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Vast quantities of water evaporate every year from a million or more farms and pastoral dams in Australia, the equivalent of three Sydney Harbours full of the precious resource.

In a continent where the evaporation rate is typically four times the average annual rainfall, limiting water loss from farm and station storages is becoming a priority, according to a report released by the Desert Knowledge CRC (DKCRC).

The study looked at the scale of losses from evaporation, with particular reference to the pastoral zone and compares technologies for reducing it. It forms part of DKCRC’s WaterSmart Pastoralism programme.

It also looked at several of the new methods for lowering evaporation - floating blankets, shade cloth, floating modules and thin layers of a chemical to ’seal’ the surface. It found that high water savings are possible with these methods on dams of 10 hectares or less in extent.

It found the floating blanket of ‘bubble wrap’ could reduce evaporation losses by around 95 percent for a cost of Australian $5.50-8.50 per square metre and a breakeven price of water from $302-338 per megalitre.

“When harvested, water is commonly stored in small storages and dams, but it is estimated that up to half of this may be lost to evaporation. This represents a huge waste of our resource,” said study author Ian Craig.

“The price and value of water are increasing dramatically and the scarcity of water is the main limiting factor working against agricultural production in Australia.”

“The study indicates that Australia has over a million farm dams and storages which account for roughly nine percent of all the water stored - around 7,000 million litres,” said Andy Bubb, leader of DKCRC’s 21st Century Pastoralism project.

With such high levels of evaporation in Australia, only about five percent of the rainfall actually becomes runoff and is able to enter dams. Then, dams in the warmer areas - such as Queensland and northern New South Wales - typically lose 40 percent or more of their water volume each year to evaporation.

Even if these dams are only full half the time, the total loss could amount to more than 1400 gigalitres (1.4 trillion litres or nearly three Sydney Harbours), the study says, according to a DKCRC release.

A unique three year research project has determined that there are more than 11,000 alien species present in Europe, that have biologically invaded the continent.

Known as DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventory for Europe), the research project, with more than 100 European scientists, provides new knowledge on biological invasions in Europe.

Biological invasions by alien species often result in a significant loss in the economic value, biological diversity and function of invaded ecosystems.

Alien species are plants, animals and micro-organisms that have been moved by humans to new environments outside of the range they occupy naturally.

Alien species may have a profound impact on the environment and society as they can act as vectors for new diseases, alter ecosystem processes, change biodiversity, disrupt cultural landscapes, reduce the value of land and water for human activities and cause other socio-economic consequences.

More than 11,000 alien species have been documented by DAISIE, majority of which are not harmful.

About 15 percent of these alien species cause economic damages and 15 percent cause harm to biological diversity, that is the environment, habitats and native plants, animals and micro-organisms, according to the findings of the research.

The project provides an important tool for managing the threat of biological invasion in Europe.

Information in DAISIE can be used for documenting current invasions, predicting new invasions and preventing future invasions.

Nike Inc, Starbucks Corp and investor coalition Ceres are among the founding members of a new coalition calling for strong U.S. climate and energy legislation in early 2009.The group, named Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), will lobby for policies that encourage energy efficiency, renewable energy use and green job creation, while discouraging higher-polluting technologies.

Other founding members of BICEP include Levi Strauss & Co, Sun Microsystems Inc and Timberland Co.

“These companies have a clear message for next year’s Congress: move quickly on climate change and create a prosperous green economy and green jobs at the same time,” Ceres President Mindy Lubber, said in a statement released Wednesday.

BICEP said its members include many consumer companies that are not major greenhouse gas producers.

In a news advisory, the group said it would “pressure the U.S. government for action on climate change, upping the ante in a vital discussion that has thus far been dominated by major utilities and manufacturers.”

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) — whose members include AIG, BP America, ConocoPhillips, Chrysler, Duke Energy, the Environmental Defense Fund, Ford, GM, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, PepsiCo, Shell and the World Resources Institute — earlier this week offered its own environmental prescriptions.

A new study has suggested that if climate disasters are to be averted, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) must be reduced below the levels that already exist today, as they are already in the danger zone.

The study, by a group of 10 scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom and France, was published in the Open Atmospheric Science Journal.

According to the researchers, to maintain a planet similar to that on which civilization developed, an optimum CO2 level would be less than 350 ppm — a dramatic change from most previous studies, which suggested a danger level for CO2 is likely to be 450 ppm or higher.

Atmospheric CO2 is currently 385 parts per million (ppm) and is increasing by about 2 ppm each year from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) and from the burning of forests.

“This work and other recent publications suggest that we have reached CO2 levels that compromise the stability of the polar ice sheets,” said author Mark Pagani, Yale professor of geology and geophysics.

