NASA’s former climate chief has issued a stark new study that finds that the world’s current climate goal could be inadequate and may not prevent catastrophic losses from rising seas, ocean temperatures and changes in global weather. But the extreme nature of his projections has some scientists questioning the methods he used and the results he reached. Global leaders and scientists have agreed that keeping global warming toof pre-industrial temperatures represents a safe level of climate change. The new findings,...

It's difficult to imagine living in your home or working in a building without one in summer -- especially if you live in a warm climate -- but could your air conditioner be making you sick? It's a question that seems to get asked every year, especially during summer and winter, when people use their air conditioning and heating systems the most. And the has raged since air conditioning first became widespread in the years after World War II, Slate.com...

Nearly one-fifth of the raw groundwater used for public drinking water systems in California contains excessive levels of potentially toxic contaminants, according to a decade-long U.S. Geological Survey study that provides one of the first comprehensive looks at the health of California's public water supply and groundwater. One of the surprises in the study of 11,000 public supply wells statewide is the extent to which high levels of arsenic, uranium and other naturally occurring but worrisome trace elements is present,...