In The News

Andrew C. Revkin August 5, 2006
A recent change in NASA’s mission statement has consequences, because many staff refer to that statement when crafting research proposals and agendas. The mission statement used to read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.” But earlier this year, NASA officials deleted reference...
Jonathan Watts July 19, 2006
Hydro-engineers making their way to the Chezhou village in rural China didn’t expect a warm welcome, but never imagined they would be held hostage by villagers angry about the construction of a dam that will force them to abandon their homeland. The government has proposed a dam for one of China’s most ecologically diverse and beautiful areas – the Tiger Leaping Gorge. While villagers have staged...
Tom Paulson July 11, 2006
Richard Feely of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has long reported on how carbon emissions increase acidity of the world’s oceans. In June, a panel of scientists confirmed his findings about the destruction of ocean habitat in a federal report. The report recommends more fieldwork about the effect of carbon dioxide in acidifying the ocean. The oceans have long absorbed...
Robert Lee Hotz July 10, 2006
Climate changes – and not just land-use or forest management practices – are responsible for an increasing number of wildfires, researchers conclude after studying 34 years worth of data. The scientists also blame greenhouse gas emissions and other types of pollution for wildfire seasons that lengthen with every passing year. Wildfires affect much of the western US, but are most prevalent in the...
Keith Bradsher June 16, 2006
Currently, China uses more coal than the US, the European Union and Japan combined. China’s global-warming gases such as carbon dioxide will “probably exceed that for all industrialized countries over the next 25 years,” note journalists Keith Bradsher and David Barboza in “The New York Times.” These emissions have widespread impact, increasing global temperatures and releasing harmful sulfur...
June 12, 2006
As governments slowly come to realize that oil is a finite commodity, biofuels attract more attention worldwide. Brazil is the foremost producer of biofuels with the US gaining. The German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection released an in-depth analysis of the potential risks and benefits of biofuels. Among the risks posed are potential competition between food and...
John Vidal June 9, 2006
Desert cities all over the globe move closer to becoming completely unlivable. Rising temperatures and lack of rain in such areas from Phoenix in the US to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia are affecting as many as 500 million people worldwide with rising water tables beneath irrigated soils, leading to increased salinization. This phenomenon affects large tracts of land all over central and south Asia,...