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'Apollo Program' for hydrogen energy needed, researcher says in Science
What if all the vehicles now on the road in the United States were suddenly powered by hydrogen fuel cells? Stanford researchers say in a June 24 article in the journal
Science that such a conversion would improve air quality, health and climate--especially if wind were used to generate the electricity needed to split water and make hydrogen in a pollutionless process.
Probing Question: Could your kitchen counters be radioactive?
Verde Butterfly. Black Galaxy. Kashmir Gold. If you’ve remodeled your kitchen in the last decade, chances are you encountered one of the 1,600 varieties of granite imported into the United States from 64 different countries. According to recent market research, demand for natural stone countertops has increased 5 percent annually between 2001 and 2006, with granite being the most popular option. And why not? Granite is not only durable, resistant to mold and mildew, and easy to clean, but because no two pieces of granite are alike, your counter will have its own unique look.
Saltwater sleuths: Seeking clues to help determine the ages of fish and shellfish populations
Fishery biologist Sandy Sutherland looks through the lens of the microscope at tiny sections of fish earbones, known as otoliths, each showing annual bands of growth. She carefully counts the bands to determine the age of the fish, then moves on to the next sample. Known as an age reader, Sutherland is one of a small team at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) whose aging work is critical to stock assessments needed to manage the nation’s fishery resources in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Why did the EPA fire a respected toxicologist?
In March, the US House Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation into potential conflicts of interest in scientific panels that advise the Environmental Protection Agency on the human health effects of toxic chemicals. The committee identified eight scientists that served as consultants or members of EPA science advisory panels while getting research support from the chemical industry to study the chemicals under review. Two scientists were actually employed by companies that made or worked with manufacturers of the chemicals under review.
Paving the way for green roads
Kevin Gardner sees green roads right around the corner. “A lot of the infrastructure in this country needs to be re-built,” says Gardner, University of New Hampshire associate professor of civil engineering and director of the Environmental Research Group. “We have a real opportunity to re-build the infrastructure the right way with sustainable materials and socially sensitive designs that protect air, water, land, and human resources.”
EPA promotes cell phone recycling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with cell phone makers, service providers, and retailers to promote cell phone recycling.
Benzene concentrations in beverages
Only nine percent of 199 beverage samples had benzene levels above the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit of 5 parts per billion (ppb) for benzene in drinking water, according to a study by EPA and U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists. It is scheduled for the current issue of ACS’
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
First-ever study to link increased mortality specifically to carbon dioxide emissions
A Stanford scientist has spelled out for the first time the direct links between increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increases in human mortality, using a state-of-the-art computer model of the atmosphere that incorporates scores of physical and chemical environmental processes. The new findings, to be published in
Geophysical Research Letters, come to light just after the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent ruling against states setting specific emission standards for this greenhouse gas based in part on the lack of data showing the link between carbon dioxide emissions and their health effects.
