In the past decade, fracking has contributed to the deaths of more than a thousand people and the emission of more than a thousand tons of carbon dioxide in the Appalachian Basin.
Natural Resources
Searching for Mount Meager’s Geothermal Heart
A field expedition into the British Columbia wilderness involving helicopter drops, mountain and landslide traverses, and treacherous ice caves aimed to facilitate geothermal exploration in Canada.
Poor Water Management Implicated in Failure of Ancient Khmer Capital
Researchers used remote sensing technologies to map Koh Ker’s buried reservoir and calculate its capacity to hold water during the rainy season.
Minireservoirs Could Save Farmers with Sandy Soils
A recently revived subsurface water retention technology could conserve water and drastically increase crop yields in arid landscapes with sandy soils like sub-Saharan Africa.
Clean Water Act in the Balance?
An important Supreme Court case could have major ramifications on the interpretation of the Clean Water Act and environmental protection.
Wooden Buildings Could House the Carbon of the 21st Century
To keep carbon out of the atmosphere, researchers argue that we need to return to one of the world’s oldest building materials: wood.
Integrating Input to Forge Ahead in Geothermal Research
A road map for a major geothermal energy development initiative determines proposed priorities and goals by integrating input from stakeholders, data, and technological assessments.
Bipartisan Focus on Energy Innovation Emerges
A trio of bills making their way through Congress would boost research and development for technologies that could contribute substantially to future U.S. energy production and consumption.
Ocean Science Decade Calls Attention to a Wave of Concerns
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is a wake-up call and a motivation to manage the ocean sustainably.
Fugitive Gas Abetted by Barometric Pressure
Barometric pressure, in addition to factors such as lithology and the depth of the water table, can influence patterns of natural gas that escapes to subsurface soils.
