Analysis of fracking wastewater yields some surprises

Jan. 23, 2013

Hydraulically fractured natural gas wells are producing less wastewater per unit of gas recovered than conventional wells would. But the scale of fracking operations in the Marcellus shale region is so vast that the wastewater it produces threatens to overwhelm the region's wastewater disposal capacity, according to new analysis by a CHANS-Net researcher at Duke and a colleague at Kent State.

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U.S. Forest Service offers webinar on evaluating resilience in fire-prone ecosystems

Jan. 14, 2013

How do people adapt to forest fires?

That question underlies the interdisciplinary Forest People Fire (FPF) project and is the focus of the next U.S. Forest Service Landscape Science webinar on Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. EST.

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2013 CHANS Fellowship Call for Applications

The 2013 CHANS Fellowship application is now available here: http://chans-net.org/form/chans-fellowship-application-form. You must be logged in to access the application.

Dec. 21, 2012

With support from the National Science Foundation, the International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net.org) offers CHANS Fellowships each year.

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Two new papers published on interactions between Western religions and indigenous peoples

Dec. 12, 2012

CHANS-Net members Jose Manuel Fragoso, Jeff Luzar, and Kirsten Silvius have two new papers in Human Ecology. Both examine the interactions between varous Western religions and the religions of indigenous peoples. They also examine the implications of changes in belief systems because of interactions on biodiversity.

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As Amazon urbanizes, rural fires burn unchecked

Dec. 11, 2012

Over past decades, many areas of the forested Amazon basin have become a patchwork of farms, pastures and second-growth forest as people have moved in and cleared land -- but now many are moving out, in search of economic opportunities in newly booming Amazonian cities. The resulting depopulation of rural areas, along with spreading road networks and increased drought are causing more and bigger fires to ravage vast stretches, say researchers in a new study.

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Rocks, water, air, space… and humans: an NSF recipe for AGU success

Nov. 26, 2012

Golden Gate Bridge

The National Science Foundation is suggesting adding a bit of spice to a geophysical scientist’s research recipe of rocks, water, air, space and life:

Humans.

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CHANS-Net scientists studying human and natural aspects of fishing in Africa

Nov. 7, 2012

Africa's Lake Victoria, the world’s second-largest body of freshwater, is in rapid transition. Conflict, progress, and population shifts all weigh on its waters. Impacts directly affect the basic food-security of the 40-million people inhabiting its basin.

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Privacy vs. protection: Study considers how to manage epidemics in information blackouts

Nov. 6, 2012

When foot-and-mouth disease swept through the British countryside in early 2001, more than 10 million sheep, cattle and pigs were slaughtered to control the disease. Despite the devastation, the disease was contained within 10 months, due in part to the availability of finely detailed farm data, which enabled mathematical modelers to make accurate predictions about the spread of the disease and suggest optimal ways of managing it.

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Malaria transmission peaks at much cooler temperatures than previously predicted

Nov. 5, 2012

The most deadly type of malaria in humans and the one most prevalent in Africa is very sensitive to climate. Previously published scientific studies put the optimal temperature for malaria transmission from mosquitos to humans at 31 degrees C (88 degrees F), but according to a new mathematical model, the temperature for peak transmission of the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is much, much lower.

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CHANS-Net scientists launch international study of open-fire cooking and air quality

Nov. 2, 2012

A three-year, international study on the impact of open-fire cooking on regional air quality and disease will break new ground by bringing together atmospheric scientists, engineers, statisticians and social scientists who will analyze the effects of smoke from traditional cooking methods on households, villages, and entire regions.

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