Earth

Earth

Are pollutants shrinking polar bear gonads?

New research links persistent pollutants with reproductive impairment in polar bears.

Earth

When a Shot Is Not: PCBs may impair vaccine-induced immunity

Exposure to certain pollutants early in life may do lasting harm to the immune system by blocking its response to vaccinations.

Earth

Mercury Rising: Natural wildfires release pollutant

Fires in high-latitude forests and peaty soils of the Northern Hemisphere may loft hundreds of tons of mercury into the atmosphere each year.

Earth

Holy Smoke: Burning incense, candles pollute air in churches

Incense and candles release substantial quantities of pollutants that may harm health.

Earth

Grand Canyon fish seem to be rebounding

The population of humpback chub, an endangered fish found only in the Colorado River and its tributaries, may be stabilizing in some sections of the Grand Canyon.

Earth

Air conditioning could heat the world

Global warming predicted for the coming decades may decrease winter heating bills in some parts of the United States, but producing the extra electricity needed for summertime air conditioning will create increased emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

Earth

Rogue alga routed

An invasive-species action team has eradicated one of the world's worst weeds, a marine alga, from a California lagoon, its only known foothold in North America.

Earth

Earthquake Hazards

To keep up with the latest rumblings around the globe, the U.S. Geological Service offers a Web site with current earthquake data. The site also includes information about significant earthquakes of the past, megaquakes and Hollywood disaster movies, and a section for kids, which has games, puzzles, science project ideas, and more. Go to: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

Earth

Macho Moms: Perchlorate pollutant masculinizes fish

Perchlorate, a compound best known as a component of rocket fuel, can disrupt sexual development in fish.

Earth

Obsidian artifacts can record ancient climate

The layer of hydrated material that forms on the surface of ancient obsidian artifacts as they age can be used to estimate the temperatures that the artifacts have experienced.

Earth

As glaciers shrink, the Alps get taller

The melting of massive glaciers in the Alps is removing weight from those peaks and causing them to gain altitude.

Earth

Stung Lung: Volatile chemical may cut respiratory capacity

Para-dichlorobenzene, a chemical in some air fresheners and pest-control products, may slightly impair lung function in millions of people.