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Wild pigs in the U.S.

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In the U.S., there are as many as nine million feral swine living in 38 states.  A conservative estimate indicates that they cause about $1.5 billion in property and agricultural damage each year in this country. 

Pigs were introduced to the United States centuries ago as a food source, but they quickly established wild populations. Feral domestic pigs bred with purebred Eurasian boar that were introduced for hunting, and these hybridized wild pigs spread across the landscape thanks to their prolific reproductive rates and willingness to eat just about anything.

When wild pigs forage, they upturn roots and soil with their snouts, damaging natural habitats and other animals. A 2021 study found that wild pigs are releasing over five million tons of carbon dioxide annually by uprooting carbon trapped in soil. 

As a result, many programs were implemented nationwide to try to reduce populations, usually through lethal methods. 

According to new research from the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, recent conservation efforts have proven effective at controlling wild pig populations in the Southeastern U.S.  Within 24 months of the start of control efforts in the study area in South Carolina, the research team found a reduction of about 70% in relative abundance of pigs, and a corresponding decline in environmental rooting damage of about 99%.

Wild pigs are basically a human-caused problem, and controlling their populations will require continued cooperation and collaboration. 

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Wild pig populations in U.S. can be managed

Wild Pigs And The Environment

Photo, posted January 28, 2013, courtesy of Don and Janet Beasley via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Controlled Environment Agriculture | Earth Wise

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The term “controlled environment agriculture” (or CEA) refers to any number of systems embodying a technology-based approach to farming.  CEA can range from simple shade structures to greenhouses to full indoor or vertical farms.  At the most advanced level, CEA systems are fully automated, closed loop systems with controlled lighting, water, and ventilation.   Many systems make use of hydroponics rather than traditional soil.

The goal of CEA systems is to provide optimum growing conditions for crops and prevent disease and pest damage. 

A recent study by the University of Surrey in the UK sought to understand the impact of using CEA systems to grow lettuce, which is a high-value crop that is often grown in such systems.

The study found that, on average, CEA methods produce double the crop yields compared to field-based agriculture.  They also found that the cultivation time of CEA yields was, on average, 40 days.  This compares with an average cultivation time of 60-120 days for field-based agriculture.  More specifically, production of lettuce using CEA was 50% faster in the summer and up to 300% faster in the winter.

Climate change presents many difficult challenges to society, not the least of which is its threat to food security.  Controlled environment agriculture could allow cultivation of crops in harsh environments and in the face of changing climates.  Quantifying the benefits CEA can have on yield and growth provides important information for advancing our understanding of where and when this technology can bring the most value to society. 

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Using artificial methods for growing crops could help solve global food security

Photo, posted February 24, 2013, courtesy of Cindy Kurman / Kurman Photography via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Orcas Versus Boats | Earth Wise

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Over the past three years, orcas (also known as killer whales) have been attacking boats off the coasts of Portugal and Spain.  The subpopulation of orcas in this region has been harassing boats, most often by biting at their rudders.

There have been over 500 reported instances of orcas reacting to boats.  Sometimes they simply approach the vessels, but some of the time they actually attack.  Almost 20% of the attacks have caused enough damage to disable the vessels.  In three cases, including one in May in the Strait of Gibraltar, the animals damaged a boat so badly that it sank.  To date, no one has been injured during these attacks.

Orca researchers have observed several different killer whales during these attacks.  They seem to come from two separate groups: a trio of juveniles occasionally joined by a fourth, as well as a mixed-age group consisting of an adult female, two of her offspring, and two of her sisters.  The attacks typically last less than 30 minutes but can go on for up to 2 hours.

Researchers don’t really know why orcas are going after watercraft.  This behavior has not been observed anywhere else in the world.  One theory is that the orcas have invented a new fad.  That’s actually something that they are known to do.  Much as with people, orca fads are often spearheaded by juveniles.  An alternative theory is that the attacks may be a response to a bad past experience involving a boat.  The fact that nobody has been injured in any of these attacks, even when the boats sank, suggests that only the boats themselves are the target of the attacks and not the people on them.

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Why Has a Group of Orcas Suddenly Started Attacking Boats?

