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Stormy Clouds

Hurricanes a-Comin'

posted on April 15, 2013

The 2013 hurricane season predictions are out. The hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean officially begins June 1 and stretches through November 30. Every year, several weather organizations predict …

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Nuclear power plant in Japan at night

Fukushima is Leaking Again

posted on April 12, 2013

Radioactive water is leaking from storage tanks at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. When an earthquake followed by a tsunami hit Japan more than two years ago, power was lost to the …

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Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. Credit: USFWS.

Loggerheads Finally Get Promised Protections, but that is only half of the story…

posted on April 9, 2013

Sea turtles have been swimming the planet’s waters for millions of years, surviving everything from the mass dinosaur extinction to countless natural disasters and cunning predators. In recent years …

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Telera Peak in the Pyrenees

Fracking for Geothermal Energy

posted on April 8, 2013

France outlawed hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in 2011, yet companies are being granted licenses for fracking – as long as the fractures will be used for geothermal energy. Do the risks of …

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Edith Widder Drawing Jellyfish Predator Squid

Edith Widder on Finding the Giant Squid

posted on April 3, 2013

Humans have only explored about five percent of the ocean. When scientists went looking for the kraken, or the giant squid, they had to experiment with the best ways to find them. Edith Widder was on …

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Shanghai Bund skyline solar panel plant

Reducing Waste with Solar Panels that Dissolve in Water

posted on April 1, 2013

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. That's been the mantra for a while now and it really helps to reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in waste dumps. What if after we reused and recycled all that we could, …

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One Thousand Dead Ducks in a River in China

posted on March 29, 2013

One thousand dead ducks have been found dumped in the Nanhe River in Sichuan Province in China. The Nanhe River is not used for drinking water, so the worry is not quite as severe as the dead pigs …

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Quench 800

Ditch the Bottle, Keep the Pure Water

posted on March 25, 2013

We've talked here on Blue Living Ideas about alternatives to bottled water. The reasons, of course, are obvious to anyone who reads Blue Living Ideas regularly. Plastic is made from petrochemicals. …

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Q-Drum

World Water Day – the Q-Drum

posted on March 22, 2013

In honor of World Water Day, I thought I'd post a bit about a nifty invention - the Q-Drum. The Q-Drum is a container which rolls across the ground as it is dragged behind a person.  Currently, …

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Giant Squid are a Single Species, DNA Study Shows

posted on March 22, 2013

Giant squid have been found in every ocean of the world, but a recent DNA project shows that the giant squid are a single species. Not much is known for certain about giant squid. More than one …

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Pigs in China

In China's Rivers, 13,000 Dead Pigs (And Counting)

posted on March 20, 2013

It's been more than a week since Shanghai authorities began pulling dead pigs from that city's water source. More than 13,000 pigs have been collected so far, but there may be more. The dead pigs …

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Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas spans the Colorado River

No More Water for Texas Rice Farmers – Again

posted on March 18, 2013

Texas rice farmers will not receive water to irrigate their rice crops for the second year in a row. The drought in Texas has left reservoir levels too low to share, according to the Lower Colorado …

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Chicago River Dyed Green

Dyeing the Chicago River Green

posted on March 15, 2013

    For more than forty years, revelers have dyed the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day. According to Green Chicago River, the tradition started in 1961 when a plumber …

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Sand bunker on the golf course. Mexican resort. Bahia Principe, Riviera Maya.

Sinkhole Swallows Golfer

posted on March 13, 2013

A sinkhole on a golf course in Illinois opened up underneath a golfer, ruining an otherwise lovely day. Mark Mihal noticed a shallow depression on the fairway of the 14th hole at Annbriar Golf Club. …

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Desertification

How to Green the World's Deserts and Reverse Climate Change

posted on March 11, 2013

Allan Savory discusses how to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change in this TED talk. He points out that two-thirds of the earth is currently desertifying. How does desertification …

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Lily Pond

National Water Conservation Tour

posted on March 6, 2013

In preparation for the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation, the Wyland Foundation and Toyota are sponsoring a National Water Conservation Tour during March and April. The tour aims to …

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Working Snow Cannon

Turning Waste Water into Snow

posted on March 4, 2013

The city of Aspen, Colorado has a plan to turn waste water into snow for local ski resorts. Aspen's sanitation plant typically treats waste water to where it's almost as clean as drinking water. The …

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World Drought as of February 2013

Worldwide Drought as of February 2013

posted on March 1, 2013

A map of worldwide drought as of February 2013 shows more than 178 million people living under extreme drought. The darkest red on the map indicates extreme drought over the last twelve months. These …

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Allium

Proper Landscape Design Conserves Water

posted on February 28, 2013

by Joyce del Rosario If you’re thinking of redoing your yard or are starting afresh with a new home, designing your landscape to conserve water may be one of the best decisions you could ever …

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Billboard Creates Water from Air

Billboard Creates Water from Air

posted on February 25, 2013

An ad agency and a university teamed up to build a billboard that pulls water from the air. Peru's capitol, Lima, is situated in a desert. The city receives less than one inch of rain each year. On …

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Storm on Lake Michigan

The High Cost of Storm Water Runoff

posted on February 22, 2013

The affluent village of Winnetka, outside Chicago, needs a new storm water drainage system. Parts of the village are flooded regularly. The high price tag has some residents complaining. Winnetka …

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Mega Dolphin Pod

posted on February 19, 2013

A mega dolphin pod was spotted off the coast of California last Thursday by a whale watching cruise. The dolphins swam alongside the boat for about an hour. According to Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower …

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3X Fewer People Using 8X More Water

Fewer People Using More Water

posted on February 15, 2013

More than one billion people use less than five gallons of water each day.  The average American uses about 152 gallons per day.  That's quite a difference. That five gallons of water used by each of …

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Did the EPA Bury Contamination Findings Against Range Resources?

posted on February 13, 2013

When the EPA backed down from a lawsuit against Range Resources early last year, the reasoning wasn't entirely clear.  New facts coming to light tell a convoluted tale of lobbyists, politicians, and …

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