Earth

  1. Humans

    Contrasting the concerns over climate and ozone loss

    On November 7, ozone and climate scientists met in Washington, D.C., to discuss whether the history of stratospheric ozone protection offered a useful case study about how to catalyze global action on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The simple answer that emerged: No.

    By
  2. Earth

    Pollution may be strengthening Asian cyclones

    Sooty brown clouds may underlie the recent emergence of mega-storms striking from India to the Middle East.

    By
  3. Humans

    Infected bats can recover . . . with lots of help

    Researchers reported new data today confirming that with enough coddling, many heavily infected bats can recover. The rub: These scientists also pointed out that there really aren’t sufficient resources to save more than a handful this way.

    By
  4. Earth

    A particulate threat to diabetics

    As levels of soot and other fine air pollutants increased, so did blood pressure in patients whose disease was not well-controlled, a study finds.

    By
  5. Humans

    Sarah’s tale of Arctic warming

    Over a half-century or so, Sarah James' town of some 150 Athabascan Indians has watched as the formerly extreme but fairly predictable climate in this amazingly remote region of inland Alaska has become warmer and more erratic. Overall, that’s definitely not been a change for the better, she says. James ventured to South Florida this week — and the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual meeting — to describe what it’s like to weather life on the frontlines of climate change.

    By
  6. Paleontology

    Oxygen blew up ancient amoebas

    Single-celled creatures' size spiked as oxygen levels rose.

    By
  7. Earth

    Trees have a tipping point

    Satellite data confirm that the amount of forest cover can shift suddenly in response to relatively small changes in fire frequency and rainfall.

    By
  8. Humans

    Columbus’ arrival linked to carbon dioxide drop

    The depopulation of the Americas due to introduced European diseases may have spurred Europe's Little Ice Age.

    By
  9. Chemistry

    Cloud seeding by trees could alter precipitation, climate

    Some tree pollens shed molecules that can affect precipitation.

    By
  10. Earth

    Solar changes help create cold northern winters

    Fluctuations in ultraviolet light can set up frigid, snowy conditions across parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

    By
  11. Life

    When snowpack shrinks, elk can binge on aspen

    As winters warm in the Rockies, majestic grazers may be threatening iconic Western tree.

    By
  12. Humans

    Really bad year for Arctic sea ice

    On October 4, the National Snow and Ice Data Center posted information on its website indicating that the summer melt of sea ice in the Arctic, this year, approached — but did not quite match — the record set four years ago. A team of European scientists now concludes NSIDC underestimated those Arctic losses.

    By