News and Articles


Research: Southeast Faces Freshwater Sustainability Challenges

Researchers have found that the Southeast, with the exception of Florida, does not have enough water capacity to meet its own needs.

Wind Turbines May Help Crops Stay Cooler and Drier

The giant turbine blades also help corn and soybean crops stay cooler and dryer, help them fend off fungal infestations and improve their ability to extract growth-enhancing carbon dioxide from the air and soil.

High-speed Trains Pollute 29 Percent Less Than Traditional Trains

High-speed trains consume 29-percent less energy than conventional trains per passenger transported, and reduce CO2 emissions by the same proportion.

Marcellus Shale extraction well

Hydraulic Fracturing -- Is it all it's cracked up to be?

Is hydraulic fracturing the holy grail of energy independence or a groundwater nightmare in the making?

Environmental Pharmaceutical Contamination Removed by Octolig

Octolig, a commercially available material, removes certain dyes and amoxicillin from water samples.

German Research Protects the Amazon Rainforest

The Brazilian state of Amazonas has taken research findings as the basis for its new logging legislation for the floodplain forests.

WD Partners, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to Develop a High-performance Home Depot Store

The team will design and construct an energy efficient Home Depot prototype store that will require up to 50 percent less energy.

a wolf seen through a thermal imaging camera

Researchers Use Thermal Imagery to Shed Light on Mange

Psychedelically colored wolves depicted by thermal imaging will shed light on how mange affects the survival, reproduction and social behavior of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

EPA Recognizes Dallas Habitat for Humanity and Dallas Sustainable Skylines Initiative

EPA is recognizing Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity and Dallas Sustainable Skylines Initiative for building 40 energy-efficient homes.

Britain Offers State Grants for Electric Cars

To encourage drivers to buy environmentally friendly electric cars, the British government has launched state grants of up to 5,000 pounds for nine different electric car models.

Policies to Spur Renewable Energy Can Lower Energy Costs for Southern States

The South could pay less for its electricity in 20 years than is currently projected if strong public policies are enacted to spur renewable energy production and use.

Workers recover oil-filled boom for decontamination as part of the response effort to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

U.S. Names 9 Defendants in Deepwater Horizon Civil Suit

BP, Anadarko, MOEX, Triton, Transocean and QBE companies face Oil Pollution Act and Clean Water Act charges.

USGS: Global Warming-Caused Sea-Ice Loss Not Irreversible

Sea-ice habitats essential to polar bears would likely respond positively should countries curb global greenhouse gas emissions.

Water Treatment Plant Will Desalinate Byproducts of Coal Seam Gas Extraction

QGC, an Australian coal seam gas-explorer and -producer, has signed a contract with a consortium of GE and Laing O’Rourke for the construction of a water treatment plant in southwest Queensland that will support the region’s rapidly growing coal seam gas industry.

Chinese Architect Builds Sustainable Egg Home

Dai Haifei, 24, a newly graduated architect in Beijing, decided to make his own egg-style home after being unable to afford Beijing’s sky-high rental prices.

EPA Levies Hefty Fine on Calif. Company for Making Untested Health Claims

EPA has fined Monterey Park, Calif.-based Kinetic Solutions Inc. $82,400 for allegedly selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides and making unproven claims about their effectiveness.

OSHA Issues $787,000 in Penalties Against Wisconsin Firm

The citation includes 14 alleged willful and one serious violation against WRR Environmental Services Co. of Eau Claire in connection with a June 29 explosion and fire at its plant, OSHA announced Tuesday.

Largest ThinFilm Solar Module Plant in the US to Open in Indiana

Abound Solar, a manufacturer of next-generation, cadmium telluride, thin-film photovoltaic solar modules, announced that it has leased a 781,750-square-foot facility in Tipton, Ind., where it will be establishing a solar module manufacturing plant.

Amy Pruden

Researchers Find that 90 Percent of Antibiotics Leave the Body Intact

Researchers have learned that up to 90 percent of antibiotics consumed pass through an organism’s body without metabolizing, meaning the drugs can leave the body almost intact through normal bodily functions.

EPA and Peace Corps Look to Collaborate on Future Projects

The two agencies will explore opportunities to collaborate on a wide range of environmental issues – including efforts to bring cleaner cookstoves to millions in the developing world – while engaging young people, expanding the conversation on environmentalism, and supporting local solutions for communities here at home and around the world.