Water


Protein Complex Found to Regulate Plant Growth

Farmers and other astute observers of nature have long known that crops like corn and sorghum grow taller at night. But the biochemical mechanisms that control this nightly stem elongation, common to most plants, have been something of a mystery to biologists—until now.

Oregon Pesticide Company to Pay $54,000 for Using Outdated Labeling on Products

On at least 52 separate occasions in 2008 to 2009, Orcal sold and distributed pesticide with incorrect labeling.

Justice Department, EPA Focus on Environmental Justice in Newark, N.J.

New Jersey has seen an unjust share of environmental damage, and EPA and DOJ join forces to do something about it.

Birth Defects Study Adds Urgency to Appalachian Mountaintop Removal Health Concerns

Scientists, environmental advocates, and Appalachian residents affected by mountaintop removal called on Congress to heed the warning in new research that suggest a link between mountaintop removal mining and elevated rates of certain birth defects.

Desalinating Seawater with Minimal Energy Use

At a pilot facility in Singapore, Siemens has cut the energy needed to desalinate seawater by more than 50 percent.

EPA Strengthens Key Scientific Database to Protect Public Health

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced plans to improve its Integrated Risk Information System program as part of an ongoing effort initiated in 2009 to strengthen the program.

EPA Clean Air Milestones in Texas

EPA recently announced that all ‘flexible permit’ companies in Texas have agreed to apply for approved air permits, helping to achieve clean air in the state and providing for regulatory certainty.

Viruses Found in 40 Percent of European Recreational Waters

European researchers have found viruses in nearly 40 percent of more than 1,400 recreational water samples gathered from coastal and inland areas in nine countries, including Spain.



Herbicide Resistance, Weeds Are Spreading in the United States

Herbicide resistance is growing. At least 21 weed species have now developed resistance to glyphosate, a systemic herbicide that has been effectively used to kill weeds and can be found in many commercial products.

First-of-its-Kind Cellulosic BioRefinery in Iowa Will Create Jobs, Displace 13.5 Million Gallons of Gasoline Annually

Unlike many conventional corn ethanol plants, Project LIBERTY will use corncobs, leaves and husks -- sources provided by local farmers -- that do not compete with feed grains.

Researchers to Study Effect of CO2 Injection on Geological Formations

In a test project, researchers plan to inject some 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide into a coalbed methane field in southwest Virginia, at a site that is not suitable for underground mining purposes.

KPMG Reduces Carbon Footprint Through Living Green Initiative

KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, recently announced it achieved a 22 percent carbon reduction over three years from its 2007 baseline target, as part of its plan to improve the environmental performance of its business.

Researchers Dig Deep Into Wyoming Basin for Global Warming Clues

About 55 million years ago, the Earth burped up a massive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – an amount equivalent to burning all the petroleum and other fossil fuels that exist today.

Tips Tuesday: Five Tips to Green Your Summer Vacation

The summer travel season is here and whether you are traveling by train, plane or automobile, your vacation is likely to increase your carbon footprint. Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that registers and issues carbon offsets, offers five easy and affordable ways to reduce the impact of your summer travel on the planet.

Nut Company Plants Park in Nation's Capital

Mr. Peanut is arriving in Washington, D.C. – by way of his new biodiesel Nutmobile – to open a new urban park, Planters Grove, in Northeast D.C.

Climate Change Reducing Ocean’s Carbon Dioxide Uptake

As one of the planet’s largest single carbon absorbers, the ocean takes up roughly one-third of all human carbon emissions, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and its associated global changes.But whether the ocean can continue mopping up human-produced carbon at the same rate is still up in the air.

Study Finds Substantial Uncertainty With Natural Proxy Temperature Reconstruction

Since 1998, climate scientists have attempted to reconstruct global annual temperature over the last millennium using natural proxies such as tree rings and ice cores. However, a new study finds substantial uncertainty in these reconstructions.

Most Likely U.S. Metros to Withstand Natural Or Economic Disaster

Which U.S. metro region is most likely to come out of the next recession, natural disaster or other regional “shock” relatively unscathed? Rochester, Minn. A little more battered might be College Station-Bryan, Texas.

Indoor Air Pollution Linked to Cardiovascular Risk

An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people – especially women – to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease.

University Looks to Install Solar ‘Ivy’

Solar-generated electricity is taking a new form – that of solar panels shaped like artistically fashioned ivy leaves decorating a wall’s surface. The first location in the United States to apply this colorful array is the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. This new product called Solar Ivy was developed by Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology (SMIT), a company in New York.