Month: December 2013

  • Under the sea, things are VERY interesting!

    The earth’s oceans are much more complex than most people realize. And, new research shows that even under the sea floor, things are more interesting than you would think! The deep biosphere—a realm of sediments buried far below the seafloor—harbors diverse, thriving communities of life, according a new study by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic…

  • Good News for the Moluccan Woodcock

    The Moluccan Woodcock, also known as Obi Woodcock, is a medium-sized forest wader. With it’s long dark bill and orange buff, this elusive, rare bird is evaluated as Endangered and has been on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. But according to new research conducted by Oxford University…

  • Water year round in the land of ice

    In Greenland where three quarters of the land mass is covered by the earth’s only inhabited ice sheet, water is not so easy to obtain. University of Utah researchers however, have discovered a new reservoir/aquifer in Greenland’s ice sheet. The reservoir is known as a “perennial firn aquifer” and covers 27,000 square miles an area…

  • Persistent Energy Ghana Brings Solar to Those Who Need Light

    Persistent Energy Ghana (PEG) is leading the movement to bring green energy, installing solar-powered micro-grids for the one million Ghanaian households that earn between $1 and $6 a day. PEG, a Ghanaian energy services company that launched last year, hopes to help under-electrified regions leap-frog directly from kerosene to solar in the same way that…

  • Amazon forest loss and water supply are linked

    Water, food supplies and energy production are all in jeopardy as the Amazon forest is felled for profit. And as Paul Brown writes, the damage is spreading well beyond Amazonia itself. The combination of industrial and agricultural pollution and droughts is creating a once unthinkable vulnerability for the five countries of Amazonia. The continued destruction…

  • Ways to recycle a Christmas tree

    For nearly a month (maybe longer if you’re one of those day-after-Thanksgiving types), your Christmas tree has formed the centerpiece of holiday celebrations. But now, as the New Year draws near, it’s time to think about what to do with it. If, like millions of people, you chose a fresh cut tree, it’s important to…

  • Florida citrus at risk

    It’s not been a good year for Florida’s citrus industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that, for the second year running, the orange crop is expected to be almost 10 percent lower than the previous year. The culprit is citrus greening, a disease that has devastated Florida’s oranges and grapefruits, and has now begun…

  • Smart is at a whole new level for homes

    Smart homes have gone to a whole new level with Panasonic’s showcase center in Tokyo, Japan. Panasonic’s new technologies feature hydroponics, air ventilation, color customization, and energy consumption. The energy consumption specifically is integrated into a grid of other smart homes that share excess energy; respond to energy needs, and track community usage trends. The…

  • New York City to Use Food Waste to Heat Homes

    New York City will reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills by converting it into energy. Last week, Deputy Mayor Cas Calloway announced that the city will partner with Waste Management to deliver pre-processed organic waste food to Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant where it will be added to wastewater sludge to increase…

  • COLLEGIATE CORNER: The Benefits of Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater Systems

    Approximately 30% of household water use is for outdoor use in the form of garden irrigation. Outdoor water usage is very seasonal, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and outdoor water usage is highest when water availability is the lowest due to drought conditions and heat. The top three uses of water in the…