Water


USGS Details Effects of Climate Change on Water Availability in 14 Local Basins Nationwide

Climate change projections indicate a steady increase in temperature progressing through the 21st century, generally resulting in snowpack reductions, changes to the timing of snowmelt, altered streamflows and reductions in soil moisture, which could affect water management, agriculture, recreation, hazard mitigation and ecosystems across the nation.

NAS to Review EPA's IRIS Assessment Development Process

The National Academy of Sciences will conduct a comprehensive review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program's assesment development process.

Climate Policy Initiative Analysis: Four Major Countries Could Better Monitor Policies

Climate Policy Initiative (CPI)'s analysis of national systems that track emissions and activities to reduce emissions in the U.S., Germany, Italy and China revealed that existing systems allow these nations to determine if they are meeting their emission reduction targets, but do not allow them to identify which of their policies are most effective and efficient.

Nearly One Tenth of Western Hemisphere Mammals Unlikely to Outrun Climate Change

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere's mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won't move swiftly enough to outpace climate change.

Report Says Tar Sands Industry Should Contribute to Liability Fund

A new report titled "Irrational Exemption: Tar Sands Pipeline Subsidies and Why They Must End" says there is a $375 million subsidy for tar sands oil because oil and gas industry lobbyists have exempted them from paying into a fund designed to help clean up oil spills.

CyberLock Develops System to Help Water Utilities Meet EPA Guidelines

CyberLock Security Systems is working to help water utilities meet EPA guidelines for protecting watersheds and sources of drinking water.

EPA Reaches Settlement for Groundwater Cleanup at San Gabriel Valley Superfund Site

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has entered into three settlements totaling $6,605,080 to help pay for groundwater cleanup at the South El Monte portion of the San Gabriel Valley Area 1 Superfund Site in Los Angeles, Calif.

Protecting Clean Water in the Potomac River

If you live and work in the Washington, DC area, this year’s number one Most Endangered River may hit closer to home than you might think. The Potomac River provides drinking water for more than five million people in Maryland, Virginia and the District.



Population Pressure Impacts World Wetlands

The area of the globe covered by wetlands (swamps, marshes, lakes, etc.) has dropped by 6 percent in 15 years. This decline is particularly severe in tropical and subtropical regions, and in areas that have experienced the largest increases in population in recent decades.

Water Usage Far Exceeds Sustainability Level in the Desert Southwest and United States

Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent, nearly double the sustainable benchmark.

Veterans Hospitals Stay Safe With a Healthy Dose of Earthquake Monitoring

Being in a hospital is tough enough without having to worry about how the building will hold up during an earthquake. Now, veterans in Memphis, Tenn., can rest assured knowing that their medical center, even though it is located in the most active earthquake zone in the Eastern United States, has the most sophisticated seismic structural monitoring system in the country.

Fuel Economy Slipped as Gas Prices Dipped Throughout April

Average fuel economy (window-sticker values) of cars, light trucks, minivans and SUVs purchased in April was 23.9 mpg, down from 24.1 in March, but the same as in February. Despite the drop, fuel economy is up 3.8 mpg (or 19 percent) from October 2007, the first month of monitoring by UMTRI researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle.

Recycling Facility Focuses on "Single Stream" Technology in Delaware

Delaware hopes to create roughly 80 new green jobs in early 2013 by investing in a state-of-the-art recycling facility.

Push from Mississippi Kept Deepwater Horizon Oil Slick Off Shore

When the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20, 2010, residents feared that their Gulf of Mexico shores would be inundated with oil. And while many wetland habitats and wildlife were oiled during the three-month leak, the environmental damage to coastal Louisiana was less than many expected, in part because much of the crude never made it to the coast.

SEPTA Partners With Energy Management Firm to Help Reduce Utilities and Fuel Costs

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the nation’s sixth-largest public transport organization, has signed a three-year contract with SourceOne energy consulting firm. SEPTA is looking for support for electricity and natural gas procurement.

Iowa Energy Center Supports Research Aimed at Biodiversity

Three research teams affiliated with Iowa State University’s Bioeconomy Institute have won Iowa Energy Center grants to help them combine biorenewable technologies for better production of fuels and chemicals.

City of Unalaska Agrees to Extensive Sewer System Upgrade in Federal Settlement

The city of Unalaska, Alaska, will undertake a major upgrade of its municipal sewage treatment plant under a settlement of a Clean Water Act enforcement action filed against the city and the state of Alaska by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeking Ideas to Strengthen Incentives for Wildlife Conservation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the extension of a public process exploring the expansion of incentives for voluntary partnerships with private landowners and other land stewards to help conserve imperiled wildlife.

How to Stop Summertime Sniffles and Other Allergic Reactions

Every spring and summer, millions of Americans dread the trip to the park or the playground and will do anything to avoid activities that trigger outdoor allergies.

Carnegie Mellon University Student Builds C02 Fence

Sculpted by chemistry graduate student Longzhu Shen (MCS'12), the latest installation at CMU's ArtPark Lab uses environmentally friendly lighting to illustrate the fluctuation of carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere over the past 800,000 years.