Earth Wise

A look at our changing environment.

You are here: Home / Archives for emissions

emissions

Americans breathe unhealthy air

By Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

**********

Web Links

Almost Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds

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

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Defeating climate apathy

By Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

**********

Web Links

UCLA study: How to break through climate apathy

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

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Airplanes and climate change

By Leave a Comment

The aviation industry is a powerful force in the global economy.  In fact, according to some estimates, the industry transports the equivalent of nearly half the world’s population every year.  But the world’s airports were largely designed for an older era – a cooler one.

As air warms, it becomes less dense, which makes it harder for airplanes to generate lift, which is the force that enables them to fly.

According to a new study by scientists from the University of Reading in the U.K., rising temperatures due to climate change may force aircraft at some airports to reduce passenger numbers in the coming decades.

The research team examined how warmer air affects aircraft performance during takeoff at 30 sites across Europe.  The study, which was recently published in the journal Aerospace, focused on the Airbus A320, which is a common aircraft used for short and medium-distance flights across Europe.

By the 2060s, the research team found that some airports with shorter runways may need to reduce their maximum take-off weight by the equivalent of approximately 10 passengers per flight during summer months.

Of the sites included in the study, Chios in Greece, Pantelleria and Rome Ciampino in Italy, and San Sebastian in Spain will be the four most affected popular tourist destinations.

Climate change is also making air travel increasingly turbulent, and the aviation industry itself remains a growing contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Taking meaningful action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including those from the aviation industry, is one of the most crucial ways to mitigate global climate change.

**********

Web Links

Holiday flights could carry fewer passengers as world warms

Photo, posted September 29, 2017, courtesy of Hugh Llewelyn via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Bees and urban wildflowers

By Leave a Comment

Post-industrial cities often have large numbers of vacant lots, left behind as people have moved out of the area.  Local residents are often tempted to plant wildflowers to make these deserted spaces more attractive. 

Wildflowers are an important food source for bees.  Pollinators like bees play a vital role in food production and attracting them with food sources is a good idea.  However, a study by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK found that there are dangers associated with planting wildflowers in some urban settings.

Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic, and other metal contaminants from the soil.  These metals have previously been shown to damage the health of pollinators that ingest the metals in the nectar as they feed.

The Cambridge study was carried out in Cleveland, Ohio, which has nearly 34,000 vacant lots.  Cleveland was previously the site of iron and steel production, oil refining, and car manufacturing.  The researchers tested the nectar from flowering plants growing on disused land throughout the city.  Lead was the contaminant found in the highest concentrations.  They also found that different species of plants accumulate different amounts and different types of metals.

The goal of the study was not to discourage the planting of wildflowers in towns and cities.  It is to highlight the importance of growing the right species of wildflowers as well as to encourage testing soils for metals before planting wildflowers and to clean up pollution.  Wildflowers are important for pollinators, but it is also important that they don’t contribute to the decline of pollinator populations that has already been happening for a number of reasons.

**********

Web Links

Growing wildflowers on disused urban land can damage bee health

Photo, posted August 26, 2012, courtesy of RJP via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A giant plane for giant wind turbines

By Leave a Comment

Wind turbines have been getting bigger all the time.  Larger turbines have real advantages.  They can operate at lower speeds so they can be deployed in more places.  They capture more wind, so they make more power.  Large wind turbines can have blades more than 200 feet long and even larger ones are on the way.  An offshore wind farm in China has turbines with 400-foot blades.

Giant wind turbines face a thorny problem:  getting the blades to where they are to be installed.  The enormous blades can’t be easily shipped across aging roads and bridges.   Tunnels are too narrow, bridges are too low, and roads can be too tight to allow turns when transporting these massive turbine parts.  Some developers have actually had to build special roads for wind projects.

For nearly a decade, a Boulder Colorado company called Radia has been working on what would be the world’s largest plane.  The WindRunner aircraft would have a dozen times the cargo volume of a Boeing 747.  The WindRunner will be 356 feet long and 79 feet tall.  While its primary purpose would be transporting wind turbine blades, the plane could also be used to aid the military or businesses that are thinking really big.  Product developers often don’t even try to invent really big things because there is no way to transport them.  Radia expects the WindRunner to be rolled out before the end of the decade.

The wind industry is currently facing strong opposition from the Trump administration, but wind energy is not going away and bigger and better wind turbines will ultimately be built and will have to be transported.

