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mongabay.com news - December 2007As amphibians leap toward extinction, alliance pushes "The Year of the Frog" -- 12/31/2007With amphibians experiencing dramatic die-offs in pristine habitats worldwide, an alliance of zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums has launched a desperate public appeal to raise funds for emergency conservation measures. Scientists say that without quick action, one-third to one-half the world's frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians could disappear. Lack of A-bomb signatures suggest 50 years of shrinking Tibetan glaciers -- 12/30/2007 Ice cores drilled last year from the summit of a Himalayan ice field lack the distinctive radioactive signals that mark virtually every other ice core retrieved worldwide. That missing radioactivity, originating as fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests during the 1950s and 1960s, routinely provides researchers with a benchmark against which they can gauge how much new ice has accumulated on a glacier or ice field. Demise of deep-sea species could lead to collapse of ocean ecosystems -- 12/27/2007 Declining populations of deep-sea species pose a significant threat to the health of world oceans, warns a study published in the January 8th issue of Current Biology. Global food prices rise 40% in 2007 to new record -- 12/27/2007 As world food prices continue to surge, 37 countries are facing critical food crises due to conflict and disasters, according to a report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO's global food price index rose 40 percent this year to the highest level on record. Brazil bans illegal soy and cattle production in the Amazon rainforest -- 12/24/2007 The Brazilian government launched a new initiative to slow deforestation in the Amazon, setting the stage for the country to potentially earn billions from carbon trading schemes set in motion two weeks ago at the U.N. climate meeting in Bali. 6 species of giraffe "discovered" -- 12/21/2007 Genetic analysis that the world's tallest animal--the giraffe--may actually be several species, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Biology. Existing taxonomy recognizes only one species of giraffe. Uganda renews plans to log rainforest reserve for sugar cane -- 12/21/2007 Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Friday revived a controversial plan to grant a forest reserve to commercial sugar cane interests. Japan cancels plan to kill 50 humpback whales -- 12/21/2007 Japan has canceled highly controversial plans to kill 50 humpback whales for purported "scietific purposes" (the meat is sold in fish markets) after widespread condemnation from environmentalists and governments. . Could carbon credits-for-forest conservation (REDD) reduce terrorism and global warming? -- 12/20/2007 Schemes to offer carbon credits for reducing deforestation rates in developing countries could improve American security by providing stable income to disaffected rural groups, argues a new Council on Foreign Relations report on the impact of climate change on U.S. national security. Squirrels use snake skin to disguise themselves from predators -- 12/20/2007 California ground squirrels and rock squirrels chew up rattlesnake skin and smear it on their fur to mask their scent from predators, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis. Barbara Clucas, a graduate student in animal behavior at UC Davis, observed ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and rock squirrels (Spermophilus variegates) applying snake scent to themselves by picking up pieces of shed snakeskin, chewing it and then licking their fur. New process turns chicken fat into biodiesel -- 12/20/2007 Chemical engineers at the University of Arkansas have devised a way to convert chicken fat into biodiesel fuel. The process advances efforts to "develop commercially viable fuel out of plentiful, accessible and low-cost feedstocks and other agricultural by-products," according to the researchers. Evolution of whales challenged -- 12/19/2007 Modern whales appear to have evolved from a raccoon-sized creature with the body of a small deer, according to scientists writing in the journal Nature. The results challenge the theory that cetaceans are descended from even-toed ungulates (artiodactyls) like hippos, as previous molecular analysis has suggested. Migrating frogs fare poorly when habitat altered -- 12/19/2007 Habitat loss and fragmentation are putting amphibians already threatened by climate change, pesticides, alien invasive species, and the outbreak of a deadly fungal infection at greater risk of extinction, reported a study published in Science last week. Thailand's forests could support 2,000 tigers -- 12/19/2007 Thailand's network of parks could support 2,000 tigers, reports a new study by Thailand's Department of National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society. Study shows that sea turtles can recover -- 12/18/2007 Conservation