthquake will occur in 10 minutes or 100 years, but there's a good chance a major quake may strike the western U.S. soon, potentially killing thousands and costing hundreds of billions of dollars in a three-state area, along with temporarily wiping out the ability of ports like Vancouver, Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland to function for many months. (ABC)
Tsunami May Have Spread Alien Species
June 17, 2005The Indian Ocean tsunami's devastating waves brought more than death to Sri Lanka -- they upset some of the country's key ecosystems, the U.N. environmental agency warns. (Associated Press)
Next Indian Ocean Tsunami Matter of Time
June 17, 2005Scientists are convinced another giant tsunami will one day sweep across the Indian Ocean -- what they are not sure about is when. (Reuters)
Thriving Bald Eagles May Lose Protection
June 17, 2005The population of bald eagles has rebounded so dramatically in Pennsylvania that the species may soon be moved off the state's endangered list and accorded the less serious status of a threatened species. (Associated Press)
Britain's Sharks 'Moving North'
June 17, 2005Britain's biggest fish appears to be moving to Scottish waters - and experts say it may be due to global warming. (BBC)
U.S. Pollution is Killing Ontarians, Report Finds
June 17, 2005Nearly 3,000 Ontarians die prematurely each year from the effects of air pollution originating in the United States, according to an Ontario government report. (Globe and Mail)
Global Warming Strengthens Hurricanes
June 16, 2005Researchers find that climate change could make future hurricanes stronger, but it is unknown whether it will change the total number of storms. (LiveScience.com)
New Coal Technology Could Help Reduce Emissions
June 16, 2005Coal-burning power plants have taken their lumps on pollution, but increased investment in coal gasification technology by electric utilities could dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions without damaging the economy, according to a new Carnegie Mellon University study. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
EPA Guidelines Aim to Clear Air in Parks
June 16, 2005Haze that clouds vistas at the Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and other national parks should begin to clear under federal rules designed to cut air pollution that the Environmental Protection Agency will soon enforce. (Associated Press)
Amazon Deforestation Could Affect World Climate
June 16, 2005Far from cleaning up the atmosphere, the Amazon is now a major source of pollution with rampant burning and deforestation, mostly at the hands of illegal loggers and of ranchers, releasing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the skies each year. (Los Angeles Times)
Desertification, Dust are Global Threats
June 16, 2005Desertification threatens to drive millions of people from their homes in coming decades while vast dust storms can damage the health of people continents away, an international report says. (Reuters)
Moderate Quake Shakes Southern California
June 16, 2005A moderate earthquake shook most of Southern California, startling people and knocking items off shelves, desks and walls, but there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries. (Associated Press)
Experts Say with Tsunami Warnings, Better Safe than Sorry
June 15, 2005Coastal dwellers in far northern California and southern Oregon knew to take it seriously when tsunami sirens sounded after a 7.0-magnitude offshore earthquake, and thousands of people were safely evacuated within minutes. (San Diego Union Tribune)
Regulators to Vote on Ocean Trawling Plan
June 15, 2005Federal regulators were set to vote on a plan to protect deep water corals and other sensitive fish habitats that will likely include a permanent ban on bottom trawling in large tracts of the Pacific Ocean. (Associated Press)
California Scientists Plan to Kill Barred Owls
June 15, 2005Federal scientists are planning to shoot a small number of barred owls they say are crowding out the threatened spotted owl in northern California -- an experiment that could lead to killing thousands of the larger owls on the West Coast. (Associated Press)
Satellite-Aided Rescues Top 5,000 in U.S
June 15, 2005The number of people rescued in the United States thanks to the Search and Rescue satellite (SARSAT) system that relies on NOAA's polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites to detect and locate emergency signals from ships and boats, aircraft, hikers and campers has topped 5,000, officials say. (Washington Post)
