A scientific expedition into the pristine “Lost World” of western New Guinea’s Foja Mountains – Asia Pacific’s largest un-roaded tropical forest – has yielded numerous treasures including documentation of rare and little known birds and the discovery of two mammals new to science. Return expeditions in 2008 and 2009 hope to find new species of frogs, mammals, butterflies and plants … Read More
National Park Plans to Cull Its Herd of Elk
A plan expected to be approved by the US National Park Service blames Rocky Mountain National Park’s herds of elk for ecological degradation in the park and will mandate the killing of 200 of the animals each year starting in 2009. National Park Service officials say hired sharpshooters will attempt to mimick hunting by wolves – which naturally culled herds … Read More
Russia Delivers First Nuclear Fuel to Iran
The first batch of Russian uranium 235 nuclear fuel was delivered to the Iranian nuclear power plant in Bushehr on Decemeber 16. Russia, who built the Bushehr plant under contract, delayed the first delivery of nuclear fuel due to international pressure concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions. With delivery expected to be completed in the next two months the plant could be … Read More
Habitat Loss Forces India's Tigers to High Ground
Human development, encroachment, habitat destruction and poaching are forcing India’s tigers into new terrain not known to be normal territory for the cats. India is home to about 1,200 tigers – half the global population – which are not very adaptable to such changes and whose existence is still in peril.
Reversal by U.S. Yields Climate Plan
After two weeks of discussion, delegates from 187 countries were able to reach agreement on the need for a new climate accord to be negotiated by 2009. Agreement to broker a new accord came only after an apparent reversal of the US position in the closing hours of the conference. The new plan does not include binding agreements to cut … Read More
NASA Hurricane Animation Improves Storm Damage Prediction
A student intern science team has developed new computer graphics using data from the NASA QuickScat satellite, TRMM, Jason-1 and Aqua that will yield a better understanding of the potential destructiveness of Pacific storms.
More Than 1/4 of US Birds Are Threatened
Watchlist 2007, a report by the National Audobon Society and the American Bird Conservancy, says that more than a quarter of US bird species are threatened including 178 species from the continental US and 39 from Hawaii. The reports cites global warming, US governmental stance on the Endangered Species Act, and habitat loss as critical factors.
Arctic Summers Ice-Free "by 2013"
As the observed rate of summer ice melt in the Arctic begins to run ahead of projections, a study done by US scientists shows previous models as underestimating processes driving ice loss and that Arctic summers could be ice-free as soon as 2013.
The Pitfalls of Energy Efficiency
Physicist Rick Marshall employs the three laws of thermodynamics to debunk a popular way of combatting climate change, showing that energy efficiency might not actually reduce energy demand.
"The Biggest Environmental Crime in History"
In what environmentalists are deeming “the greatest environmental crime in history,” the British oil company, BP, is investing $1.5 billion in a project to extract oil from tar sands in the Canadian wilderness – a method that is both highly inefficient and ecologically destructive – effectively departing from its eco-friendly image under the “Beyond Petroleum” motto.