Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 29-Jun-2010 11:40 AM EDT
Lead Poisoning Highly Prevalent Among School-Aged Children in Uganda
Mount Sinai Health System

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that children living near the Kiteezi landfill in Kampala, Uganda, have blood lead levels nearly 20 times as high as the typical lead level found in U.S. children.

25-Jun-2010 3:10 PM EDT
Study Reveals Role of Competition in Disturbed Ecosystems
Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications

A new study in PNAS is believed to be the first to show experimentally that competition could be a factor in regulating ecological communities regardless of the intensity or frequency of disturbance.

Released: 28-Jun-2010 11:30 AM EDT
Researchers Predict Larger-Than-Average Gulf "Dead Zone"; Impact of Oil Spill Unclear
University of Michigan

University of Michigan aquatic ecologist Donald Scavia and his colleagues say this year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" is expected to be larger than average, continuing a decades-long trend that threatens the health of a $659 million fishery.

Released: 25-Jun-2010 3:50 PM EDT
Climate Change Scientists Turn Up the Heat in Alaska
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are planning a large-scale, long-term ecosystem experiment to test the effects of global warming on the icy layers of arctic permafrost.

Released: 25-Jun-2010 8:50 AM EDT
Industry Fishing for Profits, Not Predators
University of Washington

People who fish for a living pursue top profits, not necessarily top predators, according to the first-ever analysis of worldwide catch and economic data for the past 55 years. This differs from the observation raised 10 years ago that humans were “fishing down” the food web.

Released: 24-Jun-2010 4:50 PM EDT
Arctic Freshwater Cycle Intensifies, Marks Warming
University of Massachusetts Amherst

The amount of fresh water flowing through the Arctic as snow or rainfall, in rivers and by evapotranspiration is rising in agreement with models of a warming climate, according to a major new study by climate scientists in the U.S., Norway and Finland who analyzed all available Arctic observations.

Released: 24-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
How Vulnerable is Our Groundwater?
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Scientific journal features research on how water moves through soil and bedrock

Released: 23-Jun-2010 12:35 PM EDT
Lifting Offshore Drilling Embargo Puts Entire Gulf Coast at Risk
Cornell University

Jeffrey J. Rachlinski, Cornell University Professor of Law and an expert in environmental law, comments on the recent court decision to lift a federal embargo on deep-water oil drilling.

Released: 23-Jun-2010 12:35 PM EDT
Strategic Thinking and Engineering Smarts Are Helping To Reduce the Campus Carbon Footprint at Rensselaer
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Leaders at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are pairing engineering smarts with old-fashioned common sense to trim energy costs and reduce the carbon footprint of the university’s historic Troy campus.

Released: 23-Jun-2010 12:25 PM EDT
Vegetation, Fire, and Cattle: A Three-Part Examination of Grassland Restoration Efforts
Allen Press Publishing

Burn, grow, graze, and repeat. This is a formula that integrates fire and grazing strategies to restore grass to rangelands in the southern plains of the United States. Throughout the world, woody plants are showing an increased presence in grasslands and savannas, reducing the amount of grasses to sustain livestock and altering wildlife habitat and biodiversity. In the U.S. Great Plains, honey mesquite has encroached upon native grasslands to impact cattle grazing strategies and necessitate development of plant control efforts.

Released: 23-Jun-2010 11:00 AM EDT
Environmental & Occupational Health Expert Available to Discuss Potential Health Effects of Gulf Oil Spill on Clean-up Workers, Volunteers
Rutgers University

A UMDNJ environmental and occupational health expert on human exposure to toxic substances has recommended strategic training and monitoring of workers and volunteers exposed to the Gulf oil spill to identify, and possibly mitigate, human health risks.

Released: 23-Jun-2010 7:00 AM EDT
First Five Months of 2010 Second Warmest on Record
University of Alabama Huntsville

In the race to become the warmest year in the satellite temperature record, 2010 is running a close second to 1998 but might begin to falter as the El Ninåo Pacific Ocean warming event continues to fade.

21-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Heat Sprawl Study Suggests Sprawling Cities Experience More Extreme Heat in Summer
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

The number of very hot days is increasing worldwide, but the rate of increase is more than double in the most sprawling metropolitan regions compared with more compact cities, according to a team of Atlanta-based scientists. This was true regardless of the urban regions’ climate zone, population size, or rate of growth.

15-Jun-2010 11:00 AM EDT
Weed-Sniffing Dogs Help Bust Invasive Plants
Allen Press Publishing

Invasive Plant Science and Management – A field test in Montana pitted dog against human in an effort to identify and eradicate spotted knapweed. This weed threatens the survival of native species and can bring about both economic and ecosystem damage. Finding plants in order to eradicate them before they can spread creates a challenge for human eyes, but not for dog noses.

