Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 29-Jun-2011 4:30 PM EDT
Researcher Invents Software to Predict Lionfish Invasion
Nova Southeastern University

Software shows where invaders are spreading from their point of origin.

Released: 29-Jun-2011 3:50 PM EDT
University of Texas Professor Hosts Presentation on "Fracing" Facts and Myths
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

Mukul Sharma, a professor in The University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering and an international expert on hydraulic fracturing, presented June 27 on the facts and myths, the knowns and unknowns and the concerns – both real and perceived – surrounding the gas extraction process.

Released: 28-Jun-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Mid-Atlantic States' Unique Plan to Replace Dirtiest Trucks
University of Maryland, College Park

Four Mid-Atlantic States will offer one of the nation’s most generous programs to replace old, polluting trucks – short-haul “drays”. It doubles an EPA cash-for-clunkers-style effort with public and private money. "We no longer want our ports to be the place where old trucks go to die," says University of Maryland’s Joanne Throwe, program coordinator.

Released: 28-Jun-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Climate Change Makes Some Chemicals More Toxic to Aquatic Life
Baylor University

Some areas of the southern United States are suffering from the longest dry spell since 1887 and a new Baylor University study shows that could prove problematic for aquatic organisms.

Released: 27-Jun-2011 11:40 AM EDT
Wildlife Surviving Conflict in Afghanistan
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new survey conducted by WCS scientists, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), reveals that large mammals, including Asiatic black bears, gray wolves, markhor goats, and leopard cats are surviving in parts of Afghanistan after years of conflict.

Released: 27-Jun-2011 9:55 AM EDT
Disease-Resistant Oysters Call for Shift in Bay Restoration Strategies
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary

Development of disease resistance among Chesapeake Bay oysters calls for a shift in oyster-restoration strategies within the Bay and its tributaries. That’s according to a new study by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Released: 27-Jun-2011 7:00 AM EDT
Going Green at Home Made Easier with iPhone App; Homeowners Can Control Home Appliances Remotely
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Computer science researchers at the University of Arkansas and University of San Francisco have developed an automated energy-management system that monitors energy generation and consumption in off-grid and grid-tied homes that use solar energy or wind power.

Released: 26-Jun-2011 11:00 PM EDT
Helping Md. Municipalities Go Green to Save: New UMD Initiative
University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland and the Municipal League are teaming up to assist communities plan and implement green, sustainable practices that may help them cope with tight budgets. The program guides communities through steps ultimately earning them a “Sustainability Certification” – which may eventually earn them preferences in funding.

21-Jun-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Exposure to Parental Stress Increases Pollution-Related Lung Damage in Children
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Psychosocial stress appears to enhance the lung-damaging effects of traffic-related pollution (TRP) in children, according to new research from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.

Released: 23-Jun-2011 2:10 PM EDT
Massive Fires Remain Destructive After the Burn Has Gone
Northern Arizona University

This season’s massive Arizona fires making headlines around the globe have destroyed dozens of structures and burned nearly three-quarters of a million acres. They also are contributing to global warming, scientists say, by upsetting the carbon balance while they are burning and for years to come.

Released: 23-Jun-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Researchers Discover Migration Patterns of Marine Predators
Dalhousie University

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax and Stanford University in California concluded a two year study called “Tracking apex marine predator movements in a dynamic ocean” published in the science journal Nature released June 22.

Released: 23-Jun-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Native Plants May be Able to Stop Invading Species in Their Tracks
Allen Press Publishing

Nature can have its own solutions to offer against invasive plant species. In the case of the weed cogongrass, woody vegetation at the forest’s edge may stop its progress. By catching seeds blowing in the wind, shrubs can prevent or lessen the impact of an invasion of weeds that will strangle native plants.

Released: 22-Jun-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Toxic Compounds in Groundwater
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Research is being conducted on degrading a toxic compound found in groundwater systems around the world.

Released: 22-Jun-2011 1:25 PM EDT
Where Will Grizzly Bears Roam?
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society highlights the critical importance of 1.3 million acres of roadless, public lands in Montana’s spectacular Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. The report recommends that most of these lands be preserved to protect wolverines, bighorn sheep, westslope cutthroat and bull trout, grizzly bears and other vulnerable species in the face of climate change and other threats.

Released: 22-Jun-2011 12:30 PM EDT
Economic Cost of Weather May Total $485 Billion in U.S.
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

The economic impacts of routine weather events can add up to 3.4% of the nation's GDP.

16-Jun-2011 4:10 PM EDT
Caribou in Alberta’s Oil Sands Stressed by Human Activity, Not Wolves
University of Washington

New research suggests that, in the Athabasca Oil Sands in northern Alberta, human activity related to oil production and the timber industry could be more important than wolves in the decline of the caribou population.

