Choking China: The struggle to clear Beijing's air
As pollution levels return to normal in China's capital after a record-breaking month of smog, what can be done to banish the smog?
New Scientist
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Another good reason to ban toxic chemicals
Do we need another Silent Spring? The possibility that environmental pollutants are a major cause of diabetes should reinforce moves to outlaw them. (Editorial)
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The ice age that never was
Modern humans may have started eliminating other species right from the start: our ancestors stand accused of wiping out megafauna - from giant flightless birds in Australia to mammoths in Asia and the ground sloth of North America - as they spread across the planet. Even so, by around 6000 years ago there were only about 12 million people on Earth - less than a quarter of the current population of Great Britain. That's a far cry from today's 6.6 billion, many of us guzzling fossil fuels, churning out greenhouse gases and messing with our planet's climate like there's no tomorrow.
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Greenland melt could see huge sea-level rises
How fast will our coastlines be swallowed up by rising sea levels?
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Drug ads may not increase prescriptions
Companiese that advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers may not get as much bang for their buck as they - or their critics - assume. Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of drugs is only permitted in the US and New Zealand and has long been controversial. Both proponents and opponents assume the ads increase prescriptions, with the former arguing they benefit society by raising awareness of diseases and available treatments and the latter that they pump up demand for drugs unnecessarily.
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How war debris could cause cancer
COULD the mystery over how depleted uranium might cause genetic damage be closer to being solved? It may be, if a controversial claim by two researchers is right. They say that minute quantities of the material lodged in the body may kick out energetic electrons that mimic the effect of beta radiation. This, they argue, could explain how residues of depleted uranium scattered across former war zones could be increasing the risk of cancers and other problems among soldiers and local people.
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Can the Red Sea raise the Dead Sea?
It has been a hot, dry summer in the Middle East, and as water levels have plunged, political tensions have risen. In early July, Israel's Water Authority unveiled plans to combat what it called "the worst water crisis in the nation's history". Environmental campaigners responded by slating the Water Authority for not doing enough to protect the region's aquifers. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities warned of dire consequences if Israel didn't provide them with more water.
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The next ten years
What's going to happen over the next decade? New Scientist looks at the latest forecasts - and how reliable they are.
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The real cost of gold
Skyrocketing mineral prices are fuelling a mining boom for which few developing nations are prepared, says William Laurance.
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Ecotourists scare away endangered wildlife
Nature-loving visitors to protected animal reserves can make carnivorous animals like bobcats and coyotes scarper, a new study says.
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Better climate forecasts will bring storms
We need more accurate climate forecasts, even if their predictions threaten to weaken the political imperative to tackle emissions. (Editorial)