September 3, 2010
- Researchers in the African nation of Guinea have observed male chimps in the wild that have learned to spring snares set by humans without getting caught in the traps. Their findings, reported in the journal Primates, apparently mark the first time that chimps have been observed demonstrating the intelligence needed to identify a snare and then figure out how to deactivate it…
- More than 80 percent of the agricultural land created in the developing world between 1980 and 2000 came from cutting down tropical forests, a continuing trend that has serious implications for biodiversity loss and global warming, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. Analyzing Landsat satellite data, the researchers determined that roughly half a million…
September 2, 2010
- A new study contradicts the widely held hypothesis that fear of recently reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone National Park would force elk to browse more selectively and therefore lead to a resurgence of growth of aspen trees. In fact, a study conducted by Matthew Kauffman, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, found that since wolves were reintroduced in the park in 1995, elk have continued…
- The most comprehensive study to date comparing commercial organic farms with conventional farms shows that the organic farms produce more flavorful and nutritious fruit and help create soils with superior chemical and biological properties. Researchers from Washington State University, conducting a multi-disciplinary study of 13 organic and 13 conventional strawberry farms in California, found…
- The freshwater eel, which spawns in the middle of the ocean, was once abundant in much of the world. But the proliferation of dams, coastal development, and overfishing have drastically reduced eel populations, with few defenders coming to the aid of these fascinating — though still not fully understood — creatures. BY JAMES PROSEK
September 1, 2010
- Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research reported that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon declined 48 percent in the past year, falling from 1,689 square miles to 886 square miles for the 12-month period ending July 31. A Brazilian conservation group, Imazon, issued a more conservative estimate, saying deforestation…
August 31, 2010
- The Obama administration has proposed adding new labels to showroom vehicles that give letter grades based on their fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. The new labels, which U.S. officials hope to introduce for 2012 models, would provide consumers with more complete information on efficiency and environmental performance, including associated air pollutants. “From electric to…
- In an upcoming book, high-profile global warming skeptic Bjorn Lomborg acknowledges that rising temperatures are “undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today” and calls for investing $100 billion annually to deal with climate change. Lomborg, who has attacked environmentalists and the media for exaggerating the threat of global warming, said that while he…
August 30, 2010
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) needs to fundamentally change its management structure, more carefully review the conclusions stated in its periodic reports, and more fully reflect the views of dissenting scientists, according to an independent report. The report, conducted by the…
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) needs to fundamentally change its management structure, more carefully review the conclusions stated in its periodic reports, and more fully reflect the views of dissenting scientists, according to an independent report. The report, conducted by the…