Archive by date | June 2012

After Rio+20: seeds sprout on the Hill of Hope

After Rio+20: seeds sprout on the Hill of Hope

RIO DE JANEIRO – Global leaders have departed, and the media spotlight has moved on. But in one small corner of Complexo do Alemão, an agglomeration of some of the most notorious favelas in northern Rio, the 2012 Earth Summit is just beginning to bear fruit. Or more accurately, herbs and vegetables, for now. The fruits will come later, along with tubers, and eventually trees that could occasionally be clipped for construction wood. And one of the lucky beneficiaries, a 25-year-old who is fresh from prison and still wearing an electronic-monitoring device on his ankle, has a job tending to this new garden.  Read more

US appeals court upholds rules curbing greenhouse gases

US appeals court upholds rules curbing greenhouse gases

A US appeals court has unanimously upheld the efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit greenhouse-gas emissions from industry and automobiles. The 26 June ruling from a federal appeals court in Washington, DC, dismisses the complaints brought against the federal government by, among others, four states – Virginia, Texas, Nebraska, and North Dakota –  and paves the way for further regulations.  Read more

Fowl trends for Canadian birds

Populations of swallows, swifts and nightjars have dropped by almost 85% since the 1970s.

Almost half of Canada’s bird species are in a downward slide. Overall, Canadian breeding bird populations have dropped 12% since the 1970s, according to a report released today. The State of Canada’s Birds (2012) is the first comprehensive summary of the health of bird populations across Canada. The report carries both good and bad news, with some populations rebounding after devastating slumps and others continuing on a steep downward trajectory. It also stresses how what goes on in one country affects bird populations in others.  Read more

Dolphin genome yields evolutionary insights

Dolphin genome yields evolutionary insights

It seems that being a brainiac is just in a dolphin’s genes. That’s the upshot from a  paper published on 27 June in the Proceedings of the Royal Academy B, which  reveals insights from the recently sequenced genome of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Researchers say the results should shed light on the evolution of the dolphin nervous system and reveals commonalities with  other large-brained mammals.  Read more

Psychiatrist accuses university of ghostwriting ‘whitewash’

The University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist who last year alleged that colleagues allowed their names to be added to an influential manuscript written by unacknowledged authors paid by a drug company said today that the university “whitewashed” their behaviour in a subsequent investigation which found that the psychiatrists were rightful authors of the paper.  Read more

Live Q&A 26 June: benefits and risks of mutant-flu research

Join us on 26 June at 4pm BST for a live Q&A on the benefits and risks of research on mutant strains of H5N1 avian influenza. What have we learned so far? What remains unknown? And what has the controversy taught us for the future?  Read more