The amount of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere has varied significantly over time. For example, higher concentrations of oxygen might have allowed insects and other arthropods to get so huge during the Carboniferous Period, 300 million years ago.

2 Dec 2008

Sometime ago I met a person who said that for at least six months, they realized they had never touched the earth. They went from their house, to attached garage, to pavement and sidewalk and street, and into a building, never stepping on soil or grass. I suppose if you live in a big city that is not hard to do and maybe not even uncommon. Such a person only comes in contact with grass or soil ...

1 Dec 2008

This month, the big "cold, long nights” moon makes the highest tides of the year.Ocean tides are caused primarily by the moon’s gravity, which pulls on the oceans directly under it a bit harder than it does on the rest of the planet because that’s the closest part. The slight gravitational tug sloshes the oceans up toward the moon. The rigid body of the Earth can’t flex like the oceans, so it is ...

1 Dec 2008

BLUE EARTH - The City Council approved the 2008 budget and levy for the city Monday night. The levy increase of 3 percent could make many residents happy, as they recently received property tax projections in the mail that stated Blue Earth's levy increase would be 22 percent.

1 Dec 2008

Several high-profile acts have been forced to pull out of this month's Live Earth charity concert, following the recent attacks in Mumbai.

1 Dec 2008

Contrary to previous common thought, geologists now almost universally agree that early Earth was a pretty placid place, with both land and oceans.

1 Dec 2008