EarthScape

There was a time in the South when planting kudzu was not viewed as botanical vandalism, but as a community-spirited gesture. The vine, imported from Asia, was intended to control erosion and provide forage for livestock. Some things just don’t work out.

Paris is a tourist destination of choice for many reasons. Thankfully, a convenient and extensive rail system allows one to navigate around the city. Of course, like many public transport systems, summer, and even other times of the year, can generate some body heat. Located on rue Beaubourg, close to the Rambuteau station, the building…

Last week, more than 100 police officers raided restaurants in Da Lat City, Vietnam. What they found was unappetizing: illegally poached animals of nearly 20 species. The authorities arrested more than a dozen restaurant owners for planning to serve meals of pangolins, porcupines, mouse deer, monitor lizards, bears, snakes, and other rare animals—amounting to more…

A team of U.S. scientists and environmentalists met with Cuban officials this week to discuss a proposed alliance, including Mexico, to protect the Gulf of Mexico’s declining shark population. The meetings were a product of both improved U.S.-Cuba relations and concern that only a joint effort by the three nations that share the gulf can…

The state of Alaska has filed a petition in federal court to overturn the Obama administration’s moratorium on drilling in federal waters of the Arctic, even though Interior Department officials insist that no such formal moratorium exists. The state’s legal petition, filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, says the Interior Department “arbitrarily and capriciously…

Yellowstone Park is a somewhat dormant super volcano site full of fuming vents and hot geysers. A plume of molten rock rising from deep beneath Yellowstone National Park is probably what is fueling the region’s volcanic activity, as well as tectonic plate oddities across the Pacific Northwest, new research suggests.

There has been much already said about how being physically fit promotes better health and long life. Apparently such positive benefits can be seen in much smaller every day activities. People who are better at simple physical acts such as gripping, walking, rising from a chair and balancing on one leg are more likely to…

There is widespread knowledge of airborne creatures taking to the water. Everybody knows about ducks and geese, penguins, and seabirds that dive for their prey. But, there is scant attention for the seaborne creatures that take to the air. Flying fish really do fly. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology takes…

We have seen a marriage of the energy efficiency and solar energy industries as the US has worked to green its buildings. In fact, some financing programs require that all cost-effective efficiency be pursued before solar panels are installed. Here Elisa Wood interviews Liz Merry, owner of Verve Solar Consulting, about how the solar industry…

Methane is a significant green house gas that can lead to global warming. It is also commonly produced by many animals including humans and cattle. Cow belches, a major source of greenhouse gases, could be decreased by an unusual feed supplement developed by a Penn State dairy scientist.