Gov. Chris Christie’s administration should accept and act upon an updated Barnegat Bay report by limiting future land development in Ocean County and adopting strict limits on nutrients flowing to bay tributary streams, contends a watchdog group of former government environmental workers…Rutgers scientists Michael Kennish, Benjamin Fertig and others reported the bay’s declines in water quality and marine habitat are “strongly related to land use” with the biggest impacts associated with big suburban towns such as Toms River, compared to less populous reaches of the southern bay.
Polar vortex in NJ soon? Nope, expert says
Is the polar vortex, which often brought frigid air to New Jersey this winter, planning a mid-July invasion? Nope, said David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University. “This polar vortex (talk) is like out of control,” Robinson said. But the summer jet stream will be a little wavier than usual, dipping a little farther south than normal in the Midwest area, he said. “Along the Atlantic coast, not such a big deal.”
RU sparks science interest among girls, minorities
While most high school students stay far from the classroom in summer, 15-year-old Shayla Needham was excited to spend a week at Rutgers University as a Samsung Scholar studying STEM – science, technology, engineering and math…”The program gives them the opportunity to explore different STEM skills and fields and find something that possibly sparks a future career,” said Chad Ripberger, the Mercer County 4-H agent who six years ago co-founded the program with Janice McDonnell, the state 4-H science agent.
Eat to live: Latest trends in food safety and quality
Stevie Shutman came to Dean’s Natural Market looking for lactose-free cream cheese for her son, but she’s a regular shopper there because she knows she’s not getting a side of pesticides with her organic fruits and vegetables…Like Brown and Shutman, …
Gardening: patience is key
The weather’s (slowly) getting warmer, but that doesn’t mean you should be out in the garden digging holes for tomatoes. Although this is the traditional time for planting the tasty fruit, this spring has been unusually cold and wet, and eager beavers may be disappointed when plants don’t thrive or die…If dig you must, local garden centers and websites have a multitude of cold-weather seedlings ready to go into the ground now. Just be careful when you dig, advises Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens…”Don’t dig until a day or two after it rains, or you may do some damage to the soil,” he said. “Wet, cool springs can be a challenge, and the soil may become compacted.”
Shore’s back bay areas struggle with flooding as sea level rises
It doesn’t take a superstorm, just a steady rain to flood Frank Santora’s street. Water runs down Bayside Terrace into the lagoon and when it rises above the stormwater valve, which it frequently does, it bubbles back into the street where it sits until it evaporates, he said…”They have had to struggle with flooding from low-lying areas around Barnegat Bay. It’s going to get worse with rising sea level. We know that. We’re anticipating that and there needs to be strategies put in place,” said Michael Kennish, a Rutgers University research professor at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Science in New Brunswick.
Odds are it will be cold during Super Bowl
Among the major storylines for the Super Bowl XLVIII matchup between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2 is Peyton Manning’s quest for a second NFL championship and how much the weather will impact conditions. "I th…
Jersey Shore sea level could rise 1.5 feet by 2050, Rutgers scientist predicts
The sea level is expected to rise about 1.5 feet off the Jersey Shore by 2050, and a 10-year nor’easter in 2100 would cause more flooding in Atlantic City than happened during superstorm Sandy, a Rutgers scientist predicted Thursday. Sea-level rise is …
November dry in N.J., despite wet nor’easter
November was dry in New Jersey, despite heavy rain from the Nov. 26-27 nor’easter, according to experts. The storm brought "abundant rainfall, something much of the state hadn’t experienced since late summer," according to a report by David A. …
Coastal snowstorm now looks less likely, experts say
The odds of a coastal storm dumping snow in New Jersey next week have plunged – for now, according to experts. Major forecast models now project a storm developing farther offshore around mid-week, but things could change, experts said Friday. David A….