Inuit to File Anti-U.S. Climate Petition
June 15, 2005Inuit hunters threatened by melting Arctic ice plan to file a petition accusing the U.S. government of violating their human rights by fueling global warming, an Inuit leader says. (Reuters)
New Laws Make Antarctic Polluters Liable
June 15, 2005The Antarctic's environment will be protected by new rules forcing polluters to clean up or pay up for any contamination after 45 nations reached a new agreement. (Reuters)
Rising Sea Levels Erode Half of Bangladesh's Biggest Island
June 15, 2005River currents strengthened by rising sea levels have devoured half of Bangladesh's biggest island in 40 years, leaving half a million people homeless, researchers say. (AFP)
Volcano Roots Run Deep
June 15, 2005Hidden deep inside the Earth may be the "roots" that anchor mantle plumes - narrow pipes that bridge the gap between the Earth's crust and its super hot core - possibly forming volcanic islands like Hawaii. (LiveScience.com)
Poll: Many See No Need to Worry About Warming
June 15, 2005A new poll reveals nearly six in 10 Americans think global warming likely is under way and as many accept that human activities play a significant role, but they oppose immediate government action. (ABC)
Asian Sandstorms Choking Canadians
June 15, 2005A growing number of sandstorms as far away as China that researchers blame on climate change are contributing to an increase in health problems for Canadians, such as coughing, fevers and sore eyes, a new international report warns. (Canadian Press)
Britain to Back Greenhouse Gas Storage Projects
June 14, 2005Britain pledged to help companies fund projects to store greenhouse gas emissions under the North Sea as part of the fight against climate change. (Reuters)
New Planet Discovered, Twice Earth's Size
June 14, 2005A planet with an estimated radius about twice that of Earth, too hot for life as we know it, has been discovered orbiting a nearby star. (Associated Press)
Poll: Many Don't Count on Weather Forecast
June 14, 2005Never mind fancy computers, satellites and Doppler radar - most people have limited faith that meteorologists can accurately forecast the weather, shows a new poll. (Associated Press)
Mexicans Return Home at Base of Volcano
June 14, 2005Nearly four dozen people evacuated last week from a town at the base of Mexico's Volcano of Fire have been allowed to return to their homes, even though the peak continues to smolder and occasionally spout ash. (Associated Press)
Undetectable Waves Detected
June 14, 2005Baby energy waves, once thought too small to detect, have been spotted and studied by researchers. (LiveScience.com)
More than 500,000 Acres Unplanted in Manitoba
June 14, 2005Incessant rains have kept more than 500,000 acres in Manitoba unplanted, provincial government specialists estimated, representing 5 to 10 percent of total crop land in the Canadian Prairie province. (Reuters)
Tsunami Pushes Leatherback Turtles Toward Brink
June 14, 2005They survived the dinosaurs, but leatherback turtles may have moved one step closer to extinction when last December's tsunami washed away some of their most important nesting beaches in India's Nicobar Islands. (Associated Press)
Major California Quake Prompts Tsunami Fears
June 14, 2005A major 7.0 magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean and 90 miles west of Crescent City, California, briefly sparked fears of a tsunami, but officials quickly canceled a warning as the danger receded and damage appeared minimal. (Reuters)
Tsunami Warning System Failed
June 14, 2005While most citizens of the U.S. west coast were adequately warned of a possible tsunami following an earthquake off the California coast, one major way of alerting Washington coastal residents - an alert from NOAA weather radio - didn't get out because a critical phone line was down, forcing officials to develop a backup for the system. (Associated Press)
The Debate's over: Globe is Warming
June 13, 2005After decades of debate over whether the planet is heating and, if so, whose fault it is, divergent groups including corporations, politicians, and religious groups are joining hands to deal with a problem they say people can no longer avoid. (USA Today)
Powerful Quake Shakes Northern Chile
June 13, 2005A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook Chile's northern mining region, causing at least 11 deaths, cutting power and driving residents from their homes in the port city of Iquique. (Reuters)
Study: Fertilizers Harm Freshwater Lakes
