Study: Air around natural gas sites potentially harmful
When people talk about natural gas fracking and pollution, they most often are referring to the water issues sometimes associated with the wells.
But a new study suggests that air pollution should be an important part of the conversation also.
“In the development of natural gas, air should also be considered,” Lisa McKenzie, lead author of the study and research associate at the Colorado School of Public Health, said. "People living near the well are potentially at risk for health effects."
Lighting the Sky
"ATREX, the Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment successfully launched five suborbital sounding rockets in the early morning hours of March 27, 2012, from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia as part of a study of the upper level jet stream. The first rocket launched at 4:58 a.m. EDT and each subsequent rocket launched 80 seconds apart.
Each of the rockets released a chemical tracer that created milky, white clouds at the edge of space. The launches and clouds were reported to be seen from as far south as Wilmington, N.C., west to Charlestown, W. Va., and north to Buffalo, N.Y.
The mission will gather information that will assist researchers to better understand the process responsible for the high-altitude jet stream located 60 to 65 miles above the surface of the Earth."
Source: NASA
NEW LOOK: North Korea's launch pad
A new satellite image of the launch pad expected to be used by North Korea next month shows no sign yet of any launch activity.
Satellite imagery company GeoEye provided CNN a new image of the site from where North Korea's controversial rocket launch will take place.
The image of the Tongch'ang-dong facility was taken on March 20 by GeoEye. It shows no missile or launch vehicle visible, according to an analysis by GlobalSecurity.org's Tim Brown.
"Since we are about three weeks away, and based on previous DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) missile launch preparations, I would not expect to see any noticeable activity at the site until about one week prior to the launch," Brown told Security Clearance.
The imagery obtained from GeoEye, taken on March 20, shows a completed launch pad, and the extension of a 15-mile rail spur that ends at the missile checkout building.
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