Melting glacier in Italy gets a giant thermal blanket

By Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil  on 07. 8.10 In hopes of slowing the rate at which ice is melting in the mountains of northern Italy, officials have begun covering one their most threatened glaciers with insulating fabric, creating what is essentially a giant security blanket to help keep the ice from melting in the […]

Heat waves could be commonplace in the US by 2039

  ScienceDaily (July 9, 2010) — Exceptionally long heat waves and other hot events could become commonplace in the United States in the next 30 years, according to a new study by Stanford University climate scientists. “Using a large suite of climate model experiments, we see a clear emergence of much more intense, hot conditions […]

30-year mortgage rates fall to record low

  By CalculatedRisk 7/08/2010 02:16:00 PM This graph shows the 30 year fixed rate mortgage interest rate from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey®. The red line is a quarterly estimate from the BEA of the effective rate of interest on all outstanding mortgages (Owner- and Tenant-occupied residential housing). The effective rate on outstanding […]

Under the sands of Gulf Coast beaches, BP oil hidden from easy cleanup

The Associated PressAssociated Press Writer Mary Foster contributed to this report from Grand Isle, La.Published: Wednesday, July 07, 2010, 2:29 PM GULF SHORES, Ala. — There’s a dirty secret buried under Gulf of Mexico beaches after cleanup workers scrape away the oil washing ashore. Walk to a seemingly pristine patch of sand, plop down in […]

At least 58 Alabama patients treated for oil-related ailments, say health officials

By Casandra Andrews, Press-RegisterPublished: Wednesday, July 07, 2010, 2:08 PM MOBILE, Ala. — Alabama Department of Public Health officials reported today that at least 58 people have gone to local emergency rooms, clinics and urgent care centers since May 14 complaining of ailments thought to be related to the oil spill. That compares with 28,835 […]

Kidnapped activist: Violence a part of the illegal Indonesia timber trade

By Jeremy Hance, www.mongabay.comJuly 07, 2010 An interview with Faith Doherty. The European parliament made a historical move today when it voted overwhelmingly to ban illegal timber from its markets. For activists worldwide the ban on illegal timber in the EU is a reason to celebrate, but for one activist, Faith Doherty of the Environmental […]

Graph of the Day: Observed and Projected Deforestation in Borneo, 1950-2020

In Indonesia, forests cover 463,000 square miles, which ranks behind only Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in size. But rampant illegal logging has made those forests among the most endangered on the planet and has depressed timber prices worldwide. In the 1960s, about 82 percent of Indonesia was forested. By 1995, forest cover […]

Clownfish swim toward predators as CO2 levels rise

If you think the stars of Pixar’s Finding Nemo had it rough, spare a thought for the plight of real clownfish. These popular fish may struggle to survive in oceans that are becoming enriched with carbon dioxide. High levels of CO2 dissolved in the water can muddle a clownfish’s sense of smell, preventing it from […]

As the world’s ice melts, the US Navy’s role grows

By Derrick Z. JacksonBoston Globe Columnist / July 7, 2010 WHEN THE chief of naval operations of the United States starts rattling off global fishing statistics without notes and frets about climate change like an MIT scientist, we should all stand at attention. If Admiral Gary Roughead had his way, it would be full speed […]

In Congo forest, bushmeat trade threatens Pygmies

By TODD PITMAN, Associated Pressupdated 7/3/2010 9:39:02 PM ET THE ITURI FOREST, Congo — They emerge from the stillness of the rainforest like a lost tribe of prehistoric warriors forgotten by time — a barefoot band of Mbuti Pygmies wielding iron-tipped spears. The men come first, cloaked head to toe in coiled hunting nets shaved […]

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