Widespread drought threatens U.S. crops

Many cornstalks at the 1,200-acre Laird farm in Waltonville, Ill., had wilted into brown, desiccated rows by the time the governor arrived Monday to survey drought damage.

Jim Laird, 71, has been raising corn, soybeans and cattle in southern Illinois all his life, and has never seen a drought this bad. This month, his family chopped down part of the spoiled corn crop to supplement the hay they feed their 150 head of cattle — hay that has become costly because of the drought.  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drought-20120717,0,2272014.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Molly Hennessy

Wind, solar subsidy set for review

Program's growth spurs fairness issue

Homeowners, businesses, and municipalities connecting solar panels and wind turbines to the region’s power grid receive a little-known subsidy, and the cost is being borne by other utility customers, who may soon pay anywhere from a dime to as much as $100 more on their monthly electricity bills. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/07/23/renewable_energy_program_called_unfair_as_lawmakers_debate_its_expansion/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by David  Abel

Glacier in north Greenland breaks off huge iceberg

WASHINGTON—An iceberg twice the size of Manhattan tore off one of Greenland's largest glaciers, illustrating another dramatic change to the warming island.

For several years, scientists had been watching a long crack near the tip of the northerly Petermann Glacier. On Monday, NASA satellites showed it had broken completely, freeing an iceberg measuring 46 square miles.http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2012/07/17/glacier_in_north_greenland_breaks_off_huge_iceberg/

Article courtesy of Boston.com from the Associated Press by Seth Borenstein/ AP Science Writer

Crowds rally in Tokyo for end to nuclear power

TOKYO (AP) — Tens of thousands of people rallied at a Tokyo park Monday demanding that Japan abandon nuclear power as the country prepares to restart another reactor shut down after last year's tsunami-generated meltdown at the Fukushima power plant.http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Crowds-rally-in-Tokyo-for-end-to-nuclear-power-3709338.php#photo-3199298

Article courtesy of The Associated Press by Yuri Kageyama

Solar storm sweeps over Earth

Skywatchers keep an eye out for northern lights; no negative effects reported

Space weather experts kept track of a solar storm that swept over our planet on Saturday, representing the fallout from a powerful solar flare earlier this week.

"The impact was not as strong as forecasters expected," SpaceWeather.com's Tony Phillips wrote. "Nevertheless, the blow compressed Earth's magnetosphere and sparked a mild ... geomagnetic storm." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48183944/ns/technology_and_science-space/?__utma=14933801.760311398.1342438517.1342438517.1342438517.1&__utmb=14933801.1.10.1342438517&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1342438517.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=185712553

Article courtesy of MSNBC.com

 

Study links parasite in cats to suicide risk in humans

A wily parasite well known for influencing the behavior of its animal hosts appears to play a troubling role in humans, increasing the risk of suicide among women who are infected, new research shows. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-parasite-suicide-risk-20120707,0,6408832.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Jon Bardin

 

 

 

 

While Cape Wind is debated, land-based development of wind power takes off

Despite controversy that has slowed the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, land-based wind farms are expanding rapidly in the region.

One company alone, First Wind Holdings LLC of Boston, has installed enough turbines in the Northeast over the past few years to generate nearly as much power as the long-awaited offshore wind farm. Other companies, too, have developed wind projects in New England states. http://www.boston.com/business/news/2012/07/09/while-cape-wind-debated-land-based-development-wind-power-takes-off/K2XRBrIBXQSGWGV006WN0H/story.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Erin Ailworth