Photo, posted May 24, 2023, courtesy of Pedro Szekely via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Pulling Carbon Dioxide Out Of Seawater | Earth Wise

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The world’s largest sink for carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is the ocean.  The world’s oceans soak up 30-40% of all the gas produced by human activities.  Dissolving carbon dioxide in water produces carbonic acid.   This is the reason that oceans are becoming increasingly acidic, which is causing serious damage to ocean ecosystems.

There are many efforts underway aimed at directly removing carbon dioxide from the air as a way to mitigate the effects of ongoing emissions.  But another possibility is to remove CO2 directly from ocean water.  Existing methods for doing it involve the use of expensive membranes and complex chemicals. The economics of such methods are quite unfavorable.

Recently, a team of researchers at MIT has identified what they claim is a truly efficient and inexpensive removal mechanism. It involves a reversible process based on membrane-free electrochemical cells.  Electrodes in the cells release protons that are introduced to seawater which drive the release of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water. The carbon dioxide can be collected and the processed water ends up being alkaline.

Running this process at a site that is already collecting seawater – such as at a desalination plant – would be an effective way to collect carbon dioxide as well as help mitigate ocean acidification.

Once the carbon dioxide is removed from the water, it still needs to be disposed of, just as is the case for other carbon removal processes.  It could be turned into useful chemicals or it could be stored in underground caverns.  But this approach is fairly unique in that the carbon dioxide has already been captured by the ocean.  The issue remains what to do with it.

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How to pull carbon dioxide out of seawater

Photo, posted January 19, 2016, courtesy of Judy Dean via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Lithium Mining And The Environment | Earth Wise

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The Salar de Atacama in Chile is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and is one of the driest places on Earth. Parts of the Atacama Desert have gone without rain for as long as people have been keeping track. Water rich in dissolved salts lies beneath this flat surface and it is particularly rich in lithium salts.  Forty percent of the world’s known lithium deposits are the in the Salar.

Lithium is the key component of the batteries that power electric cars as well as cell phones and computers.  It is an essential part of the transition away from fossil fuels and towards green energy.  But it is important that this element is obtained responsibly with minimal damage to the environment.

Lithium, the lightest of the metals, tends to occur in layers of volcanic ash, but reacts quickly with water.  It leaches into groundwater and settles in flat basins where it remains in a briny solution.  This dense brine often ends up beneath pockets of fresh surface water, which are havens for fragile ecosystems.

A new study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst looked at the hydrological impact of lithium mining in the Salar.  The study found that the impact of lithium mining depends critically on how long surface water is in place.  Much of the fresh water there is at least 60 years old.  Both droughts and extreme rainfall can cause major changes to the surface water that ordinarily comes from mountain runoff.  Lithium mining itself only accounts for less than 10% of freshwater usage in the Salar. But the state of the surface water needs to be carefully monitored to protect the ecosystems as the climate continues to change.

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How environmentally responsible is lithium brine mining? It depends on how old the water is

Photo, posted February 21, 2016, courtesy of Jorge Pacheco via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Reshaping Our Planet | Earth Wise

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Human activity – especially agriculture – has altered 70% of the land on our planet.  According to a new report from the United Nations, damage to the Earth’s lands has put the planet on “crisis footing”.

Our health, our economy, and our well-being depend on land.  The food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe all rely on status of the land to at least some extent.

According to the report, up to 40% of the planet’s land is already degraded, affecting half of the people alive today.  At current rates, an additional area nearly the size of South America will be degraded by 2050.

Degradation of land occurs in various ways, including deforestation, desertification, and the loss of wetlands or grasslands.  All of these things are caused by human activities.  As forests, savannas, wetlands, and mangrove swamps are converted to agriculture or are lost to urban expansion, greenhouse gas emissions rapidly increase, adding to the effects of climate change.  The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are integrally linked.

Much of the blame for degraded landscapes is on humanity’s ever-expanding need for food and the modern farming systems that produce it.  The global food system is responsible for 80% of the world’s deforestation, 70% of freshwater use, and is the greatest driver of land-based biodiversity loss.  Modern agriculture has altered the face of the planet more than any other human activity.

The report urges efforts at restoration of land.  Restoration can take multiple forms, including planting forests and shrubs or grazing livestock and growing crops between trees instead of clearing existing forests.

