On Wednesday, the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament will consider a ban on shark finning. Shark finning is the practice of catching a shark, removing its fins, and dumping the still …
How Much Water is Your Home Wasting?
Over 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water, but only 1% of that is available for human consumption. Conservation matters. The less water we waste, the more water we have when we need it – …
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Louisiana Sinkhole Update 14 Sep 2012
The latest video flyover of the sinkhole in Assumption Parish shows no change in the size of the sinkhole. Some new seismic activity has been detected. Hurricane Isaac doesn't seem to have changed …
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South Africa Fracking Arid Karoo
South Africa lifted a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing last week and shale gas exploration will soon begin in the arid Karoo region. Worries about the water supply in the Karoo were voiced by …
Whanganui River Now a Legal Person
The Whanganui River in New Zealand has received recognition as a person, similar to a corporation. The New Zealand government and a Maori nation have reached an agreement where the river becomes a …
Pah Tempe Mineral Hot Springs Under Threat
Pah Tempe Mineral Hot Springs is under threat. The nearby city wants to divert the water source for developers and destroy the hot springs. The mineral hot springs aren't just pretty, though. They …
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Waste Water Dumped into the Chicago River
More than 1.2 billion gallons of partially treated waste water goes into the Chicago River each day. This infographic from Angel Water Conditioning, Inc. really brings that home. In 2010, the …
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Japanese River Otter Declared Extinct
Last week, Japan's Environment Minister declared the Japanese river otter extinct. There has not been a confirmed sighting of the Japanese river otter since 1979. The Japanese river otter was a …
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Louisiana Sinkhole Update 4 Sep 2012
The sinkhole in Assumption Parish, Louisiana remains the same size, but new bubbling spots have been found. Before the sinkhole opened up at the beginning of August, residents reported strange …
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Gulls v. Whales – The Gulls are Winning
Off the coast of Argentina in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, gulls have taken up a nasty habit of attacking whales. In one of the prime breeding grounds for Southern right whales, a booming …
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3-D Mapping Hurricane Isaac Flooding
The USGS is using a new technology to 3-D map urban flooding from Hurricane Isaac. The technology is terrestrial lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) and it will be used in a few urban areas in …
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Hurricane Isaac Update
Hurricane Isaac quickly became a tropical storm once it hit land. That didn't stop it from causing significant damage. About one million people live outside the levee system that protects Louisiana …
Louisiana Sinkhole Update 30 Aug 2012
The sinkhole near Bayou Corne, Louisiana is holding steady. Hurricane Isaac dumped a lot of rain on Assumption Parish, trees are down and power is out (but being restored), and the sinkhole is the …
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Wind Map – What is Hurricane Isaac Doing to Our Weather?
If you're curious what Hurricane Isaac is doing to the wind patterns in the U.S., here's a wind map. One of the most common questions to meteorologists during hurricane season is whether a hurricane …
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Hurricane Isaac Lands on Louisiana
Hurricane Isaac made landfall in Louisiana on Tuesday. Many have made comparisons between Isaac and Katrina, the storm that drowned New Orleans. While Isaac is bad, it isn't as bad as Katrina. Part …
Five Tips to Prevent Mosquitoes and Their Bites
With this year setting records for West Nile virus infections, reducing the number of mosquitoes has never seemed more important. The mild winter and, oddly enough, the drought much of the nation is …
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Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Lowest Recorded Level
Arctic sea ice shrank to its lowest recorded level in the more than thirty years of satellite images. This visualization from NASA shows the extent of the sea ice on 26 August 2012. The yellow line …
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Worldwide Drought as of August 2012
The above image from the Global Drought Monitor shows the extent of the drought worldwide as of August 2012. More than 152 million people are living in areas experiencing exceptional drought (the …
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Ocean Sentinel Wave Energy Test Facility Opens
Oregon State University's wave energy test facility opened earlier this week. It's available to academic and industry researchers investigating wave and tidal power. The Ocean Sentinel is a $1.5 …
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Worst Year Yet for West Nile Virus Infections
This is the worst year yet for West Nile virus infections. The virus is spread through mosquito bites. Most people bitten by infected mosquitoes won't get the illness, but many will. So far this …
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Salmon Return to the Elwha River
Since the Elwha Dam was removed less than five months ago, salmon have already been spotted in the newly opened section of the river. The Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams were both constructed on the …
Alcoa Foundation Funds Natural Wastewater Management Research on the Volga River
Samara, on the Volga River, is one of the leading industrial cities of Russia with a population of a little more than one million. The Volga River has been used for commercial traffic for hundreds of …
Giant Kelp Forests Listed as Endangered
The Australian government has declared the giant kelp forests off the coasts of Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia endangered. Giant kelp is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the southern …
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Drilling Begins on Louisiana Sinkhole
Update 15 Nov 2012 link here. Texas Brine Company began drilling in Assumption Parish near the sinkhole on Saturday to determine the cause. They estimate it will take about forty days to drill down …
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