• E-mail
  • Save

Science

'Green' revolution under way in rural China

In the northwest of China's mountainous Yunnan province, among the world's most biodiverse areas, a green revolution is under way among rural residents.

updated Sun Jul 05 2009 23:38:34

'Green' revolution under way in rural China

In the northwest of China's mountainous Yunnan province, among the world's most biodiverse areas, a green revolution is under way among rural residents.

updated Thu Jul 02 2009 22:49:24

Could a warming world lead to pocket-sized sheep?

Changing winter conditions are causing Scotland's wild Soay sheep to get smaller, according to a study that suggests climate change can trump natural selection.

updated Mon Jun 29 2009 04:06:29

Green walls: the growing success of 'vegitecture'

Walk past the southern face of the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, and you will be greeted by a massive wall of brilliant green foliage -- an 8,600 square feet plant installation by the designer Patrick Blanc, featuring more than 170 different species.

updated Thu Jun 25 2009 13:15:47

CT scans reveal mummies' long-lost secrets

A long line of hospital staff wraps around the corridor outside a small conference room in New York to catch a glimpse of the precious cargo.

updated Wed Jun 24 2009 13:02:45

Deadly June opens season of lightning strikes

One 12-year-old Virginia boy was playing baseball when it happened.

updated Tue Jun 23 2009 00:59:35

'Synthetic tree' claims to catch carbon in the air

Scientists in the United States are developing a "synthetic tree" capable of collecting carbon around 1,000 times faster than the real thing.

updated Mon Jun 22 2009 09:33:20

Green business blog: The devastating cost of diamonds

Growing up surrounded by generations of jewelry wearing tradition, I was drawn to the brilliance and transparency of diamonds from an early age. Later, it was the fact that diamonds are a unique resource, evoking beauty and eternal love that lead me to found DIAZ Fine Jewelry.

updated Fri Jun 19 2009 23:53:21

Monsoon season compounds refugees' troubles

"Refugees are the most vulnerable people on Earth. They are fighting to survive." -- Angelina Jolie, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassador

updated Thu Jun 18 2009 02:39:21

White House report warns of climate change effects

Man-made climate change threatens to stress water resources, challenge crops and livestock, raise sea levels and adversely affect human health, according to a report released by the Obama administration on Tuesday.

updated Tue Jun 16 2009 22:26:24

New 'Urban Car' claims to slash CO2 emissions by two thirds

A former motor-racing engineer has unveiled a prototype of a new hydrogen-powered city car which claims to emit less than one third of the carbon emissions produced by its nearest rival.

updated Tue Jun 16 2009 17:52:36

High-altitude wind machines could power NYC

The wind blowing through the streets of Manhattan couldn't power the city, but wind machines placed thousands of feet above the city theoretically could.

updated Tue Jun 16 2009 16:51:05

Weapon against epidemics: Cell phones

Cell phone technology is helping developing nations prepare for disease threats such as a new strain of swine flu, an outbreak of measles or the increased spread of HIV.

updated Mon Jun 15 2009 16:19:35

Airplane went down in volatile equatorial zone

There is a region of the world where the weather is always hot and humid and it rains almost every day of the year. Sounds predictable, right? But weather in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, can be volatile and dangerous.

updated Mon Jun 15 2009 09:12:03

Pachauri: Stern stance on China climate talks 'pragmatic'

The head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has rejected suggestions that the United States has adopted too soft a stance on climate change negotiations with China.

updated Sun Jun 14 2009 21:58:29

Q&A: Can carbon labeling work?

Many leading brands, including Cadbury-Schweppes, Tropicana and Tesco, have begun introducing "carbon labeling" on products to give customers an idea of the environmental impact of the food that they are buying.

updated Tue Jun 09 2009 05:36:02

Sailing the Arctic to find the human face of climate change

A small band of sailors are facing a summer of raging Arctic storms, cramped quarters and soggy clothes in their search for the human face of climate change.

updated Mon Jun 08 2009 21:12:57

Commentary: World's biggest fish are dying

Today, Monday, June 8, we recognize the first U.N.-sanctioned World Oceans Day. The event comes after years of pressure from conservation groups and thousands of activists who clamored for everyone to know and understand what's happening in our oceans.

updated Mon Jun 08 2009 13:03:34

Ocean trash problem 'far from being solved,' U.N. says

The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

updated Mon Jun 08 2009 13:01:29

Ocean trash problem 'far from being solved,' U.N. says

The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

updated Fri Jun 05 2009 18:47:43

Search for downed plane highlights ocean trash problem

The massive amount of garbage in the ocean likely complicates the search for the remains of an Air France flight that went missing Monday near Brazil, oceanographers who spoke with CNN said.

