http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/environmental_issues/ News on Environmental Issues. Research articles on global warming, ozone depletion, air and water pollution, acid rain, waste management and more. en-us Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:05:01 EST Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/environmental_issues/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311074121.htm Mandated increases in the production of maize-derived ethanol will lead to land-use changes that boost carbon dioxide emissions enough to make the fuel a worse environmental option than burning gasoline, according to a new analysis. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311074121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311141213.htm The increased frequency and intensity of oxygen-deprived "dead zones" along the world's coasts can negatively impact environmental conditions in far more than local waters. Scientists explain that the increased amount of nitrous oxide produced in hypoxic waters can elevate concentrations in the atmosphere, further exacerbating the impacts of global warming and contributing to ozone "holes" that increase our exposure to harmful UV radiation. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311141213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134255.htm In a finding that may speed efforts to conserve oil and intensify the search for alternative fuel sources, scientists in Kuwait predict that world conventional crude oil production will peak in 2014 -- almost a decade earlier than some other predictions. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134150.htm In a surprise with implications for air quality, researchers have found that chemistry involving airborne chloride, thought to be restricted to sea spray, occurs at similar rates in air above Boulder, Colo., nearly 900 miles away from any ocean. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225151922.htm Visitors to national parks and forests are encouraged to use bear spray when they encounter grizzlies, but disposing of the bear spray canisters is a problem that students have addressed. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225151922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311092420.htm Specialists from various Earth system science disciplines recently gathered to address a major question: what will our environment look like in the future? Of course, possible answers to this question raise even more questions. For instance, if changing climatic conditions were to alter local vegetation, how would this new landscape react to future climatic trends? Answering these questions with certainty would allow us to manage better our natural resources by defining appropriate planning and mitigation actions. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311092420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311092124.htm Phosphorus is just as important to agriculture as water. But a lack of availability and accessibility of phosphorus is an emerging problem that threatens our capacity to feed the global population. Like nitrogen and potassium, it is a nutrient that plants take up from the soil and it is crucial to soil fertility and crop growth. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311092124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134258.htm People in seven European countries have positive attitudes toward a new eco-friendly toilet that could substantially reduce pollution problems and conserve water and nutrients, scientists in Switzerland are reporting. Their article calls on authorities to give wider support for the innovative toilet technology. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310134258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308203308.htm Researchers in Austria are investigating the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on our planet's shape, its rotation and its gravitational field. The researchers' aim is to develop a better understanding of the Earth's system and to support the development of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308203308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310191910.htm The UK's main public funders of food-related research and training will today (11 March) join together to launch a new program aimed at meeting the challenge of providing the world's growing population with a sustainable, secure supply of good quality food using less land and fewer resources. The organizations will work together through a new program -- Global Food Security -- to coordinate and align their research interests. By working together to develop strategy and identify shared goals the partners aim to harness the country's world-leading research base to help to deliver healthy, sustainable food for all. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310191910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310162831.htm Since 2004, University at Buffalo anthropologist Ezra Zubrow has worked intensively with teams of scientists in the Arctic regions of St. James Bay, Quebec, northern Finland and Kamchatka to understand how humans living 4,000 to 6,000 years ago reacted to climate changes. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310162831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309083700.htm The recently observed reduction in air pollution implies that more solar radiation reaches Earth’s surface. This could lead to a far more rapid increase in Earth’s temperature in the coming decades than has previously been expected. In order to successfully combat global warming, it is crucial that scientists incorporate increases in CO₂ emissions reductions as well as reductions in air pollution in the calculations, according to a new analysis based on unique solar radiation data collected from weather stations between 1959 and 2002. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309083700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309171425.htm A new study reviews the possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution to the New York/New Jersey Harbor. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309171425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308151041.htm Scientists report that over a third of carbon dioxide emissions associated with consumption of goods and services in many developed countries are actually emitted outside their borders. The study finds that, per person, about 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide are consumed in the US but produced somewhere else. For Europeans, the figure can exceed four tons per person. Most of these emissions are outsourced to developing countries, especially China. