Plankton May Protect Planet from Icy Fate
October 31, 2003Study finds the emergence of shelled sea creatures led to greater stability in the Earth�s carbon cycle, protecting the Earth from additional ice ages. (Science)
Warm Ocean Waters Said to Harm Ice Shelf
October 31, 2003Two sections of Antarctica�s Larsen ice shelf have collapsed over the past decade and another portion could be headed for the same fate as warming ocean waters undermine the ice, researchers say. (Associated Press, ABC News)
Thinning Arctic Ice Cap Threatens Polar Bears: Scientists
October 29, 2003Using data from radar satellites, scientists discover a direct link between longer summers and thinning ice, spelling a potential catastrophe for Arctic ecosystems and wildlife. (Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, ABC News, Terradaily.com)
Climate Scientists Study 'Polar Vortex'
October 29, 2003Researchers struggle to determine if changes in the polar vortex above the North Pole are part of a natural cycle or if they're related to global climate change. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Scientists, Others Trying to Make Sense of Arctic Changes
October 28, 2003Some scientists continue to blame global warming for observed Arctic warming while others argue it�s merely a consequence of changing weather patterns. (USA Today)
Warm Globe, More Snow
October 28, 2003Contrary to most of the world, researchers say the Great Lakes of North America will experience greater snowfall thanks to more potent lake-effect snows caused by global warming. (Science.com)
Researchers Predict Climate Change
October 26, 2003Researchers at Oak Ridge Laboratory predict dramatic weather changes during the next 100 years due to the burning of fossil fuels and extensive deforestation. (Associated Press)
UC Researchers' Work Confirms Global Warming Theories
October 25, 2003University of California-Santa Cruz research indicates theoretical models that blame global warming on increased atmospheric concentrations of industrial waste are quite accurate. (Associated Press, Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Satellite to Assist in Flood Control
October 24, 2003Satellite data will soon be used to create a water monitoring and flow forecasting system for the Yellow River basin to reduce water shortages and mitigate the impact of drought. (China Daily)
Climate Change and American Agriculture Faces Dwindling Benefits
October 24, 2003Government scientists now believe the benefits of climate change to American croplands will likely be less than previously indicated. (Spacedaily.com, Discovery.com)
Warmer Arctic Could Have Widespread Effects
October 23, 2003NASA scientists find new evidence of Arctic warming and a decline in sea ice cover, with implications for global climate change.
(Scripps-Howard, LA Times, The Baltimore Sun, NewScientist.com)
Killer Iceberg?
October 23, 2003NASA satellites show a huge iceberg that broke off from Antarctica has had a major impact on wildlife by nearly wiping out tiny plants and animals that form the foundation of the food chain. (ABCNews.com)
New ESA Satellite Set to Significantly Improve Weather Forecasting
October 23, 2003The European Space Agency (ESA) has provided funding for the construction of Aeolus, the first satellite to study the Earth�s wind patterns from space&8212;in hope of providing better information to forecasters that now rely on wind data from weather balloons, aircraft and radar. (Cordis News)
Climate Raised the Andes, Researchers Propose
October 23, 2003Scientists suggest the cooling of water in the Peru-Chile current system triggered the drying of the west coast of South America, reducing the amount of sediment washed into tectonic plates and consequently raising stress levels to push the Andes to great size. (Nature)
China's Boom Adds to Global Warming Problem
October 22, 2003New figures from the Chinese government show that coal use and the country�s rapid economic growth are producing a surge in emissions of greenhouse gases that threatens international efforts to curb global warming. (NYTimes.com)
NAU Scientists Gain Clues About Climate Change
October 22, 2003Analysis of sediment samples in southern Alaska helps a pair of NAU scientists unlock mysteries about climatic cycles and suggests today�s climate is changing at a rate of 10 to 100 times faster than natural conditions. (LumberjackOnline.com)
Organic Farming Yields New Weapon Against Global Warming
October 21, 2003The world�s longest running study of organic farming finds organic soils help scrub the atmosphere of global warming gases by capturing carbon dioxide and converting it into soil material. (MarketWire.com)
Study: Glaciers Melting Faster, Changing Sea Level
