Water


New Study Links Air Pollution and Early Death in the U.K.

In a study appearing this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, MIT researchers report that emissions from cars, trucks, planes and powerplants cause 13,000 premature deaths in the United Kingdom each year.

Deadly Jellyfish Weapons Unraveled

Heidelberg researchers have succeeded in unravelling the defense mechanisms of jellyfish. Scientists working with Prof. Dr. Thomas Holstein and Dr. Suat Özbek from the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) of Heidelberg University, together with collaborators from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), analyzed the proteome, or full set of proteins, of the stinging cells in the freshwater polyp Hydra.

Planned Dams in Amazon May Have Largely Negative Ecosystem Impact

The Andean Amazon is becoming a major frontier for new hydroelectric dams, but an analysis of the potential impacts of these planned projects suggests that there may be serious ecological concerns to take into account. The full report is published in the open access journal PloS ONE.

EPA Orders AVX Corp. to Clean Up New Bedford Harbor

EPA has issued an enforcement order to AVX Corp. to implement the ongoing cleanup work at New Bedford Harbor, including dredging PCB-contaminated sediment from the Harbor and disposing the dredged sediment to an appropriately licensed off-site facility, into a confined aquatic disposal cell in the Harbor, and into confined disposal facilities to be built along the shoreline.

Natural Clothing with Solar Power Chargers In the Works at Colorado State University

Colorado State University apparel design and production researchers and students are working to develop natural-fiber outdoor clothing that can charge MP3 devices, tablets, computers, GPS units and cell phones with built-in -- but comfortable to wear -- solar panels. The project is so impressive that it was recently selected to compete in a sustainability design competition in Washington, D.C., from April 21-23.

Expert Says Direct Drinking Water Recycling Could Prevent Floods

The use of a more streamlined process to recycle wastewater could have saved Brisbane from severe flooding in 2011 and mitigated recent flood risks in New South Wales, says Dr. Stuart Khan, an environmental engineer at the UNSW Water Research Centre.

92 Million Pounds of Organic and Recyclable Materials During RecycleMania

The ruckus heard across college campuses this spring was not just because of the NCAA collegiate basketball tournaments. It was also RecycleMania season at 605 colleges and universities. The RecycleMania Tournament, which wrapped up its 12th annual competition at the end of March, is an eight-week challenge that ignites classic college rivalries, rallying students, faculty and staff to increase on-campus recycling rates beyond their collegiate competitors.

U.S. and Tennessee Announce Clean Water Act Agreement with the City of Memphis

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General announced a comprehensive Clean Water Act (CWA) settlement with the City of Memphis, Tenn.



10,000 Birds Die as "Everglades of West" Dries, Spreads Disease

Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are estimating that over 10,000 migrating birds have died so far this year because of reduced water flow to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and California. Officials say the final death toll may be close to 20,000 birds.

CEA, eCycling Leadership Initiative Reports 460 Million Pounds of CE Products Responsibly Recycled

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) recently reported that the consumer electronics (CE) industry dramatically increased its recycling in 2011, advancing the goals set by the eCycling Leadership Initiative.

Preparing for More Costly Gulf Storms

Entergy Texas Inc. and Lamar University sponsored the Southeast Texas Coastal Resilience Forum last week, bringing together experts to discuss how to make harden coastal communities against more intense storms.

Obama Administration Announces New Partnership on Unconventional Natural Gas and Oil Research

Three federal agencies announced a formal partnership to coordinate and align all research associated with development of our nation’s abundant unconventional natural gas and oil resources.

EPA Provides $100,000 to Help Assess Need for Children's Health Center in Puerto Rico

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $100,000 in funding to assess the need for a new, independent Children’s Environmental Health Center in Puerto Rico. The news was announced by EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck at a meeting of public health and medical professionals at the University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan.

Study Suggests Drastic Changes Needed to Curb Most Potent Greenhouse Gas

Meat consumption in the developed world needs to be cut by 50 percent per person by 2050 if we are to meet the most aggressive strategy, set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to reduce one of the most important greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N2O).

Local Governments Adopt Producer Responsibility Resolutions

In California, products banned from landfills exceed $500 million annually, according to a report done by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). There is no estimate of the total cost of collection and disposal.

UC Research Reveals One of the Earliest Farming Sites in Europe

University of Cincinnati (UC) research is revealing early farming in a former wetlands region that was largely cut off from Western researchers until recently. The UC collaboration with the Southern Albania Neolithic Archaeological Project (SANAP) will be presented April 20, 2012, at the annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA).

New Health Effects Study Highlights Advancement in Clean Diesel Technology

A new study released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) provides important new insights on the advancements in clean diesel technology and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, according to Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

Resurfacing Urban Areas to Offset 150 Billion Tons of Carbon Dioxide

Imagine a world where the rooftops and pavements of every urban area are resurfaced to increase the reflection of the Sun's light rays. Well, this is exactly what a group of Canadian researchers have done in an attempt to measure the potential effects against global warming.

Rapid Climate Change Threatens Asia's Rice Bowl

As Asia's monsoon season begins, leading climate specialists and agricultural scientists warned today that rapid climate change and its potential to intensify droughts and floods could threaten Asia's rice production and pose a significant threat to millions of people across the region.

EPA Releases Ground Water Samples from the Lehigh Valley Site, N.Y.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made available the results of ground water sampling taken in December 2011 at the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment Superfund site in LeRoy, N.Y.