$306 billion—total cost of climate disasters in US in 2017
A hyperactive hurricane season and deadly wildfire events are responsible for this record-breaking economic loss
Climate change-induced flooding may put at least 327 contaminated sites in US at risk
Nearly two million people live within a mile of 327 Superfund sites, which are vulnerable to sea-level rise due to climate change
US proposes to subsidise coal and nuclear power plants, calls them ‘reliable’
The proposed rulemaking is meant to subsidise and salvage coal power plants at the cost of renewable energy sector
Traffic noise is affecting communication in birds
When noise due to traffic increases, the birds alter the length and frequency of their song to improve communication
Trump tears down US climate policy, but America could lose out as a result
US is likely to experience different climate impacts, from coastal flooding and severe storms to drought and wildfires
Scientists develop new molecule to fight antibiotic resistance
A piece of synthetic DNA has been developed that restores effectiveness of a carbapenem
Latin America, the most unequal region of the world in land distribution
Economic elites use their clout to influence regulatory decisions to serve their interest by either funding political parties or controlling the media
Santa Clarita wildfire threatens air quality in Los Angeles
The Southern California Air Quality Management District and LA County Public Health have issued a smoke advisory for Los Angeles due to the smoke …
Antibodies will prevent recurrence of Zika for at least a decade, says study
48 countries have reported incidences of Zika fever since the first outbreak in 2015
Ensuring food security, building resilience must to fight drought in Central America's Dry Corridor
The region, which covers nearly one-third of the Central American territory, is characterised by recurrent droughts
Packaged food labels in US to have bigger, bolder display of calories
US Food and Drug Administration behind move aimed at helping people to make better informed choices
Finally, firm no to software patents
The Patent Office has clearly said software patents can only be granted if linked to novel hardware
Eastern cougar extinct, says US conservation agency
The eastern cougar, a subspecies of the North American cougar, has likely been extinct for at least 70 years. It was last sighted and hunted …
Hackers—good and bad
Documentary>> We are a legion • directed by Brian Knappenberger
Reforming the cyber nation
Book>> I know who you are and i saw what you did; social networks and the death of privacy • Free Press • US $26
Animal rights primer
Book>> Animal Rights: What Everyone Needs To Know • by Paul Waldau • OUP, New York • US $10.7
Environmentalists block waterway
Environmentalists have opposed a plan to transform the Paraguay and Parana rivers into a waterway linking the impoverished interior regions of …
The back up man
BOOK>> MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION, THE LONG JOURNEY HOME FROM THE MOON • by Buzz Aldrin and Ken Abraham • Bloomsbury • Rs 750
The file drawer bust
Daniele Fanelli, researcher at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, probes the problem of quantity versus quality in scientific research. …
Costa Rica beating its own records on renewable energy usage
The nation went 300 days using only renewable energy this year. It beat its own 2015 record in doing so
Nasa satellite imagery finds tremendous changes in Amazon in last 40 years
The scale of losses in forests land, increase in pasture land, shift in land use policy driven by economic forces are seen nowhere else in the world
Global warming can reduce coffee growing areas in the world’s largest coffee-producing region: study
Bee-friendly farm practices and conserving forests suitable for coffee production can reduce vulnerability to climate change, it said
How six proposed dams on Amazon River could threaten regional food security
These dams can have major impacts on hydrology, geomorphology, biodiversity and productivity of the river system
Record low water levels on the Mississippi River in 2022 show how climate change is altering large rivers
Warmer atmospheric temperatures have the potential to evaporate more water, causing drought and to hold more water, causing extreme rainfall
Climate change was partly responsible for May floods, landslides in Brazil
7-day average rainfall had 1-in-500 chance, finds study; Current climate warmer by 1.2°C