updated Mon Jun 01 2009 17:41:17

Early storms don't guarantee busy hurricane season

Today's not only the first of the month or the start of the summer season meteorologically: It's the first day of hurricane season 2009.

updated Mon Jun 01 2009 03:04:37

Future protection of the oceans could lie in the past

If we don't know our history, then we can't know our future. Historians arguing the relevance of their subject often repeat that mantra.

updated Fri May 29 2009 13:31:46

Why our 'amazing' science fiction future fizzled

At the 1964 New York World's Fair, people stood in line for hours to look at a strange sight.

updated Fri May 29 2009 02:14:05

Report: Coral almost as genetically complex as humans

Advances in the study of coral in the last few years has led a group of scientists to conclude that corals almost rival humans in their genetic complexity and their relationship to algae is key to their survival.

updated Thu May 28 2009 18:38:05

Survey: Arctic may hold twice the oil previously found there

Continental shelves beneath the retreating polar ice caps of the Arctic may hold almost double the amount of oil previously found in the region, scientists say.

updated Wed May 27 2009 22:31:00

Clever birds rival chimpanzees in tool use

Researchers have found that rooks, a member of the crow family, are capable of using and making tools despite not doing so in the wild.

updated Mon May 25 2009 00:33:52

Surmounting climate change in the Himalayas

Dawa Steven Sherpa is leader of Eco Everest Expeditions, aiming to educate climbers about their impact on the Himalayas and highlight the affects of climate change on the region.

updated Fri May 22 2009 12:08:06

Tiny seahorse, world's longest insect among top new species

A pea-sized seahorse, the world's longest insect, a "ghost slug" and the world's smallest snake were among the top 10 species discovered in 2008, a committee of scientists said Friday.

updated Wed May 20 2009 08:25:41

Komodo dragons kill with venom, not bacteria, study says

A new study dispels the widely accepted theory that the Komodo dragon kills by infecting its prey with toxic bacteria.

updated Wed May 20 2009 04:20:57

Bill Clinton to cities: Act on climate

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Tuesday urged urban leaders and policymakers they need to take the lead now in fighting climate change.

updated Tue May 19 2009 21:47:47

Scientists piece together human ancestry

Scientists hailed Tuesday a 47-million-year-old fossil of an ancient "small cat"-sized primate as a possible common ancestor of monkeys, humans and other primates.

updated Wed May 13 2009 12:35:23

Commentary: Let's get real about alternative energy

We need to introduce simple arithmetic into our discussions of energy.

updated Wed May 13 2009 00:39:48

Report warns against Coral Triangle collapse

Experts have warned that the richly diverse coral reefs of the Coral Triangle around southeast Asia will disappear by the end of the century if action is not taken against climate change.

updated Fri May 08 2009 09:37:57

Scientists discover winter home of world's second-biggest fish

The migration patterns of basking sharks have long mystified marine biologists, but new research has finally revealed where the world's second-biggest fish hide out for half of every year.

updated Wed May 06 2009 04:48:16

Hundreds of new frog species found in Madagascar

Around 200 new species of frogs have been found in Madagascar, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.

updated Mon May 04 2009 12:55:22

Backyard scientists use Web to catalog species, aid research

As a hobby, Suzie Jirachareonkul, a teacher and mother of two, spends many of her nights searching for endangered toads on the country roads near her home outside Cape Town, South Africa.

updated Mon May 04 2009 09:24:33

After tornado, town rebuilds by going green

On May 4, 2007, a monster tornado tore through this rural town, killing 11 people and leaving little more than empty slabs and stacks of debris. Greensburg, 109 miles west of Wichita in south-central Kansas, faced the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch.

updated Fri May 01 2009 09:42:56

Head-banging parrot proves birds can dance

(CNN) -- A head-banging parrot who became a YouTube sensation has demonstrated that an ability to appreciate music and keep a rhythm is not unique to humans, scientists say.

updated Fri May 01 2009 01:41:23

Study: Plant 'stress hormone' key to combating drought

A team of scientists from Canada, Spain and the United States has identified a key gene that allows plants to defend themselves against environmental stresses like drought, freezing and heat.

updated Fri May 01 2009 01:37:07

Climate change threatens Lake Baikal's unique ecosystem

Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's largest and most biologically diverse lake, faces the prospect of severe ecological disruption as a result of climate change, according to team of U.S. and Russian scientists.

