environment

Diesel Is Dirty

October 22, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Three years ago, Volkswagen was found to have illegally cheated federal emissions tests in the US using devious programming of emission control devices. The subterfuge enabled 11 million passenger cars to meet U.S. emissions standards in the laboratory despite that fact that they actually produced up to 40 times higher emissions than the legal limit in real-world driving.

[Read more…] about Diesel Is Dirty

Airports and Rising Seas

October 18, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

There are many low-lying coastal airports around the world. These airports are increasingly vulnerable to the rising sea levels and the more extreme weather brought about by climate change.

[Read more…] about Airports and Rising Seas

Rapid Response To Climate Change More Important Than Ever

October 17, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a new report emphasizing the importance of taking rapid action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and examining the consequences of allowing temperatures to rise 2 degrees instead.

[Read more…] about Rapid Response To Climate Change More Important Than Ever

Cleaning Up the Garbage Patch

October 16, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

We have been talking about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for several years. Two years ago, we reported on the activities of a company called Ocean Cleanup, founded five years ago by an 18-year-old Dutch entrepreneur named Boyan Slat. Two years ago, the company was conducting comprehensive surveys of the patch, which covers an area twice the size of Texas and contains some 80,000 tons of plastic debris.

[Read more…] about Cleaning Up the Garbage Patch

Where Does The Plastic Go?

October 15, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The glut of plastic in the oceans is a global problem. About 9 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. Much of it is discarded fishing gear, plastic bags, and other macroscopic objects. But a great deal of it is in the form of microplastics or small particles. Some microplastics come from cosmetics and other products containing them but a lot of them are the result of larger plastic objects breaking down into small particles.

[Read more…] about Where Does The Plastic Go?

The Problem With Flaring

October 12, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Oil and gas are typically produced together. If oil wells are located near gas pipelines, then the gas gets used. But if the wells are far offshore, or it is not economical to get the gas to market, then oil companies get rid of the gas by burning it – a process known as flaring.

[Read more…] about The Problem With Flaring

Earthquakes And Injection Wells

October 8, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The expanded use of injection wells and fracking has brought about a significant increase in earthquakes in places that didn’t have very many before. Wastewater injection in Oklahoma increased earthquake totals from dozens per year to over 900 in 2015 before collapsing oil prices reduced the use of the technique. Increased earthquakes in Alberta, Canada were triggered by fracking in that area.

[Read more…] about Earthquakes And Injection Wells

Pests And Crops In A Warming World

October 1, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

By the year 2050, scientists predict that there will be two billion more people to feed in the world. And climate change isn’t making that task any simpler. From extreme weather events to rising global temperatures, climate change is expected to affect the types of food we grow, and to negatively affect the food production needed to feed the growing population.

[Read more…] about Pests And Crops In A Warming World

California vs. Fossil Fuels

September 19, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

California has led the way in deploying and committing to clean energy for a long time. In August its legislature strengthened that commitment by passing a bill to stop using fossil fuels entirely by 2045. It is the second state to do so, following Hawaii. The bill still needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the governor. Both actions are expected to occur.

[Read more…] about California vs. Fossil Fuels

Unexpected Effects Of Climate Change

September 18, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The effects of climate change are discussed all the time. We hear a lot about rising seas, extreme weather events, and so on. And mostly, the weather gets warmer. Heatwaves are increasingly common and longer and stronger.

[Read more…] about Unexpected Effects Of Climate Change

Designing Plastic To Fall Apart

September 17, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

In the 1940s and 1950s, synthetic polymers became very popular. These man-made materials were designed to be cheap and durable and soon began replacing metals and glass in everything from automobiles and airplanes to bottles and dishes.

[Read more…] about Designing Plastic To Fall Apart

Yet Another Hot Year

September 14, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

This summer has seen record heat in many places and some record-breaking wildfires. In short, it looks a lot like the future that scientists have been warning about in the era of climate change. And still some people continue to argue about whether anything is happening to the climate.

[Read more…] about Yet Another Hot Year

Emissions From Electric Buses

September 12, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Municipalities and transit agencies are gradually replacing conventional diesel buses with cleaner alternatives such as natural-gas-powered, diesel-electric hybrid, or fully electric buses. The goal is to reduce the substantial carbon emissions associated with buses as well as reducing unhealthy air pollution. Diesel buses on average get less than 5 miles per gallon as they transport passengers around, so there is plenty of motivation to find more efficient ways to power them.

[Read more…] about Emissions From Electric Buses

Fires And Atmospheric Cooling

September 11, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Aerosols – tiny particles in the atmosphere released from fires and other sources – can cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space and by increasing cloud brightness.

[Read more…] about Fires And Atmospheric Cooling

Hoover Dam As A Giant Battery

September 7, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Back in the 1930s, building Hoover Dam was a public works project likened to the pyramids. Hoover Dam helped transform the American West, harnessing the force of the Colorado River to power millions of homes and businesses.

[Read more…] about Hoover Dam As A Giant Battery

Fish And Their Sense Of Smell

September 4, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

We use our sense of smell for all sorts of things, like locating food and habitat, avoiding danger, and so on. Fish do as well. But instead of smelling scent molecules in the air like humans do, fish use their nostrils to sense chemicals suspended in water.

[Read more…] about Fish And Their Sense Of Smell

New Zealand Bans Plastic Bags

September 3, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

In an effort to tackle plastic pollution, New Zealand is joining a growing list of countries banning single-use plastic bags for good. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says in a press statement that the ban was necessary to safeguard New Zealand’s clean and green reputation.

[Read more…] about New Zealand Bans Plastic Bags

Global Warming And Air Conditioners

August 24, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

All those record high temperatures around the world this summer – such as during the unprecedented heatwave in Japan – put the spotlight on the growing dependence we all have on air conditioning.

[Read more…] about Global Warming And Air Conditioners

Drought In Europe

August 22, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Even as Californians fought giant wildfires and Japan struggled with record high temperatures, the unusual summer heat in central and northern Europe has led to the worst drought conditions in over 40 years.

[Read more…] about Drought In Europe

Cleaning Up Shipping Fuel

August 21, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Cargo ships are significant sources of global air pollution because of their fuel oil. Most ships burn something called “bunker fuel” which is a pitch-black, molasses-thick fuel made from the dregs of the oil refining process. It is loaded with sulfur, so when it is burned it produces noxious gases and fine particles that can harm human health and the environment. Because bunker fuel is made from petroleum refining residues, waste byproducts sometimes end up in the mix, making the stuff even a worse source of pollution.

[Read more…] about Cleaning Up Shipping Fuel