http://freshare.net/article/ en bobk@freshare.net Copyright 2012 2012-02-07T22:27:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/nasas_gcpex_mission_what_we_dont_know_about_snow/ http://freshare.net/article/nasas_gcpex_mission_what_we_dont_know_about_snow/#When:17:51:00Z Predicting the future is always a tricky business—just watch a TV weather report. Weather forecasts have come a long way, but almost every season there’s a snowstorm that seems to come out of nowhere, or one that’s forecast as ‘the big one’ that turns out to be a total bust. In the last ten years, scientists have shown… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2012-02-03T17:51:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/warm_winter_weather_doesnt_always_mean_more_insects_this_spring_and_summer/ http://freshare.net/article/warm_winter_weather_doesnt_always_mean_more_insects_this_spring_and_summer/#When:05:01:00Z Many area lawn and garden enthusiasts are hoping above average winter temperatures right now don’t result in terrible outbreaks of plant eating insects this Spring and summer like so many old-timers say. However, one local horticulture specialist says “not so fast” on the speculation that warm winter weather equals more insects. “There… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2012-01-18T05:01:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/in_tackling_lead_pollution_fungi_may_be_our_friends/ http://freshare.net/article/in_tackling_lead_pollution_fungi_may_be_our_friends/#When:13:27:00Z Fungi may be unexpected allies in our efforts to keep hazardous lead under control. That’s based on the unexpected discovery that fungi can transform lead into its most stable mineral form. The findings reported online on January 12 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, suggest that this interaction between fungi and lead may be occurring in nature anywhere the… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2012-01-13T13:27:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/little_bug_big_stink/ http://freshare.net/article/little_bug_big_stink/#When:21:50:00Z A new stinkier stinkbug may hitchhike into Missouri this year to destroy crops and upset homeowners, says a University of Missouri entomologist. The brown marmorated stink bug, a pest found in 33 states mostly to the east and south, will likely be found for the first time this year in Missouri, says Wayne Bailey of the MU Plant… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2012-01-04T21:50:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/a_year_of_extremes/ http://freshare.net/article/a_year_of_extremes/#When:20:13:00Z Missouri weather in 2011 was anything but boring. From floods and drought to tornados and blizzards, the state saw more than a healthy dose of extreme weather events of every variety. “Missouri saw many extreme weather events from its beginning that continued throughout most of the year,” said Pat Guinan, Missouri’s state climatologist with the University… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-12-30T20:13:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/nps_may_allow_parks_to_ban_disposable_plastic_bottles/ http://freshare.net/article/nps_may_allow_parks_to_ban_disposable_plastic_bottles/#When:17:17:00Z Hikers and campers take note. National park superintendents may stop you from bringing disposable plastic bottles onto park property. Last week, NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis issued a directive that empowers superintendents to ban those bottles on a case by case basis. But issuing a proclamation is not a simple matter. Officials must first conduct a series of rather… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-12-21T17:17:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/dec_16_marks_bicentennial_of_new_madrid_quakes/ http://freshare.net/article/dec_16_marks_bicentennial_of_new_madrid_quakes/#When:20:53:00Z Two hundred years ago Dec. 16, the New Madrid Seismic Zone unleashed one of the most powerful earthquakes to shake the lower 48 states – a quake so powerful it caused waterfalls on the Mississippi River, shook houses in Charleston. S.C., and rang church bells in Boston. The first terrifying jolt hit at 2:15 a.m., with modern estimates… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-12-16T20:53:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/a_drought_five_feet_under/ http://freshare.net/article/a_drought_five_feet_under/#When:22:38:01Z Missouri has not escaped the historic drought that devastated Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona.  A critically-timed two month dry spell has left much of the state’s soil bone dry down to nearly six feet.  Unless there is long and heavy rain and snowfall this winter, Missouri’s most important crops will suffer.… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-12-08T22:38:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/be_careful_eliminating_invasives/ http://freshare.net/article/be_careful_eliminating_invasives/#When:20:13:01Z Everywhere, including the Ozarks, battles rage to eliminate non-native species of animals and plants. In an odd twist, Princeton University researchers found that some invasive species can become essential members of the very same ecosystems threatened by their arrival. Scientists David Wilcove and David Pattemore uncovered evidence that destructive, non-native animals can assume vital biological roles, such as… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-23T20:13:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/food_safety_personnel_examining_beaver_lake_pathogens/ http://freshare.net/article/food_safety_personnel_examining_beaver_lake_pathogens/#When:23:46:01Z The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Center for Food Safety’s expertise in pathogenic bacteria and viruses is being called into service to examine their impact on Beaver Lake swim beaches and to identify the sources of fecal pollution in the lake. Kristen Gibson, a postdoctoral associate in food science, is leading a year-long study with the support… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-17T23:46:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/epa_revises_key_deadline_for_farms/ http://freshare.net/article/epa_revises_key_deadline_for_farms/#When:23:22:01Z The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pushed back the deadline for farms operational after Aug. 15, 2002, to amend or prepare and implement plans guarding against potential oil or fuel spills in lakes, streams, rivers and other waterways. The new deadline for farmers to complete their Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans is May 10, 2013. … Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-17T23:22:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/another_bad_winter/ http://freshare.net/article/another_bad_winter/#When:14:52:00Z If you lived in the Midwest and remember last year’s long and difficult winter, get ready for a repeat performance, says a University of Missouri atmospheric science researcher. Tony Lupo, department chair and professor of atmospheric science in the School of Natural Resources, said the same La Niña, jet stream and atmospheric blocking patterns that brought heavy snows… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-10T14:52:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/looking_for_ethanol_from_eastern_redcedar_trees/ http://freshare.net/article/looking_for_ethanol_from_eastern_redcedar_trees/#When:14:59:00Z The nuisance of Eastern redcedar trees has been well documented in Oklahoma and surrounding states during the past several years. They are a fire danger, an over-powering competitor for water among surrounding plants and are incredibly invasive. However, researchers at Oklahoma State University are looking for a way to use this tree, which caused an estimated economic loss… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-08T14:59:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/midwests_perfect_storm/ http://freshare.net/article/midwests_perfect_storm/#When:16:44:00Z Saturday, Nov. 11, 1911 saw what was probably the most sudden and dangerous cold blast in American history.  People who enjoyed a summer like morning froze to death in heavy snowfall that evening.  Blue skies changed to low… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-01T16:44:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/missouri_journalists_chronicle_the_storm/ http://freshare.net/article/missouri_journalists_chronicle_the_storm/#When:16:40:01Z The storm hit Kansas City about noon.  Readers of the splashy Kansas City Journal were told that the temperature there fell 50 degrees in one hour and there was a blinding electrical storm during the blizzard. The staid Kansas City Times reported that a rural farm buggy had been blown by the wind and wrapped around a tree.  A loose… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-11-01T16:40:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/most_of_missouri_remains_zebra_mussel_free/ http://freshare.net/article/most_of_missouri_remains_zebra_mussel_free/#When:10:55:00Z Hardly a week passes without an invasive plant or animal turning up in a new place. Consequently, the latest news about zebra mussels in Missouri reads a bit like “Man bites dog.” Tim Banek, invasive species coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), hears plenty of bad news about zebra mussels and other invasive species. But the… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-10-13T10:55:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/earths_acidity_rising/ http://freshare.net/article/earths_acidity_rising/#When:21:49:00Z Human use of Earth’s natural resources is making the air, oceans, freshwaters, and soils more acidic, according to a U.S. Geological Survey – University of Virginia study available online in the journal, Applied Geochemistry.  