Tag: North America

The Boom of Hydraulic Fracturing

by | 5.22.2013 at 10:51am
map

Experts discuss the rise and boom of unconventional hydrocarbon extraction in the final Sustainable Development Seminar Series of the 2012-2013 academic year.

Water Risk in Unexpected Places

by | 5.20.2013 at 6:54pm
An infographic by Veolia water based on the Columbia Water Center report shows areas in the United States with the greatest water risk.

A new report by the Columbia Water Center, produced with Veolia Water and Growing Blue, could help expose the real nature of water risk–even in places that most people think of as having plenty of water.

Trouble in America’s Water Paradise

by | 4.23.2013 at 10:03am
Los Angeles River

America’s strong water infrastructure has been key to its success as a nation. Yet the nation’s continual waste of water and lack of commitment to long-term water investments has halted its progress.

Upcoming Scientific Fieldwork: A Guide

by | 2.27.2013 at 10:37am
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Earth Institute research expeditions investigating the dynamics of the planet on all levels take place on every continent and every ocean. Most projects originate with our main research center, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and are often run in collaboration with other institutions.

Extreme Weather Adds Up to Troubling Future

by | 2.15.2013 at 11:32pm
Richard Seager, AAAS 2013

Extreme weather and climate-related events already have cost the United States billions of dollars. A recent symposium focused on what we know about the causes and how changing climate affects agriculture, water supplies, wildlife and our economy.

An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

by | 5.7.2012 at 4:21pm
Field work guide map, Earth Institute, Lamont-Doherrt Earth Observatory

Earth Institute scientists explore how the physical world works on every continent — over and under the arctic ice, in the grasslands of Mongolia, on volcanoes in Patagonia, over subduction zones in Papua New Guinea, and on the streets of New York City.

EPA’s greenhouse gas rule poses challenges for US policy review process

by | 2.28.2012 at 12:39pm

Just in case anyone you missed it, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving, albeit almost imperceptibly, toward regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It took one more step in January, published the emissions of 6700 facilities with annual emissions of more than 25,000 MtCO2e. This category of emitters was required to report these figures [...]

A Guide to Upcoming Scientific Fieldwork

by | 2.14.2012 at 11:42am | 1 Comment
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[Last updated: Dec. 13, 2012] Journalists may join Earth Institute research field expeditions, which take place on every continent and every ocean. Below: selected projects, in rough chronological order. (Work in and around New York listed separately at bottom.) While in the field, researchers may be available by phone or email, depending on site. Some expeditions [...]

What are the Keystone XL Pipeline Risks to Water Resources?

by | 10.10.2011 at 9:20am | 6 Comments
The existing Keystone pipeline, vulnerable to flooding at river crossings.  Source: North American Pipelines

One of the issues most passionately discussed now in the media and blogosphere is the KeystoneXL Pipeline proposal, to allow Canadian oil and gas company TransCanada to build a pipeline to transfer tar sands oil from Alberta to Texas. So what are the arguments?

Can Canadian Water Slake America’s Need for Power?

by | 9.23.2011 at 12:15pm
Robert-Bourassa Reservoir, Quebec, Canada. NASA image

At a time when the world is abuzz with talk of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to stem the tide of climate change, Canada’s surfeit of hydropower production appears an attractive option to people south of the border who still rely on fossil fuel-generated electricity.