Bridgewater welcomes new faculty members

Chris Graham

Bridgewater College welcomes seven new faculty members, a visiting professor and promotes one adjunct to instructor for the 2009-2010 academic year. The faculty members, who will arrive on campus in late-August for faculty meetings prior to the start of classes on Sept. 1, will join the departments of communication studies, computer science, education, health and…

Earth Talk | Water-powered cars?

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that cars can be modified to run on water. How is this possible? – Diane McMorris, Rockport, Maine There are a number of online marketing offers of kits that will convert your car to “run on water,” but these should be viewed skeptically. These kits, which attach to the car’s engine,…

Public review period opened on proposed statewide water regs

Chris Graham

Proposed changes to the state’s regulations regarding stormwater runoff flowing from developed properties are available for public review and comment. Five public hearings will be held statewide to receive comments on these changes, which have been more than three years in the making. Comments will be accepted through Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, by the Virginia…

Earth Talk | Birth-control chemicals in drinking water?

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: Is there any truth to the rumor about high levels of birth-control chemicals being found in some cities’ drinking water? If so can these be filtered out? – Elizabeth Yerkes, via e-mail It is true that trace amounts of birth control and other medications—as well as household and industrial chemicals of every stripe—are…

Rockingham: Bridgewater students make IT happen

Chris Graham

Staff Report Computer-science students from Bridgewater College will demonstrate their information technology skills this weekend at a prestigious computer-programming competition at Radford University. The IBM-sponsored Association of Computer Machinery International Programming Contest will feature teams from 83 countries competing for spots in the World Finals to be held in April 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden. Ray…

Rockingham: Bridgewater College nearing fundraising goal

AFP

Staff Report Bridgewater College is nearly 80 percent of the way toward its $40 million academic and capital-improvements campaign goal. The school has raised $31.7 million in its Every Student, One Commitment campaign, it announced this week. The campaign is raising monies to support endowed scholarships, academic enhancement, facilities improvements, laboratories, equipment and information technology…

Privatizing U.S. drinking water: Costly and eco-unfriendly

AFP

Column by Erica Gies We turn on the tap, and clean water flows. Most of us take this service for granted because we consider water, necessary for life, a basic right. In fact, this notion stems back to an ancient Roman legal precedent called the public trust doctrine. This fundamental tenet says that crucial natural…