Environment

PED Tweaks Proposed Science Education Standards

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
Public Education Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski addresses the crowd during a reception Oct. 10 at the LAPS School Board Meeting Room. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
 
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com

The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) appeared to backpedal Tuesday on proposed changes to the New Mexico Science Education Standards, which are at odds with the Next Generation Science Standards developed by a consortium of states and the National Academy of Sciences.

New Mexico would be the 19th state to adopt the Standards. Read More

LANL Scientists, Engineers Receive 2017 Fellows Prizes

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017

Laboratory Fellows Prize recipients from top left,Tess Light, Nikolai Sinitsyn and Harshini Mukundan. Bottom, from left: Eric Flynn and Brian Albright. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

  • Flynn, Mukundan, Sinitsyn, Albright and Light honored for outstanding research, leadership

Five Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have been awarded the Laboratory’s prestigious Fellows Prize in the areas of science or engineering research and leadership: Eric Flynn, Harshini Mukundan and Nikolai Sinitsyn were awarded the Fellows’ Prize for Outstanding Research, and Brian Albright and Tess Light Read More

Last PEEC Co-founder Steps Down

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
 
PEEC Co-founder Michele Altherr stepped down from her position on the board earlier this month. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
 
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post 
kirsten@ladailypost.com
 
The idea for the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) originated in 1999. That year, a community meeting was held to gauge people’s interest in establishing a nature center. At that meeting, 100 people showed up, including Michele Altherr. ​
 
“It really wowed people that this idea was something people were interested in,” she said. “I raised
Read More

Environmental Sustainability Board Meets Today

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
COUNTY News: 
 
The Environmental Sustainability Board meets at 5:30 p.m. today 19 in Suite 110 in the Los Alamos County Municipal Building at 1000 Central Ave. 
 
The meeting is open to the public. 
 
Agenda: 
1. CALL TO ORDER – ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of the Sept. 21, 2017, Environmental Sustainability Board Minutes Presenters: John Bliss
5. BOARD BUSINESS
  • Eco Station Night Sky Cooling Technology Presenters: Anthony Strain and John Bliss
  • Review and Discuss the Environmental Sustainability
Read More

Valles Caldera Plans Fall Prescribed Burns

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
NPS News:
 
Valles Caldera National Preserve initiated prescribed burn projects this week. The prescribed burn are within an approximately 2,330-acre project area in the Banco Bonito district of the preserve – north of N.M. 4 near mile marker 30.
 
The burn operations will be completed within a 3-10 day period. Brief traffic delays may occur during this time, but are not expected to cause road closures or disrupt visitor activities elsewhere on the preserve. 
 
Through the prescribed burn, National Park Service officials hope to decrease the potential for future high-intensity
Read More

AGU: Waves In Lakes Make Waves In The Earth

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
Yellowstone Lake. Photo by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta
 
AGU News:
 
Beneath the peaceful rolling waves of a lake is a rumble, imperceptible to all but seismometers, that ripples into the earth like the waves ripple along the shore.
 
In a study published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth, scientists at the University of Utah report that these small seismic signals can aid science.
 
As a record of wave motion in a lake, they can reveal when a lake freezes over and when it thaws. And as a small, constant source of seismic energy in the surrounding
Read More

Science On Tap: Learn About Magnets Tonight

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017

LACDC News: 

Interested in magnetism? Join us to learn more at Science On Tap, at 5:30 p.m. today at UnQuarked Wine Bar, 145 Central Park Square.

Ross McDonald, with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos, will talk about the motivation for using high magnetic fields for materials research. With applications ranging from trying to understand high temperature superconductivity to learning fundamental information about metals, he’ll cover the challenges and advantages of working with these incredibly strong fields. He may even bring a demonstration Read More

35th Annual Taos Mountain Balloon Rally Oct. 27-29

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 19, 2017
Taos Balloon Rally. Photo by Kevin Rebholtz
 
Photo by Kevin Rebholtz
 
TMBR News:
 
TAOS ― The 35th Annual Taos Mountain Balloon Rally is Friday through Sunday, Oct. 27-29 at the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally field on Albright Street behind the Taos County Courthouse.
 
The free weekend event, which will include three ascensions, food, vendors and entertainment, is expected to draw more than 35 balloons and visitors from all over the southwest.
 