**********

Web Links

Building the World’s Biggest Plane to Help Catch the Wind

Photo, October 10, 2013, courtesy of Allan Der via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The oceans are warming faster

By Leave a Comment

A new study has shown that the rate of ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past 40 years.  The study, by researchers at the University of Reading in the UK, helps to explain why there have been unprecedented ocean temperatures in 2023 and 2024.

Global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight in 2023 and early 2024.  Some of this unusual warmth came from the El Niño that was taking place at the time, but the rest of the increased temperature came from the sea surface warming up more quickly over the past 10 years than in previous decades.  In the late 1980s, ocean temperatures were rising at a rate of 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade.  According to the recent research, they are now increasing at 0.27 degrees per decade.

The acceleration of ocean warming is driven by growth in the Earth’s energy imbalance, meaning that more energy from the sun is being absorbed by the Earth than is escaping back into space.  This energy imbalance has roughly doubled since 2010 as a result of two factors:  increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and reductions in the Earth’s albedo.

Earth’s albedo, the measure of how much sunlight is reflected back into space, has been declining since the 1970s, primarily due to the decrease in snow and ice cover, especially in the Arctic. 

The overall rate of ocean warming observed over recent decade is likely to only increase.  This underscores the urgency of reducing fossil fuel burning to avoid even more rapid temperature increases in the future.

**********

Web Links

Ocean-surface warming four times faster now than late-1980s

Photo, posted January 18, 2007, courtesy of Alexey Krasavin via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Vegetation and climate change

By Leave a Comment

Temperatures have been steadily rising around the world as a result of the increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.  This warming trend has led to more frequent and intense heat waves, droughts, and other extreme weather events.  Rising temperatures are also impacting human health, leading to increased risks of heat-related illnesses and a higher number of fatalities during extreme heat events.

One simple but effective way to reduce the health risks from extreme heat is to increase urban vegetation.  According to new research led by scientists from Monash University in Australia, increasing urban vegetation by 30% could save more than one-third of all heat-related deaths.  The study, which was recently published in The Lancet Planetary Health, examined more than 11,000 urban areas and found that increasing greenery could have saved up to 1.16 million lives worldwide between 2000 and 2019.

The impact of increasing urban vegetation on heat-related deaths varies by climate, greenness, socioeconomic, and demographic factors, with the greatest benefits seen in Southern Asia, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Asia. 

Vegetation has a cooling effect on temperature.  Vegetation helps regulate the Earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, which helps to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Vegetation also cools the environment through shading, moisture release, and evapotranspiration, which reduces temperatures and mitigates heat-related health risks.

Incorporating more vegetation into urban areas is a powerful solution to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect human health.

**********

Web Links

Increasing urban vegetation could have saved over 1.1m lives in two decades

Photo, posted July 1, 2023, courtesy of Lauri via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Finding peatlands

By Leave a Comment

Peatlands are a special kind of wetland that have enormous potential for helping to mitigate climate change.  They are great at capturing carbon because their constantly soggy soils deprive decomposer organisms of the oxygen they need to break down dead plants.  Living plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and incorporate the carbon into their tissues.  When plants die, decomposers like bacteria digest the plant matter and release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz found that the average per-area carbon densities in peatlands in Colombia are four to ten times higher than those in the Amazon rainforest.  This agrees with other studies around the world.  On a global scale, peatlands cover only 3% of land areas but store more carbon than all the world’s trees.  Peatlands are unsung heroes helping to reduce the impact of fossil fuel emissions.

Peatlands can only store carbon if they remain constantly wet.  When they are drained for agriculture or other development, decomposer organisms get back to work digesting organic matter and releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

A major challenge in protecting peatland is finding them.  They are often hard to distinguish from other types of wetlands. 

The Santa Cruz researchers have been identifying and locating peatlands in Colombia, where decades of civil war had made many parts of the country inaccessible for research.  Finding and protecting peatlands there and in many other places around the world is an important task in the battle against climate change.

**********

Web Links

Colombia’s peatlands could be a crucial tool to fight climate change. But first we have to find them.

