Water


Environmental Concerns Increasing Infectious Disease in Amphibians

Climate change, habitat destruction, pollution and invasive species are all involved in the global crisis of amphibian declines and extinctions, researchers suggest in a new analysis, but increasingly these forces are causing actual mortality in the form of infectious disease.

Glacier Break Creates Ice Island Twice Size of Manhattan

An ice island twice the size of Manhattan has broken off from Greenland's Petermann Glacier, according to researchers at the University of Delaware and the Canadian Ice Service.

Key Performance Indicators Saving Millions at Maersk

Maersk Line reports it has saved almost $90 million since 2009 by using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance of individual ships.

FDA Changes Rules Regulating BPA in Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced in the Federal Register that it has revised the regulation of bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups, bringing certainty to the marketplace that BPA is no longer in these products.

EPA Fines Yuba City Power Plant $13,500 Following Illegal Arsenic Release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Calpine Corporation, owner of a 500-megawatt natural-gas fired power plant, $13,500 for the improper management of hazardous waste at its Yuba City, Calif. facility.

New EU Biocides Regulation Takes Effect

The European Commission’s new regulation affecting biocidal products took effect July 17, with authorities there saying the rule means significant benefits for human health and the environment.

Global Warming Harms Lakes: Study

Global warming also affects lakes. Based on the example of Lake Zurich, researchers from the University of Zurich demonstrate that there is insufficient water turnover in the lake during the winter and harmful Burgundy blood algae are increasingly thriving.

A Greener Way to Raise Cotton and Combat Nematodes

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are using molecular tools to help cotton growers cut back on their use of pesticides in controlling one of their worst adversaries: the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita).



Soil Moisture and Hot Days Linked in a Global Study

For the first time scientists at ETH Zurich have examined globally the connection between soil moisture and extreme heat with measured data. Their study shows that precipitation deficits increase the probability of hot days in many regions of the world. The results will help to better assess heat risks.

EPA and the Georgia Force Encourage Metro Atlanta to Take ENERGY STAR Pledge

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Georgia Force, collected Change the World with ENERGY STAR® pledges at the Georgia Force Arena Football game in the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, GA.

Wildfire Risk Rising Worldwide, Lloyd's Warns

Citing recent wildfires in Colorado, Texas, Russia, Greece, and Chile and a report from climate scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and Texas Tech University, a top official at Lloyd’s said insurers face new challenges from wildfires in many parts of the world.

Obama Administration Releases Report on Next Steps in Restoring the Everglades

The Obama Administration has released a report outlining the historic Federal investments and progress made in Everglades restoration under the leadership of President Obama, and announced $80 million in additional funding to support farmers and ranchers who voluntarily conserve wetlands on agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed.

Back-to-Back La Niñas Cooled Globe in 2011

Worldwide, 2011 was the coolest year on record since 2008, yet temperatures remained above the 30 year average, according to the 2011 State of the Climate report released online today (July 10, 2012) by NOAA.

Enterprise Crude Pipeline Fined for Oil Spill in Scurry County Texas

The Environmental Protection Agency has fined Enterprise Crude Pipeline of Houston, Texas, $5,000 for violating the federal Clean Water Act.

Got Milk? Climate Change Means Stressed Cows in Southern U.S. May Have Less

“Cows are happy in parts of Northern California and not in Florida” is a good way to sum up the findings of new research from the University of Washington, said Yoram Bauman, best known as the “stand-up economist.”

Poisons On Public Lands Put Wildlife at Risk

Rat poison used on illegal marijuana farms may be sickening and killing the fisher, a rare forest carnivore that makes its home in some of the most remote areas of California, according to a team of researchers led by University of California, Davis, veterinary scientists.

Researchers Find Evidence of Genetic Change in Salmon in Response to Warming Climate

Because the gradual increase in temperatures worldwide is still relatively new, researchers have had difficulty in finding examples of genetic changes in organisms that are adapting to the warmer temperatures.

Keeping Electric Vehicle Batteries Cool

Heat can damage the batteries of electric vehicles -- even just driving fast on the freeway in summer temperatures can overheat the battery. An innovative new coolant conducts heat away from the battery three times more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.

Citation Oil and Gas Corporation Fined for Oil and Salt Water Discharge Into Clear Boggy Creek

The Environmental Protection Agency has fined the Citation Oil and Gas Corporation of Houston, Texas, $22,000 for violating the federal Clean Water Act.

Viruses May Be Causing Coral Bleaching and Decline Around the World

Scientists have discovered two viruses that appear to infect the single-celled microalgae that reside in corals and are important for coral growth and health, and they say the viruses could play a role in the serious decline of coral ecosystems around the world.