Water


NASA Satellites Show Hurricane Irene is Almost One-Third the Size of East Coast

Hurricane Irene is a major hurricane, and NASA satellite data shows its diameter is now about one-third the length of the U.S. Atlantic coastline. Meanwhile, far in the eastern Atlantic Ocean a tenth tropical depression formed. One satellite image captured both storms and shows the tremendous difference in their size.

Increasing Fuel Efficiency with a Smartphone

In July, at the Association for Computing Machinery’s MobiSys conference, researchers from MIT and Princeton University took the best-paper award for a system that uses a network of smartphones mounted on car dashboards to collect information about traffic signals and tell drivers when slowing down could help them avoid waiting at lights.

Green Mail Delivery Saves Postal Service Millions

Delivering more than 40 percent of the world's mail and reaching every business and residential address in America six days a week requires the dependable, ubiquitous vehicle fleet of the U.S. Postal Service.

Study Shows Climate Cycles May Be Driving Wars

The arrival of El Niño, which every three to seven years boosts temperatures and cuts rainfall, doubles the risk of civil wars across 90 affected tropical countries, and may help account for a fifth of worldwide conflicts during the past half-century, say the authors.

Reforestation Practices May Be Lagging Behind Climate Change

A University of Alberta study is sounding a warning about forestry practices in North America, claiming that climate change is already rendering established planting guidelines obsolete.

Aeroecology Gaining Recognition

Formally established just three years ago, aeroecology is the study of flying and floating organisms in the air they inhabit.

Evidence Suggests La Nina Will Return This Winter

Less than 2 percent of the October-July periods since 1895 have been drier than they are currently for all of Texas and many parts of New Mexico. These areas experienced either their driest or second driest October-July periods in the last 117 years. Less than six percent of the October-July periods have been drier than current conditions in southeastern Arizona.

'Wikipedia' of Water and Wastewater to Debut Sept. 1

A national database on technologies to assess the conditions and rehabilitation of the underground pipes will be available to utilities and the general public, starting on Thursday, Sept. 1.



Research Suggests Scented Laundry Products Emit Hazardous Chemicals Through Dryer Vents

The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what’s in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.

Campus Bike Rental Program Puts New Spin on Recycling

Two years ago, Florida State University senior Sandy Simmons went to a college housing conference and got a big idea: recycled bike rentals for students — on the cheap.

Scientists Develop New Approaches to Predict the Environmental Safety of Chemicals

Baylor University environmental researchers have proposed in a new study a different approach to predict the environmental safety of chemicals by using data from other similar chemicals.

EPA's $6 Million Challenge to Restore Great Lakes and Create Jobs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is setting aside approximately $6 million for federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to implement restoration projects in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes basin.

Israel's Sewage-Powered Fuel Cell is Attracting Investors

In building a fuel cell that uses bacteria to break down waste in water, Israel's water company Emefcy Ltd. has raised about $10 million from investors including GE, NRG Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips.

Researchers at UC-Irvine Produced Fuel from Sewage

Imagine being able to get the equivalent of 70 miles per gallon in your car, keep your home cool and power your computer – all from sewage. Thanks to technology developed by University of California-Irvine’s National Fuel Cell Research Center and partners, that’s now possible.

Study Finds Scented Laundry Products Emit Hazardous Chemicals Through Dryer Vents

Findings, published online this week in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, show that air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens

Gotham Greens Lifts Fresh Veggies to New Heights

Gotham Greens, a hydroponics greenhouse facility, sits on a warehouse rooftop and brings new meaning to the phrase "locally grown" – especially atop a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Thawing Permafrost Could Release Vast Amounts of Carbon, Accelerating Climate Change

Billions of tons of carbon trapped in high-latitude permafrost may be released into the atmosphere by the end of this century as the Earth’s climate changes, further accelerating global warming, a new computer modeling study indicates

Study: Southern South American Wildfires Expected to Increase

A new University of Colorado - Boulder study indicates a major climate oscillation in the Southern Hemisphere, expected to intensify in the coming decades, will likely cause increased wildfire activity in the southern half of South America.

Tips Tuesday: How to Keep Your Family Safe in a Hurricane

With the expectation that Hurricane Irene, which is currently gathering steam offshore, will hit at least some part of the East Coast, here are a few tips that can help consumers prepare for—and ride out—a storm.

Ethanol Company Penalized for Failing to Develop Risk Management Plan

NEDAK Ethanol LLC, an alternative fuels manufacturer, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $3,600 to the United States for failing to develop a risk management program and file a risk management plan for its ethanol production facility at Atkinson, Neb.