Feature Channels: Environmental Science

Filters close
Released: 31-Mar-2010 2:35 PM EDT
President Obama Addresses America’s Energy Challenges
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

In a speech today, President Obama made a series of energy policy announcements, including expanded offshore oil drilling and new fuel economy standards for automobiles. The president also reiterated his call for Congress to deliver a comprehensive climate and energy bill this year.

25-Mar-2010 2:30 PM EDT
New Mathematical Model Helps Biologists Understand How Coral Dies in Warming Waters
Cornell University

Cornell University researchers have found a new tool to help marine biologists better grasp the processes under the sea: They have created mathematical models to unveil the bacterial community dynamics behind afflictions that bleach and kill coral.

Released: 26-Mar-2010 11:30 AM EDT
"Greening Our World:" Video of Furman University Panel Discussion Available Online
Furman University

On March 2, 2010, Furman University hosted a panel discussion titled “Greening our World: Sustainable Colleges, Corporations and Communities.” The discussion, moderated by former New York Times environmental reporter Andrew Revkin and featuring former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman as one of five panelists, is available for viewing online.

Released: 26-Mar-2010 10:25 AM EDT
Greener Resume Can Give College Graduates Edge in Job Market
Wake Forest University

Green-collar jobs grew by more than 9 percent, twice the growth rate for traditional jobs, from 1998 to 2007. Even during a recession, a greener resume can be the answer to getting hired, says Wake Forest Director of Sustainability Dedee DeLongpre Johnston.

23-Mar-2010 4:15 PM EDT
Pollution from Asia Circles Globe at Stratospheric Heights
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

The economic growth across much of Asia is coming with a troubling side-effect: pollutants from the region are being wafted up to the stratosphere during monsoon season. The new finding, published this week in Science Express, provides additional evidence of the global nature of air pollution.

Released: 24-Mar-2010 8:00 PM EDT
UC San Diego Updates Campus Climate Goals and Accountability Efforts
University of California San Diego

Like all institutions in the University of California system, UC San Diego values diversity and champions an environment that encourages academic success of its students.

Released: 24-Mar-2010 11:00 AM EDT
Former U.S. Congressman Teaches the Environment & Politics
Salisbury University

A champion of environmental issues who served Maryland’s 1st district for 9 terms, former U.S. Congressman Wayne Gilchrest is now sharing first-hand experience at Salisbury University. His environmental issues course allows students to explore AND debate Washington politics and policies!

24-Mar-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Technical Paper Demonstrates Positive Global Impact of Next Generation of “Greener” Latex
Vystar Corporation

The latex industry can continue to be profitable and competitive without wasting natural resources thanks to green improvements, says a new technical paper.

Released: 23-Mar-2010 4:00 PM EDT
EPA Honors NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Recognizing its leadership in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management, the energy program's highest honor. It is the fifth time the Hospital has been honored by the EPA -- the most of any hospital in the country.

Released: 23-Mar-2010 10:00 AM EDT
Hammond Project to Turn Waste Into Wealth
University of Chicago

University of Chicago Geophysical Sciences Professor John Frederick is helping alumnus Jack Sheaffer to carry out an ambitious recycling project in Hammond, Ind., which involves harnessing treated effluent to irrigate and fertilize cropland and for a host of other income-generating activities.

Released: 23-Mar-2010 8:00 AM EDT
Global Temperature Report -- February 2010
University of Alabama Huntsville

The El Nino Pacific Ocean warming event continues to dominate the global temperature keeping it quite warm, although not so in selected locations where many in the U.S. and Europe experienced colder than usual conditions through February.

19-Mar-2010 12:00 PM EDT
Collaboration Between School of Architecture and City of Austin Addresses Sustainability, Affordable Housing and Urban Sprawl
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

The Center for Sustainable Development at The University of Texas at Austin will prove that green housing and affordability can be successfully merged during the "Alley Flat Initiative” exhibition March 26-April 9 at City Hall in Austin, Texas.

