http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/sustainability/ Sustainable development. Read current events articles on sustainable agriculture and sustainable living. How can sustainability be achieved? en-us Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:05:01 EDT Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/sustainability/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080354.htm Researchers have drawn together 200 years' worth of oceanographic knowledge to investigate the distribution of a notorious deep-sea giant - the king crab. The results reveal temperature as a driving force behind the divergence of a major seafloor predator; globally, and over tens of millions of years of Earth's history. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do -- a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171612.htm Contrary to common belief, Brazil's policy of protecting portions of the Amazonian forest from development is capable of buffering the Amazon from climate change, according to a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163631.htm Individuals prefer to be involved in a collective contribution to green electricity that involve everyone paying more, rather than having individual higher bills. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081849.htm The city of the future is currently being constructed on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. Masdar City shall be supplied exclusively with renewable energy and produce neither carbon dioxide nor waste. An underground transportation system, will leave its streets car-free. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152936.htm With the caloric needs of the planet expected to soar by 50 percent in the next 40 years, planning and investment in global agriculture will become critically important, according a new report. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625100341.htm Green racing is now part of the American Le Mans series. It's auto racing where the prize goes to the fastest car with the smallest environmental footprint. But being green does not mean being slow; green race cars are still 200 mph+ cars. The hope is that the concept will lead to more energy-efficient cars for consumers. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625100341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111757.htm Potato blight, false mildew, sudden oak death and a disease in salmon are all caused by a group of miniscule, yet destructive, organisms called Oomycetes. Because of their changeability and huge numbers, they are able to overwhelm the defence mechanisms of both plants and animals. The use of chemicals is usually the only remedy but this is also undesirable. Will future research offer a sustainable means of combating these blights and preventing failed harvests? Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622165830.htm Scientists are proposing a surprising new solution to the global energy crisis —"milking" oil from the tiny, single-cell algae known as diatoms, renowned for their intricate, beautifully sculpted shells that resemble fine lacework.  Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622165830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090358.htm Scientists have shown that using mud from waste water treatment plants as a partial alternative fuel can enable cement factories to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and comply with the Kyoto Protocol, as well as posing no risk to human health and being profitable. These are the results of an environmental impact assessment. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619202611.htm The seeds of a lowly weed could cut jet fuel's cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by 84 percent. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619202611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622201918.htm A new study provides the first global evaluation of how management practices influence fisheries' sustainability. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622201918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194348.htm Water management may suffer from a stuffy image in the Netherlands but in Argentina water management is a hot topic for many people. That is because water has a direct impact on the lives of the indigenous peoples in the Argentinean Patagonia region. Researchers investigated how the Mapuce Indians are fairing in the battle for water and the struggle for their rights. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released reports documenting the status of polar bears and Pacific walrus in Alaska. The reports confirm that polar bears in Alaska are declining and that Pacific walrus are under threat. Both species are imperiled due to the loss of their sea-ice habitat due to global warming, oil and gas development, and unsustainable harvest. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619125909.htm The objective of the Zero CO2 project is to sail around the Mediterranean using a clean carbon-free auxiliary motor (gasoline powered motors are commonly used in yachts for all port maneuvers). A 12m craft, the yacht will be equipped with an electric motor driven by a hydrogen fuel cell. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619125909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082259.htm Over £14 billion more in products and services could be produced in Northern Ireland's economy each year if greenhouse gas producing resources were used as efficiently as they are in the rest of the UK, a research group has predicted. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082131.htm The governments of Norway and Japan are using taxpayer money to subsidize their unprofitable whaling industries, according to a first-time analysis of the economics of whaling. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618085750.htm Key climate indicators such as global mean surface temperature, sea-level rise and extreme climatic events are already moving beyond the patterns of natural variability within which contemporary society and economy have developed. This is one of the key messages of a new report. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618085750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071947.htm Trains, planes, buses and automobiles do not only effect the environment via their exhaust pipes. There is a full lifecycle of processes associated with getting from A to B that we rarely acknowledge. Researchers have now created a framework to help us calculate the true environmental cost of travel. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608101423.htm With sustainability emerging as a top priority for businesses and industries, a workshop of 40 experts has identified and published a set of recommendations for businesses to overcome the nontechnical barriers to applying sustainable industrial practices. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608101423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603101400.htm Some $155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide, not including large hydro, a new report says. Of this $13.5 billion of new private investment went into companies developing and scaling-up new technologies alongside $117 billion of investment in renewable energy projects from geothermal and wind to solar and biofuels. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603101400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601085918.htm The sea floor is strewn with raw materials that could be very important in the future: Manganese and iron, but also rarer and more precious elements such as cobalt, copper, zinc and nickel, are present in great quantities in the form of deep-sea nodules and crusts. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601085918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185935.htm A newly built "Cliffs Cottage" has all the latest technological innovations in sustainable living. Geothermal heating and cooling, two solar technologies, bamboo floors, furniture made from reclaimed wood, even cisterns that collect rainwater from the roof. The home has 3,400 square feet, but is so energy efficient that it can be heated and cooled for less than $75 a month. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091131.htm How do you get governments, businesses and citizens to work together to manage ecosystems? -- You transform from an 'eco geek' into a modern leader and make sure that your project serves multiple objectives, according to researchers. Researchers present new management practices that live up to the demands of today and that curbs the unsustainable tapping into the world's natural resources. