France\’s addiction to bottled sparkling water is up there with its penchant for bike racing, foie gras and Johnny Hallyday. Now authorities in Paris are attempting to fight back against the national dependence by unveiling a public water fountain that gushes with chilled bubbles. La Petillante – literally, she who sparkles – is the first […] … learn more→

The global trade in shark fins is largely driven by the Chinese demand for shark fin soup. According to Michael Aw, founding director of OceanNEnvironment and a shark expert, over 80 per cent of shark fins are consumed primarily in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Jakarta. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) […] … learn more→

Longtime producer Palmer provides an in-depth look at wild animals on film, covering the history of wildlife documentaries, safety issues, and the never-ending pressure to obtain the “money shot.” … learn more→

Traditional treat goes green as ornate wrapping reduced … learn more→

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have added urgency to a high-level United Nations summit this week, with delegates from mostly South Asian nations to call for increased technology transfer from richer countries and to compare strategies to avert the worst effects of climate change. \”Climate change is a reality,\” said Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina […] … learn more→

Malaria appears to have jumped to humans from gorillas, and the parasite may have spread globally from a single gorilla to a single human, researchers have reported. DNA from the droppings of nearly 3,000 apes — gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos — shows the strain of malaria parasite most common in humans is virtually identical to […] … learn more→

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $65,000 grant to a newly hired Virginia Tech College of Engineering assistant professor who wants to put the task of data collection during a catastrophe such as the recent Gulf Coast oil spill into the hands of ordinary citizens. Jules White, with the Bradley Department of Electrical & […] … learn more→

Several Asian countries in addition to China could soon challenge the United States in the race to build a renewable energy industry if Washington doesn\’t provide more incentives for its domestic business, venture capitalists and others told a Congressional hearing. The United States, once the world\’s leader in energy innovation, is now also \”challenged and […] … learn more→

\”We can bury her, burn her, or dump her.” The lucrative business of running funeral homes is rarely as blunt as that portrayed by Monty Python, a British satirical television show, and certainly not a front for cannibalism. But burial rites in most of the modern world remain an expensive relic of 19th-century habit. The […] … learn more→

A Consultation on Equipping People with the Skills to take Advantage of Opportunities in the Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Economy … learn more→