Great apes are facing an “inevitable crisis” arising from climate change, a leading conservationist has warned. Dr Richard Leakey said that growing pressure to switch from fossil fuels to biofuels could result in further destruction of the animals’ habitats Read more

MIAMI – Lake Okeechobee’s water levels matched a historic low Wednesday as South Florida’s worst known drought continued into rainy season, threatening a key water supply for nearly 5 million people and the Everglades. Not only that, but a fire broke out on part of the exposed lake bottom. Read more

The ferocious winds of tropical cyclones churn up ocean water as they spin over the surface, significantly affecting the transport of heat in the ocean, a new study finds. And as global warming heats up the ocean surface, this process could be intensified, preventing the potential shutdown of the oceanic conveyor belt. The intensification could also have strange effects on storms. Read more

WASHINGTON – The head of NASA drew criticism from scientists when he said he was not sure global warming was a problem. “I have no doubt that global � that a trend of global warming exists,” NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said in a taped interview that aired Thursday on National Public Radio. “I am not sure that it is fair to say that is a problem we must wrestle with.” Read more

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted by humans have brought Earth�s climate close to “critical tipping points, with potentially dangerous consequences for the planet,” according to NASA and the findings of a new study. Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush, seeking to blunt international criticism of the U.S. record on climate change, on Thursday urged 15 major nations to agree by the end of next year on a global target for reducing greenhouse gases. Read more

Drought-stricken Lake Okeechobee has officially fallen as low as ever. The lake’s level was measured a 8.97 feet at midnight, tying the low mark reached on May 24, 2001. With no rain forecast today, the lake is expected to fall below that all-time record by midday. Not bad enough for you? OK: The lake is also on fire. Read more

On a frigid afternoon in May, I slipped through a crack in the sea ice and dropped into the Arctic Ocean. The icy water hit my face and neoprene-clad head so hard I thought I would vomit. I was diving just south of Lancaster Sound, off the northern tip of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. The water was 29 degrees (-2�C), about as cold as seawater gets before it freezes. Read more

From the high mountains to the vast polar ice sheets, the world is losing its ice faster than anyone thought possible. Even scientists who had monitored Chacaltaya since 1991 thought it would hold out for a few more years. It’s no surprise that glaciers are melting as emissions from cars and industry warm the climate. But lately, the ice loss has outstripped the upward creep of global temperatures. Read more

The US appears to have rejected draft proposals by Germany for G8 members to agree tough measures in greenhouse gas emissions, leaked documents have shown. Wide-ranging US amendments to a draft communique prepared ahead of June’s G8 in Germany summit cite a “fundamental opposition” to the proposal Read more