Category Archives: Environmental Policy & Planning

Nuclear Energy 101

Nuclear Energy 101
Out of all the ways we power the planet, nuclear energy may be the most divisive. When it first began as an offshoot of nuclear weapons programs, it seemed to promise unlimited electricity that would power a new atomic age. The first nuclear power plant came online in the USSR in 1954, followed three years…
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Wind Power 101

Wind Power 101
Modern wind power is a recent development based on a very old technology. The wind has propelled sail boats for at least 5000 years, and turned windmills for perhaps 1500 years. Even the concept of generating electricity with wind power dates back to the first successful attempt in the late 1800s. But aside from the…
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Cartography: More Than a View From Above

Cartography: More Than a View From Above
What is Cartography? In North America, students may major in Cartography but also approach the subject from geography and surveying. In Europe, cartographers tend to enter into a mapping career through earth sciences (which includes geography and geology), geophysics, land surveying, civil engineering and even graphic design. Master’s Degrees are typically required these days, especially…
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Geospatial Technology: An Introduction and Overview

Geospatial Technology: An Introduction and Overview
Geomatics or geospatial technology as it is more commonly known, is such a multidisciplinary tool that there are now advanced degrees in specific subjects such as GIS. Most students will come at it from some of these core disciplines: archaeology (especially those who have taken degrees and projects concerned with landscape studies), geology, geography and…
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Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons

Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, like oil and coal. It’s formed from decayed organic material transformed by high temperatures and pressures over millions of years into bubbles of methane gas. Conventional sources are found in underground gas fields or oil fields. Unconventional sources are more challenging to extract because the gas is locked inside…
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NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy

NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy
What is NEPA? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the shortest laws to exist and is less than 6 pages in length.  NEPA was passed by Congress in 1969, signed into law on January 1, 1970 by President Richard Nixon and set the stage for environmental policy for the United States (1). …
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Fracking: What Is It and How Will It Affect You?

Fracking: What Is It and How Will It Affect You?
Those most involved in the study and procedures of fracking are geologists as it concerns natural processes of the ground beneath our feet – the soil and rock formations and of course the fossil fuels that organisations and governments wish to exploit. Most people involved in technical aspects of the fossil fuel industry are geology…
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Principles and Applications of Aerial Photography

Principles and Applications of Aerial Photography
Desk based research is not just about reading papers for vital pieces of information, it is not just about tables, graphs, facts and figures. For many, primary data is all around us; aerial photography, for example, is an important source of information for researchers in landscape studies. This includes disciplines such as Landscape Archaeology (the…
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Drought Issues Facing the United States

Drought Issues Facing the United States
What is Drought? The dictionary defines drought as “a period of dry weather” or “an extended shortage (1).” Drought has always been difficult to define because it varies based on location and associated impacts to the human and natural environment (2). In all cases, drought is temporary in nature, tends to be cyclical and results…
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Gaining International Experience in Environmental Science

Gaining International Experience in Environmental Science
Whether you have been hit by the travel bug, your parents promised a trip for graduation (anywhere you wanted to go!), you can’t find a job close to home, or you just plain want to build a skill-set to set you apart from your peers, you may be looking for international work in Environmental Science. …
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