ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Early Earth less 'Hellish' than previously thought
• Small algae with great potential
• Strategic self-sabotage? MRSA inhibits its own growth
• Cost-share programs encourage most to mitigate wildfire danger
• How a change in slope affects lava flows
• Tigers, pandas and people: Recipe for conservation insight
• Protein secrets of Ebola virus
• Zebrafish genes linked to human respiratory diseases
• Creation of the Vuoksi River preceded a significant cultural shift
• New way to predict hurricane strength, destruction
• The science behind swimming: From whales to larvae, common principles at work in swimming
• Fracking: Gas leaks from faulty wells linked to contamination in some groundwater
• Marijuana users who feel low get high
• Moss plants brought back to life after having been frozen in Antarctic ice for 1,500 years
• Martian meteorite yields more evidence of the possibility of life on Mars
• 'Jaws' lived in Doncaster, England: Archeologists dig up evidence of sharks and swamps 310 million years ago
• Hitting the jackpot on a dig in Gernsheim: Long lost Roman fort discovered
• Technological leap in treating PCB contamination in the environment: Three new bacteria could break down PCB
• Glaciers in northern Antarctic Peninsula melting faster than ever despite increased snowfall
• How an ancient vertebrate uses familiar tools to build a strange-looking head
• Rules of thumb for climate change turned upside down: Wet and dry regions recalculated
• Healing power of 'rib-tickling' found by researchers
• Extreme insect: Genetic analysis of a species of African midge that can survive harsh conditions
• Boosting armor for nuclear-waste eating microbes
• Climate: More heat, rain in Vermont, Quebec
• Bluetongue disease 'overwintering' mystery solved
• Cutting the cloud computing carbon cost
• Potato ravaging pest controlled with fungi
• Diversified farming practices might preserve evolutionary diversity of wildlife

Early Earth less 'Hellish' than previously thought Posted: 15 Sep 2014 11:09 AM PDT Conditions on Earth during its first 500 million years may have been cool enough to form oceans of water instead of being too hot for life to form. This alternate view of Earth's first geologic eon, called the Hadean, has gained substantial new support from the first detailed comparison of zircon crystals that formed more than 4 billion years ago with those formed contemporaneously in Iceland, which has been proposed as a possible geological analog for early Earth.

Small algae with great potential Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT The single most important calcifying algae of the world's oceans is able to simultaneously adapt to rising water temperatures and ocean acidification through evolution. A unique long-term experiment with the species Emiliania huxleyi shows that the evolutionary potential of the algae is much greater than previously thought. In their laboratory evolution experiment, the scientists have shown for the first time that evolutionary adaptations to multiple stress factors do not necessarily interfere with each other.

Strategic self-sabotage? MRSA inhibits its own growth Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT A bacterial mystery has finally been uncovered. Against all logic, the most predominant strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in North American produces an enzyme that degrades skin secretions into compounds that are toxic to itself.

Cost-share programs encourage most to mitigate wildfire danger Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT Most homeowners are willing to take part in cost-sharing that helps pay for wildfire risk mitigation on their properties, but some of those with the highest wildfire risk are the least likely to participate in those programs, according to a study.

How a change in slope affects lava flows Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT As soon as lava flows from a volcano, exposure to air and wind causes it to start to cool and harden. Rather than hardening evenly, the energy exchange tends to take place primarily at the surface.

Tigers, pandas and people: Recipe for conservation insight Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT The first big revelation in conservation sciences was that studying the people on the scene as well as nature conservation was crucial. Now, as this science matures, researchers are showing that it's useful to compare apples and oranges. Or, more accurately, tigers and pandas. Scientists show that useful insights and ways of scrutinizing wildlife and their habitat can be found in unlikely places.

Protein secrets of Ebola virus Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT The current Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which has claimed more than 2000 lives, has highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the molecular biology of the virus that could be critical in the development of vaccines or antiviral drugs to treat or prevent Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Zebrafish genes linked to human respiratory diseases Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT Hundreds of novel genes in the zebrafish have been identified that could be functionally identical to the human genes required for forming motile cilia, hair-like structures on the surface of airway cells. These are required for removing dust and pathogens from the human airway. The study showed that the loss of these genes is linked to development of defective motile cilia, which could be the cause of some respiratory diseases.

Creation of the Vuoksi River preceded a significant cultural shift Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT The creation of the Vuoksi River and the subsequent rapid decrease in the water level of Lake Saimaa approximately 6,000 years ago revealed thousands of square kilometers of new, fertile land in eastern Finland. Researchers have studied the role that the decrease in water levels has played in the interaction between nature and humans.

New way to predict hurricane strength, destruction Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT A new study demonstrates a different way of projecting a hurricane's strength and intensity that could give the public a better idea of a storm's potential for destruction.

The science behind swimming: From whales to larvae, common principles at work in swimming Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT Using simple hydrodynamics, a team of researchers was able to show that a handful of principles govern how virtually every animal -- from the tiniest fish to birds to gigantic whales propel themselves though the water.

Fracking: Gas leaks from faulty wells linked to contamination in some groundwater Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT A study has pinpointed the likely source of most natural gas contamination in drinking-water wells associated with hydraulic fracturing, and it's not the source many people may have feared.

Marijuana users who feel low get high Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT Adolescents and young adults who smoke marijuana frequently may attempt to manage negative moods by using the drug, according to a study. "One of the challenges is that people often may use marijuana to feel better but may feel worse afterward," the lead investigator says. "Marijuana use can be associated with anxiety and other negative states. People feel bad, they use, and they might momentarily feel better, but then they feel worse. They don't necessarily link feeling bad after using with the use itself, so it can become a vicious circle."