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UN Report Says Humanity Has Altered 70 Percent of the Earth’s Land, Putting the Planet on a ‘Crisis Footing’

Photo, posted June 20, 2010, courtesy of Nicholas A. Tonelli via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Climate-Related Disasters | Earth Wise

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In early December, a series of tornadoes struck multiple states, killing nearly 100 people and producing widespread damage in whole communities.  These storms were at least the 19th weather or climate disaster that caused more than $1 billion in damage during 2021.  The year suffered from droughts, wildfires, severe cold snaps, hurricanes, and other severe weather incidents.

The Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania has been studying how communities can prepare for and bounce back from such disasters.

A key issue is that the location and timing of disasters continues to shift.  Homeowners along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts know that they need to prepare for and deal with hurricanes.  People who live in places like Oklahoma and Kansas are aware that tornadoes are a frequent threat.  But in recent years, strong storms are happening in areas where historically they haven’t.

Places need to start implementing changes to their infrastructure now in order to have an impact on risk reduction.

Presidential disaster declarations are just one part of recovery from disasters.  Other issues to grapple with are the role of government support and how it isn’t just the financial costs of disaster recovery but all the impact on human and other resources that are often not covered by governmental funds.  There is also the issue that low- and moderate-income households are disproportionately harmed and locked out of financial resources for recovery.

The Wharton study points out that innovative approaches will be needed to effectively prepare communities and individuals for disasters to come. 

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Preparing, and paying for, climate change-induced disasters

Photo, posted December 12, 2021, courtesy of State Farm via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Wildfires And Giant Sequoias

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Two massive California wildfires that erupted during a lightning storm on September 9 have continued to threaten groves of giant sequoia trees in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.  As of the beginning of October, flames from the KNP Complex fire had burned in or passed through 11 sequoia groves, including the famed Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park.

Hundreds of firefighters battled to protect some of the most renowned trees, including the 275-foot-tall General Sherman tree, widely considered to be the largest tree on earth by overall volume.  That tree and many near it are over 2,000 years old.

Firefighters wrapped the base of the General Sherman and several other trees with fire-resistant blankets to protect them from the intense heat of approaching fires.  Sequoias are actually well-adapted to fires because of their thick bark that protects them from heat.  But intense fires like the KNP Complex and Windy fires are more than the trees can handle.

As of the beginning of October, both fires continue to blaze, but thanks to the efforts of firefighters, most of the giant sequoias have survived.  One massive tree in the Giant Forest recently toppled over after burning for several days, but most are still standing and haven’t suffered serious damage.

As of early October, the two fires had blackened over 140,000 acres across national parks, national forests, the Tule River Indian Reservation, and local communities.  These two are among multiple wildfires burning in California this past summer.  The largest – the Dixie fire – has burned nearly a million acres as of early October.  In total, over 2.5 million acres have already burned in California this year.

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KNP Complex fire triggers flurry of new evacuations, as flames threaten more giant sequoia trees

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Hundreds of California firefighters battle to protect ancient sequoia groves from raging wildfires – with world’s largest tree General Sherman wrapped in aluminum foil blanket

Photo, posted November 5, 2017, courtesy of Ken Lund via Flickr.

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Wine And Wildfire Smoke | Earth Wise

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Rising global temperatures have made droughts and heatwaves more common and intense, leading to larger and more destructive wildfires.   In 2020, wildfires in California blackened more than 4 million acres, the largest wildfire season on record.   With its continuing drought, California has already had 1.5 million acres burned by wildfires this year, and the fires continue.

Wildfires can cause extensive damage throughout the agricultural industry by destroying crops and killing livestock.  But the fires can have a unique effect on the wine industry:  wine grapes can be affected by smoke taint.

Vineyards have demonstrated themselves to be good fire breaks.  They definitely help prevent the movement of wildfires.  But there is no way to stop smoke from the fires from drifting into vineyards.  By far, the damage caused by smoke far outweighs direct losses from fires in vineyards.

Winemakers sometimes add subtle smoky notes to their vintages by aging them in toasted oak barrels.   But wildfire smoke permeating vineyards – even from distant blazes – can end up making wines undrinkable.  Smoke-tainted wines end up having unpleasant aromas that people describe as being like disinfectants or burnt rubber. 

