환경 관련 기사

If you ever happen to visit Central Asia's Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, you will witness a strange but breathtaking sight - A giant hole in the middle of the desert aglow with a fire that never seems to go out - And the fact is, that it has not gone out for the last forty years at least. However, this phenomenon, which has become a minor tourist destination, is not a natural wonder but the result of an accidental excavation....

No matter how hard conservationists try, there is always some ruthless poacher out there to kill animals regardless of how close they are to becoming extinct. Now, a trio of endangered young mountain gorillas in Rwanda have decided to take it upon themselves to try save their species, by thwarting their attempts....

Less than two years after it made headlines for losing a piece of ice four times the size of Manhattan, the Petermann glacier that covers four-fifths of Greenland, is making headlines again, for losing another large chunk to the sea....

This weekend Space buffs are in for a special treat - On July 22nd 2012, an asteroid the size of a city block will zip past earth in its closest approach since it was discovered in 2002. Estimated to be between 2,000 to 4,500 feet wide, the Asteroid 2002 AM31 will get within 4.65 million miles or about 14 times the moon's distance from Earth....

Following the recent release and success of The Amazing Spiderman, stores are over-flowing with all kinds of red and blue superhero costumes. However, this lucky reptile does not need to depend on any kind of fake attire - It is naturally born with an uncanny resemblance to Spiderman....

Pluto, the ninth planet from the sun is so tiny that in 2006 it lost its status as a full-fledged member of the solar system and was instead demoted to dwarf planet. But tiny as it it may be, the planet seems to be attracting a lot of moons around it. Just last year NASA's Hubble Telescope discovered a fourth moon, which scientists believed was the final one....

While being at the top of any list is good in most circumstances, in the case of Madagascar's 103 known species of lemurs it is a 'kiss of death' - Literally! That's because a shocking study released by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission earlier this week, revealed that 23 species of the primates are now 'critically endangered', 52 are endangered and 19 are vulnerable. These dire statistics mean that the primates are the most endangered vertebrates on earth - More so than any other mammal, reptile, amphibian, bird or bony fish!...

No matter how old one is, frolicking around in a bubble bath is always exciting. Now imagine if the bubbles were a couple of feet thick and extended out three miles into the open ocean - That, is exactly what the locals and tourists visiting Lorne in Victoria, Australia were able to experience on June 5th, 2012....

The carnivorous pitcher plants are known for enticing their prey by secreting sweet nectar from their rims. Once the unsuspecting insect is trapped inside the plant's unique pitcher-shaped leaves, the slippery inner surfaces ensure that it slides straight down into the digestive juices that lie at the bottom. Now, scientists have discovered that one crafty species has conjured up an additional trick up its lid....

Beginning June 29th, visitors to Singapore will be able to add one more attraction to their already long list of things to see - The 133-acre Bay South Garden. Located in the city's swanky Marina Bay, the eco-park is the first of three attractions under the Garden by the Bay project, a 250-acre (the size of 190 football fields) green initiative embarked on by Singapore's government in 2006....

Earlier this month, a team of NASA scientists revealed the presence of a robust bloom of phytoplankton underneath three feet of ice in the Arctic - A phenomenon that researchers say is as astonishing as finding a rainforest, in the middle of a desert....

When the powerful tsunami that devastated portions of Japan on March 11th, 2011 receded, it carried along with it all kinds of debris - Ranging from over 200,000 buildings complete with belongings, to countless cars. Among the biggest, were four dock floats - the size of freight train boxcars, that were ripped off intact from the fishing port of Misawa....

While the idea of harnessing the sun's energy for fuel has been around since the 1830's the impetus to use this free and clean source of power for commercial transportation seems to have accelerated lately. Just a month ago, the MS Turanor Planet Solar, became the first solar-powered boat to circumvent the globe and now, a single-passenger airplane has taken the green energy to the skies with a successful Intercontinental flight....

Polar bears may appear to be all soft and cuddly, but they are the largest of their species, not to mention the world's largest terrestrial carnivore and therefore, extremely dangerous. But don't mention that to Canadian animal trainer Mark Dumas, whose best pal just happens to be, a big cuddly snow white polar bear!...

The water in Senegal's Lake Retba always seems to have a pinkish hue to it. However, catch it in the dry summer months when saline levels are high and you will see it turn strawberry pink and sometimes, even red. The good news is that color is not the result of chemicals being dumped in the lake but nature, working its magical tricks!...

When we read about Icebergs it is usually in association with them melting and turning into a pools of liquid, but these solid chunks of frozen water are also capable of performing quick flips - Something that has been known about, but never caught on camera, until now....

At first glance the two-seater Fahrradi Farfall FFX complete with its sleek red exterior looks like the next generation Ferrari. Look closer and you will see a difference - Instead of the luxury car's powerful V12 engine and super sophisticated dashboard technology, you will find an ordinary bicycle with 11 gears....

Building a robot usually involves exotic materials, complicated engineering and some programing prowess right? Not so, if you do what researchers from University of Hawaii's Department of Electrical Engineering did recently - Create them from bubbles of gas!...

Given that humans have inhabited the earth for thousands of years, it is always fascinating to hear that we are still constantly discovering new insects, animals and plants. What's even more surprising is that each year, scientists uncover not one or two, but thousands of never before seen species....

Just thinking of sharks evokes images of those razor-like, serrated teeth that decimate fish and crustaceans in seconds. It is therefore not surprising that one shark's refusal to eat its normal diet and instead opt to nosh on healthier fare like cucumber and celery is making headlines, all over the world....

We are all aware of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the humongous pile of plastic and other garbage that is floating under the waters of the Pacific Ocean. However, most of us choose to ignore it, probably because we hardly ever see it and, it has had very little impact on our day-to-day lives - So far!...

What's better than finding a stranger's message in a bottle? How about finding a turtle with the initials and date carved by one's own son, 47-years ago. That's what happened to 85-year old Holland Cokeley on May 6th, 2012, while walking his dog in South Strabane Township in Washington County, Pennsylvania....

Bullying is a surprisingly common trait among humans - occurring not only on school playgrounds but also, in the workplace and even, among so-called friends. However, hearing that it may happen in the animal world is a little surprising, especially given that accused bullies are none other then the friendliest of all marine mammals - Dolphins!...

While getting cut or wounded can be painful, sometimes what's even more so, is ripping off the adhesive bandage placed atop to protect and heal. Now, thanks to the brilliant work of a graduate student from Penn State University, the 'ouch' may be a thing of the past....