Category Archives: Articles

NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy

NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy
What is NEPA? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the shortest laws to exist and is less than 6 pages in length.  NEPA was passed by Congress in 1969, signed into law on January 1, 1970 by President Richard Nixon and set the stage for environmental policy for the United States (1). …
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Fracking: What Is It and How Will It Affect You?

Fracking: What Is It and How Will It Affect You?
Those most involved in the study and procedures of fracking are geologists as it concerns natural processes of the ground beneath our feet – the soil and rock formations and of course the fossil fuels that organisations and governments wish to exploit. Most people involved in technical aspects of the fossil fuel industry are geology…
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Principles and Applications of Aerial Photography

Principles and Applications of Aerial Photography
Desk based research is not just about reading papers for vital pieces of information, it is not just about tables, graphs, facts and figures. For many, primary data is all around us; aerial photography, for example, is an important source of information for researchers in landscape studies. This includes disciplines such as Landscape Archaeology (the…
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Drought Issues Facing the United States

Drought Issues Facing the United States
What is Drought? The dictionary defines drought as “a period of dry weather” or “an extended shortage (1).” Drought has always been difficult to define because it varies based on location and associated impacts to the human and natural environment (2). In all cases, drought is temporary in nature, tends to be cyclical and results…
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Dendrochronology: What Tree Rings Tell Us About Past and Present

Dendrochronology: What Tree Rings Tell Us About Past and Present
Studying Dendrochronology Dendrochronology is the study of data from tree ring growth. Due to the sweeping and diverse applications of this data, specialists can come from many academic disciplines. There are no degrees in dendrochronology because though it is useful across the board, the method itself is fairly limited. Most people who enter into studying…
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Principles and Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Principles and Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Use of GIS has seen unprecedented growth in the last ten years. With the powerful technology getting cheaper and system memories expanding, meaning that we can handle much bigger sets of data, some say that GIS is in a golden age. It was once the preserve of the cartographer – few outside would have used…
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Solar Power 101: Advantages & Disadvantages

Solar Power 101: Advantages & Disadvantages
Solar power is the conversion of the sun’s energy into electricity. With an estimated 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously hitting Earth’s surface (1), there is more than enough energy to meet the world’s current consumption levels of 15 terawatts per year (2). The trick, though, is collecting it. Solar Power Technology Solar energy is primarily collected…
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El Niño and La Niña: Their Impact on the Environment

El Niño and La Niña: Their Impact on the Environment
We know that there are many anthropogenic forcings on the climate, particularly the volume of carbon and greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere as a part of our everyday lives. Yet there are a number of natural processes that affect local weather, regional climate and global conditions. Some effects on our climate are a result…
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Gaining International Experience in Environmental Science

Gaining International Experience in Environmental Science
Whether you have been hit by the travel bug, your parents promised a trip for graduation (anywhere you wanted to go!), you can’t find a job close to home, or you just plain want to build a skill-set to set you apart from your peers, you may be looking for international work in Environmental Science. …
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Recommended Environmental Science Articles & Journals

Recommended Environmental Science Articles & Journals
Information about what is happening in the scientific community reaches us a variety of ways.  Some may be through a group you follow on social media.  Some may be via word of mouth, or CNN, BBC, in a class, on the radio as a public notice, overheard at a restaurant, etc.  One tried and true…
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