16-Mar-2010 4:05 PM EDT
Learning about Riparian Areas from Photographs
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Scientists developed two experiential learning exercises using existing repeat photographs of riparian areas in the state of Arizona that were presented in two different workshops

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Inside the Plastic Vortex
University of California San Diego

Last summer, minutes before leaving port on a voyage to the North Pacific Ocean Gyre, Chief Scientist Miriam Goldstein was frank about what might and might not be encountered during the expedition to a place that has become known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Goldstein made it clear to fellow scientists, cruise volunteers, and a few members of the news media that SEAPLEX would be an exploratory voyage.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Cup Plant Is Potential New Biomass/Carbon Storage Crop
South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University research is exploring a native perennial called cup plant as a potential new biomass crop that could also store carbon in its extensive root system and add biodiversity to biomass plantings.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
World Policymakers Have Underestimated Climate-Change Impacts, Says Expert
Cornell University

Charles H. Greene, Cornell professor of Earth and atmospheric science, and colleagues have published in the peer-reviewed journal Oceanography (March 2010). The scientists conclude that the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 4th assessment report underestimates the potential dangerous impacts that man-made climate change will have on society.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Professor Discusses the Science Behind Earthquakes
Northeastern University

A series of major earthquakes have struck countries in the Caribbean, South America and Asia, causing catastrophic damage. Large-scale relief efforts are in place in the hardest-hit nations, including Haiti and Chile. Northeastern earth and environmental sciences professor Jennifer Cole discusses what causes earthquakes and how one natural disaster can lead to another.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Chemist Monitors Nanotechnology’s Environmental Impact
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Interest in ‘green’ innovation means not just thinking big but also very, very, very small. At least that’s the way Omowunmi Sadik, director of Binghamton University’s Center for Advanced Sensors and Environmental Systems, sees it. She’s working to develop sensors that would detect and identify engineered nanoparticles. Her research will advance our understanding of the risks associated with the environmental release and transformation of these particles.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
From "Green" Buildings to Sustainable Tourism: Ryerson Experts Discuss Earth Day
Toronto Metropolitan University

Ryerson University experts can offer insight on environment topics from sustainable housing to renewable energy and plugging electricity "leaks" in your home.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Clean Snowmobile Challenge Tests Lower-Emission, Quieter Sleds
Michigan Technological University

Despite unseasonably warm March weather, teams of college snowmobile engineers are competing in the annual Clean Snowmobile Challenge at Michigan Technological University.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Ohio Students Create Solutions to ‘Green’ Existing Gas Stations
University of Findlay

Three college seniors are helping a local 24-hour Marathon gas station make some changes that not only help the environment but also save the station owners money. The students were charged with generating ideas that were cost effective and could be implemented without interrupting daily operations.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Rare Lady Beetles Prefer Traditional Diet
South Dakota State University

South Dakota entomologists have discovered a way to preserve & grow rare, captive lady beetles that could help farmers fight invasive aphids harmful to their crops. It's all a matter of paying attention to diet & enlisting help from citizen scientists.

Released: 19-Mar-2010 1:00 PM EDT
Researchers Present Study on How Global Climate Change Affects Violence
Iowa State University

Iowa State University researchers used U.S. government data (1950-2008) in a climate change study that estimates an annual average temperature increase of 8°F will increase the yearly murder and assault rate by 34 per 100,000 people.

Released: 18-Mar-2010 5:00 PM EDT
U.Va. and Azure Worldwide Join Forces to Secure a Brighter Future for the Chesapeake Bay with the U.Va. Bay Game
University of Virginia

The University of Virginia and Azure Worldwide, an organization co-founded by Philippe Cousteau, are partnering to showcase a new concept in environmental engagement and action: The Bay Game, an interactive game that simulates the conditions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed with players taking the roles of people who live in the watershed and make their livelihoods from the resources of the bay.

18-Mar-2010 8:30 AM EDT
IOCS Applauds IUCN’s Reclassification of Beluga Sturgeon
Stony Brook University

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) today formally announced the reclassification of beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea as “critically endangered” on its Red List, providing strong evidence that fishing and international trade should be halted and a stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately.

Released: 17-Mar-2010 6:40 PM EDT
Spotted Owl Had Little Effect on Olympic Peninsula Poverty, Unemployment, WSU Research Finds
Washington State University

The jobs-vs.environment frame did not hold up in one of the nation's most contentious regions

Released: 17-Mar-2010 5:00 PM EDT
Sarah Lawrence College Awarded Mellon Grant to Expand Environmental Studies and Foster ‘Green’ Careers
Sarah Lawrence College

Karen Lawrence, President of Sarah Lawrence College, today announced an innovative planning program to expand and strengthen environmental initiatives across the curriculum, including preparing students for a new generation of “green careers.”

