Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 2-Jul-2012 1:45 PM EDT
War-Related Climate Change Would Reduce Substantially Reduce Crop Yields
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Though worries about “nuclear winter” have faded since the end of the Cold War, existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons still hold the potential for devastating global impacts.

28-Jun-2012 10:05 AM EDT
Rising Heat at the Beach Threatens Largest Sea Turtles, Climate Change Models Show
Drexel University

Climate change could exacerbate existing threats to critically endangered leatherback sea turtles and nearly wipe out the population in the eastern Pacific. Deaths of turtle eggs and hatchlings in nests buried at hotter, drier beaches are the leading projected cause of the potential climate-related decline, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change by a research team from Drexel University, Princeton University, other institutions and government agencies.

Released: 30-Jun-2012 5:15 PM EDT
Mass Extinctions Reset the Long-Term Pace of Evolution
University of Chicago

A new study indicates that mass extinctions affect the pace of evolution, not just in the immediate aftermath of catastrophe, but for millions of years to follow. The study will appear in the August issue of the journal Geology.

Released: 27-Jun-2012 5:00 PM EDT
Disappearing Grasslands: ASU Scientists to Study Dramatic Environmental Change
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Grasslands are experiencing a major transformation globally as woody plants begin to dominate. While some consider this shift to represent environmental deterioration, researchers at ASU suggest these changes may not be completely detrimental.

Released: 27-Jun-2012 4:55 PM EDT
Dying Trees in Southwest Set Stage for Erosion, Water Loss in Colorado River
Oregon State University

New research concludes that a one-two punch of drought and mountain pine beetle attacks are the primary forces that have killed more than 2.5 million acres of pinyon pine and juniper trees in the American Southwest during the past 15 years, setting the stage for more ecological disruption - including major soil erosion and further loss of water in the Colorado River basin.

Released: 27-Jun-2012 3:15 PM EDT
A Skeptic Looks at Alternative Energy
IEEE Spectrum Magazine

The world cannot soon shift to clean, carbon-free sources of energy, says Vaclav Smil, who is both a distinguished scientist and a historian of technology.

Released: 27-Jun-2012 10:00 AM EDT
An Environmentally Friendly Approach to Death
American University

American University Grad Student’s Film “Dying Green” discusses new sustainable burial method.

Released: 26-Jun-2012 12:50 PM EDT
Correct Identification of Species Determines a Rare Find or an Invading Force
Allen Press Publishing

The reclassification of a woodland grass as two distinct species has created further botanical questions. One of these species is considered imperiled and in need of protection in some areas of the United States. However, that same species has recently been found rapidly spreading into mid-Atlantic states where previously only its sister species was known. Could the plant species have been misidentified?

Released: 26-Jun-2012 11:30 AM EDT
A Bird’s Eye View Can Measure Woody Plant Encroachment to Assess Carbon Consequences
Allen Press Publishing

While invasions of unwanted plant species are easy to see in a single location, gauging the impact on a regional or continental level is difficult. As woody plants encroach onto grasslands, they could potentially impact the continental carbon budget. Measuring large-scale encroachment of species such as juniper is vital to understanding its influence on carbon budgets of ecosystems. Aerial photography and satellite imagery offer opportunities for measurement at these larger scales.

Released: 26-Jun-2012 9:45 AM EDT
Pilot Program Collects Office Compost by Bike
University of Vermont

A new program at the University of Vermont allows the university to collect compostable material from the university's many smaller academic and administrative buildings by using a low cost bicycle composting service.

Released: 25-Jun-2012 4:15 PM EDT
Greenland Ice May Exaggerate Magnitude of 13,000-Year-Old Deep Freeze
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Ice samples pulled from nearly a mile below the surface of Greenland glaciers have long served as a historical thermometer, adding temperature data to studies of the local conditions up to the Northern Hemisphere’s climate. But the method — comparing the ratio of oxygen isotopes buried as snow fell over millennia — may not be such a straightforward indicator of air temperature.

