Here is some informative and diverse reading about science, environment and other issues published recently:
New York Times: Once-lowly charcoal (bio-char) emerges as ‘major tool’ for curbing carbon
Scientists are probing the limits of how high-grade charcoal, dubbed biochar, can be formed from plant and animal waste to squirrel away the atmosphere’s carbon for centuries, or even millennia. (Bio-char production is one of the four projects involved in DNR’s forest biomass initiative.)
New York Times: Study links sprawl, obesity
Based on a study of Charlotte, N.C., after it installed a light-rail transit system, a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that riding the rails can leave users an average of 6.5 pounds lighter than others, and 81 percent less likely to become obese over time.
Technology Review: Subway trains to generate power for the grid
The transit authority in metropolitan Philadelphia is launching a pilot project in which the energy created by braking subway trains will be transferred to a large battery that can then either use the electricity to help power the transit system or sell the power to the region’s electricity grid.
Reuters: Protect corals with reef networks, U.N. study says.
A United Nations report says that the most effective way to protect fisheries and coral reefs is to establish networks of small marine protected areas around the globe, rather than large reserves where fishing bans are often ignored.
| Follow DNR on: |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
