Environment

Drilling Rig's Thick Hull Helps Prevent Oil Spill

6:06am January 08, 2013

by Richard Harris

A Shell Oil drilling rig has been pulled of the rocks, where it washed up a week ago during a storm. It has been towed to a bay where divers will inspect it for damage. The incident raises questions about the oil company's controversial plans to continue exploring for oil in the Arctic Ocean this summer.

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From left, bird-watchers John Williamson, Donna Quinn, Bruce Hill and Frances Raskin try to spot as many different species as possible during this season's bird count in Loudoun County, Va.

From Canada To Latin America, The Christmas Bird Count Is On

8:46am January 04, 2013

by Veronique LaCapra

Since 1900, citizen scientists across the Americas have braved bad weather and lack of sleep to participate in the yearly count — essentially, a bird-watching marathon. In the process, these birds have created the world's longest-running database in ornithology and given scientists a great tool for assessing the health of bird populations.

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2013: A Tipping Year For Climate Change?

5:55pm December 30, 2012

This year's weather will be one for the record books; 2012 is slated to be the hottest summer on record. "We've already passed all kinds of tipping points," environmentalist Bill McKibben says. He's wondering if President Obama will take a different approach to climate change in the coming year.

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Rain clouds move over the remnants of parched cornstalks on Aug. 22 near Wiley, Colo. A summer storm came too late to help farmers whose crops were decimated in the wide zone of exceptional drought in Colorado's eastern plains.

An Abundance Of Extreme Weather Has Many On Edge

9:40pm December 27, 2012

by Jennifer Ludden

It was the warmest year on record and brought a series of extreme weather events, from wildfires and floods to drought and a devastating derecho. Polls show a big jump this year in the number of people connecting such disasters with climate change.

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Environment

Climate Change Gets Real For Americans

7:24pm December 26, 2012

by Adam Frank

Something remarkable happened in 2012.

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Birding for the Holidays

11:36am December 26, 2012

The Audubon's 113th Christmas Bird Count is underway, and thousands of volunteers are taking part this year. Ornithologist David Bonter, and Gary Langham, Audubon's chief scientist, share tips on which species to look out for, and how even birding beginners can get involved.

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David Daniel, an east Texas landowner, was so determined to block the Keystone XL pipeline from coming through his forest that he built an elaborate network of treehouses eight stories above the ground.

Texas Man Takes Last Stand Against Keystone XL Pipeline

4:20pm December 25, 2012

by Elizabeth Shogren

The Keystone pipeline is supposed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to Texas — a route that runs right through David Daniel's land. To try to save his woods from bulldozers, Daniel built tree houses 80 feet in the air and protesters climbed up into them.

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Photo Project Tracks Climate Change On Everest

1:18pm December 20, 2012

Filmmaker David Breashears has summited the world's highest peak five times. His latest project matches old photos of Mount Everest and its glaciers with new images to demonstrate how climate change is affecting the mountain. Melissa Block talks with Breashears about the GlacierWorks project.

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Using Science to Care for Your Christmas Tree

11:59am December 14, 2012

Nothing beats the smell of a live Christmas tree in your home, but how can you keep the needles on your tree and off your carpet? Rick Bates, professor of horticulture at Penn State University, offers tips for how to properly care for your Christmas tree this holiday season.

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Environment

Drought Continues: Farmers, Shippers Feel Pressure

2:17pm December 13, 2012

The United States is facing its worst drought since the 1950s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. With little to no signs of relief on the horizon, many analysts expect conditions to worsen well into next year.

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