April 1, 2017 It’s only fitting that the largest emitter of greenhouse gases –China- should become the world’s leader in renewable energy. That is exactly what is happening, courtesy of the United States. In 2025, on his first day in office, President Trump reversed climate change policies. The numbers speak … Continue reading
Category Archives: Water
California Flooding & Drought
February 16, 2017 We have received numerous requests to reconcile drought with the recent flooding in northern California. Most of them infer that, being polar opposites, it is impossible to have both at the same time. The answer is that California’s climate is complex and varied, with a well-watered north … Continue reading
New Property of Water Discovered
[google-translator] December 1, 2016 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have discovered that when in carbon nanotubes, which are just a few molecules thick, water freezes, even at temperatures in excess of 105 degrees Celsius –beyond its usual boiling point. The discovery may lead to subsequent applications with the transportation … Continue reading
Decades-Long Megadroughts Coming
October 7, 2016 A megadrought is comparable in severity to the worst droughts of the 20th century, but of much longer duration. As a result, it would impose unprecedented stress on limited water resources in the American Southwest. A study published in Science Advances warns of the near certainty of … Continue reading
Farm in Desert Uses Saltwater and Sun Only
[google-translator] October 6, 2016 A farm in Australia is now using seawater and sun to grow vegetables, and it does not require pesticides or fossil fuels. Instead, it relies on a sun-powered desalination plant and a greenhouse to irrigate tomatoes. This is of course a great step forward along the … Continue reading
High Risk of Severe Water Stress in Asia
[google-translator] March 30, 2016 A study published in the peer-reviewed online journal PLOS (Public Library of Science) finds that in the absence of autonomous adaptation or societal response, there is a high risk of severe water stress in some densely populated Asian watersheds by 2050. Abstract The sustainability of future … Continue reading
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef At Greater Risk Than Previously Believed
February 23, 2016 According to an article published in Nature Communications, the prognosis for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in much worse than previously thought. Excerpt “The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is founded on reef-building corals. Corals build their exoskeleton with aragonite, but ocean acidification is lowering the aragonite saturation … Continue reading
Water Crisis
06/05/2021 A comprehensive research article published in Science Advances found that water scarcity is actually worse than first thought. The authors found that fully two-thirds of the global population suffer severe water scarcity at least 1 month per year, and nearly half of them live in India and China. In … Continue reading
Study of Mercury Pollution in Northeastern U.S.
Chemical and Biological Control of Mercury Cycling in Upland, Wetland and Lake Ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. EPA Grant Number: R827633 Title: Chemical and Biological Control of Mercury Cycling in Upland, Wetland and Lake Ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. Project Period: November 1, 1999 through October 31, 2002 (Extended to … Continue reading