ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Breakthrough for solar cell efficiency
• Reading ancient climate from plankton shells
• Can a potentially invasive plant bring a positive influence to a region?
• Fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats proves hardy survivor
• New low-cost, nondestructive technology cuts risk from mercury hot spots
• Scientists develop new method to help global coasts adapt to sea-level rise
• Scientists' new approach improves efficiency of solar cells
• Monkey that purrs like a cat is among new species discovered in Amazon rainforest
• King of beasts losing ground in Uganda's paradise
• 'Living stone' plant adapts to extreme conditions in new ways

Breakthrough for solar cell efficiency Posted: 25 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Scientists have just revealed the fundamental aspect of a new approach to growing InGaN crystals for diodes, which promises to move photovoltaic solar cell technology toward record-breaking efficiencies.

Reading ancient climate from plankton shells Posted: 25 Oct 2013 09:31 AM PDT Climate changes from millions of years ago are recorded at daily rate in ancient sea shells, new research shows.

Can a potentially invasive plant bring a positive influence to a region? Posted: 25 Oct 2013 08:39 AM PDT Could invasive species be beneficial for a region? Scientists have attempted to answer this question in Fiji by studying the influence of the invasive creeping daisy Sphagneticola trilobata on the feeding activity of a solitary bee. The study shows how contrary to expectations the invasive plant could potentially turn out to be important to crop pollination and biodiversity of the region.

Fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats proves hardy survivor Posted: 25 Oct 2013 06:19 AM PDT After taking an in-depth look at the basic biology of a fungus that is decimating bat colonies as it spreads across the US, researchers report that they can find little that might stop the organism from spreading further and persisting indefinitely in bat caves.

New low-cost, nondestructive technology cuts risk from mercury hot spots Posted: 25 Oct 2013 06:19 AM PDT Hot spots of mercury pollution in aquatic sediments and soils can contaminate local food webs and threaten ecosystems, but cleaning them up can be expensive and destructive. Researchers have found a new low-cost, nonhazardous way to reduce the risk of exposure: using charcoal to trap it in the soil.

Scientists develop new method to help global coasts adapt to sea-level rise Posted: 25 Oct 2013 06:18 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new method to help the world's coasts adapt to global sea-level rises over the next 100 years. Future sea-level rise seems inevitable, although the rates and geographical patterns of change remain uncertain. Given the large and growing populations and economic activity in coastal zones, as well as the importance of coastal ecosystems, the potential impacts of sea-level change are far-reaching. Current methods to assess the potential impact of sea-level rise have varied significantly and hindered the development of useful scenarios and in turn, suitable adaption policies and planning. A new study has combined the available data on a number of different climate and non-climate (such as uplift, subsidence and natural phenomena - earthquakes for example) mechanisms, which contribute to sea-level change, to create appropriate scenarios of sea-level rise at any location when policy-makers consider impacts and adaption.

Scientists' new approach improves efficiency of solar cells Posted: 25 Oct 2013 06:17 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new method to increase the efficiency of solar cells.

Monkey that purrs like a cat is among new species discovered in Amazon rainforest Posted: 25 Oct 2013 05:59 AM PDT At least 441 new species of animals and plants have been discovered over a four year period in the vast, underexplored rainforest of the Amazon, including a monkey that purrs like a cat.

King of beasts losing ground in Uganda's paradise Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT Conservationists warn that Uganda's African lions -- a mainstay of the country's tourism industry and a symbol of Africa -- are on the verge of disappearing from the country's national parks.

'Living stone' plant adapts to extreme conditions in new ways Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT A unique plant that lives underground uses multiple mechanisms to boost photosynthesis and offers new insights into how plants adapt to extreme conditions.

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