Introducing the Fuel-Efficient Cow

As new fuel efficiency standards for cars make news in the United States, scientists in Canada are already developing more fuel-efficient, and more polite, cattle.

Drain rice fields to cut methane, say scientists

Global methane emissions from rice paddies could be cut by 30 per cent if fields are drained at least once during the growing season and rice crop waste is applied off-season, according to a study.Methane is a significant contributor to global warming and is produced by certain types of bacteria in oxygen-deprived environments – such as those feeding on the organic waste in water-covered rice paddies.

Water Needs Electricity Needs Water …

It has long been an axiom of infrastructure planning that it takes a lot of water to make electricity, and a lot of electricity to make water.

Climate Lobbying Heats Up

The number of groups lobbying Congress about climate change has jumped sharply this year, according to a recent study from the Center for Public Integrity.

Eco-Friendly Racecar Hits 130 M.P.H.

Last month, a team from the University of Warwick in Britain said it had built an eco-friendly racecar that contained parts made from vegetable fiber and ran on fuel made from chocolate waste. It almost seemed like a late April Fool’s joke. But on Wednesday, the World First Formula Three racecar hit the track. It achieved 130 miles an hour and stayed in one piece, though three of its four drivers spun out at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire.

Rail industry petitions to stop moving toxins

Railroad companies are pressing federal regulators to cut back on trains carrying hazardous materials through urban areas, saying they fear a catastrophic release of toxic chemicals in a large city.

Making Bio Fuels, Textiles and Paper With Eco-friendly Wood Dissolution Process

Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have discovered a new eco-friendly way of dissolving wood using ionic liquids that may help its transformation into popular products such as bio fuels, textiles, clothes and paper.

Lobsters vs. Sea Urchins

Voracious sea urchins are stripping coral reefs off Australia, depriving fish of key habitat, scientists say. The potential solution? Strategic deployment of urchin-eating lobsters.

ZIMBABWE: Long Road to Water Sustainability

As funds begin trickling in for Zimbabwe’s reconstruction efforts, the rebuilding of infrastructure battered by years of neglect is set to gobble a huge chunk.

Will the Nuclear Power “Renaissance” Ever Reach Critical Mass?

This month, Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor was supposed to begin generating power, a tangible sign of the revival of the nuclear industry outside of Asia after nearly 30 years of no new construction because of accidents, cost-overruns and other issues. Instead, the reactor won’t be completed for more than three more years, its price is nearly 60 percent more than anticipated, and it is mired in costly legal squabbles between the builder, Areva, and the Finnish utility, Pohjolan Voima.

Renewable power mandate overcomes hurdle in Senate

A measure requiring utilities to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, overcame a legislative hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Thursday.

U.S. to rely more on scientists for air rules: EPA

The U.S. government will reverse a Bush administration policy and increase the role of scientists in setting air standards for criteria pollutants harmful to human health, Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said on Thursday.