Jan 02 2014

Tracking tracks yields old, old story

and has no comments yet.
Scientists in the UK have dated a set of footprints found in 1961 in the Chihuahuan desert in northeastern Mexico helping us understand the climate conditions in this area more than 7,000 years ago. The footprints were excavated while workman were building a road and placed in the Museo del Desierto in Saltillo, Coahuila. The age of the footprints peeked the interest of researchers at the John Moores University in Liverpool. In 2006 their curiosity yielded a second set of prints in a Cuatro Ciénegas quarry.
Categories: News
Dec 30 2013

Water year round in the land of ice

and has 1 comment.
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 larger than the state of West Virginia. Called a firn because water persists within layers of snow and ice that doesn't melt for at least one season, researchers believe the discovery will aid in the understanding of snowmelt and ice melt as it relates to rising sea levels.
Categories: News
Dec 23 2013

Out with the old and in with the new–light bulbs that is!

and has 1 comment.
As of January 1, 2014, 60 and 40 watt incandescent bulbs will no longer be manufactured or sold in the United States. Retailers will sell out what is on their shelves and not restock incandescents. George W. Bush signed the phase-out, which was called for by The Energy Independence and National Security Act, in 2007. The bill also includes improvements in energy efficiency for lighting and appliances many of which have been in stores for several years.
Categories: News
Dec 16 2013

EU asks the U.S. to share the energy wealth

and has 1 comment.
Taking note of the United States recoupment of natural gas, most specifically from shale, the EU is pressing its Washington counterparts to include energy exports in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TIPP) trade pact currently being negotiated. The pact will account for half of the world's economy covering goods and services to include everything from agriculture to finance.
Categories: News
Dec 16 2013

Human values and coral reef management

and has 1 comment.
"Human values need to be considered in decision-making to improve long-term coral reef management," says Dr. Christina Hicks, research fellow from Stanford. Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) at James Cook University and Stanford University are linking social science to ecology in order to improve the environmental problems in these sensitive ecosystems. Currently little thought is given to the human community's needs including food and wellbeing for the more powerful economic interests, such as tourism, which drives coral reef management.
Categories: News
Dec 06 2013

Primal rights: Justice for Tommy the chimp

and has no comments yet.
Plaintiff Tommy the chimp of Johnstown, New York has made legal history. Attorney Steve Wise on December 2, 2013 presented a case on behalf of the chimp for his legal right to bodily liberty. Wise who represents the Nonhuman Rights Project, asserts that 26-year-old Tommy, who has been kept alone in a cage in a local warehouse, is a person, possessing a legal right to bodily liberty previously reserved for humans and has a right to not be owned or imprisoned against his will.
Categories: News
Dec 02 2013

Another rotten Grinch tale

and has no comments yet.
Seemingly working in concert with the Grinch, Phytophthora root rot is taking hold in the roots of Christmas tree farms throughout Oregon and North Carolina. Phytophthora root rot is a rapidly moving fungus found in poorly drained soils. It causes a slow decline in a tree first destroying the feeder roots and then turning the needles light green or yellow. The pathogen infects the root cortex first depriving the remainder of the root and the plant from its nutrients. Pytophthora root rot is difficult to detect and is only verified with laboratory analysis.
Categories: News
Dec 02 2013

Holiday D”eco”rations

and has no comments yet.
Each year holiday decorations provide opportunities to foster family traditions and foundations for normalcy within our generation. But our decorating traditions should not negatively impact future generations. While lights, trees, ornaments, wrapping paper and candles are mainstays in the holiday decorating tradition many of them eventually end up in the landfill or in our air as long lasting pollutants. Being aware of what is a potential hazard and what alternatives there may be is important and necessary for future generations.
Categories: News
Nov 27 2013

Clean water filtration: basic necessity

and has 1 comment.
Clean water is a vital concern as many parts of the world struggle with its availability. Kenya is a prime example of a country on the edge. Kenya's people have long struggled with lack of availability of fresh water creating hazardous health conditions. According to the World Bank, the country's population is well over 43 million people. The country is one of the poorest on the earth with one of the most arid climates. Only a small portion of the land is suitable for agriculture. Further, Natural resources available to Kenya do not support adequate or equitable delivery of water forcing people to spend many hours of each day, procuring water for basic sustenance.
Categories: News
Nov 25 2013

“Location, location, location” on the wild side

and has 1 comment.
The old real estate adage "location, location, location" is still the most important factor in purchasing property but the term "location" is bringing with it a different perspective today than it did years ago. While property sales have boasted bonus attributes such as proximately to shops, bus routes, beach front and features such as media rooms, offices and central air conditioning and "other amenities" little has been said about wildlife-friendly gardens.
Categories: News
1 2 3 4 5