Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Biofuel Could Lighten Jet Fuel's Carbon Footprint Over 80 Percent
Michigan Technological University

Jet fuel refined from the seeds of a cousin to the cabbage could cut jet fuel's cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by 84 percent, a researcher at Michigan Technological University has discovered.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Fine Details
University of California San Diego

Scripps researchers tackle the "˜holy grail' of climate change modeling.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Consider the Oyster (and Ocean Farming)
University of Southern California (USC)

Super corn and soybeans are so 20th century. With the world's population nearing 7 billion on its way to 9 billion by 2050, and climate change threatening land-based agriculture, marine scientists are looking for reliable new food sources through a Blue Revolution -- the intelligent use of aquaculture to supplement depleted wild fish stocks with farm-raised oysters and other valuable ocean "crops."

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Experts Offer Tips on Becoming an Urban Farmer
Toronto Metropolitan University

Ryerson University faculty experts present 10 tips on becoming an urban farmer.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Researchers Plan Environmental Observatory to Track Impacts of Climate Change in the Lower Mississippi River Delta
Tulane University

Tulane University researchers and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are planning to develop an "environmental observatory" in the lower delta of the Mississippi River to study the impacts of climate change on this region of wetlands and waterways that is vulnerable to devastating storms such as 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Zen Garden Offers Quiet Space At St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University's Japanese-style Zen garden is both teaching space and a place for over-stressed students to take a break for some quiet reflection.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
St. Lawrence Offers 'Green' Back-to-School List
St. Lawrence University

As tempting as those "back-to-school" departments in stores are, students interested in living a "green" life at college should consider a different "must-have" list than the one offered by most colleges. St. Lawrence University has an eco-aware version.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Grinnell College Green Initiatives
Grinnell College

Grinnell College Campus Environmental and Safety Coordinator Chris Bair is available to talk to reporters about Grinnell's campus sustainability efforts and student-led green initiatives.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Ancient Drought and Rapid Cooling Drastically Altered Climate
Ohio State University

Two abrupt and drastic climate events, 700 years apart and more than 45 centuries ago, are teasing scientists who are now trying to use ancient records to predict future world climate. The events - one, a massive, long-lived drought and the other, a rapid cooling that accelerated the growth of tropical glaciers - left signals in ice cores and other geologic records from around the world.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Green Chemistry and Your Health
NIH, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, supports researchers who are designing new, more efficient chemical reactions that can also aid the environment by preventing waste, reducing energy usage and minimizing the use and creation of hazardous compounds.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
TMS 2010 Annual Meeting and Exhibition to Feature a Materials & Society Technical Program
TMS (The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society)

With global focus intensifying on alternative and renewable energy solutions to satisfy both environmental and policy issues, presenters are being sought for the Materials and Society technical programming at The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society's (TMS) 2010 Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The deadline to submit an abstract is July 15.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Troubled Waters: Low Apalachicola River Flow May Hurt Gulf Fisheries
Florida State University

Reductions in the flow of the Apalachicola River have far-reaching effects that could prove detrimental to grouper and other reef fish populations in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, according to a new Florida State University study that may provide new ammunition for states engaged in a nearly two-decade water war.

Released: 19-Jun-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Pollution-resistant Microorganisms Key to Detecting Water Contamination in Southern Waterways
Middle Tennessee State University

Armed with a $165,000 EPA grant, one MTSU geosciences professor is embarking on a study that's focused on determining water pollution based on the presence of two hard-shelled, hardy microorganisms. She's found the organisms in Florida rivers that are used regularly by people in the area, and now, she's launching a similar study in Virginia.

Released: 17-Jun-2009 3:40 PM EDT
Help for Climate-Stressed Corals
Wildlife Conservation Society

Banning or restricting the use of certain types of fishing gear could help the world's coral reefs and their fish populations survive the onslaughts of climate change according to a study by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and other groups.