updated Tue Apr 28 2009 11:36:41

'Climate change' forces Eskimos to abandon village

The indigenous people of Alaska have stood firm against some of the most extreme weather conditions on Earth for thousands of years. But now, flooding blamed on climate change is forcing at least one Eskimo village to move to safer ground.

updated Mon Apr 27 2009 11:29:46

Volcano finds followers aflutter on Twitter

Alaska's Mount Redoubt towers more than 10,000 feet above sea level, is an active volcano and can send clouds of ash so high that jetliners could be at risk.

updated Thu Apr 23 2009 09:01:31

'Earth' takes viewers on 'breathtaking' global journey

A polar bear falls through thin Arctic ice while searching for food for his family. A humpback whale guides her calf on a perilous 4,000-mile journey. A herd of African elephants in search of water battles a sandstorm in the Kalahari Desert.

updated Wed Apr 22 2009 23:55:02

Study: Pollution helps plants absorb C02

Plants absorbed carbon dioxide more efficiently under polluted skies than they would have done in a cleaner atmosphere, according to new findings published this week in Nature magazine.

updated Wed Apr 22 2009 13:54:01

Ancient microbes discovered alive beneath Antarctic glacier

Beneath an Antarctic glacier in a cold, airless pool that never sees the sun seems like an unusual place to search for life.

updated Wed Apr 22 2009 10:04:58

Commentary: Green way to create jobs, save cities

In the midst of our economic and environmental crisis, I am grateful our new president embraces the potential of green ideas.

updated Wed Apr 22 2009 09:42:21

iReporters offer Earth Day concerns, tributes

updated Tue Apr 21 2009 12:04:42

Millions pledged to stop general bee decline

A British consortium pledged Tuesday to spend up to £10 million ($14.5 million) in research grants to find out what is causing a serious decline in bees and other pollinating insects.

updated Tue Apr 21 2009 11:47:31

Scientist Hawking 'very ill'

Scientist and author Stephen Hawking is "very ill" and has been hospitalized, according to Cambridge University, where he is a professor.

updated Tue Apr 21 2009 07:47:07

Scientist Hawking 'comfortable' in hospital

Distinguished scientist Stephen Hawking was said to be in a "comfortable" condition Tuesday after spending the night in hospital, Cambridge University said in a statement.

updated Fri Apr 17 2009 18:26:41

Greenhouse gases pose health hazard, EPA says

Six heat-trapping gases that contribute to air pollution pose potential health hazards, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in a landmark announcement that could lead to regulation of the gases.

updated Fri Apr 17 2009 13:12:05

Maya nut changes lives while aiding the rain forest

In the rain forests of Central America grows the nutrient-rich Maya nut. The marble-sized seed can be prepared to taste like mashed potatoes, chocolate or coffee. To those who stumble upon the nuts on the ground, they're free for the taking.

updated Tue Apr 14 2009 22:42:05

Endangered turtles race to save their future

With the exception of that come-from-behind win over an overconfident hare, turtles and racing have never really been a very good match.

updated Tue Apr 07 2009 10:17:04

Report lists America's 10 most endangered rivers

Rivers are the arteries of our infrastructure. Flowing from highlands to the sea, they breathe life into ecosystems and communities.

updated Mon Apr 06 2009 15:28:30

Clinton calls for stricter Antarctic tourism limits

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for tighter controls over tourism and other forms of pollution in Antarctica Monday, arguing for greater global cooperation to help preserve the continent's environmental and scientific research value.

updated Fri Apr 03 2009 15:04:05

Large ice shelf expected to break from Antarctica

A large ice shelf is "imminently" close to breaking away from part of the Antarctic Peninsula, scientists said Friday.

updated Fri Apr 03 2009 13:59:21

New gum could mean sticky end for mess

British authorities and environmental groups were welcoming the launch this week of the world's first biodegradable chewing gum, which they say could help save some of the millions spent on clearing up the mess ordinary gum creates.

updated Fri Apr 03 2009 11:11:21

Endangered right whales appear to be on the rebound

North Atlantic right whales, sort of the homely underdogs of the whale world, birthed a record number calves this year off the coast of the southeast United States, giving some scientists hope that the uber-rare and often overlooked species can recover.

updated Tue Mar 31 2009 10:56:30

Can 'biochar' save the planet?

