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Insect declines in remote regions

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Insects play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth.  They pollinate plants, recycle nutrients, and form the foundation of food webs in both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Without insects, the rich biodiversity that supports our planet would not exist.

However, global studies show a widespread decline in both insect abundance and diversity. According to a new study by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, insect populations are also shrinking in relatively undisturbed landscapes. 

The research team quantified the abundance of flying insects during 15 seasons between 2004 and 2024 in a subalpine meadow in Colorado, an area with decades of weather data and very little direct human activity. The results revealed an average annual decline of 6.6% in insect abundance, amounting to a 72% drop over the 20-year period. The study also linked these losses to rising summer temperatures.

Most previous studies of insect loss have focused on areas heavily influenced by agriculture or urbanization. This new research fills an important gap by showing that steep declines can occur even in pristine areas where human disturbance is minimal, suggesting that the changing climate may be a key driver. 

Mountain regions, which are home to many unique and locally-adapted species, are especially vulnerable. If these declines continue, the rich biodiversity found in high-altitude habitats could be in jeopardy.

The findings highlight the urgent need for broader and longer-term monitoring of insect populations and reinforce the importance of addressing climate change.  Even remote regions are not out of its reach.   

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Long-term decline in montane insects under warming summers

Insects are disappearing from the last places we thought were safe

Photo, posted July 16, 2019, courtesy of Tom Koerner / USFWS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Wildfires and water quality

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Hotter and drier conditions driven by climate change are leading to an increasing number of wildfires in North America and around the world. The damage wildfires cause – to forests, homes, and communities – is well-known. But long after the flames are gone, the effects can linger, especially in rivers and streams, where water quality may suffer for years.

A new study by scientists at the CIRES institute at the University of Colorado Boulder analyzed more than 100,000 water samples from more than 500 sites across the Western U.S. and found that wildfires can degrade water quality for up to eight years after a fire. The research, which was recently published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, found elevated levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and turbidity – the cloudiness of water – in basins affected by fire.

This large-scale analysis reveals watersheds take longer to recover from wildfires than previously thought, with widespread, long-lasting impacts often going undetected for years.

Organic carbon, phosphorus, and turbidity remain elevated for one to five years after a fire. Nitrogen and sediment levels stay notably high for up to eight years. Fire-driven impacts are worse in more forested areas.

Each watershed in the study responded differently depending on local conditions.  In some places, sediment levels surged to as much as 2,000 times normal levels, while others remained relatively unchanged.

The research team hopes its findings can help guide future planning efforts to improve wildfire resilience.

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Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn

Photo, posted April 6, 2017, courtesy of Bonnie Moreland via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Deconstructing buildings

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An estimated 30 million tons of wood waste from construction and demolition in the U.S. ends up in landfills each year.  A growing number of cities have launched initiatives to reuse the wood instead.  It is a strategy to reduce carbon emissions, cut waste, and shift towards a circular economy.

For a long time, salvaged wood was a niche pursuit by people who valued the fine grain and enduring quality of older wood.  Reclaimed old-growth lumber offers character and strength.  These people pursued construction that uses wood with a story – timber recovered from historic structures, collapsing barns, and other demolished buildings.

Now, there are multiple companies in the business of salvaging wood from buildings.  Cities and businesses are embracing the use of reclaimed materials.   Ordinances in cities like Portland, Oregon, Boulder, Colorado, and San Antonio, Texas require older buildings to be taken apart for repurposing their materials.  Palo Alto, California has banned demolition completely. 

Portland was the first U.S. city to require old residential homes to be deconstructed.  After a decade, contractors have deconstructed more than 650 homes in the city, salvaging 2,000 tons of reusable wood.

Using reclaimed wood in local buildings stores carbon and reduces emissions by avoiding the need to cut new trees, process materials, and ship them long distances.

Deconstructing buildings is not a widely available skill.  Contractors have to be trained on how to dismantle buildings piece by piece.  But there is now a national registry of deconstruction trainers and a network of practitioners.

