Bulky solar-powered gear is nothing new, but imagine charging your iPod or cell phone while you jog along the beach, read a book in the park, or bike to work invisibly, from the clothing you wear.

Implausible? Not really: Researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering have produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that could change the way we collect solar energy.

The USC team's graphene organic photovoltaics, recently discussed in the journalACS Nano, have a host of benefits: They're flexible, cheap to produce, are easy to manufacture, and they're light-weight. And while they're considerably less efficient than silicon cells, they offer unique applications.

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There is plenty of debate surrounding the potential effects of climate change, but a new study published in the journal Ecology offers a glimpse into the future of meadow ecosystems in the face of global warming.

Diane Debinski, a researcher at Iowa State University, has been studying meadows in the  Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for 18 years, and her data presents a potentially grim picture of what could happen to meadows if temperatures continue to climb.

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Global warming is wreaking havoc on plant and animal populations around the world: Polar bear habitats are melting, giant trees in Yosemite are thinning, and branched coral in the Caribbean has been largely killed by bleaching due to warmer water temperatures. Now researchers believe global warming is also responsible for slowed growth of one species of coral in the Red Sea.

A new study published in Science and conducted by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) used CT scans to determine that growth of diploastrea heliopora coral has dropped by 30 percent, and they fear it could stop growing altogether by 2070, if not sooner.

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Does the idea of a nuclear power plant floating in the ocean leave you a little nervous? It may sound far-fetched, but Russia is rapidly moving forward with plans to develop the world's first floating nuclear power plant—and Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, took a big step forward with the project on Wednesday when the barge was put into the water.

According to a Reuters article, environmentalists say the plan to create floating nuclear power plants along the northern coast is a risky move, but officials at Russia's nuclear agency say it's "absolutely safe."

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Refugees returning to the Kabul Basin in Afghanistan may face a big problem in the coming decades: a drinking water crisis.

Research from the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that in the next 50 years, the area's drinking water needs will be six times greater than they are today. To compound the problem, water resources in the Kabul Basin are expected to decrease should global climate change cause air temperatures rise. If estimates reach fruition, at least 60 percent of the shallow groundwater supply wells would be affected, and 50 percent are likely to become inoperative.

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Online T-shirt seller Threadless is at it again. Known for pitching in for a good cause, the company is donating all proceeds from the sale of an oil spill-inspired T-shirt to the Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental organization that is actively working to provide independent monitoring of the BP Gulf oil spill.

The PeliCAN shirt features an oil-soaked pelican taking flight, oil dripping in ribbons from its wings and pooling at its feet. The solid black design on a simple white shirt is both beautiful and chilling. And at $10, it's a pretty great deal.

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A five-year study conducted by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers has found that pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are a "significant source" of pharmaceuticals that enter the local environment.

From 2004 to 2009, USGS researchers tested outflow samples from two wastewater treatment plants in New York State where more than 20 percent of the water received by the plants is from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The researchers found the pharmaceutical concentrations in the treated water that ends up in your faucet were 10 to 1,000 times higher than the outflows from 24 water treatment facilities around the U.S. (including one in New York State) that do not receive water from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is partnering with NSTAR, a Boston-based utility company, to reduce the institute's electricity use by 15 percent by 2013.

Dubbed "MIT Efficiency Forward," the plan is expected to save 34 million kilowatt hours of electricity in three years—enough energy to power more than 4,500 Massachusetts homes for a year. And NSTAR says MIT will probably exceed their goals.

NSTAR isn't just working with MIT, they're coughing up $1.5 million to the $13-million project, and the utility company will also be helping out with energy-efficiency tools and expertise. Within 10 years, MIT expects it will save $50 million on their utility bills, so it's a money-saving investment.

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Ingredients commonly found in shampoo, detergents and fabric softener may be the precursor of a suspected cancer-causing chemical in treated wastewater.

In a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers reported that harmful nitrosamines form from quaternary amines, which are found in many consumer products, and since pretreatment with ozone or chlorine does not reduce the amount of nitrosamines that form, many of these nitrosamines end up in drinking water, wastewater and recreational water.

One nitrosamine, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), is of particular interest because it is a toxic organic chemical and a suspected human carcinogen.

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Choosing the right crib for your baby can be a bit daunting. And then there's the sheets and bumper pads and mobile. But when it comes to the mattress, just think Nook.

Nook's Pebble Mattress was designed for optimal air flow, breathability and with natural materials in mind—so you won't have to worry about toxic off-gassing or nasty microbes like you would with a typical mattress.

Nook mattresses have a pebble-like surface, allowing air to flow between the "pebbles" and through the mattress more effectively, which allows for a better and longer sleep.

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