Celebrate Thoreau's birthday at N.C. Botanical Garden
The Herald Sun
The North Carolina Botanical Garden will host a special lecture in celebration of the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, 19th-century naturalist and author, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 12. Writer William Stott presents "Thoreau's Berries: bogs, swamps, and the botanist of Concord." The lecture takes place in the Reeves Auditorium of the Botanical Garden's Education Center, located at the garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, off of Fordham Boulevard.
Eco-survey: Hit the beach at your own risk
USA Today
Skip beaches after rainstorms and avoid swimming near storm drains, says an environmental group that today releases its assessment of the nation's best and worst beaches in 2010. ...Storm runoff is the main reason beaches see spikes in offshore bacteria that lead to closings, says environmental biologist Rachel Noble of the University of North Carolina, who was not part of the report. "One caution is that some states do more testing than others, which might make them look worse," Noble says.
Grant helping Campus Y tackle issues
The Chapel Hill Herald
With two grants totaling $62,000, the Campus Y at UNC will work with three communities close to campus to help solve environmental and social issues. The Campus Y received $52,000 from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and $10,000 from Strowd Roses Inc. to pull together and strengthen various student- and community-led projects in the Abbey Court, Northside and Rogers Road neighborhoods.
Aluminum Panels Set To Take On Pollution As 'Smog Eaters'
National Public Radio
...Ultimately, though, the environmental impact of its new product will depend on how many people buy and install it. And Jason West, a professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina, tells Shots that most of the serious work to fight NOx emissions is happening at the source, trying to prevent them in the first place, not when they're already in the air.
NC gas tax going up; sales tax going down
WNCN-TV (NBC/Raleigh)
...UNC economics professor Michael Salemi says the increase isn't enough to keep people off the roads especially with prices falling. "Taxes will go up and those increases will provide more money for highway development in the state of North Carolina, but right now consumers are not going to complain because what they see is lower pump prices," said Salemi. Salemi also doesn't think the sales tax decrease will be a big saver for most consumers.
Progress seeks proposals for wind-energy production
The Associated Press
Progress Energy Carolinas is seeking proposals for wind-energy projects as it continues to ramp up its alternative energy production. ...Progress officials said it already generates over 100 megawatts of renewable energy, but does not yet have any contracts for electricity generated by wind power. Progress is also investing in a three-year study with UNC Chapel Hill of the potential for offshore wind energy.
Provocative reading from Carolinas schools
The Charlotte Observer
Across the country, college-bound students already have their first homework - required summer reading. The books colleges assign tend to highlight important social issues and spark discussion. If you're looking for a thought-provoking book this summer, check out these choices from Carolinas colleges: ...Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill: "Eating Animals," by Jonathan Safran Foer. An examination of the stories we use to justify our eating habits.
Roadway safety is a two-way street
The Sun Journal (New Bern)
When it comes to roadway safety, whether you’re riding on two wheels or four, it’s a two-way street. Law enforcement officers from city to county to state agree that responsibility is the key to safe roads. ...In 2009, the most current statistics available from the Highway Safety Research Center at UNC Chapel Hill, there were 640 bicycle crashes on state-maintained roads.
Thanks to UNC News Services for finding this great story AND compiling the summary! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at http://uncnews.unc.edu/.
