News and Articles


Ancient Environment Found to Drive Marine Biodiversity

Much of our knowledge about past life has come from the fossil record – but how accurately does that reflect the true history and drivers of biodiversity on Earth?

Rainfall Suspected Culprit in Leaf Disease Transmission

Rainfalls are suspected to trigger the spread of a multitude of foliar (leaf) diseases, which could be devastating for agriculture and forestry. Instead of focusing on the large-scale, ecological impact of this problem, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge and the University of Liege in Belgium are studying the phenomenon from a novel perspective: that of a single rain droplet.

Underground Water Reservoirs for the Jordan Valley

Water scarcity in the lower Jordan valley is extreme and political differences among the neighboring countries are high. To supply the population living in this region with sufficient clean water, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian, and German researchers cooperate under the direction of KIT.

Great Plains River Basins Threatened by Pumping of Aquifers

Suitable habitat for native fishes in many Great Plains streams has been significantly reduced by the pumping of groundwater from the High Plains aquifer – and scientists analyzing the water loss say ecological futures for these fishes are "bleak."

Columbus Steel Castings to Pay 825000 and Install Monitoring Equipmen for Violating Clean Air Act

Columbus Steel Castings Company, Inc., located on the south side of Columbus, Ohio, was recently sentenced to pay $825,000 and install additional devices to prevent air pollution after pleading guilty on July 28, 2011 to six counts of violating the Clean Air Act.

Renewable Transmission Developers will Discuss Expandion of Offshore Wind Development

The National Press Club Newsmakers Committee will host a Newsmaker forum on the growing importance of offshore wind and the tools and infrastructure necessary to get it to consumers in the club's Zenger Room at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, in the National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Reserchers Believe Switchgrass Biomass Easier for Enzymes to Break Down for Biofuel

Many experts believe that advanced biofuels made from cellulosic biomass are the most promising alternative to petroleum-based liquid fuels for a renewable, clean, green, domestic source of transportation energy.

Low Impact, Green Solutions Fix Older City Water Infrastructures

Like every older American city — and old cities across the globe — Philadelphia faces the daunting challenge of maintaining and upgrading its aging, and at times outdated, water and sewer infrastructure.

Carbon Foam: The Key Ingredient of a Greener Battery?

A lighter, greener, cheaper, longer-lasting battery. Who wouldn’t want that?

Green Buildings Save Green

In addition to emitting less carbon dioxide and using less water, sustainably designed federal buildings cost 19 percent less to maintain, according to a report by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

New Method Can Aid Rainforest, Help Loggers

Reduced-impact logging (RIL) in an Amazon rainforest generated profits while emitting a small fraction of carbon compared with total forest clearing, a University at Albany study concludes.

Wind Experts Advise on Revolutionary Wind-powered Skyscraper

The infamous winds that gust through downtown San Francisco streets, overturning kiosks and sometimes toppling pedestrians, will help to power a revolutionary skyscraper set to open next fall -- and could pave the way for a new world market for energy-generating wind turbines in new buildings.

Alternative LED Lighting Combats Energy Crisis

Alternative lighting is emerging as a potent method to combat the energy crisis. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technologies could provide an innovative way to save energy and make wasteful lighting obsolete.

EPA Releases Guidelines to Ensure Healthy Indoor Air during Home Energy Upgrades

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades to better integrate health protections into energy efficiency programs.

IEA Urges Greece to Reform its Energy Market and Boost Economy

Increasing competition and reducing the role of the state in Greece’s energy sector could make a significant contribution to the country’s economic recovery, according to a review of Greek energy policies published by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Researchers Develop Solar-powered Runway Anti-icing System

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an anti-icing system that could make airport runways safer and less expensive to maintain during winter months.

Obama Administration Proposes Historic Fuel Standards to Reduce Dependence on Oil

Building on President Obama’s historic national program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) officially unveiled their joint proposal to set stronger fuel economy and greenhouse gas pollution standards for model year 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks. Cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are currently responsible for nearly 60 percent of U.S. transportation-related petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Prairie Soil May Provide Answers to Countering Climate Change

Explaining the purchase of a hundred pounds of dry ice to the authorities might be a bit awkward for some people; however, for Ari Jumpponen, associate professor of biology at Kansas State University, it's just another day as a scientist.

Archeologists Investigate Ice Age Hominins Adaptability to Climate Change

Computational modeling that examines evidence of how hominin groups evolved culturally and biologically in response to climate change during the last Ice Age also bears new insights into the extinction of Neanderthals. Details of the complex modeling experiments conducted at Arizona State University and the University of Colorado - Denver will appear in the December issue of the journal Human Ecology.

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Study Shows Acid Pollution in Rain Decreased with Emissions

Emissions regulations do have an environmental impact, according to a long-term study of acidic rainfall by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.