By Mary Beth Breckenridge, Akron Beacon Journal 20 April 2012 How strange has this spring been? Denise Ellsworth can tell you exactly. Ellsworth is one of the coordinators of the Ohio Phenology Garden Network, a patchwork of gardens that helps scientists track the timing of natural occurrences. The gardens supply data on when plants bloom, […]
By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com19 April 2012 Most of the Southwest as well as parts of California and the Southeast can expect drought conditions to worsen through July, federal forecasters said Thursday. “Overall, the current Drought Outlook is not optimistic,” the National Weather Service said in summarizing its forecast. Besides affecting farmers and ranchers, drought means […]
By Luzi Ann Javier and Ranjeetha Pakiam17 April 2012 Demand for edible oils is climbing to a record as drought damages crops across South America, leaving buyers with the smallest stockpiles in three decades. The use of soy, palm, rapeseed and six other oils will rise 3.9 percent this year, reducing the ratio of reserves […]
16 February 2012 (UCS) – Federal decision makers need access to the best available science in order to craft policies that protect our health, safety, and environment. Unfortunately, censorship of scientists and the manipulation, distortion, and suppression of scientific information have threatened federal science in recent years. This problem has sparked much debate, but few […]
By Kevin Pieper, USA TODAY18 April 2012 A much-used herbicide, which for years has helped farmers throughout the United States increase profits, is losing its effectiveness and forcing producers to spend more and use more chemicals to control the weeds that threaten yields. “I’ve gone from budgeting $45 an acre just two years ago to […]
Caption by Aries Keck and Mike Carlowicz6 April 2012 The Dead Sea is so named because its high salinity discourages the growth of fish, plants, and other wildlife. This salt lake resides in a depression in the Earth’s crust, where the continents of Africa and Asia are pulling away from each other. It has pulled […]
Corvallis, Oregon, 10 April 2012 (SPX) – A task force that conducted one of the most comprehensive analyses of global “forage fish” populations issued its report this week, which strongly recommends implementing more conservative catch limits for these crucial prey species. The Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force [summary pdf, full pdf] calls for the harvest […]
Tel Aviv, Israel, 13 Apr 2012 (SPX) – Rapidly dropping water levels of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface heralded for its medicinal properties, has been a source of ecological concern for years. Now a drilling project led by researchers from Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University reveals that water levels […]
Contact: Michael Bishop, michael.bishop@iop.org, 01-179-301-032, Institute of Physics12 April 2012 Meat consumption in the developed world needs to be cut by 50 per cent per person by 2050 if we are to meet the most aggressive strategy, set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to reduce one of the most important greenhouse […]
By Lauren Glendenning, lglendenning@vaildaily.com, Vail, Colorado13 April 2012 EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado – The Eagle River basin is melting four to eight weeks earlier than normal this year because of below average snowfall, warm spring temperatures and wind, according to the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, presenting what could be the worst water supply year […]
