Month: January 2015

  • First 2 Fugitives from Interpol's Most Wanted Environmental List Nabbed

    Launched in October 2014, Infra (which stands for “International Fugitive Round Up and Arrest”) Terra focuses on 139 fugitives altogether wanted by 36 member countries for crimes including illegal fishing, wildlife trafficking, trade and disposal of waste, logging and trading in illicit ivory. 

  • California drought hard on Chinook salmon

    Gushing downpours finally arrived in California last month, when December rains brought some relief to a landscape parched after three years of severe drought. But the rain came too late for thousands of Chinook salmon that spawned this summer and fall in the northern Central Valley. The Sacramento River, running lower than usual under the scorching sun, warmed…

  • Why we need to reduce our “hidden water” usage

    The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is urging coordinated action to reduce the amount of hidden water used in food and drink production – estimated at up to 1.8 million litres per person every year equivalent to an Olympic size swimming pool. Each person consumes between 2,000-5,000 litres of water embedded in their food, every day…

  • Reducing aircraft emissions globally will require effective regulations

    Aviation emissions are a major clause of climate change, writes Valerie Brown – yet they remain unregulated. The gap between the best and worst performing airlines demonstrates ample opportunities for improvement – but is the political will there to impose effective regulation?The performance gap suggests the industry could reduce GHG emissions significantly if the least…

  • California's regulations on diesel trucks are having a positive impact on air pollution

    Ever wonder what's in the black cloud that emits from some semi trucks that you pass on the freeway? Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientist Thomas Kirchstetter knows very precisely what's in there, having conducted detailed measurements of thousands of heavy-duty trucks over months at a time at two San Francisco Bay Area locations.​With…

  • The good role fat cells play in protecting us from disease

    When it comes to skin infections, a healthy and robust immune response may depend greatly upon what lies beneath. In a new paper published in the January 2, 2015 issue of Science, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect us…