ScienceDaily (Mar. 9, 2011) — The ocean traps carbon through two principal mechanisms: a biological pump and a physical pump linked to oceanic currents. A team of researchers from CNRS, IRD, the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, UPMC and UBO (1) have managed to quantify the role of these two pumps in an area of the…

Slovakia’s Tatras Mountains are home to some of Europe’s last brown bears as well as the critically endangered Tatra chamois (mountain goat). Tourism hasn’t always been kind to the furry inhabitants of destinations but that’s changing, with holiday companies realising that their businesses depend on the wellbeing of their destination’s animal attractions.

China must learn lessons from Japan’s nuclear power crisis and ensure its own nuclear power sector develops safely, a top Chinese energy official said, as the country rushes to add new reactors to cut reliance on carbon-intensive coal. Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, was rocked by an explosion…

The United States Geologic Survey, and partners including Montana State University Big Sky Institute, National Biological Information Infrastructure, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, has launched a new website to help us understand, identify, and appreciate the rich diversity of butterflies and moths of North America. The heart of the web site is the Butterflies and…

Any great journey starts out with a little trepidation, think back to your first day of school, walking out into the big wide world (or playground) and then looking back to see your guardian eagerly watching and willing you to keep going. These first steps are always the hardest, and as one of the the…

China’s fight against chronic pollution is faltering in the face of urbanization and rapid growth, though the last five years have seen some progress, the country’s environment ministry said on Saturday. China was still producing more “traditional pollutants” than it could bear, but new industries were also creating torrents of dangerous chemicals and mountains of…

The mysterious collapse of honey-bee colonies is becoming a global phenomenon. Declines in managed bee colonies, seen increasingly in Europe and the US in the past decade, are also now being observed in China and Japan and there are the first signs of African collapses from Egypt, according to the report from the United Nations.…

TOKYO—The most surprising thing about the magnitude-8.9 earthquake that hit Japan today is that it was a surprise. Despite what may be the world’s most intensive effort to map faults and assess risks by a notoriously earthquake-prone and earthquake-conscious nation, such a strong quake was not anticipated for the region, says University of Tokyo geophysicist…

(Reuters) – The biggest earthquake on record to hit Japan struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-meter tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings. The Red Cross in Geneva said the wall of water was higher than some Pacific islands and a tsunami warning was…

You may have already heard, but there’s a lawsuit pending against the USGBC. The plaintiffs claim that they are “losing customers because USGBC’s false advertisements mislead the consumer into believing that obtaining LEED certification incorporates construction techniques that achieve energy-efficiency.” If you’re looking for an article that jumps on that train, you’re in the wrong…