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States battle rise in copper thefts
New threat to U.S. infrastructure: Wave of copper theft; DOE estimates that losses to businesses hover around $1 billion; states pass tougher laws to stem the tide
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Honduran authorities detect Cesium-137 in container at port
Puerto Cortes, Honduras, was declared a safe port by the United States more than a year ago — and the designation proved correct: Last Sunday radiation detectors at the port detected high doses of radiation in a container (it turned out to be medical stuff used in sterilization of equipment)
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TWIC inches forward, but legislators criticize missed deadlines
Employees at Wilmington, Delaware port were the first to enroll in TWIC last month; this month, employees in eleven additional ports will begin enrollment; still, program delays are met with a bipartisan chorus of criticism on the Hill
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Maryland State Police to gather critical infrastructure data from air
Johns Hopkins’s APL develops new technology which allows officers to monitor critical infrastructure facilities digitally from the air and quickly locate, inspect important structures during patrols
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Vulnerability of infrastructure control systems is growing
Control networks of infrastructure facilities are becoming increasingly standardized and linked to other centralized systems; as a result they can be more easily breached; consequences may be dire
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Winners announced in two new-approach building competitions
The Solar Decathlon and Lifecycle Building Challenge aim to promote energy independence and better environment through greater reliance on alternative energy and better building design and materials
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EPA insists terrorism should be considered in decision over Indian Point
EPA breaks with NRC, saying the impact of terrorism should be considered in relicensing decision of Indian Point nuclear power plants, located 30 miles north of New York City
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Mubarak says Egypt to build nuclear power stations
President Mubarak of Egypt announces plans for civilian nuclear program; Egypt’s oil and gas reserves stand at 15.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, enough for 34 years at current production rates
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U.S. faces water shortage crisis
Government projects at least 36 states will face shortages within five years; “The last century was the century of water engineering. The next century is going to have to be the century of water efficiency,” one experts says
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NRC seeks public comments on reactor oversight
As interest in nuclear power is revived, more application for building reactors come in — after a lull of more than two decades nearly; the NRC wants the public to comment on reactor oversight
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Worldwide Nuclear Power
For the last twenty years, nuclear power has provided about 16% of the world’s power needs; renewed interest in nuclear energy — energy
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Investigation into Italian mafia's trafficking of nuclear waste
Italian authorities are investigating charges that the Mafia was paid by the national nuclear research center to dispose of nuclear waste; informer says Mafia bought plutonium from the center and sold it to Iraq in the 1980s
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Satellite images show early stages of Syrian nuclear reactor
On 6 September Israel stealthily destroyed a target deep inside Syria; examination of satellite images taken of the site before it was destroyed leads independent experts to conclude that Syria might have been building a gas-graphite reactor of about 20 to 25 megawatts, similar to the reactor North Korea built at Yongbyon
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Innovative self-contained water recycling system for megacities
German researchers develop a self-contained water treatment system which purifies waste water and collects rain to help cities with inadequate water supplies
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Massive sensor network to monitor Hudson River
The Hudson to become the world’s largest environmental-monitoring system; system may be used to monitor cities’ water systems
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The long view
Urban Street Networks and Building Density Shape Severity of Floods
Cities around the globe are experiencing increased flooding due to the compounding effects of stronger storms in a warming climate and urban growth. Researchers’ new analytical model can assess neighborhood-level hazards globally.
To Get Off Fossil fuels, America Is Going to Need a Lot More Electricians
To cut greenhouse gas emissions on pace with the best available science, the United States must prepare for a monumental increase in electricity use. Burning fossil fuels to heat homes and get around isn’t compatible with keeping the planet at a livable temperature. Appliances that can be powered by clean electricity already exist to meet all of these needs. The problem is, most houses aren’t wired to handle the load from electric heating, cooking, and clothes dryers, along with solar panels and vehicle chargers. And a shortage of skilled labor could derail efforts to “electrify everything.”
New Gels Could Protect Buildings During Wildfires
Researchers have developed a sprayable gel that creates a shield to protect buildings from wildfire damage. It lasts longer and is more effective than existing commercial options.
As Tornado Alley Shifts East, Bracing for Impact in Unexpected Places
Experts say the causes are still unclear, but the change is consistent with a warming world. The effects on the ground could be devastating.