Editorials in 2009

Carbon capture and storage could be the only way of managing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels responsibly. But it is by no means clear that it will work.

As climate change continues to erode biodiversity, the two disciplines need to improve their dialogue.

The plan to drill through the entire oceanic crust is ambitious and exciting, and well worth the expense.

Greenhouse-gas emissions keep rising, despite all efforts at regulation and international agreement. Geoengineering could provide a back-up plan.

Earth scientists learn to approach scientific questions from a unique perspective — one that Charles Darwin shared.

Mass production of meat is on the rise, but it comes at a cost to both climate and environment. A radical change in our diets seems to be the easiest path to long-term sustainability.

The rapid draining of India's aquifers over the past six years warrants urgent attention.

Palaeoclimate research increasingly portrays itself as a means to understanding future climate change. It would serve the science and scientists better to regard the study of the past as an end in its own right.

Nature Geoscience has entered Thomson Reuters's Journal Citation Report, but so far only the 'immediacy index' has been calculated.

Humans have been responding to fluctuating sea levels for millennia. Adapting to future change will require a swift start on developing innovative infrastructure while keeping the option to adjust in the long term.

In the world of Web 2.0, the variety of channels for communicating science is exploding. Technology can help to generate images that attract attention, but there is much more to reaching the public than pretty pictures.

The necessity of establishing boundaries between nationally and internationally administered areas of the sea floor has long been recognized. The UN-approved demarcation line must be scientifically inevitable to gain practical importance.

The exploration of the Solar System is an expensive endeavour. The greater the number of nations that engage in peaceful planetary research the better.

Presubmission enquiries have only rarely resolved the question of whether a paper is suitable for Nature Geoscience. We are now removing this option from our online submission system.

In 2008 ocean iron fertilization was regulated under two sets of international legislation. However, unclear definitions have led to the suspension of legitimate research.

The Charles Darwin bicentennial celebrates the man who recognized natural selection and changed the world's views on evolution. However, his contributions to geology should not be overlooked.

Nature Geoscience is one year old. To mark the anniversary, a selection of our content will be freely accessible over the next three months.

The oceans soak up a large fraction of the carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere. The long-term strength and efficiency of this carbon sink relies on the transport of surface waters to the deep ocean.