Water

Gulf Oil Plume is not Breaking Down Fast, Study Says

New research confirms the existence of a huge plume of dispersed oil  deep in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests that it has not broken down rapidly, raising the possibility that it might pose a threat to wildlife for months or even years.

Oil Spill Cleanup Workers Include Many Very, Very Small Ones

Among the hidden stars of the gulf cleanup is an oil-hungry bacterium that Dr. Seuss  could have named — Alcanivorax. It and fellow microbes are breaking down a significant amount of the oil that gushed into the environment from BP’s runaway well, scientists say. The microbial feasting is known as biodegradation.

Electronic Field Trip to North Cascades National Park

October 13 broadcast focusing on climate change.

Join the National Park Foundation on October 13 for an electronic field trip to North Cascades National Park. Electronic Field Trips give students the opportunity to learn about a particular topic through national parks they may never get a chance to visit. Each trip consists of a televised broadcast from a national park featuring National Park Service Rangers and youth hosts, as well as a website with lesson plans for teachers and interactive games for students. Several past field trips are archived online and available for immediate viewing.

The Mystery of Mangroves

There are more than 70 species of mangrove trees and shrubs. The best known, such as the red mangrove, are highly adapted to an amphibious lifestyle: Their roots shield them from salt intrusion, and their waxy leaves prevent the loss of precious freshwater.

Despite all this, mangroves are one of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet; they are cleared to make way for rice paddies and shrimp ponds in some areas and for condominiums and subdivisions in others. All told, humans have destroyed 20 percent of their global extent since 1980.

Gabriel Benn and the Hip-Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P.)

Educator Gabriel Benn, also known as the hip-hop artist Asheru, has been with the District of Columbia Public School District for over 13 years as both a teacher and administrator. He founded the Hip-Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P.), which uses hip-hop songs to create culturally relevant lesson plans, covering topics from music history to environmental conservation, for inner-city youth.

Mexican salamander helps uncover mysteries of stem cells and evolution

Dr Andrew Johnson is speaking today (12 July) at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual conference. He and his team from the University of Nottingham have been using a Mexican aquatic salamander called an axolotl to study the evolution and genetics of stem cells – research that supports the development of regenerative medicine to treat the consequences of disease and injury using stem cell therapies.

China launches armada to head off algae plume

Fertilizer run-off and record high temperatures are causing unprecedented outbreaks of algae- known as the green tide- off the coast of Qingdao, China. Clean up crews are now scrubbing an area of about 150 mi sq.

 

 

Oceans choking on CO2, study says

SYDNEY - The world's oceans are virtually choking on rising greenhouse gases, destroying marine ecosystems and breaking down the food chain -- irreversible changes that have not occurred for several million years, a new study says.

The Connection Between Water Use and Energy Use: An Introduction

In this lesson, students discover water and energy connections by learning how sources of energy require substantial amounts of water and how energy is used in the process of providing tap water to millions of homes. Students will also discuss the specific actions people can take to reduce their use of water and, thus, energy and the pressures that a growing population will put on water sources and municipalities when we use more energy, and vice versa.

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