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Coexisting birds and solar energy

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Floating photovoltaic systems – known as floatovoltaics – are becoming increasingly popular.  These are arrays of solar panels installed over artificial water bodies such as irrigation ponds, wastewater treatment plants, and reservoirs.  These projects maximize the space for producing clean energy while not taking up natural lands.

Wherever there are bodies of water, there are waterbirds.  A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis looked at the potential impact of floating solar projects on birds and other wildlife. 

Birds face many threats from habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and disease.  Many bird populations are in decline.  So, it is important to consider the effects of floating solar projects on birds. 

The researchers have observed birds resting on floating solar structures before dawn, birds jockeying for favorable sites on the structures, and some nesting under the panels.  These are positive interactions.  On the other hand, it is possible that pollutants could be released or leached from floating solar infrastructure.  Such risks must be mitigated.

Floating solar on irrigation ponds and reservoirs can reduce evaporation and reduce algae growth, which benefits both humans and wildlife.

The researchers will continue to monitor bird behavior at floating solar installations using expertise in ecology and energy system science to identify risks and solution pathways so that negative impacts are avoided, and potential ecological benefits are realized.  It is important that as floating solar continues to become more popular, it and waterbirds can coexist.

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Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist

Photo, posted February 28, 2019, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Tracking emissions by satellite

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Carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides are two of the most problematic human-generated air pollutants that negatively impact air quality, the climate, and human health.  Satellites are an important tool for monitoring emissions of these pollutants, but they have limitations.  For the most part, satellites have limited spatial resolution, meaning that they can’t reliably narrow down the source of emissions sufficiently to pin down a specific location such as a power plant. 

Until now, there have been no instruments that can detect both carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide simultaneously with high spatial resolution.  Often just nitrogen oxide measurements are made, and carbon dioxide levels estimated based on the fact that both are emitted together with typical ratios.

A German research team from the Max Planck Institute and the Heidelberg Institute have developed a technology for the EnMAP environmental satellite to detect both gases with an unprecedented spatial resolution of 30 meters.  Data from the satellite makes it possible to track multiple sources of emission plumes over several tens of kilometers.

The EnMAP system was originally designed for remote sensing of land surfaces.  The new research demonstrates that reliable measurements of trace gases are possible even with an instrument not specifically designed for atmospheric observations.  When using it, it’s possible to determine the distribution of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide in emission plumes from individual power plants.  The ability to measure both gases individually means that conclusions can be drawn about the technology, efficiency, and operating mode of the systems being measured.

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German satellite measures CO2 and NO2 simultaneously from power plant emissions for the first time

Photo, posted September 19, 2020, courtesy of Sandor Somkuti via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Advantages of vertical farming

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Vertical farming has been increasingly used for leafy greens like lettuce and kale, as well as for herbs and a few fruits like strawberries and tomatoes.  A recent study by the Technical University of Munich has investigated the use of vertical farming for a much broader range of foods.  The study looked at the positive effects of vertical farming on both yield and environmental impact.

Traditional agriculture can reach its limits as a result of extreme weather events or in areas of high population density and resultant high demand.   With vertical farming, food can be grown close to consumers independent of weather and can make very efficient use of space.

The Proteins4Singapore study investigated the potential of a 10-layer vertical farming system cultivating crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish, and cultivated meat.  Many of these things are not currently part of many people’s diets.  But these foods can increase the protein yield per cultivation area nearly three hundredfold for crops and 6,000-fold for mushrooms and insects. 

Mushrooms and insects are examples of foods that require little light and cultivating them reduces energy consumption and, therefore, associated costs.

The biggest challenges for controlled environment agriculture – which is what vertical farming is – are the high energy demands for cultivation and the social acceptance.  Some of the foods that are especially well-suited to vertical farming – such as algae and insects – are not generally accepted by many consumers.  Controlled environment agriculture can revolutionize food production, but it will take a combination of technological advances, policy initiatives, and public engagement.