Photo, posted January 2, 2018, courtesy of Roni Ziade / U.S. Forest Service via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Tracking atmospheric mercury

By Leave a Comment

Atmospheric mercury is a toxic pollutant released into the air from natural sources—such as volcanoes and wildfires—and from human activities like coal burning and gold mining.  Once in the atmosphere, mercury can travel long distances before settling onto land or into water, transforming into toxic forms that threaten ecosystems and human health.

But tracking atmospheric mercury is a costly and challenging endeavor, requiring specialized equipment and trained personnel. Active monitors, which pump air to collect mercury, are expensive and need electricity, while passive samplers, using activated charcoal for remote areas, cost up to $100 each.

Researchers from Cornell University have found a cheap method for tracking toxic atmospheric mercury near gold mining sites throughout the Global South: wild fig trees.  In the study, which was conducted in the Peruvian Amazon and recently published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science, the research team found that the rings in wild fig trees can serve as natural archives of atmospheric mercury, capturing and preserving historical pollution levels over time.

The technique itself is not actually new.  Previous studies have used tree rings to track mercury pollution from coal combustion, particularly in Canada. But the research team wanted to test this method in regions of the Global South, where mercury emissions from gold mining are widespread.

According to the research team, wild fig trees might soon serve as an important biomonitoring tool, helping scientists better understand how mercury disperses across landscapes and through time.

**********

Web Links

Tree rings track atmospheric mercury cheaply

Photo, posted November 13, 2012, courtesy of Steve Kessler via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Hot water in Boise

By Leave a Comment

Boise is the capital of Idaho, and the Idaho Statehouse is the only one in the United States to use geothermal heat.  Geothermal heating is possible in Boise because of fault lines that expose its groundwater to hot rocks.  The underground water supply in Boise is heated to around 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  It is the basis of the largest municipally-run geothermal system in the country.

People in Boise began using this natural resource to supply heat to buildings in the 1890s by drilling wells into aquifers that yielded hundreds of thousands of gallons of piping hot water a day.  The water heated pools and public baths, a Victorian mansion, and, eventually, hundreds of homes in what was called the Boise Warm Springs Water District.

The number of buildings that the city of Boise heats with its geothermal resource has grown more than sixfold over the past 40 years.  The water is drawn from wells in the nearby foothills and pumped into a closed-loop network of pipes that reach into buildings.  In each building, the geothermal heat is transferred to water in separate adjoining pipes that distribute the heat throughout the building.  The well water goes back to the aquifer to be heated again.

Today, there are four separately run geothermal water systems in Boise.  One is run by the city, another by the Boise Warm Springs District, and two others that serve the Capitol and Veterans Affairs Buildings.

In 2024, city officials calculated that using geothermal heat reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by 7,000 tons, the equivalent of removing 1,500 gas-powered cars from the road each year.

**********

Web Links

They’re in Hot Water in Idaho. Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing.

Photo, posted May 26, 2010, courtesy of Jason W via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

An eco-friendly detergent

By Leave a Comment

Household products such as laundry detergents and dishwasher tablets are an indispensable part of everyday life, but such products contain all sorts of chemicals that have undesirable properties.  Many are difficult to break down when they enter the environment, and some add nutrients that trigger environmentally harmful algal blooms.   The ingredient lists for even what are described as environmentally friendly cleansing products can be filled with lots of polysyllabic chemicals with unknown potential impacts.  Detergents made from harmless stuff are often difficult to make, hard to rinse off, and sometimes potentially damaging to fabrics.

Researchers at Tianjin University in China have developed an environmentally friendly detergent made of tiny wood fibers and corn protein that removes stains from clothes and dishes as well as commercial products.

The researchers combined cellulose nanofibers from wood with zein protein, which is taken from corn, to produce an emulsion.  The cellulose can attract and repel water and can form emulsions and attract various kinds of stains.  The zein protein helps to stabilize the emulsion and trap oils.

They tested the new detergent by cleaning cotton cloth and dishes stained with ink, chili oil, and tomato paste.  They compared the results against commercial laundry detergent and dish soap.  Their new detergent was somewhat less effective than the commercial products when used at 1% concentration but was more effective when used at a 5% concentration. 

The results suggest that this natural detergent could be an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to the synthetic cleaning agents that currently dominate the market.

