EarthScape

The first ever peer-reviewed study of BPA levels in specific US foods was just published, and the results are surprisingly comforting. The headline you might read is that BPA levels are 1,000 times lower than the health levels for “tolerable daily intake” set by US and European food safety authorities.

U.N. climate talks starting in Mexico this month will seek a complex set of interlocking deals to slow global warming but will fall well short of a new treaty, the U.N.’s climate chief said on Wednesday. Christiana Figueres said that governments had lowered their sights for the November 29-December 10 talks in Cancun, Mexico, after…

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on ensuring that imported vehicles and engines comply with Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements. Such items are commonly imported from foreign countries, such as sports cars, motorcycles, and even electrical generators. These items can now be found on the…

A NASA analysis of satellite data has quantified, for the first time, the amount of older and thicker multi-year sea ice lost from the Arctic Ocean due to melting. Since the start of the satellite record in 1979, scientists have observed the continued disappearance of older multi-year sea ice that survives more than one summer…

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2010) — Swiss researchers studying the projected effects of climate change on alpine plant species have discovered that mountain ranges may represent a ‘safer’ place to live during changing climate conditions. The research, published in the Journal of Biogeography, finds that the habitat diversity of mountain ranges offer species ‘refuge habitats’ which…

Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo released a 160-page environmental agenda for New York on Saturday, October 30, three days before he was elected to be New York’s next Governor on January 1st, 2011. The document allows some insight into the vision and priorities of the next administration with regard to the environment.

More than 1,000 tigers have been killed over the last decade for illegal trade in parts such as skin and bones, and this is likely only a small fraction of the true numbers, a study by wildlife protection groups says. India saw by far the most seizures of tiger parts, followed by China, Nepal, and…

Organisms in a food chain are grouped into trophic levels, based on how many links they are removed from the primary producers. Plants or phytoplankton are in the first trophic level; they are at the base of the food chain. Herbivores (primary consumers) are in the second level. Carnivores (secondary consumers) are in the third.…

Yesterday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to disapprove plans developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The air quality plans aimed to bring areas with poor air quality such as the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley into attainment with national health standards for particulate emissions. The fine particulates, known as PM2.5…

Compared to other automobile manufacturers, BMW has been behind in electric car research and development. Considering the demographic to which BMW markets, the lack of such a move was surprising. Early adopters with plenty of pocket change are a compelling demographic for BMW.