Christopher Joyce

President Obama in September set a formidable goal for American industry and agriculture — reduce greenhouse gases by a quarter in 10 years. But several states are ahead of the game.

An expedition to the Pacific's Mariana Trench has found evidence that life exists miles below the surface. But it's not life as we know it.

Marine scientists plumbing the deepest part of the ocean sent microphones and collection probes baited with chicken to the bottom of a trench near Guam. Now they watch, wait ... and listen.

Polar bears continue to take a hit in regions with the greatest loss of snow and ice, the latest report card on the Arctic shows. Meanwhile, plankton are thriving as the sea heats up.

In Lima, Peru, almost all of the world's governments agreed on a document meant to galvanize efforts to curb climate change. While the outcome was modest, it did establish some important principles.

Americans eat more seafood than just about anyone, but a big portion of imports are caught illegally. One expert calls this "the single greatest threat to sustainable fisheries in the world today."

The idea, according to a scientist at New Hampshire University, is to teach each player "rugby awareness," so he'll be more likely to keep his head out of harm's way. Helmets off, eyes up.

Faulty gear and attempts to clear liquid from wells can release enough gas to power hundreds of homes, new research reveals. Scientists say finding the leaks is a first step to plugging them.

Unlike the 1997 Kyoto treaty, the plan on the negotiating table in Lima this week asks every country, developed and developing, to limit carbon emissions. Each nation would set its own target.

Public health groups say lower levels will benefit people who suffer from asthma or other respiratory illnesses. Business groups say it's another expensive hoop to jump through.

Birds are one of the most widely studied forms of life on the planet. And, there are still new species out there to discover — as one young researcher found recently in a forest in Indonesia.

Experts who've parsed the numbers offered by the two countries say it's not enough to keep climate from overheating seriously. It is seen as a benchmark by which governments can be held accountable.

Scientists say a new deal between the U.S. and China on greenhouse gases is a positive move toward new models for controlling emissions, but that it won't keep the Earth from dangerous levels of warming.

Discovered in Montana in 1988, the Wankel T. Rex is a prize find — a nearly complete skeleton, now bound for display at the Smithsonian, in Washington, D.C. But first, those old bones need some work.

In Copenhagen on Sunday, scientists gathered to issue their latest assessment of the world's climate. Their report is considered the most comprehensive overview of the state of climate science.

NPR's Christopher Joyce and audio engineer Bill McQuay travel to an abandoned copper mine in search of bats — and their sound.

Scientists first figured the claw-tipped, giant arm bones found in 1965 belonged to an ostrichlike dinosaur. But its recently recovered skull looks more like a dino designed by a committee — of kids.

Two controversial cases have put a spotlight on surrogacy in Thailand. Now the government is drafting new laws to stop abuse.

Flooding from extreme tidal swings was once just a rare nuisance for coastal cities. But rising sea levels have increased the frequency of these nuisance floods as much as tenfold since the 1960s.

The urban oasis boasts about 170,000 different types of microbes, recent dirt samples show. That diversity is comparable to a tropical rain forest. About 2,000 species are found only in the park.