Microbes for biofuel: a cleaner way to unlock their energy
Algae and photosynthetic bacteria hold a hidden treasure – fat molecules known as lipids – which can be converted to renewable biofuels. Such microorganisms offer an attractive alternative to the unsustainable use of petroleum-based fossil fuels, as well as biofuel sources requiring arable cropland.
Billions at Risk of ‘Water Insecurity’
About 80% of the world's population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis.
Panama Canal fossils reveal ancient collision of worlds
The creation of the Panama Isthmus - the narrow land bridge that joins the two continents - wreaked havoc on land, sea and air. It triggered extinctions, diverted ocean currents and transformed climate.
The Rapid Melt-Away of the Arctic Ice Cap Facilitates the First North Pole Circumnavigation
The opening of the both the North West Passage and the North East Passage is a very recent development in the Arctic. Back in the 19th century these sea passages were always clogged...
The crack in the roof of the world: ‘Yes, global warming is real –...
By MICHAEL HANLON
Around me is an endless expanse of searing white beneath an unmarked blue August sky. In front of me is a roaring, angry river of...
Photo: Eyjafjallajokull’s Fury
Boston.com has put together a remarkable gallery of images from the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland as it continues to belch forth angry clouds of ash and lava across the...
Who owns the rights to the melting Arctic?
Still, the hope for a Northwest Passage lingers and has become central to a key international debate heating up over the Arctic north. If climate change and global warming are real -- and there's currently little doubt over that-then it stands to reason that the ice covering Arctic waterways will decrease in coming decades, presenting fewer navigational problems for shipping.
If the ice recedes -- and few experts expect it will do so year-round-cargo shipping times and distances could, the thinking goes, be cut: A 12,400-mile voyage from Japan to England by way of the Panama Canal could be shortened to less than 8,700 miles using the Northwest Passage, saving 14 days and costs.