Released: 17-Jun-2009 10:20 AM EDT
Rising Acidity Levels Could Trigger Shellfish Revenue Declines, Job Losses
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Changes in ocean chemistry "” a consequence of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human industrial activity "” could cause U.S. shellfish revenues to drop significantly in the next 50 years, according to a new study by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Released: 16-Jun-2009 9:00 PM EDT
Arizona Prof Among Authors of New U.S. Global Climate Change Report
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

"This report is a very thorough, sobering synthesis of what we now know about the impacts of climate change on all of us," says Nancy Grimm, a professor at Arizona State University, one of the authors on the new federal study assessing the current and anticipated domestic impacts of climate change.

Released: 16-Jun-2009 3:05 PM EDT
Federal Report Outlines a State of Emergency that Demands Immediate and Decisive Action
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

"Like Paul Revere, this report is shouting that the enemy is at our doorstep," said National Wildlife Federation President & CEO Larry Schweiger of the U.S. Global Change Research Program report.

Released: 16-Jun-2009 2:00 PM EDT
Climate Change Impacts Where Americans Live and Work
Texas Tech University

New assessment of national, regional impacts shows challenges ahead for Great Plains.

Released: 16-Jun-2009 9:30 AM EDT
Sediment Yields Climate Record for Past Half-Million Years
Ohio State University

Researchers have used sediment from the deep ocean bottom to reconstruct a record of ancient climate that dates back more than the last half-million years. The record, trapped within the top 20 meters of a 400-meter sediment core drilled in 2005 in the North Atlantic Ocean by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, gives new information about the four glacial cycles that occurred during that period.

Released: 11-Jun-2009 1:15 PM EDT
Environmental Sustainability in Apparel Industry Focus of June 19 FIBERcast
University of Delaware

What does it mean for a clothing or footwear company to be environmentally sustainable? What specific policies can apparel retailers and brands implement, and how does pursuing environmental sustainability impact a company's bottom line? These and other questions will be explored during the University of Delaware's next FIBERcast, set for Friday, June 19, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register now at this Web site (http://www.ocm.udel.edu/fmi/xsl/fiber/preregister.xsl) for the live, audio program.

Released: 11-Jun-2009 10:00 AM EDT
Study Maps Potential Vulnerability to Heat Waves
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

A research article published on June 11 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) describes an approach to identify which U.S. populations within specific geographic regions are likely to be most susceptible to adverse effects of heat, as well as which areas are most in need of intervention.

Released: 10-Jun-2009 11:10 AM EDT
Milk Goes 'Green': Today's Dairy Farms Use Less Land, Feed and Water
Cornell University

Dairy genetics, nutrition, herd management and improved animal welfare over the past 60 years have resulted in a modern milk production system that has a smaller carbon footprint than mid-20th century farming practices, says a Cornell University study in the Journal of Animal Science (June 2009).

Released: 9-Jun-2009 9:00 AM EDT
Convergence of Food, Health, and the Environment
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Nutrition, environmental health, and food safety are issues that are becoming closely tied, according to speakers at the 2009 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo. Sustainability is becoming more important to the consumer when it comes to food, with factors such as production ethics and global warming being foremost.

7-Jul-2009 3:50 PM EDT
Thousands of Plant Species Likely to Go Extinct in Amazon
Wake Forest University

As many as 4,550 of the more than 50,000 plant species in the Amazon will likely disappear because of land-use changes and habitat loss within the next 40 years, according to a new study by two Wake Forest University researchers.

Released: 3-Jun-2009 2:50 PM EDT
Wellesley College Senior Wins $75,000 Environmental Prize
Wellesley College

As chief operating officer and co-founder of One Earth Designs (OED), Wellesley College senior Catlin Powers has spent as many as 50 hours a week during her college years fighting to bring heat, clean water and other necessities to those in need "” from the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas to economically depressed areas of the Dominican Republic, Ghana and India. Powers has been recognized for her work with several prizes this spring, including $75,000 from the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment.

