Water


Rise in Temperatures and CO2 Follow Each Other Closely in Climate Change

The greatest climate change the world has seen in the last 100,000 years was the transition from the ice age to the warm interglacial period.

Tesla Water Treatment Plant Achieves LEED Silver Certification

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s first and California’s largest ultraviolet (UV) water disinfection facility, the Tesla Treatment Facility, has earned its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Polar Bear Evolution Tracked Climate Change, New DNA Study Suggests

A whole-genome analysis suggests that polar bear numbers waxed and waned with climate change, and that the animals may have interbred with brown bears since becoming a distinct species millions of years ago.

EPA Fines Violators for Failure to Report Chemical Data

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued complaints seeking civil penalties against three companies for alleged violations of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

GPS Can Now Measure Ice Melt, Change in Greenland Over Months Rather than Years

Researchers have found a way to use GPS to measure short-term changes in the rate of ice loss on Greenland – and reveal a surprising link between the ice and the atmosphere above it.

Southern Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard Protect Coastal Water from Boat Pollution

In a major milestone completing the protection of more than 95 percent of Massachusetts coastal waters from boat-generated sewage pollution, EPA has designated the coastal waters of Nantucket, Vineyard Sounds and the Islands, and Mt. Hope Bay as “No Discharge Areas.”

Record-Setting Electric Airplane Exceeds 200 mph

Last week’s record of the fastest ever manned electric aircraft was set by electric-vehicle record-setter Chip Yates.

River Spillway Flooding Caused New Land Formation in Louisiana

A team of geologists, civil engineers and one representative from the US Army Corp of engineers has found that when a spillway was opened last year to prevent flooding of the Mississippi river from drowning New Orleans, new land was created.



Fools' Gold Found to Regulate Oxygen

Sulfur has traditionally been portrayed as a secondary factor in regulating atmospheric oxygen, with most of the heavy lifting done by carbon. However, new findings that appeared this week in Science suggest that sulfur's role may have been underestimated.

June Global Temperatures Fourth Highest On Record

According to NOAA scientists, the globally averaged temperature for June 2012 marked the fourth warmest June since record keeping began in 1880.

Global CO2 Emissions Continued to Increase in 2011

Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) -- the main cause of global warming -- increased by 3% last year, reaching an all-time high of 34 billion tonnes in 2011.

Why Wait Till Gas Hits $10 a Gallon?

There’s a lot of moaning and hand-wringing whenever gasoline prices approach $4 a gallon. But all it would take for them to hit $10 a gallon overnight would be hurricanes wiping out a couple of refineries or saboteurs disabling a couple of pipelines, says Dr. R. Paul Williamson, founder and CEO of the non-profit Sustainable Systems of Colorado.

Marine Reserves Aid Ecosystem Recovery After Environmental Disasters: Study

Protected ocean areas known as marine reserves jumpstart the recovery of nearby commercial fishing areas after an environmental event, concludes a study of abalone by researchers from Stanford and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Scientists Connect Seawater Chemistry With Ancient Climate Change and Evolution

Scientists from the University of Toronto and the University of California Santa Cruz are shedding light on one potential cause of the cooling trend of the past 45 million years that has everything to do with the chemistry of the world's oceans.

First Half of 2012 Dry and Drought Conditions to Persist

“The first half of 2012 was dry for most of the Northeast. New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia were below normal. Maryland and Connecticut were much below normal, and Delaware had its driest on record.

Chemical Producer Faces Fine for Environmental Violations at Fairfield Conn Facility

A chemical producer faces an EPA fine of $93,900 for failing to report the use and storage of hazardous chemicals at its Fairfield, Conn. facility, in violation of the federal right-to-know law.

Extending Range of Electric Vehicles By 10 Percent With GPS-Like Device

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside believe they can extend the range of electric vehicles by at least 10 percent by taking into account real-time traffic information, road type and grade and passenger and cargo weight

This article originally appeared in the 12/01/1999 issue of Environmental Protection.

The Long, Winding Road to Advanced Batteries for Electric Cars

Batteries have come a long way since Alessandro Volta first discovered in 1800 that two unlike metals, when separated by an acidic solution, could produce an electric current. In their evolution, batteries have taken on various forms, ranging from lead-acid, to nickel-metal hydride, to current-day lithium-ion.

Harmful Effects of CFL Bulbs to Skin

Inspired by a European study, a team of Stony Brook University researchers looked into the potential impact of healthy human skin tissue (in vitro) being exposed to ultraviolet rays emitted from compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

Water Environment Federation Announces Winners of the 2012 WEF Excellence Awards

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the winners of the 2012 WEF Excellence Awards. The awards will be presented this October at the WEF Awards and Presidential Celebration Reception during WEFTEC® 2012, WEF’s 85th annual technical exhibition and conference in New Orleans, La.