Global Warming Shrinking Sheep

Governor's trust in his instincts reminiscent of George W. Bush: Richard Cohen

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry officially burst onto the presidential scene just days ago, but he already "clings to an ice floe of diminishing credibility," writes Richard Cohen in the Washington Post : Perry has quickly established himself as "intellectually unqualified to be president," most pointedly when he sided with the 2% of climate experts who question global warming. Trouble is, such beliefs aren’t just "silliness"—they reveal a deeper flaw with Perry as a candidate. His views on climate change don’t come from his examination of the science; they stem from ideology. More»

(NEWSER) - Facing broad new US regulations on emissions, big business wants to put the science behind global warming before a judge, the Los Angeles Times reports. “It would be evolution versus creationism,” says an executive for the US Chamber of Commerce, which is pushing the idea of a public hearing. “It would be the science of climate change on trial.” More»

(NEWSER) - Global warming is changing the face of the planet, and a key panel estimates that a quarter of the world's species will die out—but a few organisms are already evolving to survive in a hotter world. In the past few years Scottish sheep have become smaller, while species of birds and plants are moving to cooler climes up mountains and away from the tropics. Carl Zimmer, writing for Yale's green blog Environment 360, details how evolution can move far more swiftly than Darwin had foreseen. More»

Feathered displays may have been about finding mates, not climbing trees

(NEWSER) - Among paleontologists, one of the big battles has long been over why dinosaurs originally evolved wings: Did they start gliding down from trees, or need extra propulsion when running? According to a new study, the first wings were all about impressing the ladies—it was sexual selection that let bigger-winged dinos have more hatchlings, the Telegraph reports. More»

Methane from livestock may cause more emissions than automobiles

(NEWSER) - Big oil, coal-fired power plants, automakers and now sheep: As governments look to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, researchers are looking seriously at livestock, believed to contribute more than cars via the methane gas they belch during digestion, the Wall Street Journal reports. To that end, researchers in New Zealand are trying everything from altering diets to altering genetics to create less-gassy sheep. More»