Map Your City's Carbon Pollution : Discovery News

Map Your City's Carbon Pollution : Discovery News: We know that rush hour and winter heating costs mean more carbon pollution, but what if we could actually see them? In a time-lapse model of emissions in Indianapolis, greenhouse gases show up as soaring 'skyscrapers' over the city.

When Earth Attacks: Photos

The Arizona State University Hestia Project, named for the Greek goddess of the Earth and home, incorporates data-mining with simulation tools for traffic data and building energy consumption. Led by Kevin Robert Gurney, the project's software pulls together air pollution, emissions, usage and traffic info and then plots all the greenhouse gas emissions and their sources on a dynamic, high-resolution city map.

Gasland: A Film by Josh Fox

Hydraulic Fracturing FAQsHow does hydraulic fracturing work?

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.
What is horizontal hydraulic fracturing?
Horizontal hydrofracking is a means of tapping shale deposits containing natural gas that were previously inaccessible by conventional drilling. Vertical hydrofracking is used to extend the life of an existing well once its productivity starts to run out, sort of a last resort. Horizontal fracking differs in that it uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.

Eco-friendly Removal of Oil from Soil : Discovery News#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Eco-friendly Removal of Oil from Soil : Discovery News#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1#mkcpgn=rssnws1: "A Lithuanian company claims that their three stage process can remove oil from contaminated soil using only environmentally friendly chemicals, bacteria, and plants.
Oil contaminated soil comes from both accidents and industrial processes. The refining of oil often results in large amounts of highly contaminated sludge. But oil soaked into soil requires different cleaning techniques than oil spills on water."

Natalie Jeremijenko: The art of the eco-mindshift | Video on TED.com

Natalie Jeremijenko: The art of the eco-mindshift | Video on TED.com: "Natalie Jeremijenko's unusual lab puts art to work, and addresses environmental woes by combining engineering know-how with public art and a team of volunteers. These real-life experiments include: Walking tadpoles, texting 'fish,' planting fire-hydrant gardens and more."

Whale poop pumps up ocean health

Whale poop pumps up ocean health: "Whale feces -- should you be forced to consider such matters -- probably conjures images of, well, whale-scale hunks of crud, heavy lumps that sink to the bottom. But most whales actually deposit waste that floats at the surface of the ocean, 'very liquidy, a flocculent plume,' says University of Vermont whale biologist, Joe Roman."

Richard Hoagland Reports on Dangerous Gas Bubble Forming in the Gulf |

Richard Hoagland Reports on Dangerous Gas Bubble Forming in the Gulf |: "Listen two these Youtube clips from Richard Hoagland in relation to the disaster in the gulf. �Then raed my thoughts, explanations, and conclusions on this information below."

Gulf Coast Oil Leak | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS

Gulf Coast Oil Leak | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS: "After President Obama's Oval Office address on the ongoing Gulf disaster, columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks joined Judy Woodruff to review the substance of the primetime speech.

'I thought the windup was stronger than the pitch,' Shields said. 'I'm just not sure beyond the president's energy plan, which is before Congress, what he's asking of us other than to be aware, be committed, understand what people [along the Gulf Coast] are going through down there.'"

Map and Estimates of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico - Interactive Map - NYTimes.com

Map and Estimates of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico - Interactive Map - NYTimes.com: "The “estimated extent” of the oil slick is an estimate by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of where oil is mostly likely to go based on wind and ocean current forecasts, as well as analysis of aerial photography and satellite imagery. The “surveyed extent” show areas where oil was visible on the surface of the water during aerial surveys of the Gulf. The surveyed extents are not available every day and may be incomplete on some days because poor weather conditions prevented observation in some areas."

Whale poop cleans the environment - Science- msnbc.com

Whale poop cleans the environment - Science- msnbc.com: "updated 10:04 p.m. ET, Tues., June 15, 2010
Sperm whale waste isn't much to look at. It's a diarrhea-like substance with a few squid beaks floating around. But new research has found it removes carbon from the atmosphere, helping to offset greenhouse gases that have been tied to global warming."

Blogs and Comments - Comments - Dan Box - We're all responsible for BP's oil spill disaster - The Ecologist

Blogs and Comments - Comments - Dan Box - We're all responsible for BP's oil spill disaster - The Ecologist: "Filled up your car recently? Bought new bike tyres? Popped any pills? Then you're in part responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill...

Enter BP’s stately headquarters at 1 St James’s Square in London and the receptionist hands you a health and safety leaflet. On it, in bold, are the words: 'No accidents, no harm to people, no damage to the environment'."

Investigations - Science and Technology - Could open source technologies help us solve climate change? - The Ecologist

Investigations - Science and Technology - Could open source technologies help us solve climate change? - The Ecologist: "'Open source' is a familiar concept to many web users, providing free, well-supported software across the internet. But could the same principles be used to rapidly disseminate low-carbon technologies around the world?

** In the spirit of the content of this article, the Ecologist has made it freely available to all our readers **"

Fern's evolution gives arsenic tolerance that may clean toxic land

Fern's evolution gives arsenic tolerance that may clean toxic land: "ScienceDaily (June 14, 2010) — Isolating a gene that allows a type of fern to tolerate high levels of arsenic, Purdue University researchers hope to use the finding to create plants that can clean up soils and waters contaminated by the toxic metal."

Op-Ed Columnist - This Time Is Different - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - This Time Is Different - NYTimes.com: "My friend, Mark Mykleby, who works in the Pentagon, shared with me this personal letter to the editor he got published last week in his hometown paper, The Beaufort Gazette in South Carolina. It is the best reaction I’ve seen to the BP oil spill — and also the best advice to President Obama on exactly whom to kick you know where."