June 13, 2005Farmers' routine application of chemical fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously thought, potentially polluting the water for hundreds of years, according to new research. (Associated Press)
Climate Change Threat to Gardens
June 13, 2005The English country garden is unlikely to survive in the South East beyond the next 100 years, scientists say, and climate change means the rolling lawns and herbaceous borders of Surrey, Kent, Hampshire and Sussex may be replaced by olive groves and grape vines. (BBC News)
Gulf Coast Drying Out from Tropical Storm
June 12, 2005The remnants of Tropical Storm Arlene spread rain into the Ohio Valley after breezing through the Gulf Coast with little damage other than power outages and street flooding. (Associated Press)
Death Toll from Flash Flood in China Rises
June 12, 2005The death toll from a devastating flood that swept through an elementary school in northeastern China rose to 92, including 88 elementary school students, state press and residents say. (AFP)
Heatwave Kills at Least 65
June 12, 2005The death toll due to the heatwave sweeping most of central and southern India climbed to at least 65 with 30 new deaths reported from eastern Orissa state, officials say. (AFP)
Cash-strapped Bosnia Over-exploits Its Forests
June 12, 2005Bosnia, still struggling to rebuild its war-shattered economy, has turned towards frantic exploitation of forests, while experts warn it could have irreparable consequences for the country's environment. (AFP)
Red Tide Outbreak Expanding
June 12, 2005The massive red tide festering off the coast of New England has spread to federal waters, closing thousands of square miles to shellfishing by Massachusetts boats as levels of the algae bloom's toxin hit all-time highs in the region's clams and mussels. (Boston Globe)
Jamaica Bay Marshes Dwindle
June 11, 2005A National Park Service biologist is attempting to slow the loss of Jamaica Bay (New York) salt marsh islands, which experts say are shrinking at an alarming rate -- about 40 acres a year. (Newsday)
Logging Threatens Borneo Species
June 11, 2005Conservationists are warning that the south-east Asian island of Borneo could lose almost all its lowland forest within a decade. (BBC)
Rising Water Changing Utah's Great Salt Lake
June 11, 2005The water in the Great Salt Lake has begun rising again after years of drought, changing the landscape and starting to submerge one of Utah's best-known artifacts: an enormous earth sculpture called the Spiral Jetty. (Associated Press)
Arizona's Pronghorns Making Comeback
June 11, 2005About two years ago, the survival chances for Arizona's endangered Sonoran pronghorns were grim, but after above-average winter rains, a favorable spring and initial success from a recovery program, the shy creatures are making a comeback. (Associated Press)
Yellowstone Grizzly Population Increasing
June 10, 2005Federal wildlife officials say they plan to propose ending Endangered Species Act protection for grizzly bears around Yellowstone National Park. (Associated Press)
California Forest Cameras Snoop on Wildlife
June 10, 2005A 30-acre patch of forest near Idyllwild, California, has been outfitted with robotic cameras and other high-tech gadgets that spy on wildlife, trees and even roots as part of a pioneering effort by scientists to take nature's pulse. (Associated Press)
Western Mexico's Volcano of Fire Erupts
June 10, 2005Western Mexico's Volcano of Fire spewed glowing, volcanic rock and a cloud of ash, before sending gray smoke a half-mile into the air, officials say. (Associated Press)
Pompeii's Cool Spots Offer Volcano Tips
June 10, 2005Sheltered spots with cooler temperatures could be found in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, a finding that might provide clues on the impact of these scorching currents on urban areas. (Discovery.com)
Giant Balls of 'Snot' Explain Ocean Mystery
June 10, 2005New research shows that giant sinking mucus "houses" produced by tadpole-like animals gather small critters and food particles as they sink to the sea floor, providing food and allowing life to flourish at the ocean bottom. (LiveScience.com)
Ocean Food Chain Flips as Cod Disappear
June 9, 2005The classic picture of the ocean food chain has been turned on its head, say Canadian marine biologists, who have proven that the disappearance of cod from over-fishing in the northwest Atlantic has triggered a chain reaction in other species that cascades back down the food chain. (Discovery.com)
Massachusetts Governor Declares Red Tide a Disaster