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Vertical Farming to increase yields and reduce environmental impact

Photo, posted October 21, 2022, courtesy of Fred Miller / University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The cicadas are coming

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After hiding underground for the last 17 years, billions of cicadas are taking to the skies this summer.  This batch of insects, known as Brood XIV, will cover more of the U.S. than any other 17-year brood.  New York and at least 13 other states – Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and parts of Indiana are being serenaded by the sound of cicadas in May and June.

There are 15 broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years.  They come out when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees.  Around the world there are annual cicadas while periodical cicadas can only be found in the eastern United States.

Once the insects emerge, they will issue their noisy, chirping mating calls for just a few weeks before they lay eggs and die.  The offspring from the eggs will burrow underground and remain dormant or in the nymph stage feeding on tree roots for another 17 years.  Surfacing in vast numbers is a way to overwhelm predators and ensure that at least some cicadas survive to reproduce. 

The emergence of these insects provides a bounty of food to squirrels, lizards, birds, and other creatures.  A study found that once cicadas emerge, the population of cuckoos, blue jays, and red-bellied woodpeckers grows.

As the climate changes, the timing of cicada cycles may also change.  Warmer weather will lead to cicadas emerging earlier in the year.  Eventually, even the time they spend underground may shorten.

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After 17 Years Underground, Massive Cicada Brood to Swarm U.S.

Photo, posted July 16, 2017, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Empire Wind resumes

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In April, the Trump Administration issued a stop order for the Empire Wind offshore wind project in New York, pushing the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse.  The project is being built by the giant Norwegian energy company Equinor.  When completed, the wind farm is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 500,000 New York homes.

Equinor had obtained all the necessary permits for the project after a four-year federal environmental review and work had begun on laying foundations for the wind turbines on the ocean floor. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed that the permits for the project been rushed and ordered the work stopped.  The stoppage was costing Equinor $50 million a week as well as jeopardizing an additional 1,000 jobs. 

Weeks of intensive interactions between New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Equinor officials, and the White House finally resulted in a decision by the administration to lift the stop work order and allow the project to move forward. 

The collapse of the project would have created major problems for New York.  The state’s grid operators have been counting on the construction of several new offshore wind farms to provide large additional amounts of electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions.  New York has aggressive targets for using renewable energy.

Empire Wind is expected to have 816 megawatts of capacity.  Another offshore project in New York, Sunrise Wind, which is under construction 30 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island, would have 924 megawatts of capacity.

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In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed

Photo, posted August 9, 2022, courtesy of the Scottish Government via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Restoring oil well sites with moss

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Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed a method for restoring peatlands at tens of thousands of oil and gas exploration sites in Western Canada. 

A well pad is a prepared area used for drilling oil or gas wells, encompassing the site where drilling equipment, wellheads, and related facilities are located.  Preparing well pads involves burying native peatland vegetation under clay or sand, thereby eliminating the ability of the peatland to sequester carbon as well reducing available habitat for wildlife.

Restoring well sites has typically involved planting trees or grasses to eventually establish forests or grasslands.  The Waterloo method returns a well pad to its condition before drilling occurred and is part of ongoing efforts to restore peatlands, which are known to be even more effective for sequestering carbon than tropical forests.

The Waterloo technique involves lowering the surface of a decommissioned well site and transplanting native mosses onto it to effectively recreate a peatland.    They tested the technique to scale at an entire well pad and found that it results in sufficient water for the growth of peatland moss across large portions of the study site.

The results suggest that re-establishment of peatland vegetation on lowered well pads is possible.  The researchers plan to continue monitoring the ecosystem in the study’s well pads to confirm that the transplanted mosses will be self-sustaining over the coming decades.  They will focus on increasing the amount of water that flows from surrounding natural peatlands into the converted well pads to further optimize soil moisture. 

This work could represent an important milestone in ecological restoration.

