U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-CO) and Tom Udall (D-NM) are pushing once again for a national renewable energy standard, according to the Colorado Independent. The new bill, which will likely die in the House, would mandate that 6% of the power generated by...
In The News
Udalls Push—Again—for National Renewable Energy Standard
April 12, 2011 |
Colorado Independent
A New Ozone Hole Forming Over the Arctic?
April 12, 2011 |
ScienceDaily
Record-breaking ozone loss occurred over the Arctic over the last several weeks due to persistent, extremely cold weather in the stratosphere. According to ScienceDaily, monitoring by French researchers showed a 40% drop in ozone abundance in the stratosphere in late March.
Crystal Fire Mostly Contained; Texas Fires Rage
April 12, 2011 |
Denver Post
Fire crews contained 95% of the nearly 3,000-acre Crystal Fire burning west of Fort Collins, CO, this weekend, according to the Denver Post. Meanwhile, the Colorado Water Quality Control Division is concerned about the impact of the fire-related runoff on water quality, reports the...
Early April Heatwave Hastens Ozone Formation
April 5, 2011 |
AZ Republic
Soaring temperatures in Phoenix are hastening the development of ground-level ozone, reports the AZ Republic. Surface ozone, which forms during April to September, develops when heat and sunlight react with car exhaust, paint fumes, and other emissions, and can cause breathing...
Ants and Termites: the Earthworms of the Desert
April 5, 2011 |
Nature Communications
Ants and termites living in dryland agricultural fields boost crop productivity, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Wheat yields increased 36% in fields with ants and termites, due to increased water infiltration caused by the insect burrows and increased nitrogen due to the N-...
Skeptics’ Study Confirms Rising Temperatures
April 5, 2011 |
LA Times
The preliminary findings of new analysis of global temperature by the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Study demonstrate, once again, that global land temperatures are rising. However, according to the...
West Coast Waves Could Be A Future Energy Source
April 5, 2011 |
LA Times
A developer wants to harness the power of the waves off the coast of San Onofre Beach in Southern California, creating a clean energy source next to the beachside nuclear reactor, according to the LA Times. JD Products have been given federal approval to investigate the potential of producing electricity...
U.S. Leads in Wind Power
April 1, 2011 |
World Resources Institute
Data from the World Resources Institute shows that the United States is the global leader in installed wind energy capacity, producing 27 percent of the 158-gigawatt total capacity in 2009. Germany was the second biggest producer, at 19 percent of the total. According to WRI, the 158 GW...
Joshua Trees Will Lose Out to Climate Change
March 29, 2011 |
Ecological Applications
A study published in Ecological Applications has modeled the response of the Joshua tree to rapid warming. The authors found that range of this Mojave Desert icon shrinks as temperatures increase. Thus, the predicted temperature rise due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations may reduce stands of Joshua trees by...
Greenhouse Gases Cuts Lead to Short-Term Precipitation Surge
March 29, 2011 |
Geophysical Research Letters
New climate model research suggests that decreasing CO2 in the atmosphere produces a sudden increase in precipitation. According to the article published in Geophysical Research Letters, the greenhouse gas affects precipitation by warming the upper atmosphere, limiting the ability of air masses to rise...