America.gov-Environment: Natural Resources

Smithsonian Institution Opens New Ocean Exhibit Hall

Meghan Loftus — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:00:09 -0400

The newly opened Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History promotes effective environmental stewardship of ocean resources. It is the museum’s largest exhibition space, displaying 674 specimens and models in 12 exhibits.

United States Committed to Protecting World’s Oceans

Daniel Gorelick — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:17:14 -0400

Through the initiatives set in the president’s Ocean Action Plan, the United States is protecting and preserving oceans and coastal resources. “All Americans have a responsibility and obligation to be good stewards of our environment,” President Bush says at the Museum of Natural History in Washington.

Nanotechnology Could Help Billions Gain Access to Clean Water

Cheryl Pellerin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:57:15 -0400

Hard work, innovation and hope are driving the fledgling products and services of nanotechnology from the research laboratory into a range of improved applications. America.gov looks at some ways nanotechnology could improve access to safe drinking for populations around the world.

Water Projects Worldwide Benefit from U.S. Expertise, Funding

Nancy L. Pontius — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:30:36 -0400

Conflicts over water supplies strike at the heart of what people and wildlife need to survive. An innovative USAID program called GLOWS, backed by a consortium of international and local partners, works to resolve water conflicts and provide sustainable clean water to people and ecosystems on three continents.

2008 World Water Week Highlights Water-Related Challenges

Nancy L. Pontius — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:12:17 -0400

At the 2008 World Water Week conference in Sweden, water specialists address water-related problems that cause millions of deaths each year. The conference heightens “awareness of the crucial importance of water, sanitation and hygiene to improving public health conditions.”

U.S. Ocean Agency to Help Build Sea-Level Network in Caribbean

Cheryl Pellerin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:09:44 -0400

As part of the international effort to strengthen early warning systems in vulnerable nations against a range of coastal hazards, the U.S. State Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are helping establish a sea-level observation network in the Caribbean Sea region.

U.S. Agency to Help Chile Develop Volcano Early Warning System

Cheryl Pellerin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:34:01 -0400

Chaitén volcano in Chile began erupting May 2 for the first time in 9,400 years, spewing ash and steam 17 kilometers into the air and prompting the evacuation of 5,000 people. Two weeks later, at Chile’s request, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey arrived to help monitor the volcano and warn of continuing eruptions.

New Report Describes State of U.S. Environment, Human Health

Cheryl Pellerin — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:33:53 -0400

A new Environmental Protection Agency report asks and answers questions about trends in the condition of the nation’s air, water and land, and in ecological systems and human health. The Report on the Environment uses a range of indicators to sort out the complexities inherent in measuring such interactions.

Maryland Cooperates with Landowners for Environmental Health

Stephen Kaufman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:45:21 -0400

The number of small American family farms in operation has dwindled as agriculture becomes more centralized and most profitable in large-scale operations. But fallow fields and timber lots in the state of Maryland are finding new uses that benefit both landowners and the ecological health of the greater Chesapeake Bay region.

Innovative Process Restores Lakes and Rivers Naturally

Lea Terhune — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:23:24 -0400

Global warming and shrinking freshwater resources are increasing the demand for innovative water-treatment technologies. America.gov looks at how an American entrepreneur’s fresh -- and cost-effective -- idea is breathing new life into dead waters by naturally restoring lakes, rivers and streams.

U.S. Communities Embrace Recycling To Protect the Environment

Lea Terhune — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:17:25 -0400

The United States is sometimes characterized as a nation of overconsumers who generate mountains of garbage. But a trend in the opposite direction is sweeping the country, along with deeper concern about global warming and the environment. Civic, corporate and individual efforts all play a part. “The recycling movement has now advanced to the zero waste stage,” says Neil Seldman, president of the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Washington. “Up until now, people have been talking about 25, 50, 60 percent diversion. Now cities are going for zero waste … 90 percent or more diversion.” He says Los Angeles is the first city in the country to declare a zero waste goal: 90 percent by 2025.

Small Environmental Groups Can Make a Big Difference

Louise Fenner — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:15:43 -0400

Environmental groups in the United States come in many sizes, from the 1.3 million-member Sierra Club to small neighborhood groups that clean trash from their local streams, monitor water quality and plant trees to prevent erosion. Even the smallest grassroots groups can have a big impact. USINFO looks at “stream teams” -- groups of volunteers that collect water samples and other data to monitor the health of their local drainage areas, provide information to government agencies and press for effective laws against polluters.