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Restoring oil wells back to nature with moss

Photo, posted November 6, 2014, courtesy of Chris Boyer / Kestrel Aerial Services via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Living in a warming world

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As global temperatures rise due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, communities around the world face more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather events. These growing climate pressures not only strain infrastructure and natural resources, but also play a critical role in shaping where people live. 

Recent projections from the First Street Foundation, which analyzes climate risks across the United States, highlight just how significant these shifts could be. In Sacramento County, California, rising flood risks, declining air quality, and soaring insurance costs could lead to a population decline of up to 28% by 2055. The risk assessment also projects that Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey could each lose more than 30% of their populations. And Fresno County, California, could see nearly half of its residents relocate due to mounting climate-related pressures.

Urban areas like cities, towns, and suburbs are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  Cities become significantly hotter due to the abundance of heat-absorbing surfaces and lack of green spaces, which intensifies heatwaves, worsens conditions for vulnerable populations, and may ultimately force some people to move.

Addressing these challenges requires a combination of climate solutions focused on both mitigation and adaptation. Solutions like expanding green infrastructure with urban parks and green roofs, and promoting sustainable development through energy-efficient buildings and transit-friendly design could all play a vital role in strengthening climate resilience.

As the planet warms, where we live – and how we live there – is rapidly being redefined.

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The 12th National Risk Assessment

Solar on farmland

Photo, posted May 15, 2013, courtesy of Germán Poo-Caamaño via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Natural solutions for disappearing islands

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Atoll islands are made from sediment produced by corals, clams, snails, and varieties of algae that secrete carbonate.  Under the right conditions, over time, fragments of coral skeletons, shells, and other sediments made by marine life are piled up by waves.  Eventually, islands are formed – some large and some small.  Atoll islands are home to a diversity of human cultures and are important refuges for a quarter of the world’s seabirds as well as numerous nesting sea turtles and tropical plants.

Rising sea levels – the rate of which has more than doubled over the past 30 years – are a mounting challenge for atoll islands.  And by the end of this century, sea level is projected to rise between 11 and 40 inches, depending on the world’s actions with regard to greenhouse gas emissions.

The ability of atoll islands to persist depends on the health of their ecosystems and the extent to which their natural processes have been disrupted by human activity.  To protect the most vulnerable islands, some researchers now propose using nature-based solutions – like restoring and protecting coral reefs and native forests.

Reclaiming seabird habitat can help reefs persist and restore the resilience of atoll islands.  Seabird guano washes off islands and into reefs, providing nutrients that boost coral growth and fish populations. 

Nature-based solutions cannot help the most urbanized atoll islands.  These islands have already irreversibly lost their natural adaptive capacity.  For those places, engineered approaches such as concrete seawalls are needed.

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How Natural Solutions Can Help Islands Survive Sea Level Rise

Photo, posted July 3, 2014, courtesy of Roderick Eime / MG Media via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Five amazing renewable energy projects

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Worldwide investment in renewable energy topped $2 trillion in 2024.  For Climate Solutions Week, we wanted to highlight some amazing projects around the world that showcase innovative technology, ambitious scale, and the commitment to a cleaner and sustainable future.

In Morocco, the Noor Solar Power Station is a huge concentrated solar power facility that generates power for more than a million Moroccans.  The facility stores some of the heat generated by the sun in molten salt so it can continue to produce power after sunset.

The Three Gorges Dam in China is the world’s largest power plant by installed capacity.  The 32 turbines generate enough electricity to power millions of homes. 

The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world.  The 600 turbines at the facility provide clean electricity for up to 450,000 homes.

The Yamakura Dam Floating Solar Project in Japan has more than 50,000 solar panels that provide electricity for about 5,000 households.  The plant is located atop the surface of the Yamakura Dam reservoir and is one of the largest floating solar installations in the world.