Released: 17-Mar-2010 11:30 AM EDT
Prescribed Burns May Help Reduce U.S. Carbon Footprint
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

The use of prescribed burns to manage Western forests may help the United States reduce its carbon footprint. A new study finds that such burns, often used by forest managers to reduce underbrush and protect bigger trees, release substantially less carbon dioxide emissions than wildfires of the same size.

9-Mar-2010 9:00 AM EST
First Global Estimates of Long-Term Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations Show High Impact on Air Quality in Many Regions
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

A study published 16 March 2010 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) finds that many developing countries have high long-term levels of aerosol air pollution. The study is the first to use satellite data to estimate long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations across the entire globe.

Released: 12-Mar-2010 5:50 PM EST
Sturgeons, CITES, and the Caviar Trade - Presentation to be Held at CITES 15Th Meeting of the Conference of Parties
Stony Brook University

Presenters at this event will review trends in sturgeon trade regulation over time, the history of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species interventions, and the current status of sturgeons and paddlefishes globally.

Released: 12-Mar-2010 10:45 AM EST
Babson College Energy & Environment Conference 2010: Sustainability In Action To Take Place March 25th
Babson College

Babson MBA students will hold the Babson Energy & Environmental Conference 2010 on March 25th to focus on how businesses can implement sustainability in practical, actionable ways that drive profits, strengthen competitive advantage, and move us all towards life on a healthier, cleaner planet.

Released: 12-Mar-2010 10:40 AM EST
Green@Rensselaer: A Semester in the Adirondacks
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute undergraduate biology student Nicole Nolan recently looked into the murky water of a fish tank here, checking on hundreds of zebra mussel larvae that she studied in the laboratories of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute. Nolan was part of the first class of students to spend an entire “Semester of Study” at the Institute, a Rensselaer research and education facility located on the western shores of Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

Released: 11-Mar-2010 8:00 AM EST
Earth Day Network Announces the Climate Rally in Washington, DC on April 25
Earth Day Network

On Sunday, April 25, Earth Day Network is organizing a massive rally on The National Mall to demand Congress pass a comprehensive climate bill in 2010. The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is a unique moment to drive an agenda of environmental service, advocacy and education. Earth Day Network takes this agenda online with the official debut of EarthDay.org, the digital action center for individuals and groups who want to organize around a common message of progress and sustainability.

8-Mar-2010 8:00 AM EST
The Smell of Salt Air, A Mile High and 900 Miles Inland
University of Washington

In a surprise with implications for air quality, researchers found that chemistry involving airborne chloride, thought to be restricted to sea spray, occurs at similar rates in air nearly 900 miles from any ocean.

Released: 9-Mar-2010 3:45 PM EST
Sources of Pollution in Waterways
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Stormwater runoff is the main source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants to the NY/NJ Harbor.

Released: 8-Mar-2010 8:45 PM EST
Binghamton University Launches Car-Sharing Program
Binghamton University, State University of New York

At first glance, two cars parked in reserved spots on the Binghamton University campus don’t seem that out of the ordinary. But get closer and you’ll notice they both have card-readers on the windshield, denoting that they’re part of a new car-sharing program — Connect by Hertz. Students, faculty and staff who register as members of Connect by Hertz can reserve one of the cars for an hour, a day or up to a week at a time.

Released: 8-Mar-2010 10:45 AM EST
Environmental Engineers Receive Top Science Paper Award for Investigative Work
Virginia Tech

An article in ES&T that contradicted years of government assertions that no residents in Washington D.C. had been harmed by years of unnecessary exposure to very high levels of lead in their potable water has received the Editor’s Choice Award for Best Science Paper of 2009.

Released: 3-Mar-2010 7:00 PM EST
Education and Labor Leaders To Senate: Pass Clean Energy Bill Now
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

Education, labor, and conservation institutions head to Capitol Hill to encourage senators to support comprehensive jobs education and training in climate legislation.

Released: 3-Mar-2010 12:25 PM EST
Study Confirms Maurepas Swamp, Marshes Dying for Lack of Fresh Water
Southeastern Louisiana University

The Maurepas Swamp, an important wetland located near New Orleans, is on a clear path toward becoming open water unless a Mississippi River diversion or some other source of freshwater is introduced.

