JOANNA M. FOSTER

Melting glaciers and ice caps are perhaps the most striking illustrations of the effects of global climate change. Surprisingly, however, there is relatively little data on just how fast the ice is disappearing.

Julia Kollewe and Terry Macalister

Luisa Massarani

[LONDON] Climate change could reduce the economic value of the services the oceans provide to mankind by almost US$2 trillion a year by 2100, according to a study presented at the Planet Under Pressure conference this week (26–29 March).

Corals may be better placed to cope with the gradual acidification of the world's oceans than previously thought -- giving rise to hopes that coral reefs might escape climatic devastation.

Damian Carrington

The first study conducted in a natural environment has shown that systemic pesticides damage bees' ability to navigate

Common crop pesticides have been shown for the first time to seriously harm bees by damaging their renowned ability to navigate home.

Katherine Tweed

World Water Day highlights investment opportunities as global fresh water grows scarce.

We're nearly 20 years into celebrating World Water Day, and the issues have only grown more complex -- and in many locales, more serious.

NASA

This visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005 through December 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience.

David Fogarty and Deborah Zabarenko

* Rising population, development put more in harm's way

* Policymakers urged to act in next few decades

* Less emphasis on mitigation, more on cutting risk

By David Fogarty and Deborah Zabarenko  

Petra Low

The breakdown of loss-relevant events among the main hazards-geophysical, meteorological, hydrological, and climatological events-is more or less in line with the average over the past 30 years. In 2011, some 91 percent were weather-related-37 percent each were storms and floods and 17 percent we

Gene banks represent an overdue push to preserve crop biodiversity. It also needs conserving on farms