**********

Web Links

Researchers create eco-friendly detergent from wood fiber and corn protein

Photo, posted July 31, 2009, courtesy of Mei Anne Mendoza via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Electric trains are healthier

By Leave a Comment

The majority of commuter trains in the U.S. are powered by diesel fuel.  This is despite the fact that electric trains are quieter, more reliable, and produce fewer greenhouse gases than diesel locomotives.  A new study has found that electric trains are healthier for passengers as well.

Caltrain carries millions of passengers a year along a 47-mile route between San Francisco and San Jose.  It is the busiest commuter rail system in the western U.S.  Over a six-week period beginning in August 2024, Caltrain retired all 29 of its diesel locomotives and replaced them with electric trains.

As the process began, an environmental engineering and environmental health professor at UC Berkeley noticed the rapid change in the air aboard the trains and decided to study its potential health impacts.  With the support of Caltrain, he installed black carbon detectors aboard the trains and tracked the improvements in air quality as old diesel locomotives were being replaced by new electric trains.

Statistical analysis of the reduction in black carbon exposure achieved by the change predicted a reduction in excess cancer deaths by 51 per million people for passengers and 330 per million people for train conductors.  EPA policy states that any exposure that increases the average individual’s cancer risk by more than one per million is considered unacceptable.

In the context of the whole U.S. where millions of people commute by rail every day, the study predicts that hundreds of cases of cancer could be prevented each year.  California has long-term plans to electrify most of its rail systems.  The study indicates that the process shouldn’t be carried over the next 25 years but rather be sped up.

**********

Web Links

Electric trains are quieter, more reliable than diesel. New study finds they’re healthier, too.

Photo, posted September 4, 2024, courtesy of J. Kehoe via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Scrubbers to clean up shipping

By Leave a Comment

Cargo ships are significant sources of global air pollution because of their fuel oil.  Most ships burn heavy fuel oil that is loaded with sulfur, so when it is burned it produces noxious gases and fine particles that can harm human health and the environment.  The International Maritime Organization enacted a mandatory cap of 0.5% for the sulfur content of marine fuels in 2020.  Heavy fuel oil has a sulfur content of 2 to 3 percent.

Shipping companies can comply by burning low-sulfur fossil fuels or biofuels, but these are much more expensive.  The most feasible and cost-effective option is to install exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers. 

A scrubber is a huge metal tank installed in a ship’s exhaust stack.  Seawater is sprayed from nozzles to wash the hot exhaust.  The seawater reacts with sulfur dioxide and converts it to sulfates, which are environmentally benign natural components in seawater.

A study by the National Technical University of Athens in Greece has performed a lifecycle assessment of the use of scrubbers and has found that burning heavy fuel oil with the use of scrubbers can match or even surpass the benefits of using low-sulfur fuels.

Producing low-sulfur fuel causes additional greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions in refineries. On the other hand, scrubbers reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 97% and dramatically reduce other pollutants as well.

The study shows the importance of incorporating lifecycle assessments into evaluation of environmental impact reduction policies.

**********

Web Links

Study: Burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers is the best available option for bulk maritime shipping

Photo, posted August 3, 2015, courtesy of Lotsemann via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Repurposing used tires

By Leave a Comment

Every year, millions of tires from cars and trucks end up in landfills.  Just in the U.S., more than 270 million tires were scrapped in 2021 and more than 50 million of them ended up in landfills.  Discarded tires take up huge amounts of space but, more importantly, create environmental hazards.  They leach chemicals into the environment and are a serious fire hazard.

Some tires are chemically recycled via pyrolysis, which is a high-temperature process to decompose the materials in the tire.  But that process introduces harmful byproducts like benzene and dioxins. 

Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill have introduced a new chemical method for breaking down rubber waste.  The process transforms discarded rubber into valuable precursors for epoxy resins.

Rubber – either natural rubber or the synthetic kind used in tires – is made of polymers cross-linked together to form a tough, flexible, and durable material.  These very desirable properties make it difficult to break down rubber.

The new research has led to a two-step chemical process that breaks down the rubber into functional materials that be used to produce epoxy resins.  The method does not require extremely high temperatures, uses aqueous media, and takes only six hours.   It represents an efficient, scalable solution for repurposing rubber waste which, even as many other aspects of motor vehicle are changing for the better, remains a continuing environmental problem associated with driving.

This new research marks a significant step towards greener recycling technologies.