of sea turtle nesting sites is paying off for the endangered reptiles, reports a new study published this week in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. A team of researchers led researchers from IUCN and Conservation International found that green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting on four beaches in the Pacific and two beaches in the Atlantic have increased by an four to fourteen percent annually over the past two to three decades as a result of beach protection efforts. Will carbon credits-for-forests scheme be undermined by carbon negative bioenergy? -- 12/18/2007 The Indonesian government has signed an agreement with energy giant Total E&P Indonesia on a carbon capture and storage scheme that could eventually lead to the development of carbon negative bioenergy production in the southeast Asian country, reports Biopact. The deal raises fears that feedstock for production could lead to large-scale deforestation of the country's remaining forests and undermine efforts to push forest conservation-for-carbon credits (or REDD) initiatives. Did U.S. negotiators go against the Bush administration in Bali? -- 12/18/2007 Insiders in Washington are speculating that the US delegation to the U.N. climate talks in Bali went against the wishes of the Bush Administration as negotiations drew to a close last weekend, according to SPIEGEL ONLINE. Rainforest destruction increasingly driven by corporate interests, not poverty -- 12/18/2007 Tropical deforestation is increasingly enterprise-driven rather than the result of subsistence agriculture, a trend that has critical implications for the future of the world's forests, says Dr. Thomas Rudel, a researcher from Rutgers University. As urbanization and government-sponsored development programs dwindle in the tropics, industrial logging and conversion for large-scale agriculture -- including oil palm plantations, soy farms, and cattle ranches -- are ever more important causes of forest destruction. Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands -- 12/17/2007 Researchers have confirmed that converting peat forests for oil palm plantations results in a large net release of carbon dioxide, indicating industry claims that palm oil helps fight climate change are unfounded, at least when plantations are established in peatlands. Photos: Two unknown mammal species discovered in "lost world" -- 12/16/2007 Two mammal species -- a tiny possum and a giant rat — discovered on a recent expedition to Indonesia's remote Foja Mountains in New Guinea are likely new to science, report researchers from Conservation International (CI) and Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI). The area won international fame after a December 2005 survey turned up dozens of new species and gave urgency to conservation efforts in a region where logging and forest clearing for agriculture are a serious concern. Bali delegates agree to support forests-for-climate (REDD) plan -- 12/16/2007 Delegates meeting at the U.N. climate conference in Bali agreed to include forest conservation in future discussions on a new global warming treaty, reports the Associated Press. The move could lead to the transfer of billions of dollars -- in the form of carbon credits -- from industrialized countries to tropical nations for the purpose of slowing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing deforestation rates. Deforestation presently accounts for roughly 20 percent of anthropogenic emissions worldwide. Christmas shopping habits help drive global warming -- 12/14/2007 Just as the conference in Bali on global warming wraps up with a middling agreement, consumers in the US and Europe are rushing to holiday stores, mostly unaware of how their Christmas consumerism affects global warming. The British independent think-tank, Nef (new economics foundation) has released a report highlighting the environmental cost of holiday shopping. Scientists: cut emissions now to avoid climate tipping point -- 12/14/2007 Countries need to act soon to cut carbon dioxide emissions if the worst impacts of global warming are to be avoided, warned a panel of scientists speaking Thursday at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. Photo: African wild dog pup gets a health check up -- 12/14/2007 African wild dogs are among the most threatened canines on the planet. Communities must benefit for forest carbon schemes to be effective -- 12/13/2007 Much has been promised by what avoided deforestation carbon credits can do to support forest protection, increase tax revenues, and develop sustainable rural economies in our Zamrud Khatulistiwa or Emerald on the Equator. Bloomberg calls for a carbon tax -- 12/13/2007 New York City mayor and potential U.S. presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said that carbon cap-and-trade schemes are vulnerable to "special interests, corruption, inefficiencies," and should be replaced by straight carbon taxes, reports the Associated Press. Global warming will degrade 98% of coral