Last year I was collecting a sample of sediment from a riverbed and spent the day walking up the Neto River to find a good location. When I finished, I noticed a road high on one side of the valley. I climbed to the road and found a tunnel with no lights inside. I looked…
Earth Institute researchers in many disciplines are studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and are available to provide information and perspective to press. These include experts in regional seafloor geology; technology of deepwater drilling and spill control; measurement of spill flow; potential movements via underwater or surface currents; possible biological effects; potential effects of…
In the United States, lawns are so ubiquitous that they seem to be almost a basic human right. That’s a serious problem, given the enormous resources that our North American lawn-fetish consumes.
United States Climate Report to UN Projects 4% Emissions Rise by 2012, Associated Press (via Metronews Halifax) On Tuesday, the U.S. delivered its first emissions report to the United Nations since 2006. The projections indicate about a 4% increase in emissions between now and 2020, which includes a 1.5% rise in CO2 emissions. The emphasis…
Scientific American has an interesting photo piece by Gaia Vince about a place in the Himalayas that is adapting to climate change by creating its own glaciers.
Imagine living out in Western Kenya, suffering from a urological disorder, without access to an affordable specialist. That may be difficult for many of us to picture; unfortunately, that is the reality for hundreds of people living in Kisumu, Kenya, and the surrounding province. With only one urologist in the entire catchment area of five…
By Ana Maria Poveda Garces During three days while driving around Mbola in Tanzania, Columbia University MDP students measure in many ways the return on investments of specifically targeted social interventions.
The IRI’s latest forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, points to significantly increased hurricane activity this year. In fact, the likelihood of having an above-normal year is more than three times that of having a below-normal year. This could spell trouble for highly vulnerable Caribbean nations such as Haiti – still…
Today, a growing number of scientists argue that global peak oil may be upon us—an argument that would seem to be supported by the increasingly heroic measures oil companies are taking (such as the ultra-deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico) to keep up with global oil demand. Many underground aquifers and even some surface…