The budgets reflect the administration’s energy and environment priorities by boosting research and development for coal and oil while decreasing funding for clean and renewable energies and environmental protection.
News
Stanford Scientist Drops $10 Million Lawsuit over Critical Paper
Mark Jacobson, a renewable energy scientist, announced the decision on Twitter, saying he had succeeded in bringing his concerns to light.
Senior USGS Official Quits over Request for Advance Alaska Data
The official objected to providing results of an Alaskan energy assessment to Interior Secretary Zinke before the report was public. The department says Zinke acted within his authority.
New Postage Stamps Focus on Bioluminescent Marine Life
The stamps help draw attention to the wonders of creatures that generate their own light and to the environmental problems that threaten them in marine habitats, scientists say.
Calm Waters off Hawaii Harbor a “Nursery” of Sea Life
Ocean slicks—naturally occurring bands of smooth water—are home to an astounding diversity of fish larvae and other marine life, researchers show.
Ozone Pollution Maps Show Spikes Amid Broad Declines
Exceptionally comprehensive new maps detail current global concentrations and 15-year trends.
China May Soon Surpass the United States in R&D Funding
A U.S. report on science and engineering indicators is largely correct about China making huge strides, a Chinese official said. However, he disputed funding amounts and downplayed Chinese research leadership.
Administration Plan Would Cut USGS Budget by More Than 20%
The plan emphasizes priorities such as energy and mineral independence and security. However, the sharp funding drop means that the agency won’t be able to support its full scientific portfolio.
Douglas D. Davis (1940–2016)
In labs on the ground and aboard aircraft, Davis shed light on chemical processes in the atmosphere and showed how humans contributed to these processes.
Five Takeaways from Trump’s Proposed Budget for NASA
Exploration and privatization dominate the president’s proposed budget for the space agency in the 2019 fiscal year, whereas a major cut to a flagship mission surprises scientists.