Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europe's borders. Physically and geologically, Europe is a subcontinent or large peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia and west of Asia.

Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and–according to the traditional geographic definition–to the southeast by the waterways adjoining the Mediterranean to and including the Black Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains (in Caucasia). Europe's eastern frontier is vague, but has traditionally been given as the divide of the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea to the southeast. The Urals are considered by most to be a geographical and tectonic landmark separating Asia from Europe.

Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering about 10,390,000 square kilometres (4,010,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. The only continent smaller is Australia. In terms of population, it is the third-largest continent (Asia and Africa are larger) with a population of more than 710,000,000, or about 11% of the world's population.

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BBC News | Science & Environment | World Edition

Expedition set for 'ghost peaks'
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:04:35 -0000
Scientists prepare to survey Antarctica's Gamburtsev mountain range - one of the most enigmatic mountain groups on Earth.
Exotic spiders crawl into the UK
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:50:33 -0000
Exotic species of spider are setting up home in the UK, making the best of an increasingly mild climate.
Hubble re-boot expected this week
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:18:47 -0000
US space agency officials say the orbiting Hubble telescope should come back online for full science observations on Friday.

NYT > Environment

Observatory: Rising Temperatures May Dry Up Peat Bogs, Causing Carbon Release
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:46:37 -0000
Ordinarily peat bogs are a huge carbon sink, but a new study suggests that might not be the case for northern bogs as temperatures rise.
Race Starts With Little Fuel, and Goes Uphill From There
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:45:27 -0000
Escape From Berkeley could be the world’s most eco-friendly race, in which alternative-fuel-burning vehicles compete with the goal of completing the race using no petroleum.
Encounter: A Green Revolution for Africa?
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:11:18 -0000
Rajiv Shah is helping the Gates Foundation donate hundreds of millions of dollars to improve agriculture on the continent. But is technological change enough?

ENN: Climate

Climate deal to help overcome financial crisis: EU
WARSAW (Reuters) - Tackling climate change will help, not hinder, governments' efforts to overcome the global financial crisis, the EU's environment chief said on Tuesday. The 27-nation European Union has set ambitious goals to curb carbon dioxide emissions by a fifth by 2020, compared to 1990 levels, partly by making power generators and heavy industry pay for permits to pollute in its emissions trading scheme.
Global warming getting political cold shoulder in U.S. amid economic woes
The global economic crisis has thrown a political chill over one of the main initiatives under consideration in the United States to combat global warming: the so-called cap-and-trade plan.
Cutting air pollution in cities may raise global temps, says scientist
Cleaning air in Beijing and in other large cities suffering from pollution problems by limiting car and power-plant emissions may raise global temperatures instead of lowering them, a German scientist warns.

L.A. Times - Environment

Number of Devil's Hole pupfish increasing
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The tiny fish, found only in a small, deep pool near Death Valley, has been on the brink of extinction for years. Scientists believe the species' problems are tied to a shortage of nutrients. The tiny Devil's Hole pupfish, found only in a small, deep pool in the desert near Death Valley, has been teetering on the brink of extinction for years. In the spring of 2006 there were only 38 of them, down from roughly 500 in the mid-1990s.
Governor gets mixed report card on environment
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Activist groups criticize Gov. Schwarzenegger for vetoing bills on air pollution and fire safety, but he is praised for approving a measure to require future regulation of toxics. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to be known as the greenest governor in America. But his eco-record this year was at best "mixed," according to from the Natural Resources Defense Council and other major environmental groups.
Bottled water versus tap: Which is safer to drink?
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Both have their risks, but your home's water is subject to broader scrutiny. Those ubiquitous plastic water bottles have been increasingly vilified in recent years. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Barbara, among others, have banned them from purchase with city funds. A few trendsetting restaurants, and even some markets and hotels, have banned them too.

National Geographic News

PHOTOS: Amazon Rain Forest's Untapped Fruit Bounty
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0000
Hundreds of fruit species flourish in the Amazon region, but relatively few--like antioxidant-rich acai, a wild palm fruit --ever reach international markets. Experts say fruits are a vital part of the Amazon's wealth and may provide important alternatives to timber.
NASA Hurries to Repair Hubble
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0000
The space telescope could be functional as soon as October 17, after NASA engineers switch to an onboard backup system.
Bizarre Dinosaur Lured Mates With Bony Adornments
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0000
A new spiky-faced Triceratops relative, its head festooned with "bony bells and whistles," offers insight into how dinosaurs grew up, evolved, and behaved, scientists say.

USDA - Natural Resources

Forest Service Maps and General Guides.
Topographic maps, specialty maps and brochures, national trails, roadless areas.
Plants Database
Classification, characteristics, invasive and noxious plants, alternative crops, distribution maps, fact sheets.
National Water Management Center
Direct assistance, information, and technology on water-related issues for natural resources conservation.