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Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood

Photo, posted May 16, 2018, courtesy of Alexandre Prevot via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Volcano monitoring

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Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a radar-based volcano monitoring system.  The purpose is to provide situational awareness of volcano behavior and identify volcanoes that are becoming restless before other more obvious indications like earthquake activity occur.

The system is called VolcSARvatory and makes use of interferometric synthetic aperture radar to detect ground movement changes as small as one centimeter.  It utilizes two or more radar images from satellites taken at different times.  The images are used to create a time series of data from a single location.

The system has been in operation since early 2022 and proved to be valuable in studying the unexpected activity at the long-quiet Mount Edgecumbe volcano near Sitka, Alaska where conventional monitoring was not taking place.

According to the researchers, the technology has evolved to the point where it can be operational at a national level.  The goal is to provide a consistent approach to monitoring active volcanoes.

Volcanoes are not a rare and unlikely source of potential danger in this country.  The volcanoes of Hawaii are the best-known active volcanoes in the United States, but Alaska has about 140 volcanoes that are technically classified as active, with more than 50 that have been active within the past 300 years.  In total, 169 U.S. volcanoes are classified as active including ones in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

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Alaska-developed volcano monitoring system will expand across U.S.

Photo, posted March 18, 2013, courtesy of Jeffrey Wickett / USFS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Wildlife crossings

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Every year, there are one to two million collisions between motor vehicles and large animals in the U.S.  About 200 people are killed annually.  Counting smaller vertebrates, around a million animals are killed by vehicles each day.  Research has shown that global warming is triggering widespread species redistribution.  As a result, more and more animals are on the move, changing their habitats to escape warming temperatures and climate extremes.

This situation has created renewed interest in creating wildlife crossings.  These are various kinds of structures that allow animals to traverse human-made barriers like highways.  They include such things as a grassy overpass that allows pronghorn to run across a highway in Wyoming and a long underpass that allows tigers to scamper beneath a highway in India.

In the U.S., there are more than 1,000 wildlife crossings and there are more being built all the time.  Data shows that they are highly effective.  A study of wildlife crossings on Highway 9 through the Blue River Valley in Colorado found that they reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions by nearly 90%. 

Wildlife crossing structures can be expensive to build, costing between $500,000 and $6 million, but research has shown that the money saved by avoiding crashes can recoup these costs in just a few years along with the fact that they potentially save lives.  Federal funding is largely distributed based on areas with the highest number of wildlife-vehicle collisions, which is crucial for addressing public safety issues.  However, a recent study suggests that future proposals need to incorporate climate-driven changes in animal behavior and habitat.

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As Climate Changes Fuels Animal Movement, Will These Structures Still Help Species Cross the Road?

Photo, posted April 5, 2017, courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Solar energy on federal land

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Officials at the federal Bureau of Land Management announced late in August that they had finalized a plan to add Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming to the Western Solar Plan, which started during the Obama era.   The plan, created in 2012, provides permitting for solar projects on federal land.  The original plan included Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

The Western Solar Plan is a major expansion for clean energy production in the Bureau of Land Management’s land leasing portfolio.  For decades, the BLM has leased tens of millions of acres of federal land to fossil fuel companies for oil, coal, and natural gas exploration and production.

The new addition includes 1.1 million acres of land in Oregon, an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.  The land selected is deemed to be of low risk for any adverse environmental effects from solar installation, and the plots of land are all within 15 miles of existing or planned electrical transmission lines.  A little over 50% of Oregon’s land is owned by the federal government and is managed primarily by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

The publication of the finalized plan at the end of August initiated a 30-day period for any participants in the initial planning to voice objections.  The governors of the 5 new states are reviewing the plan.  Final approval and adoption are expected later this year.

Western states need to expand solar and other clean energy production to meet their climate goals and federal lands will have to play an important role.

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Plan would make 1 million acres of federal land in Oregon available for solar energy projects

Photo, posted May 20, 2024, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Eliminating plastic shipping pillows

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Anyone who gets packages from Amazon is familiar with the plastic air pillows used to keep products safe in transit.  Amazon uses almost 15 billion of them a year in North America.

