Earth and Environment

Top News
Top news RSS feed
Beekeepers with frame

Researchers aim to develop best practices for organic beekeeping industry

11/17/17

A nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support Penn State researchers in determining best management practices for organic beekeeping by comparing organic and chemical-free to conventional management systems. The funding comes from the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Kiya Riverman looking into a glacial cave

Some like it cold

11/15/17

Scientists at Penn State go to the ends of the Earth to find out what makes glaciers tick.

Energy Storage and Microgrid Training and Certification virtual reality program

Partnership aims to advance renewable energy via storage and microgrid training

11/15/17

A unique partnership between Penn State and industry members is working to advance solar and wind energy through energy storage and microgrid systems education and training. The Energy Storage and Microgrid Training and Certification (ESAM-TAC) program is part of the GridSTAR Center, a smart grid education and research center at Penn State at The Navy Yard, located in Philadelphia.

Zhang

Congressional briefing addresses science's impact on weather prediction, economy

11/14/17

Penn State researcher Fuqing Zhang was one of three experts on a panel, representing universities, federally funded labs and the private sector, who briefed Congress on how recent advances in technology have improved severe weather forecasting, allowing targeted forecasts for both the public and businesses that support the economy and can save lives. The briefing, sponsored by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), took place today (Nov.14).

Virtual Farm

'Virtual farm' website provides a plethora of dairy sustainability information

11/7/17

Farmers can see sustainability principles in action with just a few mouse clicks, thanks to an interactive "virtual farm" web site developed by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension, in partnership with the project's lead, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University and the Dairy Innovation Center.

Spotted lanternfly adult - lateral view

Penn State researchers take aim at invasive, 'pernicious' spotted lanternfly

11/7/17

As populations of the invasive spotted lanternfly explode — and the state-imposed quarantine area in southeastern Pennsylvania expands — researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are looking for solutions to help stop the insect's spread and save agricultural crops from serious damage.

3-D fungal network

'Zombie ant' brains left intact by fungal parasite

11/7/17

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A fungal parasite that infects ants and manipulates their behavior to benefit the fungus' reproduction accomplishes this feat without infecting the ants' brains, according to a study led by Penn State researchers.

Battlefield Gettysburg

Signs may help history buffs get more buff

11/6/17

Parks serve a lot of purposes. They help visitors get out in the fresh air, introduce them to the environment, and even help them learn a little history. By adding just a sign or two, researchers say, parks can also improve visitors' fitness.

Comparison of Keplar-13Ab

Astronomers discover 'sunscreen snow' falling on hot exoplanet

10/26/17

Astronomers at Penn State have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a blistering-hot giant planet outside our solar system where the atmosphere "snows" titanium dioxide — the active ingredient in sunscreen. This discovery, and other observations made by the Penn State team, provide insight into the complexity of weather and atmospheric composition on exoplanets, and may someday be useful for gauging the habitability of Earth-size planets.

Energy and the Environment Laboratory

Energy, environment research highlighted in new name for building

10/24/17

At its July meeting, the Penn State Board of Trustees approved the renaming of the Materials Research Laboratory to the Energy and the Environment Laboratory. The lab's name was changed to more accurately represent the research occurring in the building.

Pages