Resulting microbial lipids may also signify oxygen dips in Earth’s history. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(ENEWSPF)–July 27, 2012.  In the days following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, methane-eating bacteria bloomed in the Gulf of Mexico, feasting on the methane that gushed, along with oil, from the damaged well. The sudden influx of[Read More…]

 Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 27, 2012.  A Connecticut state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection study has detected residues of mosquito control pesticides in lobsters pulled from Long Island Sound. Using new testing technology that can detect small concentrations of substances, ten lobsters were tested for three common mosquito control chemicals: malathion,[Read More…]

MAINE–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012   This is the appearance of a typical drought-stressed lawn in many parts of North America right now. In all likelihood, however, it will recover when the weather cools and rain returns. As the news continues to build about the now-epic drought conditions sweeping the nation, my[Read More…]

LONDON–(ENEWSPF)–26 July 2012.  A senior United Nations official today praised the measures taken by the United Kingdom to ensure that the London Summer Olympic Games are environmentally sustainable. “London’s clean-up of an old industrial site; the restoration of flows and habitat on the River Lea; the greening of supply chains;[Read More…]

In Victory for Public Health, Court Rules Plant’s Air Permit Invalid Austin, TX–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012.  District Court Judge Stephen Yelenosky signed an order Monday, July 24, invalidating the state-issued air pollution permit for the proposed Las Brisas power plant in Corpus Christi, TX. The Las Brisas proposal is the only[Read More…]

Computer simulations by University of Michigan researchers Pablo Damasceno, Sharon Glotzer, and Michael Engel have shown how entropy can nudge nanoparticles into organized structures. They can even predict what kinds of structures will form. Image credit: Laura Rudich ANN ARBOR, Mich.–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012.  Researchers trying to herd tiny particles into[Read More…]

Says local towns retain zoning power   Harrisburg, PA–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012.  Today a Pennsylvania court overturned (PDF) a portion of a controversial state law—Act 13—that sought to override local zoning laws related to the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Fracking rig. (Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice) The decision stems[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012.  As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy, the Energy Department announced today the selection of eight projects to advance the development of transformational oxy-combustion technologies capable of high-efficiency, low-cost carbon dioxide capture from coal-fired power plants. The Energy Department’s $7 million investment – leveraged[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012.  Duane “Butch” O’Malley, 59, of Bourbonnais, Ill., who was convicted by a federal jury on September 26, 2011, for the illegal removal, handling and disposal of asbestos from a Kankakee building in August 2009, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Federal District Court Judge Michael[Read More…]

New laws ensure efficient recycling, waste management and plumbing practices; protect ecosystems RIVERWOODS–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed four new laws strengthening environmental protections in Illinois. The new laws protect ecosystems while also taking steps to ensure the state has sound recycling, waste management and plumbing practices. Today’s[Read More…]