Environmentalists have been urging Amazon and other vendors to cut down on the use of plastic packaging. The air-filled plastic pillows are made from plastic film, which is the most common form of plastic litter found in the sea and in seabeds along the shore.  Plastic film can be deadly to wildlife such as sea turtles and sea birds.  Plastic film generally can’t be composted or recycled either.

Recently, Amazon announced that it will replace its plastic pillows with recycled paper filler in all its North American markets – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – which together account for more than 70% of the retailer’s global sales.  It is already making the switch in a big way and is working towards fully removing the plastic materials by the end of the year.

Replacing plastic packaging with paper is a definite improvement.  Paper is recyclable and biodegradable.  It isn’t perfect:  if it ends up in landfills, it can contribute to methane pollution as it biodegrades.  But, on the other hand, paper packaging is more likely to be recycled.

Stemming the tide of plastic waste is an ongoing effort by environmental and consumer groups.  There is pending legislation in New York that aims to reduce the use of plastic packaging by 50% over 12 years by requiring manufacturers to either replace it or pay fees.  The bill cleared the State Senate but has not come up to a vote in the Assembly.  Similar legislation has already been passed in California, Oregon, Maine, and Colorado.

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Amazon Says It Will Stop Using Puffy Plastic Shipping Pillows

Photo, posted November 20, 2018, courtesy of Todd Van Hoosear via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The cost of methane emissions

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Stanford University-led research has determined that American oil and gas operations are emitting more than 6 million tons of methane each year.  The emissions come from both intentional vents and unintentional leaks. 

Methane is the main component of natural gas and losing that much of it through leakage is costing the industry a billion dollars a year just in lost revenue.  Adding in the harm to the economy and human well-being caused by adding this much potent greenhouse gas to the atmosphere is estimated to increase the cost of these emissions to $10 billion a year.

These emission and cost estimates are roughly three times the level predicted by the U.S. government.  The Stanford numbers are based on roughly a million aerial measurements of wells, pipelines, storage, and transmission facilities in six of the nation’s most productive oil and gas regions located in Texas, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Utah.  These areas account for 52% of U.S. onshore oil production and 29% of gas production.

The survey also found that fewer than 2% of the methane emitters are responsible for 50-80% of emissions in four of the regions.  It also found that midstream infrastructure – which includes gathering and transmission pipelines, compressor stations, and gas processing plants – is responsible for about half of total emissions.

While the federal government estimates that methane leakage averages about 1% of gas production, the new survey puts the number at 3%, and some regions lose almost 10% to leakage.

Better tracking and fixing these leaks – especially the larger ones –  is essential for climate change mitigation.

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Methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas operations cost the nation $10 billion per year

Photo, posted June 5, 2015, courtesy of Dave Houseknecht / USGS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The health impacts of gas venting and flaring

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Oil and gas producers around the world use venting and flaring to remove excess natural gas in crude oil production.  Flaring is the process of burning excess natural gas at the production well using a flare to ignite the methane and other components in the gas, while venting is the direct release of natural gas into the atmosphere. 

Both practices are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming.   Venting and flaring release carbon dioxide and methane – two major greenhouse gases. 

The practices contribute to air pollution in surrounding and downwind communities, resulting in increased risk of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, worsening asthma, and even premature death.  In fact, according to a new study recently published in the journal GeoHealth, pollution from oil and gas venting and flaring results in $7.4 billion in health damages, more than 700 premature deaths, and 73,000 asthma exacerbations among children in the United States annually. 

The study, which was led by researchers at the University of North Carolina, Boston University, and the Environmental Defense Fund, also found that emissions are underreported, and controlling emissions would be profitable for operators and would significantly improve public health.

The research team found that Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado had the highest health burdens in this analysis, accounting for 45% of the premature deaths. 

The researchers hope their findings will help improve air quality and human health by reducing emissions from venting and flaring. 

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New study quantifies health impacts from oil and gas flaring in U.S. 

