ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Offshore use of vertical-axis wind turbines gets closer look
• New coating evicts biofilms for good
• Humpback whales staying in Antarctic bays later into autumn
• One in five streams damaged by mine pollution in southern West Virginia
• Later Stone Age got earlier start in South Africa than thought
• Tiny airborne pollutants lead double life
• 250 years of global warming: Berkeley Earth releases new analysis
• Pollution can make citizens, both rich and poor, go green
• Archeologists unearth extraordinary human sculpture in Turkey
• Rapid assessment of plant drought tolerance possible with new method
• Introduction of Asian ladybugs into Europe serious mistake, experts say
• The atomic nucleus: Fissile liquid or molecule of life?
• Archaeologists discover the tomb of a Mayan prince in Mexico
• Cooling, not population loss, led to fewer fires after 1500 in New World
• Cloud seeds and ozone holes

Offshore use of vertical-axis wind turbines gets closer look Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:46 PM PDT Wind energy researchers are re-evaluating vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) to help solve some of the problems of generating energy from offshore breezes.

New coating evicts biofilms for good Posted: 30 Jul 2012 02:02 PM PDT Biofilms may no longer have any solid ground upon which to stand. Scientists have developed a slick way to prevent the troublesome bacterial communities from ever forming on a surface. Biofilms stick to just about everything, from copper pipes to steel ship hulls to glass catheters. The slimy coatings are more than just a nuisance, resulting in decreased energy efficiency, contamination of water and food supplies, and -- especially in medical settings -- persistent infections. Even cavities in teeth are the unwelcome result of bacterial colonies.

Humpback whales staying in Antarctic bays later into autumn Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:50 PM PDT Large numbers of humpback whales are remaining in bays along the Western Antarctic Peninsula to feast on krill late into the austral autumn, long after scientists thought their annual migrations to distant breeding grounds would begin, according to a new study.

One in five streams damaged by mine pollution in southern West Virginia Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:50 PM PDT Water pollution from surface coal mining has degraded more than 22 percent of streams and rivers in southern West Virginia to the point they may now qualify as impaired under state criteria, according to a new study.

Later Stone Age got earlier start in South Africa than thought Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:50 PM PDT The Later Stone Age emerged in South Africa more than 20,000 years earlier than previously believed -- about the same time humans were migrating from Africa to the European continent, says a new study.

Tiny airborne pollutants lead double life Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:50 PM PDT Researchers have provided visual evidence that atmospheric particles separate into distinct chemical compositions during their life cycle. Observations could have important implications for modeling global climate change and predicting air quality conditions.

250 years of global warming: Berkeley Earth releases new analysis Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:25 AM PDT According to a new Berkeley Earth study released July 29, the average temperature of Earth's land has risen by 1.5 °C over the past 250 years. The good match between the new temperature record and historical carbon dioxide records suggests that the most straightforward explanation for this warming is human greenhouse gas emissions.

Pollution can make citizens, both rich and poor, go green Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:21 AM PDT Nothing inspires environmentalism quite like a smog-filled sky or a contaminated river, according to a new study that also indicates that environmentalism isn't just for the prosperous.

Archeologists unearth extraordinary human sculpture in Turkey Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:21 AM PDT A beautiful and colossal human sculpture is one of the latest cultural treasures unearthed by an international team at the Tayinat Archaeological Project excavation site in southeastern Turkey.

Rapid assessment of plant drought tolerance possible with new method Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:53 AM PDT Life scientists have discovered a new method to quickly assess plants' drought tolerance that works for many diverse species growing around the world.

Introduction of Asian ladybugs into Europe serious mistake, experts say Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:49 AM PDT In retrospect, introducing the Asian ladybird (ladybug) into Europe was a serious mistake. The insect was introduced some twenty years ago in a conscious attempt to combat aphids. But new research into the invasion of this foreign insect has shown that the disadvantages far outweigh this single advantage. The Asian species is displacing the native European ladybird and has become a pest that can contaminate homes and spoil the taste of wine.

The atomic nucleus: Fissile liquid or molecule of life? Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:49 AM PDT A new view of the nucleus that unifies its liquid and molecule-like aspects has now been put forward.  By making an analogy with neutron stars, the researchers have for the first time demonstrated one of the necessary conditions for the formation of molecule-like behavior within the atomic nucleus. Such molecule-like behavior makes it possible to understand the synthesis of elements that are key to the appearance of life.

Archaeologists discover the tomb of a Mayan prince in Mexico Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:48 AM PDT Researchers have been digging for four years together with Mexican antiquity authorities from the Mayan city of Uxul in Campeche, Mexico. The aim of the excavation project is to research the process of centralization and collapse of hegemonic state structures in the Mayan Lowlands using the example of the mid-sized archeological site (Uxul) and its ties to the supraregional center (Calakmul). Archaeologists have now discovered the tomb of a Mayan prince.

Cooling, not population loss, led to fewer fires after 1500 in New World Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:41 AM PDT After Columbus' voyage, burning of New World forests and fields diminished significantly – a phenomenon some have attributed to decimation of native populations. But a new study suggests global cooling resulted in fewer fires because both preceded Columbus in many regions worldwide.

Cloud seeds and ozone holes Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:41 AM PDT New findings on the growth of ice clusters in polar stratospheric clouds could help clarify the process of ozone depletion in the atmosphere.

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