Adaptation and Extinction

Articles in the Category: Adaptation and Extinction

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Climate, Engineering, Environment, Geoengineering, Global Warming, Politics and Science, SciClips, Video on 12 21st, 2009 | No Comments

Science Looks for Plan B after Getting the Cold Shoulder at Warming Talks

Many scientists are disappointed after two weeks of climate change negotiations resulted in a toothless agreement that didn’t limit carbon dioxide, the main culprit of global warming. The new Copenhagen Accord(PDF) did not cut emissions as previously thought, dimming some hope that a global treaty...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Backyard Science, Books, Ecology, Environment, Global Warming, Physics and Chemistry, Video, Wind on 10 28th, 2009 | 3 Comments

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

They call William Kamkwamba “the boy who harnessed the wind.” At 14, after dropping out of school, the African boy in a rural Malawi village taught himself how electricity works, and built a windmill from scraps and pieces of a bicycle. Now 22, Kamkwmaba has a book, detailing how he built...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Biology, Ecology, Endangered Species, Global Warming, New Species, SciClips on 10 23rd, 2009 | 1 Comment

Tiny Frog Now Big Hawaiian Pest

A little green frog is causing big problems across Hawaii, where the coqui has become the latest invasive species to get a strong foothold. But Hawaii may be the only place experiencing a surging frog population. Around the world, frogs are dying in droves from a fungus called a chytrid. What can we...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Energy, Environment, Featured Articles, Global Warming, Politics and Science, President Obama Science Policy, SciClips, Solar, Video, Wind on 09 23rd, 2009 | 1 Comment

President Obama Vows to Fight Climate Change

President Obama Addresses UN Climate Summit In what could be considered his most strongly-worded warning about the threat of climate change, U.S. President Barack Obama told the United Nations that there is little time to act before permanent environmental damage is irreversible. In a stirring speech,...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Biology, Climate, Environment, Featured Articles, Global Warming, RawAudio, Solar, Weird Weather on 06 19th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Dr. James Lovelock Warns

British naturalist Dr. James Lovelock has some strong words for the world. The futurist warns that the Earth is a living organism that is undergoing massive changes. He believes the Earth is sick and in order to heal itself it may need to get rid of a few billion people. But Dr. Lovelock delivers his...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Climate, Energy, Environment, Featured Articles, Global Warming, SciClips on 06 5th, 2009 | No Comments

Sinking Kivalina

As the Arctic heats up, indigenous people seem to bearing the brunt of global warming. The village of Kivalina, in northwestern Alaska is the latest victim and is being forced to relocate in a safer spot. The village is suing the largest oil companies in the world–blaming the warming world on...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Endangered Species, Environment, Global Warming, Video on 03 31st, 2009 | No Comments

Disney Launches Earth-friendly Studio, movie, Earth Day, April 22

Disney’s goal is going to plant one tree for every ticket sold. Disney will oversee the planting of the trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, which is considered the most endangered rain forest in the world. Today, only 7 percent of the Atlantic Forest remains. Disney is committed to ensuring...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Climate, Energy, Environment, Featured Articles, Global Warming, SciClips on 03 16th, 2009 | No Comments

11 Degrees of Separation

Scientists just met in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss the state of science surrounding the climate. The prognosis–we’re in serious trouble unless we change course, fast. The news was pretty grim for the most part, with each bit of science raising dire prediction after dire prediction. The...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Backyard Science, Global Warming, SciClips on 03 2nd, 2009 | No Comments

Phenological Fun

Courtesy of Univsersity Corporation for Atmospheric Research Don’t just read about climate change, get outside and watch it in action. And, help scientists gather data about seasonal pattern changes in many different plant species. Join the Project BudBurst volunteer network to monitor climate...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Anthropology, Bioethics, Video on 02 9th, 2009 | No Comments

Darwin Year Begins with a Big Birthday

2009 is Darwin year, the bicentenary of the British naturalist’s birth, and 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work “The Origin of Species.” An exhibition has opened in London’s Museum of Natural History. The major milestone was to have begun the Year of Evolution...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Biology, Climate, Global Warming, Marine Science, SciClips, Video on 01 13th, 2009 | No Comments