reefs by 2050 -- 12/13/2007 Ocean acidification caused by human-induced carbon dioxide emissions could dramatically alter the planet's coral reefs and marine food chains, warns research published in the December 14 issue of Science and presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco. U.S. corn subsidies drive Amazon destruction -- 12/13/2007 U.S. corn subsidies for ethanol production are contributing to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, reports a tropical forest scientist writing in this week's issue of the journal Science. Prehistoric Carnivorous Fungi Lassoed its Prey -- 12/19/2007 Scientists have discovered the oldest known carnivorous fungus, according to a study published in Science. Fish farms are killing wild salmon in British Columbia -- 12/19/2007 Parasitic sea lice infestations caused by salmon farms are driving nearby populations of wild salmon toward extinction, reports a study published in the December 14 issue of the journal Science. 70% of rainforest island to be cleared for palm oil -- 12/19/2007 Mongabay.com received information this week that the Malaysian company Vitroplant has been granted the permit it needs to begin developing 70% of Woodlark Island into palm oil plantations. In an e-mail received by one of the opposition leaders to Vitroplant, Dr. Simon Piyuwes said that "the government granted the permit to the oil palm company despite a widespread campaign and pressure from NGOs". In an earlier article Dr. Piyuwes stated that "we [the islanders] do not have money to fight the giant. We only hope for the support from the NGOs, and the mercy of the government to withdraw the project." It seems the government has refused Dr. Piyuwes what he hoped for. Natural climate variations have larger effect on hurricanes than global warming -- 12/12/2007 Natural climate variations, which tend to involve localized changes in sea surface temperature, may have a larger effect on hurricane activity than the more uniform patterns of global warming, a report in this week's Nature suggests. Arctic sea ice cold melt by summer of 2013 -- 12/12/2007 Melting in the Arctic is occurring faster than most scientists predicted, according to research presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. Controversial dam in the Amazon gets Brazilian go-ahead -- 12/11/2007 The Brazilian government has awarded rights to build and operate a controversial R$10bn hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira river in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Bolivia, according to FT.com. U.S. hijacks climate talks, kills rainforest conservation plan -- 12/11/2007 The United States again wrought havoc at UN Climate Change talks. In the early morning hours of talks, as diplomats faced exhaustion, the United States pulled the equivalent of a diplomatic nuclear option, scuttling frantic global efforts to save tropical forests. Greenland ice sheet melting hits record in 2007 -- 12/11/2007 The 2007 melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet broke the 2005 summer melt record by 10 percent, making it the largest ever recorded there since satellite measurements began in 1979, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder climate scientist. Threatened birds may be rarer than previously thought, finds study -- 12/11/2007 Geographic range maps that allow conservationists to estimate the distribution of birds may vastly overestimate the actual population size of threatened species and those with specific habitats, according to a study published online this week in the journal Conservation Biology. Massive carnivorous dinosaur discovered -- 12/11/2007 A massive carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Niger has been described as a new species, according to research published in current issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. U.S. contributes $0 to World Bank's new $300m forest carbon fund -- 12/11/2007 At U.N. climate talks in Bali, the World Bank officially unveiled its $300 million Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a scheme that will offer tropical countries carbon offset credits to preserve forests. Climate change already affecting water supplies in the Western U.S. -- 12/11/2007 Climate change is already impacting water supplies in the western United States and is likely to reducer carbon sequestration by regional ecosystems, reports research presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. Traffic cones used to protect seabirds -- 12/11/2007 Bright orange traffic cones that warn drivers of danger on the road are now being used to steer seabirds away from deadly entanglement in fishing nets, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reports. Argentinean marine biologist and inventor Diego Gonzalez Zevallos has conducted research funded by WCS and Fundacion Patagonia National on the issue for over five years. Amazon Conservation Team wins "Innovation in Conservation Award" for path-breaking work with Amazon tribes -- 12/11/2007 