The Hellisheiði Power Station in Iceland is one of the world’s most technologically advanced geothermal energy plants.  It taps into Iceland’s volcanic geology and draws both high-pressure steam and hot water to provide both electricity and heat to thousands of local homes and businesses.  

These five projects are just a sampling of the renewable energy development going on all over the world.

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Powering the Future: Innovative Renewable Energy Projects Around the World

Photo, posted December 1, 2019, courtesy of Richard Allaway via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Nature: An important climate ally

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Nature is often seen as a victim of climate change, but it’s also one of the most powerful tools we have to fight it. Natural ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, oceans, and soils, absorb and store massive amounts of carbon dioxide. These ecosystems not only help reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but they also regulate temperatures and provide buffers against extreme weather.

One of the most effective strategies for mitigating climate change is simply protecting and restoring these natural areas. For example, mangrove forests – those coastal wetlands filled with tangled, salt-tolerant trees – sequester carbon at high rates and help protect coastal communities from storm surges and rising seas.  Peatlands – another type of wetland – store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined – despite only covering 3% of Earth’s land surface.  Global restoration efforts are underway, from replanting mangroves in Southeast Asia to rewetting degraded peatlands in Europe.

Creating urban green spaces like parks and community gardens, restoring forests through native tree plantings, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices like cover cropping and agroforestry are all proven to be low-cost, high-impact climate solutions. 

While nature-based solutions are gaining recognition, they remain critically underfunded, according to a recent United Nations report.  Closing this gap is essential to unlocking nature’s  full climate potential.

Investing in nature isn’t just about preserving Earth’s natural beauty.  It’s a practical strategy for building a more resilient and sustainable future.

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Mangrove forests and rising seas

Financing Nature-based Solutions for a better future

Finding peatlands

The Importance Of Urban Green Spaces

Photo, posted October 23, 2011, courtesy of the Everglades National Park / NPS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Feeding the future

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Climate change is already affecting the yields of major staple crops around the world, and researchers warn that the impacts will become more severe over time. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are disrupting growing seasons and reducing agricultural productivity.

Addressing these growing threats requires rethinking how we grow, distribute, and consume food.  To kick off Climate Solutions Week, we wanted to examine some solutions that could make food systems more resilient, sustainable, and adaptable to our rapidly changing environment.

One solution is Climate-Smart Agriculture, which blends traditional practices with modern techniques to boost productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Methods like zero tillage, intercropping, and crop diversification could improve soil health, conserve water, and help farms withstand climate extremes.

Expanding the production of highly nutritious and climate resilient food crops – like millet, sorghum, teff, quinoa, chickpeas, and tepary beans – will also have an important role to play.  At the same time, reducing food waste through better storage, labeling, and surplus food re-use could help meet demand without increasing production pressure.

Agriculture is the largest user of freshwater globally, and climate change is intensifying water shortages.  Farmers will need to transition to water-efficient farming practices, including drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and the reuse of treated wastewater. 

Together, these solutions could help revolutionize the global food system to both feed a growing population and help protect the planet. 

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Climate-smart agriculture

Water for Prosperity and Peace

A Food For The Future

Photo, posted October 16, 2011, courtesy of Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Building better blackberries

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The Human Genome Project is one of the greatest scientific feats in history.  It was launched in 1990 and completed in 2003.  The international group of researchers wanted to comprehensively study all of the DNA – the genome – from a select set of organisms, foremost of which being that of human beings.  The results accelerated the study of human biology and has led to improvements in the practice of medicine.

Every living thing – animal, plant, fungus, and various single-celled organisms – has a genome – a genetic blueprint.  A recent study by researchers at the University of Florida has done genome sequencing of blackberries with the hope of being able to achieve more efficient and targeted breeding.

Over the past 20 years, consumer demand for blackberries has increased leading to farmers growing more of the fruit in the United States.  The U.S. produces 37 million pounds of processed blackberries and almost 3 million pounds of fresh berries each year.

