AGADIR, Morocco Sperm whales feeding even in the most remote reaches of Earth's oceans have built up stunningly high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to American scientists who say the findings spell danger not only for marine life but for the millions of humans who depend on seafood.A report released Thursday noted high levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and
Minerals that can only be formed in the presence of liquid water have again been detected on Mars, this time in huge craters in the low-lying terrain of the red planet's northern hemisphere. The new survey found the so-called hydrated minerals in nine giant craters dotting the northern plains of Mars.The minerals appear to have been formed by liquid water more than 3 billion years ago, suggesting
BATON ROUGE, La. The governors of Louisiana and Texas say Sunday will be a day to pray about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.Louisiana Gov.Bobby Jindal issued a proclamation declaring a day of prayer for perseverance in coping with the environmental crisis caused by the spill.In Texas, Gov.Rick Perry is urging Texans to pray for the healing of individuals, the rebuilding of communities and th
NEW YORK The most memorable comedic take on the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico hasn't come from Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show or a late-night monologue.Instead, a cheaply made video by an unlikely New York improv troupe has created the only commentary that has truly resonated online: a three-minute spoof that shows BP executives pathetically trying to clean up a coffee spill.
NEW ORLEANS A federal judge in New Orleans has refused to delay his decision to strike down a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling imposed after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.The Justice Department had asked U.S District Judge Martin Feldman to stay his ruling while it appeals to the 5th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals.Feldman rejected that request Thursday.Two days earlier, he struck
HONG KONG Outgoing UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said Thursday he was appalled at the international community's response to climate change, after the failure of last year's Copenhagen summit on global warming. The one thing that has appalled me most is to witness the degree to which the international community is cutting off its nose to spite its face, he told a Hong Kong business conference
TOKYO Japan's space agency said it had found a trace of gas Thursday in a capsule thought to contain asteroid dust that was brought back to Earth after a multi-billion-kilometre (mile) space journey.Researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Sagamihara Campus in Kanagawa began opening the Hayabusa capsule, a process expected to take about a week, JAXA said.Using an optical microsco
MIAMI Hurricane Darby has formed in the Pacific off Mexico's southwest coast and Hurricane Celia strengthened farther out at sea.The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Darby has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).Darby is located about 235 miles (375 kilometers) south-southwest of Puerto Escondido.The Category 1 hurricane is moving west-northwest near 9 mph.Meanwhile, Celia became