21-Jun-2012 4:45 PM EDT
BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Exacerbated Existing Environmental Problems in Louisiana Marshes
University of Florida

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill temporarily worsened existing manmade problems in Louisiana’s salt marshes such as erosion, but there may be cause for optimism, according to a new study.

Released: 22-Jun-2012 2:05 PM EDT
Arctic Development Troubling, but Sanctuary Must Respect Indigenous Peoples
Cornell University

At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, Greenpeace and launched a campaign to preserve the Arctic as a global sanctuary. Two Cornell University professors, whose expertise encompasses Arctic ecology and ecosystems as well as its indigenous peoples, are available to talk about the potential impacts of this effort.

Released: 21-Jun-2012 2:50 PM EDT
U-M Forecasters Predict Second-Smallest Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone'
University of Michigan

A dry spring in portions of the Midwest is expected to result in the second-smallest Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" on record in 2012, according to a University of Michigan forecast released today.

Released: 20-Jun-2012 11:40 AM EDT
Emperor Penguins Threatened by Antarctic Sea Ice Loss
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

A decline in the population of emperor penguins appears likely this century as climate change reduces Antarctic sea ice, according to a detailed projection published this week. The study concludes that the number of breeding pairs in a much-observed penguin colony may drop by about 80 percent by 2100.

Released: 18-Jun-2012 4:00 PM EDT
Lessons Learned in the Aftermath of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Accident
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

An ASME Task Force released recommendations for a new nuclear safety construct that will reach beyond the traditional regulatory framework of adequate protection of public health and safety to minimize socio-political and economic consequences caused by radioactive releases from accidents.

Released: 18-Jun-2012 1:00 PM EDT
Ancient Global Warming Allowed Greening of Antarctica
University of Southern California (USC)

New research shows that substantial vegetation – including stunted trees – sprouted on the frozen continent 15 million years ago.

Released: 17-Jun-2012 11:00 PM EDT
Arctic Methane Seeps Could Spell Trouble for Florida
Florida State University

All of the methane escaping into the atmosphere causes more melting ice, oceanographer Jeff Chanton says, which causes sea levels to rise and could affect coastal real estate values — sooner rather than later.

Released: 15-Jun-2012 2:20 PM EDT
As World Warms, Conservation Evolves
Wildlife Conservation Society

A landmark book released by the Wildlife Conservation Society through Island Press shows that people in diverse environments around the world are moving from climate science to conservation action to ensure their natural systems, wildlife and livelihoods can withstand the pressures of global warming.

Released: 15-Jun-2012 9:00 AM EDT
Stay Cool without Going Broke: Top Ten Summer Energy Saving Tips
Toronto Metropolitan University

This summer, follow the Centre for Urban Energy's top 10 energy-saving tips and you can cut your bill by as much as 50 per cent.

Released: 14-Jun-2012 1:55 PM EDT
Everyone Knows It's Windy . . .
Michigan Technological University

And now they have the data to prove it. The middle of Lake Michigan is a vast, untapped reservoir of wind energy. The next step will be to find out if it can be harvested economically without harming the environment.

Released: 14-Jun-2012 1:25 PM EDT
Study Confirms Cougars Making Comeback
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

New study confirms the presence of cougars is increasing in midwestern North America, reversing 100 years of species decline.

Released: 13-Jun-2012 5:20 PM EDT
Experts: Holding Off on Listing Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Wise Choice
Texas Tech University

Researchers can discuss why such a small animal created so much consternation for the petroleum and ranching industries, and why the Fish and Wildlife Service were looking to list the lizard in the first place.

Released: 13-Jun-2012 1:10 PM EDT
Scientists Find That Rain May Not Always Be a Welcome Thing to Waterbirds
Smithsonian Institution

Scientists from the Smithsonian and colleagues have found that waterbird communities can be the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to detecting the health of urban estuary ecosystems. Their research revealed that the types of waterbirds that inhabit urban estuaries are influenced not only by urban development, but also by a far more natural process―rain. The team’s findings are published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE.