The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) was today awarded mongabay.com's inaugural "Innovation in Conservation Award" for its path-breaking efforts to enable indigenous Amazonians to maintain ties to their history and cultural traditions while protecting their rainforest home from illegal loggers and miners. A comprehensive look at the use of animals in Brazilian medicine -- 12/10/2007 For millennia animals have been used in medicine as remedies. While this practice has all but disappeared in western countries, many cultures still employ traditional medicine that includes animal-derived remedies. Probably the most famous of these are the Chinese, who for example use seahorses for a variety of ailments and rhinoceros horn as an aphrodisiac. Lesser known and studied, though just as varied and rich is Brazil's long tradition of animal-remedies for all kinds of ailments. A recent study set out to document the wide-range of animals used in Brazilian traditional medicine and its possible consequences on animal populations, the environment, and Brazilian society. New theory on the evolution of pygmies -- 12/10/2007 The small body size of forest-dwelling "pygmies" evolved as a life history consequence of early death, not as an adaptation to their environment or endurance against starvation, argues a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Photos: Elusive long-eared jerboa caught on film for the first time -- 12/10/2007 Extraordinary footage of the endangered long-eared jerboa was taken by scientists from the EDGE; this is the first time the jerboa, a hopping rodent that sports massive ears, has ever been caught on film. The nocturnal animal was captured springing across the desert sands, digging a burrow, and, oddly enough, persistently seeking the comfort of a scientist's sandals. 10% of global CO2 emissions result from swamp destruction -- 12/10/2007 More than 10 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions result from the degradation and destruction of peat swamps, reports the first comprehensive global assessment on the links between peatland degradation and climate change. Rainforest destruction continues in tropical Asia -- 12/09/2007 Tropical forests in Asia have been rapidly and extensively destroyed over the past generation, with significant implications for the region's biodiversity and global climate. A new study, published in the December volume of Current Science, finds that Asian forest loss has occurred mostly in poor, corrupt countries that have high population density and robust population growth rates. World's largest spitting cobra discovered in Kenya -- 12/09/2007 The world's largest spitting cobra has been discovered in Kenya, according to WildlifeDirect, a conservation group. Norway puts $560m toward rainforest conservation -- 12/09/2007 Norway will commit NOK 3 billion ($560m) to rainforest conservation efforts in an effort to slow climate change, reports Aftenposten, a Norwegian newspaper. Amazon deforestation rates drop 20% in 2007 -- 12/08/2007 Deforestation rates in Brazil's Amazon rainforest dropped 20 percent since last year, reported the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research (INPE). Aceh, Papua, Amazonas governors sign carbon-for-forests pact -- 12/08/2007 Three governors have signed the Forests Now Declaration to protect tropical forests for their carbon value. The Governors, Irwandi Yusuf (Aceh, Indonesia), Barnabas Suebu (Papua, Indonesia), and Eduardo Braga (Amazonas, Brazil), agreed to the declaration's action plan which calls for compensation for reduced greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and protection of standing forests. Deforestation and forest degradation account for roughly 20 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, but steps to reduce forest loss will help mitigate climate change. The UK government's 2005 Stern Review said that forest protection could be one of the most cost-effective ways to address climate change. Peatlands restoration is a cheap way to cut CO2 emissions -- 12/07/2007 Rehabilitating damaged peatlands in Indonesia may be one of the most cost-effective ways to cut emissions of greenhouse gases, said an international NGO. Rainforest logging moratorium established in Indonesian provinces, Amazonas state -- 12/07/2007 Governors from the Brazilian state of Amazonas and the Indonesian provinces of Aceh, Papua and West Papua signed a historic agreement to protect threatened rainforests. Hurricane forecast calls for 7 hurricanes, 3 major, in 2008 -- 12/07/2007 Hurricane forecasters William Gray and Philip Klotzbach are predicting a "somewhat above-average" hurricane season for 2008. The Colorado State University researchers anticipate seven Atlantic hurricanes, three of them "major" (category 3 or higher), during the 2008 season. In total 13 named storms in the Atlantic are expected. Bali talks update: Brazil blocks deforestation initiative, US stalls -- 12/07/2007 Thousands of United Nation's delegates are convening over the next