Mars may beckon, but for NASA, the ‘new frontier’ could mean a homecoming. That’s the indication coming out from the new budget announced for the world’s premier space agency. On Monday, the proposed budget for 2011 was released. The Constellation program to build optimized launchers for Moon missions fell by the wayside even as increased allocation for Earth specific missions found favor.

The total outlay of $6 Billion sees a major chunk ($2 Million) going to Earth related climate studies from outer space. ...

Its 3rd Grade science that says white is a good reflector of light and heat. Now the color of ‘purity’ could be the one to combat urban warming.  A new study has carried out simulated experiments that show the how painting rooftops white could lower temperatures. With science taking the lead, political backing is on the anvil.

Keith Oleson, the leader for the study and a researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado says,

"Our research demonstrates that white roofs, at least ...

At what cost do we pursue development? Have we ever bothered to quantify the fallouts that necessarily follow in the wake of concrete and steel? Perhaps not, because the side effects are usually felt not by the immediate but by the generations down the line.

With the Belo Monte dam, the story could be different. It’s smack in the middle of the Earth’s lungs – the Amazon rainforests.

Brazil is a Third World country trying to leapfrog ahead on the path of development. It also does not have a loud democratic voice. Even if it did, it would be drowned out in the clamor for infrastructure, employment ...

We might remember them as one of the catalysts of the Industrial Revolution, but the flywheel has older antecedents. Much older in fact…dating right back to the Neolithic age. Flywheels have been used for everything, from a potter’s wheel to the steam engine. Now in the age of electronic chips and laser, it’s making a heralded comeback. Though it never disappeared from the scene altogether. Flywheels are very much a part of the modern day automobile and many engineering devices.

In a change of course, flywheels are being brought ...

Britain has a problem and a possible solution. Wind turbines give out a radar signature that can make distinguishing between it and a low flying plane difficult. The tips of the moving blades create a mish mash of reflected signals which is extremely ponderous to decipher. That creates not only security issues but also those for safety too.

Ian Chatting, head of research in Britain for Vestas, the world's largest wind energy company says,

"These tips of the blades travel at about -- the same speed as a light aircraft. So you ...

According to Bill Gates, increased spending by developed countries on combating environmental issues in the developed world could sidetrack health projects. The concern over the trade-off was expressed by the world’s richest man and now also one of its leading philanthropists. His concern emanates from the pledges made by participants at the Copenhagen climate meetings in December, last year.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is shoring up against health issues like AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. The $34 Billion foundation ...

Global warming is opening up hitherto blocked routes. And companies like the Telecom player, Kodiak-Kenai Cable Co have been quick to take advantage of it. The Northwest Passage is the shortest route, nearly as straight as the crow flies, between Tokyo and London. But it has always been impenetrable because of Arctic ice. Now, the ice has melted considerably, allowing cable laying companies to forge ahead and chart new routes for telecommunication.

The route being the shortest underwater path between Tokyo and London could cut the time it ...

The scale of destruction in Haiti has been so massive that it has also resulted in all power resources shutting down. The earthquake has cause almost totalitarian damage to whatever this poor country had in the name of infrastructure. As the country tries to limp back to normal with the help of international humanitarian agencies, its recourse lies in nature itself.

Aid agencies are looking at solar power to fix the huge gap in immediate energy demands. Electricity is a basic necessity. From powering lights to illuminate rescue efforts to the heating up water for the injured or for simple cooking ...

With more than 200,000 dead in the earthquake that ravaged Haiti, environmental concerns would be last on anyone’s mind. It would seem that the first priority would be to lift up the nation and the flagging spirits of its people. As international pours in and the country starts to clear up the debris, environmental concerns are rearing their heads. The earthquake and its accompanying destruction has affected a cascading change – comprehensive deforestation.

That is precisely why President Rene Preval brought up the need to set sights on the country’s long term needs. To understand why Haiti’s ecological ...

A global warming climate model has predicted that rise in Earth’s temperatures could have other far reaching effects. Directly in harm’s way are species like Gorillas and Monkeys. The root cause could be indigestion. If the idea sounds farfetched consider this direct correlation –

Leaves that grow in hotter climates contain more fiber and less protein. More fiber also means that herbivores take longer to digest them. This scenario may become fact by 2050 when average temperatures are expected to rise by 2 degrees Celsius. Hotter days will also mean that animals spend lesser time rummaging ...