**********

Web Links

A Cleaner Future for Tires: Scientists Pioneer Chemical Process to Repurpose Rubber Waste

Photo, posted May 5, 2011, courtesy of TireZoo via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Renewables dominate new global power

By Leave a Comment

The current administration in the United States is adversarial towards renewable energy and highly supportive of the use of fossil fuels.  Unquestionably, this will create rough waters for the clean energy industry and, unfortunately, will throw a monkey wrench into the world’s efforts to mitigate climate change.  But it cannot stop what has become a powerful global trend.

In the words of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres: “Renewable energy is powering down the fossil fuel age.”

According to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, renewables accounted for 92% of new power capacity worldwide last year.  Solar is by far the fastest-growing form of renewable power, accounting for 77% of new capacity.

In the U.S., renewables accounted for about 90% of new installed capacity in 2024.  The country added nearly 40 GW of solar power capacity as well as 5 GW of wind power.  Renewables now make up about 30% of the country’s large-scale power generating capacity.  Adding in all carbon-free electricity sources (which include nuclear power), nearly 44% of the country’s electricity was carbon-free.

Headwinds against the growth of renewable energy are getting stronger in the US, but the global trend driven by both economics and environmental concerns is powerful and will continue.  For one thing, in much of the world, solar power is simply the cheapest way to produce electricity and that is pretty difficult to ignore. Global trade wars and economic turmoil will impact renewable energy much as they will other industries, but the long-term trend is clear.

**********

Web Links

Renewables Made Up More Than 90 Percent of New Power Installed Globally Last Year

Photo, posted November 23, 2022, courtesy of John Morton via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A new way to recycle plastic

By Leave a Comment

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new method for recycling plastic that is safer, cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable than those currently in use.  The U.S. is the world’s largest plastic polluter per capita, and we only recycle 5% of our plastics.  There is a pressing need for better technologies for processing different types of plastic waste.

The Northwestern method is designed to break down polyethylene terephthalate or PET, which is the most common type of polyester plastic.  PET plastic is used in food packaging and beverage bottles and represents 12% of total plastics used globally.  It does not break down easily and is therefore a major contributor to plastic pollution.  It mostly either ends up in landfills or, over time, degrades into tiny microplastics or nanoplastics that end up almost everywhere. 

The non-toxic, environmentally friendly, solvent-free Northwestern process first uses an inexpensive molybdenum catalyst to break apart the bonds in PET.  Then the broken plastic is exposed to ambient air.  Just from the trace amounts of moisture in air, the broken-down PET is converted into monomers, which are the building blocks of plastic.  The monomers could then be recycled back into PET products or used to make other valuable materials.

The process is fast and effective and takes just a few hours.  The catalyst is durable and recyclable, meaning it can be used over and over again.  It only works on polyesters, which means it can be used for recycling mixed plastics without sorting them since it will select only the PET from its inputs.

**********

Web Links

Plastic recycling gets a breath of fresh air

Photo, posted August 10, 2013, courtesy of Lisa Risager via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The warmer, greener Arctic and greenhouse gas

By Leave a Comment

About 15% of the Northern Hemisphere is covered by permafrost.  Permafrost is soil and sediment that has remained frozen for long periods of time, in some cases as much as 700,000 years.  It contains large amounts of dead biomass that has accumulated over millennia and hasn’t fully decomposed.  Therefore, permafrost is an immense carbon sink.

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet and, as a result, thawing permafrost is becoming a carbon source.  As warming continues, ice is melting, and vegetation is spreading.    A new study, published in Nature Climate Change, looked at the state of the Arctic and boreal north from the period 1990 until 2020.  The study found that although half of the Arctic region has been growing greener, only 12% of those green areas are actually taking up more carbon.  For one thing, the growth of forests means that there is more fuel for wildfires which are increasingly common.

A study of lakes in West Greenland found that thousands of crystal blue lakes have turned brown during record heat spells.  Runoff from melting permafrost made the lakes opaque killing off plankton that absorb carbon dioxide.  Meanwhile, plankton that release carbon dioxide multiplied.  So, these lakes went from being carbon sinks to being carbon sources.

As the northern latitudes warm, ice and permafrost are melting, vegetation is spreading, and the region is becoming a source of heat-trapping gas after having been a place where carbon has been locked away for thousands of years.  According to the Nature Climate Change study, roughly 40% of the Arctic is now a source of carbon dioxide.