With wildfires an increasingly persistent presence in California, the state’s $43 billion wine industry is facing a major challenge.  An estimated 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California wine grapes went unharvested last year, adding up to more than $600 million in losses from fire and smoke.  The industry will need to figure out ways to detect and manage smoke taint as the problem isn’t going to go away.

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Wildfire Smoke: An Emerging Threat to West Coast Wines

Photo, posted July 25, 2021, courtesy of Felton Davis via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Wild Pigs And The Environment | Earth Wise

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There are millions of wild pigs in the world with the largest numbers in the United States and Australia but significant numbers in South America, Europe, and China.  In the US, there are as many as 9 million feral swine living in 38 states.  A conservative estimate indicates that they cause about $1.5 billion in property and agricultural damage each year in this country.

Researchers in Australia have studied the climate damage wild pigs are causing across five continents.  According to the study, by uprooting carbon trapped in soil, wild pigs are releasing over 5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is the equivalent of 1.1 million cars.

When soils are disturbed from humans plowing a field, or from wild animals uprooting, carbon is released into the atmosphere.  According to the researchers, wild pigs are just like tractors plowing through fields, turning over soil to find food.

The study used predictive population models coupled with advanced mapping techniques to pinpoint the damage wild pigs are causing.  According to the models, pigs are currently uprooting an area between 14,000 and 47,000 square miles, which is an enormous amount of land.  The effects are not just on the health of the soil and on carbon emissions.  This much damage also threatens biodiversity and food security.

Wild pigs are basically a human-caused problem, being either feral descendants of domestic swine, or hybrids of domestic swine and wild boars.  Wild pigs are prolific and their numbers have been expanding rapidly  Controlling their populations will require cooperation and collaboration across multiple jurisdictions.

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The climate impact of wild pigs greater than a million cars

Photo, posted July 1, 2017, courtesy of Shiva Shenoy via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Pesticide From Beer | Earth Wise

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Researchers from the Neiker Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development in Spain have demonstrated that a combination of rapeseed cake and beer bagasse can be used to reduce populations of soil parasites and increase crop yields. 

Beer bagasse is spent brewers’ grain – the stuff that is left over after the beer is made.  Beer brewing generates substantial amounts of by-products, including large amounts of spent grain.  It already has some practical uses, including as a feedstock for biofuel, as a food additive, and it even has some medical uses.  But the new research has shown that the bagasse can be the basis for a biodisinfestation treatment to be used in agriculture.  The aim is to disinfect soils, protect soil microorganisms, and increase crop yields.

The actual material studied was a mixture of beer bagasse, rapeseed cake, and a generous amount of fresh cow manure.  The high nitrogen content of the mixture promotes the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, which helps to break down organic matter and kill off nematodes and other parasites that damage crops.

Nematodes are common parasites that can penetrate plant roots to lay their eggs, which damages the root and prevents the plants from absorbing nutrients effectively.  Application of the bagasse-based mixture over 12 months increased crop yields by 15% and boosted healthy soil microbes.

The study demonstrated that agricultural byproducts can be an effective treatment for root-knot nematodes and other soil parasites, increase crop yields, and help promote sustainable food systems to reduce waste from the agricultural industry.  The researchers hope to identify other potential organic treatments for tackling soil parasite problems.

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Beer byproduct mixed with manure proves an excellent organic pesticide

Photo, posted July 1, 2011, courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Dangerous Fire Season | Earth Wise

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The western United States is entering the fire season under much worse drought conditions than last year.  Last year, 15,800 square miles burned in the U.S., mostly in the West.

The western U.S. is in the midst of a 20-year mega-drought.  Rainfall in the Rocky Mountains and farther west was the second lowest on record this April.  The soil in the western half of the country is the driest it has been since 1895.

The situation is particularly bad in California and the Southwest.  In March, less than a third of California was experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.  Now, 73% of the state is.  A year ago, a record-breaking fire season burned 4% of the state and, at that time, only 3% of California was in a state of extreme drought.

