Nick McCann
MIT engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts
In the short term, the project has implications to develop quieter drones. In the longer term, the plane could lead to the production of fuel-efficient passenger planes.
Reducing U.S. coal emissions could create jobs in forestry, transportation, study finds
s coal is phased out to make room for cleaner energy sources, a new study concludes new technology could create thousands of new jobs in transportation and forestry nationwide.
Humans driving major decline of global wildlife populations, new study finds
A sobering new report shows the impact “exploding human consumption” has on animals, finding that wildlife populations have declined globally by 60 percent in the past four decades.
“Mistaken” hunting of endangered species survives policy challenge in court
Two wolf advocacy groups lack standing to challenge a federal policy barring prosecution of people who kill endangered animals but are unaware the animal was endangered, the Ninth Circuit has ruled.
Study: Poor air quality leads to fewer national park visitors
Air pollution may be keeping people away from national parks, according to a new study of ozone levels in some of our most popular public treasures.
Scientists: North American forests may be near carbon-storage limit
Once believed to play a crucial part in combating climate change because of their ability to store and absorb carbon dioxide, new research shows North American forests have reached 78 percent of their capacity to capture carbon. The study, published Friday in the journal Nature Communications, looks at 140,000 plots across the United States and Canada. The researchers studied the growth of forests in recent decades and made projections about the future.
Human activity pushing mammals to grow more active at night, global study finds
Mammals worldwide are becoming more active at night due to human activity such as agriculture and hunting, according to a large-scale analysis of more than 60 species on six continents, the journal Science reported Thursday.
Changes coming for endangered songbird, Washington island butterfly
The Kirtland’s warbler songbird has recovered sufficiently to be removed from the endangered species list, but the island marble butterfly, which lives only on an island in northwest Washington, should be protected, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.