Image Courtesy of Stanford University Passive rooftop nanostructure would be only tens of microns thick and could eliminate active cooling, say Stanford University researchers. Related Links: Stanford University School of Engineering Stanford University researchers are counting on prototype testing of a nanotechnology-based passive solar cooler to demonstrate that their analytical computer model is more than just smoke and mirrors. If brought to market, the rooftop daytime cooler, which would keep temperatures down in buildings and single-family homes bathed in full sunlight, might eventually make chiller-based air-conditioning systems a thing of the past."It is hard to say when [the cooler] will
Photo Courtesy of U.S. DOE Construction shown here in 2011 of the waste pretreatment component of a $12.3-billion vitrification plant at the U.S. nuclear site in Washington has halted as officials tackle a redesign of the troubled unit. Related Links: Installation of Massive Doors Is Key to Hanford Waste Plant DOE: Senate Panel Voices Concerns Over Hanford Funding Facing increased pressure over aged, leaking tanks of nuclear waste at its Hanford, Wash., cleanup site and design and construction issues on a multi-billion-dollar on-site treatment plant, the U.S. Energy Dept. aims to move some waste to the underground Waste Isolation Pilot
Related Links: Pipeline Specialists Profit From Safety, Not Shale Boom Pipelines Scrutinized After Yellowstone Spill Investigation and cleanup crews remained on duty in Mayflower, Ark., following the March 29 ExxonMobil Pegasus pipeline rupture, which spilled thousands of barrels of Canadian crude and triggered evacuation of nearby homes.As of April 2, on-site state, federal and corporate officials had not yet determined the cause of the spill and could not predict when it would be repaired or when residents of the 22 evacuated houses could return.An engineer from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reported a
After more than five years of official study at a cost of at least $16 million, a team of World Bank consultants are close to completing work that, so far, supports building an estimated $10-billion water pipeline project in Jordan.
Photo by Getty Images Shanghai, known for its air pollution, is one of 58 members of the C40 Cities mayors' group devoted to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from buildings. Related Links: New Climate Cycle Marked by Storms, Floods & Drought C40 Cities ULI Greenprint Center Globally, buildings are responsible for 8% of greenhouse-gas emissions. In New York City alone, buildings account for 75% of GGEs. In response, mayors and other concerned groups are focusing on making buildings and cities better citizens in regard to climate mitigation. Existing buildings are a big target.On the global stage, C40 Cities—a collective of 58 large
Photo by Getty Images Utilities are scrambling to adapt to the effects of drought and flooding. Related Links: New Climate Cycle Marked by Storms, Floods & Drought EPA's Climate Change National Water Program Strategy Clearing Out Superstorm's Soggy Mess Drought, wildfires and extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy are pushing water utilities to find ways to cope with the effects of climate change, industry sources say."We can argue about whether or not [these events] are actually being caused by climate change, but the fact of the matter is, we have some extreme events happening to our water environment," says Matt
Photo By Getty Images The Atlantic Ocean topped a Winthrop, Mass., seawall during a massive, slowing-moving snowstorm that hit the Northeast in February 2013. Related Links: Extreme Weather Pushes Water Utilities to Adapt Pipelines, Powerplants and Refineries All at Risk Transportation Officials Seek Storm-Surge Solutions 58 Big-City Mayors Focus on Reducing Building Energy Use New York Ponders Plan For Next Storm Engineers Focus On Big Delta Threats Subway tunnels built for normal weather conditions are flooded by a superstorm; roads constructed for historic temperature means are buckling under extreme heat; levees built for one-in-100-year storms are tested every few years
Photo by AP Wideworld Electrical distribution systems are vulnerable to violent winds and ice storms. Often, utilities respond by reconstructing their power lines underground. Related Links: New Climate Cycle Marked by Storms, Floods & Drought Storm Surge Switches Grid to 'Off' Smarter Grids Finding Limits The threat of climate change, a rising sea level and increased storm surge are not news to those who work in Port Fourchon. There, at the southern tip of Louisiana, the oil and gas companies that serve 18% of the oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico know what to do when hurricanes
Photo by AP Wideworld A flurry of pending reports are expected to address the issues of sustainability and resiliency in transportation infrastructure. Related Links: New Climate Cycle Marked by Storms, Floods & Drought Louisiana Officials' Goal Is Hurricane Resistant Bridge From cold-ironing at port harbors and beehive programs at airports to porous pavements, recycled asphalt aggregate and "green roads" rating systems, the transportation industry's efforts to address climate change have been growing over the last decade. But Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the devastation of Superstorm Sandy last fall have increased the sense of urgency about responding to severe weather
Related Links: EPA's Contaminant Candidate List page EPA's page on Chromium in drinking water Pushed by public health concerns and pressure from environmental advocates, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to move forward in 2013 with more stringent regulations related to inorganic and organic contaminants in drinking water. Those regulations likely will drive engineering and construction projects at municipal drinking-water plants, industry sources say."I think what the future holds is a lot of additional treatment to deal with regulations we see on the horizon," says Tim Worley, executive director of the American Water Works Association's (AWWA) California-Nevada region, which held