“How fast ice sheets and sea level will respond are still poorly understood, but given the potential size of the disaster, I think it’s best not to learn this lesson firsthand,” he added.

The authors have used evidence of how the Earth responded to past changes of CO2 along with more recent patterns of climate changes to show that atmospheric CO2 has already entered a danger zone.

According to the study, coal is the largest source of atmospheric CO2 and the one that would be most practical to eliminate.

The authors have determined that “the only realistic way to sharply curtail CO2 emissions is phase out coal use except where CO2 is captured and sequestered.”

In their model, with coal emissions phased out between 2010 and 2030, atmospheric CO2 would peak at 400-425 ppm and then slowly decline.

The authors maintain that the peak CO2 level reached would depend on the accuracy of oil and gas reserve estimates and whether the most difficult to extract oil and gas is left in the ground.

They suggest that reforestation of degraded land and improved agricultural practices that retain soil carbon could lower atmospheric CO2 by as much as 50 ppm.

“Following a path that leads to a lower CO2 amount, we can alleviate a number of problems that had begun to seem inevitable, such as increased storm intensities, expanded desertification, loss of coral reefs, and loss of mountain glaciers that supply fresh water to hundreds of millions of people,” said the authors.

Gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States returned to the endangered species list on Tuesday, thanks to a court victory by environmental groups over the US government.

“The northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf is returned to the list of endangered and threatened species, with each of its component populations having the same status under the Endangered Species Act,” said federal judge Donald Molloy in a written ruling handed down in Missoula, Montana.

Twelve groups went to court in April to challenge the US government’s decision two months earlier to de-list the gray wolf in the mountainous states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

They disputed Washington’s claim that reintroduction of the species had been a success, and suspected that delisting would open the door to the mass shooting of wolves, sanctioned by state authorities.

Wolves had all but disappeared in the mainland United States by 1974. In 1995, 66 gray wolves from Canada were released in Idaho and near Yellowstone national park in hopes that their numbers would multiply.

There now are an estimated 1,200 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, where wary farmers regard them as a threat to livestock.

A team of scientists has resolved a long-standing puzzle in climate science, by reconciling the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics.

Using state-of-the-art observational datasets and results from computer model simulations archived at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), researchers and colleagues from 11 other scientific institutions have refuted a recent claim that simulated temperature trends in the tropics are fundamentally inconsistent with observations.

This claim was based on the application of a flawed statistical test and the use of older observational datasets.

Computer model simulated changes in surface temperature and sea-ice extent.

The models used to simulate these changes were first run with best estimates of historical changes in human and natural factors over the 20th century, and then driven by estimated future changes in greenhouse gases.

Temperature and sea-ice changes are shown at four different times. Results are averages from the output of nearly two dozen individual climate models.

Climate model experiments invariably predict that human-caused greenhouse gas increases should lead to more warming in the tropical troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere) than at the tropical land and ocean surface.

This predicted “amplification” behavior is in accord with basic theoretical expectations.

Until several years ago, however, most satellite and weather balloon records suggested that the tropical troposphere had warmed substantially less than the surface.

For nearly a decade, this apparent discrepancy between simulations and reality was a major conundrum for climate scientists.

The discrepancy was at odds with the overwhelming body of other scientific evidence pointing toward a “discernible human influence” on global climate.

A paper published online last year in the International Journal of Climatology claimed to show definitively that “models and observations disagree to a statistically significant extent” in terms of their tropical temperature trends.

This claim formed the starting point for an investigation by a large team of climate modelers and observational data specialists, which was led by LLNL’s Benjamin Santer.

In marked contrast to the earlier claim, Santer’s international team found that there is no fundamental discrepancy between modeled and observed trends in tropical temperatures.

“We’ve gone a long way toward reconciling modeled and observed temperature trends in the problem area of the tropics,” said Santer.

“We should apply what we learned in this study toward improving existing climate monitoring systems, so that future model evaluation studies are less sensitive to observational ambiguity,” he added.

Formula One teams have signalled their readiness to embrace eco-technology and other environmental initiatives being championed by the sport’s governing body.

There is widespread agreement that the fuel-guzzling sport must respond in a responsible way to the environmental challenges of the modern era, with unique green-grooved tyres being run at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

The tyres are largely symbolic although next season energy regenerating hybrid devices, which store energy otherwise lost during braking and convert it into power, will be introduced to Formula One.

This KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology is part of the FIA’s push to improve its environmental credentials and, ultimately, help increase awareness of fuel-efficient technology on public roads.

“The pressure on the modern world to address the causes of climate change is continually increasing and Formula One is not exempt from this,” Honda team principal Ross Brawn said in comments to the FIA carried on www.Formula1.com.

