Sustainability


Climate Change, Algae Lessen Lake Tahoe's Clarity

Lake Tahoe clarity dropped in 2010, but the rate of decline in clarity over the past decade remains slower compared with previous decades, according to UC Davis scientists who have monitored the lake for more than 40 years.

Tips Tuesday: Top-Five Energy-Efficiency Myths

As consumers stay focused on keeping cool during the hottest months of the year, they may fall victim to some of the myths that may be giving electricity customers the wrong idea about how to curb their electricity consumption and save money on their monthly bills.

Ethane Levels Yield Information About Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Recent data from NSF-funded research in both Greenland and Antarctica demonstrate that fossil-fuel related emissions of both methane and ethane, two of the most abundant hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, declined at the end of the twentieth century, according to a paper published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Food for Thought: The Most Earth-Friendly Way to Dispose of Food Waste

Consider the apple core. From an environmental perspective, what’s the most responsible way to dispose of it, or a banana peel, or any food waste?

Smithsonian and Tribal Communities Launch Environmental Education Website

the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian launches a new educational website, “American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges,” that will target middle and high school teachers, students and the general public.

California Park Gets Green Makeover

The playground at Bristol Park in Turlock, Calif., is roughly 20 years old, in major need of a facelift and some TLC.

South Florida Farmers Achieve Record Year in Water Quality Success

Farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee, achieved a record-setting 79 percent phosphorus reduction in the water leaving the farming region -- more than three times less phosphorus than the state requirement.

Most Plant Species Important in Various and Varying Ecosystems

There are many different types of plants in grasslands around the world. According to a new analysis of plants in grassland ecosystems around the world, it turns out that most of those plant species are important.



Researchers Find High Energy Output From Algae-Based Fuel But No 'Silver Bullet'

Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New University of Virginia research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use, their production could come with significant environmental burdens.

Ecologist: Young Forests Will Remain Important Carbon Sinks

The Ohio State researchers argue that in this case, as forests age, they get rejuvenated with younger individuals of different species – a more-complex and -diverse community will be replacing the old guard.

Hybrid System Uses Solar Heat to Make Rooftop Hydrogen

While roofs across the world sport photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, a Duke University engineer believes a novel hybrid system can wring even more useful energy out of the sun's rays.

Tips Tuesday: How to Save Water While Irrigating Your Lawn

In the hot summer months, it's hard to avoid over-watering your lawn, but saving water is paramount during this time. According to the U.S. Geological Society, about 40 percent of all freshwater is used for irrigation.

lettuce

Early Suntan Helps Lettuce Crops Bulk Up

New Zealand’s intense ultraviolet light may be bad for the skin, but it could provide a boost for vegetable production, according to new research by a Massey University crop scientist.

Research Evaluates Emissions-Reduction Scenario

New computer modeling work shows that by 2100, if society wants to limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to less than 40 percent higher than it is today, the lowest cost option is to use every available means of reducing emissions.

Fishing Company Spawns Sustainable Natural Bluefin Tuna

Ensuring that a population of fish is breeding naturally within their holding pens is a sustainable fish farming goal.

Crop Breeding Could Reduce CO2 Levels

Writing in the journal Annals of Botany, Professor Douglas Kell argues that developing crops that produce roots more deeply in the ground could harvest more carbon from the air, and make crops more drought resistant, while dramatically reducing carbon levels.

IEA Examines Whether Carbon Pricing Makes Energy-Efficiency Policies Redundant

To date, many academics and government officials have argued that putting a price on carbon – most commonly through taxes or emissions trading – is all that is needed to overcome every possible barrier to delivering cost-effective energy efficiency improvements.

Tiny, Symbiotic Fungi May Hold the Key to Adapting Plants to Climate Change

Rice – which provides nearly half the daily calories for the world’s population – could become adapted to climate change and some catastrophic events by colonizing its seeds or plants with the spores of tiny naturally occurring fungi, U.S. Geological Survey-led research shows.

Slowing Climate Change by Targeting Gases Other Than Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide still plays a major role in climate change, but other greenhouse gases contribute to the problem.

LED Bulb Wins Energy Departments L Prize Competition

The Department of Energy's L Prize challenged the lighting industry to develop high-performance, energy-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs that will save American consumers and businesses money.