Released: 22-Jun-2011 6:00 AM EDT
Tiny Creatures Point to Possible Climate Change
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A University of Arkansas researcher and her colleagues studied core sediments from a shallow boreal lake and found that storm activity has increased substantially over the past 150 years. The rise in storm frequency appears to be linked to solar activity, but also may be linked to higher global temperatures resulting from increased amounts of greenhouse gases.

16-Jun-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Scientists Call for Safety Testing of Chemicals to Include Prenatal Exposures
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

A review published online June 22 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) reports the conclusions of an international workshop on ways to improve chemicals safety testing for effects on the breast. The studies reviewed by workshop scientists indicate that chemical exposures during critical periods of development may influence breast growth, ability to breastfeed, and cancer risk. The scientists recommend that future chemical testing evaluate effects on the breast after prenatal and early-life exposure.

   
Released: 20-Jun-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Targeting of Air Pollution Policies Could Double Health Improvements and Reduce Inequalities
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

A study focused on a new multiple-pollutant, risk-based approach doubles the health benefits achieved by conventional single contaminant approaches with improved outcomes for the susceptible and vulnerable.

Released: 20-Jun-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Buildup Unlikely to Spark Abrupt Climate Change
University of Washington

New research lends support to recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change is the result of alterations in ocean circulation uniquely associated with ice ages, not from atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Released: 17-Jun-2011 1:00 PM EDT
Scientists Call North American Wildlife Conservation Model Flawed
Michigan Technological University

Often touted as the greatest envirnmental achievement of the 20th century, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is anything but, say wildlife ecologists and environmental ethicists from Michigan Technological University and Michigan State University.

Released: 16-Jun-2011 4:30 PM EDT
Scientists Seek to Adapt Crops to Climate Change
Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)

Crop Science Society of America releases a position statement that calls for research programs to understand crops’ adaptation to drought, heat, and biological stresses from climate change

Released: 16-Jun-2011 8:30 AM EDT
Societies Establish Climate Change Position
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

The 10,000-plus members of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America develop a position statement on climate change.

Released: 15-Jun-2011 2:40 PM EDT
Study Finds Golden Algae Responsible for Killing Millions of Fish Less Toxic in Sunlight
Baylor University

A new Baylor University study has found that sunlight decreases the toxicity of golden algae, which kills millions of fish in the southern United States every year.

Released: 15-Jun-2011 10:45 AM EDT
Conservation on the Menu: Study Can Help Decrease Water Usage in Restaurants
Kansas State University

Recent research by Matthew VanSchenkhof, a Kansas State University doctoral student, can help restaurants decrease water usage without dampening dinner.

Released: 15-Jun-2011 4:00 AM EDT
Asbestos Exposure Linked to Genetic Mutation
University of Haifa

Mice exposed to a high concentration of asbestos-contaminated dust, have a higher level of genetic somatic mutations, compared with other regions where asbestos pollution levels are lower. This has been shown in a new study.

Released: 14-Jun-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Baylor University Researcher Available to Speak about Wildfires and Climate Change
Baylor University

A Baylor University expert is available to journalists for interviews about how climate change in the desert southwest will decrease the likelihood of widespread and intense wildfires, such as the one in Arizona, over the next 50 years.

Released: 9-Jun-2011 7:00 AM EDT
Global Temperature Report: May 2011
University of Alabama Huntsville

Pacific cooling fades, temperatures rise

8-Jun-2011 9:00 AM EDT
How Diving Bell Spiders Can Breathe Under Water
University of Adelaide

Researchers have given us new insights into how a species of air-breathing spider can spend its whole life under water, only venturing to the surface occasionally to replenish its air supply.

Released: 8-Jun-2011 10:45 AM EDT
Study Finds Widespread Stream Biodiversity Declines at Low Levels of Urban Development
Baylor University

A new study from biology researchers at Baylor University and the University of Maryland-Baltimore has found that there are consistent and widespread declines in stream biodiversity at lower levels of urban development more damaging than what was previously believed.

Released: 8-Jun-2011 3:00 AM EDT
High Voltage! Power Experts Pull Out All The Stops at Int'l Energy Meet
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Sometimes green energy experts just need a hug... ALSO releasing a global energy roadmap PLUS new daily event photos, videos and your guide to underreported stories

Released: 7-Jun-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Paved Surfaces Can Foster Build-Up of Polluted Air
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

New research focusing on the Houston area suggests that widespread urban development alters wind patterns in a way that can make it easier for pollutants to build up during warm summer weather instead of being blown out to sea.