11-Jun-2012 3:45 PM EDT
Climate Change Will Alter Risks of Wildfire Worldwide, Some Shifts Rapid, Extensive
Texas Tech University

Some regions expected to have more wildfires while others will have fewer.

Released: 7-Jun-2012 12:55 PM EDT
Hot Times: Spring Shatters Heat Records Throughout Northeast
Cornell University

Jessica Rennells, a climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, comments on data released this week by the center that shows this spring ranks among the hottest on record throughout the region.

Released: 7-Jun-2012 8:25 AM EDT
Global Temperature Report: May 2012
University of Alabama Huntsville

Compared to global seasonal norms, May 2012 was the fourth warmest in the 34-year satellite record, according to Dr. John Christy, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

6-Jun-2012 5:00 PM EDT
Microbial Communities Changed After Deepwater Horizon Spill
University of New Hampshire

Communities of microbial organisms -- species such as nematodes, protists and fungi -- on beaches along the Gulf of Mexico changed significantly following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. Researchers analyzed marine sediments from five Gulf Coast sites prior to and several months following shoreline oiling.

6-Jun-2012 11:00 AM EDT
Too Few Salmon Is Far Worse Than Too Many Boats for Killer Whales
University of Washington

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest more than having boats nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the waters between British Columbia and Washington.

1-Jun-2012 12:35 PM EDT
20 Years After Rio Earth Summit: Ecologists Call for Preservation of Planet's Remaining Biological Diversity
University of Michigan

Twenty years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 17 prominent ecologists are calling for renewed international efforts to curb the loss of biological diversity, which is compromising nature's ability to provide goods and services essential for human well-being.

Released: 5-Jun-2012 5:05 PM EDT
Practical Tool Can 'Take Pulse' of Blue-Green Algae Status in Lakes
Ohio State University

Scientists have designed a screening tool that provides a fast, easy and relatively inexpensive way to predict levels of a specific toxin in lakes that are prone to blue-green algal blooms.

Released: 5-Jun-2012 11:00 AM EDT
Divided Public: Climate Survey Shows Skepticism and Alarm Rising Over the Past Decade
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

Two analyses highlight the growing polarization of public attitudes toward climate change, as well as the role “psychological distance” plays in levels of concern.

Released: 4-Jun-2012 3:10 PM EDT
Plastic Particles More Prevalent in Oceans Than Previously Thought
Dick Jones Communications

A new study finds surface water samples are insufficient in determining the prevalence of plastic debris in oceans.

Released: 4-Jun-2012 7:00 AM EDT
New Report: Hazardous Near Earth Objects - Communicating the Risk
Secure World Foundation

The Near Earth Object Media/Risk Communications Working Group Report has been issued by Secure World Foundation. To deal with potentially hazardous Near Earth Objects (NEOs) that could strike the Earth, there is need to establish an effective international communications strategy - but doing so is a daunting task, one that demands effective use of mass communication tools.

29-May-2012 3:40 PM EDT
Weather Patterns Can Be Used to Forecast Rotavirus Outbreaks
Tufts University

By correlating weather factors like temperature, rain and snowfall, Elena Naumova, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tufts School of Engineering, is able to predict the timing and intensity of rotavirus, a disease that causes extreme diarrhea, dehydration and thousands of death annually, particularly among children. Her research focused on one of the hardest-hit regions of the world, South Asia.

Released: 31-May-2012 4:15 PM EDT
Wildfire and an Example of Its Important Link to the Ecosystem
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

A dilemma is smouldering-- even as wildfires top the current headlines. New research highlights the practice of aggressive fire suppression by using studies at Lake Tahoe as an active example.

26-May-2012 8:00 AM EDT
Super-Eruptions May Have Surprisingly Short Fuses
Vanderbilt University

Super-eruptions are potentially civilization-ending events and new research suggests that they may have surprisingly short fuses.

Released: 30-May-2012 1:50 PM EDT
Landslides Linked to Plate Tectonics Create the Steepest Mountain Terrain
University of Washington

New research shows some of the steepest mountain slopes in the world got that way because of the interplay between terrain uplift associated with plate tectonics and powerful streams cutting into hillsides, leading to large landslides.

