Water


Study Suggests Marine Biodiversity Loss is Due to Warming and Predation

The biodiversity loss caused by climate change will result from a combination of rising temperatures and predation – and may be more severe than currently predicted, according to a study by University of British Columbia zoologist Christopher Harley.

Study Suggests Link Between Environmental Factors and Heart Failure

A University of Cambridge study, which set out to investigate DNA methylation in the human heart and the 'missing link' between our lifestyle and our health, has now mapped the link in detail across the entire human genome.

Tips Tuesday: Green Christmas Trees

It’s that holiday time of year again, now that the nation is full from Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce; many people are shopping for Christmas trees facing a perennial question: which is the greener choice – real or fake?

The Shadows in a City Reveal its Energy Flow

Researchers at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, Spain) have created "shadow models" and a type of software that calculates the amount of solar radiation that reaches streets and buildings in high resolution. According to the results published in the Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment, they could help to optimise the energy consumption of cities.

Submarine Springs Offer Preview of Ocean Acidification Effects on Coral Reefs

Observations at submarine springs found along the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula are giving scientists a preview of the possible fate of coral reef ecosystems in response to ocean acidification.

Better Thermal Management Promises Cheaper, Greener, Cooler Electronics

At first glance, supercomputers, car parts, entertainment systems and radar antennas may not have much in common, but they all stand to benefit from important advances in thermal management technology being achieved by an EU-funded project.

Fool's Gold Aids Discovery of New Options for Cheap, Benign Solar Energy

Pyrite, better known as "fool's gold," was familiar to the ancient Romans and has fooled prospectors for centuries – but has now helped researchers at Oregon State University discover related compounds that offer new, cheap and promising options for solar energy.

American Lung Association Calls for Tougher Soot Limits

Up to 35,700 premature deaths can be prevented in the United States every year if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthens the health standards for fine particulate matter—also known as soot—according to a new report, Sick of Soot: How the EPA Can Save Lives by Cleaning Up Fine Particle Pollution, prepared by the American Lung Association, Clean Air Task Force, and Earthjustice.



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.