Released: 2-Jun-2009 10:45 AM EDT
Ethanol Production Could Jeopardize Soil Productivity
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Crop residues possess a critical role in sustaining soil organic matter, and as it is increasingly being used for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol, this removal may impact the long-term productivity of soils.

Released: 2-Jun-2009 5:00 AM EDT
Drilled Cores Yield Unique Arctic Climate Data
University of Massachusetts Amherst

An international research team returned recently from a drilling trip in Siberia, where they retrieved Arctic cores going back further than ever before collected, information they call "of absolutely unprecedented significance" for understanding past climate change and modeling future developments.

Released: 1-Jun-2009 4:30 PM EDT
Waste Not: Cornell Recycles Half Its Garbage Into High-quality Compost
Cornell University

Cornell University's eight-acre composting operation reduces the school's total waste stream by half. It recently won a 2009 Environmental Quality Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Released: 1-Jun-2009 11:20 AM EDT
EHP Announces 2009 Paper of the Year
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

In the June issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), editor-in-chief Hugh A. Tilson announced that the EHP 2009 Paper of the Year is "Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure," written by Shanna H. Swan, Katharina M. Main, Fan Liu, Sara L. Stewart, Robin L. Kruse, Antonia M. Calafat, Catherine S. Mao, J. Bruce Redmon, Christine L. Ternand, Shannon Sullivan, J. Lynn Teague and the Study for Future Families Research Team.

Released: 1-Jun-2009 11:00 AM EDT
In the Turf War Against Seaweed, Coral Reefs More Resilient than Expected
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

There's little doubt that coral reefs the world over face threats on many fronts: pollution, diseases, destructive fishing practices and warming oceans. But reefs appear to be more resistant to one potential menace "“ seaweed "“ than previously thought, according to new research by a team of marine scientists from the United States and Australia.

Released: 29-May-2009 3:30 PM EDT
Researcher Available to Discuss Climate Change, Projections
Texas Tech University

A prominent Texas Tech University climate researcher can discuss how global climate change will affect the United States during the coming century.

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Being Henry David Thoreau: A New Approach to Walden
Furman University

What is the best way to fully appreciate Henry David Thoreau's Walden? For a course at Furman University this spring, the answer was a bit unusual. Spend one week reading the book and another week building a replica of the rustic cabin that Thoreau lived in while writing much of the book.

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
The Green, Green Technology of Home
Furman University

The Cliffs Cottage at Furman University has all the latest technological innovations in sustainable living. Geothermal heating and cooling, two solar technologies, bamboo floors, furniture made from reclaimed wood, even cisterns that collect rainwater from the roof. The home has 3,400 square feet, but is so energy efficient that it can be heated and cooled for less than $75 a month.

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS)
University of Virginia Darden School of Business

To accelerate the development of knowledge on corporate sustainability, a diverse coalition of schools and institutions at leading universities has formed the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS).

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Aerospace Lab Investigates If Going Green Will Fly
Toronto Metropolitan University

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation have increased 83 per cent during the last two decades. With the green movement taking off, the air travel industry is under pressure to come up with eco-friendly solutions. Ryerson University researchers have answered the call and they have just the laboratory to help the aviation industry straighten up and fly right.

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
What Could be One of North America's Greenest Buildings Set to Open May 29
Washington University in St. Louis

An opening ceremony for what could be one of North America's greenest buildings "” a flagship building on the cutting edge of sustainable design and energy efficiency "” will take place at 4 p.m. May 29 at Washington University in St. Louis' new Living Learning Center at the university's Tyson Research Center. The Living Learning Center is a 2,900-square-foot facility built to meet the Living Building Challenge "” designed to be the most stringent green building rating system in the world "” of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council (CRGBC).

Released: 29-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force Launched
Stony Brook University

Expert team of international scientists is devising solutions for sustainably managing these small prey fish; overexploitation and inadequate management are threatening the marine food web.