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308151041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111912.htm At the end of the last interglacial epoch, around 115,000 years ago, there were significant climate fluctuations. In Central and Eastern Europe, the slow transition from the Eemian Interglacial to the Weichselian Glacial was marked by a growing instability in vegetation trends with possibly at least two warming events. This is the finding of German and Russian climate researchers who have evaluated geochemical and pollen analyses of lake sediments in Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Russia. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302171523.htm Findings come from a comprehensive study that evaluated marathon race results, weather data, and air pollutant concentrations in seven marathons over a period of 8 to 28 years. The top three male and female finishing times were compared with the course record and contrasted with air pollutant levels, taking high temperatures that were detrimental to performance into consideration. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302171523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304142240.htm A section of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that holds vast stores of frozen methane is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas, according to new research. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304142240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302083456.htm California's dirty air caused more than $193 million in hospital-based medical care from 2005 to 2007 as people sought help for problems such as asthma and pneumonia triggered by elevated pollution levels, according to a new study. While much work has been done previously to catalog the economic impact of air pollution across California, the study is the first to quantify the cost of hospital-based medical care caused by the dirty air. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302083456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111918.htm With concern over mercury contamination of tuna on the rise and growing information about the health effects of eating contaminated fish, scientists would like to know exactly where the pollutant is coming from and how it's getting into open-ocean fish species. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302162259.htm Currently, beachgoers are informed about water quality conditions based on results from the previous day's sample. Scientists must collect samples in the field, then return to a lab to culture them for analysis -- a process that takes a minimum of 24 hours. Now, engineers have sped up the process of analyzing bacterial concentrations to under one hour, through the development of a new in-field, rapid detection method. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302162259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303114001.htm Chemicals that helped solve a global environmental crisis in the 1990s -- the hole in Earth's protective ozone layer -- may be making another problem -- acid rain -- worse, scientists are reporting. A new study analyzes the effect of chemicals that replaced the ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons once used in aerosol spray cans, air conditioners, refrigerators, and other products. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303114001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301151925.htm Scientists broadly agree that global warming may threaten the survival of many plant and animal species; but global warming did not kill the Monteverde golden toad, an often cited example of climate-triggered extinction, says a new study. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301151925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218110933.htm Scientists have investigated the distribution and abundance of Antarctica's vast marine biodiversity with the Census of Antarctic Marine Life. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218110933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111920.htm Following an intense study of agricultural ecosystems near Montreal, a new tool that enables the simultaneous analysis and management of a wide range of ecological services has been developed. Environmental management typically focuses on nature's resources like food, wildlife and timber, but can miss hidden ecosystem services such as water purification, climate moderation and the regulation of nutrient cycling. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302084740.htm NASA's Aquarius instrument, and the Argentinian spacecraft that will carry it into space, the Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D), successfully rode out one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history Feb. 27 with no problems. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302084740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226214742.htm Dead and deformed fish indicate selenium pollution from mountaintop coal mining is causing permanent damage to the environment and poses serious health risks, says a biologist. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226214742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184329.htm The impact of global warming on food prices and hunger could be large over the next 20 years. But even as some poor populations are hurt, others would be helped out of poverty, according to a new study. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226093238.htm Ocean temperature patterns in the tropics and subtropics will change in ways that will lead to significant changes in rainfall patterns, according to new research. Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226093238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222094803.htm Marine reserves are increasingly important for species that are being forced by climate change to move to a new home, adapt to new conditions or die. Biologists have now compared the relative benefits of large and small protected areas in perpetuating populations. Interestingly they have also found a coral species that has developed the "skills" to cope with rising temperatures. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222094803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224214653.htm For decades, climatologists have studied the gases and particles that have potential to alter Earth's climate. They have discovered and described certain airborne chemicals that can trap incoming sunlight and warm the climate, while others cool the planet by blocking the Sun's rays. Now a new study offers a more intuitive way to understand what's changing the Earth's climate. Rather than analyzing impacts by chemical species, scientists have analyzed the climate impacts by different economic sectors. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224214653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219115353.htm Ships blowing off steam are helping researchers understand how human-made particles might be useful against global warming. New results from modeling clouds like those seen in shipping lanes reveal the complex interplay between aerosols, the prevailing weather and even the time of day the aerosol particles hit the air, according to new research. