Month: January 2014

  • Scotland’s tidal energy potential is greater than a nuclear power plant

    Renewable tidal energy harnessed from a single stretch of water off the northern tip of Scotland could produce enough energy to power half of the nation, engineers say.

  • Oil production in Greenland? Maybe not.

    None of the oil companies that have a license to drill in the seas surrounding Greenland have applied for one in 2014, according to the environment NGO Greenpeace. Oil companies that want to drill in Greenland will have to apply before 1 February, but according to Greenland’s Mining Agency, no applications have been received thus…

  • Coastal erosion concerns in Southern New England

    Southern New England’s coastline — the region’s economic engine — is under siege, and this relentless enemy is gaining force. It can’t be subdued by 20-foot-high seawalls or controlled by old-school hay bales. It’’s allies include parking lots, beachfront development and climate change. Coastal communities here are increasingly experiencing the impacts of an encroaching ocean.…

  • Dueling fruit flies

    Apparently male fruit flies fight. Who knew? According to biologist David Anderson from the fly laboratory of California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Drosophilae, commonly known as fruit flies, fight regularly. Males in particular put up a big fight in the presence of a female because males have special cells in their brains that promote fighting…

  • Washington DC leaking all over

    More than 5,893 leaks from aging natural gas pipelines have been found under the streets of Washington, D.C., by a research team from Duke University and Boston University. A dozen of the leaks could have posed explosion risks, the researchers said. Some manholes had methane concentrations as high as 500,000 parts per million of natural…

  • Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CECs) identified in sewage sludge

    Thousands of chemicals serving a variety of human needs flood into sewage treatment plants once their use life has ended. Many belong to a class of chemicals known as CECs (for chemicals of emerging concern), which may pose risks to both human and environmental health. Arjun Venkatesan and Rolf Halden of Arizona State University’s Biodesign…

  • Sydney Coastal Waters See Successful Seaweed Transplant

    In its natural environment, seaweed plays a major role in marine ecosystems. Not only does the plant provide nutrients and energy for organisms up the food chain, but these plants also provide shelter and habitat for many different species. So when 70 kilometers of seaweed vanished from the Australian Coast in the 1970s and 1980s…

  • Carbon Emissions in U.S. Rise 2 Percent Due to Increase in Coal

    Carbon dioxide emissions rose two percent in the U.S. last year, according to preliminary data from the Energy Information Administration. Emissions rose largely due to increased coal consumption, the first such rise in U.S. emissions since 2010. Still, the annual emissions remain well below the peak hit in 2007 when emissions hit 6 billion tons.

  • Pollination by Insects Produces Bigger Apples

    Pollination can occur in several different ways, but usually plants rely on animals or wind to help pollinate them and help distribute their pollen and seeds. However, a new study shows that apple trees produce bigger, rounder, and more desirable fruit when pollinated by insects in particular. Researchers studied Cox and Gala apples, two popular…

  • Plants and wildlife adapting to climate change in Switzerland

    Wildlife in Switzerland is seeking relief from warming temperatures by moving higher up the mountains, reports Tim Radford. Animals and plants are already today adapting to the rising temperatures at a surprising pace. Alpine ecosystems are on the rise. Between 2003 and 2010, plants have managed to scramble up another eight metres of mountain slope.…