Tag: water
Drought could force Americans to rethink water use
The water system in the United States generally works so well that for many, it's invisible. The pipes lay hidden beneath the ground and when Americans turn on their faucets, the water flows at little cost. But as the U.S. experiences the worst drought in more than 50 years, perhaps it's time to conserve water....
New research discovers high levels of caffeine in surprising areas of ocean, rivers
A group of scientists in the Pacific Northwest have been looking into where caffeine accumulates in our national water system. They found it not in areas of high population, but in areas with low population, where septic systems are the primary means of waste disposal....
Huge ice island breaks off of Greenland glacier
A massive ice island broke off of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. The iceberg, which contains enough fresh water to supply every American for half a year, is roughly twice the size of Manhattan in New York....
New effort to dismantle aging U.S. dams aims to improve wildlife habitats
Some 1,000 U.S. dams have been dismantled in the past 100 years — but the pace has definitely been accelerating in recent years. Now, there's a major initiative underway to take apart old dams that serve little purpose as a way of restoring fish habitat and rebuilding aquatic ecosystems....
Research suggests ocean garbage patches may be bigger than once believed
New science is pointing to the ocean garbage patches being larger than previously believed. That's because scientists think a lot of the plastic and other bits of trash in the ocean is actually swirling underwater, rather than collected along the surface....
Researcher looks for new ways to repel sharks
Scientist Eric Stroud spent years as a pharmaceutical chemist. But, after an unpleasant cruise the Bermuda, he gave that up in order to pursue research in ways to protect humans from sharks. But his work has also shifted to ways to protect sharks from humans. And he's made fascinating findings....
Movie director James Cameron makes history with dive to deepest part of ocean
James Cameron traveled some seven miles down into the ocean, as many miles below the Earth's surface as miles modern jetliners fly above the surface. He engineered a new deep sea submersible for the journey....
VIDEO: Research suggests oceans rapidly becoming more acidic
Scientists at Columbia University have concluded that the Earth's oceans are becoming more acidic at an unprecedented rate — increasing more quickly than in the Earth's history, based on a review of oceanic fossils. It could bring disaster for marine life....
VIDEO: Endangered cranes, other migratory birds confounded by Texas drought
Migratory birds, like the endangered whooping crane, are struggling because their typical wintering grounds are gripped by a drought that's reduced their habitat and food supplies. But favorable conditions elsewhere may help them survive in places like Nebraska....
Thieves try to steal thousands of dollars in glacial ice
Climate change has glaciers retreating at the fastest pace science has seen but some enterprising criminals are trying to give it a shove. A group of thieves in Chile tried to steal 11 tons of glacial ice from a national monument. They were caught, but they're just the latest practitioners of an older-than-you-might-think industry....
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