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US groundwater sparser than previously thought, technology may help
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalMany rural areas in the U.S. may be in danger of a groundwater shortage. Additionally, digging deeper for water in the form of new, deeper wells may not be a good long-term solution to compensate for increasing demands on groundwater because there is potential for contamination of deep freshwater and brackish water in areas where the oil and gas industry injects wastewaters into or in close proximity to aquifers. A new study may shed some light on use of underground freshwater and brackish water in some of the most prominent sedimentary basins across the U.S.
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Federal fracking push has state, local resistance
Michelle R. Matisons Natural ResourcesThe controversial oil and gas extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," was once regulated under an Obama-era rule addressing chemical disclosure when fracking public land. Since then, this rule has been overturned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as the federal government opens the field of oil and gas extraction to much opposition. Given the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory zeal, what is the current status of fracking in the U.S.?
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New science, government studies highlight climate change’s urgency
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalFor over a year, we have witnessed one weather disaster after another besiege the United States mainland and beyond. This hurricane season, we saw Florence and Michael take Southern states hostage with a fury of wind and floodwaters, only to be paralleled with more California fires. "What next?" we ask. According to two new science and government studies, we can look forward to more compounded ecological catastrophes producing dramatic social changes.
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9 rules of camping
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureIf you are new to camping or only camp a week or two a year, you may not know some of the unwritten rules of camping. Some of these are written rules at many campgrounds or are actual laws. Most of these are common sense or follow the Golden Rule. Remember, there are others camping in the campground at the same time you are camping so we all need to be polite! For example, while you might think your pet is the best pet in the world, others may not feel the same and might even be scared or allergic to dogs or cats.
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Environmental issues heat up as court ruling halts Keystone XL pipeline
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalEvidence of environmental devastation looms in many places. However, one development that recently went the other direction regards the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. This 1,200-mile pipeline was slated to bring oil from Alberta to the Gulf Coast by TransCanada Corp. The latest development saw U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris of Montana rule against the pipeline, claiming that a full environmental impact review was not completed for the project, and that the issue of climate change was not fully considered.
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How schools are going solar
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe Solar Schools 2025 initiative seeks to target 50 schools each year to go solar. The initiative, launched by the nonprofit Renewable Nation, encourages K-12 schools to increase photovoltaic panel usage. Many schools and districts are willing but administrators are unsure about the process, time frame and costs involved. Nine out of 10 schools in the U.S. that are solar-ready have not yet gone solar yet. Therefore, there is immense potential to be harnessed. Studies show that if 450 U.S. school districts install solar, they could each save more than $1 million over 30 years.
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Can controversial coal be shipped from old military bases?
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalIt’s no secret that the current presidential administration favors dirtier forms of energy, like coal production. About one year ago, at the U.N. Global Climate Summit in Bonn, Germany, many countries expressed a commitment to end coal-generated carbon emissions by 2030. This did not include the U.S., whose top leaders remain committed to the coal industry. Now, President Trump has announced a new plan to use decommissioned U.S. military facilities for controversial coal shipments. Is this even possible?
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The environmental rule changes that will impact us the most
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalEven the most diligent climate change policy trackers are having a hard time keeping abreast of recent changes at the federal level. Apparently, the replacement of Scott Pruitt with former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yielded new results when it comes to the big environmental picture. So far, 46 environmental rules have been overturned by the Trump administration, with another 30 proposed rollbacks waiting in the wings. The EPA itself is responsible for one-third of these changes.
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IoT implementation sails into wind power
Joseph Zulick EngineeringA wind energy structure in the North Sea lost its main turbine housing earlier this year, prompting engineers to determine that all 206 units of this size in the sea might need to be examined and refitted. The North Sea is the most violent wind and current area to have giant turbine farms in trouble like this, but other regions are having maintenance problems as well. The role of predictive maintenance in design engineering for these giant pieces of infrastructure jumps up the importance ladder every time a customer adds megawatts to the overall scheme.
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Study: Human waste could be resource-rich fertilizer for global agriculture
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalWell, if this isn’t a load of … then nothing is. But, that’s what we’re talking about: human waste. While the subject is often taboo, human waste actually is full of nutrients that can be recycled into products to promote agricultural sustainability and better economic independence for some developing countries. Used properly, our own waste may be nothing more than the animal manure that makes the foods we grow so abundant, and our gardens so strong and attractive.
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