Environmental news from freshare.net

Warm Temperatures Continue Through April; May Rainfall Uncertain

2012-05-08T15:12:00-06:00

It’s too close to call yet, but April temperatures this year look to be cooler than March’s. “It’s rare, but occasionally it occurs where March is warmer than April,” said Pat Guinan, extension climatologist with the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Program. “The numbers are indicating it’s going to be very close, with both months averaging about 58…

Antibiotic Resistance Flourishes in Freshwater Systems

2012-04-26T14:36:00-06:00

Dr. Seuss may have been on to something when he imagined that microscopic communities could live and flourish on small specs of dust, barely visible to the naked eye. In fact, such vibrant communities actually exist in a material with a delightfully Seussical sounding—yet scientific—name: “floc.” McMaster University researchers discovered that floc, a “goo-like” substance occurring suspended in…

Fight Against Cancer May Hold Lessons for Battling Aquatic Invasive Species

2012-04-25T14:02:00-06:00

Lessons learned from the medical community’s progress in fighting cancer can provide a framework to help prevent the introduction and spread of harmful aquatic invasive species, according to a study released in American Scientist. With more than 6,500 harmful non-native species causing more than 100 billion dollars in economic damage each year in the United States, more effective…

Pining for Economic Opportunity

2012-04-19T23:52:00-06:00

On a sunny, spring morning, Ray Glendening and his crew at CAFNR’s Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) harvested a little-known crop in Missouri—pine straw. The harvest is the result of successful research breeding pitch pines, which have cold tolerance, with loblolly pines, which have long needles necessary for good mulch. Pitch/loblolly hybrid pines offer a market to…

Calming the Storm (Water)

2012-04-10T15:40:00-06:00

Using 777 willow trees, a University of Missouri research team is beginning a two-year study to determine best methods to reclaim flood plain land damaged by development, keep waterways free of potential pollutants, and develop a cash crop for farmers. The research looks to mitigate the impact of storm water runoff. Rain runoff from hard surfaces like parking…

Schools Trash Litter Through No MOre Trash! Contest

2012-04-06T14:34:00-06:00

Almost 285 students from 20 Missouri elementary and middle schools helped fight litter by participating in the 2012 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter Free” trashcan-decorating contest. The annual contest is sponsored by the Missouri Departments of Conservation (MDC) and Transportation (MoDOT) as part of their ongoing “No MOre Trash!” campaign to raise awareness about litter and to…

Study Shows Air Emissions Near Fracking Sites May Impact Health

2012-03-21T23:43:00-06:00

Researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health have shown that air pollution caused by fracking may contribute to acute and chronic health problems for those living near natural gas drilling sites. “Our data show that it is important to include air pollution in the national dialogue on natural gas development that has focused largely on water exposures…

No April Cold Snap Repeat

2012-03-21T21:44:00-06:00

The Central Plains may be spared a repeat of the historic April 4-10, 2007 cold wave that disrupted agricultural production, says a University of Missouri climate researcher. Millions of dollars in crop loss hit orchards, hay fields and newly sprouted corn. Tony Lupo, chair of soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural…

Warm Weather Enticing Fruit Tree Blooms

2012-03-09T15:33:00-06:00

Arkansas has seen its share of record-high temperatures in February and March, but warm daily low temperatures are prompting Arkansas’ fruit trees to bloom, said Dan Chapman, director of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fruit Research Station. Since Friday, record highs were set or tied at Little Rock, North Little Rock, Monticello, Hot Springs and…

Weakening La Niña May Bring Flash Floods

2012-03-09T15:18:00-06:00

A weakening La Niña may bring heavy rain and the threat of flash floods to parts of Arkansas this spring, while the potential for widespread flooding remains average, the National Weather Service said Thursday. “Weakening La Niña conditions are occurring, which can produce a period of early spring severe weather in Arkansas,” the weather service said in its…

Stormwater: When Going with the Flow Creates a Runaway Problem

2012-02-29T21:42:00-06:00

If you’ve noticed a new stream on your property, seen water levels rise in a local creek, or wondered where all the trash and pollutants in streams comes from, look no further than stormwater, said John Pennington, Washington County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Coal-Tar Sealcoat a Major Source of PAHs to Air and to Children Living Nearby

2012-02-21T22:15:00-06:00

Coal-tar-based sealants are emitting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the air at rates that may be greater than annual emissions from vehicles in the United States, according to new reports by the U.S. Geological Survey. A separate study conducted jointly by Baylor University and the USGS, says that children living near coal-tar-sealed pavement are exposed to twice as many PAHs…

Invasive Species Week Has Special Significance in Missouri

2012-02-16T22:37:00-06:00

Some invasive plants and animals come in ships from halfway around the globe. Others leapfrog from one watershed to the next in bait buckets. Occasionally they arrive in pickup trucks under cover of darkness. The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) wants to get all Americans involved in stopping them. Invasive plants and animals are in the news more…

Groundwater Radium Testing Shows Ozarks Susceptible

2012-02-16T22:33:01-06:00

Groundwater in aquifers on the East Coast and in the Central U.S. has the highest risk of contamination from radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element and known carcinogen. According to a study conducted by the USGS, radium was detected in concentrations that equaled or exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards in more than one in five…

Whither Winter Weather?

