Science Daily: Top Environment News – October 10th

Jay OwenEarth Systems Science

  • Urgent new time frame for climate change revealed by massive analysis
  • Longer life for humans linked to further loss of endangered species
  • Water and lava, but curiously, no explosion
  • Historic trends predict future global reforestation unlikely
  • Secret of cattle ticks’ resistance to pesticide
Urgent new time frame for climate change revealed by massive analysis

Posted: 09 Oct 2013 10:32 AM PDT

The seesaw variability of global temperatures often engenders debate over how seriously we should take climate change. But within 35 years, even the lowest monthly dips in temperatures will be hotter than we’ve experienced in the past 150 years, according to a new and massive analysis of all climate models. The tropics will be the first to exceed the limits of historical extremes and experience an unabated heat wave that threatens biodiversity and heavily populated countries with the fewest resources to adapt.

Longer life for humans linked to further loss of endangered species

Posted: 09 Oct 2013 10:01 AM PDT

As human life expectancy increases, so does the percentage of invasive and endangered birds and mammals, according to a new study.

 
Water and lava, but curiously, no explosion

Posted: 09 Oct 2013 09:57 AM PDT

A study finds that hollow, land-based lava pillars in Iceland likely formed in a surprising reaction where lava met water without an explosion. Such formations are common deep under the ocean, but have not been described on land, the lead researcher says.

 
Historic trends predict future global reforestation unlikely

Posted: 09 Oct 2013 07:02 AM PDT

Feeding a growing global population while also slowing or reversing global deforestation may only be possible if agricultural yields rise and/or per capita food consumption declines over the next century,

 
 
Secret of cattle ticks’ resistance to pesticide

Posted: 07 Oct 2013 09:25 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered how a tick that transmits devastating diseases to cattle has developed resistance to one of the main pesticides used to kill it.