Science

Analysis: Is China ready to lead on protecting nature at the upcoming UN biodiversity conference?

By Vanessa Hull, The Conversation

As the world parses what was achieved at the U.N. climate change conference in Egypt, negotiators are convening in Montreal to set goals for curbing Earth’s other crisis: loss of living species. China will lead the deliberations in and will…

Nevada toad threatened by geothermal power project gets endangered status

By Scott Sonner, Associated Press

A tiny Nevada toad at the center of a legal battle over a geothermal power project has officially been declared an endangered species, after U.S. wildlife officials temporarily listed it on a rarely used emergency basis last spring.

News Wrap: China eases some COVID policies in several cities

In our news wrap Saturday, former President Trump called for the Constitution to be "terminated" over unfounded allegations of 2020 election fraud, cities in China eased more COVID restrictions after protests, Iran announced construction of a new nuclear plant, volcanic…

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How can Hawaii stop lava flow from reaching human infrastructure?

By Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press

People in Hawaii are asking if anything can be done to stop or divert the flow of lava as molten rock from Mauna Loa volcano inches toward a highway on the Big Island.

Egyptians call on British Museum to return the Rosetta stone

By Associated Press

The bilingual carvings on the relic proved to be the breakthrough in the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics after being unearthed by colonialists in Egypt in 1799.

The ‘skin of our planet’ is in danger. Here’s how scientists are trying to save it

By Christopher Thomas

Biological soil crusts are a diverse community of organisms covering some 30 percent of the planet’s drylands. The loss of this top layer — often driven by human activity, as well as by climate change — has far-reaching consequences.

Visitors treated to a ‘spectacular’ show during first Mauna Loa eruption in nearly 4 decades

By Caleb Jones, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press

Visitors to the 24-hour park are currently able to witness both the lava flowing from a fissure on Mauna Loa and the glow from the lava lake at nearby Kilauea volcano.

Here’s the science behind Mauna Loa’s ongoing volcanic eruption

By Gabi Laske, The Conversation

A scientist who led one of the first projects to map the Hawaiian Islands’ deep volcanic plumbing explains what’s going on under the surface.

NASA cancels plans for costly greenhouse gas monitoring satellite

By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press

NASA is canceling a planned satellite that was going to intensely monitor greenhouse gases over the Americas because it got too costly and complicated.

U.S. bat species devastated by white-nose syndrome now listed as endangered

By John Flesher, Associated Press

The species is among a dozen U.S. bats suffering from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that causes bats to emerge early during hibernation, sometimes burn up winter fat reserves and starve.