Here's today's roundup of science, nature and environment news from the Bay Area and beyond.
Sea rise faster on East Coast than rest of globeU.S. Geological Survey scientists call the 600-mile swath a "hot spot" for climbing sea levels caused by global warming. [...] sea levels have gone up globally about 2 inches. Climate change pushes up sea levels by melting ice sheets in Greenland and west Antarctica, and because warmer water expands.
via Sfgate
What was he thinking? Study turns to ape intellectWASHINGTON (AP) -- The more we study animals, the less special we seem. Baboons can distinguish between written words and gibberish. Monkeys seem to be able to do multiplication. Apes can delay instant gratification longer than a human child can. They plan ahead. They make war and peace. They show empathy.
via Ap
Supercomputer to study weather 'butterfly effect'The study of climate and weather patterns has always been hamstrung by volatility - by elements of chaos in the seas and the air. The machine is expected to give scientists a clearer image of the state of the planet, and its future, revolutionizing the study of climate change, extreme weather events, wildfires, air pollution and more.
via Sfgate
Oil drilling in Arctic to resume in Shell projectCrude from the Exxon Valdez tanker blackened sparkling Alaskan waters, drawing worldwide scrutiny to the potential for oil-related environmental disaster - a prospect reinforced two decades later when a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico claimed lives and livelihoods there.
via Sfgate
California rice farmers help out migratory birdsmore than 165 rice farmers have signed up for an incentive program that will build a system of islands and other habitat improvements in their paddies, and provide birds like the avocet a place to rest, feed and breed throughout the year. The incentive, funded by $2 million from the U.S.
via Sfgate