ten days to chart a new course for tackling climate change. One of the hottest topics at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change is Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD). Tropical deforestation causes 20% of global greenhouse gases. REDD is based on the principal that if the world wants to fight climate change and deforestation - conservation behavior must be more profitable than destruction. The UN diplomats are trying to reach accord on new financial resources that will empower developing countries to slow down their rates of deforestation. REDD will fail if needs of forest communities aren't addressed -- 12/07/2007 Initiatives to reduce emissions by reducing tropical deforestation (REDD) will fail unless policymakers adequately address the underlying drivers of forest degradation and destruction, argues a new report published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Blue-eared pheasant in the snow at Central Park Zoo -- 12/06/2007 Snow showers heightened the holiday mood today at the Central Park Zoo, a Wildlife Conservation Society park in New York City. Our blue-eared pheasant took in the weather from his sentinel post at the Tisch Children's Zoo. Its distinctive white feathers that look like ears start beneath its chin and extend above the head. Photo: Bronx Zoo has bred 80 endangered snow leopard -- 12/06/2007 The Snow Leopard, hunted for its attractive coat, is an endangered species found in the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. After reaching a population low during the 1960s when only around 1000 individuals remained, the cat has staged a recovery thanks to conservation efforts both in its native habitat and captivity. Photo: snowy owl gets his inoculations -- 12/06/2007 Dr. Robert Moore, Wildlife Conservation Society Veterinarian, assisted by Nancy Gonzalez, Senior Bird Keeper, and Shanna Hall, Bird Keeper, are readying Hedwig, a snowy owl at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, for his favorite weather - COLD. Melting of Greenland ice sheet could alter warming trend -- 12/06/2007 A massive release from freshwater from the glacial Lake Agassiz 8,200 years ago triggered dramatic cooling in the North Atlantic region, report researchers writing in Science. The sudden and intense cooling, which ended the stable climate that had characterized the Holocene warm period, could have future implications for the melting of Greenland's ice sheet. Hot spring bacteria could fight global warming -- 12/06/2007 A newly discovered species of bacteria living in hot springs could help fight global warming, according to a study published in Nature. China relaxing its control over the forestry sector -- 12/06/2007 China's reforms in its forestry sector have slowed deforestation, improved environmental quality, and enhanced the competitiveness of Chinese wood products despite pressure from growing internal demand for wood products and a profitable export market, according to an assessment published in Science. The authors say the trend towards public sector management of forests is likely to grow. Pictures of new species discovered in West Africa -- 12/06/2007 Scientists have discovered significant populations of new, rare and threatened species in one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in West Africa, reports Conservation International (CI). The findings underscore the need to conserve the area's high biological richness. Conservation promotes larger fish stocks and higher profits for fishermen -- 12/06/2007 Using conservation techniques can promote larger fish stocks and higher profits for fishermen, reports a study published in the journal Science. The research suggests that industry opposition to lower catches in the short term, may be misguided. Global warming accelerates destruction of the Amazon -- 12/06/2007 Deforestation and climate change could damage or destroy as much as 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest by 2030, according to a new report from environmental group WWF. The report, The Amazon's Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse, shows that degradation in the Amazon could release 55-97 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. Forest loss could also dramatically impact water cycles in the region, affecting rainfall that is critical for river flows and agriculture. U.S. to cut funding for rainforest conservation during Bali climate talks -- 12/06/2007 While delegates meet in Bali to discuss a post-Kyoto framework on climate change, it appears likely that the U.S. Treasury Department will cut funding for the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), the largest pool of U.S. government money exclusively for helping developing countries conserve threatened tropical forests, according to the Tropical Forest Group, a forest policy group based in Santa Barbara. Merrill Lynch announces carbon credits-for-forest conservation partnership -- 12/06/2007 Merrill Lynch is working with Carbon Conservation, an ecosystem