Photo, posted June 20, 2020, courtesy of Jonathan Cutrer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Geologic Hydrogen | Earth Wise

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There is great interest in the potential use of hydrogen as a fuel or an energy storage medium.  Unlike hydrocarbon-based fuels, pure hydrogen combustion produces nothing but water as an emission.  But most hydrogen used at present is made by reforming natural gas, which is a process that results in carbon dioxide emissions.  Thus, the search goes on for cost-effective and energy-efficient ways to make “green hydrogen” that doesn’t result in greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers at Colorado University Boulder are investigating the potential effectiveness of coaxing hydrogen from subterranean rocks – a commodity known as geologic hydrogen.

When water mixes with iron-rich minerals deep in the earth’s crust, ensuing chemical reactions can generate pockets of hydrogen gas. 

The questions are whether it is possible to bring these deposits up to the surface without harming the environment or human communities in the process and whether they can be extracted in large enough quantities to meet growing global energy demands.

The Colorado researchers will conduct experiments both in the lab and hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface to see if it is possible to induce the subterranean rock to make more hydrogen than it normally does.  If the hydrogen-producing reactions can be accelerated, then geologic hydrogen could become a clean and abundant energy source.

Geologists have known about hidden underground deposits of hydrogen for a long time, but recent research has found that there may be a lot more of it than once thought.  According to a 2022 report by the US Geological Survey, there may be enough hydrogen below ground to supply humanity’s need for fuel for hundreds of years.

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Can rocks produce abundant clean energy? New project to explore

Photo, posted December 26, 2013, courtesy of Juozas Šalna via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Keeping The Colorado River Flowing | Earth Wise

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The Colorado River supplies drinking water to 40 million Americans in seven states as well as to many Mexicans and provides irrigation to 5.5 million acres of farmland.  Electricity generated by dams on the Colorado powers millions of homes and businesses in the West.

A combination of drought, population growth, and climate change has reduced the river’s flows by a third in recent years compared with historical averages.  Further reductions could trigger a water and power catastrophe across the Western states.

California, Arizona, and Nevada all get water from Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by the Colorado at Hoover Dam.  The Interior Department determines how much water each of these three states receives.  The other states that use Colorado River water get it directly from the river and its tributaries.  Last summer, water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell fell enough that officials feared that the hydroelectric turbines at the Colorado’s dams would soon cease functioning.

The three states have recently struck an agreement with the federal government to take less water from the Colorado.  The reductions amount to about 13% of the total water use in the lower Colorado.  The government will pay about $1.2 billion to irrigation districts, cities, and Native American tribes for temporarily using less water.  The states have also agreed to make additional cuts to generate the total reductions needed to prevent the collapse of the river.

The agreement runs only through the end of 2026.  At that point, all seven states that rely on the river – which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming – may well be facing a deeper reckoning.  The forces driving the decline of the Colorado are not going away.

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A Breakthrough Deal to Keep the Colorado River From Going Dry, for Now

Photo, posted June 16, 2017, courtesy Karen and Brad Emerson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Canada Lynx And Climate Change | Earth Wise

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Canada lynx are medium-sized North American big cats known for their long, black ear tufts, and their ability to hunt across the surface of deep snow.  Historically, the predator’s habitat ranged across Alaska, Canada, and much of the Northern United States.  But in the contiguous U.S. today, the Canada lynx exists only in several disjunct populations in Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Montana. 

While Glacier National Park in Montana is famous for its grizzly bears and mountain goats, the park also holds a surprising number of Canada lynx, and could serve as a much-needed climate refuge for the big cats in the future.

Glacier National Park is one of the few, large, protected areas located within the Canada lynx range in the Lower 48.  Using an array of 300 motion-sensitive cameras on hiking trails throughout Glacier, researchers from Washington State University conducted the first parkwide occupancy survey for Canada lynx inside the park.  They were surprised to find that Glacier is home to roughly 50 Canada Lynx.  In fact, the researchers found that the iconic predator resides across most of the park’s 1,600 square-mile landscape, although at lower densities than in the core of its range further north.

The researchers also found that Canada lynx are distributed at lower elevations inside Glacier.  Since the cats are a cold-adapted species that need the deep snow, within Glacier, they have a lot of room to climb in elevation as the climate warms.      

