Biofuels are some of the most promising clean sources of energy production in the world today. With a lower Carbon debt than traditional fossil fuel sources and a nearly endless supply of biomass from food waste and plant life efficient Continue reading →

Over the last several years, oil spills have contributed to a major issue in our environment. According to Carolyn Embach, author of Oil Spills: Impact on the Ocean, 706 million gallons of oil enter our oceans every year. The source Continue reading →

The full effects of air pollution are often debated within the United States, in which the standing argument is that the proposed health effects have yet to be fully seen within the country. However, many other countries are already experiencing Continue reading →

It is interesting and almost shocking that smoking is the leading cause of death for preventable diseases. About 1 in 5 deaths are a result of smoking. In an experiment conducted by our Environmental Chemistry class, the emission smoke from Continue reading →

There’s no doubt about it… the global temperatures have risen. As a result of it there have been an increase in the number of natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis. Its relatively simple to track the cause of these Continue reading →

Climate change has already been affecting large portions of the globe and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The question that we must now ask is how will climate change affect the area that we live in Continue reading →

   Coal plays a vital role in electricity generation worldwide. Coal-fired power plants currently fuel 37% of global electricity1. In some developing countries, coal power plants are main electricity source. In United states, coal-fired power plants contribute about 30% of Continue reading →

Solar panels are awesome right? They capture the sun’s light and convert it into a form of renewable energy! However, what if I were to tell you that pollution can greatly impact solar panels’ renewable energy potential? Currently in India, Continue reading →

Half past the dawn of time, when the atmosphere was still young and the planet basically looked like it does today because this was only 50 years ago, it was discovered that many common chemicals were depleting the precious ozone Continue reading →

  My name is Ashley Corrigan Steffey and I am excited to be co-teaching Chem 355 this spring with Dr. De Haan. Over the past ten years my life has revolved around environmental chemistry, including working at the USGS (water chemistry), graduate Continue reading →