Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston.  Read the full Policy News here. HOUSE: COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TO REFOCUS PRIORITIES, PROBE CLIMATE SCIENCE Among the new priorities of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the 112th Congress will be an  investigation of climate science. Committee Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX) opposes…

To an ant, a piece of garnet or a shark’s tooth is merely another boulder to excavate for the expansion of the nest. And for humans, these bits of treasure would largely go unnoticed as just another grain in an anthill. But, as the blog Neatorama pointed out this week, every inch of sand is a world of discovery to…

Recipes for lionfish and other invasive species, the microbial communities likely inhabiting Lady Gaga and other humans, hidden ecosystems in caves and underneath Antarctica, explaining evolution through a graphic novel and the big flavor of tiny life forms. Here are the latest stories in ecology for the first week in January 2011. Invasivore’s cookbook: Discover’s Discoblog listed a couple of…

In the case of the African butterfly Bicyclus anynana, females develop ornate wings and court males if they spend the larval stage in a dry, cool environment. The reverse occurs, according to Kathleen Prudic from Yale University and colleagues, when the butterflies are exposed to wetter, warmer environments. “As expected, female Bicyclus anynana in warmer moister conditions that mimic the…

This post contributed by Ashwin Bhandiwad, marine biologist and filmmaker When my colleague and good friend Austin Gallagher told me he was thinking of starting a film festival focused on science and conservation, I relished the opportunity. Austin and I are graduate students and share a passion for the marine environment. Like all graduate students, we have had many conversations…

The following links highlight ecology from the month of December, but there are several science-related end-of-year lists floating around as well.

This post contributed by Nadine Lymn, ESA Director of Public Affairs Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line. —Mandelbrot, The Fractal Geometry of Nature As the year 2010 draws to a close and we find ourselves in the midst of winter’s icy grip,…

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston.

Several proposals for geoengineering projects are being explored–including cloud seeding, ocean iron fertilization and afforestation–as a plan for mitigating climate change. Monica Kanojia explores these methods and the current economic and technological issues surrounding them.

When it comes to information about climate change, we want to believe that most people make rational, informed decisions based on a careful analysis of data. The truth for many people, though, is that their main source for climate change information is their local broadcast meteorologist. Unfortunately, this information often comes in the few seconds before or after a weathercast when a news anchor might ask the meteorologist if an unusually warm winter day is a “sure sign of global warming.”

 This post contributed by Nadine Lymn, ESA Director of Public Affairs I caught the front end of today’s Energy Innovation 2010 Conference in Washington, DC featuring a range of individuals involved or thinking about national and global energy.  Speakers included the President and CEO of Securing  America’s Future Energy, the Executive Director of the Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental R&D…

Ecological science comes in all shapes and sizes, and holiday gift-giving is no exception. If you prefer your celebrations to be infused with science, then you might enjoy these holiday gift ideas as well. Who knows, maybe friends and relatives will learn a little bit about ecology too! Games: For those of us who would like to include science in…