The event kicks off at 7 a.m. Friday, Oct. 27 with the daily
Read More

EM Manager Doug Hintze Briefs RCLC Board

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2017

Doug Hintze, head of Environmental Management at the Los Alamos Field Office addresses Regional Coalition of LANL Communities board members Friday at their quarterly meeting in Espanola. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
 

Topping the list of main priorities for Fiscal Year 2017 is enhancing oversight and maintaining focus on safety, efficiency and transparency, said Doug Hintze, manager of the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management at the Los Alamos Field Office.

Hintze told board members Read More

NMED Confirms ‘Boil Water Advisory’ For Cañada De Los Alamos In Santa Fe County

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2017
NMED News:
 
SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Drinking Water Bureau (DWB) is confirming that a “boil water advisory” is required for the Cañada de Los Alamos Mutual Domestic Water Users Association (MDWCA) in Santa Fe County.
 
Cañada de Los Alamos MDWCA was required to issue the advisory Monday after bacteriological contamination (E. coli) was detected in repeat drinking water samples from the water system’s distribution system. New Mexico Drinking Water Regulations require Cañada de Los Alamos MDWCA to notify their water
Read More

SFNF: Two Prescribed Burns Proceed

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2017
SFNF News:
 
SANTA FE ― Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest are taking advantage of favorable fall conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecasted weather, to proceed with two previously announced prescribed burns.
 
Crews are working on both the 536-acre Cedar Springs prescribed burn on the Cuba Ranger District and the 2,515-acre Mesitas prescribed burn on the Española Ranger District. The Cedar Springs unit is located north of the community of LLaves and the Dead Man Lookout. The Mesitas unit is located approximately
Read More

Los Alamos Researchers And Supercomputers Help Interpret Latest LIGO Findings

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2017
LANL News:
 
Astrophysicist Chris Fryer was enjoying an evening with friends Aug. 25, 2017, when he got the news of a gravitational-wave detection by LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory.
 
The event appeared to be a merger of two neutron stars—a specialty for the Los Alamos National Laboratory team of astrophysicists that Fryer leads. As the distant cosmic cataclysm unfolded, fresh observational data was pouring in from the observation—only the fifth published since the observatory began operating almost two years ago. ​
 
Read More

It’s Easy To Be Green! County Green Team Promotes Environmental Sustainability

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 18, 2017

Chamisa Elementary School fifth graders Kylie Lavarez and Ella Miranda discuss the Chamisa Eco-Green Evolution program with the public along with fourth grade teacher Megan Lee, right, Tuesday afternoon at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building. They participated in the County Green Team’s informational event, which brought together local organizations and County departments to educate the public on how to be environmentally sustainable. Lee explained Chamisa Elementary won the County’s Business Recycler of the Year award; in part because of its lunchtime recycling Read More

AGU: Scientists Determine Source Of World’s Largest Mud Eruption

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2017
May 29, 2006, mud started erupting from several sites on the Indonesian island of Java and hasn’t stopped since. The eruption became known as Lusi and is the most destructive ongoing mud eruption in history. Courtesy Adriano Mazzini/The Lusi Lab Project.

Adriano Mazzini stands on top of dried mud from the Lusi eruption. Mazzini’s new research shows that deep underground, Lusi is connected to nearby volcanoes. Courtesy Adriano Mazzini/The Lusi Lab Project.

 

Lusi’s relentless sea of mud has buried some villages 40 meters (130 feet) deep and forced nearly 60,000 people from their
Read More

Pajarito Astronomers Host County-Sponsored Dark Night Oct. 21

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2017
COMMUNITY News: 
 
The Pajarito Astronomers will hold a County-Sponsored Dark Night at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at Spirio Soccer Field, Overlook Park. Weather permitting, the public is invited to come out, wander among the telescopes, and star gaze.  
 
A crescent moon, Mercury, Saturn with its rings and moons, Uranus, Neptune and some Orionid meteors will potentially be visible during the evening. There will be a tour of the summer and fall constellations, the Milky Way, and there will be telescope views of double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. The public is invited
Read More

NNSA And Partners Launch Project To Reduce Use Of Radioactive Source Based Devices

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on October 17, 2017
NNSA News:
 
NEW YORK, NY ― The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has partnered with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) to launch the first citywide initiative to reduce the reliance on risk significant devices in medical and research applications.
 
This combined effort will serve as a way to reduce the risk of a terrorist acquiring this material for a radiological dispersal device (“dirty bombs”).
 
NNSA’s Acting Deputy Administrator for
Read More
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