News and Articles


Researchers: Apply Public Trust Doctrine to 'Rescue' Wildlife from Politics

When a species recovers enough to be removed from the federal endangered species list, the public trust doctrine – the principle that government must conserve natural resources for the public good – should guide state management of wildlife, scientists say.

Mississippi Mud Rising

During the past several decades, upper Midwest state and local agencies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on extraordinary conservation efforts to prevent the Upper Mississippi River from filling with mud, waste and excess nutrients. Yet the waterway, which winds through prime agricultural lands, has seen a ten-fold increase in sediment since the early 20th century.

Logitech Gets $250,000 Fine for Unsubstantiated Keyboard Health Claims

The company incorporated a silver compound designed to protect a keyboard against deterioration, then marketed the keyboard as protecting the user from bacteria and microbes. To promote such benefits for that use a company must have the product tested, then registered by the EPA.

Nuclear Power Has Prevented 40M Metric Tons of CO2 Emissions

More than 10 years after electricity deregulation, the nuclear power industry has decreased greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved $2.5 billion a year as a result of operating more efficiently over the past decade, according to a new study.

Merck to Pay $1.5 M Penalty for Violations at Two Pa. Pharmaceutical Plants

Merck failed to take necessary preventative measures and follow reporting requirements under federal environmental regulations.

EPA Orders $60 Million Groundwater Cleanup at Toxic Mega Superfund Site

EPA is ordering a $60 million clean-up of rocket fuel-polluted groundwater at the Aerojet Superfund Site in Sacramento County, Calif.

Invasive Sea Squirt Threatens Connecticut's $30 Million Shellfish Industry

The invasive sea squirt, Styela clava, has now been discovered along the Eastern Seaboard as far south as Bridgeport Harbor and poses a significant danger to Connecticut’s $30 million shellfish business, according to field research conducted by Carmela Cuomo, head of the marine biology program at the University of New Haven, and several of her students.

Study Establishes Predictable Sequence of Coral Reef Collapse

Coral reefs that have lots of corals and appear healthy may, in fact, be heading toward collapse, according to a study published by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups.

University of Michigan Announces Ambitious Goals for Sustainability

In a broad green stroke across campus, the University of Michigan will invest $14 million in new commitments to achieve ambitious environmental goals.

DoE Researchers Honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

This is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers who are early in their independent research careers.

Self-cleaning cotton breaks down pesticides, bacteria

UC Davis scientists have developed a self-cleaning cotton fabric that can kill bacteria and break down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues when exposed to light.

Evaluating California Earthquake Forecasts

UC Davis researchers have compared seven earthquake forecasts (including their own) that were submitted to a competition organized by the Southern California Earthquake Center.

World's Greenest Museum Gets Greener

The California Academy of Sciences, the world's greenest museum, showcases an eco-friendly new home featuring a hilly living roof, recycled denim insulation and many other green innovations.

New Advanced Biofuel as an Alternative to Diesel Fuel

Researchers with the DOE's Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified a potential new advanced biofuel that could replace today's standard fuel for diesel engines but would be clean, green, renewable and produced in the United States. Using the tools of synthetic biology, a JBEI research team engineered strains of two microbes, a bacteria and a yeast, to produce a precursor to bisabolane, a member of the terpene class of chemical compounds that are found in plants and used in fragrances and flavorings. Preliminary tests by the team showed that bisabolane's properties make it a promising biosynthetic alternative to Number 2 (D2) diesel fuel.

Lifetime Savings Not Sufficent Motivator for Many to Switch to Green Tech

A University of Arkansas study suggests that “lifetime” savings claims on product labels are not the most effective method to reach consumers regarding the benefits and potential savings from using energy-efficient products.

Gulf Fish Show Signs of Reponse to Oil Spill Despite Low Toxin Levels

A research team led by LSU professors Fernando Galvez and Andrew Whitehead has published the results of a combined field and laboratory study showing the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on fish living in Louisiana marshes.

Gene Controlling Flowering Boosts Energy Production from Sorghum

A sorghum hybrid that does not flower and accumulates as much as three times the amount of stem and leaf matter may help the bioenergy industry, according to a study appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

EPA Announces Winners of First-Ever Green Power Community Challenge

The year-long challenge encouraged communities across the nation to voluntarily increase their use of green power generated from renewable resources.

Tips Tuesday: How to Cut Your Energy Bill

Here are a few things you can do to keep your home cool and cut that energy bill while we wait for fall and cool weather to arrive.

High Air, Water Quality Are Key to a More-Pleasant Beach Vacation

People head to the beach to escape the stress of everyday life, but a new study out of the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis finds that there are peak times to reap the restorative benefit.