News and Articles


How Dairy Farms Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists have produced the first detailed data on how large-scale dairy facilities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases.

University of Texas Faculty Bring Science, Policy to Hydraulic Fracturing Debate

Experts at The University of Texas at Austin and the Cockrell School of Engineering are helping to improve the safety and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, identify issues that need to be corrected and untangle the knowns and unknowns of a process that is expected to constitute perhaps half of the nation's total natural gas supplies in coming years.

Jersey City, N.J., to Upgrade, Repair Sewer System to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

A settlement between the United States and the Jersey City, N.J., Municipal Utilities Authority will resolve Clean Water Act violations by JCMUA for failing to properly operate and maintain its combined sewer system, the Department of Justice and the EPA.

Examining the Safety of Next-generation Nuclear Reactors

Scientists from The University of Manchester have been selected to undertake vital safety work on the next generation of the world’s nuclear reactors.

The Plan to End the Use of Environmentally Harmful Chemicals on Commercial Crops

Two University of Alberta researchers have published a step-by-step plan to one day end the use of environmentally harmful chemicals on commercial crops by developing plants that produce their own fertilizer.

Forecasting Tool for Future Resources

Understanding how energy can be used efficiently is key to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating future fuel and food shortages. But energy use is only part of the story. The link between resources and final services – such as food, warmth, shelter and transport – is only really complete if water and land use is also factored in.

Texas Natural Gas, Oil Drilling Company Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Negligent Violation of Clean Water Act

Gabriel Henson, a supervisor for Integrated Production Services Inc., a Houston-based natural gas and oil drilling contractor, pleaded guilty to a negligent violation of the Clean Water Act in federal court in Muskogee, Okla.

Dow Pilots Plastics-to-Energy

A Dow Plastics pilot program recovered 96 percent of potential energy from waste plastics burned to fuel an incinerator.

New Study Explores Using Oceans and Lakes as Renewable Energy Resources

As the demand for energy increases worldwide, the search for renewable and viable sources of power intensifies.

Grazing Management Effects on Stream Pollutants

Surface water quality is important for the proper function of aquatic ecosystems, as well as human needs and recreation. Pasturelands have been found to be major sources of sediment, phosphorus and pathogens in Midwest surface water resources.

EPA to Protect Water Quality in Appalachian Communities from Mountaintop Mining

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released final guidance on Appalachian surface coal mining, designed to ensure more consistent, effective, and timely review of surface coal mining permits under the Clean Water Act and other statutes.

Wildfires Ignite Issues of Land Management and Public Trust in Agencies

The wildfires currently raging in the southwestern United States bring issues of land management into the public eye. Land management actions, such as prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, felling trees and mowing, can restore native plants and reduce wildfire. However, the public’s view of land management and their trust in land management agencies can pose another obstacle.

Darden School Professor Offers a Green Way to Teach Green

Darden School of Business Professor Andrea Larson has tapped into an efficient and greener way to bring low-cost, high-quality scholarly material on sustainability to instructors and students.

Farms of the Future: Bio-Oil, Biochar from Biomass

Rural landscapes of the future might have pyrolysis plants instead of grain elevators on every horizon —processing centers where farmers would bring bulky crops such as switchgrass to be made into crude oil.

Toxicologists Find Deepwater Horizon Crude Less Toxic to Bird Eggs After Weathering at Sea

After collecting weathered crude oil from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers at Texas Tech University have reported that only 8 to 9 percent coverage on the shells of fertilized mallard duck eggs resulted in a 50 percent mortality rate.

Santa Fe Community College to Receive 300,000 for EPA Job Training

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded a $300,000 environmental workforce development and job training grant to Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) to promote green jobs in Santa Fe, N.M.

National Chemical Company will Upgrade Facilities and Pay Fine to Settle Clean Air Violations

Tanner industries, which distributes ammonia, has agreed to install and operate $345,000 in ammonia leak detection systems at 14 facilities across the country to settle claims by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it violated federal clean air regulations on chemical risk management at plants in Rhode Island and Michigan.

The Federal Strategy to Promote U.S.-Based Electronics Recycling Market, Jobs

Dell, Sprint and Sony are the first companies to voluntarily commit to EPA’s industry partnership aimed at promoting environmentally sound management of used electronics.

Solar Panels Also Keep Buildings Cool

Those solar panels on top of your roof aren't just providing clean power, they also are cooling your house or workplace.

How the Honey Bee Tolerates Some Synthetic Pesticides

A new study reveals how enzymes in the honey bee gut detoxify pesticides commonly used to kill mites in the honey bee hive.