services firms, to explore opportunities in avoided deforestation and integrated sustainable land management. The partnership was announced Thursday in Bali, Indonesia, where more than 10,000 policymakers, scientists, and activists are meeting to discuss a post-Kyoto framework on limiting climate change. Global warming will significantly increase bird extinctions -- 12/06/2007 Where do you go when you've reached the top of a mountain and you can't go back down? It's a question increasingly relevant to plants and animals, as their habitats slowly shift to higher elevations, driven by rising temperatures worldwide. The answer, unfortunately, is you can't go anywhere. Habitats shrink to the vanishing point, and species go extinct. That scenario is likely to be played out repeatedly and at an accelerating rate as the world continues to warm, Stanford researchers say. Rare gorillas use weapons to attack forest-intruding humans -- 12/05/2007 Following the first documented cases of the Cross River gorillas -- world's most endangered gorilla -- throwing sticks and clumps of grass when threatened by people, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has announced new research to better protect the species from poaching and encroachment. Tropical forests face huge threat from industrial agriculture -- 12/05/2007 With forest conversion for large-scale agriculture rapidly emerging as a leading driver of tropical deforestation, a new report from the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) suggests the trend is likely to continue with Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Peru, and Colombia containing 75 percent of the world's forested land that is highly suitable for industrial agriculture expansion. Nevertheless the study identifies forests that may be best suited (low population density, unsuitable climate and soils) for "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation" (REDD) initiatives which compensate countries for preserving forest lands in exchange for carbon credits. New satellite system will penetrate clouds to track deforestation -- 12/05/2007 Satellite monitoring will play a critical role in any agreement that compensates tropical countries for preserving their forests, such as "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation" (REDD) mechanisms currently under discussion at UN climate talks in Bali. Released Tuesday, a new study, "New Eyes in the Sky: Cloud-Free Tropical Forest Monitoring for REDD with the Japanese Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS)", details significant advancements in the field of remote sensing of forests. Kyoto pact ignores CO2 emissions from biofuels -- 12/05/2007 The Kyoto climate pact, as it currently stands, ignores millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the drainage of peatsoils for palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia, warnned Wetlands International, an international NGO, in a report released at the UN climate meeting in Bali. Returns from carbon offsets could beat palm oil in Congo DRC -- 12/04/2007 A proposal to pay the Democratic of Congo (DRC) for reducing deforestation could add 15-50 percent to the amount of international aid given to the warn-torn country, reports a new study published by scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC). The funds would help alleviate rural poverty while cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting threatened biodiversity. Amazon deforestation could be eliminated with carbon priced at $3 -- 12/04/2007 The Amazon rainforest could play a major part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that result from deforestation, reports a new study published by scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. At a carbon price of $3 per ton, protecting the Amazon for its carbon value could outweigh the opportunity costs of forgoing logging, cattle ranching, and soy expansion in the region. 2008 certified emission-reduction credits for carbon currently trade at more than $90 per ton ($25 per ton of CO2). Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater -- 12/04/2007 South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Paraná in Argentina. China boosts wheat production with new high-yielding varieties -- 12/04/2007 A research initiative to boost China's wheat production has yielded new high-quality, high-yielding varieties that have added 2.4 million tons to Chinese harvests and generated an extra US$411 million in farm income over the past four years, reports a new assessment from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). The new varieties also offer natural resistance to a new strain of wheat stem rust now emerging as a threat to global food security, according to the researchers. Global warming will drive North American trees northward -- 12/04/2007 Climate change is expected to drive trees northward according to the most extensive and detailed study to date of North American tree species. The research, published in the