Planet Earth - Winter 2011
Planet Earth is a free magazine aimed at non-specialists with an interest in environmental science.
Paper copies
For the time being Planet Earth magazine has returned to print in a limited way and is available to subscribers in the UK; unfortunately we can't send paper copies outside the UK, but the electronic version of the magazine will continue to be available to all our readers.
If you are a subscriber but would prefer not to receive a paper copy, please email us at requests@nerc.ac.uk, or write to us at Planet Earth Editors, NERC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, giving us your name and full address.
Electronic copies
If you have Flash Player 7 or better you can now view Planet Earth as an e-magazine (opens in new window).
Alternatively, PDF documents of each article (or the entire magazine) are available to download below.
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* Unless specified, all articles are less than 2MB in size.
Planet Earth - Winter 2011 (3·7MB) Whole magazine. Individual articles are available below.
News Lost ladybird spotted, bats roost with their buddies, oldest known fossils found and other stories in brief.
War, peace and woodhoopoes The challenges of investigating group solidarity in an African bird.
The truth is out there: atmospheric forensics Using balloons and a former Russian spy plane to detect new ozone-depleting compounds and greenhouse gases.
Buildings don't use energy - people do! Energy-efficient buildings will reduce carbon emissions faster if we can become energy-conscious citizens.
Landmarks on the road to Rio+20 Our five-minute guide to some of the landmark sustainable developments of the last 20 years.
(Cover story) The risky business of earthquakes Why the deadliest quakes strike far from tectonic plate boundaries.
Distilling nitrogen science We're wreaking havoc on the Earth's nitrogen cycle, and the consequences could be serious.
'At length did cross an albatross' How do you map the comings and goings of a bird that can travel thousands of miles to find food?
Best foot forward Techniques developed to study ancient footprints will have direct applications for modern life.
A failed invasion Invasions by alien species don't always end badly for the locals.
Carbon spenders or savers in a CO2-rich world Arctic soils hold a third of the world's soil carbon. How will elevated atmospheric CO2 levels affect them?
The tale of dimethyl sulphoxide Unravelling an enigmatic chemical's role in the oceans.
Is there life in Lake Ellsworth? Could a lake locked beneath Antarctica's vast ice sheets harbour life found nowhere else on the planet?