June 9, 2005Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency because of the red tide bloom off the coast of Massachusetts, a move that allows the state to seek federal disaster aid for the shellfish industry. (Associated Press)
Report Cautions Against Exploitation of Ocean Floor
June 9, 2005Vast resources hidden on the international deep sea floor need protection from excessive commercial exploitation that could have catastrophic consequences, according to a new report from the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Studies. (AFP)
Tornado Deaths on Decline
June 9, 2005The number of tornado deaths has decreased by nearly half since a network of Doppler weather radars were installed nationwide a decade ago, according to a new study. (LiveScience.com)
Russia to Tackle Growing Threat to Its Forests
June 9, 2005Illegal logging has doubled since 1992 in Russia, which contains a quarter of the world's forests, according to new official figures. (AFP)
Inventory to Study Source of Emissions
June 9, 2005As calls to limit production of greenhouse gases grow louder and more frequent, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is becoming the first in the area to study how much its residents contribute to the problem. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
States Grapple with Carbon Reduction Plan
June 9, 2005States working toward a plan for the first mandatory carbon dioxide reductions from U.S. power plants have missed a target to begin regulating emissions this spring, but hope to finish an outline on how the program would work by the fall. (Reuters)
Millions 'Hit By Global Warming'
June 9, 2005Millions of people in England and Wales are being seriously affected by pollution and global warming, the Environment Agency says, and experts believe flooding and extreme weather will be among Britain's biggest problems in the future. (BBC)
UK Backs Hazard Warning System
June 9, 2005The United Kingdom has backed proposals to set up an international expert panel tasked with reducing the casualties and damage caused by natural disasters. (BBC)
How Development Made Tsunami Worse
June 9, 2005Coral mining, landscaping and other instances of human development in Sri Lanka helped last December�s devastating tsunami sweep even further inland than it might have, causing intense destruction, scientists say. (Reuters)
Volcanoes Cool Climate through Bacteria
June 9, 2005Volcanoes can cool the planet by keeping methane-producing bacteria at bay, researchers say. (Nature)
Sumatra Menaced by Two Quake Threats, Possible Tsunami: Seismologists
June 8, 2005The Indonesian island of Sumatra, smashed by a tsunami and shaken by an enormous earthquake in the past six months, is now at risk from two potentially major quakes, one of which could generate waves 10 meters (32.5 feet) high, seismologists warn. (AFP)
Mexican Volcano's Eruptions Largest On Record
June 8, 2005Mexico's Volcano of Fire has been hurling hot lava into the air and dusting surrounding towns with ash, forcing evacuations and raising concerns of a much larger explosion. (Associated Press)
Emergency Pipeline to Stop Historic Australian Town Dying of Thirst
June 8, 2005Australian authorities agreed to urgently build a pipeline channeling water to a parched country town struggling to cope with one of the country's worst droughts. (AFP)
Drought-hit Portugal Battles Wildfires as Temperatures Soar
June 8, 2005More than 500 firefighters in Portugal were battling five separate forest fires raging across the drought-hit country amid soaring temperatures, emergency services workers say. (AFP)
Surprise New Technique Improves Hurricane Tracking
June 8, 2005NASA-funded scientists studied the movement of ozone through a dozen hurricanes and found the chemical can provide better indications of whether a hurricane will form and where it will move. (LiveScience.com)
Scientists Put an Eye in the Heart of the Storm
June 8, 2005A research engineer has designed the pyramid - a nearly circular disc, about the size of a car's tire but only a few inches high, with a ring of windows and video cameras - that travels inside tornadoes to photograph them. (ABC)
Secret Sprites: Study Explains High-Altitude Flashes
June 8, 2005A NASA-funded study finds that high intensity lightning charges are the key ingredient in sprite formation. (LiveScience.com)
Coalition Urges UN Curbs on Harmful Ocean Sounds
June 8, 2005An environmental coalition urged the United Nations to take steps to protect whales, dolphins and other marine life from the powerful sound waves used in oil and gas exploration and by the world's navies to navigate and detect submarines. (Reuters)
Wind Farms Pose Low Risk to Birds
