A recent study confirms that 32 percent of deep ocean sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group, this threat is mainly due to overfishing — when fishing activities cause a massive depletion of marine creatures, upsetting the ecological balance and ultimately exhausting the fish supply.
Mercury was detected in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country in a U.S. Geological Survey study released Aug. 19.
Ahead of the wildfires that are currently burning in Southern California, Utah and Colorado, Harvard scientists predicted an increase in frequency of fires in the western United States due to global warming.
A team of American and Australian scientists have located the coldest, driest and calmest place on earth, where no human has likely ever set foot, and the perfect place for an observatory. In the search for a future observatory site, astronomers identified a high, flat area on the Antarctic Plateau, Science Daily reported Sept. 1.
The United Nations stated in a recent report that almost one third of the world’s population, roughly 2 billion people, are in danger of becoming victims of desertification. Desertification is the process in which the movement of sands displaces people and forces them to uproot. This is currently creeping across North Africa.
World Water Week was held in Stockholm from Aug. 16-22, where more than 2,000 attendees convened to collaborate on major issues related to water pollution and shortages around the world.
Each year, World Water Week acknowledges the accomplishments and dedication of select individuals and players.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $6.2 million, including $4.6 million of Recovery Act funds, for researching and developing next generation energy-efficient lighting.
Navistar International Corp., a U.S. manufacturer of commercial trucks, has just been granted $39 million from the Department of Energy and has plans to team up with Modec Ltd., a British maker of electric vehicles, to make zero-emission, all-electric delivery vehicles for 2010.
During intermediate climate talks in Bonn, Germany, last week the head of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat Yvo de Boer said the price of dealing with climate change is enormous — $300 billion, he said.
When the Chevrolet Volt hits showrooms late next year, it could blow away the competition. The hybrid engine runs on electricity and gas and can get up to 230 miles to the gallon during city driving. That figure has yet to be tested by federal regulators, but anywhere close to that number would be a record for an American car.