This comprehensive review, the first on this topic to date, found the mining and burning of coal, the mining and smelting of metal ores,… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-09-28T21:49:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/nanoparticles_cause_brain_injury_in_fish/ http://freshare.net/article/nanoparticles_cause_brain_injury_in_fish/#When:00:37:01Z Nanoparticles are ultrafine; present almost at the molecular level. While often considered a modern science, the use of nanoparticles can be traced back to the 9th century when artisans used the optical properties of these particles to produce a lustrous sheen on pottery pieces. Today, nanoparticles are used to create product mainstays like stain-resistant clothing, clear sunscreen and… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-09-22T00:37:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/agfc_monitors_dissolved_oxygen_levels_below_bull_shoals_and_norfork_dams/ http://freshare.net/article/agfc_monitors_dissolved_oxygen_levels_below_bull_shoals_and_norfork_dams/#When:23:40:00Z This year’s spring rains provided many benefits for the state’s fisheries. The abundant rainfall provided additional water to local fisheries, improved the recruitment of young bass within the lakes, and provided sufficient amounts of cold water to support the trout fisheries below Bull Shoals and Norfork dams through the summer. Along with these benefits, come some challenges. Flooded… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-09-21T23:40:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/benefits_of_removing_redcedar_demonstrated_by_osu/ http://freshare.net/article/benefits_of_removing_redcedar_demonstrated_by_osu/#When:13:33:00Z It looks like a war zone when one ignites in the middle of a wildfire. An impressive explosion on the leading edge of a wildfire typically means an Eastern redcedar just caught, especially in Oklahoma. Through a grant administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Oklahoma State University researchers have been demonstrating to the public… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-09-20T13:33:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/deep_lake_fish_kills_attributed_to_oxygen_water_temperature/ http://freshare.net/article/deep_lake_fish_kills_attributed_to_oxygen_water_temperature/#When:13:48:00Z Dead fish in Bull shoals, Norfolk and Beaver lakes in north Arkansas have resulted in questions and concerns from a number of Arkansans. It is a natural and somewhat seasonal phenomenon, according to Ken Shirley, a veteran district fisheries biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The situation was complicated this year because of unusual and prolonged… Nature and Wildlife, Environment 2011-09-16T13:48:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/rivers_rising_wateralerts_offer_real_time_data/ http://freshare.net/article/rivers_rising_wateralerts_offer_real_time_data/#When:17:21:00Z The U.S. Geological Survey monitors water levels at over 7000 locations across the United States. You can sign up for free text messages that alert you when those rivers are on the rise. The messages are sent directly to your cell phone in real time. “USGS WaterAlert provides current river information to people in harm’s way,” said Bill… News, Environment 2011-09-02T17:21:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/arsenic_uranium_and_other_trace_elements_a_potential_concern_in_private_dri/ http://freshare.net/article/arsenic_uranium_and_other_trace_elements_a_potential_concern_in_private_dri/#When:21:51:00Z About 20% of untreated water samples from public, private, and monitoring wells across the nation contain concentrations of at least one trace element, such as arsenic, manganese and uranium, at levels of potential health concern, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. “In public wells these contaminants are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,… News, Environment 2011-09-01T21:51:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/cars_could_run_on_recycled_newspaper/ http://freshare.net/article/cars_could_run_on_recycled_newspaper/#When:20:08:00Z Here’s one way that old-fashioned newsprint beats the Internet. Tulane University scientists have discovered a novel bacterial strain, dubbed “TU-103,” that can use paper to produce butanol, a biofuel that can serve as a substitute for gasoline. They are currently experimenting with old editions of the Times Picayune, New Orleans’ venerable daily newspaper, with great success. TU-103 is… News, Environment 2011-08-25T20:08:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/rain_returns_so_do_mosquitoes/ http://freshare.net/article/rain_returns_so_do_mosquitoes/#When:15:45:00Z With rain returning to some regions of Arkansas, so have mosquito breeding sites, said Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Mosquito breeding sites are divided into three major types: 1) floodwater, 2) permanent or semi-permanent pools and 3) artificial containers or tree-holes. “Homeowners can help reduce mosquito populations—particularly the container-breeding… News, Environment 2011-08-23T15:45:00-06:00