Over the railroad tracks, near Agriculture Drive on the University of Georgia campus, sits a unique machine that may hold one of the solutions to big environmental problems like energy, food production and even global climate change.

updated Tue Mar 31 2009 09:49:29

Officials: Light, booms in sky likely falling Russian booster

The mysterious burst of light in the sky and loud booms witnessed Sunday night by residents along the Mid-Atlantic coastline was likely caused by a Russian rocket booster re-entering the atmosphere, said an official at the U.S. Naval Observatory.

updated Thu Mar 26 2009 11:03:38

Ninety years of birdwatchers' notes going online

More than 100 years ago, J.A. Loring had his eyes on the California sky and his hand on a pen.

updated Tue Mar 24 2009 15:01:15

Alaskans don masks as once-sleepy volcano spews ash

A volcano in southern Alaska erupted anew Monday, the fifth eruption since coming back to life Sunday night.

updated Sun Mar 22 2009 23:06:44

Alaska volcano back on eruption watch

Researchers have raised the alert status at Mount Redoubt, a volcano in southern Alaska, after another increase in seismic activity.

updated Fri Mar 20 2009 14:05:29

Famous paleontologist to plead guilty to fossil theft

An internationally renowned paleontologist will plead guilty to stealing dinosaur bones from federal land, his attorneys said in a court filing.

updated Thu Mar 19 2009 18:30:25

Many bird populations in trouble, report says

Bird populations native to several areas of the globe are in decline, with some teetering on the brink of extinction, according to a multi-agency report, the first of its kind, released Thursday.

updated Thu Mar 19 2009 07:56:44

Recession squeezes recycling programs

When Lynn Heinisch and her neighbors in Atlanta, Georgia's Lake Claire neighborhood take their recycling to the curb for pickup each Thursday, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.

updated Wed Mar 18 2009 22:21:15

Recession squeezes recycling programs

When Lynn Heinisch and her neighbors in Atlanta, Georgia's Lake Claire neighborhood take their recycling to the curb for pickup each Thursday, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.

updated Tue Mar 17 2009 17:29:24

Smallest known North American dinosaur found

Canadian researchers say they have discovered the smallest known North American dinosaur, a carnivore that roamed areas of the continent 75 million years ago and weighed less than most modern-day house cats.

updated Tue Mar 17 2009 04:46:25

Scientists find new bacteria species

Indian scientists have discovered three new species of bacteria in Earth's upper stratosphere that are resistant to ultraviolet radiation, researchers said.

updated Fri Mar 13 2009 17:46:22

Team battles Arctic winter to measure melting ice caps

It could be the ultimate test of human endurance: Three British explorers are risking their lives in subzero temperatures to measure the melting Arctic ice cap.

updated Fri Mar 06 2009 10:13:24

Volunteers, scientists guard endangered whales

Glenn Wood and several other retirees lean on a wood rail on the second story balcony of the Golden Lion Café -- a beachside pub and restaurant in northern Florida.

updated Fri Mar 06 2009 10:10:15

Spotting endangered whales from the skies

Here's the setup of Jessica Taylor's office:

updated Thu Mar 05 2009 15:24:12

Should hunters switch to 'green' bullets?

Three years ago, Phillip Loughlin made a choice he knew would brand him as an outsider with many of his fellow hunters:

updated Tue Mar 03 2009 19:13:43

Asteroid passes close to Earth

You had a close encounter with a 40-yard-wide asteroid this week, but the astronomer who first spotted the large rock said it's nothing to worry about.

updated Tue Mar 03 2009 11:27:28

Scientists discover new species in ocean's depths

Until last December, no one had ever seen the bottom of the Tasman Fracture, a trench that drops more than four kilometers below the surface of the ocean. A group of Australian and American researchers recently spent a month hundreds of kilometers southwest of the Tasmanian coast, exploring the fracture's depths.

updated Thu Feb 26 2009 13:16:21

Undersea bombs threaten marine life

Beyond the golden beaches and beneath the blue waters of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques is a site that resembles more of a munitions graveyard than a Caribbean paradise.

updated Mon Feb 23 2009 09:25:52

1,800-year-old marble head unearthed in Israel

Archaeologists in Israel have discovered what they believe is the bust of a Roman boxer from the second or third century.

updated Fri Feb 20 2009 10:27:29

Nearly intact mammoth skeleton a rare find in L.A.

