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Tourism And Invasive Species | Earth Wise

March 7, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Tourism has experienced exponential growth during the past 70 years. In 1950, there were 25 million international tourist arrivals. By 1990, it had ballooned to 435 million. Between 1990 and 2018, the numbers more than tripled reaching more than 1.4 billion. And by 2030, the number of international tourist arrivals is expected to reach 1.8 billion.

Tourism is vital to the success of many economies around the world. Tourism can boost revenue, provide jobs, develop infrastructure, protect wildlife, and help preserve heritage sites and cultures. But there can also be many downsides to tourism, one of which is that it can contribute to the introduction and spread of invasive species. Non-native organisms can cause all sorts of social, environmental, and economic damage.

Tourists help spread invasive organisms far and wide. These organisms hitch rides in their luggage and on their shoes and clothing. A 2011 study in New Zealand found that for every gram of soil on the shoes of in-bound international passengers, there were 2.5 plant seeds, 41 roundworms, 0.004 insects and mites, and many microorganisms.

A new study by researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia and AgResearch New Zealand examined to what degree tourism plays a role in the spread of invasive species. According to the study, which was recently published in the journal NeoBiota, the research team found that the number of nights spent in hotels significantly correlated to the incursion of invasive species during that period.

Creating effective mechanisms to prevent the introduction of invasive species in the first place is the best way to prevent this problem.

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Unwelcome guests: International tourism and travel can be a pathway for introducing invasive species

Number of tourist arrivals

Photo, posted March 27, 2005, courtesy of John via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Stretchy And Washable Batteries | Earth Wise

January 13, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Wearable electronic devices are a big market but there are limitations created by the properties of the batteries that operate them. The ideal battery for wearable electronics would be soft and comfortable, stretchable, and washable. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have recently developed just such a battery. The work has been described in a new paper published in Advanced Energy Materials.

The battery encompasses a number of engineering advances. Traditional batteries are made from hard materials encased in a rigid external shell. The UBC battery is stretchable because its key components are ground into small pieces and then embedded in a rubbery polymer. Ultra-thin layers of these materials are then encased in the same polymer. This construction creates an airtight, waterproof seal.

The batteries survived 39 cycles in washing machines using both home and commercial-grade appliances. The batteries came out intact and functional.

The batteries use zinc and manganese dioxide chemistry which is safer than lithium-ion batteries in case they break while being worn.

The materials used are low-cost, so if the technology is commercialized, it will be cheap. When it is ready for consumers, it is likely to cost no more than existing batteries. Work is underway to increase the power output of the batteries and their cycle life. There is already commercial interest in the technology.

There are many potential applications for such batteries. Apart from watches and medical monitors, they might also be integrated with clothing that can actively change color or temperature. If the batteries are commercialized, they will make wearable power comfortable, convenient, and resilient.

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Stretchy, washable battery brings wearable devices closer to reality

Photo, posted April 15, 2021, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Spotted Lantern Fly Is A Big Problem | Earth Wise

October 27, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest from Asia that arrived in the United States seven years ago. It is a handsome and colorful insect, but it feeds on the sap of more than 70 plant species, leaving them susceptible to disease and destruction from other natural antagonists. It destroys fruit crops, trees, and plants by hopping from plant to plant, crop to crop, and tree to tree.

Several states have established quarantines aimed at preventing the spread of the insects. Pennsylvania, where they were first detected in the U.S., issued an Order of Quarantine and Treatment that imposes fines and even potential criminal penalties on anyone who intentionally moves a spotted lanternfly, at any stage of its life, from one sort of location to another. The insects hop and fly only short distances, but they can hitch a ride on vehicles, clothing, and other objects that people bring with them. They have now spread to at least nine states, primarily in the Northeast.

Lanternflies arrived in New York City last year and quickly made it to the Most Wanted List for environmentalists. The City’s Parks Department says: “If you see a spotted lanternfly, squish it, dispose of it, and report it to us.” New York’s Department of Agriculture has asked people in the Finger Lakes region, home of numerous vineyards, to collect specimens and provide specifics on where they were found.

Lanternflies are harmless to humans, but they threaten everything from oak, walnut, and poplar trees to grapes, almonds, and fruit orchards. As the species continues to spread across the country, federal and state officials have a unified message: if you come across a spotted lanternfly, kill it.

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Die, Beautiful Spotted Lanternfly, Die

Photo, posted August 30, 2018, courtesy of the USDA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Spending Habits And Carbon Emissions | Earth Wise

September 1, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

According to a new Swedish study recently published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, men spend their money on greenhouse gas-emitting goods and services, such as meat and fuel, at a much higher rate than women.

The study looked at the carbon emissions created by consumption among categories like food, clothing, furniture, and vacations to see if households could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by buying different products and services. The research team reviewed Swedish government data through 2012 and analyzed the spending habits of households, single men, and single women.

According to the study, single Swedish men spent about 2% more money overall than single Swedish women. But the stuff that the men bought created 16% more greenhouse gases than the stuff that the women bought. That’s because men were more likely to spend money on high-emitting categories, like fuel for cars, while women spent more on less-emitting categories like furniture, health care, and clothing.

For both men and women, vacations were a major source of emissions, accounting for approximately one-third of their total carbon footprint.

While the carbon impact of men’s and women’s diets were nearly equal, men spent more money on meat while women spent more on dairy. Both meat and dairy production are major sources of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The study found single people were responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than married people or people in households.

According to the research team, people could decrease their carbon emissions nearly 40% by making more environmentally-friendly choices, including switching to plant-based foods and traveling by train as opposed to flying or driving when possible.

