Alexandria, VA – December 21, 2012 – the purported last day of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mesoamerican calendar – has been added to an endless list of days when the world has been expected to end. But what are our real chances of being wiped out by a catastrophic event – the kind that has happened in the past and will inevitably occur again someday? In the August issue of EARTH, we explore four of the most probable global events that could change life on Earth forever.
Near-Earth objects (NEOs), super-eruptions, solar storms and cataclysmic earthquakes all pose serious risks to our planet on a global and regional scale. However, though these threats exist, is it possible to realistically and economically prepare for them all? Find out more online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/2012-end-world-or-just-another-year-living-harms-way.
Read this story and more in the August issue of EARTH Magazine, available online at http://www.earthmagazine.org. Turn trash to treasure when scientists turn nonrecylced waste into low-carbon fuel; discover how fossilized raindrops provide clues to Earth's early atmosphere; and learn about the silver lining of potentially hazardous asteroids all in this month's issue of EARTH.
Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH magazine online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.
The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.