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219115353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219115346.htm Approaches to formulating geoengineering solutions to global environmental challenges such as climate change are often too one-dimensional, an Arizona expert argues. They fail to move beyond a technical framework and deal with the many societal, cultural and ethical issues that will arise in any large-scale efforts to alter or counteract atmospheric and climate conditions, he says. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219115346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165225.htm More frequent tropical cyclones in Earth's ancient past contributed to persistent El Niño-like conditions, according to a team of climate scientists. Their findings could have implications for the planet's future as global temperatures continue to rise due to climate change. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223163004.htm Climatologists have long known that human-produced greenhouse gases have been the dominant drivers of Earth's observed warming since the start of the Industrial Revolution. But other factors also affect our planet's temperature. Of these, the ocean plays a dominant role. Its effects helped nudge global temperatures slightly higher in 2009, and, according to NASA scientists, could well contribute to making 2010 the warmest year on record. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223163004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216113559.htm Most Americans like the idea of conservation, but few practice it in their everyday lives, according to the results of a national survey. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216113559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165214.htm A new study supports an earlier report that found polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments lining the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal in East Chicago, Ind. The study also presents data showing that the sediments are a significant source of PCBs found in surrounding air and in Lake Michigan. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222081911.htm Unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials, many developing countries face the specter of fast-rising hazardous e-waste mountains this coming decade with serious consequences for the environment and public health, according to experts. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222081911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100221200908.htm How vulnerable are coral reefs to climate change due to higher ocean temperatures? Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100221200908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223163159.htm Climatologists have long known that human-produced greenhouse gases have been the dominant drivers of Earth's observed warming since the start of the Industrial Revolution. But other factors also affect our planet's temperature. Of these, the ocean plays a dominant role. Its effects helped nudge global temperatures slightly higher in 2009, and, according to NASA scientists, could well contribute to making 2010 the warmest year on record. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223163159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223101424.htm Global chemical companies could release at least one billion Euro in cash flow if they increase their sustainability performance. The claim has been made following an international study which assessed the sustainability performance of nine global chemical companies in monetary terms. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223101424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222120137.htm Ice shelves are retreating in the southern section of the Antarctic Peninsula due to climate change, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey. This could result in glacier retreat and sea-level rise if warming continues, threatening coastal communities and low-lying islands worldwide, experts say. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222120137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140309.htm Corals that harbor unusual species of symbiotic algae have been discovered thriving in water that is too warm for most other corals. The discovery gives hope that coral reefs and the ecosystems they support may persist -- at least in some places -- in the face of global warming. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224183121.htm NASA is preparing to launch the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P (GOES-P) from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch is targeted for March 2. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224183121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218125535.htm Although stagnant weather patterns are often difficult to predict, researchers are now studying whether increasing planet temperatures and carbon dioxide levels could lead to atmospheric blocking and when this blocking might occur, leading to more accurate forecasts. Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218125535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219123517.htm New evidence shows that dust storms may exist in the arctic, possibly caused by receding glaciers, which may be making deposits similar to those transported from the deserts of Africa to the southern US and Caribbean. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100219123517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184317.htm Today's emerging sustainability challenges are complex and new to everyone. By focusing on the needs of decision-makers first, then working collaboratively with experts and applying the insights from current research in multiple disciplines, the best decisions can be identified and adapted to become sustainable actions. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216221305.htm Pumping nutrient-rich water up from the deep ocean to boost algal growth in sunlit surface waters and draw carbon dioxide down from the atmosphere has been touted as a way of ameliorating global warming. However, a new study points out the difficulties with such an approach. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216221305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210131946.htm An international team of climate scientists will take a new approach to modeling Earth's climate future. The next set of models will include, for the first time, tightly linked analyses of greenhouse gas emissions, projections of Earth's climate, impacts of climate change, and human decision-making. This approach will influence the next international scientific assessment undertaken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210131946.htm