Obama’s first global warming report dire, but offers hope; ‘Not too late,’ one official saysWASHINGTON — Rising sea levels, sweltering temperatures, deeper droughts, and heavier downpours — global warming’s serious effects are already here and getting worse, the Obama administration warned on Tuesday in the grimmest, most urgent language on climate change ever to come out of any White House. Colorado River water supplies at risk if beetle-ravaged forests catch fireWASHINGTON — Water supplies for 33 million people could be endangered if millions of acres of beetle-ravaged forests in the Rocky Mountains catch fire, a U.S. Forest Service official said Tuesday. Animal CSIs pinpoint IDs of birds that brought down plane on Hudson _ they weren’t localsCHICAGO — When animals are the prime suspects in a whodunit, who gets on the case? In capers where feathers or fur are the smoking guns, the role of CSI is often played by top natural history museums. Main islands of 50th US state eyed as critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk sealsHONOLULU — The federal government said Friday it will revise the critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals for the first time in 21 years, which is likely to significantly expand the protection area to include beaches and waters of the main Hawaiian Islands. Inmate’s heat-related death in Arizona leads to a ban on the use of outdoor holding cellsPHOENIX — A prostitute doing time behind bars, Marcia Powell was temporarily moved one day last month to an outdoor holding pen with nothing but a chain-link-fence roof to shield her from the searing desert sun. Main islands of nation’s 50th state named critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk sealsHONOLULU — The federal government on Friday will significantly expand the critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals to include beaches and waters of the main Hawaiian Islands, officials said. Judge finds US agencies violated Endangered Species Act in Southern California forest plansLOS ANGELES — Federal agencies violated the Endangered Species Act by developing plans for four national forests in California without adequately addressing the impact on endangered animals, a judge ruled. Study finds forest conservation in Indonesia could be as profitable as palm oil plantationsBANGKOK — Selling credits for the billions of tons of carbon that are locked in Indonesia’s tropical rain forests could be as profitable as converting these areas into palm oil plantations, a study released Friday found. Fisheries agency’s plan to protect struggling chinook salmon would trim Calif.’s water supplySAN FRANCISCO — Federal regulators on Thursday released a court-ordered plan to help struggling chinook salmon that includes opening California dams and restricting pumping, prompting howls of protest from state officials because it will further reduce the amount of water available to farms and urban areas. Environmentalists plan to sue feds to force decision on listing Arctic seals as endangeredANCHORAGE, Alaska — An environmental group plans to sue the federal government to force a decision on additional protections for Arctic seals. Chuckling chimps? Giggly gorillas? Study of ape laughter traces roots of our human ha-hasNEW YORK — When scientists set out to trace the roots of human laughter, some chimps and gorillas were just tickled to help. Literally. AP News in BriefObama says he’ll accept Nobel Peace Prize as ‘call to action’ toward peace and prosperity Arizona ends use of outdoor prison cells after female inmate died in triple-digit heatPHOENIX — Arizona is ending its use of outdoor prison cells after an inmate died in triple-digit heat last month, the corrections department said Tuesday. Hard to find emperor penguins in Antarctica _ until you view the poo from space satelliteWASHINGTON — Scientists looking for lost penguins stumbled upon an effective method: Follow their poop from space. AP News in BriefIran test fires missiles amid global flap over its nuclear ambitions Climate conference: Rising sea levels, acidity threatening oceans, communities they supportMANADO, Indonesia — Rising sea levels, warming waters and spiraling acidity caused by global warming are threatening the world’s oceans and the communities they support, governments warned Thursday, as they sought to include protection for the seas in a new U.N. climate treaty. Texas fire ant massacre: researchers use parasitic flies to insect pests into headless zombiesFORT WORTH, Texas — Researchers in Texas are trying an unusual approach to combat fire ants — deploying parasitic flies that turn the pesky and economically costly insects into zombies whose heads fall off. Report: Climate change threatens diverse coral reefs that millions of livelihoods depend onMANADO, Indonesia — Around 100 million people risk losing their homes and livelihoods unless drastic steps are taken to protect Southeast Asia’s coral reefs, which could be wiped out in coming decades because of climate change, a report said Wednesday. National Academy of Sciences to review FBI’s lab work in anthrax investigationHAGERSTOWN, Md. — The National Academy of Sciences said Friday it will review the lab work behind the FBI’s conclusion that Army scientist Bruce Ivins was responsible for the anthrax mailings that killed five people in 2001. Mexico high schools, universities reopen after closures to curb spread of swine fluMEXICO CITY — High schools and universities closed by the swine flu epidemic are reopening across Mexico, with school employees and parents carefully checking each returning student for flu symptoms. WHO says up to 2B people might get swine flu if it moves to a pandemicGENEVA — Up to 2 billion people could be infected by swine flu if the current outbreak turns into a pandemic lasting two years, the World Health Organization said Thursday. Mexico cautiously begins reopening schools amid massive disinfection campaignSAN MIGUEL TOPILEJO, Mexico — As if marshaling for war, Mexico’s government mobilized thousands of education officials and parents across the country to swiftly disinfect schools and monitor millions of returning students for signs of swine flu. WHO says up to 2B people might get swine flu if it moves to a pandemicGENEVA — Up to 2 billion people could be infected by swine flu if the current outbreak turns into a pandemic lasting two years, the World Health Organization said Thursday. With sanitized handshakes, Mexico returns to work after shutdown to contain swine flu virusMEXICO CITY — In gleaming office towers and gritty markets, Mexicans returned to work Wednesday after a five-day swine flu shutdown, and dozens returned to a heroes’ welcome from “humiliating” quarantines in China. But Mexico’s death toll rose, feeding fears of more infections now that crowds are gathering again. Scientists warn swine flu virus could quickly morph from mild to deadlyWASHINGTON — A flu virus is a powerhouse of evolution, mutating at the maximum speed nature allows. A mild virus can morph into a killer and vice versa. Swine flu name change? Flu experts say virus genes are largely pigWASHINGTON — No matter what you call it, leading experts say the virus that is scaring the world is pretty much all pig. So while the U.S. government and now the World Health Organization are taking the swine out of “swine flu,” the experts who track the genetic heritage of the virus say this: If it is genetically mostly porcine and its parents are pig viruses, it smells like swine flu to them. Birds that boogie: Researchers demonstrate that animals can ‘dance’ to a musical beatNEW YORK — They wouldn’t blow away the competition on “Dancing with the Stars,” but it turns out that some birds got rhythm. After studying a cockatoo that grooves to the Backstreet Boys and about 1,000 YouTube videos, scientists say they’ve documented for the first time that some animals “dance” to a musical beat. Asia readies for swine flu threat using lessons learned from SARS, bird fluHONG KONG — Before swine flu emptied restaurants and cinemas and made surgical masks a common sight in Mexico, similar scenes unfolded in Asia earlier this decade as it dealt with the back-to-back health emergencies of SARS and bird flu. Long before swine flu, Asia learned hard lessons from SARS, bird fluHONG KONG — Before swine flu emptied restaurants and cinemas and made surgical masks a common sight in Mexico, similar scenes unfolded in Asia earlier this decade as it dealt with the back-to-back health emergencies of SARS and bird flu. Obama administration revokes last-minute action by Bush to limit endangered species protectionWASHINGTON — Federal agencies again will have to consult with government wildlife experts before taking actions that could have an impact on threatened or endangered species. |
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