The researchers hope their survey can serve as a baseline population estimate to help their collaborators with the National Park Service keep tabs on the numbers of Canada lynx in Glacier.

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Glacier National Park could be climate haven for Canada lynx

Photo, posted February 22, 2014, courtesy of Eric Kilby via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Climate A Winner In The Elections | Earth Wise

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The dominant issues in midterm elections in November were the economy and abortion rights, but at the same time there were also ballot initiatives in various cities and states across the country related to climate.  What some describe as the ‘silent surprise’ of the election was that these initiatives generally passed and, in some cases, by large majorities.

The most significant of these ballot measures was in New York, where two-thirds  of voters passed the largest environmental bond measure in state history.  The measure funds up to $4.2 billion for environmental improvement projects including increasing flood resiliency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, electrifying school buses, and creating more green and open spaces.

The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act provides up to $1.5 billion for projects aimed at climate change mitigation.  Another $1.1 billion is targeted for flood risk reduction and waterway restoration.  $650 million goes for water quality and infrastructure improvement. 

Rhode Island voters passed a green bonds act that will allow the state to invest in climate resiliency at the municipal level, as well as local recreation, open space protection, brownfields remediation, and forest and habitat restoration. 

Other climate-related ballot measures passed in Boulder, Colorado and in El Paso, Texas.  There were however a few climate measures that lost.  Proposition 30 in California that would have taxed very high-income residents to encourage sale of electric vehicles failed.  So did Arizona Proposition 310, which would have increased sales taxes by 0.1% to fund fire districts.

But overall, it was a good election for the climate.

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Voters pass historic climate initiatives in ‘silent surprise’ of US midterms

Photo, posted September 24, 2021, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A Better Way To Capture Carbon | Earth Wise

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The goal of carbon capture and storage technology is to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and safely store it for the indefinite future.  There are existing industrial facilities that capture carbon dioxide from concentrated sources – like the emissions from power plants.  The technology currently captures and stores only about a tenth of a percent of global carbon emissions.

Most existing CCS technologies use chemical binders to trap carbon dioxide quickly and efficiently, but they are extraordinarily energy intensive as well as expensive.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a new tool that could lead to more efficient and cheaper ways to capture carbon dioxide directly out of the air.  The tool predicts how strong the bond will be between carbon dioxide and a candidate molecule for trapping it – that is, a binder.  This new electrochemical diagnostic tool can be used to identify suitable molecular candidates for capturing carbon dioxide from everyday air.

Current carbon capture technologies are very expensive at the scale required to be able to turn the captured CO2 into useful substances, such as carbonates – which are an ingredient in cement – or formaldehyde or methanol, which can be used as fuels.  Making useful materials out of the captured CO2 is an important way to offset the cost of capturing it that merely storing it away does not permit.

The new electrochemical analytical tool developed by the Colorado researchers offers the potential for identifying binders that will be more efficient and less expensive, thereby making direct air carbon capture a realistic part of the efforts to address climate change.

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New method could lead to cheaper, more efficient ways to capture carbon

Photo, posted October 25, 2015, courtesy of Frans Berkelaar via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

New York’s Polystyrene Foam Ban | Earth Wise

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As of January 1, the state of New York now prohibits any person engaged in the business of selling or distributing prepared food or beverages from selling, offering for sale, or distributing disposable food service containers that contain expanded polystyrene foam in the state.  In addition, no manufacturer will be allowed to sell, offer for sale, or distribute polystyrene loose fill packaging in the state.

In other words, there will be no more Styrofoam bowls, cartons, clamshell containers, lids, plates, trays, or packing peanuts.

There are still some exceptions.  Raw meat, seafood, poultry, or fish sold for the purpose of cooking or preparing off-premises can still be packaged in polystyrene foam.  Prepackaged food filled or sealed prior to receipt by a food service provider can also still be packaged in polystyrene foam.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is initially focusing its efforts on outreach and education to achieve compliance rather than on enforcement.   The DEC has provided detailed regulations to assist stakeholders with complying with the law.

