ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Heavy air pollution in Canadian area with cancer spikes
• Classification system proposed for green roofs
• The mysterious scarab beetles: Two new species of the endangered ancient genus Gyronotus
• Model plant misled scientists about multicellular growth
• Climate change increased the number of deaths
• Amping up solar in the snowy north
• Death by moonlight? Not always
• Time is ripe for fire detection satellite, say scientists
• High school student discovers skeleton of baby dinosaur
• Production of non-toxic flame retardants simplified
• How climate change affects microbial life below the seafloor
• Fat and fit: How dormice make optimal use of their body fat reserves
• Scientists use Flickr photos to assess value of natural tourist attractions
• Nitrogen fertilizer remains in soils, leaks towards groundwater for decades
• Earthquake-triggered landslides pose significant hazard for Seattle, new study details potential damage
• Genetic diversity of the panda immune system

Heavy air pollution in Canadian area with cancer spikes Posted: 22 Oct 2013 10:21 AM PDT Levels of contaminants higher than in some of the world's most polluted cities have been found downwind of Canada's largest oil, gas and tar sands processing zone, in a rural area where men suffer elevated rates of cancers linked to such chemicals.

Classification system proposed for green roofs Posted: 22 Oct 2013 08:35 AM PDT A proposed classification system aims to better identify the unique characteristics and benefits of green roofs amid a growing industry.

The mysterious scarab beetles: Two new species of the endangered ancient genus Gyronotus Posted: 22 Oct 2013 08:35 AM PDT Famous as the sacred beetles of ancient Egypt the scarab beetle group in fact represents much greater diversity around the globe. Scientists discover two new species of the ancient and highly important from a conservation point of view genus Gyronotus.

Model plant misled scientists about multicellular growth Posted: 22 Oct 2013 08:35 AM PDT Scientists have misunderstood one of the most fundamental processes in the life of plants because they have been looking at the wrong flower, according to researchers.

Climate change increased the number of deaths Posted: 22 Oct 2013 08:34 AM PDT The increased temperatures caused by ongoing climate change in Stockholm, Sweden between 1980 and 2009 caused 300 more premature deaths than if the temperature increase did not take place. In Sweden as a whole, it would mean about 1,500 more premature deaths.

Amping up solar in the snowy north Posted: 22 Oct 2013 08:34 AM PDT What's the best way to capture photovoltaic energy where snowfall is measured in feet?

Death by moonlight? Not always Posted: 22 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Is moonlight dangerous? It depends on what you are, according to a new study. "Ecologists have long viewed the darkness of a moonless night as a protective blanket for nocturnal prey species," said a wildlife biologist.

Time is ripe for fire detection satellite, say scientists Posted: 22 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Wildfire detection today is much like it was 200 years ago, relying primarily on humans to spot smoke plumes or flames. Experts in fires, satellites and remote sensing now say that the technology is ripe for a fire-spotting satellite that could snap images of the US West every few seconds to detect fires before they spread with few false alarms. The cost would be a fraction of the country's annual fire-fighting budget.

High school student discovers skeleton of baby dinosaur Posted: 22 Oct 2013 06:17 AM PDT A chance find by a high school student led to the youngest, smallest and most complete fossil skeleton yet known from the iconic tube-crested dinosaur Parasaurolophus. The discovery shows that the prehistoric plant-eater sprouted its strange headgear before it celebrated its first birthday. Three-dimensional scans of nearly the entire fossil are available online, making this the most digitally accessible dinosaur to date.

Production of non-toxic flame retardants simplified Posted: 22 Oct 2013 06:16 AM PDT Electronics, vehicles, textiles – almost all modern-day products contain some form of plastic. Its high combustibility means it must be protected from naked flames. New techniques simplify the production of environmentally friendly flame retardants.

How climate change affects microbial life below the seafloor Posted: 22 Oct 2013 06:15 AM PDT Sediments from the deep sea give insight into the dynamics of the deep biosphere. This "Deep Biosphere", reaching several hundred metres below the seafloor, is exclusively inhabited by microbes and is generally considered as stable. Nevertheless, only little is known about how this system developed over millennia and how this microbial life influences the cycling of carbon in the oceans.

Fat and fit: How dormice make optimal use of their body fat reserves Posted: 22 Oct 2013 06:15 AM PDT Edible dormice store considerable amounts of fat in summer. Their fat reserves are necessary for them to survive a long hibernation – on average 8 months – in underground cavities. But how do hibernators allocate surplus body fat reserves to optimize survival? Researchers have found that animals with larger fat reserves prefer boosting their metabolism more often to shortening their hibernation.

Scientists use Flickr photos to assess value of natural tourist attractions Posted: 21 Oct 2013 06:17 PM PDT Scientists use social media -- vacation photos from Flickr -- to study how people use natural areas for tourism and recreation.

Nitrogen fertilizer remains in soils, leaks towards groundwater for decades Posted: 21 Oct 2013 06:17 PM PDT Nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops lingers in the soil and leaks out as nitrate for decades towards groundwater -- "much longer than previously thought," scientists say in a new study. Thirty years after synthetic nitrogen fertilizer had been applied to crops in 1982, about 15 percent of the fertilizer still remained in soil organic matter, these scientists found.

Earthquake-triggered landslides pose significant hazard for Seattle, new study details potential damage Posted: 21 Oct 2013 06:17 PM PDT A new study suggests the next big quake on the Seattle fault may cause devastating damage from landslides, greater than previously thought and beyond the areas currently defined as prone to landslides. New research offers a framework for simulating hundreds of earthquake scenarios for the Seattle area.

Genetic diversity of the panda immune system Posted: 21 Oct 2013 06:16 PM PDT The genetic diversity within the immune system of giant panda is relatively high, according to an analysis that suggests they may be better suited to adapt to the changing environment than was previously thought. Scientists categorize the remaining six populations of giant panda according to their genetic diversity and recommend specific populations that could be bred in captivity in order to keep the population healthy.

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