College-wide featured stories
Going to the Mall
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If you saw the description for this house in a Parade of Homes guide, it might just catch your attention.
Cozy, south-facing living and dining rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Bright, contemporary dining area with space to seat 10. Radiant floor heating for extra comfort in the winter. Three-season porch and 2,000-square-foot deck. Skewed gable roof design…
Huh? Skewed gable roof design?
Engineering researchers discover high levels of estrogens in some industrial wastewater
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In a groundbreaking study, civil engineering researchers in the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology have discovered that certain industries may be a significant source of plant-based estrogens, called phytoestrogens, in surface water. They also revealed that some of these phytoestrogens can be removed through standard wastewater treatment, but in some cases, the compounds remain at levels that may be damaging to fish.
Engineering researchers use sensors to track water pollutants
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Institute of Technology researchers are using a network of five wireless sensors stationed near the Twin Cities’ Minnehaha Creek to monitor ”in real time” when and where storms wash road salt, lawn chemicals, and other pollutants into area waterways.
University of Minnesota researchers reveal that states must use comprehensive approach to reduce greenhouse gases
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Individual states within the United States can have an impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, but only if they use a comprehensive approach that includes improved vehicle efficiency, lower carbon fuels and reduced distances traveled, say researchers at the University of Minnesota. The new research on reducing motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions is published in the current issue of Environmental Science and Technology, an environmental journal published by the American Chemical Society.
Keeping tabs on forests
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In the wake of the recent U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen, the United States and five other nations have pledged $3.5 billion to preserve forests.
Are earthquakes the price of living on an active Earth?
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Nearly two centuries ago, northeast Arkansas and southern Missouri were rocked by four earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater.
U takes fifth in D.C.
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The University of Minnesota’s first-ever entry into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon ended successfully Friday. The U placed fifth overall (838.544 points) in the 20-team competition, which featured entries from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain.
U of M among three winners of new federal wind energy grant
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Years of research and investment in wind energy generation paid off for the University of Minnesota Thursday (October 15, 2008), when U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu named a U of M-led consortium and two others to share up to $24 million for wind energy research and education.
Walking and clean air
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Determining which neighborhoods encourage walking and which parts of a city are beset by pollution seems easy enough. Avoid the core downtown areas and look for a walkable stretch in the suburbs, right?
News of the weir
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The next cup of stale coffee you pour down the drain may end up as evidence. Not in a courtroom, but in a study of how well Twin Cities sewers and waterways handle the loads of pollutants washed into them by storms.