Released: 28-May-2009 12:30 PM EDT
Hurricane Experts at the Florida State University
Florida State University

From prediction to recovery, Florida State University's experts are among the best in the nation when it comes to the study of hurricanes and their impact on people and property. These experts are available to answer media questions and give perspective to news stories throughout the 2009 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

Released: 27-May-2009 12:25 PM EDT
Melting Greenland Ice Sheets May Threaten Northeast United States, Canada
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

A melting of the Greenland ice sheet this century may drive more water than previously thought toward the already threatened coastlines of New York, Boston, Halifax, and other cities in the northeastern United States and in Canada, according to new research led by NCAR.

Released: 27-May-2009 10:20 AM EDT
New Carbon Footprint Calculator Launched
Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University's Eco-Efficiency Centre, located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, now offers a cost-free carbon footprint calculator for small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada.

Released: 22-May-2009 10:40 AM EDT
Climate Vote the Shot Heard Around the World
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

House committee passes Climate Bill.

Released: 21-May-2009 12:00 PM EDT
Maryland Waterkeepers Settle Lawsuit Against Department of the Environment
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Twelve Maryland Waterkeeper organizations and the Waterkeeper Alliance, represented by the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic, have reached an agreement with the Maryland Department of the Environment ("MDE") resolving the Waterkeepers' legal challenge to MDE's general stormwater permit for construction sites. As a result of this agreement, MDE has committed to making significant changes to the way it requires developers to prevent polluted runoff caused when rain washes sediment and other pollutants from these exposed areas.

Released: 20-May-2009 9:00 PM EDT
Study Suggests Low-Dose Arsenic Compromises Immune Response to Influenza A
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

A research article published online May 20 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that low-dose exposure to arsenic in drinking water may significantly alter components of the immune system and cause a number of changes in the body's response to respiratory infection caused by influenza A, also known as H1N1.

Released: 20-May-2009 12:10 PM EDT
New Book Suggests Earth Perhaps Not Such a Benevolent Mother After All
University of Washington

In a new book, University of Washington paleontologist Peter Ward suggests that Earth is ultimately inhospitable to life, and that life itself might be the primary reason. Rather than the nurturing idea of the Gaia hypothesis, he invokes the darker Medea from Greek mythology.

Released: 20-May-2009 11:45 AM EDT
Skip This Cocktail Party: Contaminants in Marine Mammals' Brains
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The most extensive study of pollutants in marine mammals' brains reveals that these animals are exposed to a hazardous cocktail of pesticides such as DDTs and PCBs, as well as emerging contaminants such as brominated flame retardants.

Released: 19-May-2009 8:45 PM EDT
Michigan Researchers Urge Scientists to Speak Out on Policy
Michigan Technological University

Should environmental scientists be advocates for environmental policy? To a wildlife ecologist from Michigan Technological University and an environmental ethicist from Michigan State University, the answer is a resounding yes.

Released: 18-May-2009 4:10 PM EDT
Review of Occurence of Anti-infectives in Water
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

Anti-infectives have become environmental contaminants of growing concern, as they are transported from landfills, agriculture and urban centers into waterways and drinking water, according to a review article published in the May 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

Released: 18-May-2009 3:45 PM EDT
Polar Bear-Climate Connection Supported by New Study
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Forecasts of polar bear populations and their likely responses to climate change have been strengthened by a new publication that refutes criticisms of the scientific basis for listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.

Released: 14-May-2009 11:20 AM EDT
Commencement 2009: Seeking Clean Energy and Inner Harmony
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Ranganath Teki this month will earn his doctorate in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, but his quest for learning and knowledge is far from complete. Along with his cutting-edge nanomaterials research and clever green energy innovations, Teki is fostering an undying fascination for the world around him and a greater appreciation for the connectedness of it all.

Released: 13-May-2009 4:30 PM EDT
Study Finds Surprising New Pathway for North Atlantic Circulation
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Oceanographers have long known that the 20-year-old paradigm for describing the global ocean circulation"“ called the Great Ocean Conveyor "“ was an oversimplification. It's a useful depiction, but it's like describing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a catchy tune.



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