Expanded polystyrene foam is a major contributor to environmental litter.  The material breaks apart easily and does not readily biodegrade, causing it to be persistent in the environment and contribute to microplastic pollution.  The foam causes negative impacts to wildlife, waterways, and natural resources.

An estimated 65% of New Yorkers were already living in communities that banned polystyrene foam, notably including New York City and Long Island which imposed a ban in 2019. 

New York becomes the fourth state to impose such a ban after Maine, Maryland, and Vermont.  Colorado and Virginia will follow suit in the next two years.

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Expanded Polystyrene Foam Container and Polystyrene Loose Fill Packaging Ban

Photo, posted November 16, 2015, courtesy of Karim Ghantous via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Solar-Powered Steel Mill | Earth Wise

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The steel industry is an essential part of modern society.  Economically, the U.S. steel industry produces goods valued at more than $100 billion a year and employs more than 80,000 people.  The steel industry is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.   On average, 1.85 tons of CO2 are emitted for every ton of steel produced.  Overall, the steel industry generates between 7 and 9% of the direct emissions that come from the global use of fossil fuel.

The industry is determined to reduce its environmental impact.  Steel is 100% recyclable and indeed much of it is recycled.  Over 2 billion tons of steel were produced in 2019. Meanwhile, more than 700 million tons of steel scrap are recycled each year.  Recycling greatly reduces the energy impact of the steel industry.

The industry has also significantly reduced its energy usage over the years using sophisticated energy management systems and energy recovery efforts.  Since 1960, the amount of energy needed to produce a ton of steel has dropped by 60%.  But making steel is still very energy intensive.

Recently, Lightsource bp announced that its 300 megawatt Bighorn Solar project in Colorado will be used to allow EVRAZ’s Pueblo steel mill to be the world’s first steel mill to run almost entirely on solar power.

The solar project, which will be fully online this month, is the largest on-site solar facility in the U.S. dedicated to a single customer.  (The Bighorn Solar project features 750,000 solar panels located on 1,800 acres).

The project demonstrates that even challenging industrial sectors can be decarbonized when companies work together on innovative solutions.

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Colorado steel mill becomes ‘world’s first’ to be run almost entirely on solar

Photo, posted October 16, 2017, courtesy of UC Davis College of Engineering via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Metals In Western Water Supplies | Earth Wise

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A new study published by the University of Colorado Boulder looked at the problem of rivers being contaminated by acid rock drainage.  Rocks that include sulfide-based minerals, such as pyrite, oxidize when exposed to air and water.  The resulting chemical reaction produces sulfuric acid which, when present in water, dissolves metals like lead, cadmium, and zinc.  The recent study found that rare earth elements are also leached out of rock by this process.

Rock drainage occurs naturally throughout the western United States, but historic mines that disturbed large amounts of rocks and soil have dramatically increased this process and have led to growing downstream water pollution.  Upwards of forty percent of the headwaters of major rivers in the West are contaminated by some form of acid mine or rock drainage.

The warming climate has brought longer summers and less snow in winters.  Longer, lower stream flows make it easier for metals to leach into watersheds and concentrate the metals that would otherwise be diluted by snowmelt.

Rare earth elements are essential components of many high-tech devices such as computers, hard drives, and cell phones.  There is not a long history of studying the hazards they might represent when they enter the environment.

The study looked at the Snake River watershed in Colorado and found that increasing amounts of rare earth elements are entering Colorado water supplies.  Concentrations of rare earth elements are not ordinarily monitored and there are no water quality standards set for them.

According to the researchers, once rare earth elements get into water, they tend to stay there.  Traditional treatment processes don’t remove them.  It is a growing problem that needs to be addressed.

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Rare earth elements and old mines spell trouble for Western water supplies

Photo, posted October 27, 2007, courtesy of Dion Gillard via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Record Low For Lake Mead | Earth Wise

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Lake Mead is the reservoir that was formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.  The lake spans the Arizona-Nevada border.  It is the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity.  The lake is part of a system that supplies water to at least 40 million people in seven states and in Northern Mexico.

