Some time ago a number of environmental groups sued the government in order to get the American pika listed as an endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced their decision to decline the listing of the pika from the Endangered Species Act. Those suing on behalf of the pika fear global warming will cause the disappearance of the species.

The American pika lives in Wyoming, Washington, Utah, Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Montana. ...

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. ...

In Indonesia is the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park. The park is located in West Java, Indonesia. It is home to endangered gibbons and endangered Java eagles. The area is considered vital to the survival of these species and important for other species as well.

This is why many conservationists are concerned over the recent discovery of 180 villas having been built in the park. The luxury villas were ...

The International Whaling Commission has an exception in their ban on commercial whaling which allows killing of whales for scientific research. Japanese whalers, many feel, have used this loophole to outright hunt whales to sell their meat in markets in Japan. The studies the Japanese are backing their whaling with are being opposed by many, including a new group of researchers hoping to halt the IWC’s scientific whaling exception.

The project called Southern Ocean Research Partnership ...

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 ...

The Midway Atoll, which lies near Hawaii, is a former U.S. Navy base and the site of the famous Midway battle that took place during World War II. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service eventually became responsible for the atoll in 1996. Midway is coming into the spotlight once more due to Laysan albatrosses, which use the atoll as their main breeding site.

The Laysan albatross is considered vulnerable ...

On January 19th, the tallest American elm tree in New England was cut down due to a battle with Dutch elm disease. The tree, referred to as Herbie, had previously survived fourteen other cases of the same disease. However, this fungal infiltration eventually became fatal. The 110-foot tall tree was therefore cut down, opening the door to scientific study.

The tree is estimated to be between 212 to 240 years old, with many leaning towards the higher figure. Due to the age of the tree, scientists ...

In November of 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S. Navy when it came allowing the use of sonar off the coast of California. Environmental groups had argued that the use of sonar could very well harm whales and other marine mammals in the area. Previous court decisions favored restrictions on sonar use, however the Supreme Court overturned these rulings.

Since this decision, many environmentalists fear for the safety of marine mammals when it comes to activities of ...

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 ...