21-Jun-2010 12:15 PM EDT
Chemicals Remaining after Wastewater Treatment Change the Gender of Fish
Endocrine Society

Male fish that used to be feminized after chemicals, such as the pharmaceutical ethinylestradiol, made it through the Boulder, Colo., Wastewater Treatment Plant and into Boulder Creek, are taking longer to become feminized after a plant upgrade to an activated sludge process, according to a new study.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Guidebooks to Help Public Health Agencies Deal with Climate Change
University of Oregon

The University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials and public health organizations around the state, have issued two new guidebooks aimed at helping health-related agencies and organizations cope with climate change.

 
Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Pressure from ‘Friends’ Could be Catalyst for G20 Action on Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform
International Institute for Sustainable Development

Increasing pressure from the international community may be the catalyst needed to ensure fossil fuel subsidy reform is high on the climate change agenda of the G20 summit in Toronto this month.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Gulf Oil Spill Experts at Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University

There are so many aspects to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana is that it can be hard to know where to turn for an informed comment. Several scientists and alumni from Michigan Technological University have research and practical expertise that you might find helpful.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Boosting Microbes’ Appetite for Oil Part of Clean-Up Research
University of Alabama

Researchers are seeking to accelerate the chemical breakdown of the hydrocarbons contained in the oil spilled in the Gulf. Objectives include identifying sources of naturally occurring marine organic matter that will speed up the rate of this breakdown and identifying the bacteria involved.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
From Small Businesses to Small Animals: Experts on Oil Spill Impacts
University of Alabama

As efforts to address the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continue, University of Alabama experts are available to comment on areas ranging from the needs of small businesses devastated by the disaster to petroleum engineering, water quality and ecosystem issues.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
From Cement to Ocean Current Modeling, Iowa State Engineers Offer Oil Spill Insights
Iowa State University

Three Iowa State University engineers—one drawing on hands-on experience and the others applying theory, mathematics, and computational modeling—offer a look into the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Guidebooks to Help Public Health Agencies Deal with Climate Change
University of Oregon

The University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials and public health organizations around the state, have issued two new guidebooks aimed at helping health-related agencies and organizations cope with climate change.

 
Released: 18-Jun-2010 11:25 AM EDT
IISD Urges Canada to Take Lead on Global Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform at the G20 Summit
International Institute for Sustainable Development

The International Institute for Sustainable Development is encouraged that climate change is on the agenda of the G8 and G20 and urges Canada to follow-up with a solid commitment on fossil fuel subsidy reform as a critical next step.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Initial Fibertect Field Test a Success
Texas Tech University

The wipe material, designed for the U.S. Military, proves itself on the soiled beaches of Grand Isle, La.

Released: 18-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Are You an Urban Tree Hugger? Depends on Where You Live in Toronto
Toronto Metropolitan University

It is a well-known fact that trees provide many benefits to city dwellers such as shade and clean air. But when it comes to Torontonians who appreciate trees versus others who plant them in their backyards to revitalize the city’s urban forests, it depends on which neighbourhood you live in, say Ryerson University researchers.

Released: 17-Jun-2010 5:00 PM EDT
Scientist Takes Comprehensive Look at Human Impacts on Ocean Chemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Numerous studies are documenting the growing effects of climate change, carbon dioxide, pollution and other human-related phenomena on the world’s oceans. But most of those have studied single, isolated sources of pollution and other influences. Now, a marine geochemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has published a report in the latest issue of the journal Science that evaluates the total impact of such factors on the ocean and considers what the future might hold.

Released: 17-Jun-2010 11:20 AM EDT
Green Infrastructure Is Cheaper and Better for Stormwater Control
University of Illinois Chicago

A research team led by the University of Illinois at Chicago has advised the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to phase in green infrastructure requirements for better and cheaper control of stormwater in all new development and redevelopment.

   
Released: 16-Jun-2010 4:50 PM EDT
Analysis of Phoenix Atmosphere Suggests Urban Growth Policies
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Atmospheric research often focuses on clouds’ impact on weather and climate. Yet even low clouds are a long way off, with a base some 6,000 feet above earth. University of Notre Dame fluid dynamics and engineering professor Harindra Fernando works the other end of the air column closer to home—the bottom of the atmosphere in the city, which is known as the urban boundary layer.

Released: 16-Jun-2010 1:15 PM EDT
UC San Diego Wins EnvironmentalProtection Agency 2010 Award
University of California San Diego

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 15 gave UC San Diego a 2010 Energy Star CHP Award for its high efficiency, low-emission combined heat and power (CHP) plant that provides 85 percent of the campus’ annual electricity needs.

14-Jun-2010 4:15 PM EDT
Incidence of Malaria Jumps When Amazon Forests Are Cut
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Establishing a firm link between environmental change and human disease has always been an iffy proposition. Now, however, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, writing in the current (June 16, 2010) online issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, presents the most enumerated case to date linking increased incidence of malaria to land-use practices in the Amazon.