The Florida researchers made use of a large collection of DNA sequences to computationally piece together the entire genome of the blackberry variety in the study.  The genome study uncovered the secrets behind key traits that could lead to growing blackberry plants with no thorns and increasing the production of anthocyanin, which affects the color and health benefits of the fruit. 

For Florida, the southeastern United States and regions with similar climates, the genetic research holds the promise of accelerating the process to create blackberry varieties that are better suited to local growing conditions, enhancing both the yield and the quality of the increasingly popular fruit.

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Decoding blackberry DNA: UF study paves way for enhanced breeding strategies

Photo, posted September 18, 2016, courtesy of Theo Crazzolara via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Toxic algae and West Coast marine life

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Over the first several months of this year, hundreds of sea lions, dolphins, and seabirds have fallen ill or died after eating sardines or anchovies that had been feeding on an algal bloom along the California coast since winter.  The biotoxin in the algae accumulates in the feeder fish.

Two cases of whales dying from the biotoxin have been confirmed by two nonprofit organizations tasked with testing dead mammals.  These were a humpback that washed ashore in Huntington Beach in January and a minke whale found dead in Long Beach in April.

This is the fourth year a row that California has experienced major algal blooms.  Warmer waters are causing blooms to be bigger and more damaging than they have been before.  They enter into new areas and contaminate the food web for longer.  The warmer waters accelerate algae growth that is further fueled by nutrients that rise to the surface from deeper colder waters driven by winds that blow parallel to the coast.  This year’s algae event started earlier than usual and is lasting longer than normal.

More than a dozen animal rescue and rehabilitation groups that form NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network are providing resources to try to respond to the situation.  At the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, more than 80 sea lions and seals were being treated for domoic acid poisoning, the result of ingesting algae neurotoxin.  Since February, it has cared for more than 300 poisoned animals.

Marine mammals are sentinel species for humans who also consume seafood.  The West Coast ocean ecosystem is currently filled with toxins.

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California Toxic Algal Bloom Blamed for Months-long Marine Life Poisoning

Photo, posted March 26, 2025, courtesy of Marnee Jill via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Solar on farmland

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New studies have found that devoting a small percentage of U.S. farmland to producing solar power would benefit both the country’s energy system and its farmers.

Currently, about 46,000 square miles of farmland – about the area of Pennsylvania – is being used to grow corn to make ethanol.  One study looked at the impact of using some of this land for solar power instead of corn ethanol.

Not much of all this farmland is close enough to electrical transmission lines to be practical for utility solar power.  In fact, only about 1,500 square miles fits the bill.  But if even this small fraction of the corn growing land was used instead for solar power, it would generate as much energy each year than from all of the farms growing corn for fuel.

Solar installations on farms are helpful for farmers as well.  The land beneath the panels can be used to grow wildflowers that attracts the bees, wasps, and other insects needed to pollinate crops in the nearby fields.  In addition, the solar arrays provide a steady income stream for farmers.

In some places, farmers can earn substantially more from leasing their land for solar than from growing crops.  But a study of farms in California suggests that the best option is to do both.  Farmers who both grow crops and host solar arrays can have more financial security than those who do just one or the other.  The income from solar arrays is pretty predictable and is paid throughout the year.  Income from crops can drop off from, for example, a seasonal drought, or from extreme weather events.

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To Help Growers and the Grid, Build Solar on Farmland, Research Says

Photo, posted June 9, 2016, courtesy of Matt Lavin via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A starfish to the rescue

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Beginning in 2013, a mysterious disease associated with a marine heatwave decimated the population of sunflower sea stars.  Those huge, colorful 24-armed starfish thrived along the Pacific Coast between Alaska and Baja California.  But in fairly short order, nearly six billion of the creatures perished, amounting to 94% of the global population.  California lost 99% of its sea stars to the wasting disease.

