Earth
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Agriculture
Herbal Herbicides
Scientists are tapping plants, and the self-defense chemicals they make, for new weed killers, many of which may find use in organic farming.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
National Environmental Education Week
The third annual National Environmental Education Week will take place April 15-22, 2007, culminating with Earth Day on April 22. This site provides information about activities planned for that week. Go to: http://www.eeweek.org/
By Science News -
Earth
High and Dry: Pollution may stifle mountain precipitation
Trends seen in meteorological data gathered on a Chinese mountaintop suggest that air pollution reduces the amount of precipitation that falls in high-altitude regions.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
DNA pinpoints poached ivory tusks
Scientists tracked the origin of an illegal ivory shipment to Zambia by using an improved DNA-analysis technique to study the confiscated tusks.
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Earth
Not-So-Perma Frost
The world's warming climate, as well as ecological shifts in the timing and frequency of wildfires in boreal forests, pose an increasing threat to Arctic permafrost.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Traces of Trouble
Scientists and engineers are investigating how to stem the flow of naturally-occurring and synthetic estrogens that, when released from waste water treatment plants and livestock operations, can harm aquatic life.
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Earth
Equal Opportunity Outcome: Different pollutants show same impact
At concentrations present in the environment, each of three dissimilar toxic agents can seize control of a signaling pathway that regulates developing cells in the central nervous system.
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Earth
Subglacial lakes may influence ice flow
The flow of water into and out of massive, ice-covered lakes in Antarctica may influence the speed at which the overlying glaciers move toward the sea.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Ozone Depletion and Recovery
Answers to questions about ozone depletion and the recovery of the ozone hole are now easy to find by researchers, as well as the general public, through a new online index developed by NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory. The site uses simple graphs and charts to track progress in reducing the threat to Earth’s ozone […]
By Science News -
Earth
Stroke of Good Fortune: A wealth of data from petrified lightning
The lumps of glass created when lightning strikes sandy ground can preserve information about ancient climate.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Electronics Recycling
What do you do with your used, broken, or obsolete electronic devices? Where can you take your electronics, and what should you look for to protect both your identity and the environment? You can find the answers at the Electronics Industry Alliance’s recycling Web site, which provides an online guide to electronics recyclers and disposal […]
By Science News -
Earth
Why So Dry? Ocean temperatures alone don’t explain droughts
Evidence from ancient dunes points to three periods of prolonged drought in the U.S. Great Plains, but finding their causes may be more complex than previously supposed.