An artist’s impression of the ESA/NASA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The orbiter will carry a European entry, descent and landing demonstrator vehicle. Credits: ESA NASA—(ENEWSPF)— ESA and NASA have announced the scientific investigations selected for their 2016 ExoMars lander demonstrator. They will probe the atmosphere during the descent, and return[Read More…]

Viewed in visible light, Markarian 739 resembles a smiling face, with a pair of bright cores underscored by an arcing spiral arm. The object is really a pair of merging galaxies. Data from Swift and Chandra reveal the western core (right) to be a previously unknown AGN; past studies already[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–June 10, 2011. A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study released yesterday suggests that snowpack declines in the Rocky Mountains over the last 30 years are unusual compared to the past few centuries. Prior studies by the USGS and other institutions attribute the decline to unusual springtime warming, more precipitation falling now[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 10, 2011.  NOAA and its federal partners are meeting today on Capitol Hill with East Coast, Gulf and Caribbean state officials to discuss U.S. tsunami warning capabilities and the need for better local preparedness. NOAA’s National Weather Service organized the federal-state conference at the request of Rep. Frank[Read More…]

Emeryville, Calif.–(ENEWSPF)–June 10, 2011.  Through negotiated agreements with farmers in Central California and Riverside County, Audubon California has secured the safety of several large colonies of rare Tricolored Blackbirds. In all, the agreements resulted in the protection of the breeding production of at least 50,000 birds, which constitutes more than[Read More…]

WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–June 10, 2011.  As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to cut foreign oil imports, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced up to $36 million to fund six small-scale projects in California, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin, that will advance the technology improvements and process integration[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–9 June 2011.  The world will increasingly experience water scarcity for agriculture as a result of climate change, a phenomenon that will affect the livelihoods of rural communities and the food security of urban dwellers, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a survey released today.[Read More…]

National Aquaculture Policies to Increase Domestic Seafood Production, Create Sustainable Jobs, and Restore Marine Habitats Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 9, 2011.  The Department of Commerce and NOAA today released national sustainable marine aquaculture policies to meet the growing demand for healthy seafood, to create jobs in coastal communities, and restore vital ecosystems.[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 9, 2011.  Last month, the contiguous United States had dramatic shifts in regional temperatures, but overall May was slightly cooler and wetter than normal. The spring was marked by record moisture in the Northwest and the Ohio River Valley, while drought conditions intensified across the South, according to[Read More…]

UNITED KINGDOM–(ENEWSPF)–9 June 2011.  A team of researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Vienna have tested the technical skills and innovation abilities of two of the most intelligent birds known, kea parrots and New Caledonian crows. New Caledonian crows regularly use and manufacture complex tools in the wild to[Read More…]