Science News Briefs From Around the Globe
A few very brief reports about science and technology from around the globe, including one from Mongolia on horse dentistry.
Environment9113 articles archived since 1845
Tiny Island Nation to Host World's Largest Microgrid
Palau, under threat from sea level rise, wants to have 70 percent renewable energy by 2050
What's in a Half a Degree? 2 Very Different Future Climates
A new IPCC report shows the impacts in the near future that can be avoided by limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius instead of 2 degrees C
Solar Eclipse Was a Buzzkill for Bees
Bees suddenly fell silent when the sun disappeared during last year's solar eclipse—perhaps because they were tricked into night mode. Christopher Intagliata reports.
The U.S. Has 1 Million Electric Vehicles, but Does It Matter?
Transportation is the largest, fastest-growing contributor to emissions in the country
Huge Iceberg Poised to Break Off Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier
Scientists are concerned the glacier is spawning icebergs more frequently than it used to
Economics Nobel Highlights Climate Action Necessity
William Nordhaus shared the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, "for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis,” with Paul Romer, "for integrating technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis."
To Get to a Zero-Carbon World, a Firm Time Line Is Needed
Too much focus is being put on how much carbon can still be emitted to achieve warming goals, experts say
Limiting Warming to 1.5° Celsius Will Require Drastic Action, IPCC Says
Humanity has a limited window to avoid the more dire effects of climate change, according to a new climate report
Highway Crossings Protect Migrating Pronghorns—and Motorists
Twice a year, thousands of pronghorn antelope and mule deer migrate through Wyoming, and newly built highway crossings are sparing the lives of animals—and motorists. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Diverse Forests Capture More Carbon
Replanting forests with a mix of trees, rather than one species, will sequester more carbon dioxide
Huh? Carbon Dioxide Emissions Raise Risk of Satellite Collisions
European agency might actively remove space junk to reduce costly crashes
Better Living through Evolution: Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Frances Arnold, George Smith and Gregory Winter shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for using evolutionary principles to create highly efficient enzymes and antibodies, with numerous practical applications.
In Comments on New Climate Report, U.S. Plays Up Uncertainties, Fossil Fuels
Government representatives are weighing in before a final international report on limiting warming is released
Mammals Shrink When Humans Migrate In
Where humans migrate, mammals become smaller
Nobel in Chemistry for New and Useful Chemical Entities via Evolutionary Principles
Frances H. Arnold, George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter share the 2018 chemistry Nobel for developing evolutionary-based techniques that lead to the creation of new chemical entities with useful properties.
The EPA's Climate Rollbacks Could Mean Thousands of Premature Deaths
Climate regulations targeted by the Trump administration would also have reduced harmful pollutants
Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight Has Consequences for Climate Law
The Supreme Court could hear cases related to the EPA’s climate obligations and other environmental issues
Private Company Plans to Launch More Greenhouse Gas–Detecting Satellites
The detectors aim to help oil and gas companies pinpoint methane leaks in their operations
Oil Drillers' Attempts to Avoid Earthquakes May Make Them Worse
Shallow wastewater injections—supposedly safer—can cause big, far-flung quakes, study says