Waging the water-bottle battle
When we drink water, what's the real message in the bottle?
Activists, governments and the bottled-water industry have engaged in a giant water fight for the past two years, extensively reported by the media. By now, many consumers know that the mass marketing of water in single-use bottles has environmental consequences, and that some reusable water bottles may pose health risks.
But at th
... read more >>
Researchers Find Ancient Evidence of Snowball Earth
LSU scientist Huiming Bao, along with colleagues from UCLA and China, recently discovered some of the first atmospheric evidence in support of the “Snowball Earth” hypothesis. This theory suggests that Earth was entirely covered by ice during the Cryogenian period, which took place from about 790 to 630 million years ago. Their findings were reported in the May 22 issue of Nature. ... read more >>
Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Drinking Water vs. Bottled Mineral Water
Drinking water is a basic necessity. We should drink at least two liters a day. But how can we satisfy this basic need in an as environmentally friendly manner as possible and what contribution can tap water make in this connection? This is the topic of the present in-depth study commissioned by the Swiss Gas and Water Association (SVGW). This study traces the entire life cycle from water catchme ... read more >>
Identifying Areas At Risk For Arsenic Contamination
The contamination of groundwater with arsenic poses a risk to the health of millions of people, especially in the densely populated river deltas of Southeast Asia. To date, no method has been available for identifying high-risk areas without conducting costly sampling campaigns.
Now, Eawag has developed a model that allows vulnerable areas to be pinpointed using existing data on geology and so
... read more >>
London and climate change
London climate change imagined in "London Futures" online exhibition (8 images).
The image in right shows how Piccadilly Circus would fare in a future ravaged by extreme climate change.
... read more >>
River use banned after French uranium leak
Residents in the Vaucluse, a popular southern French tourist destination, were banned yesterday from drinking well-water or swimming or fishing in two rivers after a uranium leak from one of France's nuclear power plants.
Nuclear officials yesterday revised down the amount of untreated liquid uranium that spilled from the Tricastin nuclear power centre in Bollene, saying it was limited to 75kg
... read more >>
THE IMPACTS OF SAND MINING
For thousands of years, sand and gravel have been used in the construction of roads and buildings. Today, demand for sand and gravel continues to increase. Mining operators, in conjunction with cognizant resource agencies, must work to ensure that sand mining is conducted in a responsible manner.
Excessive instream sand-and-gravel mining causes the degradation of rivers. Instream mining lowers
... read more >>
