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The ocean is dying, and we need to do something about it
Lauren Swan Waste Management & EnvironmentalAs Americans, we tend to think a lot about the beach — when we can go, how we like to tan, how we'd like to take our kids there — the list goes on. Then, once a year, The Discovery Channel hosts Shark Week, and people are reminded that the ocean still does exist outside the beach. But not everyone has forgotten about the ocean.
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The end of coal? What new EPA regulations mean for the industry
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesOn June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan to cut carbon emission from power plants 30 percent below the 2005 level by 2030. While still not set in stone, the legislation would mean an end for many of the 577 coal-fired power plants across the U.S., coal industry insiders fear.
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Monitoring boiler feedwater cuts maintenance costs for power plants
Alan Kelsky EngineeringBoilers make steam from feedwater, and most feedwater has impurities that accelerate corrosion in the boiler chamber — how much of any contaminant found in feedwater depends on the water source.
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Israel’s conflict with Gaza may leave Israeli gas stranded
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesAs long as "Operation Protective Edge" continues, Israel is losing the grudging support of neighbors — and with them viable export routes for its newfound gas reserves. This is not only an economic threat, but it could also deny Israel the basis for a sustainable peace based on regional trade and economic links.
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Ethanol gasoline creates market for corrosion‑resistant additives
Alan Kelsky Natural ResourcesIn an effort to reduce pollution, the United States federal government and all 50 states have passed laws encouraging the use of ethanol-blended gasoline. However, ethanol gasoline creates many problems for owners of older cars, classic cars, marine engines and small gas-powered tools.
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Mexico tries to play shale catch-up with ambitious energy reforms
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesMexicans have been looking jealously across the border at U.S. states like Texas, which have found themselves in the middle of an energy boom as Mexico's oil industry falters. The great irony, of course, is that the Mexican land mass hosts the same geological structures that have made Texas and oil-producing states on the East Coast so prosperous.
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US cruising on a fast track toward LNG exports
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesWith the Ukraine-Russia conflict tightening, rebel armies trying to take control over Iraqi oil and Westerners being urged to leave Libya in a heightening conflict, demand for U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas could never be higher.
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The market failure of gas flaring
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesHistorically, low natural gas prices in the U.S. have created both winners and losers. Although the extent of the environmental damage caused by hydrocarbon development has been disputed, the environment is certainly one of the losers.
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Latest corrosion prevention techniques in above-ground storage tanks
Stephanie McKenzie EngineeringOne of the biggest concerns with above-ground storage tanks is groundwater protection. This is because the vast majority of these tanks contain petroleum products. The concrete and aluminum materials used in constructing the new Guam Navy Hospital's storage tanks are a perfect example of where the industry is heading.
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Oil, the Kurds and the end of Iraq
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesIn a country where 90 percent of the budget comes from oil, whoever controls the oil controls the state. That explains why the takeover by Islamic extremists ISIS of Baiji refinery, Iraq's largest, was seen as a watershed moment for Iraq's future.
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