Environmental News Network

Work Begins on Global Seed Bank on Arctic Island
Work began in the Arctic on Monday on building a global bank of crop seeds that scientists hope will prevent the extinction of unique species such as those lost in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. >> Read the Full Article
Thawing Permafrost Could Unleash Tons of Carbon
Ancient roots and bones locked in long-frozen soil in Siberia are starting to thaw, and have the potential to unleash billions of tons of carbon and accelerate global warming, scientists said Thursday. >> Read the Full Article
South Carolina Scientists Find New Shark Species
A new genetically distinct species of hammerhead shark, the ninth recognized species of hammerhead, has been discovered off the South Carolina coast, scientists say. >> Read the Full Article
Study Says Polar Bears May Turn to Cannibalism
Polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea may be turning to cannibalism because longer seasons without ice keep them from getting to their natural food, a new study by American and Canadian scientists has found. >> Read the Full Article
Expert Says Meteor May Have Caused Extinction
A massive crater in Antarctica may have been caused by a meteor that wiped out more than 90 percent of the species on Earth 250 million years ago, an American geologist said Wednesday. >> Read the Full Article
Iowa Ape Research Facility to Offer Tours
The three orangutans and eight bonobos living at the Great Ape Trust will interact with more humans starting in June when the research facility is opened to the public. >> Read the Full Article
Scientists Say Arctic Once Was Tropical
Scientists have found what might have been the ideal ancient vacation hotspot with a 74-degree Fahrenheit average temperature, alligator ancestors and palm trees. It's smack in the middle of the Arctic. >> Read the Full Article
Scientists Say Warming Threatening Florida
Florida's governor cautiously entered the debate Wednesday over whether rising global temperatures are to blame for an increase in the number of strong hurricanes, meeting with two researchers who say global warming is threatening Florida with a long-term future of more bad storms. >> Read the Full Article
Chronology: Recent Pacific Rim Earthquakes
An earthquake that devastated a wide area around Indonesia's ancient royal city of Yogyakarta on Saturday is now known to have killed more than 5,100 people. Following is a list of some earthquakes which have hit the Pacific Rim region in recent years. >> Read the Full Article
Subtropic Warming Could Mean Bigger Deserts, Study Shows
Earth's atmosphere is warming faster over the subtropics than anywhere else, which could mean bigger deserts and more drought from Africa to Australia to the Middle East, researchers said Thursday. >> Read the Full Article