The crisis that unfolded at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after Japan's megaquake and tsunami is rewriting the nuclear safety guide. There are some positives. Despite being shaken by an earthquake that exceeded the worst case assumed in their design, the reactors along Japan's Pacific coast suffered no serious damage from the ground movement.

Eugenie Scott has struggled to keep creationism out of the classroom – now her organisation is taking on climate change deniers too.

The Texas drought is a harbinger of things to come for the entire Southwest – water resource managers are making plans for a drier future.

Methods of mopping up the oil hitting the shore from the Gulf spill must be carefully assessed to be sure they don't do more harm than good.

As mining companies prepare to exploit the copper and gold in the seabed, the author explore the fate of the unique ecosystems around tectonic boundaries.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128193.700-deep-sea-gold-rush-mi...

Two forests wired up to track water should help the US's most populous state adapt to a warming world in which the stuff becomes increasingly scarce.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028164.300-wired-californian-for...

If the US approves genetically modified fish for human consumption, the implications will be global.

IT IS time to take back the night for wildlife. That was the rallying call from a landmark session on light pollution at the Society for Conservation Biology on 4 July in Edmonton, Canada. The disruptive effects on animals of our penchant for bright lights has rarely impinged on public consciousness.

Methods of mopping up the oil hitting the shore from the Gulf spill must be carefully assessed to be sure they don't do more harm than good.