He had a rough life during the Ice Age, walking around with a couple of broken ribs and a possibly cancerous lesion on his jaw before dying at a young age.

updated Thu Feb 19 2009 13:22:00

Economy puts bite on shark attacks, researcher says

Shark attacks on humans were at the lowest levels in half a decade last year, and a Florida researcher says hard economic times may be to blame.

updated Thu Feb 12 2009 17:27:20

Fish migrating to cooler waters, study says

Climate-driven environmental changes could drastically affect the distribution of more than 1,000 species of commercial fish and shellfish around the world, scientists say.

updated Thu Feb 12 2009 10:44:33

Darwin still making waves 200 years later

Before there was an extensive fossil record, DNA sequencing or even a basic understanding of genetics, there was Charles Darwin.

updated Wed Feb 11 2009 06:53:30

Airport uses radar, noise to prevent bird strikes

The next time you land safely in Seattle, you may want to thank Steve Osmek.

updated Sun Feb 08 2009 12:57:02

Whales serve as backdrop for aquarium yoga classes

There's the cobra, the cat and the downward-facing dog.

updated Thu Feb 05 2009 17:50:20

Prehistoric 'monster snake' remains discovered

Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth.

updated Thu Feb 05 2009 15:10:08

Volcano looms over Iditarod dogs

From the Seavey dog sled kennel you get a clear view of the Redoubt volcano, and the Seavey family is watching closely.

updated Thu Feb 05 2009 09:25:32

Fighting hunger with flood-tolerant rice

If every scientist hopes to make at least one important discovery in her career, then University of California-Davis professor Pamela Ronald and her colleagues may have hit the jackpot.

updated Wed Feb 04 2009 17:05:14

Townspeople prep for volcano's eruption

Mount Redoubt is ready to blow, but Alaskans are taking it in stride -- especially longtime residents who were around when the mountain last erupted in 1989.

updated Tue Feb 03 2009 09:33:06

Will volcano blow? Expert waits, watches, ready to warn

It's 3 degrees and snowing outside the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, but inside the operations center, things are heating up.

updated Fri Jan 30 2009 11:12:46

110-year-old 'living fossil' becomes a dad

It took about 110 years and some delicate surgery on his most private parts, but Henry -- a lizard-like creature from New Zealand -- is now a dad.

updated Fri Jan 30 2009 09:40:06

Energy, economy create balancing act for Obama

Environmentalists are encouraged by President Barack Obama's focus this week on renewable energy and stricter emissions standards, although some economists are skeptical he can pull the country out of the recession while cleaning up the planet.

updated Fri Jan 30 2009 08:44:59

Alaska volcano 'more energetic,' scientists say

Mount Redoubt, the Alaskan volcano expected to erupt at any time, is getting a bit more edgy.

updated Thu Jan 29 2009 16:02:44

Alaska volcano expected to erupt soon

In the shadows of Mount Redoubt, Alaskans are calmly waiting for the volcano to erupt -- an event that could occur at any time.

updated Thu Jan 29 2009 03:48:07

Study: Want more milk from cow? Get to know her

Here's a tip for dairy farmers: If you want your cows to produce more milk, get to know them better.

updated Tue Jan 27 2009 09:13:10

Apocalypse in 2012? Date spawns theories, film

Just as "Y2K" and its batch of predictions about the year 2000 have become a distant memory, here comes "Twenty-twelve."

updated Thu Jan 22 2009 17:32:50

Global warming threatens forests, study says

Forests in the Pacific Northwest are dying twice as fast as they were 17 years ago, and scientists blame warming temperatures for the trend, according to a new study.

updated Thu Jan 22 2009 15:24:53

T. Boone Pickens: The U.S. needs a 'wind bank'

Billionaire and clean-energy proponent T. Boone Pickens said that the U.S. should establish a federally funded loan program, or bank, to finance large-scale wind developments.

updated Fri Jan 09 2009 09:19:17

Stem cell discovery could mean faster healing

Researchers have found a way to prompt bone marrow to release a flood of certain stem cells which could help heart attack patients recover faster.

updated Mon Jan 05 2009 12:44:39

Countries in tug-of-war over Arctic resources

One of the planet's most fragile and pristine ecosystems sits atop a bounty of untapped fossil fuels.

updated Mon Jan 05 2009 10:57:54

Study: Diamonds link comet to mammal extinction

Tiny diamonds found in the soil are "strong evidence" a comet exploded on or above North America nearly 13,000 years ago, leading to the extinction of dozens of mammal species, according to a study.

updated Fri Dec 26 2008 13:17:18

Satellites unearthing ancient Egyptian ruins

Archaeologists believe they have unearthed only a small fraction of Egypt's ancient ruins, but they're making new discoveries with help from high-tech allies -- satellites that peer into the past from the distance of space.

Advertisement
Home  |  World  |  U.S.  |  Politics  |  Crime  |  Entertainment  |  Health  |  Tech  |  Travel  |  Living  |  Business  |  Sports  |  Time.com
Podcasts  |  Blogs  |  CNN Mobile  |  Preferences  |  Email Alerts  |  CNN Radio  |  CNN Shop  |  Site Map
© 2009 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.