Moss plants brought back to life after having been frozen in Antarctic ice for 1,500 years Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT Mosses have existed on Earth for more than 400 million years. During this period they survived many climate catastrophes that wiped out more robust organisms such as, for example, dinosaurs. Recently, scientists brought single moss plants back to life after they had been frozen in the Antarctic ice for 1,500 years. Why are these small plants so resilient to climate changes?

Martian meteorite yields more evidence of the possibility of life on Mars Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT A tiny fragment of Martian meteorite 1.3 billion years old is helping to make the case for the possibility of life on Mars, say scientists. The finding are of a 'cell-like' structure, which investigators now know once held water.

'Jaws' lived in Doncaster, England: Archeologists dig up evidence of sharks and swamps 310 million years ago Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Sharks, swamps and a tropical rainforest teeming with life – it's not what comes to mind when you think of Yorkshire, England.  But for the first time evidence of Doncaster's 310-million-year-old past, including a fossilized shark egg case, has been discovered in a derelict mining tip.

Hitting the jackpot on a dig in Gernsheim: Long lost Roman fort discovered Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT In the course of an educational dig in Gernsheim in the Hessian Ried, archaeologists have discovered a long lost Roman fort: A troop unit made up out of approximately 500 soldiers (known as a cohort)  was stationed there between 70/80 and 110/120 AD. Over the past weeks, the archaeologists found two V-shaped ditches, typical of this type of fort, and the post holes of a wooden defensive tower as well as other evidence from the time after the fort was abandoned.

Technological leap in treating PCB contamination in the environment: Three new bacteria could break down PCB Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Scientists have developed a novel approach that could greatly enhance the effectiveness of destroying polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment. They discovered three powerful bacteria that can degrade PCBs. In addition, the researchers also developed an effective method of culturing these PCB dechlorinators in large quantities to enhance their degradation efficiency.

Glaciers in northern Antarctic Peninsula melting faster than ever despite increased snowfall Posted: 14 Sep 2014 06:10 PM PDT Increased snowfall will not prevent the continued melting of glaciers in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, according to new research. Scientists have discovered that small glaciers that end on land around the Antarctic Peninsula are highly vulnerable to slight changes in air temperature and may be at risk of disappearing within 200 years.

How an ancient vertebrate uses familiar tools to build a strange-looking head Posted: 14 Sep 2014 01:02 PM PDT New research reveals that the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, a survivor of ancient jawless vertebrates, exhibits a pattern of gene expression that is reminiscent of its jawed cousins, which evolved much, much later.

Rules of thumb for climate change turned upside down: Wet and dry regions recalculated Posted: 14 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT With a new analysis of land regions, climate researchers are challenging the general climate change paradigm that dry regions are getting drier and wet regions are getting wetter. In some regions they are encountering divergent trends.

Healing power of 'rib-tickling' found by researchers Posted: 13 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT Unlike salamanders, mammals can't regenerate lost limbs, but they can repair large sections of their ribs. In a new study, a team of researchers takes a closer look at rib regeneration in both humans and mice.

Extreme insect: Genetic analysis of a species of African midge that can survive harsh conditions Posted: 13 Sep 2014 11:13 AM PDT Scientists have completed the genetic analysis on a species of African midge, which can survive a wide array of extreme conditions including large variations in temperature, extreme drought and even airless vacuums such as space. The team successfully deciphered the genetic mechanism that makes the midge invulnerable to these harsh conditions.

Boosting armor for nuclear-waste eating microbes Posted: 12 Sep 2014 06:51 PM PDT A microbe developed to clean up nuclear waste has just been improved. In earlier research, Gemma Reguera, a microbiologist identified that Geobacter bacteria's tiny conductive hair-like appendages, or pili, did the yeoman's share of remediation. By increasing the strength of the pili nanowires, she improved their ability to clean up uranium and other toxic wastes.

Climate: More heat, rain in Vermont, Quebec Posted: 12 Sep 2014 06:51 PM PDT A fundamental challenge of climate change forecasting is how to bridge the gap between global-scale models and local impacts. A new study -- the first-of-its kind for the Lake Champlain region -- bridges this gap and forecasts that northern Vermont and southern Quebec by 2100 will get eight degrees Fahrenheit hotter; Burlington, Vt., will experience 10 more days in July above 90; and ski resorts will see 50 percent less snowfall.

Bluetongue disease 'overwintering' mystery solved Posted: 12 Sep 2014 12:21 PM PDT Veterinary researchers monitoring a Northern California dairy farm discovered how the bluetongue virus survives the cold winter months by hiding out in the tiny biting midge that transmits the virus. The findings solve a century-old mystery and are particularly significant as global climate change brings more moderate winter temperatures around the world.

Cutting the cloud computing carbon cost Posted: 12 Sep 2014 08:24 AM PDT Researchers have investigated how cloud computing systems might be optimized for energy use and to reduce their carbon footprint.

Potato ravaging pest controlled with fungi Posted: 11 Sep 2014 12:18 PM PDT Approximately six thousand hectares of Veracruz, in the west coast of Mexico, are dedicated to the production of potato (Solanum tuberosum), in which more than three thousand farmers participate. During the past 30 years, the fields of the Cofre de Perote area were affected by the presence of the golden nematode of potatoes (Globodera rostochiensis) reducing performance of the crop by more than 40 percent.

Diversified farming practices might preserve evolutionary diversity of wildlife Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Habitat destruction significantly reduces the incidence of evolutionarily distinct species, a long-term study in Costa Rica has revealed. The research suggests alternative land-use practices that sustain farming and biodiversity.

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