Released: 2-Mar-2010 9:30 PM EST
Safeway Is First Grocer to Join the Sustainability Consortium as a Founding Member
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Safeway Inc. has joined The Sustainability Consortium, a leading organization in the movement to consider the social and environmental factors of consumer production and manufacturing practices. The consortium is jointly administered by Arizona State University and University of Arkansas.

Released: 2-Mar-2010 10:30 AM EST
Seeing the Hidden Services of Nature
McGill University

Following an intense study of agricultural ecosystems near Montreal, a new tool that enables the simultaneous analysis and management of a wide range of ecological services has been developed. Environmental management typically focuses on nature’s resources like food, wildlife and timber, but can miss hidden ecosystem services such as water purification, climate moderation and the regulation of nutrient cycling.

Released: 2-Mar-2010 10:20 AM EST
Mercurial Tuna: Study Explores Sources of Mercury to Ocean Fish
University of Michigan

With concern over mercury contamination of tuna on the rise and growing information about the health effects of eating contaminated fish, scientists would like to know exactly where the pollutant is coming from and how it's getting into open-ocean fish species.

Released: 2-Mar-2010 10:00 AM EST
Research Team Breaks the Ice with New Estimate of Glacier Melt
Northern Arizona University

The melting of glaciers is well documented, but when looking at the rate at which they have been retreating, a team of international researchers steps back and says not so fast.

Released: 1-Mar-2010 12:00 PM EST
Cool Model for a Hot Planet: Economist Explores How International Cooperation Can Mitigate Climate Change
Binghamton University, State University of New York

In his recent book, Strategic Bargaining and Cooperation in Greenhouse Gas Mitigations, Binghamton University’s Zili Yang suggests ways governments might realistically work together to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He also makes a case for curbing the use of fossil fuels — whether they contribute to climate change or not.

Released: 25-Feb-2010 12:35 PM EST
New Research Shows Fishery Management Practices for Beluga Sturgeon Must Change
Stony Brook University

A first-of-its-kind study of a Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) fishery demonstrates current harvest rates are four to five times higher than those that would sustain population abundance. The study’s results, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Conservation Biology, suggest that conservation strategies for beluga sturgeon should focus on reducing the overfishing of adults rather than heavily relying upon hatchery supplementation.

22-Feb-2010 1:10 PM EST
Going Green in the Hospital
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Wider adoption of the practice of recycling medical equipment — including laparoscopic ports and durable cutting tools typically tossed out after a single use — could save hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars annually and curb trash at medical centers, the second-largest waste producers in the United States after the food industry.

24-Feb-2010 10:35 AM EST
Researchers Issue Outlook for a Significant New England 'Red Tide' in 2010
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Today, scientists from the NOAA-funded Gulf of Maine Toxicity (GOMTOX) project issued an outlook for a significant regional bloom of a toxic alga that can cause ‘red tides’ in the spring and summer of this year, potentially threatening the New England shellfish industry.

Released: 23-Feb-2010 5:00 PM EST
State Wildlife Agencies Need Reform for Effective Stewardship of Public Trust
Allen Press Publishing

Commentary in The Journal of Wildlife Management: Many state wildlife agencies are dependent, financially and politically, on a single user group—hunters. Although this group should continue to be an integral part of wildlife conservation, agencies should adhere to the foundation upon which they were built—stewardship of the public trust. The Public Trust Doctrine postulates that wildlife is owned by no one and held in trust for the benefit of all.

Released: 22-Feb-2010 4:30 PM EST
Mountaintop Mining Poisons Fish
Wake Forest University

Dead and deformed fish indicate selenium pollution from mountaintop coal mining is causing permanent damage to the environment and poses serious health risks, says a Wake Forest University biologist who will brief U.S. Senators on his research Feb. 23.

19-Feb-2010 9:00 AM EST
Small Family Farms in Tropics Can Feed the Hungry and Preserve Biodiversity
University of Michigan

Conventional wisdom among many ecologists is that industrial-scale agriculture is the best way to produce lots of food while preserving biodiversity in the world's remaining tropical forests. But two University of Michigan researchers reject that idea and argue that small, family-owned farms may provide a better way to meet both goals.



close
4.8525