Frost Bite Nips Pelicans

Brown Pelicans in the Caribbean, photo by Diana Shpektor From Oregon to Mexico, brown pelicans are dropping from the sky and scientists are puzzled. They say it could be exposure to a chemical, a disease or even frost bite after being caught too far north when winter began. Wildlife experts are trying...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Energy, Engineering, Environment, Global Warming, SciClips, Solar on 12 1st, 2008 | 1 Comment

4 Solutions 4 Climate Change

Ecoclub Surya in London, courtesy of Club4Climate The 14th annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change gets underway in Poznan, Poland this week. The two-week long conference will focus on ways the world can adapt to the changing Climate. And, for the first time a world exhibit on Technologies...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Artificial Intelligence, Backyard Science, Biofuels, Biology, Dinosaurs, Diseases, Engineering, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Genetics, Genomics, Geoengineering, Global Warming, Health and Medicine, Marine Science, Nanotechnology, SciClips, Space, Wave Power on 11 17th, 2008 | No Comments

One Celled Solutions

Model of a phage attacking a microbe, courtesy of Ohio State University Science is facing some big questions, like how will we capture excess atmospheric carbon dioxide or how will we overcome antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections? But, a one-celled organism that lives in the sea may have the...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Marine Science, SciClips, Video on 11 13th, 2008 | No Comments

Supreme Court Overturns Navy Sonar Rule

Beached sperm whale, courtesy of New Zealand Herald, photo by Richard Robinson The jury is still out on whether the Navy’s use of sonar is hurting whales or other marine mammals. But a 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday lifted part of a moratorium on using sonar in military testing...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Biology, SciClips, Uncategorized on 08 25th, 2008 | No Comments

Originating New Species

Horned beetle, photo by Armin Mozcek The fittest do survive. But new research from Indiana seems to indicate that what makes a creature fit can be driven by other secondary characteristics. This can lead to rapid speciation. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_8250', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf',...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Diseases, Global Warming, Health and Medicine, SciClips on 07 16th, 2008 | No Comments

Hot Stones

Dr. Yair Lotan and Dr. Margaret Pearle, courtesy of UT Southwestern Medical Center In a warmer world, kidney stone risk will increase. New research shows a connection between geography, temperature and kidney stones. The kidney stone belt in the U.S. includes all the southern states but it could grow...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Climate, Endangered Species, Environment, Global Warming, SciClips on 07 14th, 2008 | No Comments

Penguin-o-Meter

Adelie Penguins, photo by Dee Boersma, courtesy of University of Washington Are penguins the new canary in the coal mine when it comes to warning the world about global warming? One conservation biologist at Unviersity of Washington says, Yes. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_8252', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf',...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Backyard Science, Climate, Video on 06 27th, 2008 | No Comments

Plant Creep

Plants seem pretty well rooted in the ground where they are planted. But new botanical research is showing that global warming is pushing plants, trees and forests to higher elevations. A long-term study just revealed a major altitude migration among European trees and plants. Backyard green thumbs...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Biology, Computer Science, SciClips on 05 23rd, 2008 | No Comments

Animal Tracker

Animals roam across vast expanses, criss-crossing the world. And, now people can follow many different species fitted with satellite tags and tracked online using applications like Google Maps. Peregrine Falcons Porcupine Caribou Herd Narwhals Sea Turtles pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_8253', {src:...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Endangered Species, Global Warming, Podcast, SciClips on 02 8th, 2008 | No Comments

Pacific Walrus on the Brink

courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service First the polar bears and now the Pacific Walrus are being squeezed off the melting ice and onto the brink of extinction. Could listing the walrus under the Endangered Species Act save the tusked mammal or is global warming making it too hot for the walrus to...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Marine Science, Podcast, SciClips on 02 5th, 2008 | No Comments

Fish Booms (and Busts) Solved

courtesy of Scripps Institue, UC San Diego Cycles of booms and busts have plagued the fishing industry forever. Fish suddenly disappear in one area and turn up in another. Now scientists think they have figured out part of the mystery — at least when it comes to sardines and anchovies. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_8255', {src:...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Climate, Environment, Podcast, SciClips, Video on 01 9th, 2008 | No Comments

Losing India’s Islands

In India, rising sea levels have already swallowed two islands in the famed Sunderbans mangrove region, with dozens more under threat. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_8256', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf', width: 320, height: 24 }, {config:...