Could algae that feast on wastewater produce clean bio-fuels and a healthful supply of fish food? Can impoverished African community gardeners learn to use and maintain a simple centuries-old, non-electric water pump to grow more vegetables? Two Johns Hopkins student teams are working hard to move these “green” ideas off the drawing board and into the real world. Both teams will showcase their progress at the 2013 National Sustainable Design Expo, scheduled April 18 and 19, in Washington, D.C. The event, which will be open to the public on the National Mall, is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Recent news from The Johns Hopkins University
This section contains regularly updated highlights of the news from around The Johns Hopkins University. Links to the complete news reports from the nine schools, the Applied Physics Laboratory and other centers and institutes are to the left, as are links to help news media contact the Johns Hopkins communications offices.
Plan to Turn Farm Waste into Paper Earns $15,000 Prize for Johns Hopkins Students
Three Johns Hopkins engineering students have won a $15,000 prize in a national sustainable development competition for adapting a traditional Korean paper-making technique into an inexpensive way for impoverished villagers to produce paper for schools.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – Power outage prediction model was accurate
A team led by an engineer at The Johns Hopkins University and a geographer at Texas A&M University predicted approximately 10 million would be without power for Hurricane Sandy.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – 8 to 10 million cumulative power outages predicted
An engineer at The Johns Hopkins University is predicting power outages for 8 to 10 million people in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – 12 to 19 million people could lose power
An engineer at The Johns Hopkins University is predicting power outages for 12 to 15 million people, and possibly as many as 18 to 19 million people, in Hurricane Sandy’s path.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – Power outages predicted for 11 million people
An engineer at The Johns Hopkins University is predicting power outages for at least 11 million people, specifically in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – Pinpointing potential power outages
An engineer at The Johns Hopkins University is predicting significant power outages for millions of people due to Hurricane Sandy, specifically in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – 10 million could lose power
As many as 10 million in the mid-Atlantic will lose power in the coming week, according to a computer model developed by an engineer at The Johns Hopkins University.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Hurricane Sandy – Predicting power outages
An engineer at The Johns Hopkins University is using a computer model to predict where and when the power will go out due to Hurricane Sandy.
Johns Hopkins Researchers Aim to Boost the Flow of Wind Energy into the Power Grid
Wind farms are a fast-growing source of “clean and green” power, but a key problem remains: the wind behaves erratically. On any given day, the air outdoors may move in powerful gusts or gentle breezes—or may not move at all. This leads to an uneven output from wind farms and makes it tougher for alternative energy producers to work smoothly with power grids that must send a steady flow of electricity to homes and businesses. To address these challenges, the National Science Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $6 million to Johns Hopkins researchers and their collaborators.
‘Large, Dirty’ Companies Get Greener as Way to Earn More Green, Says Carey Business School Researcher
Refuting their image as careless polluters, “large and dirty” industrial firms are recognizing that it makes economic sense to adopt eco-friendly strategies, says a Johns Hopkins University business professor who has co-authored a paper on the topic.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Engineering experts available to discuss Tropical Storm Isaac
Three engineering experts at Johns Hopkins University can talk about how the storm could cause coastal damage and power outages, and affect hospital functionality.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Engineering experts available to discuss impact of hurricanes
In the heart of hurricane season, three engineering experts at Johns Hopkins University can talk about how the next big storm could cause power outages and coastal damage, and affect hospital functionality. Please hold onto this tip sheet and refer to it for sources as Atlantic hurricane season enters its peak.
Mercury in Dolphins: Study Compares Toxin Levels in Captive and Wild Sea Mammals
Amid growing concerns about the spread of harmful mercury in plants and animals, a new study by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and The National Aquarium has compared levels of the chemical in captive dolphins with dolphins found in the wild. The captive animals were fed a controlled diet, while the wild mammals dined on marine life that may carry more of the toxic metal.
Johns Hopkins Flips the Switch on a Large Solar Project
As part of its ongoing efforts to shrink its carbon footprint, The Johns Hopkins University has installed more than 2,900 solar panels on seven buildings on the Homewood and East Baltimore campuses.
Media Advisory: Johns Hopkins Engineers Without Borders to Showcase Humanitarian Projects
Members of the Johns Hopkins University chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-JHU) — who have launched humanitarian efforts in Ecuador, Guatemala and South Africa — will discuss their work at the group’s annual showcase on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Media Advisory: News source on potential environmental damage from the Italian shipwreck
Johns Hopkins University environmental engineer Edward J. Bouwer is available to speak to reporters wondering what could happen to the gasoline and oil on board the Costa Concordia if fuel starts to leak from the wrecked cruise ship.
Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals Instructor Elected Vice President of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers
Christian Davies-Venn, an instructor in the Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals program, has been elected vice president of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. His term as AAEE vice president began on Jan.1. He is slated to serve as the academy’s president-elect in 2013 and as its president in 2014.
A Decline in Dead Zones: Study Shows Efforts to Heal Chesapeake Bay Are Working
Efforts to reduce the flow of fertilizers, animal waste and other pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay appear to be giving a boost to the bay’s health, a new study that analyzed 60 years of water quality data has concluded. The study, published in the November 2011 issue of Estuaries and Coasts, was conducted by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals Extends Master’s Program in Environmental Engineering and Science to Students Online
Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals (EP), part of the Whiting School of Engineering, has announced that one of its master’s degree programs, Environmental Engineering and Science, is now fully online.
New Johns Hopkins Institute Studies Environment, Energy, Sustainability and Health
Drawing on faculty expertise in environmental science and engineering, public health and other areas, The Johns Hopkins University has launched an Environment, Energy, Sustainability and Health Institute to promote research and education in topics ranging from green energy practices to climate change and related health issues.
‘Green’ Power Alert: New Study Yields Better Turbine Spacing for Large Wind Farms
Large wind farms are being built around the world as a cleaner way to generate electricity, but operators are still searching for the most efficient way to arrange the massive turbines that turn moving air into power. To help steer wind farm owners in the right direction, Charles Meneveau, a Johns Hopkins fluid mechanics and turbulence expert, working with a colleague in Belgium, has devised a new formula through which the optimal spacing for a large array of turbines can be obtained.
Charles O’Melia, Leading Water Treatment Researcher and Longtime Johns Hopkins Professor, Dies at 76
Charles R. O’Melia, one of the world’s leading water treatment researchers, who also mentored more than 100 environmental engineering graduate students during almost three decades at The Johns Hopkins University, died Dec. 16, at age 76.