Released: 16-Jun-2010 11:50 AM EDT
Flower Power Makes Tropics Cooler, Wetter
University of Chicago

The world is a cooler, wetter place because of flowering plants, according to new climate simulation results published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The effect is especially pronounced in the Amazon basin.

Released: 16-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Tufts Students Win Dow Sustainability Innovation Challenge
Tufts University

Four Tufts graduate students have won $10,000 from the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge for their research into solutions to some of the world's most urgent social, economic and environmental challenges.Tufts is one of a select number of universities that participate annually in the global competition established by Dow Chemical Co. in 2009.

Released: 16-Jun-2010 5:45 AM EDT
Climate Changes in the Atlantic Can Affect Drought in Africa
University of Haifa

Cyclical changes in atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic Ocean affect drought in the Sahel region on the southern Sahara rim. This has been revealed in an international study.

Released: 14-Jun-2010 3:50 PM EDT
Mysterious Clouds Produced When Aircraft Inadvertently Cause Rain Or Snow
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

As turboprop and jet aircraft climb or descend under certain atmospheric conditions, they can inadvertently seed mid-level clouds and cause narrow bands of snow or rain to develop and fall to the ground, new research finds. Through this seeding process, they leave behind unusual “hole-punch clouds.”

Released: 14-Jun-2010 3:10 PM EDT
Dalhousie Declares Itself Idle-Free
Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia continues to lead on sustainable issues as the university has prepared new anti-idling guidelines for vehicles operating on campus.

Released: 14-Jun-2010 3:00 PM EDT
Expert Available to Discuss Environmental Damage to Gulf Coast
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Professor and ecological engineering expert Marty Matlock is available to discuss environmental damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Released: 14-Jun-2010 11:00 AM EDT
New Link between Pollution, Temperature and Sleep-Disordered Breathing
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have established the first link between air pollution and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), a known cause of cardiovascular diseases.

 
Released: 14-Jun-2010 11:00 AM EDT
New Link between Pollution, Temperature and Sleep-Disordered Breathing
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have established the first link between air pollution and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), a known cause of cardiovascular diseases.

 
Released: 10-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
So Far, Fish Appear to be Healthy After Fly Ash Spill
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Fish exposed to fly ash at the site of the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill are faring better than some expected, researchers have learned.

Released: 9-Jun-2010 5:00 PM EDT
SDSC, McGill University Win Awards to Design Ultra-Efficient ‘Green’ Data Center
University of California San Diego

The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego and CLUMEQ, a Canadian High Performance Computing consortium led by McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, have been awarded grants from Canada's Advanced Research and Innovation Network (CANARIE) and the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) to design an ultra-efficient data center as part of a program to promote ‘green’ IT initiatives.

Released: 9-Jun-2010 2:45 PM EDT
Oil from Spill Could Have Powered 38,000 Cars (And More) for a Year
University of Delaware

As of today (Wednesday, June 9), if all the oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico had been used for fuel, it could have powered 38,000 cars, and 3,400 trucks, and 1,800 ships for a full year, according to University of Delaware Prof. James J. Corbett. He has launched a website (http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/getinvolved/oilSpill.aspx) that reports the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in terms of lost uses of the lost fuel on a daily basis.

Released: 9-Jun-2010 11:05 AM EDT
University of Washington Institute to Get as Much as $100 Million to Study Atmosphere, Ocean
University of Washington

NOAA has picked the University of Washington as a key partner for expanded, in-depth study of some of the most pressing environmental challenges involving the oceans and the atmosphere.

Released: 8-Jun-2010 12:10 PM EDT
Scientists Develops Faster, Inexpensive Field Method to Test Paint for Lead
RTI International

As part of the effort to reduce childhood lead poisoning, scientists at RTI International, under contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have developed a new field method for measuring the amount of lead in paint that is faster and less expensive than current methods.

27-May-2010 4:50 PM EDT
Seasons Influence Microbial Response to Climate Changes
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Study looks at the effect of increased warming and nitrogen on soil microbes through an entire season.

Released: 7-Jun-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Student’s Painting Calls Attention to Inhumane Poachers
Baylor University

For two months, artist Clara Dutton often wept as she worked on a three-paneled image of a creature she loves — the elephant. Through her oil-on-canvas painting “The Harvest,” she hopes to call attention to the increase in elephant poaching and the flourishing illegal ivory trade.

Released: 7-Jun-2010 7:00 AM EDT
Will the Gulf Oil Spill Inspire a New Focus on Nuclear Energy in the US?
Uranium Energy Corp

No matter how events in the Gulf play out, coming months and years will reveal the extent to which nuclear power might serve as a safer alternative to the offshore drilling of oil as a way of satisfying our nation’s ever-growing energy needs.

   


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