Go fish (somewhere else): Warming oceans altering catches

Richard Harris — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:10:58 +0000

Climate change is gradually altering the fish that end up on ice in seafood counters around the world, according to a new study.

"The composition of the [global] fish catch includes more and more fish from the warmer areas, and cold-water fish are getting more rare, because the temperatures are increasing," says Daniel Pauly at the University of British Columbia, a co-author of the study.

Big quakes signal changes coming to Earth's crust

Richard Harris — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:58:50 +0000

On April 11 of this year, an extraordinary cluster of earthquakes struck off Sumatra. The largest shock, magnitude 8.7, produced stronger ground-shaking than any earthquake ever recorded. And it surprised seismologists by triggering more than a dozen moderate earthquakes around the world.

The quakes are also a sign of big changes to come in the Earth's crust.

But chances are you don't remember the April 11 quake off Sumatra.

As Arctic ice melts, so does the snow, and quickly

Richard Harris — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 03:48:35 +0000

Arctic sea ice is in sharp decline this year: Last week, scientists announced that it hit the lowest point ever measured, shattering the previous record.

But it turns out that's not the most dramatic change in the Arctic. A study by Canadian researchers finds that springtime snow is melting away even faster than Arctic ice. That also has profound implications for the Earth's climate.

Springtime snowmelt matters a lot: It determines when spring runoff comes out of the mountain to fill our rivers.

'Astonishing' Arctic ice melt sets new record

Richard Harris — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:46:33 +0000

Arctic sea ice has melted dramatically this summer, smashing the previous record. The Arctic has warmed dramatically compared with the rest of the planet, and scientists say that's what's driving this loss of ice.

To be sure, ice on the Arctic Ocean always melts in the summer. Historically, about half of it is gone by mid-September. But this year, three-fourths of the ice has melted away, setting a dramatic new benchmark.

"It didn't just touch the record, it really drove right through it," says Ted Scambos at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, at the University of Colorado.

New subatomic particle may be physics' 'missing link'

Richard Harris — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:29:19 +0000

Scientists have discovered a new subatomic particle with profound implications for understanding our universe. On Wednesday, they announced they've found a particle believed to be the long-awaited Higgs boson. Nicknamed the "God particle," it represents the final piece in a theory that explains the basic nature of our universe.

Nothing has been easy in the search for the Higgs particle. It takes a huge amount of energy to create one, something on the scale of the energies that existed in the early moments of the Big Bang.

Is the hunt for the 'God Particle' finally over?

Richard Harris — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:54:46 +0000

Before we get to the fireworks on the Fourth of July, we might see some pyrotechnics from a giant physics experiment near Geneva, Switzerland.

Scientists there are planning to gather that morning to hear the latest about the decades-long search for a subatomic particle that could help explain why objects in our universe actually weigh anything.

The buzz is that they're closing in on the elusive Higgs particle. That would be a major milestone in the quest to understand the most basic nature of the universe.

King Arthur had his quest for the Holy Grail.

Ahead of Alaska drilling, Shell practices cleaning up

Richard Harris — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 17:36:32 +0000

Royal Dutch Shell could drill several exploratory oil wells into the waters off the north shore of Alaska this summer. The potential prize is huge, but so is the risk, should there be an oil spill in this pristine and remote region. And that risk is on everyone's mind since the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago.

Shell is now training hundreds of workers to confront oil in icy waters.

Rio environment meeting focuses on 'energy for all'

Richard Harris — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:52:47 +0000

Diplomats and activists from around the world are meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week to talk about how the planet's growing population can live better lives without damaging the environment.

Nuclear Tuna Is Hot News, But Not Because It's Going To Make You Sick

Richard Harris — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:00:29 +0000

What snarky headline writer could resist a story about "hot tuna?" Or how about "tuna meltdown?"

Really, it seems just plain daffy to ignore a new study that says some Pacific bluefin tuna picked up traces of radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year and brought it across the Pacific Ocean.

And while, as a rule, we avoid making light of nuclear disasters, the tuna story is actually just plain curious, rat

Greenland's ice melting more slowly than expected

Richard Harris — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:43:59 +0000

A new study has some reassuring news about how fast Greenland's glaciers are melting away.

Greenland's glaciers hold enough water to raise sea level by 20 feet, and they are melting as the planet warms, so there's a lot at stake.

A few years ago, the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland really caught people's attention. In short order, this slow-moving stream of ice suddenly doubled its speed. It started dumping a whole lot more ice into the Atlantic.

EPA creates Website to ID biggest emitters of greenhouse gases

Richard Harris — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:05:50 +0000

Ever wondered who the big greenhouse-gas emitters are in your neck of the woods? The answer is now just a click away.

The US Environmental Protection Agency today unveiled a new website that identifies most of the nation's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. It lets you, for example:

-- Click near Macon, Ga., and home in on the nation's largest single-point source of greenhouse gases: the Scherer power plant (actually four huge coal-burning facilities).