News
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Reforesting Kilimanjaro could ease East Africa's severe water shortages
Posted: October 19, 2016There is a need to reforest Africa’s highest mountain to help protect vital water supplies that are under threat across large parts of East Africa, a UN Environment report urged…
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Discovery of Carbon Storage Signaling Mechanism in Algae Offers New Potential for Sustainable Biofuel Production
Posted: October 19, 2016James Umen, Ph.D., associate member at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and colleagues have discovered a way to make algae better oil producers without sacrificing growth. The findings were published…
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MIT to neutralize 17 percent of carbon emissions through purchase of solar energy
Posted: October 19, 2016MIT, Boston Medical Center, and Post Office Square Redevelopment Corporation have formed an alliance to buy electricity from a large new solar power installation, adding carbon-free energy to the grid…
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Unraveling the Science Behind Biomass Breakdown
Posted: October 18, 2016Lignocellulosic biomass—plant matter such as cornstalks, straw, and woody plants—is a sustainable source for production of bio-based fuels and chemicals. However, the deconstruction of biomass is one of the most…
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Researchers use 'robomussels' to monitor climate change
Posted: October 18, 2016Tiny robots have been helping researchers study how climate change affects biodiversity. Developed by Northeastern University scientist Brian Helmuth, the “robomussels” have the shape, size, and color of actual mussels, with…
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Modeling Floods That Formed Canyons on Earth and Mars
Posted: October 17, 2016Geomorphologists who study Earth’s surface features and the processes that formed them have long been interested in how floods, in particular catastrophic outbursts that occur when a glacial lake ice…
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Salty snow could affect air pollution in the Arctic
Posted: October 14, 2016In pictures, the Arctic appears pristine and timeless with its barren lands and icy landscape. In reality, the area is rapidly changing. Scientists are working to understand the chemistry behind…
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Scientists creating super grass to cut methane emissions from cows
Posted: October 13, 2016Danish scientists are developing a grass that will cut down how often cows burp and pass gas — reducing the amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, they release into…
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Stanford researchers capture Central Asia's 'de-greening' over millions of years into a modern-day desert
Posted: October 13, 2016A new study chronicles how central Asia dried out over the last 23 million years into one of the most arid regions on the planet. The findings illustrate the dramatic climatic shifts…
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Wave energy researchers dive deep to advance clean energy source
Posted: October 13, 2016One of the biggest untapped clean energy sources on the planet — wave energy — could one day power millions of homes across the U.S. But more than a century after the…
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