| A Military Past, an Unknown Future New guides to metropolitan attractions include “Governors Island: The Jewel of New York Harbor” and “New York’s Unique and Unexpected Places.” travel.nytimes.com |
Growing Up: Skyscraper Farms Seen as a Way to Produce Food Locally--And Cut Greenhouse Emissions Dear EarthTalk: What is "vertical farming" and how is it better for the environment? --Jonathan Salzman, New York City [More] rss.sciam.com |
Is Earth past the tipping point? Biodiversity loss. Land use. Freshwater use. Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Stratospheric ozone. Ocean acidification. Climate change. Chemical Pollution. Aerosol loading in the atmosphere.A team of 30 scientists across the globe have determined that the nine environmental processes named above must remain within specific limits, otherwise the "safe operating space" within which humankind can exist on Earth will be threatened. Amid some controversy, the group has set numeric limits for seven of the nine so far (chemical pollution and aerosol loading are still being pinned down). And the researchers have determined that the world has already crossed the boundary in three cases: biodiversity loss, the nitrogen cycle and climate change. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Study: Climate change identified as extinction threat in nearly 60 percent of species recovery plans Fifty-nine percent of the endangered species recovery plans issued by the U.S. government between 2005 and 2008 mention climate change as one of the major threats facing the species, according to a study published in Conservation Biology .The study, which examined 1,209 species recovery plans published between 1975 and 2008, was authored by Tony Povilitis, president of Life Net Nature, and Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). [More] Climate change - Environment - Conservation Biology - Endangered species - Center for Biological Diversity rss.sciam.com |
World Changing Ideas 2010 (preview) Technology is all around us, expanding the limits of what is possible. but every once in a while, some invention or insight has an outsize effect; it creates a large dis­continuity, dividing history into “before” and “after.” The steam engine, the transistor, the World Wide Web--each of these ideas seemed to emerge from nowhere to change our world in fundamental ways. Which key technology will arise fromtoday’s vast cauldron of innovation to become tomorrow’s world changing idea? It’s impossible to know, of course, but we know it will come.Here are 10 candidates--10 new ideas and technologies that could rewrite the rules. What if we could build robots that turn waste into fuel? Or harness the power of video games (yes, video games) to make ourselves do the right thing? What if the “junk” in our DNA is actually as important as our genes? What if insects hold the secret to fending off cyberattacks? Welcome to the World Changing Ideas 2010 edition. -- The Editors [More] rss.sciam.com |