**********

Web Links

Warmer, Greener Arctic Becoming a Source of Heat-Trapping Gas

Photo, posted October 14, 2024, courtesy of Christoph Strässler via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

New highs for carbon dioxide

By Leave a Comment

Last year was the hottest year on record and the ten hottest years on record have in fact been the last ten years.  Ocean heat reached a record high last year and, along with it, global sea levels.  Those are rising twice as fast as they did in the 1990s.

The World Meteorological Organization reports that the global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide reached a new observed high in 2023, which is the latest year for which global annual figures are available.  The level was 420 ppm, which is the highest level it has been in 800,000 years. 

The increase in carbon dioxide levels was the fourth largest one-year change since modern measurement began in the 1950s.  The rate of growth is typically higher in El Niño years because of increases from fire emissions and reduced terrestrial carbon sinks.

Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide – which are two other key greenhouse gases – also reached record high observed levels in 2023.  Levels of both of these gases have also continued to increase in 2024.

The annually averaged global mean near-surface temperature in 2024 was 1.55 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average.  Apart from being the warmest year in the 175 years records have been kept, it is also above the 1.5-degree limit set as the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.  While a single year above 1.5 degrees of warming does not mean that the efforts to limit global warming have failed, it is a strong warning that the risks to human lives, economies, and the planet are increasing.

**********

Web Links

Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years

Photo, posted January 30, 2018, courtesy of Johannes Grim via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The cost of electric vehicle batteries

By Leave a Comment

The battery pack in an electric car is the most expensive part of the car. Currently, it accounts for as much as 30% of the price.  But EV batteries last a long time.  Most are guaranteed for 8-10 years and are likely to last as long as 20 years.  In practice, only 1.5% of electric cars need battery replacements for one reason or another.

The economics of EV batteries has changed dramatically over time and will continue to do so.  EV battery capacity is measured in kWh, the units you are charged for your home electricity.  An EV with a 300-mile driving range will have a battery pack that holds something like 75 kWh.

In 2008, when electric cars were just starting to enter the market again after earlier false starts, lithium-ion battery packs cost $1,355 per kWh.  When the Tesla Model S was introduced in 2012, packs were about $800. By 2019, packs broke the $200 per kWh barrier. Last year, lithium-ion battery packs reached $115 per kWh.

A combination of technology improvements and strong market competition with growing supplies is driving prices ever lower.  Industry analysts expect battery prices to drop well below $100 this year and reach about $80 next year.

The result of all of this cost reduction is that EVs will be cheaper than equivalent internal combustion vehicles, which in fact is already the case in China. Apart from cost, batteries for cars continue to improve so that the driving range of EVs will continue to increase making the cars more attractive and very practical for nearly all drivers.

**********

Web Links

How Much Do Electric Car Batteries Cost to Replace?

Photo, posted January 22, 2019, courtesy of Steve Rainwater via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Green grout for stabilizing buildings

By Leave a Comment

We are all familiar with the grout that is used for tiles in our homes. We are less familiar with grout that is used to stabilize the soil beneath buildings.  Grouting is a process of ground improvement by injecting materials that can fill voids and cracks, strengthen and increase the bearing capacity of soil, and reduce permeability.

Traditional grouting methods have environmental downsides.  Most often, silica-based chemical grouts are used, and they are produced through energy-intensive processes that contribute substantially to carbon dioxide emissions.  As is the case for all materials and practices of the construction industry, developing sustainable, low-emission alternatives to conventional grouting materials has become an important priority.

Researchers from the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan have developed an innovative new grout material called Colloidal Silica Recovered from Geothermal Fluids.  This grout material enhances soil stabilization and simultaneously reduces the environmental impact of geothermal energy harvesting.

Geothermal energy production generates large amounts of silica-rich waste fluids which creates challenges for its maintenance and disposal.  The new grout repurposes this waste material thereby transforming an industrial byproduct into a valuable construction material.

The new grout material is particularly valuable in earthquake-prone regions, where soil stabilization is essential in preventing structural damage during seismic events.  In addition, the grout’s superior water-sealing properties makes it ideal for underground construction projects like tunnels, subways, and basements.  The new grout in an important step for the construction industry’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.

**********

Web Links

From Waste to Wonder: Revolutionary Green Grout for Sustainable Construction Practices

Photo, posted July 8, 2011, courtesy of MTA Construction & Development Mega Projects via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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