ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Monarch butterflies down again this year as decline continues
• Venice hasn't stopped sinking after all
• Far higher potential for wind energy in India than previously estimated
• Structure of ‘salvia’ receptor solved
• Warming Antarctic brings changes to penguin breeding cycles
• Trees may play role in electrifying the atmosphere, study suggests
• Energy requirements make Antarctic fur seal pups vulnerable to climate change
• Contact with 'rivals' changes male behavior
• Colourful river crabs: Newly discovered and already threatened by mining project
• Speed of single-molecule measurements greatly increased

Monarch butterflies down again this year as decline continues Posted: 21 Mar 2012 02:22 PM PDT Unlike their colorful wings, the future of monarch butterflies may not be too bright and their numbers are expected to be alarmingly down again this year, says a researcher.

Venice hasn't stopped sinking after all Posted: 21 Mar 2012 02:22 PM PDT The water flowing through Venice's famous canals laps at buildings a little higher every year -- and not only because of a rising sea level. Although previous studies had found that Venice has stabilized, new measurements indicate that the historic city continues to slowly sink, and even to tilt slightly to the east.

Far higher potential for wind energy in India than previously estimated Posted: 21 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT A new assessment of wind energy in India has found that the potential for on-shore wind energy deployment is far higher than the official estimates -- about 20 times and up to 30 times greater than the current government estimate of 102 gigawatts. This landmark finding may have significant impact on India's renewable energy strategy as it attempts to cope with a massive and chronic shortage of electricity.

Structure of ‘salvia’ receptor solved Posted: 21 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT A research team has determined the structure of the kappa-opioid receptor—site of action of the widely abused hallucinogen Salvia divinorum – solving longstanding scientific mysteries and offering new insights for treating drug addiction, chronic pain and depression.

Warming Antarctic brings changes to penguin breeding cycles Posted: 21 Mar 2012 09:37 AM PDT Three penguin species that share the Western Antarctic Peninsula for breeding grounds have been affected in different ways by the higher temperatures brought on by global warming, according to new research.

Trees may play role in electrifying the atmosphere, study suggests Posted: 21 Mar 2012 07:55 AM PDT Plants have long been known as the lungs of the Earth, but a new finding has found they may also play a role in electrifying the atmosphere. Scientists have long-suspected an association between trees and electricity, but researchers in Australia think they may have finally discovered the link. The scientists ran experiments in six locations around Brisbane. They found the positive and negative ion concentrations in the air were twice as high in heavily wooded areas than in open grassy areas, such as parks.

Energy requirements make Antarctic fur seal pups vulnerable to climate change Posted: 21 Mar 2012 07:55 AM PDT A new study has found that changing weather conditions can impact the metabolic rates of fur seal pups. Climate models predict windier and wetter conditions in Antarctica in the coming years, and that could cause young seals to assign more energy to thermoregulation, leaving less available for growth and development.

Contact with 'rivals' changes male behavior Posted: 21 Mar 2012 06:41 AM PDT Males consistently change their mating behavior depending on whether they have spent time with other males before mating, according to new findings.

Colourful river crabs: Newly discovered and already threatened by mining project Posted: 21 Mar 2012 06:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered four new species of the colorful Insulamon freshwater crab. But various mining projects on the island of Palawan pose a huge threat to these creatures.

Speed of single-molecule measurements greatly increased Posted: 18 Mar 2012 11:39 AM PDT Engineers have devised a way to measure nanopores -- tiny holes in a thin membrane that can detect single biological molecules such as DNA and proteins -- with less error than can be achieved with commercial instruments. They've miniaturized the measurement by designing a custom integrated circuit using commercial semiconductor technology.

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