Sustainable Living
China’s polluted groundwater
As China continues to develop at a rapid pace, attention has been given to its poor air quality and smog. But a new report on the country’s land and water resources has revealed what is perhaps an even graver problem. [Read more…] about China’s polluted groundwater
Large wildlife loss
The decline of large mammals – like elephants and giraffes – is problematic for a number of reasons. Their loss disturbs ecosystems, not to mention the moral implications of allowing some of the most majestic creatures on Earth to approach extinction. But new research suggests another reason we should worry about the loss of large wildlife. [Read more…] about Large wildlife loss
Solar power for the developing world
Our lives are filled with smartphones, computers, appliances, and other things that run on electric power. As a result, it is easy to forget that more than 2 billion people live without electricity. Providing electricity to people in the developing world is a daunting task. But many of these people live in sunny places, where solar power provides a good solution. [Read more…] about Solar power for the developing world
The referee called “foul”
As a child, I remember looking with some fascination at barnacles on the piers in a Cape Cod harbor, and reading about how their growth on the bottoms of boats so slowed their progress in the water that dry-docking for barnacle removal was a common practice. Growths of marine organisms on hard surfaces fall under the general term biofouling. [Read more…] about The referee called “foul”
Our leaky planet
Petroleum deposits formed millions of years ago, when organic-rich sediments were buried and transformed under heat and pressure deep in the Earth’s crust. Most deposits remain deep in the Earth, making it expensive to drill for oil and gas. However, geologic uplift occasionally brings deposits back near the Earth’s surface. [Read more…] about Our leaky planet
Beefalo
In the early 1900s, a rancher conducted a breeding experiment that resulted in a cattle-buffalo hybrid called beefalo. Also known as cattalo, the unruly animals still exist and are now causing major problems in Arizona. [Read more…] about Beefalo
Untapped hydroelectric power
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Hydroelectric power is still the largest renewable energy source in the US, providing about 7% of our electricity generation. In New York, where Niagara Falls has been providing power for over a century, hydropower provides 17% of the state’s electricity. [Read more…] about Untapped hydroelectric power
Chemical plants and schools
Just over a year ago, the town of West, Texas drew national attention when a fertilizer facility exploded, killing 15 people and injuring more than 300. The blast destroyed whole neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and schools. And unfortunately, it’s far from the only destructive incident that’s occurred recently as a result of hazardous chemicals. [Read more…] about Chemical plants and schools
No-till farming
Overall, the loss of grassland in favor of farmland throughout the Midwest has resulted in a loss of wildlife diversity. But recent research from the University of Illinois has shown that the soybean fields that abound throughout the region actually attract nesting birds. [Read more…] about No-till farming
Just how safe are our parks?
Our national park system enjoys almost universal bipartisan support in Congress. True, the parks don’t get all the money they need, but there is no obvious constituency that seeks to dismantle the park system. We all believe that the parks preserve at least a token of the natural heritage of this country, and certain parks, like the Grand Canyon, are iconic. [Read more…] about Just how safe are our parks?
Storing energy with liquid air
A growing percentage of our electricity comes from solar and wind power. Both of these sources are plentiful, but both sunshine and wind come and go. To really depend on these energy sources, we need to be able store the energy they generate when they are most productive so we can use it at other times. [Read more…] about Storing energy with liquid air
Seas of garbage
The protracted and complicated search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has exposed a worldwide problem that hadn’t previously gotten much attention: the oceans are full of garbage. [Read more…] about Seas of garbage
Tidal barrages
There are two basic ways that ocean tides are used to generate electricity: tidal streams and tidal barrages. There has been a great deal of recent interest in tidal stream power, which works like wind power driven by underwater tidal currents. But tidal barrages or barriers are an older technology that is the basis of the largest tidal power installations in the world. [Read more…] about Tidal barrages
Shrinking salamanders
For the first time, a scientific study has concluded that climate change can alter the body size of a species. It was previously speculated that such a connection may exist, but a new study from the University of Maryland has provided concrete support. [Read more…] about Shrinking salamanders
Oil on the water
Marine scientists have spent considerable time tracing the fate of the oil from the BP Deep-Water Horizon oil spill in April 2010. Some was skimmed or burned at the surface. Some was carried in a plume under the water. And, unfortunately, some moved to shore. [Read more…] about Oil on the water
Sterilizing salmon
Farm-raised or wild-caught? That’s a question many people have asked themselves when it comes to buying salmon for dinner. Experts are now concerned about wild and farm-raised salmon associating with one another. [Read more…] about Sterilizing salmon
A low power future
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There is a booming business in energy efficiency, including the design and adoption of energy efficient light bulbs, high mileage vehicles, and more effective insulation. [Read more…] about A low power future
Paintings and pollution
It’s not often scientists make oil paintings a subject of their inquiry, but that is what researchers from Greece and Germany have done in an attempt to understand air pollution through the ages. [Read more…] about Paintings and pollution
Refuge for bees
