Latest Environmental science Stories

New clues as to how the Earth's remote ecosystems have been influenced by the Industrial Revolution are frozen in glaciers, according to a paper in the March issue of Nature Geoscience. "Remote regions are often perceived as being pristine and devoid of human influence," said Aron Stubbins, the study's lead author and an assistant professor at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. "Glaciers show us that burning fuels has an impact upon the natural functioning of ecosystems far removed...

To better predict the future, Jack Williams is looking to the past. "Environmental change is altering the composition and function of ecological communities," says the Bryson Professor of Climate, People, and the Environment in the University of Wisconsin–Madison geography department. Williams also directs the Center for Climatic Research in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. On Monday, Feb. 20, Williams is speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association of the...

The past decade has witnessed a significant growth in Asian air pollution, causing a great concern for air quality and climate. If government policy makers hope to contain the problem, they will need increased research and better computer models of black carbon and other aerosol pollutants, also known as atmospheric brown cloud (ABC), according to University of Iowa engineering professor Gregory Carmichael. Carmichael made the case for more research and better-informed policy makers when...

Fossil fuel signature found in Alaskan ice New clues as to how the Earth's remote ecosystems have been influenced by the industrial revolution are locked, frozen in the ice of glaciers. That is the finding of a group of scientists, including Robert Spencer of the Woods Hole Research Center. The research will be published in the March 2012 issue of Nature Geoscience. Globally, glacier ice loss is accelerating, driven in part by the deposition of carbon in the form of soot or "black...

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and representatives from several other nations joined forces on Thursday to announce the formation of a new international coalition focused on reducing "short-lived" climate pollutant levels. According to John M. Broder of the New York Times, the nations are looking to curb emissions of soot (also known as black carbon), methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (which are used as refrigerants). Broder reports that these substances "contribute to...

Despite improvements in air quality, the economic impact of air pollution in China costs billions of dollars in health care, report researchers from MIT. The new study shows that the economic impact from ozone and particulates in the air in China has increased. The study analyzed the costs associated with health impacts from ozone and particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It was found that, after quantifying costs from both lost labor and the...

[ Animation of Hurricane Igor Surface Winds ] ESA’s Earth Explorers have again shown how they are surpassing expectations. Designed to map soil moisture and ocean salinity, the versatile SMOS satellite has demonstrated that it can also offer unique information to improve hurricane forecasts. The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite carries a novel microwave radiometer to capture images of ‘brightness temperature’. These images correspond to radiation emitted from the...

The effects of climate change could expose Australians to greater risks from toxic contamination, a leading scientist has warned. Increased flooding could release contaminants previously regarded as secure into groundwater, rivers, oceans, the food supply and atmosphere, the director of the CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Professor Ravi Naidu said today. “Most of our urban landfills contain highly toxic substances from past decades – and were...

The discovery of a carcinogenic substance has led officials to warn millions of people in southern China not to drink water from a pair of polluted rivers, various media outlets reported on Friday. According to Reuters, more than three and a half million people living in Liuzhou in the Guangxi region have been advised to not consume water from the Liujiang River, the main source of drinking water in the area, due to high levels of the cancer-causing agent cadmium. Earlier this week, the...

DENVER, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Augusta Resource Corporation (TSX/NYSE Amex: AZC) ("Augusta") is pleased to announce the completion of the public hearings on the draft EIS and to provide an update on the permitting process for its Rosemont Copper project. USFS Environmental Impact Statement The final public hearing on the Rosemont draft EIS was held on January 14, with a public comment submission deadline scheduled for January 18, 2012. The USFS Coronado National Forest has...