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102019.htm The income gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" must be taken into account when considering the issue of food security across Asia, according to a report to be published in the International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527105713.htm Most polluted or damaged ecosystems worldwide can recover within a lifetime if societies commit to their cleanup or restoration, according to a new analysis. Thu, 28 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527105713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521084717.htm A new species of yeast has been discovered deep in the Amazon jungle. Biologist have identified novel characteristics of Candida carvajalis sp. nov. Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521084717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514083921.htm Could essential oils extracted from lavender be used as a natural herbicide to prevent weed growth among crops? Research carried out in Italy suggests the answer may be yes. Thu, 21 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514083921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520055534.htm Scientists have discovered a new eco-friendly way of dissolving wood using ionic liquids that may help its transformation into popular products such as bio fuels, textiles, clothes and paper. Thu, 21 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520055534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519084631.htm Last year's energy crisis highlighted an unforeseen by-product of the looming fuel shortages of the 21st century. Petroleum-based products such as plastics that society takes for granted but now requires to function will run out with the oil. Scientists are looking to microorganisms to pick up the slack and help produce environmentally friendly plastics, according to new research. Wed, 20 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519084631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518101906.htm The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi and microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to be efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to new research. Tue, 19 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518101906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518102956.htm A new international project will create the first carbon measuring and modelling system to be used to help mitigate climate change, verify the benefits of controversial offsetting initiatives and boost carbon trading. Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518102956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090515084039.htm How will the Netherlands, dominated by water, be affected by future climate change? Dutch researcher Martin van Breukelen hopes to answer that question by analyzing stalagmites from the South American Amazon tributaries in Peru as a way to reconstruct climate changes in the past. Sat, 16 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090515084039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512134651.htm A recently published study examined the impact of very cheap sequence data (approximately $1 per genome) on improvement of switchgrass, a perennial grass well suited to biomass production. Thu, 14 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512134651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511181356.htm A material that is a hundred thousand times heavier than water and more dense than the core of the Sun is being produced at a university. The scientists working with this material are aiming for an energy process that is both more sustainable and less damaging to the environment than the nuclear power used today. Tue, 12 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511181356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090502083917.htm The U.S. National Arboretum is "going green" with the installation of its first solar-powered drip irrigation system that will save electricity and water at the 446-acre facility operated by the Agricultural Research Service in Washington, DC. Mon, 11 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090502083917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501204627.htm Federal requirements to increase the production of ethanol has developed into a "drink-or-drive issue" in the Midwest as a result of biofuel production's impact on water supplies and water quality, says an environmental engineering researcher. Mon, 11 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501204627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511131416.htm Going green with new construction is a good idea, but what about renovating existing structures? Like 20 billion square feet of existing US public schools? Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511131416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501162809.htm Researchers have mapped a draft version of the date palm genome, unlocking many of its genetic secrets. Sat, 02 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501162809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430144532.htm Fertilized grasslands are more productive but poorer in species. Researchers have now identified the mechanisms that lead to loss of biodiversity through fertilization. The new results show that nutrient enrichment of grasslands must be more strongly controlled if plant diversity is to be preserved. Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430144532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421205223.htm Populations of major wild grazing animals that are the heart and soul of Kenya's cherished and heavily visited Masai Mara National Reserve -- including giraffes, hartebeest, impala and warthogs -- have "decreased substantially" in only 15 years as they compete for survival with a growing concentration of human settlements in the region, according to a new study. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421205223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420182203.htm Researchers have found that currently scheduled water deliveries from the Colorado River are unlikely to be met if human-caused climate change reduces runoff in the region. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420182203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424074208.htm Danish researchers have connected a polymer solar cell plant to an electrical grid in a successful world-first demonstration of how the promising renewable energy technology can be integrated into power systems. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424074208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422121949.htm A lack of perspective and continuity of purpose between individuals and organizations involved in reclaiming brownfield sites and regenerating them as green spaces could stymie such efforts making them unsustainable. Researchers believe the problem of fragmentation could be overcome. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422121949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084128.htm The critical role of forests as massive "sinks" for absorbing greenhouse gases is "at risk of being lost entirely" to climate change-induced environmental stresses that threaten to damage and even decimate forests worldwide, according to a new report. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm Overpopulation is the world's top environmental issue, followed closely by climate change and the need to develop renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels, according to a survey of the faculty at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414120452.htm A new study finds that it will take more than 75 years for the carbon emissions saved through the use of biofuels to compensate for the carbon lost when biofuel plantations are established on forestlands. If the original habitat was peatland, carbon balance would take more than 600 years. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414120452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407223636.htm Rainforest reserves -- even those disturbed by roads -- provide an important buffer against fires that are devastating parts of the Brazilian Amazon, according to a new study. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407223636.htm