EU Targets Drug Water Contamination
For the first time the European Union (EU) is proposing to test pharmaceutical products in EU waters. The Commission is proposing to add 15 chemicals to the list of 33 pollutants that are currently monitored and controlled in EU surface waters. The popular pain-relieving drug Diclofenac is one of three. . .
Full Story »Atlantic Sturgeon Declared Endangered
The Atlantic sturgeon is a species of fish that has been with us since the last ice age. It’s what most scientists would call prehistoric looking. The sturgeon can live for sixty years, grow to 14 feet, and weigh 800 pounds. Despite its historical longevity, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric. . .
Full Story »Drink Up For A Healthier Heart
Researchers at UCLA have been able to prove that a little ethanol can go a long way to increasing a life span – the life span of a worm that is. While the worms, known as Caenorhabditis elegans – typically live for 15 days, their life spans increased to 20. . .
Full Story »Forest Service Tries to Weaken Protections
The U.S. Forest Service today released a new proposal for the nation’s 193-million-acre national forest system that will weaken rules protecting fish and wildlife from logging, livestock grazing, mining and off-road vehicles. The new proposal, which was released as part of the final environmental impact statement for the rule, is. . .
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Using Flowers To Build Cars
The automobile industry is definitely taking the initiative on finding new ways to provide us with a “greener” product. For now, we’ll not discuss hybrid, electric, hydrogen propulsion systems for cars, but instead, we’ll tout Ford’s new interior initiatives. Ford plans on using more plant based ingredients in the vehicles. . .
Canadian MP’s Questioning Seal Pup Hunt
Every February Canada hosts a bloodbath that evokes the world’s scorn. It is the annual Newfoundland seal hunt that kills young white seal pups. You’ve seen it on video and in pictures. Hunters approach a young seal pup with a club that has a spike in it. Seal mother’s try. . .
Walnuts Shown To Fight Tumors
Thanks to funding from the California Walnut Board, researchers at the University of California, Davis and the USDA Western Regional Research Center have discovered that eating walnuts can be used to reduce and prevent tumors from ever forming — at least in mice. Mice that were fed walnut-rich diets had. . .
Reusing Wastewater
Reusing wastewater as potable and non-potable water will some day become a reality in this country. A new a report released this month by the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, investigated the potential for establishing a more. . .
New Enzyme Converts Seaweed To Biofuel
A recently published paper in Science claims that a new process has been developed to turn seaweed into a viable feedstock for biofuel. Bio Architecture Lab says that they’ve isolated an enzyme that could be used to convert seaweed into sugar. Making fuel and chemicals from crops such as corn. . .
Lower Fed Gas Tax Impacting Mass Transit
The federal gasoline tax funds highways and mass transit. At a current tax rate of 18.4 percent it is one of the lowest gas taxes in the world. The tax was created in 1956 to finance highway construction, and in 1982, Congress expanded its scope to fund mass transit as. . .
Office Air Study Shows Health Concern
It’s bad enough that most of us have to work in an office environment. It’s not just the caddy gossip or grumpy bosses we have contented with, but the health risks associated with working in an office. A new study that was recently released reports that the indoor air quality. . .
Why The Brain Needs A Good Night’s Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep in can sometimes be a challenge for most of us. We all know what a great night’s sleep can do for us. It doesn’t just make us feel more rested, but it also helps us think clearer and be more alert. The brain needs a. . .
Climate Change And Flu May Be Linked
Shifting global climate patterns could portend a flu pandemic, and an opportunity for nations to a stop a virus before it gains momentum. The link, according to researchers, is weather’s influence on the migratory patterns of wild birds, the primary pool for human flu. “Changes in flight patterns, length of. . .
NASA Creates Tree Map Of U.S.
The NASA Earth Observatory, in conjunction with Woods Hole Research Center’s (WHRC) National Biomass and Carbon Database, released an image showcasing where the greatest concentrations of trees are in the U.S. The newly released map was a byproduct of computer models, space-based radar, satellite sensors, and ground-based data. It took. . .
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