High-Speed Rail Up For Critical Vote Today In California Senate, Drought Reaches Record 56% of Continental US: 7/6 KQED Science News Roundup

Official: More in US convinced of climate changeCANBERRA, Australia (AP) â Increasingly common experiences with extreme climate-related events such as the Colorado wildfires, a record warm spring and preseason hurricanes have convinced many Americans climate change is a reality, the head of a U.S. scientific agency said Friday.

Dead Reefs Can Come Back To Life, Study Says : NPRCoral reefs may be able to recover from disaster, according to a study that provides a bit of reassurance about the future of these endangered ecosystems. Coral reefs around the world are at risk as the ocean's temperature continues to rise.

Drought Reaches Record 56% of Continental USThe United States is parched, with more than half of the land area in the lower 48 states experiencing moderate to extreme drought, according to a report released today (July 5). Just under 56 percent of the contiguous United States is in drought conditions, the most extensive area in the 12-year history of the U.S.

Duck numbers reach record high - San Jose Mercury NewsNew federal survey shows wet weather in Canada and wetlands preservation programs are boosting key species.

High-speed rail up for critical vote today in California Senate - The Sacramento BeeHours before a critical vote today on California's high-speed rail project, Democratic legislative leaders weren't certain they could line up enough Senate votes to approve it. They were working on the members one by one.

Osprey nest atop crane at Pier 80 in S.F. firstWhile cement trucks and America's Cup workers rumble along the shoreline, the striking black-and-white birds with 6-foot wingspans swoop and dive across the water, snagging fish for their growing family. The birds were first spotted six weeks ago by Noreen Weeden, conservation manager at the Golden Gate Audubon Society, when she was at the adjacent Pier 94 working on a wetland clean-up project.