A year ago, no parts of Arizona, Nevada, or Utah were in extreme or exceptional drought.  Now, more than 90% of Utah, 86% of Arizona, and 75% of Nevada face severe drought conditions.  At this time last year, only 4% of New Mexico faced extreme drought but 77% does now.

These extreme drought conditions, which are believed to be linked to climate change, are causing increased tree mortality among many species, ranging from junipers in the Southwest even to drought-tolerant blue oaks in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Conditions are extremely ripe for a lot of forest fire this year.  Last year was a terrible year for wildfires in the West and we are heading into a fire season with much drier fuels than there were last year.  The risks of great damage from wildfires are higher than ever.

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US West Enters Fire Season Facing Extremely Dry Conditions

Photo, posted September 18, 2020, courtesy of USFS/National Interagency Fire Center via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Once In A Lifetime Floods And Climate Change | Earth Wise

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Superstorm Sandy was the deadliest hurricane of 2012 and one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit the United States.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Superstorm Sandy caused an estimated $74.1 billion dollars in damages.  That figure made it the fourth-costliest storm in U.S. history, trailing only Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and hurricanes Harvey and Maria in 2017.  Superstorm Sandy affected 24 states and all of the eastern seaboard.  

New York was one of the states pummeled by Superstorm Sandy.  The storm brought flood-levels to the region that had not been seen in generations.  But according to a new study published in the journal Climatic Change, those flood levels could become much more common. 

Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have found that 100-year and 500-year flood levels could become regular occurrences by the end of the century for the thousands of homes surrounding Jamaica Bay, NY.  The researchers say climate change is the culprit.  

Using anticipated greenhouse gas concentration levels, the research team created simulations to find the probability of different flood levels being reached by the end of the century.  The researchers found that the historical 100-year flood level would become a one-year flood level by the year 2100.  500-year floods, like Superstorm Sandy, would become a four-year flood level by the end of the century. 

While this particular study is specific to Jamaica Bay, it does serve as an example of just how severe and costly the consequences of climate change will be.   

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Once in a lifetime floods to become regular occurrences by end of century

Photo, posted October 29, 2012, courtesy of Rachel via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

 

Europe’s Green Deal: Bad For The Planet? | Earth Wise

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In 2019, the European Union announced the “Green Deal,” a comprehensive program aimed at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent, implementing environmentally friendly transport, increasing recycling, and expanding renewable energy.

The Green Deal involves significant changes to European agriculture.  Over the next ten years, under the ambitious environmental program, at least a quarter of all agricultural areas will be farmed organically, the use of fertilizers and pesticides greatly reduced, 3 billion trees planted, 15,000 miles of rivers restored, and the population declines of pollinators reversed.

However, in a recent article published in Nature, scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology show that this Green Deal might actually be a bad deal for the planet.

The problem is that the EU is likely to basically be outsourcing environmental damage by its high imports of agricultural products.

According to the Karlsruhe study, the EU annually imports millions of tons of agricultural products, as much as 20% of its produce and much of its meat and dairy products.  Quite often, these imports come from countries whose environmental laws are far less stringent than those in Europe.

The EU cannot impose environmental standards on other countries, but it can demand that goods entering the European market meet EU requirements.  The study points out that Europe’s carbon footprint has to be evaluated on a global basis.  If the EU is truly to become a climate-neutral continent, it must include foreign trade goals and requirements in its environmental programs.  Otherwise, Europe will simply be outsourcing its environmental problems and will continue to cause damage to the planet.

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Green Deal: Good for a Climate-neutral Europe – Bad for the Planet

Photo, posted July 17, 2009, courtesy of Edmund Garman via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Why Do Trees Change Color? | Earth Wise

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We had a particularly colorful fall in the Northeast this year.  Almost everywhere you looked, there were brilliant displays of yellow, orange, and red.  The colors of fall are a result of chemistry and environmental events that may have taken place many months in the past.

The color of leaves comes from 4 pigments whose effects are governed by photosynthesis.  The one that is actually used in photosynthesis is chlorophyll and it causes leaves to be green.  But when a tree begins to prepare for dormancy, it stops producing chlorophyll, the green pigmentation fades, and the other pigments that were already in the leaves become visible.

