Who’s responsible for damaging climate change leaks?

The hottest mystery in the environmental arena is who framed climate scientists on the eve of a major international climate conference. For the past few years, many who are pressing the case that human carbon emissions have caused global warming have had to endure the leak of thousands of private e-mails that purportedly go to the integrity of researchers. The New York Times takes a look at speculation on the identity of the leaker, pointing to various clues that suggest an anti-climate-change activist. “It smells a lot like a certain quadrant of the denier community,” commented Kert Davies, the research director of Greenpeace.

Scientists studying thawing of carbon-trapping permafrost

The inability to stem rising carbon emissions causes climate change, but that’s only part of the story. Trapped amid the frozen ground of the northernmost regions of the Northern Hemisphere is twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. As temperatures rise, this permafrost thaws, perhaps leading to an acceleration of carbon in the atmosphere. Scientists are looking to understand the dynamics of “one of the biggest looming mysteries about the future of the earth,” with one researcher comparing the phenomenon to broccoli taken out of the freezer to decay.

Money raised to save Amazon rainforest from oil miners

On Thursday, the United Nations held a unique “crowdfunding” initiative to raise $116 million to halt oil industry exploitation of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuardo. Digital Journal reports, “An odd alliance of governments, film stars, Japanese businesses, Russian institutions, and soft drink companies have come forward to help…” The money raised goes to confirm Ecuador’s commitment to halt mining operations if it could generate 50 percent of billions lost by not mining.

How driving helps cause tornadoes

A new study reveals that tornadoes are less likely to occur on weekends of hot summer months. According to scientists studying data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, that’s because there’s less pollutants in the air gathering moisture. The lesson seems to be that drivers commuting to and from work during the week influence so-called “natural disasters” like tornadoes. The research "provides yet another good reason for reducing air pollution," said study co-author Daniel Rosenfeld, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel

Saving the environment can be as fun as a video game

Can video games teach us about energy solutions to pressing environmental problems? Take a look at this video by energyNow! correspondent Lee Patrick Sullivan: