Green Technology and Environmental Science News - ENN

Midwest Weather Looks Good for Harvest

dotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST

U.S. Midwest weather is seen mostly dry through the next week, ideal for the corn and soybean harvest, a forecaster said on Friday. "This is outstanding weather. Considering the time of the year, this is about as good as you're going to get," said Mike Palmerino with DTN Meteorlogix.

Geoengineering Being Discussed in Washington

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:47:00 EST

Dr. Ken Caldeira, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington provided a balanced look at the potential benefits and also the costs and possible harm that geoengineering techniques could offer in our quest to find a “Magic Bullet” to counter global warming. Can global warming be mitigated by a technological fix such as injecting light-blocking particles into the atmosphere or chemically “scrubbing” excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere? Department of Global Ecology scientist Ken Caldeira addressed this question in his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology in a hearing titled “Geoengineering: Assessing the Implications of Large-Scale Climate Intervention” on November 5, 2009.

$30.6M in Stimulus Funds Give US Hydroelectric Projects a New Spark

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:00 EST

Up to $30.6 million in economic stimulus funds will be used to finance seven hydroelectric projects nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The additional funding means Voith Hydro, a manufacturer of hydroelectric turbines, will be able to retain 40 jobs at its manufacturing facility in York, Pennsylvania

Ethiopian Rift Shows How Continents Can Split, Create New Ocean

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:10:00 EST

A new study reported by the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the University of Rochester sheds light on how the continents move, and oceans are created. In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial. Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is indeed likely the beginning of a new sea.

Margaret Thatcher, Lyndon Johnson were Right!

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:26:00 EST

President Lyndon Johnson and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made stark warnings about global warming decades ago, but convincing evidence for action only amassed in recent years, experts say. A 190-nation U.N. conference in Copenhagen in December is due to agree a new U.N. pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions to slow a rise in temperatures to prevent floods, droughts, wildfires or rising sea levels.

ENN is pleased to be a media partner with Robert Bateman’s Innovative Contest that Challenges Youth to Connect with Nature

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:53:00 EST

In an unprecedented collaboration, over thirty major organizations have joined forces to invite young Americans to discover nature by entering the Robert Bateman "Get to Know" Contest. These partners include the US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Federation, the Children & Nature Network, the Wyland Foundation, and many others. The Get to Know Contest invites any American age 18 or younger to go outdoors, to "get to know" their wild neighbors, and then to share their experience by creating art, writing, or photography.

Turning Algae Into Bioplastic Could Slash Petroleum Use by 50%

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:53:00 EST

California-based company Cereplast has revealed that it is developing breakthrough technology to transform algae into bioplastics, and predicts that it could replace 50% or more of the petroleum content used in traditional plastic resins.