December 2007 issue of BioScience, reports that expected climate change this century could shift the ranges of 130 tree species northward by hundreds of miles (kilometers) and shrink their ranges by more than half. Beetle droppings help forests recover from fire -- 12/04/2007 Armed with a pair of tweezers and a handful of beetle droppings, University of Alberta forestry graduate Tyler Cobb has discovered why the bug-sized dung is so important to areas ravaged by fire. Vehicle-to-grid car generates electricity and cash for owners -- 12/04/2007 University of Delaware researchers have created a system that enables vehicles to not only run on electricity alone, but also to generate revenue by storing and providing electricity for utilities. The technology--known as V2G, for vehicle-to-grid--lets electricity flow from the car's battery to power lines and back. Forest carbon does not fully offset fossil carbon -- 12/03/2007 As policymakers meet in Bali, Indonesia to discuss various mechanisms for mitigating greenhouse emissions, a tropical ecologist from Sri Lanka warns that one ton of forest carbon is not equal to one ton of fossil carbon when it comes to using offsets to fight global warming. The implications: considerably larger forest areas (preferably old growth since it has higher carbon values than plantations) would need to be protected and reforested than are presently anticipated by most policymakers. Food prices to rise due to energy demand, economic trends -- 12/03/2007 Income growth, climate change, high energy prices, globalization, and urbanization are converging to drive food prices higher, threatening livelihoods and nutrition of poor people in developing countries, says a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Climate risks to global agriculture are underestimated -- 12/03/2007 Vulnerability of global agricultural to climate change may be underestimated by experts, warns a trio of papers published in week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research says that "progressive changes predicted to stem from 1- to 5-degree C temperature rises in coming decades fail to account for seasonal extremes of heat, drought or rain, multiplier effects of spreading diseases or weeds, and other ecological upsets," according to a statement from Columbia University's Earth Institute. Global warming to boost severe thunderstorms in NYC, Atlanta -- 12/03/2007 Global warming could lead to weather conditions that spawn severe thunderstorms in the United States, according to research appearing in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Marriage is "greener" than divorce, finds study -- 12/03/2007 Divorce has previously unrecognized environmental impacts including higher demand for resources and lower efficiency in household resource use, reports a new study published in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Tropics are expanding -- 12/03/2007 Climate change has caused a widening of Earth's tropical belt, according to a new study published in a new scientific journal, Nature Geoscience. "Remarkably, the tropics appear to have already expanded -- during only the last few decades of the 20th century -- by at least the same margin as models predict for this century," said the scientists who conducted the research. 35-mpg mileage target will save consumers $22 billion a year in gas costs -- 12/03/2007 The recently passed 35-miles per gallon target for the U.S. car fleet will save American consumers $22 billion a year in gasoline costs assuming an average price of $2.55 according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. However price premiums on fuel-efficient technologies could eat into these savings, reports an article in the Wall Street Journal. Photo: Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupts -- 12/03/2007 Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupted several times on Saturday, December 1, ejecting steam and ash, according to Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center (CENAPRED). Earthquake triggers decline in a frog species -- 12/03/2007 In 1999 a 7.3 earthquake struck Nantou County at the center of quake-prone Taiwan. The earthquake caused considerable damage: over 2,000 people died and just under 45,000 houses were destroyed. It was Taiwan's strongest quake in a hundred years. The quake also devastated a subpopulation of riparian frogs, Rana swinhoana, which had been under scientific study for three years prior. This devastation allowed scientists the opportunity to study the population changes in a species affected suddenly and irretrievably by natural disaster. Largest-ever climate meeting begins in Bali -- 12/02/2007 In Bali, Indonesia, more than 10,000 delegates, scientists, journalists, and activists from around the world kicked off the largest-ever climate change conference Monday. Organizers hope that the meeting lays the groundwork for a new international pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. 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