The Economist: The environment

Green.view: The conservation olympics
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:41:18 -0000
On being green when the world has the bluesIS THE Antarctic Treaty System helping to preserve biodiversity? What are the demands on groundwater in Azraq oasis in Jordan? How do the authorities of Parana state in Brazil control invasive species? The answer to all these questions, and many, many more could be found at the World Conservation Congress, which ends on October 14th in Barcelona, Spain.The WCC is an Olympics of sorts for the world of biodiversity. Once every four years, champions of conservation from around the globe gather to show off their achievements, take stock of their peers and bask in a shared love of all creatures great and small. It is “the world’s largest and most important conservation event”, according to the International Union for the Conservation Nature, the network of conservation groups that organises it. ...
Paper usage: A greener office
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:21:06 -0000
How much paper does an American office worker generate?THE notion of the “paperless office” was first mooted in the 1960s, when it seemed that computers and hard disks would do away with the need to print out everything in triplicate. What actually happened was that global consumption of office paper more than doubled in the last two decades of the 20th century, as digital technology made printing cheaper and easier. Yet the prediction may be coming true at last. America's white-collar workers have been generating less paper since 2001, and that trend is likely to continue, according to InfoTrends, a consultancy. The explanation seems to be sociological: younger workers, who have grown up with electronic communication, feel less need to print documents than their older colleagues. ...
China’s water-diversion scheme: A shortage of capital flows
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:48:13 -0000
Going thirsty so Beijing can drinkTHE water level at Wangkuai Reservoir, one of the biggest in Hebei province, is close to an historic high—in a region gripped by drought. This has been achieved by hoarding the water. Local farmers say they have received none for two years. A hydroelectric plant by the huge dam is idle. Wangkuai is preparing for what officials call a “major political task”—channelling its water to Beijing, to help boost the city’s severely depleted supplies. On September 28th, after more than four years’ work on a 307km-long (191-mile) waterway costing more than $2 billion, Beijing began receiving its top-up. Two other large Hebei reservoirs, Gangnan and Huangbizhuang (see map), were the first to feed the new channel. Wangkuai is due to open its sluices in December, says a dam supervisor. Oddly for such a large and supposedly vital project, the launch was low key. Yet the channel’s inauguration was the most notable achievement so far of what, in the coming years, is intended to become a far more grandiose diversion scheme: bringing water from the Yangzi basin to the parched north, along channels stretching more than 1,000km. ...

Reuters: Environment

Don't let crisis push climate off agenda: Barroso
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:27:10 -0400
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The head of the European Commission appealed to EU leaders on Tuesday not to sacrifice the fight against climate change to the urgent economic problems thrown up by the global financial crisis.
NY museum's climate change show dives in politics
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:46:05 -0400
NEW YORK (Reuters) - One of America's most renowned science museums dives into politics again this week with a new exhibition on climate change that curators say is an effort to separate fact from fear.
Climate deal seen helping overcome financial crisis
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:28:02 -0400
WARSAW (Reuters) - Tackling climate change will help, not hinder, governments' efforts to overcome the global financial crisis, the EU's environment chief said on Tuesday.

NPR Topics: Environment

Videos Released Of Deepest Fish Ever Filmed
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:01:00 -0400
Scientists from Japan and Britain have released the first photos and videos of the liparid, or snail fish, the deepest-living fish ever filmed. Groups were found nearly five miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
For Next President, An Array Of Science Challenges
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:09:00 -0400
According to a report issued by the Center for the Study of the President, the incoming president will need to confront a host of policy issues related to science and technology — including climate change, food and water scarcity, energy shortages and weapons of mass destruction.
Newly Discovered Ecosystem Of One Bacterium
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:49:00 -0400
Deep in a South African gold mine, three kilometers below the Earth's surface, scientists have discovered a tiny ecosystem in which there is only one organism.

UN News Centre - Environment, Shelter

Progress reported in UN-backed efforts to reduce pollution, emissions from ships
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reported major progress on efforts to cut polluting and global warming emissions from ships, achieve more environmentally friendly recycling of vessels and prevent contamination from harmful organisms in ballast.
Gorillas have UN ally in fight for survival
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
United Nations agencies are stepping up efforts to save gorillas in the wild, with three of the four subspecies already critically endangered as humans' close relative faces multiple threats ranging from hunting to destruction of habitat to the effects of armed conflicts and diseases.
More chemicals to be added to UN-backed pact banning hazardous substances
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Scientists today started reviewing some everyday and industrial chemicals used in such products as carpets and medical equipment to determine whether they should be added to a United Nations-backed major treaty banning hazardous chemicals.

Environment

Challenges and Opportunities UNIDOs Cleaner Production Program
B-SPAN Washington D.C.—On July 22nd, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) hosted a roundtable on the United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) Cleaner Production (CP) program. The program and network aims at building capacity for CP in participating countries, providing a place for dialogue between industry and government. The program allows UNIDO to address the gap that exists between competitive industrial production and environmental concerns.
The Release of Environmental Sustainability An Evaluation of World Bank Group Support
B-SPAN Washington D.C. – On July 22nd, 2008, the World Bank presented a panel discussion to recognize the release of Environmental Sustainability An Evaluation of World Bank Group Support, written by John Redwood, Jouni Eerikainen, and Ethel Tarazona. Event Chair Vinod Thomas, Director General of the World Banks Independent Evaluation Group, opened the panel by explaining the importance of the report regarding the broader implications for both the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
2. Global Tiger Conservation Initiative Symposium
B-SPAN On June 9 2008, the World Bank launched the Global Tiger Conservation Initiative with a thematic symposium held at the World Banks headquarters in Washington D.C. The event, entitled Tiger Conservation Moving Lessons Learnt Towards a Winning Strategy, brought together tiger conservation experts to discuss lessons in trade, governance and finance, as well as steps going forward in this important effort.

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