June 8, 2005Migrating birds are unlikely to be seriously affected by offshore wind farms, according to a study showing that less than one percent are in danger of colliding with the giant structures. (BBC)
Science Academies Urge Greenhouse Gas Cuts
June 7, 2005The U.S. National Academy of Sciences joined similar groups from other nations in a call for prompt action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, warning that delays will be costly. (Associated Press)
World Scientists Say Humans Causing Global Warming
June 7, 2005Scientists, including from the United States and China, threw down the gauntlet to world leaders saying mankind was the major source of global warming and urging action. (Reuters)
255 Dead in Chinese Storms Last Month
June 7, 2005At least 255 people were killed in floods and storms in China last month, the start of the country's rainy season. (AFP)
Villagers Evacuated near Mexico's 'Fire Volcano'
June 7, 2005Forty-five people were evacuated from a hamlet near western Mexico's rumbling "Fire Volcano," which is the most volatile it has been in more than a decade, civil protection officials say. (Reuters)
Colorado Chosen for Cosmic Ray Observatory
June 7, 2005An international science group chose Colorado as the site of a $50 million observatory to measure the cosmic rays that continually bombard the Earth. (Associated Press)
NASA Funds Projects to Extend Earth Science Research
June 7, 2005NASA's Science Mission Directorate will commit $22 million in 23 projects over the next three years with national organizations that include water management, public health, air quality, ecosystem stewardship and disaster management. (SpaceRef.com)
Red Tide Hits Martha's Vineyard Shellfish
June 6, 2005Officials closed two areas off Martha's Vineyard to shellfishing as the largest red tide outbreak in decades continued to spread through New England waters. (Associated Press)
NOAA Project Grows Bay Grass
June 6, 2005A new NOAA project is encouraging Maryland residents to grow bay grass at home, school or work for later planting in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to help raise awareness of the steep decline of a critical bay resource. (Associated Press)
Sea Helps in Global Warming Prevention
June 6, 2005Japanese researchers have found that a subtropical area in the western Pacific absorbs about 60 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, a major greenhouse gas. (United Press International)
Climate: Ocean Warming Supports Models
June 6, 2005Clear evidence of human-produced warming in the oceans verifies some of the most important predictions of climate models, suggesting it is time for action about the existence of greenhouse warming, according to a paper by Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists. (United Press International)
Experts Gather to Discuss Antarctic Issues
June 6, 2005More than 300 scientists, experts and government representatives gathered to discuss the environmental issues facing the South Pole and the effects global warming and increased tourism may have on the icy continent. (Associated Press)
Mexican Volcano Spews Ash on Villages
June 5, 2005The eruption of the 12,533-foot Colima volcano, located 430 miles northwest of Mexico City, sends a massive column of black ash into the clouds and is one of the strongest eruptions in the past 20 years, officials say. (Associated Press)
China on High Alert as Flood Toll Mounts
June 5, 2005Wide areas of southern China are placed on high alert for further flooding, as officials say more than 200 people had been killed and over 100,000 homes destroyed by floods in the past week. (Reuters)
Western China Loses Money to Environmental Degradation
June 5, 2005The 10 western provinces of China suffer an annual economic loss of up to 18 billion dollars because of environmental deterioration, state media says. (AFP)
World Marks Green Day; Big City Mayors Sign Pacts
June 5, 2005Big city mayors from around the world signed a series of pacts to improve the conditions of urban centers, capping a five-day U.N. World Environment conference. (Associated Press)
Report: Louisiana Sinking into Gulf of Mexico
June 5, 2005A new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the northern Gulf of Mexico is sinking much faster than previously believed, and a large portion of southern Louisiana may sink into the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the century. (United Press International)
Massachusetts Shellfish Beds Idle over Red Tide
