Overpopulation is world’s No.1 environmental issue

September 16th, 2009 Worlds oceans warmest on record this summerWASHINGTON — The world's in hot water. Sea-surface temperatures worldwide have been the hottest on record over the last three months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday.

September 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at The University of Nottingham, UK, have created the most advanced 3D X-ray micro Computed Tomography (CT) scanner in the world, which will help scientists from a wide variety of departments across the University literally see through solid materials, including soil. Known as the 'Nanotom', the machine will make previously difficult and laborious research much easier as it allows researchers to probe inside objects without having to break into them.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A business with a green-oriented boss is more likely to "over-comply" with environmental regulations if it believes in protecting the environment and that it makes financial sense in the long term. The study examined why some firms violate environmental regulatory standards while others exceed them.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A business is more likely to "over-comply" with environmental regulations if its boss believes in environment protection, according to a new study. JunJie Wu, an economist at Oregon State University, examined why some firms violate environmental regulatory standards while others exceed them.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The world's fastest and most powerful supercomputer, named Novo-G, has become operational at the University of Florida. Novo-G gets the first part of its name from the Latin term for make anew, change, alter and the second from G for genesis.

July 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A group of common environmental contaminants called phthalates, which are present in many industrial and consumer products including everyday personal care items, may play a role in premature births, according to a study of expectant mothers. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, has found that women who deliver prematurely have, on average, up to three times the phthalate level in their urine compared to women who carry to term.

July 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new book has said that small towns can meet the challenge of a fast-paced, globalized world. The book, titled "Small Town Sustainability: Economic, Social, and Environmental Innovation," has been written by University Distinguished Professor and former College of Architecture and Urban Studies dean Paul L.

June 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new University of Minnesota study has shown that environmental cues control reproductive timing and longevity. According to the study published in the June 25 issue of PloS, when humans and animals delay reproduction because food or other resources are scarce, they may live longer to increase the impact of reproduction.

June 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Environmental contaminants have led to an increase in birth weight and frequency of genital malformations in male newborns (e.g., un-descended testes) as well as a decrease in male fertility, according to a study. The scientists behind this study say that the growing presence of contaminants in the environment leads to reduced male hormone action, which in turn causes the above problems.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Students who are well versed about environmental science and the geosciences are the most realistic about the environmental challenges facing the world in the next 20 years, according to a new study. The analysis also found that students who are least informed in these areas are the most wildly optimistic that things will improve.

April 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Ever dreamt of walking down the red carpet with none other than Leonardo DiCaprio at the premiere of his next film? Well, here's a golden chance to make your wish come true. The 'Titanic' actor-cum-environmental activist is auctioning the chance to attend the premiere of his upcoming drama Shutter Island on eBay.

March 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A tiny microbe that converts carbon dioxide and water to methane with a bit of solar or wind power, can be a new energy source, according to a team of Penn State engineers. Methane is preferred over hydrogen because a large portion of the US infrastructure is already set up to easily transport and deliver methane.

March 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a paradoxical finding, scientists have discovered that an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) may ironically counterbalance some of its negative effects on coastal wetlands, which are the planet's most valuable ecosystems. The team conducted their study for two years (2006 - 2007), during which they focused on the role that organic matter, both growing and decaying, plays on soil elevation in wetlands and the effect CO2 has on this process.

March 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists in China have built mini prototypes for the most buoyant boats ever, which are made of copper mesh coated with a highly water repellent material that can float extremely well. According to a report in National Geographic News, the boats, made out of the superhydrophobic mesh, even stay afloat "when the upper edges are just a hair below the surface of the water." "In fact, these boats are able to carry a load exceeding the maximal capacities calculated from the boat's volume," said study co-author Qinmin Pan, a chemist at the Harbin Institute of Technology.

January 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Harmful algal blooms are increasingly poisoning seafood, causing respiratory and skin irritations, while killing off fish and mammals in coastal waters. Scientists presented a compilation of 21 studies outlining the role of nutrient pollution in the increasing frequency of these events.