There are xanthoplylls, which are the yellow pigments that are seen the most in fall trees.  They are the same pigments that color egg yolks and sometimes parts of the human eye.  They are only produced by plants and appear in humans and animals only through consumption.

There are carotenes, which are the orange pigments found in fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, oranges, some bell peppers and squashes.

And there is anthocyanin, which is the pigment found in blueberries, blackberries, and red or violet roses.  Its color depends on the pH level of the plant; higher pH leads to darker color.  This is the pigment seen in red maples, black cherry trees, Shumard oaks, and more.  Only 10% of trees in temperate climates produce anthocyanin and its red pigmentation and most of those trees are in New England.

All these pigments serve purposes.  They help trees absorb light energy, prevent sun damage, and even regulate how much energy chlorophyll produces.

There are complicated chemical and environmental factors at play in fall foliage but when they come together like they did this year, it’s a magnificent spectacle.

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Why Do Trees Change Color?

Photo, posted October 17, 2020, courtesy of John Brighenti via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Changing Climate Is Changing Insurance

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As the climate changes, wildfires get bigger and more destructive and hurricanes and powerful storms are more frequent and damaging.  In places where these things are occurring, it is getting harder and more expensive for many homeowners to get insurance.  The affordability of home insurance in the face of climate change has become a huge issue in many states.

In California, the number of homeowners who got non-renewal notices from their insurance companies rose by 6% between 2017 and 2018.  In areas directly affected by wildfires between 2015 and 2017, that number jumped by 10%. Similar things have happened in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, where hurricanes and flooding have caused extensive damage.  Because of this, many homeowners have been forced to turn to bare-bone plans such as the California Fair Access to Insurance Plan, which can cost two or three times as much as normal insurance policies.

According to a 2019 survey of insurance companies, more than half of insurance regulators said that climate change was likely to have a high impact or an extremely high impact on the availability of insurance coverage and the assumptions used for underwriting.  In the past, governments have been able to mandate coverage in certain areas or even provide coverage themselves in some cases.  As the occurrence of climate-related damage becomes increasingly frequent, homeowners have to face up to a grim reality.

The challenges of dealing with wildfires, floods, powerful storms, and the like are significant enough for people who live in high-risk areas.  Increasingly, home insurance in these places is becoming much more expensive, harder to find, and is worth less.

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As Climate Impacts Worsen, Homeowners Struggle to Find Affordable Insurance

Photo, posted September 1, 2020, courtesy of The National Guard via Flickr.

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Conserving The Colorado River | Earth Wise

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Last year, we talked about the troubles facing the Colorado River.  Nearly two decades of drought conditions have reduced the water levels of the two largest reservoirs of Colorado River water and have threatened the water supply of millions of people in the region.  Clear scientific evidence shows that climate change is constricting the iconic river and will do further damage as temperatures rise.

Faced with these facts, water resource managers have been implementing conservation policies in the region and the results so far are very encouraging.

The use of Colorado River water in the three states of the river’s lower basin – Arizona, California, and Nevada – fell to a 33-year low in 2019.  The three states consumed just over 6.5 million acre-feet for the year, which is about 1 million acre-feet less than the three states are entitled to use under the legal agreement that allocates Colorado River water.

The last time water consumption from the river was that low was in 1986, which is the year that Arizona opened a large canal that extracts river water for its entitlement. 

A key indicator of river health is the depth of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir of Colorado River water.  It has been steadily dropping in recent years, but last year, with the reduced consumption, the water level actually increased by 12 feet.

According to water managers, the steady drop in water consumption in recent years is a sign that conservation efforts are working and that there are strategies that can deal with chronic shortages on the river in the future.  It represents an important demonstration that it is possible to use less water in a region that irrigates 5 million acres of farmland and has 40 million people in 2 countries and 29 tribal nations.

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Remarkable Drop in Colorado River Water Use a Sign of Climate Adaptation

Photo, posted July 7, 2015, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Menace Of Abandoned Oil Wells | Earth Wise

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More than a century of oil and gas drilling has left behind millions of abandoned wells and many of them are leaching pollutants into the air and water.  Drilling companies continue to abandon even more wells as demand for oil diminishes and bankruptcies become more common.

Leaks from abandoned wells have long been known to be an environmental problem and a health hazard.  They have been linked to many instances of groundwater contamination and to dangerous fumes near homes and farms.

