Evening planets in January 2015. Brilliant Venus in west at nightfall. Mercury below Venus at nightfall.
Groundbreaking biofuel project brings new life to Cornish mine
A pioneering research project to clean up a flooded Cornish tin mine is using algae to harvest the precious heavy metals in its toxic water, while simultaneously producing biofuel.
Tiny galaxy is Milky Way’s newly-discovered neighbor
Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of a cluster of more than 50 galaxies that make up the ‘Local Group’, a collection that includes the famous Andromeda galaxy and many other far smaller objects. Now a Russian-American team have discovered another galaxy in the our Local Group, a tiny and isolated dwarf galaxy almost 7 million light years … Read More
A Sea Star Epidemic Meets Its Match
Scientists seek to learn why a parovirus present in sea stars since 1942 has become so virulent in recent years. In 1969, ecologist Robert Paine coined the term “keystone species,” in reference to the sea star species Pisaster ochraceus. His experiments, which involved removing coastal sea stars from the ecosystem, caused die-offs, overgrowth, or emigration in surrounding species such as … Read More
A Green Dilemma for the Holidays: Better to Shop Online or In-Store?
Various studies in recent years have suggested that online shopping typically packs a lower carbon punch than shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. But new research suggests the story is more complicated than that. The key, according to a report in the Journal of Cleaner Production, is to minimize the number of miles driven per item — whether by the shopper, a … Read More
Carbon dioxide satellite mission returns first global maps
Nasa’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) has returned its first global maps of the greenhouse gas CO2.
A Proposal for Climate Change Adaptation at the Local Level in Costa Rica
The implementation of climate change adaptation strategies at the municipal level is fundamental for the integration of efforts that would otherwise leave actions uncovered, resulting in a slower, less effective, and more expensive adaptation process.
Asia’s Fragile Caves Face Growing Development Risks
The limestone caves of Southeast Asia and southwest China are home to scores of species of plants and animals, many of them rare. But a rise in tourism, mining, and other human activities is increasingly placing these biodiverse environments at risk.
Counting on Volunteers: Audubon Celebrates its 115th Annual Christmas Bird Count
This year marks Audubon’s 115th annual Christmas Bird Count. Started in 1900, the number of counts has been steadily growing, creating a valuable body of data and offering opportunities for volunteers to develop their skills and build friendships.