News Snippets

Gay by mercury

Water contamination may alter white ibises’ hormones

Trade war over green energy

Japan v Canada; US v China

Dow subsidiary blacklisted

It bribed Indian officials to get approval for pesticides

Wake-up call

A fungus could wipe out American bats

North America’s Great Lakes, Earth’s largest freshwater store, record ‘historically low’ ice levels

Above average temperatures, coupled with diminishing blasts of Arctic air have lessened ice in the region; El Nino also responsible for this …

Living with wildfire: How to protect more homes as fire risk rises in a warming climate

Prevention and suppression will always be critical pieces of wildfire strategy, but climate adaptation means everyone has a role

In pictures: Wildfires blaze through Canada thanks to unusually hot, dry spring

Wildfires began early in May 2023 in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces, which have affected over 10,000 people. Alberta …

Environmental stewards: White House asks federal agencies to include indigenous knowledge in governance

The government directive will apply to Native American, Pacific Islander and Alaskan Native communities

Why restoring water systems should be top priority for Biden administration

Healthy rivers can no longer be separated into the ‘nice-to-have’ column of environmental progress

Why the Scientific American endorses Joe Biden

The magazine’s editors explain why they have decided to break a tradition of never backing a presidential candidate in its 175-year history

UN@75 vs multilateralism & democracy

The United Nations was set up after World War II, and today, we are at the beginning of a new one — only this time,…

COVID-19: Trump’s promise fuels anti-vaxx movement

Anti-vaccine theories inspire fear in the general population, undermining a coordinated effort to defeat the virus

Biden, Keystone XL and a Green New Deal could shake up Canada’s energy industry

Biden’s comments emphasise the need to transition away from fossil fuels, echoing calls for a Green New Deal

What is the bomb cyclone blitzing across US?

The winter storm, Ulmer, has led to terrifying blizzard conditions, tropical storm winds and heavy rainfall; killing one person

US energy secretary supports Paris Agreement, wants to renegotiate terms

Rick Perry has not elaborated on what “renegotiate” meant in terms of the Paris Agreement

US Supreme Court puts Obama’s Clean Power Plan on hold

The Plan requires at least a 32-per cent cut in CO2 emissions from the power sector compared to 2005 levels by 2030

California drought: valleys sinking faster than ‘ever before’

Increased subsidence in fifth consecutive year of drought can damage surface and underground infrastructure 

Fish take oil spills to heart

2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico may have caused heart defects in tuna species, reducing their numbers

Maybe it’s ALIVE

Keeping plucked vegetables and fruits in daylight helps them stay alert, produce nutrients

India to confront Monsanto in US

Biodiversity Authority will oppose Monsanto’s patent application involving Indian melon

Hard time for honeybees

Entomologist May Berenbaum of University of Illinois in USA has inspired a character in TV series, X-Files. The winner of this year’s Tyler …

The Ice Story

Amit Shanker talks about a random photograph that helped him reveal how Americans kept British cool.

Baltimore bridge collapse: A bridge engineer explains what happened, and what needs to change

One lesson is that we need to consider how the vessels near our bridges are changing

What COP28 must achieve: Bold and ambitious action in a fractured world

We should treat COP28 as an opportunity to scrutinise the wealthy polluters and their plans up close and ask questions