The result was an ecological disaster.  Sunflower sea stars are carnivorous and purple urchins are the mainstay of their diet.  Without sea stars to balance the food web, the urchin population exploded.  Urchins devour kelp and over the past decade, 96% of the region’s kelp forests vanished.  Kelp forests serve as shelter and food for a vast array of marine life and kelp sequesters carbon as much as 20 times more than terrestrial forests.

Researchers in California and Alaska are breeding sunflower sea stars in captivity to try to produce enough of the creatures to support reintroduction.  The first successful spawning of sea stars took place last year at the Birch Aquarium at San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  But all of these are siblings, which is not a desirable breeding stock for a new population.  So, they are now working with the Alaska SeaLife Center, which has the largest collection of the animals in the world.  The center will provide animals to introduce genetic diversity to the growing population in captivity.

The hope is to be able to reintroduce sea stars to the Pacific region within three to five years.

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A rare, giant starfish could hold the key to restoring kelp forests on the California coast

Photo, posted November 11, 2007, courtesy of Patrick Briggs via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Americans breathe unhealthy air

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According to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report, at least 156 million Americans – 46% of the population – live with unsafe levels of ozone, particulate pollution, or both.

The report analyzed ozone and particulate pollution levels between 2021 and 2023, during which the worst wildfire season on record took place in Canada.  The report ranked pollution levels in counties and cities across the country on a grading scale from A to F.  At least 156 million people live with air that got the poorest grade of F for at least one of three pollutants.   At least 42 million people live in counties that failed all three pollutant standards measured.

While the report attempts to provide a complete picture of air quality around the country, about two-thirds of counties lack air quality monitoring for ozone or particulate pollution. 

The wildfires in Canada are responsible for much of the increase in air pollution in the past several years.  However, climate projections suggest that the conditions that fueled those fires are likely to become increasingly common.

Air quality standards in the United States have generally been improving since the Clean Air Act was enacted by Congress in 1970.  Since that time, levels of key pollutants have dropped by nearly 80%.  But millions of Americans are still breathing polluted air, leading to both acute and chronic health conditions.

Plans by the Trump administration to loosen environmental regulations and cut funding for air quality research are likely to only make matters worse.

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Almost Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds

Photo, posted June 8, 2023, courtesy of Anthony Quintano via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Defeating climate apathy

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Slowing human-caused climate change requires decisive action.  But according to psychologists, the gradual rise in global temperatures can lead to climate apathy, especially among those who don’t face frequent climate disasters.

Climate apathy is a general indifference or lack of emotional or behavioral response to climate change and environmental issues.  People experiencing climate apathy may feel disconnected, overwhelmed, powerless, or simply uninterested in climate issues, leading them to avoid taking action or engaging in conversations about it.

A new study by researchers from UCLA and Princeton University looked into ways to effectively communicate about climate change.  The research team found that presenting people with continuous data, like rising temperatures in a town, gave them only a vague sense of gradual change.  But showing them binary data—like whether a lake froze or not each winter—illustrated the change more effectively. 

In the study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, the researchers showed participants either temperature graphs or lake-freezing data for fictional and real towns in order to measure how each format affected their perceptions of climate impact. Participants who saw whether lakes froze rated climate change as more impactful—12% higher on average—than those who saw only temperature data. 

By focusing on the increasing rate of once-rare events, the researchers hope that the same temperature data that once led to climate apathy may instead help communities care more about the climate crisis.

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UCLA study: How to break through climate apathy

Photo, posted November 20, 2008, courtesy of Brad Saunders via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Saharan dust and solar power

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The world is a big place but even things that are far away can have serious local consequences.  The effects of distant Canadian wildfires on air quality in Florida is a good example.

Europe is increasingly becoming reliant on solar energy to meet its targets for climate change mitigation and energy security.   According to new research by four Hungarian universities, mineral dust carried on the wind from the Sahara Desert is not only reducing electricity generation from solar power across Europe but it is also making it harder to predict what gets generated.