7-Jun-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Fetal Exposure to BPA Changes Development of Uterus in Primates
Endocrine Society

Exposure in the womb to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in the food and medical industries, causes changes in female primates’ uterus development, new research suggests. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

Released: 6-Jun-2011 7:00 AM EDT
Engineered Liver May Shed Light on Effects of Chemicals in the Environment
Virginia Tech

A new research project will establish a liver mimic as an effective model for studying the effects of different types of toxicants on the liver.

Released: 5-Jun-2011 2:15 PM EDT
Potent Greenhouse Gas Eliminatedfrom Routine Safety Test at UC San Diego
University of California San Diego

In an important environmental victory, UC San Diego and the University of California Office of the President have persuaded state regulators to drop a requirement that UC campuses use a potent greenhouse gas in a required laboratory safety test.

4-Jun-2011 8:00 AM EDT
BPA Lowers Male Fertility
Endocrine Society

Daily exposure to a chemical that is prevalent in the human environment, bisphenol A (BPA), causes lowered fertility in male mice, according to the results of a new study that will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

Released: 3-Jun-2011 1:00 PM EDT
Need a Field With Major Job Prospects? Check Out Geoscience
University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Dramatic growth in jobs for students in the earth sciences is expected in the next few years, but students who want to take advantage of the growing market must "speak the language" of other disciplines.

Released: 1-Jun-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Determining Changes to Animals' Diet as a Result of Changes in Ecosystems
Dalhousie University

Dr. Sara Iverson from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia is able to determine what predators at the top of the food chain are eating, and by extension, how their diet has changed due to changes in ecosystems.

Released: 1-Jun-2011 12:55 PM EDT
Study Finds Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy May Be Safe for Soil Animals
Baylor University

A new study has found that an emerging tool for combating climate change may cause less harm to some soil animals than initial studies suggested.

Released: 1-Jun-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Livestock Risks from Wisconsin Wolves Localized, Predictable
University of Wisconsin–Madison

As Wisconsin’s wolf population grows, intensifying the potential for conflicts with people, University of Wisconsin-Madison research is revealing that one of the most visible types of conflict — attacks on livestock — is highly localized and may be predictable.

Released: 31-May-2011 3:20 PM EDT
Code Green: Energy-Efficient Programming to Curb Computers’ Power Use
University of Washington

A new system called EnerJ helps computer programmers go green, letting them cut a program's energy consumption by as much as 50 percent.

Released: 31-May-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Scientists Urge Greater Protection of Marine Preserves
Dalhousie University

A group of marine researchers and scientists have banded together for one purpose: to fight for protected areas of the ocean to ensure they are free of harmful industrial activities.

Released: 31-May-2011 8:35 AM EDT
Biodegradable Products May Be Bad For The Environment
North Carolina State University

Research from North Carolina State University shows that so-called biodegradable products are likely doing more harm than good in landfills, because they are releasing a powerful greenhouse gas as they break down.

Released: 31-May-2011 8:00 AM EDT
High Risk of Parkinson's Disease for People Exposed to Pesticides Near Workplace
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have identified a third pesticide linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, and found that people whose workplaces were near fields sprayed with pesticides were at higher risk of developing the disease.

Released: 31-May-2011 1:00 AM EDT
Plant Biology Meets Up with Computational Wizardry
Virginia Tech

Over time, plants have evolved to adapt to a constantly changing, often hostile, environment. Unfortunately, they are facing a new and difficult challenge ahead. Computation science will help plant scientists understand how plants can respond to stress.

Released: 27-May-2011 1:50 PM EDT
Human Impacts of Rising Oceans Will Extend Well Beyond Coasts
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Estimates that are based on current, static population data can greatly misrepresent the true extent – and the pronounced variability – of the human toll of climate change, say University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

23-May-2011 2:05 PM EDT
New Research Points to the Significant Role of Oceans in the Onset of Ancient Global Cooling
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

New research published in the journal Science, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scientist Miriam Katz, is providing some of the strongest evidence to date that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) played a key role in the major shift in the global climate that began approximately 38 million years ago. The research provides the first evidence that early ACC formation played a vital role in the formation of the modern ocean structure.

Released: 25-May-2011 11:25 AM EDT
International Team Provides Global Analysis of Seagrass Extinction Risk
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary

A team of 21 researchers from 11 nations has completed the first-ever study of the risk of extinction for individual seagrass species around the world. The 4-year study, requested by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), shows that 10 of the 72 known seagrass species (14%) are at an elevated risk of extinction, while 3 species qualify as endangered.



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