2012-02-04T16:50:00-06:00

Dreary days bundled up by the fire have been few and far between this winter. February 2012 continues a warm streak, starkly contrasting with the snow and blizzards that characterized 2011. “We had more than 20 inches of snow by the end of January last year, but this year we’ve only had 3-4 inches so far,…

USDA Updates Plant Hardiness Zone Maps for First Time Since 1990

2012-02-04T14:53:01-06:00

Gardeners are familiar with the ubiquitous map that graces the back of seed packages and care labels that accompany most perennials. That map and its recommendations are receiving an update. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map advises how plants will fare through the harsh winters with its spectrum that fades from cool purples and blues to…

NASA’s GCPEX Mission: What We Don’t Know About Snow

2012-02-03T17:51:00-06:00

Predicting the future is always a tricky business—just watch a TV weather report. Weather forecasts have come a long way, but almost every season there’s a snowstorm that seems to come out of nowhere, or one that’s forecast as ‘the big one’ that turns out to be a total bust. In the last ten years, scientists have shown…

Warm Winter Weather Doesn’t Always Mean More Insects This Spring and Summer

2012-01-18T05:01:00-06:00

Many area lawn and garden enthusiasts are hoping above average winter temperatures right now don’t result in terrible outbreaks of plant eating insects this Spring and summer like so many old-timers say. However, one local horticulture specialist says “not so fast” on the speculation that warm winter weather equals more insects. “There…

In Tackling Lead Pollution, Fungi May Be Our Friends

2012-01-13T13:27:00-06:00

Fungi may be unexpected allies in our efforts to keep hazardous lead under control. That’s based on the unexpected discovery that fungi can transform lead into its most stable mineral form. The findings reported online on January 12 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, suggest that this interaction between fungi and lead may be occurring in nature anywhere the…

Little Bug, Big Stink

2012-01-04T21:50:00-06:00

A new stinkier stinkbug may hitchhike into Missouri this year to destroy crops and upset homeowners, says a University of Missouri entomologist. The brown marmorated stink bug, a pest found in 33 states mostly to the east and south, will likely be found for the first time this year in Missouri, says Wayne Bailey of the MU Plant…

A Year of Extremes

2011-12-30T20:13:00-06:00

Missouri weather in 2011 was anything but boring. From floods and drought to tornados and blizzards, the state saw more than a healthy dose of extreme weather events of every variety. “Missouri saw many extreme weather events from its beginning that continued throughout most of the year,” said Pat Guinan, Missouri’s state climatologist with the University…

NPS May Allow Parks To Ban Disposable Plastic Bottles

2011-12-21T17:17:00-06:00

Hikers and campers take note. National park superintendents may stop you from bringing disposable plastic bottles onto park property. Last week, NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis issued a directive that empowers superintendents to ban those bottles on a case by case basis. But issuing a proclamation is not a simple matter. Officials must first conduct a series of rather…

Dec. 16 Marks Bicentennial of New Madrid Quakes

2011-12-16T20:53:00-06:00

Two hundred years ago Dec. 16, the New Madrid Seismic Zone unleashed one of the most powerful earthquakes to shake the lower 48 states – a quake so powerful it caused waterfalls on the Mississippi River, shook houses in Charleston. S.C., and rang church bells in Boston. The first terrifying jolt hit at 2:15 a.m., with modern estimates…

A Drought Five Feet Under

2011-12-08T22:38:01-06:00

Missouri has not escaped the historic drought that devastated Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona. A critically-timed two month dry spell has left much of the state’s soil bone dry down to nearly six feet. Unless there is long and heavy rain and snowfall this winter, Missouri’s most important crops will suffer.…

Be Careful Eliminating Invasives

2011-11-23T20:13:01-06:00

Everywhere, including the Ozarks, battles rage to eliminate non-native species of animals and plants. In an odd twist, Princeton University researchers found that some invasive species can become essential members of the very same ecosystems threatened by their arrival. Scientists David Wilcove and David Pattemore uncovered evidence that destructive, non-native animals can assume vital biological roles, such as…