Are the Japanese and Ecuador earthquakes related?

Apr 19, 2016 04:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Japan on Friday, causing widespread injuries and property damage. Then on Saturday evening, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Ecuador on the other side of the Pacific, collapsing buildings...

Why the Indian Ocean's little-known humpback dolphins need protection

Apr 19, 2016 04:41 am UTC| Nature

When discussing my research on humpback dolphins people often think I mean the humpback whale. The humpback dolphin is probably the least-known marine mammal of Africa. It lives close to shore, just behind the breakers in...

A precarious geological bargain

Apr 18, 2016 14:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The landscapes of the Xinjiang province of western China are very special. It is here the ancient trade routes of the Silk Roads skirt the great mountains and deserts of central Asia, weaving a magic thread through a...

Climate Change Series

Australia's carbon emissions and electricity demand are growing: here's why

Apr 18, 2016 06:40 am UTC| Nature

Australias greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise. Electricity emissions, which make up about a third of the total, rose 2.7% in the year to March 2016. Australias emissions reached their peak in 2008-2009. Since then...

Climate Change Series

Brazil's thriving soy industry threatens its forests and global climate targets

Apr 18, 2016 04:11 am UTC| Nature

Brazils economy is teetering on the edge of collapse. The countrys political regime has been rocked by recent corruption scandals, and impeachment proceedings are encircling the nations leaders. And yet things couldnt be...

Climate Change Series

Consensus confirmed: over 90% of climate scientists believe we're causing global warming

Apr 15, 2016 09:22 am UTC| Nature

When we published a paper in 2013 finding 97% scientific consensus on human-caused global warming, what surprised me was how surprised everyone was. Ours wasnt the first study to find such a scientific consensus. Nor...

What prairie dogs tell us about the effects of noise pollution

Apr 14, 2016 23:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

In todays busy online world, our brains are constantly stimulated by an onslaught of information. When faced with distractions such as ringing phones, noisy colleagues and floods of incoming emails, focusing on a complex...