Environment11464 articles archived since 1845

Flu Factories

The next pandemic virus may be circulating on U.S. pig farms, but health officials are struggling to see past the front gate

Genomes for wild strawberries and fine cacao sequenced

Can chocolate-dipped strawberries be improved upon—genetically? Separate teams of researchers have sequenced the genomes of varieties of the two crops that make up this treat, finding key coding information that could help keep these sweets on dessert trays—and assist science in the meantime...

The Earth in 2010

What were the biggest environmental stories in 2010? David Biello reports

Readers' choices: Top 10 Scientific American stories of 2010

Our picks for the top 10 science stories of the year were published this week, but who cares what editors at Scientific American think? Below is a list of the stories and features that visitors to our Web site clicked on the most this year...

Climate panel seeks its first communications chief

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change seeks its first communications chief.

Recommended: Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, a Tale of Love and Fallout

Books and recommendations from Scientific American

EPA Plans Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for Power Plants and Refineries

New rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from existing and new power plants and oil refineries could take effect in 2012

Can Australia Afford Carbon Capture and Storage for Coal?

The world needs it, but strict budgets have forced Australia to scale back or cancel plans to advance the technology

Body of Thought: How Trivial Sensations Can Influence Reasoning, Social Judgment and Perception

Fleeting sensations and body movements hold sway over what we feel and how we think

The Science of Right and Wrong

Can data determine moral values?

Victory for sharks: U.S. bans shark finning

It won't get the same press as the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but the U.S. made an important conservation leap this week by banning the deadly practice of shark finning.The Shark Conservation Act, passed Tuesday, bans the controversial yet lucrative fishing practice of catching sharks, cutting off their fins and dumping the still-living creatures back into the water where they slowly and painfully drown.Shark fins are highly prized for their use in shark fin soup...

Can a Microgrid Protect U.S. Troops in Afghanistan?

The U.S. Army is aiming to shrink its carbon bootprint in 2011

Clean Getaway?: Antarctica Tourism Snowballs, but Is It Helping or Harming "the Last Place on Earth?"

The Clelia II's cruise ship's recent troubles in Southern Ocean waters resurfaces questions about tourism regulation in the Antarctic

Dawn of the Deed: The Origin of Sex

Fish fossils push back the origin of copulation in backboned animals and suggest that it was a key turning point in our evolution

Beyond the Light Switch: What to do about coal ash?

The aftermath of burning a mountain of coal isn't pretty. It's not just the ash itself; it's also the toxic elements that have been purified by fire out of the "fossilized sunshine." Those toxic elements come along for the ride when the coal ash spills, like it did near Kingston, Tenn., on December 22, 2008...

Will Australia Choose Coal or Climate?

Coal exports become a burning economic and environmental issue down under

What's the Catch? Researchers Wrangle Over How to Measure Commercial Fishing's Impact on Ocean Biodiversity

Two recent studies highlight a debate within the world of marine fisheries science over how to interpret available fisheries data

Ocean acidification may disrupt the marine nitrogen cycle

Newsmaker of the year: NOAA's Janet Lubchenco in the eye of the storm

She set out to revolutionize US ocean management -- but first she faced the oil spill. Jane Lubchenco is 's Newsmaker of the Year.

A Holiday for Consumption?

The (environmental) meaning of Christmas. David Biello reports