News and Articles


EPA Orders Douglas Drinking Water System to Reduce Arsenic

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the Monte Vista Water Company to reduce arsenic levels in their drinking water system or face penalties of up to $37,500 per day for each violation.

Planting Trees May Save Costa Rican Birds Threatened By Intensive Farming

The colorful birds of Costa Rica play a crucial role in the country's rural landscapes, by distributing seeds, controlling pesky insects and pollinating plants.

NASA Predicts Climate Change Will Bring Ecological Changes

By 2100, global climate change will modify plant communities covering almost half of Earth's land surface and will drive the conversion of nearly 40 percent of land-based ecosystems from one major ecological community type - such as forest, grassland or tundra - toward another, according to a new NASA and university computer modeling study.

Methanol Replacing Hydrogen Gas as the Fuel of the Future

Rather than releasing carbon dioxide into the air, it can be used to produce methanol – which is an excellent fuel for cars and airplanes – using solar energy. The technology already exists, and a major Nordic research initiative has now been launched that will make the process inexpensive and simple enough to be used on a large scale.

U.S. Clean Water Act Settlement in Chicago to Reduce Sewage Overflows

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the State of Illinois announced a Clean Water Act (CWA) settlement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to resolve claims that untreated sewer discharges were released into Chicago area waterways during flood and wet weather events.

Laboratory Avalanches Reveal Behavior of Ice Flows

Avalanches created in controlled laboratory environments are helping us to understand the potentially lethal processes that these natural disasters unleash.

Countertop Composting

Compost bins are not traditionally thought of as convenient, sleek countertop ornaments, but one California team of visionaries fashioned a new look in an effort to increase widespread adoption amongst municipalities and consumers.

Green Tires Available Within Next Few Years

Motorists may be driving on the world's first "green" tires within the next few years, as partnerships between tire companies and biotechnology firms make it possible to produce key raw materials for tires from sugar rather than petroleum or rubber trees.

Small Reactors Could Figure Into U.S. Energy Future

A newly released study from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) concludes that small modular reactors may hold the key to the future of U.S. nuclear power generation.

EPA Approves Alternative Refrigerants to Replace Hydrofluorocarbons in Freezers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added three hydrocarbons as acceptable alternatives in household and small commercial refrigerators and freezers through EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program.

New Study Addresses Gas Conversion for Clean Fuels

The Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), a research institute of The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and IHI Corporation (IHI) start their collaboration in areas of environmental and energy related technologies.

Bay Wetlands May Face Losing Battle Against Rising Sea Level

San Francisco Bay's tidal marshes may face a grave threat from sea level rise in the next century, according to a new study published by a group of scientists, including Professor of Biology Tom Parker.

New Study Suggests Removing Sulfur from Jet Fuels Cools Climate

A Yale study examining the impact of aviation on climate change found that removing sulfur from jet fuel cools the atmosphere. The study was published in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Hundreds of Threatened Species Not On Official U.S. List

Many of the animal species at risk of extinction in the United States have not made it onto the country's official Endangered Species Act (ESA) list, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.

More Growers Adopting Agricultural Technology

Research shows that it takes about eight years from the time public research funds are invested in technology development to the time the technology is first implemented.

Certain Crops Show Higher Capacity for Carbon Fixation

Salt can have drastic effects on the growth and yield of horticultural crops; studies have estimated that salinity renders an about one-third of the world's irrigated land unsuitable for crop production.

New Model Shows How Building Pollutants Make it Into The Environment

Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial additives in house paint are present in dangerous quantities in the Vauchère river basin in the city of Lausanne, says a study to be presented at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in San Francisco.

As Climate Change Sets In, Plants and Bees Keep Pace

No laggards, those bees and plants. As warm temperatures due to climate change encroach winter, bees and plants keep pace.

15 New Conservation Concerns

A review carried out by a group of international specialists has identified several emerging issues that are likely to damage biodiversity in the coming years.

Report Calls for Energy-smart Food

A Massey University energy expert says the global agriculture industry, including that of New Zealand, must reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to secure food supply in the future.