There have recently been efforts to track the amounts of methane leaching from abandoned oil and gas wells, and the figures in United States are alarming.  According to the most recent EPA report, more than 3.2 million abandoned oil and gas wells emitted a total of 281,000 tons of methane in 2018.  That is the climate-damage equivalent of consuming about 16 million barrels of crude oil, which is as much as the U.S. uses in a typical day.  According to the EPA, the actual amount could be as much as three times higher, because of incomplete data.   The agency believes that most of the methane comes from more than 2 million abandoned wells that were never properly plugged.

New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has records of over 2,000 abandoned wells, but the state believes the actual number could be much higher.  This is a problem that won’t just go away.  Wells don’t leak for a year and then stop.  They can continue to leak for a century or more.  Cleaning up and plugging an abandoned well runs from $20,000 to $145,000, meaning that countrywide, cleaning up this environmental menace could cost somewhere between $60 billion and $435 billion.

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Special Report: Millions of abandoned oil wells are leaking methane, a climate menace

Photo, posted October 13, 2015, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Keeping Charleston Dry | Earth Wise

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Charleston, South Carolina is visited by millions of tourists each year.  The town is a glimpse into the past, showcasing antebellum mansions, row houses, historic African American churches and scenic harbor views from a Civil War-era promenade.

Charleston is also visited more and more by water from rising seas and increasingly powerful storms.  The city is essentially drowning in slow motion and may soon face an existential threat to its survival.

Charleston has a harbor and three rivers and water from all these sources leaks in at every bend and curve, fills streets, disrupts businesses, and rushes into homes during storms.  Million-dollar antebellum mansions, built on spongy marsh and old tidal creeks, flood repeatedly.

City officials have endorsed a plan by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to wall off the historic downtown with an 8-mile-long seawall that would cost nearly $2 billion.  The proposed barricade is just one of many proposed projects to build seawalls, surge gates, levees, and other barriers to defend U.S. coastal cities in an era of rising seas and climate-fueled floods and storms.  A proposed flood wall in Miami would cost federal taxpayers $8 billion.

Researchers generally agree that sea levels are likely to rise by at least 3 feet by the end of the century.  Some experts believe the rise will be much greater.  So, a key question is whether these barriers will actually keep out the water.  Critics of many of the proposed solutions contend that they are doomed to fail.

Flooding has caused nearly $1 trillion worth of damage along the East and Gulf coasts over the past 40 years.  And things are almost certain to get worse in Charleston and other coastal cities.

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Fortress Charleston: Will Walling Off the City Hold Back the Waters?

Photo, posted October 7, 2015, courtesy of Jeff Turner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Record Low Ice In The Bering Sea | Earth Wise

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The Bering Sea is the area of the far northern Pacific Ocean that separates Alaska from Russia.  Sea ice in the Bering Sea shrank to its lowest levels in recorded history in 2018, an event with profound effects on northwest Alaska residents who depend on marine resources for food, cash, and culture.

The loss of ice is indicative of very rapid change in the entire northern Bering Sea ecosystem with ramifications for everyone in the region.  A new peer-reviewed study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society examined the details and consequences of the drastic changes in the Bering Sea.

The study found that the maximum daily Bering Sea ice was the lowest on record, and the widespread impacts of that fact include unprecedented weather effects, marine wildlife die-offs, and sightings of animals outside of their normal range.  Ecological changes included the first documented mass strandings of ice-associated seals, a redistribution of thermally sensitive fish, and a multispecies die-off of seabirds due to starvation.

Persistent and anomalous warm winter weather contributed to poor ice conditions that resulted in a fatal accident on an ice road and retreating and fractured sea ice led to ice-laden flooding that caused power outages and infrastructure damage.  In addition, there have been more than 50 reports of unusual events related to weather and marine wildlife.

The record-low sea ice is a consequence of the warming climate resulting in a warmer ocean, later arrival of sea ice, and more frequent storms than in the pre-industrial era.  These conditions are continuing to increase in occurrence.

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Record low level of Bering Sea ice causes profound, widespread impacts

Photo, posted April 7, 2014, courtesy of Allen Smith via Flickr.

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