News and Articles


Climate Change Could Drive Native Fish Out of Wisconsin Waters

The cisco, a key forage fish found in Wisconsin’s deepest and coldest bodies of water, could become a climate change casualty and disappear from most of the Wisconsin lakes it now inhabits by the year 2100, according to a new study.

'Momma's Boy' Phenomenon May Occur in Bird Families

Scientists have discovered that zebra finch mothers favor their sons over their daughters, so male chicks end up getting fed more than their sisters do. But fathers don't appear to be as biased.

Chemists Make First Quantitative Measure of Radiation Leaked from Fukushima Reactor

Their estimate, reported this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on a signal sent across the Pacific Ocean when operators of the damaged reactor had to resort to cooling overheated fuel with seawater.

Single Microbial Gene Linked to Increased Ethanol Tolerance

A team of researchers from the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center has pinpointed a single, key gene in a microbe that could help streamline the production of biofuels from non-food sources.

Climate Change, Algae Lessen Lake Tahoe's Clarity

Lake Tahoe clarity dropped in 2010, but the rate of decline in clarity over the past decade remains slower compared with previous decades, according to UC Davis scientists who have monitored the lake for more than 40 years.

Professor Presents Research About Effect of Dams on Climate to Congress

As the U.S. government makes decisions on high-profile environmental issues, Faisal Hossain’s influence on those decisions is growing—attesting to the fact that a researcher at a mid-size university in a rural area can have a powerful national, even international, impact.

Another Study Finds Bluefin Tuna In Need of Protection

The team’s analysis—published in a recent issue of Science magazine’s Policy Forum—is the first study of global tuna and billfish populations using the methods of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Waste Facility Agrees to $1.7M Settlement for Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations

In a settlement valued at more than $1.7 million, Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc. has agreed to pay a significant penalty and perform additional projects, to settle a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of EPA, regarding numerous violations of hazardous waste management and emergency planning laws at the company’s Braintree, Mass., facility.

Tips Tuesday: Top-Five Energy-Efficiency Myths

As consumers stay focused on keeping cool during the hottest months of the year, they may fall victim to some of the myths that may be giving electricity customers the wrong idea about how to curb their electricity consumption and save money on their monthly bills.

Ethane Levels Yield Information About Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Recent data from NSF-funded research in both Greenland and Antarctica demonstrate that fossil-fuel related emissions of both methane and ethane, two of the most abundant hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, declined at the end of the twentieth century, according to a paper published Thursday in the journal Nature.

EPA Seeks Input on the Development of Drinking Water Perchlorate Regulation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as small entity representatives (SERs) for a small business advocacy review (SBAR) panel.

Food for Thought: The Most Earth-Friendly Way to Dispose of Food Waste

Consider the apple core. From an environmental perspective, what’s the most responsible way to dispose of it, or a banana peel, or any food waste?

Smithsonian and Tribal Communities Launch Environmental Education Website

the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian launches a new educational website, “American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges,” that will target middle and high school teachers, students and the general public.

Sewage Still Plagues Hudson River

People are swimming in the Hudson again, and while clumps of sewage rarely float by anymore, the water is not reliably clean, according to a recent report released from the environmental group Riverkeeper.

Study Reveals Nature and Humans Quite Similar

World financial markets may be reeling from new setbacks, but it turns out there’s a secret economy right under our noses and it’s thriving. The movers and shakers, however, are plants and fungi.

Arctic Cruise Explores Changing Ocean Acidification

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey will embark on a research cruise to the Arctic Ocean beginning today to collect water samples and other data to determine trends in ocean acidification from the least explored ocean in the world.

Focus On: California's Largest Ultraviolet Water Treatment Facility

With a capacity of treating 315 million gallons of water per day, this new $114 million ultraviolet water treatment facility is now the largest-capacity facility of its kind in California and the third largest in North America.

Reversing E. Coli's Metabolism Produces Biofuels, Chemicals at Rapid Clip

Rice University engineering researchers unveiled a new method for rapidly converting simple glucose into biofuels and petrochemical substitutes

Map Identifies Important Coral Reefs Exposed to Stress

The study, say the authors, will help to conserve some of the world’s most important coral reefs by identifying reef systems where biodiversity is high and stress is low, ecosystems where management has the best chance of success.

Scientists Investigate Link Between Human Populations and River Phosphorus Concentrations

High concentrations of phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems are often associated with human activities in the surrounding area, such as agriculture and urban development.