The Sahara releases billions of tons of fine dust into the atmosphere each year.  Tens of millions of tons reach European skies where the tiny particles scatter and absorb sunlight, reduce the amount of light reaching the surface, and even promote cloud formation.   All of these things reduce the output of photovoltaic systems.

In addition, conventional weather forecasting tools don’t consider the effects of Saharan dust events, so that scheduling of solar power for the energy system becomes less reliable.  Incorporating these events into new forecast models will be essential.

Apart from the atmospheric effects of the dust, there are also long-term impacts due to dust contaminating and eroding the physical infrastructure of solar panels thereby further reducing their efficiency and increasing maintenance costs.

Over time, south-to-north transport of Saharan dust is likely to become more pronounced due to a steeper thermal gradient.  Currently, the quantities of atmospheric dust, the dynamics of its transport, and the physical properties of the dust itself are not very well understood.  Understanding these things will be crucial for Europe’s energy future.

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The shadow of the wind: photovoltaic power generation under Europe’s dusty skies

Photo, posted March 11, 2023, courtesy of Mark Wordy via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A biostimulant for wheat

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Feeding a global population projected to reach nearly 10 billion by mid-century is a massive challenge.  Wheat provides a fifth of the calories in the global human diet and is a significant source of protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber.  Finding ways to increase the yield of wheat crops has great value.  However, wheat has complex genetics, which makes it difficult to improve yields by traditional breeding methods or even by genetic engineering.

Researchers at Oxford University and the nearby Rosalind Franklin Institute have developed a biostimulant that can deliver increased wheat yields of up to 12%.  It is applied as a spray and a four-year study in Argentina and Mexico demonstrated that it delivers major yield improvements irrespective of weather conditions.

The biostimulant is based on trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P), which is a natural molecule that regulates the plant equivalent of blood sugar.  T6P prompts plants to produce more starch and increases the rate of photosynthesis.

Naturally occurring T6P cannot be applied topically because it cannot cross cell membranes.  The researchers developed a membrane-permeable precursor of T6P that releases T6P into a plant in the presence of sunlight.

The biostimulant can be manufactured on an industrial scale and would be inexpensive to use. 

The researchers have created SugaROx, a spinout company whose mission is “to increase the productivity, resilience, sustainability, and profitability of crop production” using active ingredients inspired by powerful natural plant molecules.

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New biostimulant treatment significantly boosts wheat yields, field studies confirm

Photo, posted July 28, 2014, courtesy of Brad Higham via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Parks for bugs

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Urban areas can have a variety of green spaces:  gardens, parks, and roadside and median plantings.  It turns out that these spaces can serve as pollinator refuges.

A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that reducing lawn mowing and creating pollinator meadows – essentially parks for bugs – significantly boosts pollinator diversity and creates healthier and more resilient ecosystems.

The 3-year study surveyed pollinators in 18 urban parks across the city of Vancouver.  It compared parks where meadows were planted and mowing was restricted with parks that were kept as standard turfgrass lawns.

Parks with meadows saw an immediate increase in pollinator species – from 21 to 47 more wild bee and hoverfly species – compared to parks without meadows.  These increases continued over the entire three-year study period.

The researchers identified more than 100 species of wild bees and hoverflies and 35 of them were only found in parks with meadows.

People think of urban landscapes as poor environments for biodiversity, but this study demonstrated that even relatively small changes can have significant impacts.  Even a patchwork of small habitats can allow species to move freely and settle into multiple areas quickly.

The researchers had advice for urban residents as well.  They suggest that people reduce mowing, plant native flowering shrubs and trees, create diverse habitats that incorporate a variety of plants that bloom at different times, avoid pesticide use, and leave natural nesting sites for pollinators.

Preserving pollinators is an important task and having a few parks for bugs can really help.

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How ‘parks for bugs’ boost pollinators in Vancouver

Photo, posted September 19, 2011, courtesy of Eric Bridiers / U.S. Mission Geneva via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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