A renewable portfolio standard was set for New Hampshire as a result of legislation passed by the state legislature on April 27. The goal of the portfolio is for 25 percent of the state's electricity to be produced with renewable energy by 2025 -- up from current levels of between 8 and 10 percent of electricity. In order to meet this standard, the state will explore options including biomass, hydroelectric and geothermal power. The bill, which will likely be signed into law by Gov. John Lynch next week, makes New Hampshire the 22nd state to enact such requirements, the exact specifications of which vary between states.
A study of how plants make vitamin C written by a group of Dartmouth and UCLA researchers was published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry on April 26. The scientists, who normally work with genes that involve aging and cancer in animals, were able to discover the last unknown enzyme in the synthesis of vitamin C in plants. The researchers hope that their discovery will lead to new strategies for increasing vitamin C levels in food crops, leading to more nutritious foods and higher crop yields, according to a press release.
Geography professor Xun Shi and Tuck School of Business professor Quintus Jett helped several Dartmouth students create an online database that tracks the status of homes that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in the Gentilly area of New Orleans in March. Students conducted door-to-door surveys of houses in more than 20 Gentilly neighborhoods and classified each house by the level of progress that had made towards restoring it. Students also noted the presence of trailers. The next step? The students plan to conduct a similar survey of Gert Town -- a low income neighborhood also damaged by the hurricane -- in the future.