Released: 29-May-2012 2:25 PM EDT
Discovery of Historical Photos Sheds Light on Greenland Ice Loss
Ohio State University

A chance discovery of 80-year-old photo plates in a Danish basement is providing new insight into how Greenland glaciers are melting today.

Released: 24-May-2012 12:00 PM EDT
From Lemons to Lemonade: Reaction Uses Carbon Dioxide to Make Carbon-Based Semiconductor
Michigan Technological University

Materials scientist Yun Hang Hu has discovered a chemical reaction that gobbles up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and produces a couple of useful compounds. And, by the way, it releases energy.

Released: 24-May-2012 9:45 AM EDT
VIMS Reports Record Number of Young Scallops in Mid-Atlantic
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary

Recent surveys by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) reveal an unprecedented number of young scallops in two fishery management areas off the mid-Atlantic coast. The results bode well for the continued success of the commercial fishery.

Released: 23-May-2012 7:00 PM EDT
New Model of Geological Strata May Aid Oil Extraction, Water Recovery and Earth History Studies
Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia modeling study contradicts a long-held belief of geologists that pore sizes and chemical compositions are uniform throughout a given strata, which are horizontal slices of sedimentary rock. By understanding the variety of pore sizes and spatial patterns in strata, geologists can help achieve more production from underground oil reservoirs and water aquifers. Better understanding also means more efficient use of potential underground carbon storage sites, and better evaluations of the possible movement of radionuclides in nuclear waste depositories to determine how well the waste will be isolated.

Released: 23-May-2012 6:00 PM EDT
El Niño Weather and Climate Change Threaten Survival of Baby Leatherback Sea Turtles
Drexel University

When leatherback turtle hatchlings dig out of their nests buried in the sandy Playa Grande beach in northwest Costa Rica, they enter a world filled with dangers. This critically endangered species faces threats that include egg poaching and human fishing practices. Now, Drexel University researchers have found that the climate conditions at the nesting beach affect the early survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings. They predict, based on projections from multiple models, that egg and hatchling survival will drop by half in the next 100 years as a result of global climate change.

Released: 23-May-2012 3:00 PM EDT
Bark Beetle May Impact Air Quality, Climate
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Study brings better understanding to atmospheric maladies such as particulate matter, which can cause health problems in the very young and old, as well as other problems.

22-May-2012 4:20 PM EDT
Tracking Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Shows Migration Secrets
University of Massachusetts Amherst

New fish-tagging studies of young bluefin tuna in the Atlantic off New England are offering the first fishery-independent, year-round data on dispersal patterns and habitat use for the popular game fish. Miniaturized pop-up satellite tags suitable for smaller fish helped make the research possible.

Released: 22-May-2012 9:00 AM EDT
Marine Aquarium Fish Trade Study Reveals Fewer Fish, More Species Imported than Previously Estimated
Roger Williams University

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the popularity of marine aquariums rises, so does the demand for wildlife inhabiting them. Most aquarium fish are harvested from their natural habitats – primarily coral reefs – and imported into the United States by the millions annually.

Released: 22-May-2012 8:00 AM EDT
Global Temperature Report: April 2012
University of Alabama Huntsville

Spring brought somewhat more seasonal temperatures to the continental U.S., although it was still warmer than seasonal norms in April, according to Dr. John Christy, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Released: 21-May-2012 3:50 PM EDT
Civil Engineering Professor Part of Team Researching Effects of Dust Deposits on Soil Formation, Water Quality in Rocky Mountains
Kansas State University

Researchers are studying the effects of wind deposition of dust and other particulates, such as pollen or bacteria, on water quality and soil formation.

Released: 21-May-2012 3:00 PM EDT
Hurricane Experts at Florida State University
Florida State University

From prediction to recovery, Florida State University’s experts are among the best in the nation when it comes to the study of hurricanes and their impact on people and property. These experts are available to answer media questions and give perspective to news stories throughout the 2012 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.



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