“The FIA and the teams recognise that it is our responsibility to be involved in change for the good and to accelerate these changes through the technology and competition of F1.

“Honda has been developing more efficient and lower emission products for decades and the application of fuel efficient and alternative fuel technologies have been intrinsic to our automotive product development.”

BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen is equally supportive of the move to greener technology.

“BMW is in Formula One not just for marketing reasons but also because the F1 programme can create technology synergies and innovations which can be carried over to road car development,” he said.

“If you look at what is required by future road cars, fuel economy/CO2 reduction is the top objective right now and for the foreseeable future. So it is clear that if we can do something in this area in F1 we will really benefit from it.”

Williams chief executive Adam Parr said Formula One had a responsibility to lead change with its image, ultimately, at stake.

“Our greenhouse gas emissions are insignificant. But in terms of perception the sport is associated with automobile manufacturers, fuel companies, private jets and so on,” he said.

“We have to appeal to a younger audience that is concerned about environmental issues.

“If we are to continue to flourish as a sport, grow our audience, attract sponsors and participants, then I think we have to do something about it.”

At least 25-36 percent of mammal species are facing the threat of extinction due to habitat deterioration, global warming, pollution and illegal trade in wildlife, according to a global study on mammals released on Saturday.

The study, conducted by over 1800 scientists from 130 countries paints a gloomy picture for sensitive eco-systems, which include Western Ghats in India, tropical Andes and Cameroonian Highlands, where more than 79 percent of the mammal species are under threat.

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and harp seal (Pagophilaos groenlandicus) are among the species facing threat due to climate change.

Depleting forest cover and pollution has adversely affected the habitat of over 40 percent species.

The reducing number of mammals in Southeast Asia is being driven by illegal wildlife trade raising concern among global researchers.

“Curtail the trade of endangered species. It would do an amazing amount of good for stabilising the situation in South-east Asia, which is biodiversity hot spot,” said Andrew Smith, one of the researchers from Arizona University.

The researchers say that overall conservation status of mammals is likely to deteriorate further in the near future, unless appropriate conservation measures are put in place.

The latest Red List of mammal species released at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World at Barcelona today show that 1141 species of the total 5487 mammals species face the threat of extinction. The findings were also published in the latest edition of “Science”.

The results show that 188 mammal species are facing highest threat category of “critically endangered”. Scientists say 29 species have been listed as possibly extinct.

A scientist has claimed the discovery of America’s smallest dinosaur, based on the analysis of bones found during the excavation of an ancient bone bed near Red Deer, Alberta, US.

Called Albertonykus borealis, the slender bird-like creature is a new member of the family Alvarezsauridae and is one of only a few such fossils found outside of South America and Asia.

The analysis indicates that the unusual breed of dinosaur, which was the size of a chicken, ran on two legs and scoured the ancient forest floor for termites.

“These are bizarre animals. They have long and slender legs, stumpy arms with huge claws and tweezer-like jaws. They look like an animal created by Dr. Seuss,” said Nick Longrich, a paleontology research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences.

“This appears to be the smallest dinosaur yet discovered in North America,” he added.

In a paper published in the current issue of the journal Cretaceous Research, Longrich and University of Alberta paleontologist Philip Currie describe the specimen and explain how it likely specialized in consuming termites by using its small but powerful forelimbs to tear into logs.

“Proportionately, the forelimbs are shorter than in a Tyrannosaurus but they are powerfully-built, so they seem to have served a purpose,” Longrich said. “They are built for digging but too short to burrow, so we think they may have been used to rip open log in search of insects,” he added.

Longrich studied 70 million-year-old bones that were collected on a dig led by Currie at Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in 2002 where the remains of more than 20 Albertosaurus sarcophagus individuals were found.

Albertosaurs are a type of tyrannosaur.

The bones were placed in storage at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and Longrich came across them while trying to compare Albertosaurus claws to another dinosaur species.

“This is the oldest and most complete dinosaur of its kind known from North America and it provides evidence that these dinosaurs migrated to Asia through North America,” said Longrich.

According to Longrich, “You can really find amazing things if you just keep looking at fossils we already have sitting in museum collections.”

“The number of dinosaur discoveries is actually accelerating because we just keep digging up more material to work with,” he added.

Mooting an unconventional therapy to check global warming, leading environmentalist Rajendra Pachauri has suggested shunning of meat and non-vegetarian diet at least for a day in the week. One meat-free day a week will be an effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, said Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

“In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,” he was quoted as saying by the Observer. “Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,” he advised. Diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals, the 68-year-old Indian economist, who is a vegetarian said.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide.

Pachauri was re-elected as the IPCC Chairman for the second time last week for six-year term. He has headed the organisation since 2002. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century. His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warning. The IPCC had last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize with former US Vice-President Al Gore.