As of August 22, this year, Lake Mead was filled to just 35% of its capacity.  This low water level is happening while 95% of the land in nine Western states is under some level of drought conditions and 64% of the land is under extreme drought conditions.  A so-called megadrought has been going on for 22 years and may be the worst dry spell in the region in twelve centuries.

As of the end of July, the water elevation at the Hoover Dam was 1,067 feet above sea level, the lowest it has been since April 1937 when the lake was still being filled after dam construction.  The level has dropped by 132 feet since July 2000.  At maximum capacity, Lake Mead reaches an elevation of 1,220 feet and holds 9.3 trillion gallons of water.

With Lake Mead at 35% of capacity, Lake Powell on the Colorado at 31%, and the entire Lower Colorado system at 40%, water allocations for the coming water year are being cut back. Mexico will see a 5% reduction, Nevada will be cut 7%, and Arizona will lose 18% of its apportionment.   This unprecedented official declaration of a water shortage demonstrates the severity of the drought and low reservoir conditions.

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Lake Mead Drops to a Record Low

Photo, posted August 7, 2018, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Climbing To Escape The Heat | Earth Wise

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Colorado has warmed by nearly 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1980s because of human-caused climate change.   As a result, many mammal species have shifted uphill to escape the heat.

The golden-mantled ground squirrel is a popular sight among tourists in the Rocky Mountains.  It is one of the most photographed animals there as they pose on rocks near roadsides and in campgrounds.  According to University of Colorado research recently published in the journal Ecology, these squirrels have shifted their range upward by 659 feet.  The new study looked at the ground squirrels along with 46 other small mammals.  On average, these animals have shifted their range upward by more than 400 feet since the 1980s.

The researchers visited multiple sites in Colorado’s Front Range and San Juan mountains over the course of several years to collect records of the current ranges of these 47 animals. They then compared the findings from their surveys to over 4,000 historic records from collections dating back to the 1980s.

The researchers expected to see some changes, but not of the magnitude they observed.  For example, before 1980, the pygmy shrew was never detected above about 9,800 feet in elevation.  Today, its maximum extent is more than 11,800 feet.

Montane mammals – which are those who already live at higher elevations – have moved up an additional 1,100 feet on average.  If this trend continues, some animals and even entire communities may be pushed to the tops of mountains with nowhere else to go.  According to the researchers, the study paints a stark picture of a mountain range in crisis.

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Small mammals climb higher to flee warming temperatures in the Rockies

Photo, posted September 6, 2002, courtesy of Franco Folini via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Widespread Drought | Earth Wise

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As the U.S. enters the last part of the summer, fully one-third of the country is experiencing at least a moderate level of drought.   Much of the West is reaching severe drought conditions and New England has been unusually dry and hot.  In total, over 50 million Americans are living in drought-affected areas.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor program, more than 93% of Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico are experiencing drought to some degree.  More than 60% of both Utah and Colorado are in severe drought.   More than three-quarters of Oregon, Arizona, and Wyoming are also in drought.  And most of these areas had no sign of drought this time last year.

Severe drought conditions result in stunted and browning crops, limited pasture yields, dust storms, reduced well water levels, and an increase in the number and severity of wildfires.

Warm air temperatures and minimal snowfall in spring set the stage for this summer’s drought conditions.  A ridge of high pressure over the northeastern Pacific Ocean pushed the jet stream farther north than usual.  And, once again, there has been a failure of the southwestern monsoon in Arizona and New Mexico and the Four Corners region.  Monsoon rains provide half of the year’s precipitation in many of those areas. 

Instead, there has been extreme heat in the region.  Phoenix has already smashed the record for the most days over 110oF in a calendar year (42 as of August 18), with five months to go.  Las Vegas hasn’t seen measurable rainfall since April, and Cedar City, Utah has recorded a record low of 0.05 inches of rain this summer.

Conditions are not expected to get better for a couple of months.

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A Third of the U.S. Faces Drought

Photo, posted May 7, 2014, courtesy of Tyler Bell via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

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WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states (more...)