Mining for heat: Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground

Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground to help heat homes and offices.

Dry heat increases bark beetle bite

Climate change puts spruce forests at greater risk of bark beetle attacks.

Use of public and private dollars for scaling up clean energy needs a reality check, say scholars

In a post-Solyndra, budget-constrained world, the transition to a decarbonized energy system faces great hurdles. Overcoming these hurdles will require smarter and more focused policies. Two writers outline their visions in a pair of high-profile analyses.

Polluting China for the sake of economic growth

China's economic growth will continue to be energy-intensive and highly polluting for the foreseeable future with emissions and efficiency far below capital growth on the agenda, according to a new study.

Oil palm surging source of greenhouse gas emissions

Continued expansion of industrial-scale oil palm plantations on the island of Borneo will become a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 unless strong forest and peatland protections are enacted and enforced, according to a new study.

First camera trap photos of rare leopard in China

The first-known camera trap photos of an Amur leopard in China have recently been taken in Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province.

Can organic food feed the world? New study sheds light on debate over organic vs. conventional agriculture

Can organic agriculture feed the world? Although organic techniques may not be able to do the job alone, they do have an important role to play in feeding a growing global population while minimizing environmental damage, according to researchers. A new study concludes that crop yields from organic farming are generally lower than from conventional agriculture. That is particularly true for cereals, which are staples of the human diet -- yet the yield gap is much less significant for certain crops, and under certain growing conditions, according to the researchers.

Nature's billion-year-old battery key to storing energy

New research is bringing us one step closer to clean energy. It is possible to extend the length of time a battery-like enzyme can store energy from seconds to hours, a new study shows.

Rivers flowing into the sea offer vast potential as electricity source

A new genre of electric power-generating stations could supply electricity for more than a half billion people by tapping just one-tenth of the global potential of a little-known energy source that exists where rivers flow into the ocean, a new analysis has concluded. The process requires no fuel, is sustainable and releases no carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas).

Caterpillars more likely to vomit alone

A type of caterpillar which defends itself by regurgitating on its predators is less likely to do so when in groups than when alone, a new study has found.

Nutrient and toxin all at once: How plants absorb the perfect quantity of minerals

In order to survive, plants should take up neither too many nor too few minerals from the soil. New insights into how they operate this critical balance have now been determined. The researchers discovered novel functions of the metal-binding molecule nicotianamine.

Real-life scientific tail of the first 'electrified snail'

The world's first "electrified snail" has joined the menagerie of cockroaches, rats, rabbits and other animals previously implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity -- perhaps for future spy cameras, eavesdropping microphones and other electronics -- from natural sugar in their bodies. Scientists say their new biofuel cell worked for months in a free-living snail.

Why letting salmon escape could benefit bears and fishers

New research suggests that allowing more Pacific salmon to spawn in coastal streams will not only benefit the natural environment, including grizzly bears, but could also lead to more salmon in the ocean and thus larger salmon harvests in the long term -- a win-win for ecosystems and humans. In a new article, researchers investigate how increasing "escapement" -- the number of salmon that escape fishing nets to enter streams and spawn -- can improve the natural environment.

Farmers of 800-years-ago could teach us how to protect the Amazon -- with raised farming beds

In the face of mass deforestation of the Amazon, recent findings indicate that we could learn from its earliest inhabitants who managed their farmland sustainably. Research shows for the first time that indigenous people, living in the savannas around the Amazonian forest, farmed without using fire. Instead early inhabitants practiced 'raised-field' farming, which involved constructing small agricultural mounds with wooden tools. These raised fields provided better drainage, soil aeration and moisture retention: ideal for an environment that experiences both drought and flooding.

How to make high-end perfumes without whale barf

Researchers have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that could facilitate cheaper and more sustainable production of plant-based fixatives and scents used in the fragrance industry and reduce the need for ambergris, a substance harvested from whale barf.

Advanced power-grid research finds low-cost, low-carbon future in Western U.S.

The least expensive way for the Western US to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to help prevent the worst consequences of global warming is to replace coal with renewable and other sources of energy that may include nuclear power, according to a new study.

New light shed on catalytic reactions used by plants to split oxygen from water

Green plants produce oxygen from water using a catalytic technique powered by sunlight. Scientists have now shown the importance of a hydrogen-bonding water network to that process -- which is the major source of the Earth's oxygen.

Declines in Caribbean coral reefs pre-date damage resulting from climate change

The decline of Caribbean coral reefs has been linked to the recent effects of human-induced climate change. However, new research suggests an even earlier cause. The bad news – humans are still to blame. The good news – relatively simple policy changes regarding land use and fishing activity can hinder further coral reef decline.

Increasing water scarcity in California's Bay-Delta will necessitate trade-offs; 'Hard decisions' needed to balance various environmental risks

Simultaneously attaining a reliable water supply for California and protecting and rehabilitating its Bay-Delta ecosystem cannot be realized until better planning can identify how trade-offs.

How to save Europe's most threatened butterflies

New guidelines on how to save some of Europe's most threatened butterfly species have now been published. The report covers 29 threatened species. The new report will provide crucial information on how to achieve this goal and meet their international biodiversity targets.