October 17, 2003Melting of glaciers in the Patagonian ice fields of southern Argentina and Chile has doubled in recent years, caused by higher temperatures, lower snowfall and more rapid breaking of icebergs. (CNN.com)
Global Warming to Affect Sierra
October 17, 2003A study finds global warming is leading to massive changes in the Sierra Nevada snow pack that could ultimately reduce the supply of drinking water to much of California and northern Nevada. (Associated Press)
Ozone May Offset Capacity of Trees to Sop Up Carbon
October 16, 2003A new experiment finds that common concentrations of ozone can sharply impede the ability of trees and forests to absorb carbon dioxide, the gas most scientists see as the main culprit in global warming. (NYTimes.com)
Warmer Ocean Blamed for Drought
October 10, 2003A warmer Indian Ocean is the culprit behind a devastating drought that hit the Sahel--a 5000-kilometer-long strip of marginally habitable land along the southern edge of the Sahara--in the 1970s, according to new research. (Science)
Ozone Loss Changes Weather
October 10, 2003Human-caused damage to the ozone layer is messing with the weather in the Southern Hemisphere, according to new research. (Science)
Study Finds Monday-Friday Grind Creates Climate Changes
October 10, 2003Everyone knows how the work week can take a toll on employees, but new research suggests the five-day slog may have even broader impacts — on climate. (ABCNews.com)
Weeds, Pests Threaten Crops, Gardens in Warmer, Wetter Climate
October 10, 2003Noxious weeds, including poison ivy and ragweed - the pollen of which is a leading cause of allergies in late summer - will be among the big winners as levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increase. (Environmental News Network)
European Heatwave Caused 35,000 Deaths
October 10, 2003At least 35,000 people died as a result of the record heatwave that scorched Europe in August 2003, says an environmental think tank, warning that such deaths are likely to increase, as "even more extreme weather events lie ahead". (NewScientist.com)
Asthmatic Children React to 'Moderate' Pollution
October 8, 2003Children with severe asthma start suffering from symptoms even at what are now considered to be acceptable levels of air pollution from low-level ozone, the prime offender. (Reuters)
In Yellowstone, a Subterranean Volcano Exerts Its Influence
October 7, 2003In a few days in July, acidic ground water dissolved parts of the unpaved trails in the Norris Geyser Basin, and the ground temperature of the trails shot up to 200 degrees from the usual maximum of 80. (NYTimes.com)
Shocks May Clean Up Aquifers
October 7, 2003Shock waves could flush pollutants from aquifers, propose Shaul Sorek of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and colleagues. (Nature.com)
Controlled Bushfires Damage - Not Protect - Wildlife
October 6, 2003The controlled burning of vast swathes of bushland in northern Australia every year is damaging biodiversity, not protecting it, according to the results of an eight-year experiment. (NewScientist.com)
Climate Change Shifts Flight Schedules
October 3, 2003In the latest example of nature taking global warming seriously, British birds appear to have shifted their yearly flight schedules by more than a week over the past 30 years. (Science)
Researchers Aim Low for Better Tornado Forecasts
October 2, 2003University researchers will try to improve the forecasting of tornadoes and floods by using small radars that bring weather analysis down to earth, an executive from IBM said. (Reuters)
Huge Iceberg Destroying Antarctic Food Chain
October 2, 2003An Iceberg more than four times the size of Greater London is damaging marine wildlife off the coast of Antarctica by blocking sunlight to a huge expanse of ocean, Nasa scientists said. (The Independent - London)
Arctic Claims Melt with the Ice Cap
October 2, 2003News reports of a widening crack in the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, off the coast of Ellesmere Island, offer a dramatic demonstration of global warming - and, less visibly, of the danger that higher temperatures pose to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. (Toronto Star)
160,000 Said Dying Yearly from Global Warming
October 1, 2003About 160,000 people die every year from side-effects of global warming ranging from malaria to malnutrition and the numbers could almost double by 2020, a group of WHO and other scientists say. (Reuters, CNN.com)
California Moves to End Colorado River Water Wars
October 1, 2003California took a major step this week toward resolving its so-called water wars and reducing the amount it draws from the giant Colorado River, largely at the expense of the state's desert farmers. (Reuters)