Science News

Climate change spurring dengue rise, says study

Washington, Sept 23 : Climate change is accelerating the spread of dengue fever throughout the Americas and in tropical regions worldwide, a new study by a Harvard Medical School researcher has revealed.

The study said more rainfall in certain areas and warmer overall temperatures was providing optimal conditions for mosquitoes –which spread the virus that causes dengue – to breed and expand into new territories.

Boffins discover previously unknown bacteria in marine sediments

Washington, Sept 23 : A German-American research team of biologists and geochemists has discovered hitherto unknown anaerobic bacteria in marine sediments, which need only propane or butane for growth.

Ethane, propane butane, and methane are the major constituents of natural gas. Biological processes may lead to the degradation of these hydrocarbons in underground petroleum reservoirs and other geological habitats.

Two US academics seeking to define the kilogram better

China says West should continue its 'key role' on climate change

Washington, Sept.22 : China has said that developed countries should continue to take the lead in reducing emissions in the post Kyoto Protocol period.

China's newly appointed special representative for climate change, Yui Qingtai, has said that the current international mechanism for tackling global warming after 2012 should define the obligations of developed countries.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN-sponsored Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, are key guiding instruments for addressing global warming.

Meteor crash in Peru causes mysterious illness

Washington, Sept.22 : A mysterious illness has hit a number of residents living near the Lake Titicara in Peru following the crashing of a rare kind of meteorite.

Peruvian researchers have confirmed the origins of the object after studying samples of it at a laboratory in Lima.

Residents, according to the National Geographic, have complained of headaches and nausea, spurring speculation that the explosion was a subterranean geyser eruption or a release of noxious gas from decayed matter underground.

Rapeseed biofuel ‘produces more greenhouse gas than oil or petrol’

Washington, Sept.22 : A renewable energy source designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is contributing more to global warming than fossil fuels, a study has suggested.

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