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Men have a bigger carbon footprint than women, climate study finds

Photo, posted June 17, 2012, courtesy of Stephen Ausmus/USDA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Microplastics And Florida’s Birds of Prey | Earth Wise

June 19, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Plastic debris comes in all different shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimeters in length are called microplastics. Some microplastics come from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller bits over time. Another type of microplastics – called microbeads – are intentionally manufactured tiny plastic beads that are added as exfoliants to some health and beauty products.

According to a new study published in the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers have confirmed and quantified the presence of microplastics in terrestrial and aquatic birds of prey in Florida for the first time. This research is important because these birds of prey, including ospreys, hawks, and owls, are critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The accumulation of microplastics in their digestive systems could lead to a myriad of health issues, including starvation.

Working with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Florida, the research team from the University of Central Florida was able to examine the stomachs of 63 deceased birds. The team found microplastics in every bird it examined, extracting nearly 1,200 pieces of plastic in total. Microfibers represented 86% of the plastic pieces.

It’s common for plastic microfibers to enter ecosystems through the wastewater from washing machines. A 2016 study found that 700,000 plastic fibers come off in a typical wash. While there are lots of variables, synthetic fabrics account for 60% of the material used in clothing worldwide.

To help cut down on plastic in the environment, the research team suggests removing plastics from open landfills, purchasing only natural fabrics and clothing, and modifying water treatment facilities to capture microplastics.

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Microplastics found in Florida’s birds of prey for first time

Photo, posted April 15, 2016, courtesy of Andy Morffew via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Online Shopping And Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Earth Wise

April 3, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

These days, consumers have multiple choices for how to shop for even the most mundane products. There are both traditional and online ways to buy most so-called fast-moving consumer goods, such as cleaning supplies and packaged foods. Price, quality, convenience, and time-frame guide our choices.

In the past, these things were always purchased by going to “Bricks & Mortar”, that is, physical retail stores. But now, we can order them from physical stores and have them delivered directly by the store – which is known as “Bricks & Clicks” – or we can order them online from an e-tailer and have them delivered by a parcel delivery company or the post office, so-called “Pure Play” online purchasing..

The carbon footprint of these three approaches depends on multiple factors according to a new study published in Environmental Science and Technology. The study looked at the impact of transport, warehouse storage, delivery, and packaging.

Overall, the greenhouse gas footprints per item purchased at Bricks & Mortar were higher than those of Bricks & Clicks but lower than that of Pure Players. But the results were highly dependent upon how many items were actually being purchased, and where the consumers lived. The type of items also mattered. For example, clothing purchased from a pure-play online source is much more likely to be returned than if purchased in a store.

Bricks & Mortar shoppers could reduce their footprint by 40% by walking or biking to stores, and Pure Players could cut emissions by 26% by switching to electric vehicles for the delivery of products from parcel distribution centers to consumers’ homes.

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Comparing greenhouse gas footprints of online versus traditional shopping

Photo, posted July 15, 2017, courtesy of Elaine Smith via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Lifestyle And Carbon Footprint | Earth Wise

March 23, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Many studies have shown, to no great surprise, that affluent lifestyles lead to larger carbon footprints. Households in Switzerland enjoy a high standard of living and a team of researchers there has been studying the consumption and travel habits of Swiss citizens to better understand the impact of various factors on carbon footprint. Key factors include household composition and income, and whether the households are in the city or the countryside – even though, in the end, people’s lifestyles do not differ greatly from one environment to another.

A team of researchers at EPFL’s School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering analyzed data from Switzerland’s household budget survey for 2008, 2011 and 2014. They combined that data with an environmentally extended input-output analysis to assess households’ carbon footprints by measuring their direct and indirect emissions.

Overall, households in the countryside have larger carbon footprints than those in the city, mainly because they travel more and use more energy in their homes. But urban households have larger carbon footprints than their rural counterparts when it comes to food, clothing, cultural activities and air travel.

A household’s composition directly influences its carbon footprint. A two-person household has the largest per-capita carbon footprint, and it falls as the size of the family grows since many of the same resources are shared by more people.

Income levels play an important role. People consume without much thought because they can afford to and enjoy doing it. But there is a trend towards people becoming more conscious of their levels of consumption and trying to be more responsible in Switzerland. Overall consumption has actually declined over the years studied.

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Our carbon footprint is highly impacted by how we live

Photo, posted December 19, 2017, courtesy of Alexander Kozik via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Squid Skin Blanket

June 25, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for a long time. Marathon runners wrap themselves in them to avoid losing body heat after a race. They are very effective, but the amount of heat that they trap is fixed. There is no way to regulate how much heat is trapped or released using a space blanket.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a next-generation, adaptive space blanket that allows users to control their temperature. The inspiration for the design was the skins of various species of squids, octopi and cuttlefish. The ability of these aquatic creatures to camouflage themselves by rapidly changing color is due, in part, to skin cells called chromatophores that can instantly change from tiny points to flattened disks.

The Irvine researchers have developed a material that contains a layer of tiny metal islands that border each other. In the relaxed state, the islands are bunched together, and the material reflects and traps heat, much like a conventional Mylar space blanket. But when the material is stretched, the islands spread apart, which allows infrared radiation to go through and heat to escape.

The researchers envision many other applications for the novel material, including adaptable insulation for buildings and tents that can be adapted to different weather conditions. There is even the possibility of clothing that can be adjusted to suit the comfort of each person.

The new material is lightweight, easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and is durable. It can be stretched and returned to its original state thousands of times. Some day we might all be wrapping ourselves in imitation squid skins.

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