Cyclone Nargis decimated part of Myanmar from May 2-4, its huge rains and storm surge flooding the Irrawaddy River delta, killing at least 22,000 people and leaving twice as many missing as of this writing.
Archive for the 'Earth' Category
Why the Myanmar cyclone was so deadly
Published May 9th, 2008 in Hurricanes, Science, Photos, Oceans, Climate & Weather, Earth and Global Warming. 2 CommentsCarbon dioxide, methane on the rise
Published April 29th, 2008 in Science, Arctic, Earth, Climate & Weather and Global Warming. 0 CommentsA new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is not surprising, but it is important: Global levels of carbon dioxide and methane both increased sharply in 2007.
China’s growth brings in more invasive species
Published April 18th, 2008 in Science, Plants, Earth, Animals and Human World. 0 CommentsAs China prepares for the many Olympic athletes and tourists that will visit this summer, it’s already hosting some uninvited Olympic guests: invasive species.
‘Earth: The Sequel’ touts clean-energy inventors
Published March 31st, 2008 in Innovation, Science, Earth, Sustainability, Global Warming and Human World. 1 CommentThis new book tells the stories of the scientists who are blazing trails on the clean-energy frontier, using everything from solar nanotechnology to algae and viruses to create power in new ways.
Even in the United States, some species go extinct
Published March 27th, 2008 in Science, Plants, Earth and Animals. 2 CommentsTwo species have gone extinct since 2001 and at least one other is on the brink of extinction, all because of Bush administration policies that undermine the Endangered Species Act. It seems like a case of politicians ignoring science and the law.
Glacial melt accelerates
Published March 20th, 2008 in Glaciers, Science, Arctic, Earth, Climate & Weather and Global Warming. 1 CommentA new report finds that glaciers around the globe melted and thinned twice as fast in 2006 as they did in 2004. Ice at the North Pole isn’t faring much better: This winter, the thin seasonal ice spread farther than usual, but the thicker perennial ice thinned out and retreated.
Grand Canyon gets flooded, adds some years
Published March 7th, 2008 in Science and Earth. 1 CommentWow, the Grand Canyon made news twice this week: First for a controlled flood to boost the Colorado River’s health; second for a new study that shows the canyon is three times older than we thought.
How does ‘global climate disruption’ sound?
Published February 29th, 2008 in Hurricanes, Science, Oceans, Earth, Global Warming, Climate & Weather and Human World. 7 CommentsThat’s the term we should use instead of “global warming,” says Harvard scientist John Holdren. He argues that “global warming” underrates the problem. Here’s why …
M.I.T. president envisions sustainable energy future
Published February 27th, 2008 in Innovation, Science, Earth, Sustainability, Global Warming and Human World. 0 CommentsRecently I heard M.I.T. President Susan Hockfield speak at a scientific conference about what may be the biggest challenge facing the world: How can the global community meet the needs of people who aspire to better lives — and do it without irreparably harming the planet?
Top 14 engineering challenges of the century
Published February 25th, 2008 in Science, Innovation, Earth, Sustainability and Human World. 5 CommentsA panel of top scientists and engineers from around the globe recently released a list of the top 14 grand engineering challenges of the 21st century. It contains what the group feels needs to be done to help all people and the planet thrive.