News and Articles


Sea Level Rise May Take a Toll on California

California beach towns could face hefty economic losses caused by sea level rise in the next century, according to a new state-commissioned study.

Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold

The Empire State Building has been awarded LEED® Gold for Existing Buildings certification as further recognition from the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program.

Case Study: Church Cuts Stormwater Costs by Third With Subsurface System

Engineers create a detention system that follows city mandate to keep stormwater discharge to pre-development levels.

Indigenous Alaskans Discuss Unique Insight into Climate Change’s Effects

They expressed concerns ranging from safety, such as unpredictable weather patterns and dangerous ice conditions, to changes in plants and animals as well as decreased availability of firewood.

Researchers Say Oceans' Increasing Acidity Will Likely Hurt Biodiversity

Stanford researchers have gotten a glimpse into an uncertain future where increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere will lead to higher levels in the ocean as well, leaving the water more acidic and altering underwater ecosystems.

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to Recieve Biomass Gasification System

The state-of-the-art biomass gasification system will provide clean, carbon-neutral heat and power to the medical center.

University of Houston Tests Local Buses for Fuel Efficiency

It seems fuel economy is on everyone's minds these days. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, with its large bus fleet, is no exception.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center: La Niña is back

La Niña, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of 2011, has re-emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter.

IIIEE: Producer Responsibility is the Solution to Electronic Waste in Developing Countries

How can legislation be used to avoid hazardous waste being dumped where it could poison people and the environment in developing countries? Introducing producer responsibility could be one solution, says Panate Manomaivibool of the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University, Sweden, in a new thesis.

Parabolic Mirrors Concentrate Sunlight to Power Lasers

Legend tells of Greek engineer and inventor Archimedes using parabolic mirrors to create "heat rays" to burn the ships attacking Syracuse. Though the underpinnings of that claim are speculative at best, a modern-day team of researchers at the Scientific and Production Association in Uzbekistan has proposed a more scientifically sound method of harnessing parabolic mirrors to drive solar-powered lasers.

Altair ProductDesign Unveils the World's First Series Hydraulic Hybrid Transit Bus

BUSolutions LCO-140H to revitalize urban transit by increasing fuel economy by 110 percent and reducing 12-year fleet operations cost by $50 million for the average sized transit authority.

Big Goals for Philadelphia Refrigerator Recycling Project

The new UNTHA Recycling Technology (URT) system at the Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA)’s facility in Philadelphia is ready to begin recycling as many as 150,000 refrigerators annually, GE and ARCA announced Sept. 9.

Tips: How to Deal With Flood Ravaged Property

Hurricane Irene and heavy rains across the East Coast have caused major flooding. Here are a few tips on what to do if your house meets with some of the floodwaters.

Researchers Find High Levels of Toxic PCBs in Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal

University of Iowa researchers have found high levels of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the deep sediments lining the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC) in East Chicago, Ind.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Poses New Challenge for Municipalities

Phase II stormwater permit renewals to require investments in time and resources.

EPA Paves Way for New Ozone Plans for Nation’s Worst Two Air-Quality Zones

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to approve the 8-hour ozone air quality plans for the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast areas. These plans, known as State Implementation Plans, are the roadmaps to meeting the Clean Air Act standard of 0.08 parts per million of ozone as measured in 8-hour increments.

Fishing for Energy Reels in Gear at Everglades City

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently partnered with Fishing for Energy to remove derelict stone crab traps from the marine environment near Everglades City, Fla., making it the second location in Florida to join the unique partnership.

Researchers Predict Extreme Summer Temps to Become the Norm

Boston University researchers have estimated that even if international efforts to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees Celcius, mean global temperatures will continue to be extreme.

Testing Techniques for Restoring Native Prairies Leads to Better Decision-Making

Restoring prairies to their native vegetation can be approached from several directions. Managers might eliminate invasive plants through use of herbicides, encourage growth of native species through seeding, or manipulate conditions to favor native species.

Tree Rings Reveal Forest Fires from Hundreds of Years Ago

Trees can reveal key information about fire events, and some trees have a lot to tell — one tree researchers examined endured 14 separate fires through its lifetime.