Water


Antarctic Rocks Help Predict Sea Levels

Ancient rocks embedded in the West Antarctic ice sheet could help University scientists improve sea level predictions.

Climate Policies Can Help Resolve Energy Security And Air Pollution Challenges

Policies to protect the global climate and limit global temperature rise offer the most effective entry point for achieving energy sustainability, reducing air pollution, and improving energy security, according to an article published in the latest issue of Nature Climate Change.

Ancient Midges Offer Clues to Climate Variability 10,000 Years Ago

An analysis of the remains of ancient midges – tiny non-biting insects closely related to mosquitoes – opens a new window on the past with a detailed view of the surprising regional variability that accompanied climate warming during the early Holocene epoch, 10,000 to 5,500 years ago.

Clothing, Food and Electricity Impact Most on Water Footprint

Australians have been working hard to cut down their household’s daily water consumption, however a new study in the latest edition of Building Research & Information reveals that clothing, food and electricity are the three biggest culprits for a household’s high water usage.

NCAR Wind Forecasts Save Millions of Dollars for Xcel Energy

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has developed a highly detailed wind energy forecasting system with Xcel Energy, enabling the utility to capture energy from turbines far more effectively and at lower cost. The system, which Xcel Energy formally took over last month, saves ratepayers several million dollars yearly.

Department of Energy Helps Consumers Better Manage Their Energy Consumption

As part of the Administration’s commitment to ensuring a clean energy future, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that up to $8 million in funding will be made available to encourage utilities, local governments and communities to create programs that empower consumers to better manage their electricity use through improved access to their own electricity consumption data.

Federal Government Highlights Economic Benefits of Electronics Recycling

Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) toured e-Green Management of Islip Terrace, New York to highlight the environmental, public health and economic benefits of recycling electronics.

Indiana Waste Treatment Company Charged with Conspiracy and Violating the Clean Water Act

Tierra Environmental and Industrial Services Inc., a centralized waste treatment facility in East Chicago, Ind., its owner and a manager were charged with conspiracy and felony violations of the Clean Water Act in a seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury.



Buffalo, N.Y., Developer Indicted for Illegally Filling More Than 90 Acres of Wetlands

A New York developer and his companies were indicted today on federal charges that they conspired to illegally fill jurisdictional wetlands.

What Do We Do Once Oil, Gas Reserves Run Dry This Century?

Nobel Prize winner George Olah and Surya Prakash of USC Dornsife have found new traction in their methanol economy concept with their latest publication, the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011, and the new discoveries of shale gas.

Early Results from Hydraulic Fracturing Study Show No Direct Link to Groundwater Contamination

Preliminary findings from a study on the use of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas development suggest no direct link to reports of groundwater contamination, according to the project leader at The University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute.

Americans Using More Fossil Fuels

American energy use went back up in 2010 compared to 2009, when consumption was at a 12-year low.

IEA Warns of Unsustainable Energy Future in its Latest World Energy Outlook

Without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned as it launched the 2011 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO). The agency's flagship publication, released today in London, said there is still time to act, but the window of opportunity is closing.

Kawasaki Disease Linked to Wind Currents

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is a severe childhood disease that many parents, even some doctors, mistake for an inconsequential viral infection. In fact, if not diagnosed or treated in time, it can lead to irreversible heart damage. After 50 years of research, including genetic studies, scientists have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the disease.

EPA Issues First Greenhouse Gas Permit in Texas

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the first Texas Greenhouse Gas (GHG) permit for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant in Llano County, Texas.

International Team to Drill Beneath Massive Antarctic Ice Shelf

An international team of researchers funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) will travel next month to one of Antarctica's most active, remote and harsh spots to determine how changes in the waters circulating under an active ice sheet are causing a glacier to accelerate and drain into the sea.

Increased Acidity Not an Even Test for Coral Reefs

Coral reefs can both positively and negatively influence the acidity of their surrounding seawater.

NOAA Greenhouse Gas Index Continues to Climb

NOAA's updated Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI), which measures the direct climate influence of many greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, shows a continued steady upward trend that began with the Industrial Revolution of the 1880s.

Using Biochar to Boost Soil Moisture

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are leading the way in learning more about "biochar," the charred biomass created from wood, other plant material, and manure.