What is a dead zone in an ocean or other body of water? So-called dead zones are areas of large bodies of water typically in the ocean but also occasionally in lakes and even rivers that do not have enough oxygen to support marine life. The cause of such hypoxic (lacking oxygen) conditions is usually [...]
I hate filling up my tank and watching the bill go higher and higher as much as the next guy, but The Center for Investigative Reporting has just released a study which shows that the price we pay for gas in the U.S. is artificially low — and I have to agree 100%. Their study [...]
Q: Radioactive rain recently fell in Massachusetts, likely due to Japan’s nuclear mess. Given the threats of radiation, wouldn’t it be madness now to continue with nuclear power? How can President Obama include nukes as part of a clean energy agenda? In the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan, countries around the world that [...]
Q: Is it true that only a handful of outdated coal-burning power plants generate a sizable amount of the mercury pollution generated in the United States? If so, is anything being done to clean these sites up or shut them down? Our nation’s coal-fired power plants are increasingly being retrofitted with technologies to mitigate the [...]
I”™m Virginian by birth, Southern by the Grace of God, and Washingtonian by choice. But my work as an energy and environmental journalist has shown me the way I live defines me as American. I drive just about everywhere. I recycle most of my trash, but don”™t go out of my way to buy sustainable [...]
Dear EarthTalk: Is air quality in the United States improving or getting worse? Is it cleaner in some parts of the country than in others? Air quality across the United States has improved dramatically since 1970 when Congress passed the Clean Air Act in response to growing pollution problems and fouled air from coast to [...]
Dear EarthTalk: Were Japan to close all its nuclear plants following the recent damage and radiation leaks from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, what could its energy mix look like? Would it be able to provide all of its power in other ways? Most experts agree that Japan would be hard pressed to close [...]
