Senior academics call on the UK government to respect the independence and freedom of its scientific advisers.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral reefs across the Caribbean and the central Gulf of Mexico that were damaged in recent years, scientists said Thursday.

Dear EarthTalk: What are the pros and cons of feeding babies formula versus breast milk? And if I purchase formula, should I spend the extra money on the organic variety? --Suzy W., via e-mail [More]

The ATS has issued an official statement that outlines the Society's position on research, training, education, patient care and advocacy. The statement, which appears in the Nov. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, also makes specific recommendations on how elements of the organization can make these policies a part of new and ongoing projects.

Infants who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution are at increased risk for bronchiolitis, according to a new study.

John Crace sifts through new research and discoveries from around the world The hole that time forgotFor a long time now the Mexicans have got it in the neck for being home to the crater formed by the object that killed off the dinosaurs. But it seems the real culprit might lie thousands of miles to the east. According to Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech university, the Shiva basin off the coast of India could be the largest, multi-ringed impact crater the world has ever seen and may have been responsible for killing the dinosaurs off 65m years ago. "If we are right, this is the largest crater known on our planet," Chatterjee said. "A bolide [projectile] of this size, perhaps 40 kilometres in diameter creates its own tectonics." By contrast, the object that struck the Yucatan Peninsula was between 8 and 10 kilometres wide. The Shiva impact would have vapourised the Earth's crust at the point of collision, leaving nothing but ultra-hot mantle material to well up in its place. It is al

Al Gore, the Nobel-Prize-winning former-vice president-turned-energy entrepreneur, offers tools in his latest book to crack the climate conundrum.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China supports the peaceful exploration and use of space, President Hu Jintao said on Friday, days after its top air force officials sparked concerns with talk of a "Great Wall of steel in the blue sky."

GENEVA (Reuters) - Some pigs, turkeys and household pets have become infected with the H1N1 flu, but the pandemic virus does not yet appear to be spreading quickly among animals, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

India staunchly refuses to take action on lowering carbon emissions, saying the West must concede first. Can agreements be made at next month's Copenhagen talks?