June 4, 2005The worst red tide in decades, driven by abnormally strong easterly winds, has idled about two-thirds of the shellfish beds in Massachusetts as the toxic algae bloom spreads off the coast to Nantucket. (Associated Press)
Giant Antarctic Iceberg Again on the Move
June 3, 2005An iceberg more than twice the size of Malta has broken adrift near Australia's Casey Station in Antarctica, officials say. (AFP)
Environment Atlas Reveals Planet-Wide Devastation
June 3, 2005The devastating impact of mankind on the planet is dramatically illustrated in new pictures and satellite images showing explosive urban sprawl, major deforestation and the sucking dry of inland seas over less than three decades. (Reuters)
Storm Chasers Cast New Eye on Tornadoes
June 3, 2005A new fast-scanning, mobile radar unit promises to allow researchers to take the best ever images of brewing twisters. (LiveScience.com)
125 Large Northern Lakes Disappear
June 3, 2005A new study finds 125 large lakes in the Arctic have vanished as temperatures rose over the past two decades. (LiveScience.com)
New Software Tool to Predict Hurricane Landfall
June 3, 2005To help forecasters determine which storms might pose a threat to U.S. coastlines, British researchers say they've developed a valuable software tool based on sea surface temperatures and wind speeds in the upper atmosphere. (ABC)
After Hurricanes, an Unclear Future for 'Lake O'
June 2, 2005Last year's hurricanes in Florida churned up oozy, polluted muck that had settled on Lake Okeechobee's bottom over decades, making it a soupy mess and crippling its ecosystem - killing many plant and animal species. (New York Times)
Caribbean Braces for Hurricane Season
June 2, 2005Still battered from an onslaught of catastrophic storms last year, Caribbean countries are bracing for another hurricane season that experts warn could bring more trouble to a region made vulnerable by lingering damage, poverty and environmental decay. (Associated Press)
NASA and University of North Dakota Sign DC-8 Agreement
June 2, 2005NASA has signed a cooperative agreement with the University of North Dakota-Grand Forks to house and operate the agency's DC-8 jet aircraft, a premier scientific resource. (Science Daily)
Western Drought Jeopardizing Wildlife
June 2, 2005Environmental groups, developers and government agencies are working to protect several species of animals from the western U.S. drought, but officials also are investigating long-term solutions, saying population spikes and global warming could lead to future dry spells. (Associated Press)
Experts: Wet Winter Triggered Landslide
June 2, 2005Accumulated rainfall from an unusually wet winter most likely triggered the 2005-06-01 landslide that destroyed 18 luxury hillside homes in California, scientists say. (Associated Press)
China Faces 'Severe' Environmental Problems Due to Development
June 2, 2005China is facing "severe" environmental problems, including pollution in most of its rivers and lakes and worsening acid rain, the government says, blaming the booming economy and urban growth. (AFP)
Tennessee Quake Adds to Scientific Information
June 2, 2005A temblor felt across northwest Tennessee caused little damage, but it was strong enough to remind people they live in one of the country's most active earthquake zones. (Associated Press)
First Photo of Tsunami-Causing Rift Taken
June 2, 2005The actual ruptured ground that helped launch the deadliest tsunami in history may have been found and photographed deep under the sea near Sumatra. (Discovery.com)
Indian Scientists to Study Tsunami-Volcano Link
June 1, 2005Indian geologists will study molten rock samples from a volcano on a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal to find out if last week's eruption could be traced to December's earthquake and tsunami, experts say. (Reuters)
One-fifth of Earth's Bird Species in Danger
June 1, 2005More than a fifth of the planet's bird species face extinction as humans venture further into their habitats and introduce alien predators, an environmental group says. (Reuters)
Australian Drought Third Worst on Record
June 1, 2005Australia's agricultural heartland is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years and government agencies say the dry-spell is affecting economic growth. (AFP)
History Reveals Hurricane Threat to New York City
June 1, 2005New York City and the Northeast have been hit hard by hurricanes in the past and scientists say a major hurricane will likely strike the area again - a concern to emergency management officials who would have to start evacuations sooner than what is typically ordered in Florida and elsewhere. (LiveScience.com)